Master and Disciple, Shameless as Ever

After the commotion died down, everyone turned their attention back to Qin Chuan and Pei Xuan on the arena. They were also eager to know who would take first place in the martial competition.

Pei Xuan was no longer distracted by concern for Gu Xiran's safety and could fight with all his strength. Qin Chuan gradually fell into a disadvantage, but he did not panic. Instead, he kept dodging at his established pace.

Another quarter of an hour passed, and Pei Xuan forced Qin Chuan to the edge of the arena. Pei Xuan felt like toying with him again. He did not want Qin Chuan to leave the arena so easily; he wanted to cripple him on it.

So he retreated, giving Qin Chuan a chance to catch his breath. At the same time, he said mockingly, "Martial Uncle Qin, you're about to lose."

"Oh, really? I don't believe it." Qin Chuan quickly ran off in another direction, looking perfectly relaxed and unruffled.

Watching Qin Chuan's movements from the raised platform, Jiang Lin's pupils contracted. He immediately shouted to Pei Xuan, "Eldest Senior Brother, he's setting up a formation! Hurry and finish him!"

"Jiang Lin!!!" Jin Pang tried to stop him, but it was too late.

"Sect Master Yun, is this how your disciple follows the rules? Or are you, the sect master, breaking the rules to ensure your disciple wins?" the Grand Elder demanded.

"Jiang Lin, shut up. Stand down."

Yun Yao first made a show of reprimanding Jiang Lin, then replied gently to the Grand Elder, "My unworthy disciple doesn't know any better. I've already reprimanded him, and he won't speak again. How about I also punish him by withholding his sect resources for a year?"

"Sect Master, you truly are impartial and incorruptible." After that sarcastic remark, the Grand Elder said no more and could only accept the punishment.

"This disciple accepts the punishment." Jiang Lin obediently accepted it. At the moment, he thought going without resources for a year was no big deal. It remained to be seen whether he would still be so calm after the martial competition, when his spirit stones had been cleaned out.

Jin Pang wanted to speak again, but Jin Feng stopped him with a look. "Don't cause any more trouble. Yun Yao's patience is already at its limit. It's not worth clashing with him over such a small matter."

"Grandfather, I understand." Jin Pang was no fool and heeded Jin Feng's words. Besides, he believed Qin Chuan could win.

Jiang Lin's warning made Pei Xuan realize what was happening, and he stopped letting Qin Chuan set up the formation unchallenged. "Heh, a formation? Too bad I found out. You have no chance."

"Oh, really? I don't believe it." Qin Chuan had fully transformed into that Lu fellow, his mockery turned up to the fullest.

He was only setting up a formation to avoid revealing his full strength. He was going to take part in the formation competition anyway, so his talent for formations was bound to be exposed. Showing it early did not count as revealing a trump card.

A person needed a few trump cards to scheme others to death. He was the ultimate old six, so of course he had to keep a few more trump cards hidden.

Hehe, he had hidden most of his trump cards now. The protagonist's group would only think he had defeated Pei Xuan with a formation. When they dealt with him in the future, they would only guard against his formations, and then they would be in for a world of hurt.

Qin Chuan's maximally mocking "I don't believe it" completely enraged Pei Xuan. He soared into the air, and a longsword appeared above his head, gradually growing enormous and radiating golden light.

"Golden Light Sword!!! When Senior Brother Pei was at the early Golden Core Stage, he used that Golden Light Sword to slay a demonic beast at the late Golden Core Stage."

"Ah, then can Qin Chuan withstand it when he's only at the early Golden Core Stage? If he can't, won't Qin Chuan...?" The speaker did not dare say the word "die."

"Look, the Golden Light Sword is coming down!"

On the raised platform, the Pure Void Sect's elders also held their breath and watched the arena intently. Jin Feng and the Grand Elder were ready to step in and save Qin Chuan at any moment.

The Golden Light Sword slashed down. Rather than dodge, Qin Chuan met it head-on, the Tianquan Sword in his hand gleaming coldly.

"Boom!"

The two streams of sword qi collided, splitting the arena apart once again. When the smoke and dust cleared, Pei Xuan stood with his sword in hand, completely unharmed, while Qin Chuan knelt on one knee.

"Eldest Senior Brother is amazing! Eldest Senior Brother won!" Gu Xiran the groundhog cried out happily.

"But Martial Uncle Qin hasn't admitted defeat or been knocked off the arena. That doesn't count as a loss yet, does it? Sister, you want Martial Uncle Qin to lose so badly. You don't really resent him for defeating you, do you? Ah, Sister, I'm not saying you're petty." Gu Xiwan's green-tea remarks were always aimed at Gu Xiran at just the right time.

Jin Pang secretly gave Gu Xiwan a thumbs-up. Today he had seen this woman in a new light. She really was a dab hand at dealing with Gu Xiran, and everything she said was so grating. At first listen, it sounded nice, but listen closely and everything about it was off.

"Gu Xiwan, stop spitting blood at me!" Gu Xiran retorted, putting on an air of lofty disdain.

"Elder Xuanyang! Keep your disciple in line." Yun Yao also swept Gu Xiwan a contemptuous glance, standing up for his beloved disciple.

"My disciple has always behaved well. There's no need for you to stick your nose in, Sect Master Yun." Xuanyang gave Yun Yao no face at all, and the two looked ready to fight again.

The Second Elder, captain of the firefighting squad, hurriedly spoke up. "Martial Nephew Pei and Junior Brother Qin are about to decide the winner."

"Hmph!" Yun Yao and Xuanyang snorted contemptuously at each other in unison, then continued watching the match on the arena.

Taking advantage of Qin Chuan's injuries, Pei Xuan launched a frenzied assault on him. "Martial Uncle Qin, you're about to lose. Won't you admit defeat?"

"If this were a contest to see who could bullshit better, you'd definitely win." Qin Chuan already had quite a few wounds of all sizes, and he looked rather frightening.

"Heh, still talking tough." Pei Xuan soared into the air again. This time, three giant swords flashing with golden light appeared above his head at once.

"Martial Uncle Qin, since you refuse to admit defeat, I'll have to use my full strength to defeat you. If I injure you, don't blame me for being disrespectful."

As Pei Xuan finished speaking, the three swords flashing with golden light all locked onto Qin Chuan. There was no way for him to evade them.

His expression grave, Qin Chuan raised his sword to meet Pei Xuan's attack. An enormous rumble rang out, and the place where Qin Chuan had been standing caved in. Only rubble remained; Qin Chuan was nowhere to be seen.

A victorious smile appeared on Pei Xuan's face. He turned to the elder presiding over the martial competition and asked, "Elder, I won, didn't I?"

Shen Qingyuan, who had been hidden in the shadows all along, also curved her lips into a faint smile, looking quite proud. "Chuan'er is about to win."

At the same time, Yun Yao noticed something was wrong and immediately warned Pei Xuan, "Watch out!"

"Sect Master Yun, do you still remember that you are the sect master of the Pure Void Sect?!" The Grand Elder was truly furious.

He had never liked Yun Yin and Yun Yao, master and disciple, not because they had taken the sect master's position, but because they were too self-serving. They cared only for themselves and put the sect's interests second.

"Shamelessness runs in the lineage," Jin Pang blurted out, unable to hold it in any longer.

Jin Feng did not stop Jin Pang either. He too could not stand Yun Yao's conduct. As sect master, Yun Yao had actually taken the lead in breaking the rules so his own disciple could win.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Yun Yao chose to keep his mouth shut.

On the arena, Pei Xuan heeded Yun Yao's warning and immediately slashed with all his might toward the place where Qin Chuan had just been standing.

But the sword qi was blocked in midair. Pei Xuan immediately circulated all the spiritual energy in his body to defend himself, even taking out a defensive magic treasure and sheltering inside it.

"Rumble."

Qin Chuan blasted away the rubble weighing him down and appeared before everyone. He was covered in blood, and his left arm hung limply at his side. He looked to be in very bad shape.

He had been a little overconfident just now. Pei Xuan, who ranked among the top five male supporting characters, did have some ability. His three full-powered Golden Light Sword strikes were indeed extraordinary.

But Qin Chuan had the inner armor Shen Qingyuan had given him to protect him, so Pei Xuan's attack could not possibly have truly hurt him.

More than half of his current injuries were an act. Keeping a low profile was an old six's finest quality. When the time came, he could use it to trap those who did not know his true cultivation and get them killed.

"Martial Uncle Qin, even if you can still stand, so what? Do you have any fighting strength left?" Pei Xuan said contemptuously.

The elders on the raised platform and the disciples below all shared Pei Xuan's thoughts. Only Jin Pang sensed something was wrong. He had seen Qin Chuan slay a False Nascent Soul wolf demon with one strike, so dealing with Pei Xuan, who was at the late Golden Core Stage, should not have been this difficult.

Qin Chuan grinned at Pei Xuan. "That's right, I don't have any fighting strength left, but I still have a formation."

"Martial Nephew Pei, now it's my turn to make a move. I hope you can withstand it."

"Formation, rise!"