Chapter Seventy-Five: Seeking Victory with Stability - The First Move
Chapter Seventy-Five: Seeking Victory with Stability - The First Move
"Master, why are you also inside?"
"Well... I came to find you guys, didn't I? Come on, let's go up! Don't embarrass me here!"
As Ao Yi's gaze wandered, Yuan Ze Daoist hurriedly flew back to the sky with two young girls, moving swiftly as if nothing had happened when they rejoined the crowd.
Then, Li Changshou flew into the air and bowed to this side.
"I'm Li Changshou from Little Qiong Peak, paying my respects..."
A familiar voice slowly spread through the night sky, making Ao Yi's legs tremble slightly as he staggered forward.
He lost... again.
Or should he say, lost once more.
At the age of ten, he wanted to admit defeat, but this person took a step back and conceded before him, making him lose...
Today...
He couldn't break the simple trapping array with the Water Condensation Spirit Pearl his mother gave him;
He couldn't cut through the confusion of this small area with the Ice Glass Sword bestowed by his master;
What face did he have left to challenge this person again?
But how could he accept it?
He had finally come up with a plan to make a name for himself, taking advantage of the Qi Refiners' liking for discussing Dao everywhere, challenging one human talent after another...
Why did this happen here, at the beginning of the plan...
Ao Yi stood there, his eyes filled with confusion. He didn't know whether he should follow his heart, bow to Li Changshou and say 'I'm not as good as you', then turn and leave;
Or should he continue with his plan, ignoring his pride, and continue sparring with this person from the Human Sect...
Ao Yi sighed inwardly, but he was never willing to resort to such pathetic means;
He put away the precious pearl, sheathed the spiritual sword, took two steps forward, and made a distant bow to Li Changshou in front of the alchemy room:
"Friend, I've learned a lot about your array today."
After saying that, Ao Yi turned to leave;
But a Heavenly Immortal from the Human Sect frowned slightly in the air and said indifferently:
"Now that this fellow Changshou has come out, there's no need for any array sparring. Let the two of them spar directly. It's not about winning or losing. Today, our Golden Turtle Island has lost this round. I just want to help Junior Brother Ao Yi overcome his inner demons."
Ao Yi looked up, wanting to say something but stopped.
But an elder of the Transcendent Sect had already spoken: "Changshou, are you willing to spar with the Dragon Palace Crown Prince again? He'll match your cultivation and reach the Seventh Stage of the Returning Void Realm."
Li Changshou didn't hesitate and had anticipated the reactions of both sides;
He lowered his head and said, "Disciple will obey the arrangements of the sect."
Immediately, the smiles of the elders in the air became brighter;
The elders had tacitly reached a consensus. After the group from Golden Turtle Island left, they would reward Li Changshou, this unexpected junior disciple, generously.
At this moment, the group returned to the Piaotian Peak.
When they came from Piaotian Peak, there were only five or six figures, but when they returned, the sky was filled with clouds, and under the starry sky, it was dark and oppressive...
Li Changshou obediently followed behind the immortals. Jiu Wu hurried over, grabbed his arm, and leaned back...
"This is for you."
Jiu Wu stuffed something into Li Changshou's sleeve, a treasure pouch, and whispered:
"The Dragon Palace Crown Prince carries two prehistoric spirit treasures on him. That sword is extraordinary. If he tries to hurt you later, just take out the things inside this pouch and hit him with them. This is my master's Purple Lotus Seal, also a spiritual treasure. I begged him for it to lend it to you. Remember, I'm lending it to you! Not giving it to you!"
Li Changshou couldn't help but smile. He took out the treasure pouch but stuffed it back into Jiu Wu's sleeve.
Huh? Were there several treasure pouches sewn into his master's sleeve?
He didn't know what good things were inside.
"Don't worry, Senior Brother. I have my own way to deal with him later," Li Changshou whispered back, "In this battle, I won't let him win... As long as he doesn't turn into a dragon while we're fighting."
Jiu Wu was puzzled for a moment, and Li Changshou whispered a few more words;
The Daoist squinted and chuckled, "That... seems a bit inappropriate."
Li Changshou smiled, "The method must be flexible. That's what my master often teaches."
"By the way, where's your master? Shouldn't you let him come over and see you spar with someone?"
"Uh," Li Changshou used his divine sense to glance at the tree stump sleeping a few hundred miles outside the mountain gate, hidden in the dense forest. His mouth twitched slightly, leaving a strand of divine sense swirling around there.
He answered, "I don't know either. Lately, my master has been feeling restless. Maybe he went out for a walk."
Jiu Wu sighed softly, "That's right, your master has become a murky immortal. The path to immortality is definitely not easy. Don't think too much about it. Just focus on this fight. Winning or losing doesn't matter. Just don't be too embarrassed."
Li Changshou nodded.
Ahead, some elders had already turned their heads to look at the two of them, and Jiu Wu didn't dare to say more. He flew up with Li Changshou.
...
A moment later, in front of the Du Xian Temple on the Piaotian Peak, on the flat square.
An elder threw out dozens of Night Illumination Pearls, illuminating the area as bright as day;
More than a hundred figures stood in front of the temple, and most of the spiritual sense and immortal sense of the Qi Refiners in the sect were focused here.
"This talisman can seal you for an hour."
"Thank you, Senior."
Then, Ao Yi and Li Changshou each walked toward the arena, separated by fifteen yards, their energies intertwining.
Suddenly, someone shouted from the side, "Senior Changshou!"
Li Changshou glanced over and saw Qin Xuanya in a red dress, gazing at him with a hint of worry in her eyes.
"Don't push too hard."
"Okay," Li Changshou nodded with a polite smile.
He looked at Ao Yi and said, "Prince Ao Yi, today's showdown at the Demon Banishing Convention may be different. I may win without a fair fight."
Ao Yi's youthful face was filled with embarrassment as he replied with a clear voice, "Feel free to make your move, friend."
Li Changshou nodded, flicked his robe with one hand, and then gestured politely, tucking his hands behind his back.
The opening was full of momentum!
But Li Changshou already had a plan in mind.
The way of fighting that followed was carefully considered by him.
—Stay steady and seek victory without revealing too much!
Ao Yi took a deep breath, his expression becoming serious as clusters of mysterious ice and fire appeared around him.
Li Changshou's sleeves flew out, sending out hundreds of yellow paper talismans in an instant!
Although Ao Yi had experienced such moves before, he felt that the power of these yellow paper talismans was much stronger this time.
With a pause in his steps, Ao Yi dashed forward close to the ground, and several clusters of ice and fire transformed into dragon shadows swirling around him as he charged at Li Changshou!
This time, Li Changshou didn't use footwork to dodge. Instead, he stood still and rapidly chanted spells, his words blurred, sounding like humming.
Ao Yi pounced in a flash!
A punch with the force of splitting a mountain directly smashed towards Li Changshou's chest. At this moment, Ao Yi frowned, already prepared to retract his fist at any time.
But...
Swish!
Li Changshou's figure lowered, instantly diving into the rippling ground like water!
Earth Escape!
Due to the incidents in the Northern Continent before, where he used Earth Escape to save Qin Xuanya twice, it was already known within the sect. Li Changshou could now use it openly.
Ao Yi's punch missed its target, and as he landed, he dashed forward ten steps ahead...
The yellow paper talismans behind him had already formed a formation, and bursts of flames erupted one after another!
Although they were ordinary fire techniques, under the influence of Li Changshou's simulated Seventh Stage Void-Returning Realm mana, they exhibited considerable power.
Ao Yi protected his face with both arms, dodging left and right, constantly getting hit by the dense fire...
Li Changshou quietly maneuvered underground, searching for an opportunity to strike; he could afford to lose or win, and for him, there wasn't much difference between the two.
The key was how to lose and how to win.
A direct confrontation with Ao Yi, a glorious battle, whether winning or losing, would leave a lasting impression on the disciples of the sect.
But if he won by relying on Earth Escape and talismans without engaging directly, it would be seen as unfair and a bit disappointing. Most people would think of him as nothing more than a mediocre cultivator skilled in formations and Earth Escape.
Even though he might gain a bit of a bad reputation for this, it didn't matter to Li Changshou; all he wanted was for the incident to be resolved quickly so that his cultivation life could return to normal.
Therefore...
Offending Ao Yi was inevitable!
The array of talismans continued to erupt with flames, causing Ao Yi to look quite miserable, but it didn't inflict too much damage on him.
Ao Yi felt a bit anxious, constantly searching for Li Changshou's figure.
The ground was calm, seemingly with a lingering breath...
There!
Ao Yi immediately rushed forward, throwing a punch. The ground exploded, creating a pit, but there was no sign of Li Changshou.
At this moment, a hand silently emerged from behind Ao Yi, holding a sharp magic treasure dagger, aiming at the back of his heel...
Stab!
A small stream of blood spurted out, and Ao Yi immediately jumped, turning his head to see the hand retracting into the ground!
Ao Yi gasped in cold air, but his quickly thrown palm missed its target again; he could only stare wide-eyed and jump into the air!
The array of talismans, which had been waiting for a long time, erupted once again, and dozens more yellow paper talismans appeared in the sky, bursting into flames and directly hitting Ao Yi's body!
Among the flames, there was an extraordinary true flame burning, causing intense pain to Ao Yi's skin and flesh, leaving him in a sorry state...
This was Li Changshou's Flame of Qi, combined with a strand of his essence and spirit, simulated as the "Appropriate Power - Samadhi True Flame"!
As soon as Ao Yi landed, another hand, undetectable by divine sense, emerged from behind him...
This time, the hand held a magic treasure short sword, aiming at the hollow behind Ao Yi's knee...
Stab!
The second small stream of blood shot out!
Laughter rang out in front of the hall...
Ao Yi turned angrily, but the hand instantly retreated into the ground again, and there was no sign of Li Changshou!
With a puzzled look, Ao Yi forcefully punched the ground, creating a half-yard-deep pit...
The square in front of the main hall was paved with very sturdy and simply refined stones; even with his cultivation sealed, Ao Yi could still create such a pit with a single punch, making the immortals on both sides marvel at his strength...
But it was futile.
Those lingering breaths were just bait used by Li Changshou to lure Ao Yi. Whenever Ao Yi attacked, Li Changshou would launch a sneak attack from behind, forcing Ao Yi to take to the air.
However, the changes in the array above didn't give Ao Yi any time to think; Li Changshou, hiding underground, patiently waited for the next opportunity to strike, secretly controlling the array and continuously replenishing the required talismans...
The array in the sky would sometimes form a snake shape, sometimes an '8' shape, conjuring clusters of flames and thick pillars of fire, causing Ao Yi to be extremely embarrassed...
And every time Ao Yi landed, the hand that couldn't be detected by divine or spiritual sense would sneak out from his blind spot, holding a dagger, a short sword, or a long sword, constantly stabbing his legs.
Ao Yi continued to roar in frustration, but he could only rage helplessly; Li Changshou's repeated sneak attacks had inflicted many minor cuts and bruises on Ao Yi's legs...
For a while, the young disciples of the Immortal Sect were filled with laughter.
Qin Xuanya, Han Zhi, Rou Rou, and many female disciples of the Immortal Sect covered their faces and dared not look.
Two alchemists from the Golden Turtle Island were so frightened that their hands trembled.
Many male disciples had trembling Adam's apples and silently swore never to spar with Li Changshou of the Xiao Qiong Peak again!
"Alright! We surrender!"
Yuanze, the old Daoist, sighed in resignation and shouted, then the wolf-tooth club disappeared instantly into the ground.
Ao Yi turned his head, looking puzzled at Yuanze, but then he lowered his head and sighed.
He indeed had no way to deal with Earth Escape.
With a relaxed mind, Ao Yi retreated awkwardly two steps, his energy surging within him, and he sat down on the ground...
He really...
really lost...
him...
Just then, a fair, big hand reached out from the side and handed something to Ao Yi.
Ao Yi looked up and saw Li Changshou's gentle face.
"This time, can we call it a draw?
If I were to confront you head-on, I wouldn't be your match, so I had to resort to such cunning tactics.
After all, this is my Sect of Enlightenment, and I can only do my best. I can't let my sect lose face. I hope you can understand more. I've offended you a lot."
Ao Yi's voice trembled slightly, revealing a faint, brave smile, his eyes slightly moist.
Humans... are not just those demon-like old Daoists...
there are also gentle people like Changshou...
Ao Yi reached out, grasping Li Changshou's extended hand, and stood up in one smooth motion.