The Kunlun Mountain plaza was packed, all eyes fixed on the scene.
Laozi had barely finished asking who would be the first to take the stage.
A yellow figure shot upward like a bottle rocket.
With a quick whoosh, he sprang onto the arena so fast that even his afterimage was hard to make out.
It was none other than Yellow Dragon True Person, who had been itching to get up there, excitement written all over his face!
He stood tall, looked around at the crowd, and shouted.
"I'm Yellow Dragon of the Chan Sect. I challenge you!"
On the viewing platform, Sect Master Tongtian raised an eyebrow and leaned toward Yuanshi Tianzun, muttering under his breath.
"Second Brother, your disciple... sure is excited."
"Look at him. He's got the drive of a young man. He's not as listless as usual."
Yuanshi Tianzun watched Yellow Dragon, brimming with confidence on the stage.
It certainly reflected well on him, but for some inexplicable reason, his heart gave a little lurch.
"Strange..."
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"
"This kid... he's not about to pull another stunt, is he?"
Below the stage, Daoist Ci Hang saw what was happening and immediately waved his fists, cheering loudly.
"Senior Brother Yellow Dragon, you've got this!"
"You're leading the way and making the Chan Sect proud. Go, Senior Brother!"
On the other side, the Two Sages of the West watched Yellow Dragon onstage with puzzled expressions.
Daoist Zhunti furrowed his brow and turned to ask Jie Yin.
"Senior Brother, has Yellow Dragon ever won a fight?"
Jie Yin's face looked pained as he shook his head.
"Never heard of it. He seems to be a nobody."
Zhunti asked again.
"Then does Yellow Dragon have any powerful treasures?"
Jie Yin kept shaking his head.
"I hear he's a three-nothing True Person: no treasures, no disciples, no achievements."
Zhunti was even more confused.
"Then what's his cultivation?"
Jie Yin said, "He's only at the late Golden Immortal stage. Nothing special."
Zhunti slapped his thigh, looking incredulous.
"If he's a three-nothing True Person, how did he get the nerve to take the lead? Who gave him that courage?"
He hadn't spoken loudly, but Yuanshi Tianzun, standing nearby, had heard every word.
Yuanshi Tianzun snapped his head around and glared at Zhunti, instantly going into protective-parent mode.
"Zhunti, just because you're talking doesn't mean anyone thinks you're mute!"
"I won't let you talk about my disciple like that. Do you think I'm not here?"
"My Chan Sect disciples can have anything they want. What does your Western Teachings have?"
"Nothing! Not a damn thing! You're all a bunch of paupers!"
Zhunti took the full force of the tirade. He instinctively rubbed his smooth, bald head, his expression turning awkward.
"Second Senior Brother, you can hit someone without hitting their face. You can insult them without bringing up their shortcomings."
"You're... going a little too far, aren't you? What kind of skill is it to attack my hairstyle?"
Yuanshi replied irritably.
"Then maybe you shouldn't have judged my disciple, you shameless man."
Seeing that Yuanshi was truly angry, Zhunti's eyes darted around. He immediately put on a shameless, grinning expression and rubbed his hands together.
"Come now, Senior Brother, don't be angry. Your junior brother just has poor judgment."
"But... if Senior Brother could show some mercy and refine a batch of Houtian Spirit Treasures for the Western Teachings..."
"Then you'll always be my dear Senior Brother. I'll pray for you every day!"
Yuanshi Tianzun snorted and raised his chin haughtily.
"Hmph! Dream on!"
"We'll talk after the Kunlun Sacred Ceremony. We'll see how you behave!"
Zhunti saw a chance and grinned until his face was full of creases.
"Wonderful! Then thank you, Second Senior Brother!"
On the arena, Yellow Dragon True Person knew nothing of the exchange above. He only felt that he was the center of everyone's attention.
He stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering and his gaze disdainful, then shouted.
"Who's willing to fight me?!"
The Four Sea Dragon Kings were thrilled by his dashing bearing on the stage.
Ao Guang jumped to his feet and joined his three younger brothers in wildly applauding and whistling.
"Good!"
"That's our Dragon Race's blood! Well done!"
"Brother Yellow Dragon is finally showing some spirit! Go for it!"
The disciples below exchanged glances.
The Chan Sect disciples obviously couldn't fight one of their own.
Grand Master Xuandu knew he could beat Yellow Dragon, but was willing to let his junior brother have a chance to shine, so he simply smiled and stayed put.
On the Interception Sect's side, Duo Bao, Jin Ling, and the others had no intention of stepping forward either. There wasn't much satisfaction in beating up Yellow Dragon.
But a group of Outer Sect disciples from the Interception Sect were eager to fight, itching to give it a try.
Just then, a timid, delicate voice came out, as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
"I... I'd like to spar with Senior Brother Yellow Dragon."
Everyone turned toward the voice. A female immortal in a blue-green Daoist robe had stepped out from among the Interception Sect's Outer Sect disciples.
She was tall and curvy, with the classic figure of a mature beauty.
But her face was cherubic, her eyes darted about, and her cheeks were flushed. She nervously twisted her fingers in front of her.
It was Shi Ji Niangniang, an Outer Sect disciple of the Interception Sect, now at the early Golden Immortal stage.
Her adorable contrast of appearances instantly won over many people.
Shi Ji lowered her head and walked onto the arena with flushed cheeks. She bowed gracefully to Yellow Dragon, her voice soft and sweet.
"G-good day, Senior Brother Yellow Dragon."
"I'm your junior sister, Shi Ji. Please... please teach me."
Seeing how polite and sweet his junior sister was, Yellow Dragon almost couldn't bring himself to do it.
"Uh... she's being so courteous. Would it be wrong to go all out?"
But then he changed his mind.
"No! For thirty thousand years of turning the tables, for a chance to make a name for myself in one fight!"
"Women will only slow down my sword arm. I have to go all out!"
Yellow Dragon's gaze instantly hardened.
Meanwhile, below the stage, Cihang had somehow slipped over beside Zhao Gongming.
He narrowed his eyes slightly and nudged Zhao Gongming with his elbow.
"Junior Brother, you're acting suspicious."
"Yellow Dragon is acting suspicious too."
"Look at how confident he is... Did you make him a magic treasure?"
"Are you hoping he'll make a fool of himself?"
Zhao Gongming turned to him as if the answer were obvious and asked in return.
"Don't you?"
Cihang froze, then broke into the knowing grin of a kindred spirit.
"Heh heh (^▽^)"
"I do too!"
The two exchanged a smile, then raised their top-grade Recording Stones in perfect unison, aiming them at Yellow Dragon on the stage.
"Get ready. We're about to see something hilarious!"
On the arena, Yellow Dragon took a deep breath and looked at the bashful Shi Ji in front of him. Suddenly, he gave her a wicked smile.
"Junior Sister, forgive me!"
A flash of golden light streaked by.
Yellow Dragon brought out the glittering Overbearing President Gloves.
He immediately activated the Conceptual Grade skill, Spatial Wall Pinning]
Shi Ji had no time to react.
In the next instant, Yellow Dragon teleported right in front of her.
He braced one hand against the empty space behind Shi Ji, pinning her firmly in his embrace.
Their noses were almost touching, barely three inches apart.
Shi Ji's eyes widened, and her whole body went rigid.
Then Yellow Dragon's mouth crooked into a standard smirk: thirty percent cold indifference, thirty percent mockery, and forty percent nonchalance.
He bit his lip and gave her an oily wink.
"Ah, women."
"You're playing with fire."
"You've... successfully caught my attention."
"What's wrong? You can't look at me because you're embarrassed?"
The whole string of moves was so greasy it was as if a ton of lard had been poured across the arena.
Zhao Gongming and Cihang immediately got excited and started cheering below.
"Woohoo!"
"That's the stuff! It's so intense!"
"Hahahaha, Senior Brother Yellow Dragon is awesome! He's suffered Social Death for good this time!"
"I love seeing my bros turn into clowns. This feels even better than winning myself!"
The two doubled over laughing, already picturing Yellow Dragon getting slapped away by Shi Ji and dying of humiliation.
But the expected slap never came.
Pinned against the wall, Shi Ji didn't get angry. Instead...
Her face turned bright red in an instant, like a ripe apple. Even steam seemed to rise from the top of her head.
She lowered her head, frantically tapping her index fingers together as she squirmed.
In a voice even softer than a mosquito's buzz, she shyly and affectionately replied.
"S-Senior Brother..."
"Don't tease me..."
"Actually... actually, I've liked Senior Brother Yellow Dragon for a long time!"
"Senior Brother, you're so naughty, but I love it."
The cheers below the stage abruptly fell silent.
The smile on Zhao Gongming's face froze.
Cihang's hand, holding up the Recording Stone, froze.
The two stared at each other, then at the pink atmosphere onstage and the couple who looked like they belonged in a romance drama.
The air was thick with the cloying sweetness of love.
After a long while, Zhao Gongming slowly lowered his Recording Stone and muttered blankly.
"Th-this can't be right?"
"Weren't we promised Social Death? Weren't we promised a clown?"
Cihang also looked as if his whole worldview had collapsed. He said indignantly.
"What the hell? Those are Overbearing President Gloves. They're clearly a red string of fate!"
"We came to watch a show, not to get force-fed romance!"
The two looked at each other, seeing deep disappointment in one another's eyes.
"So..."
"We were the clowns all along?!"
[Ship Yellow Dragon and Shi Ji's happy couple! Please leave a follow-up reminder if you're enjoying the story!]
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