Jiang Qi
"Jiang Qi?"
Zhang Xuezhou employed a strategy, but his improvisation skills couldn't guarantee he wouldn't be exposed.
When Zhang Xuezhou was only ten meters away from the test subject, he saw the test subject, who was patrolling around the Wondrous Dharma Palace, raise his head and make eye contact with him.
After uttering a curse, the other party seemed to leap into the wind, preparing to charge at Zhang Xuezhou.
But after Zhang Xuezhou uttered the word, the other person's expression changed drastically, and their body trembled.
"Zhu Shiyin, how dare you come to my sect?"
Zhang Xuezhou uttered a low murmur, and the test subject's face turned ashen. He was caught between a sword in hand and a sword that he couldn't bring himself to charge forward or not.
"My name isn't Zhu Shiyin, it's Jiang Qi," Jiang Qi said, forcing himself to speak.
"It seems the only way is to beat you out of your one-eyed Ba Snake form and take you to the Venerable One so you can explain yourself and prove your identity," Zhang Xuezhou said.
"Holy Son, spare my life!"
Jiang Qi's face paled in panic; he dropped his sword and bowed deeply.
No matter what Divine Ability Technique Method or profound methods, none of them can compare to Zhang Xuezhou's status in the Kunlun Sacred Land.
With the Emperor and Empress present, Jiang Qi's attempt to silence them would be futile and would only lead to his own demise.
As the former Holy Son of the Xieluosi River Holy Land, Jiang Qi was well aware of the importance of this position, which made him willing to take on the challenge and see if he could rise to a higher position in the Kunlun Sacred Land.
Jiang Qi hadn't expected his opponent to be Zhang Xuezhou. Once they got closer and saw each other's faces clearly, they recognized each other.
"We have no enmity with you, I beg the Holy Son to spare my life," Jiang Qi pleaded. "I only ask to live, I will not ask for anything else!"
Leaving aside the troubles caused by killing Zhang Xuezhou, even if Jiang Qi's fight with the Hairy Head Sun Star Official resulted in the latter's demise, it would still be a major event.
If Jiang Qi were to reveal his identity, things would become difficult for him in the Kunlun Sacred Land.
If he were expelled from the Kunlun Sacred Land, the pursuit by the Xieluosi River Holy Land would be too much for Jiang Qi to bear.
Going left means death, going right also means death; the only way to survive is to ask Zhang Xuezhou to stop talking nonsense.
"If the Holy Son needs servants, I am willing to serve him like a beast of burden," Jiang Qi pleaded. "Moreover, I know some secrets that should still be of some use to the Holy Son."
"Oh!"
Zhang Xuezhou murmured to himself.
His gaze swept across the area, and he sensed a faint fluctuation in the air, which made him quickly shut his mouth.
In an instant, the emperor and empress, holding a flag embroidered with a fierce tiger, arrived across space. Their eyes swept over Zhang Xuezhou and then looked at Jiang Qi, who had abandoned his sword and bowed his head.
"What is it?" the Emperor and Empress asked.
"This humble demon was immediately subdued upon first sight of the Holy Son, and had no ability to resist or attack. I beg Your Majesty for forgiveness," Jiang Qi pleaded.
"You've already lost?"
An incredulous expression crossed the faces of the Emperor and Empress.
The outcome of this contest came too quickly; even though she was watching closely, she couldn't understand it.
Even after getting the details, she still found it unbelievable, thinking the reason was utterly absurd.
However, Zhang Xuezhou didn't even know his opponent before, and Jiang Qi had never met the Holy Son of Kunlun Sacred Land, so it would be difficult to get the two to collude.
"What did the Holy Son say?" the Emperor and Empress asked.
"Since he's willing to admit defeat, then I've won," Zhang Xuezhou said.
Zhang Xuezhou hesitated between reporting Jiang Qi and causing his death, or leaving him a way out.
He was certain that someone like the Ten Yin Holy Son would drag others down with him even in death, and that a perfect preventative strategy was necessary to expose him.
However, to accuse someone, one must have solid evidence. Jiang Qi is no longer the Zhu Shiyin of the past; even his demonic form has changed. Proving Zhu Shiyin's identity is a difficult task.
If Zhu Shiyin isn't killed outright, it will cause endless trouble, especially since Zhang Xuezhou is about to return to the real world in the next couple of days. He's busy brewing wine to recover his brain and has no time to deal with proving Zhu Shiyin's identity.
After some thought, Zhang Xuezhou quickly put aside those little thoughts in his mind.
He gave the Emperor and Empress a brief reply and also presented the results of the test.
"Jiang Qi, do you have any objections?" the Emperor and Empress asked, frowning.
"The little demon has no objections," Jiang Qi replied, bowing.
"Are you really intimidated?"
"Yes!"
Jiang Qi's reason for defeat was simply untenable. His opponent was a naturally occurring, unique species of Ba Snake, which would have been sufficient even if placed a thousand years ago when experts gathered.
But in the brief moment of contact with Zhang Xuezhou, Jiang Qi was utterly defeated, even losing his sword.
After a few seconds of contemplation, the Empress suddenly remembered the ' Mr. Ren ' inheritance that Zhang Xuezhou had received, and she felt as if she suddenly understood something.
"His Majesty is indeed wise!"
The Emperor and Empress murmured a sentence to themselves.
If both sides are based on the heritage of the Kunlun Sacred Land, Jiang Qi's defeat makes no sense whatsoever. However, Zhang Xuezhou's learning is not entirely derived from Western Kunlun, which makes the anomaly understandable.
"The Divine Sense Strengthening Incantation is truly wondrous beyond words. Perhaps there are other new spells as well. It's a pity that the Holy Son's cultivation level has been leaked due to his illness. If he could ascend to a higher place, who knows what the situation would be like!"
Zhang Xuezhou's health was in a terrible state, but ' Mr. Ren ' successfully made up for all the shortcomings.
Seeing Zhang Xuezhou easily defeat Jiang Qi, the Emperor and Empress's little thoughts vanished, and they turned their attention to how Zhang Xuezhou could repair his physical shortcomings and thus improve himself.
"Since we've lost, let's practice more!"
The Emperor and Empress pointed to the exit of the Wondrous Dharma Palace, indicating that Jiang Qi could leave.
Jiang Qi responded, and then he looked up at Zhang Xuezhou with great trepidation.
"If the Holy Son is free, he may summon me at any time. I am willing to go through fire and water for the Holy Son," Jiang Qi said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.
"I won't be staying in Kunlun for long, so I don't need to order you around," Zhang Xuezhou said. "Now that you're free, don't cause trouble, lest everything turn to nothing!"
"Thank you, Holy Son!"
Jiang Qi bowed.
Hearing Zhang Xuezhou's words, he finally felt relieved.
Zhang Xuezhou wouldn't stay in Kunlun for long, nor did he intend to exploit him. As long as he didn't cause trouble, Zhang Xuezhou obviously couldn't be bothered with him.
Ultimately, Jiang Qi and Zhang Xuezhou didn't have any major grudges.
Even if Zhang Xuezhou picked up one of his eyeballs, it wasn't something Zhang Xuezhou gouged out.
Jiang Qi couldn't help but sense it for a moment, and when the feeling of numbness surged into his heart, he felt a chill and thought that his eyeballs should be gone.
Of course, it's normal that it's gone. After all, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't possibly preserve an eyeball for ten or eight years, and Jiang Qi didn't have the ability to reinstall an eyeball from ten or eight years ago back onto his head and restore it to normal.
He bowed and retreated step by step, and only when his feet touched the water did Jiang Qi turn around and stride away across the waves.
Not only did Jiang Qi never expect to run into Zhang Xuezhou, but Zhang Xuezhou also never expected to encounter this Ten Yin Holy Son who had transformed into Ba Snake.
The test began with Zhang Xuezhou's trepidation and ended rather abruptly.
With ease and simplicity, Zhang Xuezhou's spot representing Kunlun Sacred Land in the Centennial Agreement was no longer in dispute.