Volume 7, Chapter 426 – Pitiful, Eliminated Twice (Part 1)

“What? Did I hear that right? Not only is she planning to snack by herself, but she’s also bringing her martial siblings along? She’s treating the Evergreen Conference like some garden party!”

“Making so many weaklings in the Body-Tempering Realm sit up there. If even one of them leaves their seat, the Honghua Sect will be eliminated. She’s completely disregarding the Immortal Seeds of the Jinliu Sect!”

“But wasn’t the Jinliu Sect already turned into a rat’s nest by her? They’re definitely not human anymore!”

“Even if Cheng Hongling is strong, she only has two hands. How many people can she really protect? This Qi Huang is completely sabotaging her main body!”

The cultivators below voiced their doubts one after another.

Cheng Hongling, however, did not speak. She had never known fear. The higher the difficulty, the fiercer her fighting spirit burned. Only by constantly surpassing her limits could she rapidly grow stronger.

“Ah, I’ve never watched a martial arts competition from atop a stage before. This feeling is so refreshing!”

Ruan Lingyu’s voice brimmed with excitement.

“Senior Sister, we don’t even have to crane our necks to see clearly here. My neck definitely won’t ache tonight!”

Miao Xiang was equally thrilled. To watch the matches before, she had always been forced to stand on tiptoe with her head tilted back, nearly giving herself cervical spine problems.

“Tch, with your height, even if you sit down, you still won’t see anything. Did you think your only problem was short legs?”

Su Qingying ruthlessly mocked her.

“It’s fine. You all can sit, I’ll just stand and watch. It’s not like there are people from other sects on the stage anyway.”

Miao Xiang seemed easily satisfied.

“No need, Senior Sister. You can sit right at the front.”

Qi Huang quickly suggested.

“Junior Sister is still the best to me.”

Miao Xiang happily skipped to the frontmost seat and plopped down.

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On the other side of the stage, Jin Shu and Bao Gang watched as Qi Huang and the others completely ignored them, grinding their teeth in fury.

“Is there even a point? In a little while, you’ll all be kicked off by me anyway!”

Jin Shu snarled through clenched teeth.

“Yeah, who’s going to clean up the mess when you’re missing arms and legs later?”

Bao Gang sneered.

“Why should you worry? Plenty of people would jump at the chance to clean up after us!”

Qi Huang scoffed before turning to the crowd below and asking, “Who’s willing to clean up these tables and chairs for us later?”

“Me! Me! Fairy Qi, I’ll clean up as many melon seed shells as you drop, no matter how many times!”

“You can even set conditions like that? Fairy Qi, even if you were spitting melon seed shells in an outhouse, I’d still clean them up for you!”

“You’re scheming louder than your wife’s snores. You might be willing, but would she even want you to? Fairy Qi, do you need an adopted son? How about me? I’m a live-in son-in-law. I know all the rules and I’m great at housework!”

The cultivators below clamored over one another, competing to answer.

“Don’t you people have any dignity? Stop embarrassing us men!”

Bao Gang scolded them in exasperation.

“Disciple, who do you think will win between these two sides?”

Among the Donglai Sect’s contingent, Ye Donglai asked his disciple.

“Is that even a question? That Jin Hu is only at the Incarnation Realm’s third layer, and Bao Gang is merely at the first layer. How could they possibly defeat an opponent at the fifth layer?”

Cheng Kang answered without hesitation.

“Do you really believe Cheng Hongling is at the fifth layer of the Incarnation Realm?”

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Ye Donglai countered.

“What do you mean? The Divine Sense intensity she displayed that day was indeed at the fifth layer.”

Cheng Kang frowned in analysis.

“Heh, Divine Sense intensity doesn’t necessarily match cultivation level. In the cultivation world, there exists a very special treasure that can purely amplify a cultivator’s Divine Sense.”

Ye Donglai explained.

“Really? But the speed and True Qi potency she displayed also couldn’t belong to someone below the fifth layer.”

Cheng Kang refuted.

“Her speed comes from her movement technique, and the quality of her True Qi is due to the ‘Water Exquisite Art’, her relationship with the Holy Maiden of Shuiyu Valley is common knowledge.”

Ye Donglai shook his head.

“Do you have concrete proof?”

Cheng Kang pondered briefly before asking.

“That day, during her match with the Jinliu Sect’s Immortal Seeds, I noticed her attack speed didn’t match her Divine Sense intensity. As someone at the fifth layer of the Incarnation Realm yourself, you should’ve sensed it too, no?”

Ye Donglai reminded him.

“I did notice. At the time, I thought she was holding back.”

Cheng Kang murmured after a moment’s thought.

“Heh, she was about to face the Jinliu Sect a second time, why would she hold back? Anyone in her position would’ve crippled their opponents to secure an advantage in the real match. Yet, those two Jinliu Sect disciples walked onto the stage unharmed. That proves her strength wasn’t at the fifth layer.”

Ye Donglai continued his analysis.

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“Is that so? How disappointing. I thought I’d finally have a worthy opponent this time.”

Cheng Kang sighed, shaking his head in dismay.

“Enough nonsense! Start already!”

On the stage, Jin Shu, realizing he was no match for Qi Huang in a war of words, barked impatiently.

“Take your time. If you’re sent flying too quickly, I’m afraid you’ll lose face.”

Cheng Hongling retorted coldly.

“Since both sides are ready, the match begins now!”

An Immortal Alliance disciple declared.

The moment the words fell, Jin Hu and Bao Gang simultaneously pulled out a talisman. A powerful Divine Sense barrier instantly enveloped them.

“Oh-ho! No wonder they’re so confident, they came prepared. Seems they’ve uncovered your secret.”

Qi Huang teased her main body through telepathy. Even without probing, she knew those barriers had to be formidable.

“Looks like the Jinliu Sect’s higher-ups aren’t pushovers either. Giving their disciples such strong protective talismans completely nullifies Cheng Hongling’s Divine Sense. If her true cultivation is only at the second layer of the Incarnation Realm, then the outcome is anyone’s guess.”

Ye Donglai remarked mockingly from below.

Cheng Hongling’s brow furrowed as her Divine Sense condensed into two longswords, shooting toward her opponents.

Clang!

A crisp collision rang out. Just as Qi Huang predicted, the Divine Sense shields around Jin Shu and Bao Gang remained unmoved.

“Surprised? This protective talisman was made just for you.”

Jin Shu grinned triumphantly.

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Cheng Hongling’s expression turned grave. She could tell the Divine Sense barrier was at least at the late-stage Incarnation Realm, impossible to break through.

“I am surprised. A grown man relying on protective talismans. Do you have some hidden ailment you’re afraid people will discover?”

Qi Huang, never one to back down, fired back with a verbal jab.

“Save your taunts. Did you really think we wouldn’t figure it out? Your main body’s cultivation doesn’t reach the fifth layer. She only has some treasure artificially boosting her Divine Sense growth. Now that her Divine Sense is useless, let’s see how you plan to fight us!”

Jin Shu laughed wildly.

“I’m curious, how exactly did you figure it out?”

Cheng Hongling didn’t bother denying it. In truth, she had never intended to disguise herself as some fifth-layer expert, that had been their own assumption.

“In that situation, there’s no way you’d hold back. Yet, your attack speed and power were nowhere near the fifth layer. The fact that we’re standing here unharmed is proof enough.”

Jin Shu’s smirk widened.

“Exactly. Did you think you could fool everyone? Too bad, all it took was a little pressure for you to crack like an egg.”

Bao Gang gloated, picking up where his comrade left off.

“I didn’t expect the Jinliu Sect to be this sharp. In that scenario, Cheng Hongling truly wouldn’t have held back. If the damage was that minimal, then that’s all she’s capable of.”

“If that’s the case, Cheng Hongling is in trouble. With her Divine Sense neutralized and her ability to weaken her opponents gone, a direct clash will put her at a disadvantage.”

“Yeah, her killing intent has been countered, her Divine Sense is useless. What else can she rely on now?”

Whispers spread through the crowd.

“Hiding? Did I ever deny being at the second layer of the Incarnation Realm? Against the likes of you, the second layer is more than enough. There’s no need for pretense.”

With a shing, Cheng Hongling drew her sword. In the next instant, she vanished, leaving behind a crimson afterimage.