Volume 2, Chapter 72 – Silencing the Howl

Bolou’s words were amplified by the arena system, and everyone present felt their blood boil as they listened.

What do you mean, “I don’t want to take advantage of the Yu people”?

If you’ve won, you’ve won—what’s the point of calling someone else up to fight again?

Trying to make yourself look especially amazing? Trying to make it seem like you were bullying children before?

It was like grabbing someone by the throat and slapping them across the face!

Abbess Li Sheng’s face was ashen.

Xia Ran, still standing, was flushed bright red as well.

Many people couldn’t hold back anymore, pointing at the stage and cursing. For a moment the entire venue was filled with sharp boos. Even Wen Qingxuan couldn’t keep the scene under control and could only go along with public sentiment: 【Uh… contestant Bolou’s personality might be just a little too blunt…】

Before Xiang Xian and Old Wang Ran had even finished discussing what to do, they were jolted back by the commotion. Seeing the situation, they looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

They’d been worrying over how to find an excuse to slip in one more match—how had the opponent taken the initiative to propose it instead?

Just then, a dark-skinned woman stepped out from the Luohou delegation. She went up to the commentary platform and gestured a few times at one of the teachers, then pointed at the big screen. The teacher’s expression immediately changed.

【Oh… the Luohou team has made a request!】

Wen Qingxuan soon received the notice as well. Still a little dazed, he announced, 【They’re pushing hard to make a third bout happen! And they’re willing to stake the “championship” on it!】

That was absolutely insane.

Because by defeating Xia Ran, the Luohou delegation had already secured the exchange meet’s championship; even if they added another bout and lost, the title wouldn’t change hands.

But right now, not many people thought they were crazy. Bolou’s strength had shaken everyone so much that they instinctively felt he had the confidence to do this—and no one thought any student here could defeat Bolou.

“Arrogant,” Xiang Xian said, staring from afar at the old monk in the python-embroidered robe—the Luohou Chan Master. “Stepping on the faces of two of the Nine Daos isn’t enough for him; he wants to grind mine down as well.”

“Dao Lord Xiang, you saw it yourself,” Wang Ran said, looking at her solemnly. “This wasn’t something I asked for!”

Xiang Xian exhaled, then quickly glanced at Bai Xiang and asked Wang Ran, “She’s clearly my disciple, so why do you look more confident than I am…”

“I have confidence in Miss Xiang,” Wang Ran interrupted her, lowering his voice. “And that comes from your clash with Li Sheng.”

Oh…

Xiang Xian slanted a look at him.

Sure enough, she couldn’t fool this old monk.

Even if the Yuming Dao methods weren’t refined for combat, she was still a proper cultivator of the Divine Fetus realm; there was no way she couldn’t tell what state Li Sheng had been in at the time, or whether she’d regressed since their last meeting.

She was certain Li Sheng hadn’t regressed.

Not only had she not regressed, her “Dragon Form Stance” had actually improved. When that bolt of lightning came crashing down, if not for the phoenix child she carried, Xiang Xian might have ended up rather disheveled.

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With Li Sheng in that condition, there was no way she couldn’t even withstand Xiang Xian’s very first strike of the Splitting-Light Sword Formula. The only explanation was her condition—something had gone wrong with the right hand she used to wield her sword.

Add in the fact that Li Sheng had earlier used a sword-finger with her right hand to intercept Bai Xiang’s blade, and the answer didn’t even need thinking; it came to mind the moment you considered it.

To be honest, Xiang Xian was very surprised. She suddenly realized she still didn’t fully understand this disciple. She’d thought that, at most, Bai Xiang’s secrets amounted to hiding a “Molting Cicada Method”; she hadn’t expected someone in the Condensing the Aspect realm to be able to injure a Divine Fetus.

How had she done it?

After all, just last night Bai Xiang had come to speak with her, proposing a hypothetical “one-and-only qi-path method.” So saying Xiang Xian had no guesses at all would have been a lie.

But she hadn’t pressed Bai Xiang for details. Instead, she had put on the air of a peerless, awe-inspiring expert, as if this were all entirely her own achievement.

She’d meant to help cover for her disciple, but in the end she still couldn’t fool Wang Ran.

Since the secret was already out, Xiang Xian thought it over, then walked up to Bai Xiang. Ignoring the dense curtain of gazes hanging behind her, she asked, “Are you willing to go?”

Bai Xiang rose and met her master’s gaze. “If Master wants me to go, then I’ll go.”

Her tone treated Bolou as beneath notice, leaving many nearby spectators staring in shock.

Xiang Xian gave her a small nod, then quietly said as Bai Xiang stepped past, “Don’t show too many peculiarities.”

Has Master guessed something?

Bai Xiang had prepared herself for this. Those few words carried a wealth of meaning—they meant Xiang Xian not only still acknowledged her as a disciple, but was even willing to shield and protect her, not wanting her to attract too much attention.

Warmth welled up in her heart. Bai Xiang nodded and continued striding toward the arena.

“Can she do it?”

“Isn’t she only seventeen?”

“She’s not even in the top fifty on the Splendid Rankings. Isn’t she just going up there to be slaughtered?”

Bai Xiang’s action immediately set the entire venue buzzing. No one had expected her to accept the challenge. Some people who were behind on the news were even asking around, trying to figure out how she’d suddenly become a disciple of Yuming.

In the end, it was Wang Ran who went up on stage in his capacity as Dao Lord to speak. He explained that since this was “the guests’ request,” and “the other guests” had accepted, then Qiyun Hall ought to follow ancient tradition and act as an impartial venue to witness the duel.

“She’s dead for sure!”

Zhou Ji muttered to himself in excitement.

“That Luohou guy is basically a monster! She’s walking to her death! She’s gone insane!?”

Watching his behavior, Zhou Jing’an could only shake his head inwardly.

It was one thing for his son to lack talent in the Sword Dao, but for both grandsons to be disappointments as well—that was perhaps even more cruel to him than having his own path cut off.

Zhou Yingxing was cautious and possessed outstanding talent, but he lacked ruthlessness—not suitable to helm a dojo in the future.

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Zhou Ji did have ruthlessness, but far too many of his thoughts were childish.

If only he could combine the personalities of the two, that would be perfect…

A thought stirred in his heart, and Zhou Jing’an turned his gaze back to Bai Xiang.

Others might not understand why she’d become the target of this challenge, but he had a guess—Zezhou’s side was probably about to make a move.

Was it because the Demon Suppression Bureau’s investigation had progressed faster than expected, so the plan had to be brought forward?

That person had always had a habit of hunting down geniuses—the more peerless the talent, the more likely they were to end up on his kill list.

Previously, they should have gotten their hands on Bai Nianchan’s corpse after she took her own life, but afterward there had been no movement against the Bai clan. That suggested Bai Nianchan’s uniqueness hadn’t come from the Bai bloodline, but from a coincidental stroke of fortune.

So this time, had they set their sights on the Bai clan’s adopted daughter because of her cultivation speed, or because of that pink demonic aura she’d revealed before?

Surely not.

Zhou Jing’an glanced toward the northeast.

There must have been some new result that had just come out…

“You… are you really sure about this?”

As she passed by Xia Ran, Bai Xiang heard him ask her that.

Ever since being knocked off the platform, Xia Ran had maintained the same standing posture. She didn’t know whether he simply didn’t dare turn to face the spectators behind him.

“Mm?”

Bai Xiang turned back and gave him a look.

“You only ever draw your sword when you’re absolutely certain, don’t you.”

This—

Xia Ran had been sunk in the haze of defeat, somewhat dazed and lost. Hearing those words struck him like a thunderbolt; all at once the clouds parted and the sky brightened!

“You…”

Xia Ran wanted to thank Bai Xiang, but also to remind her to be wary of how difficult the opponent was.

But Bai Xiang didn’t pause at all. By the time he raised his head, she had already stepped onto the platform, standing at a distance opposite Bolou.

“Thunk!”

Bolou planted one hand on his hip and slammed his thick, black greatsword into the ground with the other. His bright eyes glared at Bai Xiang like a starving tiger locking onto its prey.

The difference in their builds was far too obvious. Many people frowned at the stark contrast, recalling how miserably Leng Qiu had lost when facing Bolou earlier.

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There was no way this girl could be stronger than Leng Qiu, right?

What was Yuming Sword Dao thinking? If they lost again, they wouldn’t even have any excuses left.

“I don’t get it,” Zhao Jinyan said down below, shaking his head. “This is just asking to be humiliated.”

“Not necessarily.”

Someone beside him contradicted him.

At first Zhao Jinyan didn’t think much of it. When he realized who had spoken, he turned pale with shock. “Master?”

It was actually his master who disagreed?

“Just watch.”

Abbess Li Sheng stared fixedly at Bai Xiang’s back. The right hand hidden in her sleeve extended its thumb to gently rub at the middle knuckle of her middle finger.

Bai Xiang and Bolou went through the formalities first. The two drew close; Bolou bowed.

Bai Xiang did not bow. Instead, she raised her sword upright before her, using a swordsman’s salute in its place.

The act carried a hint of arrogance, stirring another round of discussion.

Then they each walked back to their starting positions, turned, and faced one another from afar, waiting for the green light to signal the official start.

Bolou narrowed his eyes at Bai Xiang.

This girl gave him a rather unusual feeling.

He had never felt this way facing anyone before—not even Xia Ran, who had likewise trained the Earth-Heart Stance and even mastered divine abilities from two major systems.

His heart began to beat faster.

The blood all through his body surged wildly.

A bizarre sensation descended out of nowhere. Just being stared at by Bai Xiang, just locking eyes with those strange golden pupils, made Bolou’s hair stand on end as needlelike pain pricked at his temples and eyeballs.

How bizarre…

Why was this happening?

The green light came on, and Bolou roared as he charged at Bai Xiang.

His condition was obviously being dragged off-kilter, but he couldn’t be bothered to think about it. He’d just test things directly in battle!

“Die!”

As he rushed forward, deep violet qi mist exploded out, swirling around Bolou and coalescing into the phantom of a ferocious tiger. It roared in time with the downward sweep of his blunt-edged greatsword!

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“Roar—!”

The Benling Tiger Soul’s eyes shone blood-red as its massive jaws gaped open, thick fangs descending, about to swallow Bai Xiang whole.

But Bai Xiang stood there without moving an inch.

She didn’t even turn her head or shut her eyes, but met the Tiger Soul’s gaze head-on!

She’s not dodging?

Down below, Xia Ran stared, eyes wide.

Every move of the Benling Tiger Soul embodied the fusion of the Four Spirits. If you locked eyes with it right from the start, your body would be suppressed on the spot—your Demon Pool and will both unable to move!

A resonant “clang—!”

A hum like a struck bell rang out, and the tiger’s roar cut off abruptly.

Abbess Li Sheng shot to her feet.

The spectators who had seen clearly all drew in sharp breaths.

Wang Ran narrowed his eyes and craned his neck.

Even Xiang Xian raised her brows, using the motion to mask her inner astonishment.

“Impossible!”

The old monk in the python robe gaped, unable to believe what he was seeing.

“You…!”

Bolou ground his teeth, staring fixedly at the girl beneath his sword.

Bai Xiang still hadn’t drawn her sword.

She had merely extended her left hand to block the greatsword—that bell-like hum had come from that.

Is that really worth all the surprise?

Watching her opponent’s expression, Bai Xiang simultaneously felt the crazed thirst for blood pouring into her from Feixiang Heaven, and couldn’t help feeling that everyone here was getting it all wrong.

I just think you’re filthy.

It’s not that I don’t have a way to deal with you.