One month after Lin Cheng took on a disciple.
That day, a group of uninvited guests arrived at Jingyun Sect.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
"Jingyun Sect disciples, assemble!"
The Jingyun Bell rang six times in a row, drawing countless eyes.
Even Lin Cheng, who was in the Library Pavilion, was notified and told to go to the Central Martial Arts Arena.
"What happened?"
Lin Cheng extended his divine sense and spotted a group of strangely dressed people. "Visitors from another sect? One Fifth Grade Realm, two Eighth Grade Realm experts. They're coming in force—they don't look friendly."
"Interesting."
"I've been cooped up in the Library Pavilion long enough. This should be a good chance to see what's going on."
Lin Cheng smiled and set off.
The Central Martial Arts Arena.
The entire arena was now teeming with people. As far as the eye could see, heads packed together like a dark tide surging in every direction. It was a lively scene, and even disciples who usually stayed in seclusion to cultivate had been called out.
Suddenly.
Powerful auras shot into the sky and landed on the high platform nearby. Judging by their faces, they were none other than the Jingyun Sect elders.
However.
Standing beside the Jingyun Sect elders this time were three figures clad in red. Their auras were cold and bloodthirsty, making them stick out like sore thumbs.
"It's the Blood-Oath Sect. What are they doing here? Aren't they at odds with our Jingyun Sect? A weasel paying respects to a hen—nothing good can come of it."
"Bah, you're the hen! But you're right, something's off."
"See that young man in red? I heard he's the Blood God Child of the Blood-Oath Sect's new generation. They say they've come to our Jingyun Sect to exchange martial arts, but I bet they're here to knock us down a peg!"
"What's there to fear? He's only Fifth Grade. Liu Sheng and Senior Sister Wang Xue'er from the inner sect are Fifth Grade Realm too!"
"Silence!"
Jingyun Sect had also sent two Eighth Grade Realm elders to oversee the event. Elder Hao, who had spoken, was one of them.
At his words, the entire arena fell silent.
Countless gazes turned toward the high platform, many of them lingering on the three figures in red.
"Today, our friends from the Blood-Oath Sect have come to Jingyun Sect to exchange ideas on martial arts. Everyone—"
"Let this old man speak instead!"
Elder Hao coughed and began to speak, but he was suddenly interrupted halfway through.
On the opposite platform, three people stood up.
A red-clad figure with a terrifying aura let out a hoarse laugh. "Enough with the pointless chatter! We martial artists speak plainly. Our sect's Divine Son will take on all comers here today. If any Jingyun Sect disciple can defeat him, I'll represent the Blood-Oath Sect and transfer ten years' mining rights to one of our spirit mines to your sect!"
"Your word is as good as your bond!"
A stir rippled through the crowd below. Many wore displeased expressions. So the Blood-Oath Sect had come to pick a fight.
In an instant, the crowd seethed with anger.
Hundreds, even thousands, of hostile gazes fixed on the three members of the Blood-Oath Sect.
The atmosphere turned taut, like a sword drawn and ready to strike.
"Looks like our friends from the Blood-Oath Sect are quite confident... Very well, we'll do as you say. Any Jingyun Sect disciple may step forward and challenge him. Let's show them what we're made of!" Elder Hao swallowed his displeasure at being interrupted.
The other elder gave the men opposite them a long look, then nodded.
"Very well."
"Hahaha! You Jingyun Sect weaklings, come challenge me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's vision blurred. A figure had appeared on the fighting platform without anyone noticing. He stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at the crowd with arrogant disdain, and crooked a finger in challenge.
It was none other than the Blood God Child.
A peak Fifth Grade expert at just sixteen years old!
"What speed!"
"Damn, what an arrogant bastard! He's asking for a beating!"
Whoosh!
Another figure flashed into view. A man with a sword now stood opposite the Blood God Child. He was none other than Liu Sheng, an inner sect disciple who was also Fifth Grade.
Liu Sheng stood with his sword in hand, his sharp gaze fixed on his opponent.
He spoke slowly, each word clear. "Let me see what you've got. I'd like to find out whether the Blood-Oath Sect really has the strength to back up its arrogance."
His words immediately drew a wave of cheers.
"Senior Brother Liu Sheng, go for it!"
"Long live Senior Brother Liu!"
"Senior Brother Liu is invincible!"
In the blink of an eye, the fight began!
"Make your move!"
"If I go first, you won't get a chance."
The Blood God Child paid no heed to the cheers around him. Still calm and collected, he lifted his chin toward the other man.
"You're courting death!"
Riled by his opponent's arrogance, Liu Sheng gave a cold snort. His body instantly became a blur as he thrust his sword straight at the man's vital points!
"Pfft!"
But in the very next moment, with a bang, Liu Sheng flew backward even faster than he'd charged in. Blood sprayed across the sky along his path!
The arena fell utterly silent.
The onlookers swallowed hard, their eyes filled with shock. They hadn't even seen how the Blood God Child had struck, yet Senior Brother Liu Sheng, hailed as invincible among the inner sect disciples, had already lost!
A swift and decisive defeat!
He hadn't been able to fight back at all!
Even the two Jingyun Sect elders furrowed their brows. They exchanged glances, each catching the shock in the other's eyes.
"This..." Elder Hao was dumbstruck.
He hadn't expected his prized disciple to fail to last even a single round against the other man.
Now that Liu Sheng had lost, sending out Wang Xue'er, whose strength was about the same as his, would likely end the same way.
It would only bring them greater humiliation, with no point to it at all.
The elders fell silent.
The disciples fell silent.
Everyone looked at one another, their mouths full of bitterness, not a word passing between them.
For a moment.
The entire arena was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
On the platform, the Blood God Child looked down at the Jingyun Sect crowd with contempt. They were nothing but a bunch of trash. If his sect hadn't given him an important mission—to provoke them, test the current condition of Jingyun Sect's Grand Elder, and prepare for the Blood-Oath Sect to annex Jingyun Sect—he wouldn't have wasted his time playing with these weaklings.
"You're all far too weak."
"Is this all the strongest of the younger generation can do? Fine, don't say I didn't give you a chance. If the disciples aren't up to it, the elders can take the stage too. I, the Divine Son, welcome anyone who comes!" The Blood God Child's contemptuous attitude thoroughly enraged the crowd.
"Scoundrel!"
Even the two elders were blazing with anger. They shot to their feet, their Eighth Grade Realm auras erupting as they glared at the Blood-Oath Sect, looking ready to attack at any moment.
He was slapping Jingyun Sect in the face in front of everyone!
How could they possibly endure this?!
"Gentlemen, please calm down." Two ghostlike figures in red appeared nearby as well. They released their Eighth Grade Realm auras, subtly blocking Jingyun Sect's two elders. One of them gave a sinister smile. "It's only a friendly match between disciples. Why lose your temper?"
"Very good!"
"Very good indeed, Blood-Oath Sect!"
"Do you really think our Jingyun Sect is made of clay?"
Just as Elder Hao, driven into a frenzy by the provocation, was about to disregard everything and activate Jingyun Sect's forces to seize the men opposite him—
Suddenly, a timid voice spoke up.
"Um, could I try?"
Everyone turned toward the voice and froze.
Then their faces went blank with disbelief.
A petite, adorably clumsy figure timidly stepped out of the crowd. Her cultivation was only at the peak of the Third Grade Realm, yet she drew everyone's attention.
"I want to challenge you!"
Her soft, sweet voice echoed across the silent arena, like a gentle evening breeze. Everyone was instantly petrified!
They couldn't help questioning their own sanity.
What had I just seen?
A little girl at the Third Grade Realm had actually challenged the Blood God Child, a Fifth Grade expert?
Had I gone mad?
Hadn't they seen even a Fifth Grade inner sect disciple get defeated in one move?
A mere Third Grade cultivator was tired of living?
In an inconspicuous corner beneath the platform.
Lin Cheng, who had been lazily yawning, suddenly broke into an intrigued smile.
The little girl had finally agreed to take the stage.
Now this was getting interesting!
As for the other side harboring ill intentions... What a joke!
With him here, who could lay a finger on his disciple?!
Before you continue