Bringing Sect Leader Lu's Goose

Pang Miaosong's face turned ashen with anger, her eyes like knives stabbing at Lu Bei. He, relying on his thick skin, accepted them all and gestured for her to proceed.

Just then, laughter rang out, and a tower-like figure leaped onto the stage.

A rough old man with wild hair and a physique as robust as a bear, the kind of person who could stand on their own fists.

"Who might you be?"

"Hanyue Sect, Du Jinglan."

"What, you're Sect Master Du?"

Lu Bei exclaimed in surprise, pointing at Pang Miaosong, whose face had darkened to the bottom of a pot at the edge of the stage, and asked, "If you're Sect Master Du, then who is this?"

"She is Sect Master Pang of the Shuiyue Sect. If we're talking about broad-mindedness, Sect Master Pang is still a bit lacking compared to me. You've mistaken me for someone else," Du Jinglan said confidently.

His words, delivered with the sincerity of a top-tier straight man, made Pang Miaosong, who was sitting below, tremble with rage. While telling herself not to stoop to the level of a brute, she grew angrier and angrier, crushing the chair with a crack.

"Is that true?" Lu Bei asked, feigning surprise.

"Absolutely!"

"I don't believe it unless we compare right here." Lu Bei shook his head repeatedly. He was a stubborn person; it was hard to convince him without concrete proof.

"A comparison? What's so difficult about that."

Du Jinglan chuckled, shrugging off his outer robe to reveal a shocking display of bulging muscles. His dancing pectoral muscles tensed instantly, and purple energy surged forth, causing Lu Bei's expression to change drastically.

He glanced at Pang Miaosong, his gaze lingering on her substantial assets for a few seconds. Then, comparing her to Du Jinglan, he apologized, "My apologies, you're big, you are Sect Master Du. I mistook you earlier."

"..." xN

Silence fell over the Four Scenery Peaks. Everyone stared at Lu Bei, who had uttered such an astonishing statement, unsure if he was genuinely foolish or just pretending.

The female disciples of the Shuiyue Sect, however, were an exception. Their killing intent flared, and their gazes, sharp as knives, rained down on Lu Bei.

Lu Bei felt helpless. He didn't want to do it, but that's how aggro works; when you taunt, you have to be lethal.

From another perspective, it was just like him. From the moment he appeared, he had won everyone over. Not only did he capture the attention of all the young ladies present, but he also captured the heart of an older sister, wanting to drag him down with her even in death.

"I've heard that Sect Master Lu has extraordinary talent, achieving Foundation Establishment at such a young age. I've come to seek your guidance," Du Jinglan said, brimming with fighting spirit, and strode towards Lu Bei.

"Extraordinary talent is too much to claim. I'm just a bit luckier than others."

Lu Bei casually stretched his limbs, saying honestly, "As for achieving Foundation Establishment at a young age, it's alright. Isn't everyone like this?"

"..." xN

With maximum provocation, the onlookers' gazes shifted. Cheers surged into a wave, and they all shouted encouragement to Du Jinglan, urging him to beat the demon of Sanqing Peak and restore a clear sky to Nine Bamboo Mountain.

Du Jinglan seemed oblivious to the external cheers. His eyes locked onto Lu Bei, and with a gleam of excitement, he said, "Sect Master Lu, allow me to make the first move."

As a fervent gym-goer, Du Jinglan belonged to the Body Cultivator lineage. He was energetic and very fond of fighting. Unfortunately, there were only two cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage in the Nine Bamboo Mountain lineage, and Yang Fuliu was famously known for doing as little as possible.

It was like... well, like dominating noobs – it was fun for a while, but afterward, there was only emptiness. Du Jinglan had been holding back for a long time. Facing Lu Bei, who was at the same cultivation level, he could no longer endure it. After a couple of polite words, he threw a punch.

As soon as he attacked, his entire blood essence erupted. Under the force of his strike, the bluestone beneath his feet shattered. His heavy fist led the way, and a fierce torrent of air roared down.

The banners at the edge of the stage straightened in the strong wind. The gale exploded, and all the onlookers in front quickly retreated to avoid it. A few unlucky individuals who were still shouting inhaled a mouthful of the gust, letting out a satisfied "Awoo!"

Witnessing this scene, the onlookers were greatly invigorated. The devil might be a step higher, but righteousness is a step higher too. The devil's rampant rampage was only temporary. Look, the fist of justice was descending to punish him.

"What a physique!"

Lu Bei faced the oncoming fist, his long robe fluttering. He stepped forward, crouched, and let out a roar as he swung his own fist.

The confidence granted by the Demon Slaying Scripture made him believe that among those at the same level, when it came to basic attributes, he could defeat one, or even a pair. He wasn't afraid even if Du Jinglan specialized in Body Cultivation and they fought head-on.

BOOM!!

The two fists collided, and a massive wave of energy surged and churned, its violent wind instantly drowning out the cheers from the sidelines. Everyone's faces turned pale, feeling as if their heads had been struck by a heavy hammer, their ears buzzing. A few cultivators with lower cultivation, who were too close, had their blood essence churned, and they bowed their heads to display their lunch to everyone.

"What's going on? Is he a Body Cultivator too?"

"So strong. He's a scoundrel, but he's genuinely powerful."

"Look, Sect Master Du has been pushed back."

On the stage, the moment their fists met, Du Jinglan couldn't withstand the immense force. His eyes widened in disbelief as he retreated four or five steps before stopping.

Lu Bei remained in his stance, sliding back three steps. He looked at Du Jinglan with a strange expression.

Not bad, quite a lot of strength!

The exaggerated power far surpassed that of other Foundation Establishment cultivators, reminding him of players who intentionally stayed at lower levels in the early game, spamming basic attributes and leaving the area outside the beginner village littered with corpses.

Fortunately, it wasn't a big problem. With the double attribute points from the 'Demon Slaying Scripture,' Lu Bei wasn't flustered even when facing players who suppressed their levels. He shook his slightly sore fist and took a few steps towards Du Jinglan.

Lowering his stance, Stretching, Clenching his fist, Swinging his arm.

With the boost from 90 Strength and 68 Speed, he imbued Lv5 Eight-Arm Fist with its true essence. The afterimages of his arms blurred into reality, as if he truly had eight arms.

The pressure of his fist swept towards him. Du Jinglan's eyes turned red, his blood essence surged wildly, his blood flowed like a great river, his heartbeat like a booming drum. He formed fist seals with both hands and struck upwards.

Bang, bang, bang————

On the stage, fierce winds raged, and fist shadows flew in succession.

The air rippled like a tide, the sound of air explosions surging wave after wave, howling like ghosts and forcing the onlookers to retreat further and further.

Du Jinglan was a step slower, his punches growing heavier. Lu Bei, however, was completely unfazed, meeting Du Jinglan's punches head-on. The residual force of his punches, like a destructive force, left one indented fist mark after another on Du Jinglan's chest, shoulders, abdomen, and arms.

Bang!!

Visible, violent air currents surged. Lu Bei retracted his fist and exhaled. Across from him stood Du Jinglan, his bones and muscles aching, his muscles twitching uncontrollably.

Lu Bei respected him as a man. He had deliberately avoided hitting Du Jinglan's face when he punched, so although Du Jinglan was in a sorry state, he wasn't completely disheveled. As for the sore muscles and superficial wounds, a week or two of rest would have him back to his vigorous self, ready to hit the gym.

"Sect Leader Lu is a Body Cultivator, practicing fist techniques?"

Du Jinglan asked, his surprise evident. If that were truly the case, he would definitely visit Lu Bei every day from now on to train together.

"No."

Lu Bei shook his head slightly. "My fist and foot techniques are average, but my saber techniques are alright."

"So that's how it is..."

Du Jinglan gave a bitter smile. This was the way of immortality cultivation. Some people reached lofty heights with just a casual effort, while others could only gaze up from afar despite their utmost exertion.

Fortunately, despite his crushing defeat today, the direct, impactful blows had been exhilarating.

"Comfortable."

Du Jinglan roared, his muscles tensing. With a ferocious grin, he charged at Lu Bei.

"Good!"

Lu Bei's eyes narrowed slightly. He would remember Du Jinglan of the Hanyue Sect from Eight Geese Peak, one of the other peaks of Nine Bamboo Mountain. He was a capable individual.

Skill 'Undercurrent' activated.

Charge up + Critical Hit!

With a punch, the bluestone floor beneath Lu Bei's feet shattered violently, dense cracks spreading outwards.

Even though Du Jinglan was prepared, the force of this punch far exceeded his imagination. The moment they made contact, his entire body felt like it had fallen apart, and he staggered, flying out of the ring.

Bang!

His three-hundred-pound frame sank deeply into the soil at the edge of the stage. The Emei Sect's martial arts field was silent, and the three external sect leaders closest to the stage had expressions that flickered between uncertainty and grimness. With the defeat of Du Jinglan, the strongest among them, they feared they would lose any remaining dignity if they stepped onto the stage.

Ding Lei was crestfallen. Seeing the three sect leaders motionless, he knew the situation was decided. No one on Nine Bamboo Mountain could help him anymore.

He raised his hand and beckoned a disciple over, sighing, "Go, fetch Sect Leader Lu's goose."

"Esteemed Sect Leaders, I, Lu, have fortunately bested Sect Master Du. Who is next?" Seeing that no one spoke, Lu Bei proactively challenged them.

"Sect Leader Lu jokes. The Dingwang Sect is an alchemy sect and not skilled in martial combat. I came here merely to observe the excitement and have no intention of competing on the stage," Sect Master Liu Ao of the Dingwang Sect said with a humble smile.

"The Feixue Sect is the same," Sect Master Lin Hong added, stating he was also just there for the spectacle and would not get involved in the conflict between Sanqing Peak and Four Scenery Peaks.

Pang Miaosong's face was grim as she remained silent. Lu Bei had launched a barrage of taunts at her from the start, and she was the one who had lost the most face in the entire arena. If she backed down now, it wouldn't just be her own embarrassment; the Shuiyue Sect would become a complete laughingstock of the Nine Bamboo Mountain faction.

Pang Miaosong gritted her teeth, stood up, and walked towards the stage. "Shuiyue Sect, Pang Miaosong, requests to exchange pointers with Sect Leader Lu."

Lu Bei cupped his fists, his apology overflowing. "Sect Master Pang, you are too kind. I was blind earlier and mistook you for someone else. I meant no offense. Sect Master Pang, with your open-mindedness... uh, your magnanimity... In short, please be the bigger person and do not take it to heart."

Pang Miaosong: "..."

Lu Bei: "..."

Heaven knows, he wasn't trying to mock her this time; it was the idioms' fault.