Sparring

Chapter 27: A Sparring Match

On one side, Shen Gui smiled modestly and said, "That was because Great Wu Xing Tian had just fought a Demonic Beast and hadn't recovered yet. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gotten the upper hand."

Those Great Wu let out a long sigh of relief.

So it was because Great Wu Xing Tian wasn't at his peak—no wonder.

However, Xing Tian scowled darkly. "A loss is a loss. Where are all these excuses coming from?"

After all, what effort did it take for him, the esteemed Great Wu Xing Tian, to kill a True Immortal-level Demonic Beast?

Seeing Xing Tian's expression, even Kuafu was a bit surprised. "Brother Xing Tian, you're not telling me you really couldn't beat Brother Shen Gui, are you?"

Xing Tian shot Kuafu a glare. "If I lost, I lost. Are we men of the Wu Clan afraid of losing? Brother Shen Gui is indeed stronger than me. If you don't believe it, try it yourself?"

With that, Xing Tian glanced at the other Great Wu and added, "But forget about the rest of you. Brother Hou Yi and Brother Kuafu might have a sliver of a chance. You lot have none at all."

Hearing this, the Great Wu exchanged looks but didn't argue.

Though they were all Great Wu, under normal circumstances, Xing Tian could take on three of them without issue. If even Xing Tian couldn't beat Shen Gui, then they'd better not embarrass themselves by stepping up.

Still, while the other Great Wu knew their limits, Kuafu was itching for a fight.

Xing Tian, Kuafu, and Hou Yi were the three strongest Great Wu of the Houtu Tribe, and they often sparred among themselves. But their strength was so evenly matched that without using their trump cards, they could never decide a victor.

Now that Xing Tian had lost to Shen Gui in a spar, if Kuafu could beat Shen Gui, wouldn't that prove he was stronger than Xing Tian?

With that thought, Kuafu turned to Shen Gui. "Brother Shen Gui, how about we have a spar?"

"This... wouldn't that be a bit inappropriate?" Shen Gui rubbed his hands together, a little embarrassed.

Think about it—he was eating their food, drinking their wine, and now he was going to beat them up? Wasn't that a bit much?

But Kuafu waved his hand dismissively. "No problem, Brother Shen Gui. It's just a spar."

At that, Xing Tian chimed in from the side, "Brother Shen Gui, since Kuafu wants to get beaten up, go ahead and teach him his place. I say, Kuafu, do you think I don't know your limits? You want to beat Brother Shen Gui? Dream on!"

Kuafu, however, was completely unfazed. "How would I know without trying? Even if I lose, you lost too, didn't you?"

Xing Tian was momentarily speechless.

He took a resentful gulp of his wine and decided to shut up.

Just wait until Brother Shen Gui gives you a beating too—then see what you have to say.

Seeing this, Shen Gui realized there was no avoiding the fight.

He finished off the roasted meat in his hand, wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth, and asked, "If we're going to spar, are we doing it right here?"

"Of course not." Kuafu waved his hand. "Brother Shen Gui, follow me. Our tribe has a dedicated place for sparring."

With that, Kuafu stood up first and headed toward the grand hall at the center of the Houtu Tribe.

Seeing this, the other Great Wu, who had mostly eaten and drunk their fill, followed along.

Shen Gui trailed behind.

As they walked, Kuafu explained, "That hall ahead is where the Ancestral Wu Houtu resides. Normally, sparring among our Wu Clan warriors is common, but for us Great Wu, the destruction we cause is a bit much. So Ancestral Wu Houtu opened a side hall in the main hall specifically for our spars. That hall is reinforced by Ancestral Wu Houtu's Law of Earth, so we can't damage it no matter what. We can go all out."

Ancestral Wu Houtu was in that hall?

Shen Gui was slightly startled and couldn't help asking, "Is Ancestral Wu Houtu in the hall right now? If so, wouldn't it be improper for us to spar there?"

Seeing Shen Gui's cautious demeanor, Kuafu laughed heartily. "Brother Shen Gui, rest assured. Ancestral Wu Houtu is in seclusion cultivating most of the time and rarely bothers with tribal affairs. Besides, Ancestral Wu Houtu is very kind. Even if we make a bit of noise, she won't mind."

Hearing this, Shen Gui nodded, but he still felt a bit uneasy inside.

Ancestral Wu Houtu—this should be the closest he'd come to a great divine being since crossing over, aside from Pangu himself.

Though it was still early in the timeline, Hongjun's lectures were already over.

Even if Ancestral Wu Houtu wasn't yet a Quasi-Saint, she must at least be at the peak of Daluo.

A mere Golden Immortal like him, even with a spirit treasure for protection, probably wouldn't amount to much in her eyes.

Still, at least he was a guest of the Wu Clan, not an enemy. Besides, in legend, Ancestral Wu Houtu was the embodiment of ultimate goodness, the one who sacrificed herself to form the Six Paths of Reincarnation—not some vicious being.

While Shen Gui was lost in thought, the group had already arrived at a side hall within the main hall.

The vast side hall was completely empty—nothing but an open space. As a place for sparring, it couldn't have been more suitable.

Entering the side hall, the other Great Wu stepped aside, while Kuafu walked straight to the center and called out, "Brother Shen Gui, come on."

Seeing this, Shen Gui had no choice but to reluctantly walk toward Kuafu.