Chapter 464: Is the Talisman Fake? (1)
The reason Lü Yi reacted so strongly was that as a descendant of an immortal, he was the biggest beneficiary of the bloodline theory and naturally would not tolerate anyone questioning this “iron law.”
In fact, it was the same for other cultivators. Even though they were looked down upon by cultivators with better talent, in the eyes of mortals, they were still lofty “Immortal Elders.” If someone with a low-level bloodline like Qi Huang could cause trouble, it would be a huge blow to their status, as it would mean that ordinary people could become stronger than cultivators.
For this reason, when Qi Huang and Lü Yi clashed, most of the local cultivators sided with Lü Yi.
The HongHua Sect watched the drama for a while before preparing to return. Unexpectedly, they were stopped by the Sixth Princess, Lin Ran, midway.
“Why did you do that? You knew that Lü Er was unbeatable, yet you still insisted on fighting. If you get injured or expend too much energy, you’ll have no hope for the subsequent matches, and your HongHua Sect might stop here.”
Lin Ran stepped forward and inquired.
“Thank you for your concern, Sixth Princess.”
Qi Huang thanked her politely and then retorted, “Are you afraid that if I’m eliminated, you won’t be able to prove yourself?”
“…”
Lin Ran was speechless, as this was indeed her main reason for participating in the Evergreen Convention.
“Don’t worry, he’s unbeatable, but that’s only for you,” Qi Huang said kindly to reassure her.
“You… are you really confident you can defeat him?” Lin Ran looked at her with a skeptical expression.
“If I say yes, would you believe me?” Qi Huang smiled ambiguously and then said, “Sixth Princess, because you are a good person and have helped our local cultivators, I will give you a piece of advice: withdraw from the Evergreen Convention now.”
“Why?” Lin Ran was confused.
“The reason is simple: if you withdraw after I defeat Lü Er, it will be too late, as you will be considered a deserter,” Qi Huang advised kindly.
“Surrendering without a fight and being a deserter, what’s the difference?” Lin Ran shook her head firmly and then thanked her politely, “Thank you for the reminder, Junior Sister Qi, but even if you can really defeat that Lü Er, I won’t back down because of it.”
“Then you should be mentally prepared. Losing to me in front of everyone might damage your reputation,” Qi Huang reminded her.
Lin Ran smiled and said, “Do you know what’s most important in my eyes? Is it reputation? Reputation is important, but it’s nothing compared to the people of the world. If I don’t even have the courage to face you, how can I protect this country when foreign enemies invade or evil spirits run rampant in the future?”
“The Sixth Princess’s character is truly admirable, but you will soon realize that so-called foreign enemies or evil spirits are nothing compared to me,” Qi Huang smiled noncommittally and then turned to leave.
…
“Elder Zhou, the HongHua Sect people have left!” Lü Zhen reminded from within the HuXiao Sect’s group.
“I’m not blind,” Zhou Ming responded with an unkind tone.
“Since Qi Huang has now chosen Lü Er as her opponent, should we still give the Shentong Realm Body Protection Talisman to the Shi Xin Sect?” Lü Zhen inquired cautiously.
“To be safe, we should still proceed as planned. Although she definitely can’t beat Lü Er, we don’t know how much strength she’ll have left after the match,” Zhou Ming said after a moment of thought.
“Didn’t they swear to fight to the death? If Qi Huang fails, it means death, so she won’t have a chance to participate in the subsequent matches?” Lü Zhen raised a question.
“Even so, who knows if that lustful Lü Er will actually engage in a deathmatch at that time? And even if it’s a deathmatch, will he show mercy? If it were you, would you really have the heart to kill such a beautiful young girl?” Zhou Ming retorted.
“To be honest, although I hate her to the bone, if it came to killing, I really couldn’t do it. Keeping her as my plaything is much more attractive than killing her,” Lü Zhen was honest and revealed his innermost thoughts completely.
“Then that settles it.” Zhou Ming impatiently withdrew his gaze. Ever since the HuXiao Sect was eliminated, he had found this so-called number one immortal seedling increasingly displeasing to look at.
…
“Master, what do you think Qi Huang is thinking? Why did she voluntarily choose Lü Er, such a tough opponent?” Steward Cai asked Elder Zuo cautiously, though he was excited.
“That little yellow-haired girl has a mental illness and her actions are always erratic and illogical. Who can guess her thoughts? Perhaps it’s just as some cultivators analyzed: she knows she can’t reach the final round, so she’s using this method to attract Lü Er’s attention,” Elder Zuo said after deep thought.
“If that’s the case, then her little trick has gone wrong. Lü Er, as a descendant of an immortal, absolutely will not allow anyone to challenge his authority. Based on this alone, it’s impossible for Cheng Hong Ling to enter the Lü family,” Steward Cai said with a gloating expression.
“I’m afraid it’s more than that. Qi Huang will most likely be sent back to Lü Yi’s Sea of Consciousness by Lü Er,” Elder Zuo added.
“Do you mean Lü Er will really kill her? Is that possible? That guy seems so lustful that a deathmatch is probably just talk. Even if they get on the arena, he might not be able to go through with it,” Steward Cai speculated.
“You are mistaken,” Elder Zuo shook his head and then explained, “You should know that human emotions are mainly concentrated in the spirit soul, and this Lü Er is not a spirit soul clone of Lü Yi. He seems lustful because he has nothing to fear, so he doesn’t hide his thoughts at all. In fact, most people present are more lustful than him.”
Steward Cai showed a hint of embarrassment upon hearing this. The truth was, as long as a man was normal, who wouldn’t be lustful?
“If you don’t believe me, just wait and see. Qi Huang is doomed this time,” Elder Zuo said with a cold smile.
“That’s fine. Qi Huang seems crazy, but she’s actually quite cunning. Keeping her around would eventually be trouble. Without her, it will be much easier for us to control Cheng Hong Ling,” Steward Cai murmured to himself.
“Moreover, as soon as she dies, those Shentong Realm Body Protection Talismans of mine will become useless, and the voices accusing me of deliberately targeting cultivators under the Immortal Alliance will disappear. It’s simply killing two birds with one stone,” Elder Zuo added.
…
The Shi Xin Sect, having successfully secured the fifth ticket, happily returned to their lodging inn. However, they now faced another problem: how to find the rumored Shentong Realm Body Protection Talisman?
“All of you, go out and search. Find a Shentong Realm Body Protection Talisman by any means necessary,” ordered Protector Hong, the leader of the Shi Xin Sect, to all his disciples. He knew that if they couldn’t find the rumored talisman, their fifth ticket would become the worst one.
The disciples of the Shi Xin Sect obeyed the order and began a carpet search in the prefecture capital. Unfortunately, by nightfall, they had not found any useful clues.
“Protector Hong, do you think the Shentong Realm Body Protection Talisman might be fake?” Shi Fei, the Shi Xin Sect’s number one immortal seedling, cautiously reminded him during dinner.
“…” Protector Hong did not answer, as this was also what he was worried about.
“Think about it, there are only three Shentong Realm experts in this Xihui Dynasty. The peak master of Broken Cloud Peak is tens of thousands of miles away, so it’s impossible for him to suddenly appear in Yongning Prefecture to make talismans. That leaves only Ye Donglai and Elder Zuo. The Donglai Sect has already been eliminated, so Ye Donglai has no reason to make such a talisman anymore. As for Elder Zuo, although he has a feud with the HongHua Sect, he is an elder of the Immortal Alliance after all, and it’s unlikely he would do something so purposeful at this critical juncture, as he would immediately be criticized,” Shi Fei analyzed with sound reasoning.
“Your analysis is very reasonable,” Protector Hong praised him and then said, “However, no matter how reasonable it is, you must continue searching. Otherwise, the fifth ticket we worked hard to secure will become a hot potato, and we might be eliminated by ourselves. This would be even more embarrassing than the HuXiao Sect or Jinliu Sect.”
“Yes!” Shi Fei accepted the order, his expression not looking good.
“Protector Hong, Elder Zhou of the HuXiao Sect requests an audience,” a disciple reported from outside the door at this moment.
