Chapter 1321: Dissatisfaction

Chapter 1321: Chapter 1321: Dissatisfaction

"Hahahahaha! To have gained Pei Xiaoyou’s trust in this way, losing was worth it!" Liu Xuanji laughed heartily to the sky, then turned around and knelt toward the pavilion, acknowledging his guilt with the stance of a subject to a monarch, "Liu Xuanji of the Hongjun Sword Furnace, incompetent, has failed to live up to His Majesty the Spirit Emperor’s expectations to drive back Pei Yan within thirty moves. Please, Spirit Emperor, punish me!"

"This doesn’t count as Elder Liu losing. Elder Liu’s swordsmanship is exquisite—I could tell that if he wasn’t standing still and clashing with me directly, instead roaming all around leveraging the full depth of his sword skills, I wouldn’t have lasted these thirty moves before being forced from my position. In this kind of comparison, it was me who gained an advantage." Pei Yan stepped forward and spoke up. His words weren’t merely polite; indeed, the swordsmanship of the Hongjun Sword Furnace was profound. Standing in place only allowed demonstration of a third or fourth of its wonder. Pei Yan, being self-taught and relying on innate ability and improvisation, managed to persist under such conditions.

"Losing is losing! Under the same conditions, I couldn’t push you back. There’s nothing to argue about. Xuanji asks the Spirit Emperor for punishment." Liu Xuanji, with candor, took on the responsibility proactively.

"Junior sister, what’s your take? Which one of my disciples do you want to pick?" Lin Ruxue refrained from speaking words of punishment and instead turned, smiling, to Lin Junzhao to ask.

"Didn’t Pei Yan already say it! It can’t count as Liu Xuanji losing, he didn’t move either! Let’s just call it a draw!" Lin Junzhao looked at Pei Yan in the arena, whose anger had yet to subside, and said helplessly.

"A draw? Well, that’s fine—a draw it is! Xuanji, stand up! You did well, honest and straightforward, didn’t disgrace our Daoist Realm. Later, I will reward the Hongjun Sword Furnace." This might be the best outcome, Lin Ruxue nodded in agreement, waving a hand at Liu Xuanji in commendation.

"Thank you, Your Majesty the Spirit Emperor!" Liu Xuanji expressed thanks, bowed, and stood to the side.

"Pei Yan, you performed well, too. Is there any reward you desire?" Lin Ruxue noticed Pei Yan’s discontent and spoke to soothe him.

"One last time!"

"What?" Lin Ruxue was puzzled as she heard the four words Pei Yan growled out from between clenched teeth.

"This is the last time you make decisions about my and my loved ones’ future without consulting me or against my permission! This is the last time!" Pei Yan, standing firm with his long knife, completed the sentence and then unleashed the Power of Origin accumulated within him, sweeping through the arena.

Defying the Spirit Emperor publicly before everyone, Pei Yan’s bold actions shocked all present—not just for his bravery, but also for the awe brought by him releasing the origin aura!

Even though everyone now regarded Pei Yan as an opponent of the same tier, when he released the Power of Origin, they were still taken aback. Although this Power of Origin was chaotic and disordered, its force surpassed even the pinnacle of the Heavenly Dao, falling just short of a Master of Origin by a few margins.

Astonished, people couldn’t help but sneak glances at the two Masters of Origin’s reactions. Lin Ruxue’s face was icy; her pupils contracted, and after a moment of reflection on Pei Yan’s words, she suddenly laughed, "Fine! We didn’t consider things thoroughly just now. Since you are my junior sister’s disciple, you will chart your own future."

Compromise! The Spirit Emperor had compromised! Everyone was amazed that Pei Yan held such weight in the Spirit Emperor’s mind, yet Pei Yan alone understood that just moments ago Lin Ruxue had intended to kill him, only to be stopped by Lin Junzhao. At this point, Lin Ruxue had already paid a hefty price to stabilize this alliance. Despite her displeasure with Pei Yan’s attitude and detecting Pei Yan’s potential to breach that barrier, she chose tolerance because Pei Yan still had use for her and without Lin Junzhao’s backing, she lacked the assurance to keep both Pei Yan and his ally within the Immortal Palace.

"Thank you, Uncle Master, for your grace! As for a reward... I broke someone’s Divine Artifact in this duel, and Uncle Master, you know my poverty well. Could you help compensate them with a Divine Artifact?" Upon seeing Lin Ruxue concede, Pei Yan put on his ingratiating smile from before, seeking favor with a grin.

"No need for you to curry favor. Xuanji fought for me, and any losses incurred will be met with my rewards. Just mind your own matters!" Lin Ruxue coldly snorted, rebutting bluntly.

"Uncle Master is wise! As for what reward, I haven’t thought of it yet. When I figure it out, I’ll let you know!" Pei Yan said, pressing a hand against his wound, then looked over to Wan Qianli standing nearby, smiling wryly, "Elder Wan, what happened just now was but a small interruption. Your duel with Elder Liu can still continue once he’s done, then it’s your turn. Would you like to begin now?"

"You’re injured now. To fight you at this point would be taking advantage." Wan Qianli, who had spoken boldly before the spectacle, hesitated now.

"It’s nothing! This injury isn’t a big deal. To engage with Elder Wan for a dozen or so rounds is still within reach! Would Elder Wan like to proceed?"

Hearing Pei Yan’s invitation again, Wan Qianli flushed red. Pei Yan implied that he could still contest even burdened with wounds from Liu Xuanji, and had it been before, Wan Qianli would have denounced such arrogance. But having watched the duel, he realized Pei Yan truly had grounds for such confidence.

"I—!" Wan Qianli hesitated, readying himself to face the challenge, but then his senior, Chu Luochen, interjected, "We concede!"

"Senior!" Wan Qianli looked to Chu Luochen in dissatisfaction.

"Can you defeat Liu Xuanji?" Chu Luochen asked.

Though reluctant to admit it, Wan Qianli lowered his head in acquiescence. Chu Luochen sighed, "If you can’t beat him, how would you unseat Pei Xiaoyou within thirty moves?"

"Elder Chu, if Elder Wan is not at liberty to come forward, you can take his place—I don’t mind!" Pei Yan offered upon hearing the debate between the two.

"Not necessary! Celestial Sword Manor must uphold its dignity; we can’t retract a settled matter publicly! Lack of skill—failing is failing, there’s no point in arguing." Chu Luochen then turned to Mo Baiqi, who was helping his junior brother with healing, and conceded with a bow, "Brother Mo, Celestial Sword Manor admits defeat! From henceforth, whatever wrongs your junior brother did will no longer be pursued by us."

"Brother Chu, in the end, our side was at fault initially. This is not the place for handling such matters. Afterward, I will personally call upon you and your junior brother to apologize. We will discuss the specifics then." Though Chu Luochen had said they wouldn’t seek revenge, Mo Baiqi couldn’t just let it be, hastily returning the gesture.

"So we’re done fighting, are we! Phew! I’m exhausted; it’s for the best if you both solve this peacefully, as I didn’t lose all this blood for nothing." Seeing signs of reconciliation between the two, Pei Yan sighed in relief with comfort.

"Wait! This matter isn’t finished yet!"