Chapter 107: The Ten-day Challenge!
How can Qiao Wan, facing the biggest problem at Buping College, defeat Fang Lingqing in just three days?
Li Pan had analyzed this for Qiao Wan beforehand.
"Her physical condition is good enough to barely handle a third-tier magic tool, but it's best not to use it so frequently as it can harm the body."
Her physical condition is a plus.
Setting aside her physical condition, her spiritual awareness is quite strong, but unfortunately, she hasn't had formal training. It's easier to control magical beasts and spirit beasts with magic power, but when facing someone who specializes in this area or has specifically cultivated their spiritual awareness, she might end up losing.
Ye Xiyuan is a painful example of this.
Her martial arts skills are among the best of her peers, which is a plus.
But since Fang Lingqing can rank higher than her in the "virtue and righteousness" aspect, it means he is not an easy opponent. Moreover, with the shame of defeat comes bravery, so he must have been wholeheartedly focused on cultivation these past few days.
Who will win in this ten-day challenge remains unknown.
In short, Li Pan sat comfortably and casually concluded, "It's about filling in the gaps and ensuring an advantage in martial arts, while minimizing disadvantages."
But there were only three days left, not even enough time for a complete transformation.
After carefully listening to Li Pan's analysis, Qiao Wan raised her hand and subtly asked, "Senior, does the academy have any unique sword techniques or books on the way of the Dao?"
Commonly known as a cheat or shortcut.
Li Pan sneered, "If the academy had such magical books, it wouldn't have fallen to its current state."
Qiao Wan thought to herself, "I'm overthinking it."
What could be done in just three days?
Li Pan furrowed his brow and asked, "Have you ever fought against cultivators at the Golden Core or Yuan Ying stage?"
"Since your spiritual consciousness has surpassed the Yuan Ying stage, it might be worth revisiting your memories of those past fights. You might gain something from it," Jia Yin suggested.
Upon hearing this, Qiao Wan's heart leaped with anticipation.
She and Jia Yin had a confrontation!
Noticing Qiao Wan's change in expression, Li Pan clearly misunderstood something. He furrowed his brows even tighter and said, "No?"
If there isn't, then it would be troublesome.
Qiao Wan immediately shook her head and said, "Yes."
Moreover, it wasn't just some cultivator in the Foundation Establishment or Core Formation stage that she had fought against, it was the Demon Emperor, a figure of great power in the world!
"Elder, I have a solution."
Leaving behind these hurried words, Qiao Wan quickly crossed her legs and entered a state of deep meditation, allowing her consciousness to immerse into her sea of memories.
The memories in her mind were like a flowing river. Following this long river, she began to recall and reminisce.
In the next moment, Qiao Wan's vision blurred. When she regained her senses, there was already an additional man in front of her, dressed in a mysterious black robe and exuding handsome and arrogant aura.
The man cast a cold glance at her and said, "Come."
Jia Yin, Demon Emperor Jia Yin.
Who could compare to the Demon Emperor when it came to martial arts skills?
Although memories cannot be changed, they can be traced back. In Qiao Wan's mind, she "travels" back to relive the battles with Jia Yin, the Demon Emperor, again and again. It's like a top-notch free training session!
Thinking about this, Qiao Wan feels energized.
She doesn't need any special abilities. The experience from each battle is her most valuable asset.
Fighting against Demon Emperor Jia Yin has many advantages, but there is one downside - it can be mentally challenging.
Especially when she remembers how Jia Yin shattered every bone in her body with a single strike, it feels like a torment to her spirit.
"You pathetic rat." Jia Yin suddenly loses interest, he tugs at his face, and with a wave of his robe, he says, "Prepare to die."
Once again, she is sent flying and experiences the exhilaration of her bones being fractured.
Qiao Wan coughs up blood.
Oh no.
Before the pain becomes unbearable, she quickly reverts back to her memories.
In front of her, a blur passed by, and in an instant, Qiao Wan saw Jia Yin standing with his hands behind his back, with his black and white twisted braids gently swaying in the wind.
The man's eyelids drooped, and his voice was deep and proud: "Found it."
This was their first encounter with Jia Yin.
With these three words, a terrifying pressure instantly descended upon them.
This was one of the most powerful fighters in the entire cultivation world.
Qiao Wan held her breath and focused all her attention on observing Jia Yin's every move, paying close attention to the changes in his demonic power whenever he attacked.
If she didn't see it clearly, it was fine. She could just rewind and watch it again.
Over and over again.
As everyone knows, Demon Emperor Jia Yin was a battle enthusiast. When he fought against her at the ruined temple, he didn't use his full strength. The reason he suddenly ended the fight with a single palm was because he felt it was boring.
But there was a benefit to this.
In the battle at the ruined temple.intentionally suppressed his cultivation and abilities, giving her a chance to fight. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to understand the tricks involved.
After repeating the battle at the ruined temple more than ten times, Qiao Wan remembered the days she spent traveling with Jia Yin in South Huo State. She continued to relive his guidance.
Just as Qiao Wan was indulging in treating Jia Yin as a sparring partner...
In reality, there was already a crowd of onlookers gathered in front of her.
"The master has been in meditation for almost a day," Zheng Wenliang exclaimed, "Could it be that he's really giving up?"
Even if he would die, he should at least struggle a bit. What's the use of just meditating without cultivating?
Could it be that they, the students of the academy, would really flee without fighting in their first battle?
Just then, a deep and low male voice rang out.
"Go back."
Zheng Wenliang and the other "novices" were shocked, "Master Li?!"
"Master, come quickly and see. The master has been in meditation for almost a day."
Li Pan didn't change his expression and glanced lightly at Qiao Wan, who was sitting cross-legged. He said, "Just wait. Wait until he wakes up."
The next day, after Qiao Wan finished her memory recall, remembering all the moves, she began to try using the techniques Miaofa had taught her to create a simplified version of Jia Yin in her mind.
Although her abilities were limited, she could only create a low-level version at best. But a low-level version of Jia Yin was almost equivalent to a high-level version of Fang Lingqing.
Qiao Wan tapped the figurine of Jia Yin on the ground and started practicing with the simplified version. This time, she didn't need to be restricted by unchangeable memories. She could change her moves.
By practicing with the figurine of Jia Yin, she wanted to see what she had really learned during the memory recall.
After the practice, Qiao Wan sat back on the ground, recollecting the battle process and filling in the gaps in her memory.
Fighting against a powerful opponent was an addictive experience.
Especially when facing strong opponents like Jia Yin.
Every move was like dancing on the edge of life and death, and each time she learned something different from it.
After taking a step back, Qiao Wan took a breath and felt a surge of excitement throughout her body. Her heart was filled with passion.
Although it had only been three days, she already understood why Jia Yin was constantly busy fighting with others!
Because it was simply -
So thrilling!
It was truly addictive, even though it was painful, it was still enjoyable!
On the third day, Qiao Wan finally came out of her meditation.
Seeing this, all the "little cabbages" embraced each other and burst into tears.
In these three days, the mentality of the "little cabbages" had successfully transformed from "even if we can't win, we should at least put up a fight" to "if we can't win, let it be, but our leader shouldn't give up."
"She's out! She's finally out!"
"Even if you can't really win, our leader, you can't shut yourself off from the world."
It wasn't that they were arrogant and disregarded their own reputation, it's just that they had spent the past three days in a state of calmness. Qiao Wan didn't even practice, so what's the point of fighting?
Surprisingly, in front of everyone's gaze, the young man calmly extended his hand.
Qiao Wan said, "You... and you, come and spar with me for a few moves."
The group of inexperienced individuals looked at each other in confusion.
Since they couldn't make progress in their training, should they take out their frustrations on them or should they struggle a little before losing?
In the midst of hesitation, Li Pan didn't hesitate to kick and say, "Go!"
Honestly, with only a foundation-building level of cultivation and wasting three days in a state of calmness, Zheng Wenliang and the others didn't believe Qiao Wan could make any changes.
But after a moment, the inexperienced individuals came back with bruised and swollen faces, crying and hugging Li Pan's leg, shocking Green Waist and Zheng Wenliang.
As they ran, the inexperienced individuals cried uncontrollably.
They were wrong! They shouldn't have underestimated Qiao Wan just because she seemed inexperienced.
"Master Uncle! The head of the mountain is so scary! Is that even a person?! The way they attack is too terrifying, it's not human!"
Kicking away the Confucian scholars clinging to his legs, Li Pan stared at Qiao Wan for a while. Suddenly, he pulled a small sword with a white sheath from behind, revealing a slight smile on his face.
"Before we go to the law conference, let's have a duel."
"Agreed," Qiao Wan smiled.
After battling in their minds for so long, this ignited her passion. Every muscle in her body was ready for the fight!
*
At the law conference, on Lotus Seat Peak.
Looking around, there were people as far as the eye could see.
The reason why it's called Lotus Seat Peak is because its shape resembles a lotus flower, with a lotus platform spreading amidst the swirling clouds.
Not far from Lotus Seat Peak were three towering peaks, reaching into the clouds.
At the Three Teachings Law Meeting, the top three disciples will climb these three high peaks. They will sit on the peak, with a deep cliff beneath their feet and dark, cloudy skies above. They will overlook the changing landscape of Jiuyue Mountain and discuss the teachings on these peaks, determining the winner.
These three peaks are a place that every disciple of the Three Teachings looks forward to.
But now, many people are anxious and closely watching Lotus Seat Peak.
It's mainly because of the ten-day agreement between Qiao Wan and Fang Lingqing. They agreed to meet at the hour of 巳, but it's already past the hour of 辰, and they still haven't arrived.
In the crowd, there are murmurs of discussion.
"Could they have run away?!"
"Oh no! My spirit stone! QAQ I bet a hundred medium-grade spirit stones!"
"I bet three hundred medium-grade spirit stones!"
If they run away, it would be really disappointing.
Fang Lingqing, who is in the center of the crowd, looks around and his expression doesn't look good.
If Lu Cixian hadn't come, it would have been advantageous for him, but he couldn't ignore the slight discomfort in his heart.
For these ten days, he had put in all his effort just to wash away the shame on Lisheng Peak's summit. But in the end, his opponent had fled. It was like punching cotton, leaving him feeling frustrated.
And... he was the only one standing at the peak.
A gust of cold wind blew by.
The young scholar stood with an elegant and noble posture, casually glancing around with the corner of his eye. He felt a subtle sense of desolation and sadness.
Choosing the time and place for this Three Teachings Law Meeting sign-up ceremony and opening ceremony was also for Fang Lingqing's own personal motives. If there were no battles to be arranged, then make a big gamble with this one!
Winner takes all, loser gets nothing!
The loser would pack up and go back home, but the winner would be different.
Fang Lingqing looked around and felt a bit uplifted.
On the first day, the leaders, abbots, and elders of each sect would all be present. It was undoubtedly the best opportunity to make a name for oneself.
Let's see who would be the ultimate victor in the end!
The problem is that it's been almost a quarter of an hour since the time passed, and there's only three quarters of an hour left until the agreed time.
Will this Lu Cixian ever come or not?
*
As the "opening ceremony" approached, various factions and groups began to appear one after another.
This time can be considered their official debut, and every group put in their best effort. Whether they will eventually make it or not, they absolutely cannot lose in terms of momentum.
All kinds of flying boats crowded the entire sky.
Among them, Chongde Ancient Garden was the most extravagant, bringing a celestial palace!
With exquisite carvings, turquoise tiles, and a magnificent golden palace suspended in the blue sky, countless scholars stood by the railing.
Shining Sea Bai Shanhu and Canglang Sword Meng Canglang were right there, while Qi Feidao lazily scanned the scene with his hands in his pocket.
From a distance, the aura of wealthiness could be felt.
In the distance, disciples from Taixuan Temple came flying on their swords, the sword lights intertwining in the sky, forming a dark mass.
Just as everyone was putting in all their effort to compete, a wheelchair descended from the sky.
A man, whose body was cut in half in various places, slouched in the wheelchair with a forced smile on his face. Behind him stood two groups of muscular men, each emitting a strong aura.
This was Ma Huaizhen, the leader of Wenshi Hall in Kunshan, and his hidden disciples.
"Who is this?" asked someone.
The man lazily lifted his eyelids and glanced towards the peak.
To everyone's surprise, his gaze landed on Fang Lingqing.
Yuan Liu, being one of Ma Huaizhen's closest disciples, was taken aback by this statement.
"Oh, it seems like a challenge," he said, quite familiar with this kind of situation.
Although Ma Huaizhen seemed down-to-earth and liked to run his mouth, he was after all older and the leader of Kunshan Wenshi Hall. It was normal for him not to pay attention to the affairs of these younger generation, so it was understandable that he hadn't heard about this "Ten-day Challenge".
But like these covert disciples, most of them were promoted from the outer sect, and they often pay some attention to these things.
Considering that Ma Huaizhen might not have heard of this, Yuan Liu thoughtfully handed him the jade slip, explaining the details and letting Ma Huaizhen see for himself.
Ma Huaizhen glanced at the intact eye.
A duel?
How about a duel here today?
The reason why Fang Lingqing was noticed mainly because he stood out too much, the second one with obvious shortcomings.
Since it's a duel, there must be an opponent. I wonder who is the second one with obvious shortcomings?
"Lu Cixian?"
Taking the jade slip handed by Yuan Liu, Ma Huaizhen quickly flipped through it with his right hand and his gaze stopped at the Souvenir Image.
The young man had fair skin and a cold expression.
"Yes," Yuan Liu sighed. "Master, take a look. Lu Cixian is quite good-looking."
To Ma Huaizhen's surprise, he leaned back in his wheelchair and showed little interest.
So, this is the second one with obvious shortcomings, indeed quite good-looking.
In the town of Kunshan, there lived Hall Master Ma, who was known for his lack of understanding of the world. Sadly, despite his young age, he was quite foolish.
Having spent many years in the outer courtyard, Yuan Liu had sharpened his senses. Seeing that Ma Huaizhen was not interested, he moved on to another topic.
"Have you heard? Venerable One Miaofa has arrived this time," Yuan Liu said.
Venerable One Miaofa had been in seclusion for many years and nobody knew why he had come out today.
Upon hearing this, Ma Huaizhen finally showed some interest. "Do you have any news from Venerable One Miaofa?" he asked.
"Not yet," Yuan Liu frowned. "I suppose he will arrive later."
For now, Zen Master Kongding was in charge of receiving guests.
Without saying a word, Ma Huaizhen settled back into his wheelchair.
The younger generation engaging in friendly competition was not their main concern. The real reason they had gathered here was to navigate the complicated politics and interests between different sects.
Noticing the change in Ma Huaizhen's expression, Yuan Liu felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
If it weren't for Qiao Wan, they wouldn't have ended up in such a cautious and careful situation today.
Just the thought of Qiao Wan made Yuan Liu feel very complicated.
He had to thank Qiao Wan for being able to run errands for Ma Huaizhen.
If Ma Huaizhen hadn't caught Ma Huaizhen's eye in the Mudstone Secret Realm last time, he wouldn't have been able to stay by Ma Huaizhen's side.
They say men don't cry, even when they bleed.
Yuan Liu felt like he had come a long way from being an outer disciple to becoming a squad leader in the secret department. He considered himself quite tough.
When Qiao Wan died, he actually felt quite sad in his heart and shed a few tears for her.
Not only him.
Even iron-blooded tough guys like Hall Master Ma were affected. During that time, his mood was not very good. He had a gloomy face, spoke and acted aggressively, and found ways to push around his disciples.
That was the darkest time for the members of the secret department, but it wasn't entirely Hall Master Ma's fault.
After all, with Qiao Wan gone, Hall Master Ma wasn't feeling good inside.
There was no other choice but to endure it, hoping for a better day.
But little did they know, a few months later, reality dealt them a cruel blow.
Qiao Wan, she didn't die at all, she's alive!!
Oh no!
Including Yuan Liu, all the members of the secret group were shocked.
Did they suffer in vain during this time?!
And the most important thing is, Qiao Wan tricked Ma Huaizhen too!
They were promised a ray of hope, but instead, it was all darkness, no sign of dawn.
Yuan Liu still remembers that dark day even now.
Upon hearing that Qiao Wan is alive, Ma Huaizhen's reaction was strange. First, he smirked, but then his face turned dark and he called his secret group for intense training like they were possessed.
They trained the tough secret group members so hard that they cried and cursed Qiao Wan.
Until now, Ma Huaizhen always had a gloomy expression, making his few attendant disciples feel scared all the time.
They glanced at the dripping drops.
There are still two hours left.
Everyone, including Yuan Liu, had the same thought in their minds.
Is Lu Cixian really not coming?
