Xiao Chen's First Battle Ends in Victory

"A wager?"

The Profound Fire Pill King paused. He had struck up a conversation with Chu Feng because he couldn't be bothered arguing with that bunch.

In the end, everyone would think their own disciples were the best anyway.

He might as well let an outsider judge. He couldn't get through to that old bastard from the Heavenly Spirit Institute, so he had turned to this unremarkable youngster.

But the moment the youngster opened his mouth, he said something astonishing. It seemed he didn't take the major institutes seriously at all!

Just then, the Sword Martial King suddenly spoke. "You old bastard Xuanhuo, why not wager with the boy? Surely you aren't afraid of him?"

Sword cultivators had always been proud and aloof. As head of the Sword Dao Institute, the Sword Martial King was naturally no exception.

He had always looked down on the other institutes, to say nothing of the fact that Chu Feng's disciple at the Miscellaneous Dao Institute had been cast out by his Sword Dao Institute.

If Xiao Chen took first place in this competition, it would be a slap in the Sword Martial King's face.

No, the moment Chu Feng took Xiao Chen in, he had set himself against the Sword Dao Institute.

The Profound Fire Pill King stroked his beard and smiled at Chu Feng. "It's not out of the question, but what do you have to wager against me, boy?"

After all, he was the head of the Pill Dao Institute and a supreme expert in the Life Nirvana Realm.

Wouldn't making a wager with an ordinary person like Chu Feng be beneath him?

Even if he was certain to win, he had no interest in it.

Chu Feng smiled. "I proposed the wager, so I'll leave the stakes to you, Senior."

The Profound Fire Pill King hadn't expected the boy to be a little clever, using a retreat as a way to advance against him.

"If you lose, how about you go to the dean and declare that you're willing to leave the Dao-Seeking Academy of your own accord?"

Someone had previously proposed dissolving the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, and the Profound Fire Pill King himself had agreed. After all, to the Dao Inquiry School, the Miscellaneous Dao Institute was now worth even less than a chicken rib.

As for Chu Feng's feelings, none of the important figures cared.

Chu Feng smiled. "All right, it's a deal."

The bigwigs present hadn't expected Chu Feng to agree so readily.

After all, to avoid being expelled from the Dao Inquiry School, Chu Feng had even been willing to take in a cripple like Xiao Chen.

A thought sprang to their minds-could that child Xiao Chen's cultivation have recovered?

Impossible. That was absolutely impossible.

They all knew the extent of Xiao Chen's injuries. Without a holy medicine, it was absolutely impossible for him to recover.

"I'm a reasonable man too. What do you want if you win?"

The Profound Fire Pill King asked. He was certain to win anyway, so he might as well be generous and keep people from wagging their tongues behind his back.

"My condition is much simpler. I want one disciple from your Pill Dao Institute."

Chu Feng spoke with a smile.

What he lacked now was disciples. As long as he took in one disciple, he could gain ten years of cultivation.

But taking in disciples at the Dao-Seeking Academy was too difficult. Even if Xiao Chen took first place in the competition,

it wouldn't change the fact that no disciples were willing to join the Miscellaneous Dao Institute.

After all, the Miscellaneous Dao Institute had no inheritance to speak of.

Being first in the outer court held little appeal for the disciples of the Dao-Seeking Academy.

After entering the inner court, a gap in their cultivation speed would soon open up.

"That's all?"

The Profound Fire Pill King paused, but quickly understood. Chu Feng was just a mortal; how would he dare make an excessive demand of him?

"Fine, I agree."

The heads of the other institutes around them said nothing. They had no intention of joining in or kicking him while he was down.

He was just a mortal; there was no need for them to pay him much attention.

Besides, after this competition, the boy would be expelled from the Dao-Seeking Academy, and the Miscellaneous Dao Institute would become history.

While the bigwigs chatted, the drawing of lots below came to an end.

Elder Changqing, who was overseeing the competition, had already sent referees to the various arenas.

There were ten arenas in the preliminary rounds of this competition.

Nine people would emerge from each arena to enter the top hundred.

Seeing that the referees were ready, Chu Feng and the bigwigs of the Dao-Seeking Academy turned their attention to the arenas.

Chu Feng searched the crowd for Xiao Chen. Fortunately, the young man had a distinctive bearing.

He soon spotted his disciple beneath arena nine.

Whether the people below had arranged it deliberately or not, Chu Feng didn't know.

Xiao Chen was actually the first to fight in arena nine.

As soon as he appeared, the students below began to discuss him.

"I really envy Huang Qi of the Pill Dao Institute, getting Xiao Chen in the first round."

"Tell me about it."

"..."

The bigwigs also noticed Xiao Chen in the arena.

The Profound Fire Pill King smiled. "Little Feng, I didn't expect your eldest disciple to run into someone from our Pill Dao Institute in the first round."

Chu Feng said, "In that case, I suppose we're fated to meet."

The Profound Fire Pill King hadn't expected the boy to be so confident. He was about to say something when the referee in the arena spoke.

"Next is the first match in arena nine. Begin."

Huang Qi held a longsword and cupped his hands toward Xiao Chen. Brimming with confidence, he said, "Junior Brother Xiao, I didn't expect to be lucky enough to meet you in the first round. Once we're done, I'll buy you a drink."

He was already overjoyed at being able to advance to the second round without injury.

Xiao Chen cupped his hands slightly and coldly spat out three words. "Draw your sword."

Huang Qi hadn't expected a cripple like Xiao Chen to still be talking tough at a time like this.

"Forgive me, Junior Brother Xiao. Blazing Fire Sword Art!"

With that, he abruptly drew his longsword and swung it at Xiao Chen.

A streak of fiery red Sword Qi descended toward Xiao Chen.

Seeing this, Xiao Chen drew his sword and swung it casually.

Clang!

With a ringing sword cry, a wave of terrifying Sword Qi swept across the entire arena in an instant.

It easily shattered the fiery red Sword Qi.

The terrifying Sword Qi also carried traces of sword intent. Huang Qi froze in fright, a thought flashing through his mind-This is impossible!

Fortunately, the referee intervened in time to block the strike.

Rumble!

A thunderous crash rang out from the arena.

The referee announced, "Xiao Chen wins this match!"

The moment those words were spoken, the entire crowd fell silent!

The watching disciples stared at the two men in the arena, dumbstruck and bewildered.

It wasn't just the disciples. Even the referee who had intervened showed surprise in his eyes.

The reason he had kept his attention on the match was to save Xiao Chen.

Yet the moment the boy began, he used a killing move. How could a mere Dao Foundation Third Layer disciple possibly have withstood Xiao Chen's strike?

He looked at Huang Qi. "Do you accept the result?"

Only then did Huang Qi come to his senses and nod shakily.

"I accept it, I accept it."

That strike had made him feel as though his life was about to be snuffed out. Even though he had a life-saving talisman on him, he would not have escaped death if the strike had hit him.

Without a word, Xiao Chen turned and left the arena.

Huang Qi put away his sword and hurriedly jumped down from the arena, thinking, Have I seen a ghost?

Seeing that both men had left, the referee announced, "Will both contestants in the next match please enter the arena."

As his voice fell, the people below the arena finally came to their senses and erupted in cries of astonishment...