Chapter 708 689: On What Grounds?

The chain reaction from killing Jin Xian was somewhat of a surprise to Xu Luo. He'd originally thought that with no evidence, Jin Ming would lie low for a few days before trying to get his revenge at the Celestial Brilliance Annual Competition.

"I guess I overestimated him," Xu Luo muttered, but he didn't regret his actions in the slightest.

Those who kill... will be killed in turn!

Since Jin Xian treated the lives of others as worthless, then... Xu Luo saw no reason to value his.

He had only survived his encounter with Wind because of his various powerful, unknown trump cards!

Without those trump cards, Xu Luo would have certainly died.

And it would have been an incredibly pathetic death.

To have an outside assassin break through a supposedly impenetrable barrier on his own turf, track him down all the way to his door, and then successfully carry out the assassination...

And the reason for the assassination? Simply because his existence threatened Jin Ming's future...

An icy glint flashed in Xu Luo's eyes.

He had weathered countless storms back in the Lower Realm. From the Secular Dynasties of his early days to the ancient sects that followed, what kind of situation hadn't he faced?

In his years of experience, Xu Luo had met plenty of people just like Jin Xian and Jin Ming.

In fact, in terms of sheer intelligence, the Jin Family brothers weren't even a match for Wei Ziting!

'This... is perhaps a common failing among top-tier cultivation geniuses. They're too arrogant!'

'So much so... that they treat everyone else like a fucking idiot.'

"Jin Ming... the Annual Competition," Xu Luo muttered, then closed his eyes and began to circulate his energy to recuperate.

'If I want to face Jin Ming in the Celestial Brilliance Annual Competition, I first have to get past Shao Zheng.'

'Even though we're from the same sect, I don't think Shao Zheng is a guaranteed loss. Before I was injured, I was confident I could beat him.'

'But now... I am injured, after all, and I need to act like it.'

'If I show up looking perfectly healthy, a lot of people might just faint from sheer anger.'

'So, I need to figure out a way to win without anyone seeing through my act.'

'This will take some time...'

Xu Luo began to circulate the Shadow Shaking Heart Method, entering a deep meditative state.

...

...

"The Senior Brother's brother is dead!"

"First, there was the assassination attempt on Senior Brother Medicine Garden Luo Tian, and then Jin Xian was murdered in his own home. What's happening to Celestial Brilliance?"

"They say the attempt on Senior Brother Medicine Garden Luo Tian's life was connected to Jin Xian! And Jin Xian's murder... I hear it was Luo Tian's revenge."

"Isn't Luo Tian supposed to be seriously injured? How could he get revenge? If you're going to sling mud, at least make it believable!"

"I heard that when Jin Xian was killed, his residence had just been fortified with an incredibly powerful Defense Array!"

"All I can say is... Celestial Brilliance is having internal problems. The Sect Leader himself has gotten involved and says he's going to sort things out!"

As the affair unfolded, all sorts of discussions echoed throughout Celestial Brilliance, with everyone speculating about the true story behind it all.

Amidst all the speculation, the final match of the round of sixty-two in the Celestial Brilliance Annual Competition at last arrived!

Both competitors in this match were from the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden. And one of them was the man at the very eye of the recent storm of rumors... Senior Brother Medicine Garden, Luo Tian!

The Annual Competition matches involving Xu Luo had always drawn the biggest crowds, but with all that had happened, even more people were now paying attention.

The massive arena, capable of holding millions, had people filing in a full day in advance. By the time the match was about to begin, it was already packed to the brim, with scarcely an empty seat to be found.

Not only were the regular seats full, but even the entire ring of private boxes... was completely booked!

Such a scene was practically unheard of. Even the final championship match of the Annual Competition was only this crowded at best.

Many people weren't there to see who would win. They wanted to know if Luo Tian, still supposedly recovering from serious injuries, would even appear in the arena!

And if he did appear, what could he possibly fight with?

Would the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden... arrange things behind the scenes and have them fight a fixed match?

Countless pairs of eyes were secretly fixed on the arena below.

In the Medicine Garden's private box, a worried frown creased Yuwen Ji's brow. Right before the match, he had even sent someone to check with Xu Luo and had received a firm confirmation of his participation.

But Yuwen Ji had no idea how Xu Luo intended to fight this match; he was completely in the dark.

Likewise, no one in the entire Medicine Garden, from top to bottom—not even Shao Zheng's master, Sixth Elder Cui Shu—had put any pressure on him.

This was an internal match, a fair competition!

All external factors had to be eliminated as much as possible. At the very least... they couldn't give outsiders an excuse to attack the Medicine Garden.

Following a clamor from the stands, a figure appeared in the arena.

The Direct Disciple of the Medicine Garden's Sixth Elder, Shao Zheng!

Shao Zheng still wore that same shy expression, seemingly unaccustomed to the massive audience in the stands. He looked a bit bashful, standing there quietly.

"Is that the young genius from the Medicine Garden? He's cute!" a female Celestial Brilliance disciple, a self-professed admirer of good looks, said excitedly.

"Pfft, Luo Tian is way more handsome! Plus, he's mature and has presence. Who's Shao Zheng? Just a little kid!" someone immediately retorted.

"To each their own. I happen to like them younger..."

"You're a total cradle robber!"

"What did you just say?"

"I'll say it ten more times. What are you going to do about it?"

The stands were in an uproar. This conversation wasn't an isolated incident; many people were chattering about things completely unrelated to the fight.

To use a phrase Xu Luo had used before: 'These are a bunch of poor kids, pent-up for too long... The slightest bit of entertainment can keep them excited for a long time.'

In the most luxurious of the private boxes, Xiahou Kaiyuan sat surrounded by a group of Elders who were also chatting and laughing quietly.

"Jiang Botao, do you think Luo Tian will win this time?" Xiahou Kaiyuan asked with a smile, looking at his junior brother beside him.

"What for? Let me tell you, I'm not betting with you this time!" Jiang Botao immediately gave his "Sect Leader brother" a wary look, his expression sour.

He had been tricked by him before and lost an ancient painting. Although he had pretended not to care on the surface, his heart was bleeding.

Xiahou Kaiyuan smiled and waved his hand. "I didn't say I wanted to bet, just wanted to hear your prediction."

"Since the Sect Leader says we're not betting, then I'll venture a guess. I predict Luo Tian will lose this match in the Annual Competition!" a refined-looking Elder said with a smile.

"Oh? Your reason?" someone at the side asked.

"The reason is that Luo Tian hasn't recovered from his serious injuries!" the refined-looking Elder chuckled, stating it as if it were obvious. "Therefore, in this fight, he is guaranteed to lose!"

His words made no mention of the performance of Shao Zheng, the young genius from the Medicine Garden.

Everyone present was an old fox; how could they not understand the meaning behind his words? They all couldn't help but laugh.

Indeed, in their eyes, it didn't matter if Luo Tian was truly injured or just faking it—he couldn't win this match. Because Jin Xian was dead, Luo Tian had to *be* injured to clear himself of suspicion!

Xiahou Kaiyuan laughed heartily and said, "Since you all think so, how about we make a bet?"

"..." The Elders all looked at the Sect Leader, speechless. 'Sect Leader, you never used to be this flighty!' they thought.

And as soon as they heard the word "bet," they all turned to look at Jiang Botao with expressions full of sympathy.

Jiang Botao rolled his eyes. "What are you all looking at me for? This is a golden opportunity! Chances to win against the Sect Leader are rare. He has countless treasures, so if there's something you've had your eye on... don't miss out!"

"So, are you going to bet?" one of the Elders asked Jiang Botao.

Jiang Botao pouted. "He already won all my good stuff. I don't have anything left to stake, so I'm not betting!"

"Then we won't bet either!" the group of Elders chorused like children, shaking their heads like rattle-drums.

'A bunch of old foxes, so hard to trick!' Xiahou Kaiyuan couldn't help but lament inwardly.

Even though these Elders were convinced Xu Luo would lose this fight, not a single one would accept the Sect Leader's bet.

After so many years together, how could they not understand one another?

Their seemingly unreliable Sect Leader was, in reality, an extremely cautious man. If he wasn't certain of victory... he wouldn't make a move!

So, when Xiahou Kaiyuan proposed a bet, the Elders might not have known *how* Luo Tian would win, but they knew one thing for certain: Luo Tian would definitely win this match to enter the top thirty-two of the Annual Competition!

In fact, countless people in the stands were also setting up betting pools on the match's outcome. Many people participated, believing a small wager was just good fun.

The betting wasn't one-sided either. In fact, there were slightly more people betting on Xu Luo to win!

This all stemmed from the reputation Xu Luo had built up over his previous matches. That reputation gave his supporters boundless confidence!

Thus, even though everyone knew he was still recovering from his injuries, countless people still chose to support and believe in him.

When Xu Luo's figure appeared in the arena, the atmosphere of the entire venue instantly reached its peak.

Countless people couldn't help but cheer and scream, creating a wave of sound that rushed to the heavens with terrifying force.

In that moment, many of the Celestial Brilliance higher-ups in the private boxes couldn't help but narrow their eyes, their hearts filled with immense shock.

'This level of prestige... not even a young Xiahou Kaiyuan had this, back when he was confirmed as the heir apparent!'

'It seems... that after so many years of peace, Celestial Brilliance is finally about to see some turmoil!'

'Could it be? Is Celestial Brilliance truly going to have someone who is both Medicine King and Sect Leader?'

Shao Zheng was startled by the sudden roar of cheers. His gaze, as he looked at Xu Luo, involuntarily... gained a hint of fear and became extremely complicated.

To be honest, during the days Xu Luo was supposedly injured, Shao Zheng had remained in seclusion, but he had felt the immense pressure all the same.

Even though no one around him ever told him to give up, Shao Zheng could still feel... what they were all thinking.

'Give up!'

'For the honor of the Medicine Garden, you should forfeit!'

'Our Senior Brother single-handedly led the Medicine Garden to this point, only to fall before you. Is that right?'

'If you forfeit, your future path will be much smoother!'

No one said these words to him, but he could see them... in their eyes.

Shao Zheng might be young, but he felt it all. And in response... deep within the heart of this shy, bashful-looking eighteen-year-old, there was only a single thought.

'By what right!'