Shi Potian Came to Provoke Him Again

Shi Potian blocked the courtyard gate, with five disciples behind him.

Several wooden clubs lay crosswise at their feet.

Clearly, they had prepared for this.

"Li Zhexian, you can't leave now!"

Li Zhexian pushed the gate open and stepped out, the Azure Lotus Sword hanging at his waist and the little gourd in his hand.

"Get out of the way."

"You stole the sect's spirit wine and concealed a second Martial Soul. You have to come with us to see the elders."

Li Zhexian glanced at Shi Potian.

"Who sent you to deliver that message?"

"Any disciple of the sect has the right to deal with you."

"Can you represent the sect too?"

Shi Potian raised his hatchet and slammed it against a blue brick beside the gate.

The brick cracked.

"If you don't come out on your knees today, don't even think about leaving this courtyard!"

Li Zhexian's hand went to his sword hilt.

"Are you worried that once I leave, no one will remember you once lost to me?"

A disciple behind Shi Potian lowered his head and let out a laugh.

Shi Potian turned to look at him.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I didn't laugh."

"Your teeth are showing."

"My teeth just grew that way."

The disciple covered his mouth and took two steps back.

Shi Potian's expression grew even uglier.

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. There was such a huge commotion on the back mountain last night that the sect master already heard it. You stole spirit wine reserved for Titled Douluo and released a second Martial Soul. What do you take the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for?"

Li Zhexian lifted the gourd in his hand.

"A place where I can get a meal."

Shi Potian took a step forward.

"Rongrong has already broken off your engagement, and the sect has no obligation to keep feeding you. Hand over the wine gourd, kneel and admit your mistake, then get out of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

Li Zhexian looked up at the sky.

"Are you done?"

"I'm delivering a message on the elders' behalf."

"Then keep delivering it. I'm in a hurry."

Shi Potian's chest heaved with anger, and his Rock Armor Bear Martial Soul appeared behind him.

Two Yellow Soul Rings encircled his feet.

Several disciples retreated to the courtyard wall.

"Senior Brother Shi is already at level twenty-one."

"He already lost last time. Is he going to fight again today?"

"This time, he's acting on the sect's behalf."

"It doesn't matter who he's acting for. Getting hit by a sword will still hurt."

No one replied to that.

Shi Potian patted his chest.

"I lost last time because I underestimated you. Today, I'll make you crawl out of here on your knees."

Li Zhexian hung the gourd back at his waist.

"You said that last time too."

"This time I'll make you regret it!"

"That's more or less the same thing."

Shi Potian stomped a blue brick to pieces and charged, swinging his fist forward.

Li Zhexian didn't draw his sword.

He simply held it across his chest.

The fist struck the sword with a crisp crack. The blade bent under the pressure, and two cracks appeared in the paving stones.

Li Zhexian's wrist went numb.

Golden light immediately shone from his chest.

A line of white text appeared in his sea of consciousness.

"The same attacker is attacking continuously. Prize pool quality is decreasing. Current damage: 412 points."

Li Zhexian looked at Shi Potian.

"Only 412 points of damage?"

Shi Potian didn't understand.

"What are you talking about?"

"Put some more strength into it."

"You're courting death!"

Shi Potian raised his foot and kicked at Li Zhexian's waist and abdomen.

Li Zhexian twisted aside. The tip of Shi Potian's shoe grazed his robe before slamming into the courtyard wall.

A dent appeared in the wall.

"Why did you dodge?"

"Didn't you want to get hit?"

"That last one was too far off. I'm helping you."

"I don't need your help!"

Shi Potian brought both fists down.

Li Zhexian blocked one, but the other struck his shoulder.

He staggered back three steps, his rear foot knocking over the wooden bucket beside the well. Water spilled over the paving stones and flowed toward the courtyard gate.

"He just took Senior Brother Shi's punch?"

"A level-ten Soul Master taking a level-twenty-one's attack head-on really isn't afraid of dying."

"He even asked Senior Brother Shi to hit harder."

"All of you, shut up!"

The second Soul Ring beneath Shi Potian's feet lit up.

Layers of rock covered his arms and chest, and the Rock Armor Bear's power bore down as well.

"Can you still block me now?"

"You can try."

"Get on your knees!"

The rock fist smashed into the sword.

Li Zhexian was driven backward, his back crashing into the courtyard gate. A crack split the wooden gate.

A line of numbers appeared on the shield.

"Damage: 1,080 points."

Li Zhexian wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

That punch had indeed been much heavier than the last, but Shi Potian's strength had already begun to decline.

Attacks from the same opponent really were becoming less and less valuable.

"Still not drawing your sword?"

Shi Potian closed in.

Li Zhexian, however, returned the Azure Lotus Sword to its sheath.

"A different approach."

A green wine gourd appeared above his head, and wine mist wound around the scabbard.

The Azure Lotus Sword slid half an inch out of its sheath.

Green light spilled out, and fine, densely packed lotus patterns spread across the blade.

The disciples outside the courtyard all turned their eyes to the wine gourd.

"Is that a Martial Soul too?"

"Why would one person have two Martial Souls?"

"Isn't he trash?"

Shi Potian stared at the wine gourd, and the rock armor covering him drew back half an inch.

"You have two Martial Souls?"

"Didn't you just see them?"

"That's impossible!"

"You just said you were going to make me kneel. You can ask questions after we're done fighting."

Shi Potian's expression was ugly.

He was no longer in the mood to bother with the spirit wine, nor did he want to care whose message he was delivering.

If he couldn't win today, the things those disciples had just said would follow him for a long time.

"Li Zhexian, I'm going to take your life today!"

"If you miss, that's your problem."

Shi Potian charged again, the illusory form of the Rock Armor Bear crashing toward Li Zhexian.

His fist drove toward Li Zhexian's chest.

Li Zhexian turned sideways and deflected the force. The rock fist smashed into the ground, leaving a crater in the paving stones.

The second punch rose from below.

Li Zhexian blocked it with his sword hilt, then used the force to land, his knee scraping across the shattered paving stones.

When the third punch came down, Li Zhexian didn't dodge again.

Golden light had already flared before his chest.

The force of the punch drove him back five steps, and the Azure Lotus Sword flipped over his shoulder with the same force.

Wine mist coiled around the blade.

Li Zhexian turned back and flicked his sword upward.

Sword light swept beneath the rock fist, shattering the rock armor into clumps of earth. The hatchet flew from Shi Potian's hand and out through the courtyard gate.

The Sword Qi sent Shi Potian tumbling to the ground.

His chest struck the blue bricks, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Li Zhexian returned his sword to its sheath and didn't pursue him.

"If you want to stand above others, first learn not to climb up by stepping on them."

Shi Potian braced a hand against the ground and raised his head.

He pointed at Li Zhexian.

"I'll make sure to tell Spirit Hall about your Twin Martial Souls!"