Chapter 298

Chapter 298: Violent Duel

“Li, once we get past this round, I’ll knock your teeth out!” Wen Shaobao secretly communicated.

Li Hui laughed, “In my eyes, you’re just a little kid. Don’t worry, I enjoy picking on disobedient little kids for fun.”

“Don’t get too smug! When you see my true skills, you’ll regret being born. Some people are destined to be silent, while others are destined to rise and become new stars.”

“Uh, I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Boom, boom, boom…” The loud explosions continued behind them as Li Changtian efficiently sealed one Sound Bug during their first collaboration.

Things went smoothly from there; with the talisman formation and formation disk in place, even when others tried to take advantage, they quickly pushed them back.

After a busy hour, they achieved remarkable results—seven Sound Bugs and seven Green Stones in hand. Other groups also found ways to cooperate, realizing it was better to team up than to fight over resources. Li Hui thought the Haotu Sect’s arrangements were quite interesting.

Once they met the requirements, everyone stepped onto the radiant light to teleport into the desert.

Before them lay countless massive stone platforms spread across the boundless Yellow Sand, some tilted halfway up while others stood tall like heavenly gates, at least two zhang thick.

“Listen up!”

“The battle will begin! Successfully challenging someone earns you one hundred points. If you fail a challenge, you lose three hundred points. Successfully countering a challenger earns you two hundred points; if you fail, you lose one hundred points.”

“If you believe your battle experience is lacking and refuse to accept a challenger, you lose fifty points. If you do this three times, you may enter the next checkpoint. Alternatively, by completing three challenges, you can also pass.”

Wen Shaobao felt a chill run down his spine and suddenly asked loudly, “What if I heavily injure my opponent and accidentally kill them?”

A dismissive voice replied, “Impure motives will cost you two hundred points. Do you think we in the Haotu Sect are blind? We won’t allow such near-death situations; at most, they will just faint.”

“Seriously? Two hundred points off just like that?” Wen Shaobao fumed. His score was already low, and after gaining points from collecting Sound Bugs and Green Stones, he was just starting to improve. Now, with one sharp comment, he lost two hundred points. If he challenged again, success might not be so certain, and failure?

At that moment, Li Hui spoke up, “Come on, Wen Shaobao. I said I enjoy picking on little kids; it’s time to step up and accept the challenge! Of course, you can refuse.”

“Hmph, would I refuse a challenge?” Wen Shaobao leaped onto the massive stone platform, pointing downward. “I’ll show you the might of the Wen family! Ah, Fire Monkey, rise!”

As he spoke, flames erupted around him, and the Long-browed Fiery Monkey on his shoulder screeched, blood patterns swirling in its eyes as its form quickly expanded behind him.

Li Hui recognized this as a combination of summoning spirits and infusing beast blood to form a battle body, which should be quite powerful—unless it faced him.

He gracefully took to the air and swiftly unleashed a Cleansing Blood Talisman.

Wen Shaobao was momentarily stunned as he felt his fusion with the Long-browed Fiery Monkey come to a sudden halt. By the time he reacted, his opponent was already closing in, raising a leg for a powerful sweep.

“Bang, bang, bang…” The sounds echoed as Wen Shaobao’s figure scraped along the stone platform, bouncing back and forth in a beautiful display like skipping stones on water. Each bounce pushed him further off the platform, resulting in his elimination from the duel.

“Did…I lose?”

Wen Shaobao dropped from the platform, eyes widened in disbelief. How could he have been defeated? And by an unknown brat at that, losing in just one move!

“No, I was careless; yes, I underestimated him! Since Li made it through those earlier trials, he can’t be viewed as an ordinary cultivator; perhaps his cultivation is higher. It’s fine, I still have my trump card.”

With that thought, Wen Shaobao leaped back onto the stone platform, shouting, “Li, I challenge you! Do you dare to accept?”

Li Hui stood firmly on the platform, gripping the Long-browed Fiery Monkey tightly as it screeched and writhed. He slapped down spirit talismans one after another on the monkey’s back.

“Hey, that’s despicable! Give me back my Long-browed Fiery Monkey!” Wen Shaobao yelled, charging forward and throwing his long sword artifact with a howling gale at his side. Golden lines erupted all over him, forming a ghostly pattern that hinted at a ferocious monkey face.

“Spirit Motion perfected, almost ready to Gather Spirit?” Li Hui rubbed his hands together and, like a magician, retracted the Long-browed Fiery Monkey. He then swiftly dodged the incoming long sword artifact, delivering a kick charged with dazzling golden lines, sweeping horizontally.

“Bang, bang, bang…” His speed was astonishing; again, a series of familiar sounds filled the air as Wen Shaobao couldn’t react in time, scraping along the ground and crashing into the platform, cracking it, before crashing down once more.

The onlooking youths stood around the platform in shock.

Li Changtian frowned slightly and muttered, “This level of body refining cultivator is even stronger than me. How did he attain such strength? Truly, I can’t underestimate the cultivators of this world!”

The voice of the announcer echoed: “Li Yingjun wins the first challenge, earning one hundred points! In the second challenge, he counters successfully and gains two hundred points. Wen Shaobao loses his first challenge, losing one hundred points. In the second challenge, he loses three hundred points.”

“I…I lost again?”

“Despicable, relying on body refining cultivation to kick me! Taking my Long-browed Fiery Monkey, are you afraid I might achieve a battle body?” Wen Shaobao gritted his teeth, wanting to issue another challenge, but found himself with only sixty points left. He looked up at the figure slowly approaching the edge of the platform, momentarily stunned.

“Your score is about to hit zero!” Li Hui said lightly. “If I continue to challenge you, accepting will cost you one hundred points; if you choose to back down, you’ll lose fifty points. Choose!”

“This…” Wen Shaobao had never thought the other party could bring him to the brink of zero points. He hesitated at the thought of accepting the challenge, fearing Li would overwhelm him with speed. What’s so great about body refining cultivators? Once he entered the Haotu Sect and learned their Dao arts, he would soar to new heights! But if he couldn’t get in, everything would fall to nothing.

“Remember this, Li! Once I enter, you’ll see the true power of the Wen family,” Wen Shaobao weighed the pros and cons but ultimately chickened out, raising his hand to lose fifty points as he teleported to the next checkpoint.

Meanwhile, someone in the shadows shook their head and sighed, “Sigh! Is this the seed sent by the Wen family? He doesn’t even have the courage to face a challenge, directly falling to dust. No matter how spectacular Wen Shaolun is inside, he’s far from this direct brother!”

“Offending Wen Shaolun bears no benefits,” a woman cautioned.

“Mind your own business! Let’s see how this kid grows,” said the man with a square face, gazing at the handsome youth.

Li Hui had already completed three challenges, feeling that this duel segment was somewhat of a formality, earning a total of three hundred fifty points before stepping onto the radiant light that teleported him into a dense jungle.

With no village in sight and no guidance, he simply stood there. After overcoming the trials of Heart Transformation, strategy, and duel, the next challenge should be Treasure Gathering, but what kind of treasure awaited him remained unknown.