Volume 1, Chapter 31: I Will Take On All Four!

At this moment, as the disciples of the three sects caught sight of Zhao Long’s condition, their eyes were filled with horror.

They had just barely managed to overcome the embarrassment and fear of being stripped naked, and now they were faced with the prospect of losing control of their bowels in their trousers? Each of them was wearing at least ten layers of pants today; if they were hit by that soul-snatching bell, there would be no time to peel them off. Were they supposed to face Liu Dongyue with their backsides exposed?

In an instant, all will to fight vanished.

Let whoever wants to go, go; I am certainly not going. If this story gets out, it would be too humiliating.

Sensing the mood of their disciples, the three sect masters also realized that the situation was taking a turn for the worse. If they retreated without a fight, wouldn't that signify their defeat? Not only would they lose their chance at the Autumn Funeral, but they would also have to forfeit their own precious treasures.

"Master Li!"

At this juncture, Zhao Wuxing stepped onto the platform, his face flushed with irritation. "I believe we should add a condition: the use of spirit treasures is strictly prohibited."

Hearing this, Li Hanzhou raised an eyebrow. "Prohibited from using spirit treasures? If you, Patriarch Zhao, were to encounter enemies out in the wild, would you demand they stop using their spirit treasures too? Do you think they would actually listen to you?"

"Martial arts sparring has always been this way; there were no rules set at the beginning regarding which techniques or spirit treasures could be used. What’s the matter? Can’t you afford to lose, Patriarch Zhao?" Li Hanzhou spoke with a sarcastic, mocking tone.

He then turned to Yun Qianzhu and Shi Ming and said, "Uncle-Master is telling you both: in the future, you must be honest and trustworthy. Never go back on your word; people will despise you for it."

"Mm-hmm!" The two little ones nodded vigorously.

This caused Zhao Wuxing’s face to turn black instantly.

"Ahem!"

Nie Shengyu stepped forward as well. "Master Li, we are here today to exchange martial arts pointers with the Changsheng Temple. If we keep relying on spirit treasures, how are our disciples supposed to experience the true prowess of the Changsheng Temple’s techniques? I propose that we refrain from using spirit treasures and let them spar based on their own skills. How about that?"

"Exactly! We haven't seen any of the Changsheng Temple's martial arts; it’s all been your strange spirit treasures. How are our disciples supposed to broaden their horizons?" Liang Sheng added hastily.

"Broaden your horizons?" Li Hanzhou blinked. "Are my spirit treasures not enough to broaden your horizons?"

"Fine, fine. Don't say that the Changsheng Temple is bullying you." Li Hanzhou held out his hand toward Zhao Wuxing.

"What?" Zhao Wuxing stared at him in confusion.

"The Pulse-Expanding Pills," Li Hanzhou said with a surprised look. "Your Zhao family lost this round, didn't they? You don't intend to renege on your debt, do you? We can stop using spirit treasures from here on out, but you can't deny this loss!"

"Fine, I'll pay!" Zhao Wuxing gritted his teeth, produced a bottle of Pulse-Expanding Pills, and handed them to Li Hanzhou.

Li Hanzhou chuckled and tucked the pills away.

"Dongyue, no need for the Soul-Snatching Bell. Just teach them a lesson," Li Hanzhou said cheerfully.

"Uncle-Master, I..." Liu Dongyue felt a bit panicked. Without spirit treasures, he had to rely on the Divine Strength Pill. Was that pill actually useful?

He had taken the pill before getting on stage, but he couldn't feel any effect at all. It felt as if he had just eaten a flour dumpling.

"By the way, Patriarch Zhao, if your family wants to continue participating, you'll have to put up something new. Otherwise, don't bother competing." Li Hanzhou glanced at Zhao Wuxing.

"I will!"

Zhao Wuxing felt as if his teeth were about to shatter. He reached into his storage bag and pulled out a wooden box. When he opened it, inside lay a withered, yellowish blade of grass.

"The Ancient Wind-Fixing Grass!"

Seeing this, Liang Sheng and Nie Shengyu gasped in astonishment. The Zhao family was actually bringing out their ultimate trump card. Even the Great Elder of the Taixuan Holy Land looked moved. That was the Ancient Wind-Fixing Grass—a rare and precious treasure that the Zhao family had never been willing to use; no one expected them to wager it.

"Master Li, this is the Ancient Wind-Fixing Grass. This should be enough of a stake!" Zhao Wuxing stared fixedly at Li Hanzhou.

Although Li Hanzhou didn't know exactly what the Ancient Wind-Fixing Grass was, he could tell from their expressions that it was certainly a treasure. He nodded and said, "Very well, then I shall let your Zhao family participate once more."

"I'll go first!"

This time, Xu Hong, the chief disciple of the Tyrant Blade Sect, gripped his great saber and prepared to leap onto the stage.

"Wait, let me go first! I’m going to beat this little brat to a pulp today!" Shen Zong'ao of the Yueshan Sect was also rubbing his palms, eager to jump up.

"My Zhao family has already lost one round; it’s only right that we be allowed to reclaim our honor. You two can wait," Zhao Xian said, stepping forward while waving his folding fan.

"I’m going first."

"Your Zhao family has already competed once; why should it still be you?"

The three sects began to argue over who would take the stage.

Just then, Liu Dongyue on the platform took a deep breath and shouted, "Stop wasting time! You all come up together. I’ll just handle you all at once."

The moment these words were spoken, everyone went silent.

Liu Dongyue wanted to take on three people at once? Was he insane? Was it because he couldn't beat any one of them that he decided to fight them all simultaneously?

"You are courting death!"

"Arrogance!"

"How dare you look down on me!"

Xu Hong, Shen Zong'ao, and Zhao Xian were consumed with rage and leaped onto the stage together.

"You heard him—it was Liu Dongyue who asked us to come up together!" Xu Hong shouted loudly.

"Wait."

Just as the three were about to step forward, Liu Dongyue suddenly called out to them.

"What? Realized you're scared?" Zhao Xian sneered.

Liu Dongyue ignored him and simply counted. "One, two, three..."

After counting, Liu Dongyue fixed his gaze on Lu Tianxing of the Taixuan Holy Land. He pointed at him and said, "Aren't you here to challenge me too? Stop hiding in the back like a coward. Come up here as well; I’ll take on all four of you!"

The entire arena was stunned! Even Jiang Yixuan and the Great Elder of the Taixuan Holy Land were visibly shaken. Was this boy truly mad? He was a fifth-rank martial artist, and he wanted to challenge four people? Lu Tianxing was a ninth-rank cultivator! Where did he get the courage?

"I do not deign to join others in bullying you," Lu Tianxing retorted with a cold snort, refusing to step onto the stage. Four against one was hardly an honorable feat.

"Are you scared?"

"Lost your nerve?"

"Coward?"

"Come on, here, here, here..." Liu Dongyue teased Lu Tianxing.

"Damn it, I'll crush you today!" Lu Tianxing was furious. He had always looked down on Liu Dongyue, believing that without a spirit treasure, the boy was nothing but trash. He never expected this piece of trash to provoke him so brazenly! Today, he would let him know just how terrifying his rage could be!

With that, Lu Tianxing stepped forward, leaped onto the platform, and stood in front of the other three. As a disciple of a major sect, he had to be at the center of the stage.