NOVEL NEXT Chapter 20 - Self-Deception, Elder Li Is Speechless
“What?”
“My Clear Wind Sword!!”
Shen Lang felt a surge of fury and frustration as blood spurted from his mouth, spewing out like an arrow. The Clear Wind Sword was his life-bound weapon, one he had nurtured with his very essence over the years, and now Xiao Ye had snapped it with ease. The connection they shared meant Shen Lang suffered physical damage from the sword’s destruction.
The crowd below was equally stunned, their eyes wide as they exclaimed in disbelief.
“Broke a flying sword with his bare hands! Is he a monster in human form?”
“That Clear Wind Sword was a top-grade yellow-rank sword!”
“Unbelievable, simply unfathomable!”
“Supreme-grade roots are truly formidable!”
Some in the crowd were even shouting, calling for anyone who had doubted Xiao Ye to step forward for a reckoning.
Shen Lang, eyes bloodshot, stared at Xiao Ye with both resentment and fear. He had planned to fight to the death, but with his life-bound sword shattered and his strength greatly diminished, he knew he couldn’t compete.
He clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and cupped his hands toward Xiao Ye, ready to concede, “I—”
But before he could finish, Xiao Ye’s voice cut through with a chilling amusement, “I took one of your strikes; it’s only fair you take one of mine!”
In an instant, Xiao Ye’s fist surged forward, fueled by three thousand droplets of liquid essence rotating in his dantian, unleashing a terrifying, violent blast straight at Shen Lang’s face.
“You—!” Shen Lang yelled, horrified.
He had not expected Xiao Ye to be so ruthless, refusing him a chance to yield and aiming to completely cripple him instead.
He tried to muster his essence, but it was too late. The punch closed in, giving him no time to react.
Boom!
Xiao Ye’s fist connected with Shen Lang’s face.
Crack!
The sound of bones breaking filled the air.
“Aah!”
A shriek escaped Shen Lang as terror overtook him, his vision blackened, and he collapsed unconscious.
“Pathetic!” Xiao Ye spat, giving Shen Lang’s crumpled body a disdainful look. He then turned to the Shenyuan Guard officiating the match and said indifferently, “Announce it.”
The guard wanted to reprimand Xiao Ye, knowing Shen Lang had tried to concede. But the city lord had given instructions to overlook Xiao Ye’s actions as long as they weren’t too extreme. He had no choice but to bend down, check Shen Lang’s breath, and, finding him still alive, declare, “On Platform One, Xiao Ye wins!”
Xiao Ye stepped off the platform and looked over at the other five stages, where the duels were still in full swing. He touched his nose with a smirk and muttered dismissively, “A bunch of weaklings.”
The crowd stared at him, stunned. Once he moved to the high platform, a wave of muttering exploded among the spectators.
“This Xiao Ye is too arrogant!”
“If you had his power, you’d be even worse!”
“But Shen Lang already surrendered!”
“Maybe Xiao Ye didn’t hear him?”
“With how ruthless he is, anyone facing him next is in trouble!”
“I see a hint of the demonic in this Xiao Ye!”
On the high platform, Xiao Ye appeared to be resting his eyes, but in reality, he was speaking with Elder Li.
“Master, how did I do? I didn’t embarrass you, did I?”
Xiao Ye wore a satisfied smirk, full of self-pride.
“My disciple, you went too far,” Elder Li said, exasperated. He could sense several waves of murderous intent aimed at Xiao Ye from the crowd—powerful cultivators at the Core Formation stage, no doubt some of Shen Lang’s relatives.
If Xiao Ye didn’t manage to secure a spot as Purple Cloud Peak’s direct disciple, how would he handle so many enemies? The thought made Elder Li’s skin crawl.
“Master, you don’t understand,” Xiao Ye said confidently. “I was simply emulating Sister Xue! Besides, I was making an example of him—one strike to show everyone who’s in charge!”
Xiao Ye felt immensely proud of his strategy, convinced that he’d not only win Xue Jinli’s admiration but also intimidate others into submission. To him, it was a flawless plan.
Elder Li, at a loss for words, thought to himself, ‘I just hope he actually succeeds in becoming a direct disciple of Purple Cloud Peak and that nothing goes wrong before then.’
Before long, the first round of duels ended. Of the six remaining contenders, all but Xiao Ye appeared exhausted, clearly challenged by their opponents.
Round two commenced with another round of drawing lots.
Xiao Ye pulled number two, and his eyes lit up when he saw his next opponent. He looked at her as though she were prey.
On Platform Two, Xiao Ye addressed Li Xiwei with a self-satisfied grin and an air of chivalry, “Miss, don’t be afraid. I’ll give you three moves… no, make that ten!”
Hands behind his back, he put on a gallant front, his tone gentle—completely different from before.
Li Xiwei looked at him with a mixture of revulsion and contempt. His attempts at charm only seemed like a bad imitation of gentlemanly grace, and his supposedly gentle words sounded more like nails on a chalkboard to her. She turned to the Shenyuan Guard and said, “I concede.”
“Wait! Miss, I promise I won’t harm you! Let’s just spar a little!” Xiao Ye exclaimed, clearly desperate.
Of all the remaining contestants, Li Xiwei was the only one he considered truly beautiful, and he’d hoped that a duel with her might bring them closer, allowing him to “accidentally” go easy on her and perhaps win her heart.
However, Li Xiwei jumped off the stage without a second glance, showing no hesitation. She was confident that, even if she didn’t join Purple Cloud Peak, she’d still have a chance with one of the other five branches of Qingming Sect. Fighting Xiao Ye was simply unnecessary.
Most importantly, she found Xiao Ye’s gaze utterly repulsive, as if he wanted to strip her on the spot. The very thought of it made her stomach churn.
“On Platform Two, Xiao Ye wins!” the guard announced with a deadpan expression.
Xiao Ye stood with his hand awkwardly suspended in the air, watching Li Xiwei walk away with a look of disappointment.
The crowd burst into a chorus of derisive whispers.
“What’s Xiao Ye doing?”
“He was ruthless with Shen Lang, but with Li Xiwei, he acts all gentlemanly?”
“Gentlemanly? More like a hypocrite!”
“That lecherous look is making me want to puke!”
“I don’t think he’s here to join Purple Cloud Peak; he’s here for Lady Xue!”
“Someone stop him; I don’t want to see him ruin Lady Xue!”
Even those who had initially supported Xiao Ye began to feel disillusioned. This was no aspiring cultivator focused on the immortal path—just a desperate, lust-driven fool!
On the high platform.
“My disciple, what were you doing just now?” Elder Li’s exasperated voice echoed in Xiao Ye’s mind. “That’s a dueling platform, not a brothel!”
Elder Li hadn’t expected his disciple to act so foolishly, utterly blinded by desire. Up until now, he could have excused Xiao Ye’s behavior as mere indifference, but after this, there was no salvaging his image.
Everyone Xiao Ye had previously antagonized would now realize his provocations were intentional.
“Master, I don’t think I did anything wrong!” Xiao Ye retorted confidently. “A fair maiden deserves pursuit, and didn’t you say that as a strong cultivator, I should embrace all the beauties the world has to offer?”
Elder Li, had he a physical form, would have slapped Xiao Ye then and there.
True, he had said that, but context mattered!
“What’s the point of what you did?” Elder Li sighed. “The girl clearly didn’t accept your advances.”
“No, Master, you’re mistaken! I’ve figured it out,” Xiao Ye declared, conviction growing in his voice. “Xiwei conceded because she appreciated my kindness! She simply didn’t want to bring any undue attention to me!”
He sighed, lost in his delusion. “It’s clear, she likes me already! She even gave up her chance to become a Purple Cloud Peak disciple for me! Well, the Li family, right? Xiwei, just wait. Once I’m a direct disciple of Purple Cloud Peak, I’ll visit your family and formally request to take you as my concubine!”
As Xiao Ye continued his increasingly delusional speech, Elder Li could only stare in stunned silence.
‘You’re fooling yourself more than me, disciple. Wake up!’