Volume 8, Chapter 558 – To Deal With You, One Doppelgänger is Enough

The entire plaza once again fell into a deathly silence. Although the tens of thousands of cultivators present were mentally prepared, none had anticipated the drama would be this intense. The former Holy Maiden of the Huarong Sect actually wanted to publicly challenge the current Holy Maiden on such an occasion.

“What exactly does Hua Yu want to do? Even if she wants to guide a junior, does it have to be in such a public setting?”

“You really are all brawn and no brain. She just said her relationship with Jiang Ling is like fire and water, how could she possibly have good intentions to guide her? She’s clearly seeking retaliation!”

“Exactly. Now that everyone knows they are irreconcilable, if that Jiang Ling loses, she will immediately be ridiculed, and the higher-ups of the Huarong Sect will also be criticized for being blind.”

“What do you mean ‘if’? Isn’t it a hundred percent certain? Jiang Ling, at best, has a cultivation at the late Incarnation Realm. What does she have to fight Hua Yu, who’s at the early Divine Realm?”

“That doesn’t sound right, does it? Jiang Ling is about ten years younger than Hua Yu and is a junior. She doesn’t necessarily have to accept the challenge!”

“Do you think everyone is a pushover like you? The cultivation world only respects strength, not excuses. If that Jiang Ling refuses, she will still be mocked for surrendering without a fight, which is even more humiliating!”

“So you’re saying she’s caught between a rock and a hard place?”

“Yes, this is the insidiousness of Hua Yu, deliberately issuing a challenge on such an occasion!”

After a moment of deathly silence, the plaza boiled over like hot water. Tens of thousands of cultivators surged towards the main gate, eager to watch this internal conflict within the Huarong Sect’s Holy Maidens.

The higher-ups of the Immortal Alliance, hearing the commotion, also came out, including even Cao Hong.

“Alliance Leader Cao! What should we do now?” an elder asked Cao Hong.

“What do you want to do? Although private fights are forbidden during the Evergreen Conference, they are outside the venue grounds. Can you control that?” Cao Hong retorted.

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“……”

The Elder was immediately left speechless.

“Let’s just enjoy the show. I rather want to see if the Huarong Sect’s new Holy Maiden is truly worthy of the name, or if she’s just a worthless product they forcefully hyped up to save face, as the rumors say!” Cao Hong said with great interest, looking towards Cheng Hongling and Qi Huang.

“Hua Yu, what do you think you’re doing?” Protector Yuan on the side questioned agitatedly, because she knew the new Holy Maiden absolutely could not handle Hua Yu, so she could only reason with the other party.

“Protector Yuan, are your ears not working? Didn’t I say I wanted to see her cultivation progress? As an elder and the former Holy Maiden, there’s no problem with me guiding my junior a little, is there?” A mocking smile appeared on Hua Yu’s face.

“It’s not needed. I will guide my own disciple myself!” Shi Yuqi firmly refused.

“Oh? My wife has only been married into the Cao family for a month or two, and you already don’t acknowledge her? Is this the way of the Huarong Sect’s higher-ups? If you treat sect disciples like this, who would dare join the Huarong Sect in the future?” Cao Yang immediately started slinging accusations.

Shi Yuqi was momentarily speechless, because she also knew there was no reasoning with petty individuals.

“If you insist on guiding her, it’s not impossible, but wait until we leave the Immortal-Forging Platform,” Protector Yuan attempted to buy time.

“How can that do? Now everyone says I was driven out of the Huarong Sect. Me guiding a junior in front of everyone will show how deep our feelings really are.” Hua Yu’s smile grew even brighter.

“Hua Yu, stop pretending here. Your little tricks are obvious even to fools. As long as you defeat my disciple, you have hope of making a comeback, right?” Shi Yuqi impatiently laid her cards on the table.

“Senior Sister Shi! You are clearly judging a gentleman’s heart by your own petty measure. It really chills me to know that, you know?” Hua Yu feigned hurt.

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“Exactly. Now everyone says the Huarong Sect’s new Holy Maiden is a worthless product you deliberately hyped up to save face. My wife choosing to guide her on such an occasion is also to give her a chance to prove herself. Yet you don’t appreciate the favor, truly ungrateful.” Cao Yang also said hypocritically.

“No matter how eloquently you speak, we won’t let your treacherous scheme succeed!” Shi Yuqi sneered, then called to Cheng Hongling: “Disciple, let’s go!”

“Can’t do it, or dare not do it?!”

At this moment, Zheng Wei’s taunting voice rang out. He had long held a grudge against Qi Huang for stealing his spotlight and naturally wouldn’t miss this chance to kick someone who was down.

“Hear that? If you want to leave, no one is stopping you. But I don’t know how others will see it,” Hua Yu jeered.

“How will they see it? Surrendering without a fight! If this matter spreads back to the Huarong Sect, I wonder if Junior Nephew Jiang’s seat as Holy Maiden will still be secure.” This time it was Xiao Dian, the Saint Son of the Jingtian Sect, who spoke. He knew that if they didn’t dampen the prestige of the Huarong Sect’s new Holy Maiden today, the Nine Great Monsters might well become Ten Great Monsters in the future.

“Junior Nephew Jiang, listen to your Uncle Yang’s advice: fight! Dying standing is better than fleeing without a fight!” Yang Jin also egged her on from the side.

“You few, stop singing in harmony over there. Isn’t it just because you’re jealous in your hearts and want to see my disciple suffer? Sorry, you’ve miscalculated! My disciple fought all the way from Wuye City to the Immortal-Forging Platform. Her consumption is too great; she cannot fight again today. And even if she forced herself to, Hua Yu’s victory would be dishonorable!” Shi Yuqi immediately found a reasonable excuse and continued to urge Cheng Hongling to leave.

“She actually found a seemingly justified reason to avoid the fight. Looks like the show can’t go on today.”

“What ‘justified’? It’s just an excuse! The most powerful among those blocking the way were only at the 8th layer of the Incarnation Realm. If she were truly strong, how could she lack the strength to fight again?”

“Yeah, it seems the Huarong Sect’s new Holy Maiden only has this much capability. She’s far inferior to Hua Yu!”

The watching cultivators all showed disappointed expressions.

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“Ridiculous. Facing just a few feeble chickens and lame dogs, it actually took three hours from Wuye City to the Immortal-Forging Platform. How dare you use that as an excuse,” Zheng Wei shook his head disdainfully.

“Exactly. If she were truly strong, how could dealing with a few pieces of trash leave her unable to fight? Remember, Fu Xin couldn’t even last one move against Junior Sister Hua,” Xiao Dian also agreed.

“You people…” Shi Yuqi originally wanted to say more but wisely shut her mouth, because she knew these people were determined to pick a fight and reason was impossible. She once again pulled her disciple’s small hand to leave, but unexpectedly, Cheng Hongling stood firmly in place, motionless.

“What’s wrong?” Shi Yuqi asked, puzzled.

“Master, the phrase ‘flee without a fight’ does not exist in my dictionary,” Cheng Hongling shook her head.

“But Hua Yu is a Divine Realm expert, and she’s deliberately looking for trouble. If she doesn’t hold back, your situation could be very dangerous!” Shi Yuqi explained patiently.

“Me? Who said I was going up?” Cheng Hongling asked in return.

“You’re not going? Then who will?” Shi Yuqi asked, confused.

And at that moment, Qi Huang, with her hands clasped behind her back, walked forward with light, brisk steps and said, “Do you know what my biggest regret is coming to the Immortal-Forging Platform this time?”

The crowd of onlookers looked at each other, thinking, How would a ghost know? We’re not the worms in your stomach.

“It’s that I don’t have the qualification to participate in the Continental-Level Evergreen Conference, so I can only observe and not spar with you few so-called Nine Monsters!” Qi Huang then provided the answer for everyone.

“What? She wants to spar with those monsters? Did I hear correctly?”

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“This is utterly laughable. It took her three hours to deal with a few feeble chickens and lame dogs, and she still wants to spar with those peerless geniuses! Isn’t she just asking to be cut down and ground up?”

“Yeah, if it were those little monsters, they probably wouldn’t even need three ke ¹ 1 ke = 15 minutes to reach the Immortal-Forging Platform!”

The onlookers expressed their doubts.

“Since Senior Sister Hua has this idea now, I, your junior, naturally couldn’t wish for more!” Qi Huang then added.

“Giggle, Junior Nephew Jiang still understands Senior Sister’s good intentions!” Hua Yu was immediately overjoyed; she hadn’t expected this “Jiang Ling” to be such a hopeless case.

“Haha, not bad, not bad. Your cultivation might not be much, but your courage is quite admirable! Lacking talent to be the Huarong Sect’s Holy Maiden, you should go to the army and be a dare-to-die corps member,” Zheng Wei said with a laugh.

“Yuzhu, what are you doing?”

“Holy Maiden, be cautious with your words and actions!”

Shi Yuqi and Protector Yuan tried to persuade her urgently.

“Relax! Today, I will let everyone know that the Huarong Sect choosing me as Holy Maiden was the most correct choice.” Qi Huang confidently reassured them, then walked out the main gate by herself. Addressing Hua Yu, she said, “Senior Hua, considering you are my elder, I’ll give you the chance to make the first move!”

“Make a move? Make what move? Against whom?” Hua Yu looked at Qi Huang puzzledly, then glanced at Cheng Hongling, who was standing far behind.

“Against me, of course. To deal with you, one doppelgänger is enough,” Qi Huang said, slightly raising the corner of her mouth.