Chapter 19

“It’s you who should admit defeat!”

As the words fell, the water that had flooded the entire training ground suddenly surged in reverse, rushing onto the arena!

The flat surface became three-dimensional. Fierce currents instantly filled the entire arena. The middle-aged Senior Brother couldn’t dodge in time and was submerged in the middle. At the same moment, Liuli stood up with a villainous cackle—all the steel needles on her body had vanished!

The middle-aged Senior Brother, protecting himself with magic, yelled: “Return my Vajra Needles!”

That was the set of weapons he currently used best, perfectly matching his metal spiritual root.

The connection between him and the needles still existed. That needle set had been taken into Liuli’s storage ring!

“I refuse.” Liuli smiled. “If you have the ability, come and take them yourself.”

“Don’t think I don’t dare.” The middle-aged Senior Brother sneered, setting up a thick protective layer around himself as he carefully navigated through the water.

He stared intently at Liuli, constantly guarding against her releasing that Thunderstorm Talisman. Against a Thunderstorm Talisman of that level, he also didn’t dare to resist it head-on. Water could conduct lightning. If Liuli released the Thunderstorm Talisman in the water now, he could just increase the thickness of his surrounding qi barrier. At worst, he could also use a talisman to blast his way out of the water…

Hm? Then wasn’t what she was doing now completely useless?

Liuli kindly dispelled his confusion, taking out a—bucket from her storage ring.

Opening the wooden bucket, Liuli raised her hand and splashed it out. A patch of dense black instantly merged into the water column of the arena.

“What is this? Could it be… poison?!” The middle-aged Senior Brother faintly smelled a stench. Judging others by his own standards, he thought of certain sinister tricks.

“Senior Brother worries too much. We are, after all, an upright and righteous sect; we wouldn’t use such insidious and vicious methods.” Liuli put away the bucket. Her ten fingers gently stirred in the water, and the black ink spread throughout the entire body of water. Both Liuli and her opponent were enveloped in darkness.

“It’s just ink.”

Outside the arena, everyone stared at the pitch-black mass, discussing what Junior Sister Liuli was trying to do.

There were even disciples who also had the water spiritual root. Seeing Liuli’s actions, they started worrying instead.

Controlling water was a basic skill for water spiritual root cultivators, but controlling water mixed with many impurities would sharply increase the difficulty.

Moreover, in this situation, both Liuli and her opponent were plunged into darkness. Cultivators had many methods to explore their paths—they didn’t necessarily need their eyes. What use could her actions be?

Liuli said: “Actually, it’s not really of any use. I’m just reluctant to lose like this.”

The Senior Brother had already calmed down, knowing she was merely putting up a frantic last struggle. Without his Vajra Needles, he could still attack through other methods.

He released his divine sense, probing through the dense ink. Very quickly, he locked onto Liuli’s location.

An attack was launched. A muffled sound came from the water ahead, and the faint scent of blood could be detected. He smiled: “Since Junior Sister insists, I won’t hold back!”

“Don’t forget… I still have… the Thunderstorm Talisman…”

“Of course, I remember.”

The feeling in the darkness was not pleasant. The middle-aged Senior Brother only wanted a swift end. His opponent’s movement speed grew slower and slower. He slightly raised both hands; a talisman instantly burned, and the earth surged, raising pillars of rock that formed a cage.

His opponent was now trapped inside that cage.

Suddenly, a flash of lightning erupted in the black waters ahead. The opponent, fighting a desperate, cornered battle, didn’t hesitate to use the Thunderstorm Talisman for mutual destruction. What a pity for a fine talisman. The Senior Brother hadn’t underestimated her, setting up layer upon layer of protection around himself.

Just at that moment, the aura ahead suddenly withdrew rapidly to the side. What, had the earlier cage not trapped her? The middle-aged Senior Brother hurriedly gave chase, cleaving through the water as though it were wind.

She no longer had any other means to resist. As he drew near, the Senior Brother smiled slightly, raising his palm to deliver the final strike…

Then, there was no then.

The black water around him completely receded, falling across the ground. The middle-aged Senior Brother stood in the air. Suddenly, his face turned deathly pale. He turned his head: Liuli, covered in mottled bloodstains, was standing at the center of the arena.

While coughing blood, Liuli explained: “It wasn’t the Thunderstorm Talisman. It was the Maze Talisman.”

The Maze Talisman, a rare talisman often used in formations but rarely in spell form. If one wanted to use a talisman like this to deceive a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it would need to be at least Profound-grade quality. Its downside was low cost-effectiveness and high True Qi consumption to control, so it was generally only used by cultivators whose inherent cultivation level wasn’t high but who had cash to spare. Therefore, it was rarely seen on the market.

She used the ink to block the cultivator’s eyesight, forcing him to rely solely on divine sense to find his way, then used the Maze Talisman to disrupt his sense of direction while simultaneously creating a duplicate of the user’s aura. Lured by Liuli’s hints, the middle-aged Senior Brother had rushed out of the arena himself.

Liuli raised a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of her lips, smiling: “The lightning just now was just a small illusion spell I cast. It looked frightening, but it actually didn’t hurt at all.”

In this round, Liuli, relying on her deep family resources, had bested her opponent.

Hearing the judge announce the result of the match, Liuli finally let out a sigh of relief. She returned the Vajra Needles to him, then collapsed backward, fainting. She couldn’t hear any of the shouts from the surrounding crowd anymore.

When she woke up, the injuries on her body were mostly healed. But sitting up, she still felt stabbing pains from where the needles had pierced her.

Liuli checked her storage ring. There were many good things inside, but the high-grade Thunderstorm Talismans were gone, with only a few others left. She feared she might be knocked off the stage by an opponent before even using a talisman.

Two matches, each victory more disheveled than the last. Liuli didn’t know if she could survive the next one.

And even if she did, would it mean anything to force someone to take her as a disciple?

Liuli’s inferiority complex erupted grandly.

She lay despondently on her bed, counting the items in her storage ring over and over again. She thought about using these things in the next match, only to immediately think of counter-strategies and wilt again.

…

Out of habit, Liuli climbed up Parasol Tree Mountain. She didn’t even know why she was coming here this time.

Her wins hadn’t been glorious. Passing through the crowd, she occasionally overheard others’ discussions. It seemed she had damaged much of the previously established beautiful image of the former Xue Liuli…

Arriving in front of Feng Xiwu’s courtyard, Liuli paused and did not knock on the main gate.

Forget it, she shouldn’t disturb her.

Unexpectedly, as she turned away, the door opened on its own.

Feng Xiwu stood in the doorway, looking at her: “Why not come in?”

Liuli licked her lips, rubbed her nose, and quickly adjusted her dejected face into a smiling one. She turned her head back, smiling: “I was just out for a walk, not disturbing Perfected One.”

Feng Xiwu gazed at her steadily for a moment, then turned sideways, leaving the courtyard gate wide open, and walked inside first: “Come in.”

“…Oh!”

You’re the one who told me to come in, not that I was desperately clinging on!

With complicated feelings, Liuli followed inside. She followed Feng Xiwu to a cool pavilion. On the stone table sat a familiar jade pot.

During the time she had lived off Feng Xiwu’s hospitality here, she had often helped water the flowers. Afraid of awkwardness from just sitting there, Liuli readily picked up the little jade pot and sat on the edge of the pavilion to water the flowers.

Feng Xiwu suddenly spoke: “Why fight so desperately?”

Liuli’s mouth felt dry. She stammered: “I want to win.”

“So persistent.” These four words, spoken by Feng Xiwu, sounded almost like a sigh.

Liuli felt an inexplicable sourness in her nose and said: “I don’t care. Perfected One can only be my Shizun!”

Feng Xiwu: “…”

Liuli turned her head away, embarrassed. The jade pot was tilted; she seemed to be staring at the flowers below, but in reality, the water was overflowing, and she hadn’t even noticed.

Liuli said: “Right now, this is my only goal. I don’t think about anything else.”

She truly didn’t want to think, nor did she dare to overthink.

She had arrived in a strange world. All the people and things were entirely new and untouched. To say she wasn’t scared or lost would be impossible.

She had to find a meaning for her life here. Otherwise, the fear of the unknown and the longing for the past would easily drive her insane.

Feng Xiwu was the lifeline she had grabbed in her panic.

Without the goal of saving Feng Xiwu, Liuli really didn’t know what else to do.

True emotions revealed are often the most moving.

Feng Xiwu was indeed moved by her: “Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“…” Liuli bit her lip. For a moment, she felt a flash of anger. She thought to herself, why are you always discouraging me?

Then she heard Feng Xiwu say: “I agree, then.”

Hmph, this woman is truly heartl… uh? Agree??!!!

Liuli abruptly looked up: “What did you say?”

“I said, I agree.” Feng Xiwu replied patiently.

Liuli: “!!!”

Damn! Happiness had come too suddenly, blasting Liuli into a daze!

A moment later.

Liuli shook herself, placed the jade pot in her hand onto the table, and stood up, laughing to the sky: “Hahahahaha, I’ve leveled up again!!! Shizun—oh no, Perfected One—rest assured, I will definitely defeat all opponents and become the champion of the tournament, allowing you to honorably take me as your disciple!!! I’m going to cultivate now!”

Liuli ran off, laughing boisterously. Her retreating figure was wild and frenzied, like a chaotic little butterfly.

Feng Xiwu shook her head, a smile still lingering as she watched Liuli’s departing figure. With a casual wave of her hand, she saved the spiritual herb that had almost been drowned by Liuli.