Volume 7, Chapter 442 – Could the Talisman Be Fake?

Lü Yi reacted so strongly because, as a descendant of immortals, he was inherently the greatest beneficiary of the bloodline doctrine. Naturally, he could not tolerate anyone questioning this “ironclad rule”.

In truth, other cultivators were no different. Even if they themselves were looked down upon by those with superior innate talent, in the eyes of mortals, they were still lofty “Immortal Elders”. If someone of lowly bloodline like Qi Huang could rise to power, it would deal a massive blow to their status. After all, it would mean that ordinary people could become stronger than cultivators.

For this very reason, when Qi Huang and Lü Yi clashed, most local cultivators sided against their own and supported the outsider.

The Honghua Sect watched the spectacle for a long while before finally preparing to leave. Unexpectedly, they were intercepted midway by the Sixth Princess, Lin Ran.

“Why did you do that? You knew Lü Er was unbeatable, yet you still insisted on fighting him head-on. If you get injured or expend too much energy, you’ll have no hope in the next match. Your Honghua Sect might very well be eliminated here.”

Lin Ran stepped forward to question her.

“Thank you for your concern, Sixth Princess.”

Qi Huang politely expressed her gratitude before countering, “Or are you just worried that if I’m eliminated, you won’t be able to prove yourself?”

“…”

Lin Ran had no response, as this was indeed the primary reason she had joined the Evergreen Conference.

“Don’t worry. His invincibility only applies to you.”

Qi Huang offered a reassuring smile.

“You… truly believe you can defeat him?”

Lin Ran’s expression wavered between doubt and reluctant belief.

“If I said yes, would you believe me?”

Qi Huang gave an ambiguous smile before continuing, “Sixth Princess, since you’re a decent person and have stood up for us local cultivators, I’ll give you a piece of advice: withdraw from the Evergreen Conference now.”

“Why?”

Lin Ran was puzzled.

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“The reasoning is simple. If you wait until after I defeat Lü Er, it’ll be too late, because then you’ll be labeled a deserter.”

Qi Huang spoke earnestly.

“Surrendering without a fight is still desertion. What’s the difference?”

Lin Ran shook her head firmly before politely thanking her. “I appreciate your warning, Junior Sister Qi. But even if you can defeat that Lü Er, I won’t back down out of fear.”

“Then prepare yourself mentally. Losing to me in front of everyone will likely damage your reputation.”

Qi Huang reminded her.

Lin Ran chuckled softly. “Do you know what matters most to me? Reputation? Reputation is important, but compared to the people of this land, it means nothing. If I lack the courage to face even one person like you, how will I protect this nation when foreign enemies invade or evil spirits run rampant?”

“Your character is truly admirable, Sixth Princess. But you’ll soon realize that so-called foreign enemies or evil spirits are nothing compared to me.”

Qi Huang smirked noncommittally before turning to leave.

“Elder Zhou, the Honghua Sect has left!”

Lu Zhen reminded him.

“I’m not blind.”

Zhou Ming responded irritably.

“That Qi Huang has chosen Lü Er as her opponent again. Should we still deliver the Divine-grade protective talisman to the Shixin Sect?”

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Lu Zhen asked cautiously.

“To be safe, we’ll proceed as planned. Even though she definitely can’t defeat Lü Er, we don’t know how much strength she’ll have left after the match.”

Zhou Ming pondered briefly before answering.

“But didn’t they say they’d fight to the death? If Qi Huang loses, doesn’t that mean she’ll die? How could she participate in the next round?”

Lu Zhen voiced his skepticism.

“True, but who knows if that lust-blinded Lü Er will actually go through with a death duel? Even if he does, would he really have the heart to kill such a beautiful girl? If it were you, could you bring yourself to do it?”

Zhou Ming shot back.

“To be honest, as much as I despise her, I don’t think I could actually kill her. Keeping her as a plaything is far more appealing than ending her life.”

Lu Zhen answered bluntly, laying bare his thoughts.

“Exactly.”

Zhou Ming impatiently averted his gaze. Ever since the Huxiao Sect was eliminated, he had grown increasingly dissatisfied with this so-called “top immortal seedling”.

“Master, what do you think Qi Huang is planning? Why would she deliberately pick Lü Er, such a tough opponent?”

Though excited, Steward Cai couldn’t make sense of it and cautiously sought Elder Zuo’s opinion.

“That brat is mentally unstable. Her actions have always been erratic and illogical, who could guess what goes on in her head? Maybe, as some cultivators have speculated, she knows she can’t advance to the final round and is simply using this method to catch Lü Er’s attention.”

Elder Zuo mused after some thought.

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“If that’s really the case, her scheme is doomed to fail. As a descendant of immortals, Lü Er would never allow anyone to challenge his authority. That alone ensures Cheng Hongling will never enter the Lü family.”

Steward Cai wore a gloating expression.

“Not just that. There’s a ninety percent chance Qi Huang will be sent back to her main body’s Sea of Consciousness by Lü Er.”

Elder Zuo added.

“You mean Lü Er would actually kill her? Is that possible? That guy seems utterly obsessed with lust, he probably just talks big about a death duel. Even if they do step onto the stage, I doubt he’d go through with it.”

Steward Cai speculated.

“You’re wrong.”

Elder Zuo shook his head. “You should know that human emotions and desires are mainly concentrated in the Essence Soul. But Lü Er isn’t Lü Yi’s Essence Soul doppelgänger. He appears lustful because he’s completely unafraid of consequences and doesn’t bother hiding his thoughts. In truth, most people here are far more lustful than him.”

Steward Cai’s face twitched in embarrassment, because it was true. What man wasn’t obsessed with beauty?

“Just wait and see. This time, Qi Huang won’t escape her fate.”

Elder Zuo sneered.

“Good. That Qi Huang may seem crazy, but she’s actually quite cunning. Leaving her alive would only cause trouble. Without her, controlling Cheng Hongling will be much easier.”

Steward Cai muttered to himself.

“Moreover, once she dies, those Divine-grade protective talismans I prepared will become unnecessary. The accusations that I was targeting cultivators under the Immortal Alliance’s banner will also vanish. A perfect two-for-one.”

Elder Zuo added smugly.

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Meanwhile, the Shixin Sect, having successfully retained their fifth-place lot, returned to their inn in high spirits. But now they faced another dilemma: how to obtain the rumored Divine-grade protective talisman?

“Everyone, spread out and search! No matter what method you use, you must find at least one Divine-grade protective talisman!”

Hong Hu, the Shixin Sect’s leader, ordered all his disciples. He knew that without such a talisman, their hard-won fifth-place draw would become a curse rather than a blessing.

The Shixin Sect’s disciples obeyed and began combing the entire prefecture. Yet, by nightfall, they had found no useful leads.

“Elder Hong… do you think this Divine-grade protective talisman might be fake?”

During dinner, Shi Fei, the Shixin Sect’s top immortal seedling, cautiously voiced his suspicion.

“…”

Elder Hong remained silent, precisely because this was his own fear.

“Think about it. In the Western Radiance Dynasty, there are only three Divine Realm experts. The Peak Master of Poyun Peak is thousands of miles away, there’s no way talismans he crafted would suddenly appear in Yongning Prefecture. That leaves only Ye Donglai and Elder Zuo. The Donglai Sect has already been eliminated, so Ye Donglai has no reason to make such talismans now. As for Elder Zuo, despite his feud with the Honghua Sect, he’s still an elder of the Immortal Alliance. At such a critical moment, he wouldn’t do something so blatantly targeted, it would only invite criticism.”

Shi Fei analyzed logically.

“Your reasoning is sound.”

Elder Hong praised him before adding, “But no matter how sound it is, you all must keep searching. Otherwise, this fifth-place lot we fought so hard to keep will become a burning hot potato. We might end up eliminating ourselves, an even greater humiliation than the Huxiao Sect or Jinliu Sect.”

“Yes!”

Shi Fei accepted the order, though his expression remained grim.

“Elder Hong, the Huxiao Sect’s Elder Zhou requests an audience.”

Just then, a disciple announced from outside the door.