Chapter 588

Chapter 588: Threatening Again

Fang Lie gasped in astonishment. "You stubborn old men are filthy rich! Tens of thousands of large spirit pearls? That’s billions in small spirit pearls! Almost enough to buy an Eighth-rank Treasure!"

"Since when can Eighth-rank Treasures be bought with spirit pearls? Stop daydreaming!" Mo Qianxun chuckled. "If such deals existed, you’d better inform me first. I’d buy every single one!"

"If that were true, I’d hoard them all myself!" Fang Lie grinned. "But aren’t you overspending? This seems wildly extravagant."

"Loose change for us old fellows," Mo Qianxun waved dismissively. "Pity your recent fame scared off bigger bets. Otherwise, I’d have wagered Eighth-rank Treasures against your enemies!"

"Loose change?" Fang Lie’s eyes widened. "How wealthy are you people?"

"Every Semi-Immortal here has cultivated for millennia with vast resources," Mo Qianxun explained. "Even the poorest among us has ample savings. Truthfully, your current earnings nearly match ours—you just lack time to accumulate comparable wealth."

"Still feel poor," Fang Lie grumbled. "After this mess, I’ll need another lucrative… venture. Which sect should I target next?"

Mo Qianxun sighed in exasperation. "Not now. Plundering treasures too often breeds collective hatred. We’ll discuss this later."

Hours crawled by before Li Qingshi finally rose, signaling readiness for the match.

The delay puzzled many—his previous match had drained little magic, and recovery should’ve been swift. Spectators muttered as he dawdled until impatient shouts forced him onto the Celestial Platform arena.

"Look at him cower!" someone snickered. "Bullied his opponent’s Junior Sister and Fiancée, now trembling before Fang Lie’s wrath!"

"Serves him right," another remarked. "Who picks fights with Fang Lie? That monster crushed elites and rivaled Qing Feng himself. I’d never provoke him!"

"Don’t underestimate Li Qingshi’s cunning," a voice countered. "His delay might be tactical. Remember how he outmaneuvered Mo Lanyun? Shameless but effective against straightforward types like Fang Lie."

"Straightforward? He outsmarted Qing Feng!"

"Battlefield tactics aren’t dishonorable. Fang Lie’s known for integrity—slays demons, protects innocents. Sacrificed his Seventh-rank Flying Boat to save millions during the Little Demon Chamber crisis!"

"Honorable yet vulnerable. Let’s see if Li Qingshi’s schemes prevail again."

As debates swirled, the rivals faced each other across the arena. Custom demanded courteous greetings between non-enemies, with the younger initiating. Yet Fang Lie stood motionless, arms crossed, lips curled in contempt.

Li Qingshi forced a stiff bow. "Junior Brother Fang, I deeply regret distressing Sister Mo. It was merely—"

"I comprehend but don’t forgive," Fang Lie cut in icily. "Some lines shouldn’t be crossed, even for ‘Dao path’ excuses."

Li Qingshi flushed. "I employed minor stratagems, not atrocities!"

"Tormenting a teenage girl qualifies as atrocity," Fang Lie retorted.

"This was a Path Contest, not personal!" Li Qingshi protested.

"Harassing my Junior Sister makes it personal," Fang Lie growled. "You’ve earned my wrath. Prepare to die."

"You defy the Path Contest’s sacred rules?" Li Qingshi blustered.

"Rules?" Fang Lie barked a laugh. "When I killed Great Thunder Sound Temple disciples during my first Contest, they ambushed me in Secret Realms. Your ‘sacred rules’ are worthless. Only fools like you cling to them."

Li Qingshi trembled, face purpling.

"Enough chatter." Fang Lei’s smile turned predatory. "Admire your courage, entering this arena after provoking me. Did you forget? No surrender without my consent. Choose your demise."

Li Qingshi’s bravado crumbled. He’d gambled on Fang Lie’s reputed mercy and inter-sect diplomacy. Now death loomed—a death that would cripple his cultivation, relegating him to mediocrity.

"Y-you’d risk war between Abbot Mountain and Mo Sect?" he stammered.

Fang Lie sneered. "Killing you here breaches no pact. Your life isn’t worth a sect war, Little Stone."

"Don’t underestimate me!" Li Qingshi rallied. "I came prepared! Your Wonderful Bodhi Tree won’t—"

"Spare me the theatrics." Fang Lie yawned. "Show your tricks or perish."

Li Qingshi’s voice dropped. "I possess information about your mother. Surrender, and it’s yours."

The arena erupted in outrage. "Not again!" "Abbot Mountain’s shameless!" "Since when does extortion count as combat strength?"

Fang Lie’s composure shattered. "Lies!"

"I swear by my Dao heart—every word’s true." Li Qingshi pressed his advantage. "Your mother’s secrets connect to Abbot Mountain. Yield, and learn them all."

"You scum!" Fang Lie roared. "I don’t even know her name! How dare you—"

"Precisely why you need me," Li Qingshi interrupted smugly. "Choose—victory or answers?"

Spectators groaned. "Mo Sect’s geniuses undone by blackmail!" "This isn’t competition—it’s farce!"