Chapter 298: Chapter 154: Faint Ripples (Part 2)

Li Baichuan seemed to have expected this question and let out a chuckle. "If he loses, I’ll fire up my furnace and refine three of those Astral Storage Pills you asked me for! How about it?"

He Yuzhou’s heart pounded in his chest!

The Astral Storage Pill had a miraculous effect on stabilizing his Realm, and it was exactly what he urgently needed. Li Baichuan had always fobbed him off with the excuse that the materials were hard to find. Obtaining three of them would be an extraordinary gain.

But then a thought struck him. ’Could the honor of the Wutai Sect be measured by three mere elixirs?’

He immediately raised the stakes. "That’s not all! That drop of Three Hundred Year Earth Core Milk you ’exchanged’ from the Sect’s Treasure Vault some time ago—if Chen Qing loses, you must return it as well!"

It had pained him to part with that drop of Earth Core Milk, and this was the perfect opportunity to take it back.

Li Baichuan didn’t hesitate for a second. "Done!"

Their exchange via Divine Thought was incredibly fast, and the bet was sealed in an instant.

He Yuzhou took a deep breath to calm the turmoil in his heart. He turned to look at Chen Qing below the stage and gave an almost imperceptible nod.

At that moment, Li Baichuan’s succinct voice transmission sounded once more in Chen Qing’s ear: "Go."

Chen Qing hesitated no longer and walked toward the center of the arena.

He didn’t move quickly, but he instantly drew the eyes of everyone present.

Xiao Bieli, who had just defeated Nie Shanshan and was at the peak of his momentum, had been preparing to sheathe his sword. He was taken aback by the sight, a flash of surprise in his eyes.

"Oh? The Wutai Sect has another brother who wishes to offer me some pointers?"

His tone was level, yet it carried an air of natural condescension.

Chen Qing walked to the center of the arena, stopping a few dozen feet across from Xiao Bieli.

"Chen Qing, of the Wutai Sect’s Cyan Wood Institute. I ask for Senior Brother Xiao’s instruction!"

ROAR—!

It was like a drop of cold water hitting a wok of boiling oil; the entire plaza erupted!

"Chen Qing!? He’s going to fight?"

"The top disciple of the Cyan Wood Institute... Can he do it? Even Senior Sister Nie lost!"

"First Senior Brother Yan, then Senior Sister Nie, and now Brother Chen... Is... is Xiao Bieli going to challenge every single top disciple of our Wutai Sect’s younger generation?"

"Sigh, this is probably just an impulsive decision. He’s only going to add another loss to our record..."

"Maybe Brother Chen has been hiding his true strength?"

"Unlikely! How long has it been since he even entered the Inner Sect? Even if his talent is extraordinary, the gap in their Cultivation is right there for all to see..."

The Wutai Sect disciples broke into a flurry of discussion, most of them looking pessimistic and confused.

In the VIP seating, Peng Zhen, Tan Yang, and the others were also frowning deeply, looking toward He Yuzhou with doubtful expressions.

Sang Yanping even hurried to He Yuzhou’s side and whispered, "Sect Leader, this..."

He truly didn’t understand why the Sect Leader would let Chen Qing take the stage at a time like this.

He Yuzhou’s expression was grim as he forced down his own anxiety. "This is a contingency I’ve arranged. Say no more. Just watch and see what happens."

He could only choose to trust that old fox, Li Baichuan, just this once, even if placing his faith in him felt absurd.

"A contingency? Chen Qing?"

Sang Yanping froze. He looked at the calm young man in the center of the arena, his heart filled with shocked uncertainty.

Then again, he recalled that Chen Qing had sparred with Nie Shanshan once before.

’Perhaps there’s a sliver of a chance...’

Over in the Xuanjia Sect’s camp, Fang Rui let out a soft, derisive laugh. "Is the Wutai Sect really not afraid of this utter humiliation?"

In his eyes, this was nothing more than a pointless, desperate struggle.

Chang Xing’s eyes were also filled with confusion as she glanced at Shi Ziyi beside her.

Shi Ziyi slowly shook his head and sighed. "Even Senior Sister Nie was defeated. For Junior Brother Chen to take the stage now... it seems a bit impulsive. I’m afraid he won’t be able to turn the tide. On the contrary..."

He didn’t finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: the defeat would likely be even more crushing, bringing greater shame upon the Wutai Sect.

Over with the Cold Jade Valley contingent, Ye Qingyi watched Chen Qing’s steady approach to the stage and gently shook her head, a flicker of pity in her eyes.

She had to admit Chen Qing’s talent was impressive; to rise to become a top disciple of an institute in such a short time meant he had to be extraordinary. But facing her senior brother, who was at the peak of both his momentum and combat strength, was no different than a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Xiao Bieli sized Chen Qing up. "Very well. Since Junior Brother Chen is so inclined, I’ll warm up a little more. I hope, Junior Brother Chen... you won’t disappoint me."

He didn’t sheathe his Long Sword, merely letting it point casually toward the ground as his Langyue True Qi began to flow once more.

Up on the high platform, the atmosphere instantly grew tense again. All eyes were fixed on the two figures in the center of the arena.

The duel was about to begin.

Xiao Bieli raised his Long Sword slightly. Langyue True Qi flowed over the blade like a thin veil, and his aura locked onto Chen Qing.

Chen Qing remained silent. With a flip of his wrist, the heavy Cloud-Coiling Spear let out a low hum. He pointed its tip diagonally at the ground, and an aura as steady as a mountain emanated from him.

He was the first to attack.

The spear thrust seemed unremarkable, a simple and direct strike, yet it was astonishingly fast. It carried a dense, heavy Power, its tip tearing through the air with a sharp HISS.

"Hm?"

Xiao Bieli’s brow twitched.

One move was all it took to know.

The speed, power, and timing of Chen Qing’s thrust far exceeded his expectations. This was by no means the work of an ordinary cultivator at the Mid-stage of Embracing Pill Power.

But he was the top disciple of Cold Jade Valley, after all, and his reflexes were lightning-fast.

He executed the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique, his body drifting backward like a willow catkin in the wind. At the same time, his Long Sword drew an arc, precisely landing on the shaft of the Cloud-Coiling Spear in an attempt to deflect it with finesse.

CLANG!

Spear and sword met with a clear, resonant ring!

Xiao Bieli felt a Power far greater than he anticipated travel up the blade, making his wrist tingle with numbness. His deflecting force hadn’t been entirely effective; the Cloud-Coiling Spear had only been nudged slightly aside, and it still tore past his ribs with a vicious gust of wind!

’Such immense Power!’ Xiao Bieli was shocked once more, instantly shedding all his previous contempt.