Shi Potian Came Calling on the Night the Engagement Was Broken

"I recommend taking an attack from an outside force now."

Outside the courtyard gate, Shi Potian approached, clapping his hands, with four disciples following behind him.

"Did you hear that? You can't even protect your own things, and you need the system to tell you to take a beating."

"Did you come bearing a gift, or did you come all this way just to have me curse you out?"

Shi Potian's hand stopped halfway through its next clap.

"Ning Rongrong just broke off your engagement, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect won't be able to keep you much longer either. Yet you're still talking tough."

"Where's the gift?"

Shi Potian stared at him, taken aback.

"What gift?"

"You came to congratulate me on regaining my freedom. You can't show up empty-handed."

The four disciples behind Shi Potian exchanged glances. One of them couldn't hold back a laugh.

Shi Potian glanced back at him, and the disciple shut his mouth.

"Ning Rongrong has already chosen someone stronger."

"The person she chose was you?"

"Of course it was me."

"Did she say that herself?"

Shi Potian stepped forward.

"Sooner or later, she'll marry me."

"Then you should go find her. Standing at my gate won't do you any good."

"Li Zhexian, don't think that just because you beat me once before, you can stay in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect forever."

"You were the one who lost last time."

"That was because I didn't use my Soul Skill."

"You certainly have plenty of excuses for losing."

Shi Potian raised an arm and blocked the courtyard gate.

"Ning Rongrong doesn't need you anymore. What are you still doing here?"

"Eating, practicing swordsmanship, and waiting for the sect to distribute resources."

Li Zhexian said it all as though it were only natural.

Shi Potian was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Do you really think of this place as your home?"

"The sect master took me in for six years, fed me, and gave me a place to practice my swordsmanship."

"If you have a problem with that, go ask the sect master."

Shi Potian's face darkened.

"You're just a level-ten piece of trash. What right do you have to use the sect's resources?"

Li Zhexian turned sideways, preparing to leave, but Shi Potian reached out and stopped him.

"I want you to get the hell out of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"You don't have the authority to do that."

"I will soon enough."

Shi Potian slammed his shoulder into him.

Li Zhexian didn't dodge. His back hit the courtyard gate, and the wooden boards gave a dull thud.

A golden light immediately shone from his chest, and the number in his sea of consciousness ticked down.

Current shield: 999,999,999,339.

Damage taken from single attack: 412 points.

Reward assessment: green prize pool.

A ball of green light landed at his feet.

A system notification followed.

Host has obtained one bottle of Soul Power Tempering Liquid.

Li Zhexian lowered his head and looked at the ball of light.

Shi Potian raised a hand and pointed at the ground.

"What, have you started picking up your dignity now?"

"I'm picking something up."

"What are you picking up?"

"The gift you gave me."

Li Zhexian bent down and touched the ball of light. It turned into a small jade bottle and fell into his hand.

Shi Potian frowned.

"Where did you take that thing out from?"

"I picked it up off the ground."

"Do you think I'm blind?"

"If you weren't blind, you should have seen it just now."

A nearby disciple said in a very quiet voice, "There clearly wasn't anything there just now."

Shi Potian reached out and seized Li Zhexian's shoulder.

"Hand over the bottle."

"It belongs to me."

"You took my thing."

"When did you buy it?"

Shi Potian's fingers tightened bit by bit. Behind him, the phantom of a Rock Armor Bear raised its arm.

"I said, hand it over."

Li Zhexian looked up at him.

"Hit me again, and I might consider it."

Shi Potian didn't understand what he meant.

"What did you say?"

"Hit me again."

"You think I don't dare?"

"I'm just worried you're not strong enough."

Shi Potian punched him in the stomach.

Li Zhexian's body bent backward, and his shoulder struck the courtyard gate once more.

The golden light on his chest lit up again, and the number in his sea of consciousness continued to decrease.

Current shield: 999,999,998,927.

Damage taken from single attack: 412 points.

Reward assessment: green prize pool.

A second ball of light fell beside his shoe.

Li Zhexian reached out and caught it.

"Now there's another bottle."

Shi Potian stared at him, his lips moving several times, but he didn't say a word.

"You still dare to talk?"

"You hit too lightly."

"Has Senior Brother Li gone mad?"

"He's been hit twice. Why does he keep picking things up?"

"What exactly are those balls of light that keep appearing?"

Shi Potian turned and shouted, "All of you, shut up!"

Li Zhexian tucked the two jade bottles into his sleeve.

"Keep going."

Shi Potian looked at him.

"You want to keep taking a beating?"

"I'm standing right here, waiting for you to make a move."

Li Zhexian braced himself against the courtyard gate and straightened up, thrusting his chest forward half an inch.

"Why aren't you drawing your sword?"

"I'm waiting for you to hit a little harder."

The surrounding disciples finally couldn't hold back any longer, and laughter broke out among the crowd.

The roots of Shi Potian's ears had turned red.

"You're courting death!"

"I'm asking you to."

"You think I don't dare kill you?"

"If you really dared, you wouldn't have dealt only four hundred points just now."

Shi Potian clenched his fist and poured Soul Power into his Martial Soul.

The Rock Armor Bear rose behind him, two Soul Rings rising with it. The vibration sent loose stones on the ground rolling toward the corner of the wall.

One disciple retreated to a tree.

"Senior Brother Shi is preparing to use a Soul Skill."

"Hurry and fetch an elder."

"Senior Brother Li asked him to hit him. Why should we fetch an elder?"

"A Soul Skill can kill someone."

Li Zhexian looked at the two Soul Rings. Much of the heavy feeling in his chest had already faded.

As long as Shi Potian kept attacking, he could keep receiving rewards.

As for being beaten, he had grown used to it a long time ago.

Shi Potian gritted his teeth and said, "There's still time to beg for mercy."

"Yes, that's the kind of strength I need."

"A little more."

"What did you just say?"

"Keep increasing your strength."

Rock armor had already covered the surface of Shi Potian's fist.

"You'll regret this."

"I'm just worried you still won't be able to hurt me."

Shi Potian raised his head and roared. His first Soul Ring lit up.

The Rock Armor Bear raised its fist and smashed it down, the gray bricks beneath its feet cracking one after another.

"First Soul Skill: Rock Bear Heavy Strike!"

That enormous rock fist smashed toward Li Zhexian's chest.