Firefighting Captain: Second Elder He Zong

As soon as Qin Chuan stepped off the arena, Jin Pang hurried over to congratulate him. "Congratulations on your great victory, Brother Qin."

"She was only a Gu Xiran at the late Foundation Establishment Stage. Don't tease me, Brother Jin," Qin Chuan replied with a smile.

"Heh heh, I've got something good to tell you. Someone's taking bets on who'll win first place in the martial competition. I'm going to put all my spirit stones on Martial Uncle Qin taking first." Jin Pang chuckled, deliberately drawing out the words "Martial Uncle Qin" in a clear attempt to tease him.

How could Qin Chuan pass up such a good chance to earn spirit stones? He transferred all the spirit stones from his storage ring into a storage bag and handed it to Jin Pang. "Then sorry for the trouble, Brother Jin. Bet it all on me to take first place in the martial competition."

"But I have one more question. Who's bold enough to take bets on the inner sect martial competition?"

"Why, one of the elders from the sect master's faction, of course. I heard he's a seventh- or eighth-generation descendant of Yun Yao's master, Yun Yin. His talent isn't much, but he has backing, so naturally he became an elder." Jin Pang grinned as he took Qin Chuan's storage bag.

Then he slapped his forehead, remembering something. "Right, Pei Xuan's fighting over at that arena. Want to go take a look?"

"Let's go." Qin Chuan was confident he could defeat Pei Xuan, but he had always been careful. It wouldn't hurt to learn more about him.

The two went to the arena where Pei Xuan was fighting. When Qin Chuan saw his opponent, he remembered that in the original plot, Gu Xiran seemed to have faced Gu Xiwan.

This time, though, he had dealt with Gu Xiran in a few slaps, so Pei Xuan was facing Gu Xiwan instead. Did the protagonist's group have to face the vicious female supporting character?

Before Qin Chuan could think further, the fight on the arena began. Gu Xiwan had just been about to admit defeat when Pei Xuan thrust his sword at her chest, frightening her into hurriedly dodging.

But Gu Xiwan was only at the late Foundation Establishment Stage. How could she be a match for Pei Xuan? He stabbed her in the back, but still wouldn't let her go. He viciously stabbed her several more times, then kicked her off the arena.

"Pei Xuan!!!" Gu Xiwan's senior brother Chu Zhan rushed onto the arena and drew his sword against Pei Xuan.

Next, Gu Xiwan's second senior brother Fang Xiang and third senior brother Lu Xiu also rushed up, and the three confronted Pei Xuan and his two fellow disciples.

The sight of those six struck Qin Chuan as absurd. He had felt the same absurdity while reading the novel. He had never understood the logic of a pampered heroine story: the heroine's three senior brothers had treated her badly in her previous life, so after her rebirth she had to trade them for three better senior brothers who would treat her well. Did she have to be compensated for it?

At that moment, Yun Yao and Xuanyang were also on the verge of fighting on the raised platform. Xuanyang was furious and shouted at Yun Yao, "Move aside! Don't force me to fight you!"

"Elder Xuanyang, no one is allowed to interfere in the sect's inner sect martial competition! Besides, your disciple only suffered minor injuries. Are you going to strike back in retaliation? That's rather petty of you." Yun Yao refused to yield an inch.

First Elder Zhang Daoyuan and Jin Feng said nothing, both looking as though they were enjoying the show. But if a fight broke out, they would certainly strike at Yun Yao from the shadows.

Just as Xuanyang was about to attack in an uncontrollable rage, the peacemaker, Second Elder He Zong, appeared again. He hurried forward to stop Xuanyang.

"Elder Xuanyang, I've already examined your beloved disciple. She's in no serious danger and will recover after resting for a while. Please don't be angry."

As the second elder held Xuanyang back, he also signaled to the first elder and ordered the other elders to separate the six people confronting one another below.

At this point, the first elder had no choice but to step in and smooth things over. "Elder Xuanyang, we all understand how you feel, but blades and swords have no eyes in the arena. Injuries are inevitable."

"I have a supreme-grade healing pill here for your disciple." Jin Feng was also quite generous, offering the pill as he spoke.

Pei Xuan, Chu Zhan and the others had already been separated and had all left the arena. Xuanyang knew there was no point in prolonging the standoff, so he accepted the healing pill from Jin Feng. "I thank you on Xiwan's behalf, Elder Jin."

He gave Yun Yao another cold snort, then swept his sleeve and sat down to show his displeasure.

The first elder's face nearly split from smiling at the sight. He hadn't had to do a thing, yet Yun Yao had offended Xuanyang again. It was truly an unexpected delight.

Though Xuanyang's cultivation was inferior to that of Yun Yao, the sect master, his clan had stood within the Pure Void Sect for a long time, its influence spreading through the sect like intertwined roots. Xuanyang was the most outstanding cultivator of the Xuan Clan's current generation, the spokesman it had put forward. He could represent the Xuan Clan.

"Some people would break the Pure Void Sect's rules over a trifling matter. They really have no regard for the Pure Void Sect's rules."

Yun Yao still wouldn't let Xuanyang off, making a sarcastic remark at his expense. After all, Xuanyang had bullied his precious youngest disciple time and again.

"You!!!" Xuanyang slammed the table and sprang to his feet, glaring wide-eyed at Yun Yao.

The firefighting captain, Second Elder He Zong, rose to put out the fire once again. "Please calm down, Elder Xuanyang. Sect Master Yun absolutely didn't mean it that way."

"Sect Master Yun, the inner sect martial competition must continue. If something happens, the entire Pure Void Sect will lose face."

He Zong was also somewhat displeased with Yun Yao. Just now, when Yun Yao's own disciple had gotten into trouble, he had been so anxious that he was ready to break the rules. Yet now he had the nerve to mock someone else. What a double-standard dog.

Yun Yao snorted coldly, turned his head and fell silent. Xuanyang likewise snorted coldly and stopped looking at Yun Yao.

He Zong had finally put out the fire. He sat down with a sigh, praying inwardly that the rest of the inner sect martial competition would proceed smoothly.

Two more rounds took place below, and Qin Chuan easily defeated two more opponents. He was now among the top four in the inner sect martial competition, and his name had become familiar to the Pure Void Sect's other disciples.

This time, Qin Chuan's opponent was a disciple at the late Golden Core Stage. He looked somewhat older and had an utterly ordinary face. Most likely, he was another passerby A.

"Martial Uncle Qin, I'm Jiang Jin of Green Bamboo Peak. How about we stop before either of us gets hurt?" Jiang Jin was very friendly. He wasn't particularly concerned with winning or losing, and was already quite satisfied to have reached the top four in the inner sect martial competition.

"All right. How about we decide the outcome in one move?" Qin Chuan wouldn't strike a smiling face; since Jiang Jin was friendly, he naturally responded in kind.

Jiang Jin muttered something, and a huge net appeared above his head. "Martial Uncle Qin, as long as you can cut through the Thousand Silk Net's restraints, I'll admit defeat."

The Thousand Silk Net had been refined from Heavenly Silkworm Silk and was incomparably tough. With all of Jiang Jin's spiritual energy poured into it as well, if Qin Chuan's cultivation really were at the early Golden Core Stage, he definitely wouldn't be able to cut through it.

"I'll use only one move as well." Qin Chuan soared into the air and gathered his strength. The power of countless stars converged at the tip of his sword. He didn't use the power of formations; there was no need for him to go all out in this fight.

"Heavenly Dipper Demon-Breaking Sword!!!"

A powerful sword qi pierced across half the arena, slashing toward the Thousand Silk Net in front of Jiang Jin.

"Crack."

The sword qi Qin Chuan had unleashed shattered, while the Thousand Silk Net lost all its spiritual energy and fell into Jiang Jin's hands.

"Martial Uncle Qin, I've lost." Jiang Jin kept his word and stepped off the arena of his own accord.

"Number twenty-three, Qin Chuan wins!" the elder presiding over the arena announced loudly.

Qin Chuan walked slowly off the arena, and Jin Pang immediately rushed over, grabbed him and pulled him toward the other side. As they went, he explained, "Quick, let's go look at the other arena! Pei Xuan and Chu Zhan are both fighting with everything they've got. Let's go watch the excitement!"

Pei Xuan and Chu Zhan's arena was packed so tightly that not even water could have flowed through. Everyone had come to watch the match.

Just as Qin Chuan arrived, he saw Pei Xuan cut off Chu Zhan's left arm with one stroke. He wasn't surprised, because in the plot, Pei Xuan had also utterly tormented Chu Zhan in this match. He would probably stab Chu Zhan three more times in a moment.

As Qin Chuan had thought, Pei Xuan overpowered Chu Zhan and stabbed him three times in succession, giving him no chance to admit defeat. He even tried to kill him.

How could Xuanyang stand it? He immediately moved to save Chu Zhan, and Yun Yao was bound to intervene.

The sect master and an elder were about to fight, the first elder was watching the show, and the other elders didn't dare interfere. The firefighting captain, the second elder, could only step forward once more to smooth things over.

He first pulled Chu Zhan off the arena and returned him to Xuanyang, then declared Pei Xuan the winner before speaking up to persuade the two men. "Sect Master Yun, Elder Xuanyang, today is the Pure Void Sect's inner sect martial competition. Whatever grievances you have, you can settle them in private."

"Elder Xuanyang, take your disciple back for treatment first. His injuries can't wait."

"Sect Master Yun, the inner sect martial competition is only a contest. Isn't taking someone's life going too far?"

Seeing that no fight would break out, the first elder also put on an act and tried to persuade Yun Yao and Xuanyang. In the end, the two exchanged harsh words and sat down again. Chu Zhan took the supreme-grade healing pill Jin Feng had given them earlier, and his condition stabilized.

The firefighting captain, the second elder, had put out the fire once again. At the same time, he made a decision in his heart: when he returned, he would announce that he was going into seclusion and leave the pill, formation and artifact competitions alone. The sect master stirred up this fucking trouble every day; whoever wanted to deal with it could do so.