NOVEL NEXT Chapter 18 – Good news and bad news
The gathering of these weaklings is nothing more than a ragtag bunch. Lin Hao, two minor realms above his enemies, charged into their ranks as if entering an uninhabited land.
Bang, bang, bang!
The cultivators were kicked away like little piglets.
In the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, Lin Hao had repelled all his enemies, emerging as the final victor.
On the spectator platform, the sect's leaders, along with the peak masters and elders from various peaks, occasionally glanced at the chaotic battle among a hundred people while chatting leisurely.
"Hmm? Which peak's disciple is this?"
A voluptuous and beautiful woman slightly furrowed her brows. She was the peak master of Little Bamboo Peak.
As a peak master, she was well aware of the outstanding outer sect disciples from each peak, since after the competition, the peaks could vie for the talents.
The voluptuous beauty was thoroughly familiar with this year's talented disciples.
Wang Jingzhan from Ethereal Peak and Leng Fengchun from Falling Goose Peak were both on the verge of reaching Foundation Establishment. As for others, her own peak's Fang Yuan and Cui Qing'er... it was a pity for their old neighbor, Great Bamboo Peak.
Originally, they had two talented female cultivators, Li Qiushui and Chen Yueming.
However, one had a breakthrough failure and fell in realm, while the other advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage, leaving Great Bamboo Peak without a leading figure.
The peak master of Great Bamboo Peak, Feng Cangyue, was extremely beautiful, with eyes like autumn water, skin fairer than snow, and a figure that was unparalleled. Her shoulders were as if carved, her waist slender, and her hips curvaceous, exuding a subtle mature charm that was utterly captivating.
She wore a simple brocade palace dress, draped with a light purple gauze. As the breeze blew, the gauze fluttered, giving her an ethereal aura.
Her long black hair was styled into a simple sky bun, adorned with an unassuming-looking hairpin.
However, from the envious gaze of the voluptuous beauty, it was clear that the hairpin was very precious.
The charming woman sighed softly, feeling that Great Bamboo Peak would be embarrassed in this outer sect competition...
Embarrassment was secondary; the main issue was that this competition also involved the allocation of cultivation resources among the peaks.
"Sister Feng, do you recognize this young man?" The voluptuous beauty pointed at Lin Hao, who was displaying great prowess, and asked.
"Sister Murong, this young man looks unfamiliar to me. I don't know which peak he belongs to."
"Alright then."
Murong Qinxue immediately sent a message to her subordinates, instructing them to investigate.
After a while, her subordinates reported back, and Murong Qinxue's expression turned peculiar.
A disciple of Great Bamboo Peak? Sister Feng doesn't recognize him, seems like a dark horse. Perhaps there's a chance to recruit him to Little Bamboo Peak.
Lin Hao was unaware that he had caught the attention of a peak master. He was currently holding his senior sister's slender waist, facing off against Jiang Mingfei.
"Brat, take your filthy hands off her."
Jiang Mingfei had a strong affection for Li Qiushui, pursuing her openly and secretly, but never receiving a favorable response. Yet this ice-cold beauty was now behaving like a little woman, allowing a man to hold her willow-like waist.
Jealousy, he was insanely jealous.
"My senior sister and I are Dao Companions. I can hold her if I want. What business is it of yours?"
"You..."
Jiang Mingfei's face turned alternately green and white, and he said angrily, "Brat, just you wait, we'll see!"
"I'll be waiting for you."
Li Qiushui wasn't used to being embraced by a man in public. After Jiang Mingfei left, she broke free from Lin Hao's embrace.
Her brows arched, and she said softly, "Junior brother, you've changed. You used to focus solely on secluded cultivation, avoiding trouble whenever possible.
But now you're actively provoking someone at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining. The change is quite drastic."
Uh... Senior sister makes a good point, this isn't like me.
Lin Hao pondered, realizing that ever since he could grow stronger through dual cultivation, his approach to things had changed significantly. When he needed to be steady, he was as steady as an old dog, and when he needed to be flamboyant, he was the best in the world.
Perhaps, this was his true nature.
Cultivating immortality, cultivating immortality, if in the end, one doesn't dare to do this or that, even if one achieves longevity, what's the point?
Utterly boring!
He caught up with his senior sister, grabbing her small hand without a word, and said domineeringly, "Tomorrow is the arena competition, I want to spar with you, senior sister, to warm up."
"Bah, don't think I don't know what you're thinking." Li Qiushui spat lightly, her cheeks blushing like peach blossoms.
That night, Lin Hao and his senior sister sparred seven times before feeling tired.
He slept until the sun was high in the sky before leisurely heading to the venue for the outer sect competition.
The reason he wasn't in a hurry was that his match was in the afternoon.
In this competition, a total of ninety-six people advanced to the arena stage, and it would take a day to determine the top forty-eight.
Lin Hao's first opponent was a young girl at the eighth level of Qi Refining. She had a gentle appearance and a very slender figure, as if a gust of wind could blow her away.
Her delicate eyebrows were slightly furrowed, giving her a pitiful look.
With this innocent expression and decent strength, she successfully made it to the arena stage.
She tried the same trick, hoping to lower her opponent's guard and then launch a surprise attack.
However, Lin Hao wasn't buying it at all. Having interacted more with his senior sister and Cui Qing'er recently, his aesthetic threshold had skyrocketed. A delicate beauty like his opponent couldn't move his heart at all.
Even if he were truly moved, he would abandon such thoughts. Compared to immortality, beauty was just a fleeting illusion.
Boom!
He charged like an unsheathed sword, carrying an overwhelming aura of slaughter, attacking his opponent.
The woman's expression changed, and failing to play the pity card, she had to hastily defend herself. However, the gap in their realms led to her being crushed.
Bang!
Lin Hao punched the woman off the arena without any hesitation, leaving the spectators stunned.
"This... this guy is ruthless, showing no mercy to a pitiful beauty."
"Yeah... yeah, that punch shattered my heart."
"Who is this guy? I want to challenge him privately, to avenge my dear Fairy Lian Yue!"
"This ruthless guy is at least at the ninth level of Qi Refining, and you're just a little cultivator at the seventh level. Challenging him is like looking for death with a lantern in a latrine!"
After defeating his opponent, Lin Hao didn't even break a sweat. Next was Cui Qing'er's match, so he stayed to watch.
Her battle ended quickly as well, without much effort, she defeated her opponent. With Li Qiushui by her side, she didn't greet Lin Hao but sent him a message to discuss a deal.
That night.
Claiming to conserve energy, Lin Hao left his senior sister's cave dwelling and returned to his own place.
Cui Qing'er seemed to have been waiting for him for a long time, her clothes slightly disheveled, her eyes gleaming.
This woman had developed a taste for it!
Lin Hao silently mocked in his heart and asked knowingly, "Weren't you here for a deal? Where's the person?"
Cui Qing'er gave him a sultry look and said coquettishly, "Does a deal have to involve a person? I brought you two pieces of news, do you want to hear them?"
"Let's hear it."
"One good, one bad. Which one do you want to hear first?"
"Let's start with the bad news."
Cui Qing'er showed a knowing expression and began to speak.
"Wang Jingzhan and Leng Fengchun have reached Foundation Establishment. The outside world believes that the champion will be one of them."
That really is bad news. Lin Hao's sword-like brows slightly raised.
"And the good news?"
"Well... well... I'm about to reach Foundation Establishment too, and I need you~"
Cui Qing'er felt she was just a step away from Foundation Establishment, perhaps needing ten days to half a month of intense cultivation.
But following the usual cultivation path, she feared she wouldn't make it in time for the competition. So she came to Lin Hao to 'cultivate.'
Cultivating with Lin Hao was much faster than meditating alone.
Damn, why do I feel like I'm being used for free...
Lin Hao was speechless and said, "You reaching Foundation Establishment isn't good news for me. My ranking will drop by one."
"How can a big man like you be so petty?" Cui Qing'er rolled her eyes charmingly and continued, "You humiliated me during the Demon Beast Hunting Competition, and I've been planning to get back at you. If you help me, I won't seek revenge."
"Hurry up, I can't wait any longer~"
With that, Cui Qing'er made her move.