“Heh, and what right do you have to meddle in my affairs, you tenth-ranked trash among the core disciples?”
Facing Meng Yuan’s mockery, Ling Xiao fired back. “If I were still at Mortal Realm seventh heaven at your age, I’d have smashed my head against a wall in shame!”
He wasn’t afraid of Meng Yuan.
Though he likely couldn’t defeat him now, if it came to escaping, Meng Yuan would have no chance of catching him.
“You!”
Meng Yuan’s killing intent surged, but with Lan Yu’er present, he didn’t dare act.
“What about me? It was just a spar, yet Jian Renwang used a banned pill. Isn’t that a violation?”
Ling Xiao pressed on coldly. “And let’s be clear—Jian Renwang’s injuries are his own doing. What’s it got to do with me? He’s poisoned because he used poison. He’s crippled because he took a banned pill. For someone like that, I can only say he deserves it!”
Ling Xiao’s relentless, rapid-fire reasoning hit Meng Yuan like a barrage, his fair skin flushing with anger and embarrassment.
With his arrogant nature, no one but Demonic Flame Heavenly Venerable had ever dared reprimand him publicly. How could he endure this?
“Fine! What a sharp tongue! In that case, I, Meng Yuan, as an inner disciple, challenge you to a spar. If you’re a man, accept!”
Meng Yuan’s voice trembled with barely contained rage.
“Hahaha!”
Ling Xiao burst into laughter.
“What’s so funny?” Meng Yuan demanded.
“I’m laughing because you’re truly Demonic Flame Heavenly Venerable’s disciple. You didn’t learn anything worthwhile, but you mastered bullying the weak and picking on the small!”
Ling Xiao said with disdain. “A grand Mortal Realm seventh heaven expert wants to spar with an outer sect half-step master? Have you no shame? If this gets out, you might not care about other sects’ mockery, but does the Yuehua Sect not care about its reputation?”
Below the platform, many inner disciples squirmed in embarrassment.
Jian Renwang challenging Ling Xiao was acceptable—his Mortal Realm first heaven cultivation fit the joint training’s purpose of letting low-tier inner disciples regain confidence against outer disciples.
Typically, inner disciples above Mortal Realm second heaven stayed out of it.
Now, Meng Yuan brazenly demanding a spar with Ling Xiao was a blatant disregard for his own status.
“What a letdown. How could Senior Brother Meng Yuan act like this?”
“Seriously, so petty.”
“Narrow-minded and shameless.”
“I can’t believe I used to admire him. Ugh.”
The crowd’s murmurs made Meng Yuan’s face burn.
Even Hei Suo and Ming Tian slunk to the back, too embarrassed to be seen.
“If you’re so eager to spar, I’ll be your opponent!”
As Meng Yuan teetered on the edge of forcing a fight, a cold voice rang out.
A pair of long, graceful legs stepped forward.
Lan Yu’er lightly ascended the platform, fixing Meng Yuan with a stare. “Meng Yuan, we’re both core disciples—a fair match that’d be more rewarding. To avoid accusations of exploiting weakness, how about we spar instead?”
Under countless stunned gazes, Lan Yu’er stood beside Ling Xiao, her beautiful eyes gleaming with resolve.
Her lovely face carried a chilling edge.
Ling Xiao gave a wry smile. “Senior Sister Lan, you really didn’t need to do this.”
Lan Yu’er’s lips curved into a smile. “I know you’re not afraid of him, but there’s no need to reveal all your tricks too soon.”
She turned to Meng Yuan. “Junior Brother Meng, as a core disciple, sparring with an outer disciple lacks dignity and would tarnish your name. With the ‘Young Sect Master’ contest approaching, a spar between us would benefit us both.”
Meng Yuan eyed Lan Yu’er warily.
He knew his limits. He could handle regular inner disciples, but among the core disciples, he ranked last—none were easy foes.
Especially Lan Yu’er, the second-ranked.
He glanced at Ling Xiao, sneering, “Ling Xiao, you’re nothing special, just hiding behind a woman!”
Ling Xiao grinned. “Haha, I get it—you’re jealous, aren’t you? Jealous that Senior Sister Lan protects me while ignoring you, right?”
Meng Yuan’s rage boiled, his insides churning. Ling Xiao’s sharp tongue was infuriating.
Gritting his teeth, he said, “Senior Sister Lan, let’s save our spar for the ‘Young Sect Master’ contest. I was rash earlier.”
Meng Yuan chose restraint—a wise move.
Otherwise, he, not Ling Xiao, would’ve been the one humiliated today.
Seeing Meng Yuan back down, Deacon Wang reluctantly announced, “Outer sect’s top disciple, Ling Xiao, wins! The spar is over. Inner disciple Jian Renwang’s cave dwelling now belongs to Ling Xiao!”
As the overseer of cave dwellings for inner disciples below Mortal Realm fifth heaven, his word finalized it.
Deacons might dislike someone but wouldn’t show it openly, only scheming behind their backs.
Ling Xiao smiled at the verdict. Whether Jian Renwang lived or died no longer mattered—securing the cave dwelling was enough.
That was his whole reason for accepting the spar.
He and Lan Yu’er descended the platform together.
All eyes were on him.
Defeating a peak Mortal Realm third heaven inner disciple wasn’t remarkable, but doing so as an outer disciple with half-step master cultivation?
That was extraordinary.
Another groundbreaking feat.
“Senior Sister Lan, you’re so protective of that kid, but you probably don’t know—he’s not far from death.”
In the crowd, Meng Yuan, still seething, couldn’t resist a parting shot.
“What do you mean, Meng Yuan?” Lan Yu’er frowned.
“The move he used to defeat Jian Renwang clearly involved the ‘Celestial Phenomenon of Thunder’! You know it’s a forbidden technique in our Yuehua Sect!”
“He’s mad! Does he not know how many genius martial artists died or were crippled because of that technique?”
Another inner disciple in the crowd gasped.
The Celestial Phenomenon of Thunder!
To the Yuehua Sect, it was a nightmare, an indelible shadow!
