Provocation

"Senior brother, I don't think that Senior Yuan's eyesight is very good."

The stars were brilliant, and the moonlight, like a silver veil, spread down from the heavens, falling upon the mountains and forests.

Xue Ding, holding his junior sister's hand, walked through the mountain forest, returning to the Celestial Master Temple.

During this time, he would occasionally lower his head to look at the Celestial Master Sword in his hand. This ancient sword, representing the heritage of the Celestial Master Temple, was silent under the moonlight, its sword patterns, washed by the years, seeming to speak of something.

His junior sister's words brought Xue Ding back to reality. He said softly, "Ling'er, how many times have I told you to be polite to Senior Yuan? Without him, our Grandmaster would have probably fallen into demonic possession, and the entire Celestial Master Temple would have been in peril."

Junior Sister pouted, "I know, I just didn't say it in front of him. If his eyesight were good, how could he not see the sword in Senior Brother's hand and say you practice saber techniques? Hmph."

Xue Ding fell silent again, looking down at his sword, his knuckles white from gripping it tightly, his emotions churning violently within him.

"Senior brother, look, there are so many people at the temple!"

Still some distance from the Celestial Master Temple, Junior Sister had already noticed the situation within the temple. There were many people, and it was very lively.

Xue Ding, looking up, only glanced once, and his expression changed drastically.

"Let's go, something's happened at the temple!"

As he spoke, Xue Ding directly picked up Junior Sister, channeled his vital energy, and soared into the sky. He stepped on leaves above the dense treetops, rushing towards the mountain gate of the Celestial Master Temple.

Soon, Xue Ding descended like an eagle, landing on the flat ground in front of the temple.

As soon as he landed, many eyes were drawn to him.

"Haha, the Celestial Master Temple's senior disciple is really not here. I thought he was too afraid to show his face."

Xue Ding, with Junior Sister, passed through the crowd on the flat ground.

Quanzhen Sect, Wang Family of Jincheng.

The person speaking to Xue Ding was Feng Qi, the chief disciple of the Quanzhen Sect.

Not long ago, an armed helicopter from the Wang Family of Jincheng had flown into Wangwu Mountain and landed at the Quanzhen Sect. Everyone knew that the two forces had formed an alliance.

With their combined forces, they naturally had ulterior motives.

The soon-to-be-revealed Divine Smoke of Entering the Dao, or perhaps Wangwu Mountain itself.

After leading Junior Sister to their master and handing her over to other junior disciples, Xue Ding turned and stood firm, facing the arrival of the two forces as the senior disciple of the Celestial Master Temple.

"Celestial Master, since your direct disciple has returned, the previous wager can proceed."

Wager?

Xue Ding looked at the junior disciple beside him, who immediately explained in a low voice.

"Senior brother, the Quanzhen Sect and the Wang Family said they want to have a competition with our temple. The contenders are Feng Qi and you. The loser must give up this spiritual land of the Celestial Master Temple."

Xue Ding frowned. The Celestial Master Temple was once known as the foremost temple on Wangwu Mountain, even called the foremost grotto-heaven. It was inevitable that others would covet it, but he hadn't expected it to be the Quanzhen Sect.

Recalling the past, the founding of the Quanzhen Sect had been quite a tortuous process, and the current Celestial Master had provided considerable help, which allowed them to establish their sect.

With this historical connection, the disciples of the Celestial Master Temple were extremely indignant, feeling that they had helped a thankless wretch.

"Senior brother, a competition is a competition. Are you afraid of Feng Qi?" the junior disciple said indignantly, believing that his senior brother would definitely win, as Feng Qi had been defeated by Xue Ding at a previous inter-sect exchange.

Xue Ding remained silent. He wasn't a fool. As the successor to the next Celestial Master, how could he be provoked by such a trivial matter and lose his composure to participate in a completely unfair wager?

The unfairness lay in the fact that the other party had no comparable stake to offer against the Celestial Master Temple's mountain gate.

If he lost, he would have to give up this abundant vital energy grotto-heaven.

And if he won?

What could the Quanzhen Sect offer?

Their mountain gate?

Or something even more precious?

Even if the Quanzhen Sect considered it precious, what was the status of their sect's mountain gate in the hearts of the Celestial Master Temple's disciples? What could be more precious than it?

The Sect Leader Celestial Master had the same thoughts as Xue Ding and looked at Changchunzi, the leader of the Quanzhen Sect.

"Changchunzi, we have known each other for many years, why must it be like this? This mountain gate is the place where our temple founded its teachings. How could we dare to use it as a wager? If you wish to spar and verify the cultivation levels of your disciples, I am willing to agree."

Who wants to spar?

We want your Celestial Master Temple's mountain gate.

As the spiritual land transformed and deepened, this place became increasingly extraordinary, greatly aiding future cultivation. The saying 'earth, dharma, companions, wealth' emphasizes the importance of 'earth,' which refers to a spiritual cultivation ground. This holds significant weight in one's cultivation journey.

Changchunzi replied with a smile, "Celestial Master, the future is difficult. Your Celestial Master Temple occupies the most vital energy-rich area of Wangwu Mountain yet has achieved nothing, declining all the way. Is this not a waste of natural resources?"

"We desire this spiritual land to prepare for future calamities and to gain more strength to protect the common people. Your Celestial Master lineage has always had the grand ambition of slaying demons and protecting the populace. You should understand us and give us your full support."

These words were beautifully spoken, completely concealing their desire to occupy the spiritual land and instead using the common people as a stepping stone, placing themselves on a moral high ground.

The terrifying future, the prophecy of the mad Daoist.

A disciple of the Celestial Master Temple angrily retorted, "The Celestial Master Temple merely cultivates in seclusion. What decline are you talking about!"

"If there's no decline, then fight me. That will be the most convincing argument." Feng Qi stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Xue Ding, filled with confidence.

"Loser, why are you barking?"

"This place belongs to our Celestial Master Temple. Don't talk about decline; even if we were in decline, it wouldn't be your turn to call the shots!"

"A bunch of ungrateful wretches. Without the full support of my nine generations of Celestial Masters, would your Quanzhen Sect even exist? You bite the hand that feeds you. With such character, do you deserve this spiritual land?"

"Even beasts know gratitude, but you don't?"

"You speak so righteously, but aren't you just coveting our Celestial Master Temple's land?"

Who would have thought that this group of Taoists, who claimed to be cultivating in seclusion, could be so venomous? With "ungrateful wretches" and "beasts" thrown around, the people of the Quanzhen Sect felt utterly humiliated, their faces burning. Anger flared, and their eyes sharpened, giving the impression they would resort to violence at the slightest provocation.

Changchunzi's expression turned grim. Their past actions put them at a disadvantage, making it impossible to win an argument against the Celestial Master Temple.

At this moment, the Wang Family stepped forward, their tone calm.

"There's no need to dwell on the past. Celestial Master, the future is unpredictable, and this place is not something a declining force like yours can hold onto. If we don't come today, others will come later. We are neighbors, after all, and have some history. It's better to hand it over to us than to others."

The Sect Leader Celestial Master responded coldly, "No one is allowed to take it. How can we dare to lose our sect's mountain gate in our generation? If that happens, how will we face our ancestors in the underworld?"

"You are right, but our positions are different now. You will hand this place over, whether you want to or not. To be frank, my Wang Family's weapons have already arrived at Wangwu Mountain and are covering the area. We fear no one, not even if the previous Celestial Master were to emerge."

"For the sake of our neighborly relationship, we will give you three days. We will return in three days, and by then, we hope you will have everything prepared."

"Of course, the challenge match is still on. If your senior disciple can win, we naturally won't make things difficult for you anymore, hehe."

Win?

Feng Qi, full of youthful vigor, strode forward and stood before Xue Ding. The way he disregarded the elders of the Celestial Master Temple ignited Xue Ding's anger, his eyelids twitching violently. The Celestial Master Sword in his hand trembled slightly.

"Want to draw your sword? Go on, draw it, why don't you?"

A smile played on Feng Qi's lips as he continued to provoke, patting Xue Ding's shoulder like a superior. "Xue Ding, Xue Ding, do you still think I'm the Feng Qi from the previous exchange gathering? The current you is nothing in my eyes. If you're not convinced, draw your sword~"

Apart from his twitching eyelids, Xue Ding's expression remained largely unchanged.

Seeing this, Feng Qi turned to the Celestial Master and said, "Celestial Master, you truly are a good teacher. Your temper is as good as a turtle's. As the saying goes, like master, like disciple, hehe."

"You're asking for death!"

His respected master insulted to his face by a junior, Xue Ding's body swayed as he prepared to draw his sword.

"Xue Ding." The Celestial Master's single word immediately steadied Xue Ding, who took deep breaths.

"Hahaha!"

Feng Qi thought Xue Ding was finally going to draw his sword and was filled with excitement. Seeing him stop just in time, however, brought disappointment. Yet, despite his disappointment, he was still delighted, recalling how he was defeated by Xue Ding in just three moves back then.

As he was leaving, Feng Qi confirmed some rumors and said softly, "It seems you really have a problem. You don't dare to draw your sword, hehe. In the future, you'll have to dodge when you see me, or I'll break your legs!"