“Hahaha!”
Laughter erupted from the crowd below.
No one believed Ling Xiao would win.
Not even his supporters—Golden Light Heavenly Venerable, Guanghan Heavenly Venerable, Stainless Heavenly Venerable, or Yang Danlin.
“Hey, Leng Hao, did losing to Ling Xiao knock the sense out of you?” Shen Tianlin sneered.
“You idiot, what do you know? I heard you tried to threaten Ling Xiao, saying you’d teach him a lesson. I’d advise you to drop that idea, or you’ll regret it. Don’t forget those fools from the outer sect, or Wang Feng, Xu Ying, and Hei Suo!”
Leng Hao used to disdain Ling Xiao too, especially since his master often mentioned him, sparking strong hostility.
But after today’s fight, he’d had a revelation.
Ling Xiao was on a completely different level.
His strength wasn’t just in power but in his terrifying intellect.
What was Bai Feifei?
Sure, she was strong, but with no real combat experience, Ling Xiao could outwit her without her even knowing how she lost!
That’s why he was certain Ling Xiao would win.
“Wanna bet?” Leng Hao challenged loudly.
“Hao’er, stop messing around and come back,” Golden Light Heavenly Venerable barked.
Though reluctant, Leng Hao couldn’t disobey his master and trudged back.
“Youngster, this old lady will take your bet!” the Grandmaster suddenly said with a smile. “If you lose, your master does one thing for me. If you win, I’ll do one thing for you.”
“Why trouble a child, Grandmaster?” Golden Light Heavenly Venerable said with a wry smile.
Leng Hao replied, “My master is my master, and I am me. Though I’m sure I won’t lose, I won’t use my master as a stake.”
“Heh, I’ve heard Golden Light Heavenly Venerable is bold and straightforward, and I admired that. But today, you seem as timid as a mouse, outdone by your own disciple!” the Grandmaster said, smirking.
“Fine, I’ll take the bet!”
Golden Light Heavenly Venerable, a straightforward man, couldn’t stand being pushed like this, even by the Grandmaster.
“Foolish, Golden Light!” Guanghan Heavenly Venerable said with a bitter smile. “Do you really think Ling Xiao can win? It’s too hard.”
Golden Light glanced at Ling Xiao, his eyes questioning.
Ling Xiao was silent for a moment, then nodded.
He was growing more annoyed with this self-proclaimed “old lady” Grandmaster. If she was sending her disciple to fight him, she’d better not blame him when she lost.
“Alright, Grandmaster, everyone here heard what you said!”
Seeing Ling Xiao’s nod, Golden Light steeled himself.
This boy had surprised him too many times, he was willing to take the gamble.
“That Ling Xiao’s mad, no mistake, thinking he can beat Sister Bai, a half-step Heavenly Venerable?”
“Maybe he’s got some tricks up his sleeve?”
“Who knows? The fight’s about to start, we’ll see soon enough.”
This match was highly anticipated, especially since the other platforms had finished, so all eyes were on Ling Xiao and Bai Feifei.
On the combat platform, Ling Xiao bowed to Bai Feifei. “Sister Bai, please go easy on me.”
“Go easy?” Bai Feifei scoffed. “Neither my adoptive father nor my master ever taught me to hold back!”
Ling Xiao was puzzled. Three disciples from the same master, yet such a vast difference?
“Alright, Sister Bai, do you know your birth father is still alive?”
Of course, their conversation was transmitted privately, unheard by others.
“Of course I know.”
“You know? Then why not seek him out?”
Ling Xiao was shocked. He’d assumed Bai Feifei was kept in the dark by Demon Flame Heavenly Venerable, unaware her father lived. She knew?
“Hmph, that useless man doesn’t deserve to be my father!” Bai Feifei sneered.
“Sister Bai, do you know your mother was killed by Demon Flame Heavenly Venerable, and he abducted you? Your father, Master Bai Yun, has been searching for you every day!” Ling Xiao explained.
“I know all that. My adoptive father told me,” Bai Feifei said coldly. “So what? I’m doing fine now. In this world, the strong have status and dignity, the weak deserve to die! I won’t kill you today, but go back and tell that old man to stop bothering me! I, Bai Feifei, have only one father, Demon Flame Heavenly Venerable!”
“You’re beyond saving!”
Ling Xiao had thought revealing the truth would make Bai Feifei weep and seek revenge on Demon Flame Heavenly Venerable.
He was wrong. Who said humans are born good?
Nonsense!
If this woman hadn’t chosen this path herself, Demon Flame Heavenly Venerable alone couldn’t have shaped her like this.
Besides, Chang Yueli’s other disciples, Chang Yueying and Lan Yuer, were nothing like her.
She’d chosen this path willingly.
“Enough talk. Once the fight starts, I’ll show you that in the world of the strong, the weak have no right to speak!”
Bai Feifei looked to Heavenly Eye Heavenly Venerable, awaiting the start.
“There’s truth in might makes right, but if you forget basic human bonds and family, you’re no better than a beast. Today, I, Ling Xiao, will wake you up, you foolish woman!”
Ling Xiao’s aura surged, fully releasing his early Mortal Realm Sixth Layer cultivation.
“How?!”
“This kid broke through to Mortal Realm Sixth Layer in such a short time? How does he cultivate?”
“Terrifying! What genius? They’re nothing compared to him!”
“He’s the real genius.”
“Hmph, genius or not, he’s too arrogant, too reckless. He’s bound to lose miserably to Sister Bai today.”
The crowd below buzzed with comments.
Some praised Ling Xiao.
Others were jealous or scornful.
But none of it mattered to Ling Xiao on the platform.
His battle had already begun.
He firmly controlled the combat platform’s formation, even weaving in the Plague Bone Array and Ten Thousand Beasts Blood Refining Array.
If he didn’t ruin Bai Feifei this time, he’d write his name backwards!
“Ling Xiao versus Bai Feifei, fight begins!”
As Heavenly Eye Heavenly Venerable’s voice fell, Bai Feifei launched herself forward.
Clearly, she had no intention of giving Ling Xiao a chance to beg or concede. She aimed to defeat him with the cleanest, most dazzling move.
One strike would suffice!
That’s what she believed.
“Ah—!”
Below, Dai Yuling gasped nervously.
Lan Yuer’s face was tense.
Zhao Zhi was on edge.
Yang Danlin, Stainless Heavenly Venerable, Guanghan Heavenly Venerable, and Golden Light Heavenly Venerable were filled with worry.
Elder Jin, the Grandmaster, and others smirked.
“What’s the use of a sharp tongue? He’ll lose all the same!”
Meng Yuan sneered to Ming Tian beside him. “Junior brother, don’t worry. That kid’s cultivation rose too fast, his foundation’s unstable. You’re still the top genius!”
