Chapter 1096: Fighting in the Gathering
Fang Qingxuan said indifferently, “I don’t mind. Just properly manage the disciples of your sect, and that will do.”
Young Master Qingshu performed a cupped-fist salute before looking around. Then, he faced the direction Lu Hao pointed. When he saw Qi Wuxue, his expression turned utterly sullen.
This time, Young Master Qingshu had been at a small gathering with the Holy Scions of the other Holy Lands. However, they suddenly heard news of one of the Heavenly Province Academy’s disciples causing a commotion at the Twenty-Four Bridges, so they immediately rushed over.
After figuring out the details, Young Master Qingshu became thoroughly enraged. To think that someone dared to plot against the Heavenly Province Academy! This is truly outrageous.
Just when Young Master Qingshu was about to make a move, he suddenly noticed the white figure beside Qi Wuxue, which somewhat surprised him. He said coldly, “I was wondering who was so courageous to plot against my Heavenly Province Academy’s people. It turns out that it was upon instructions from the Azure Dragon King.
“Unexpectedly, the dignified Azure Dragon King would do something so despicable.”
Hearing what Young Master Qingshu said, everyone immediately looked at Xiao Chen. They found this thought incredible. The Azure Dragon King actually appeared so ordinary, like he was just a passerby. Despite being there for so long, they had not discovered him.
Fang Qingxuan’s eyes lit up, and she immediately looked towards Xiao Chen, revealing an expression of shock.
“Damn, don’t just randomly speak your opinion and assume it to be true. That disciple of your Heavenly Province Academy snatched that medicine from me, wanting to harm the Lunar Palace’s Jade Ladies. It has nothing to do with us,” Qi Wuxue immediately scolded back.
Lu Hao turned flustered and could not think properly. He quickly tried to gloss over his mistake. “First Senior Brother, listen to my explanation. It is that fellow who said that the medicine was the Wondrous Joy Aphrodisiac. That’s why I was fooled. You can’t really blame me…”
When Fang Qingxuan heard that, she flushed as she denounced him angrily, “You are truly a lascivious person.”
Qi Wuxue laughed loudly and said, “Did everyone hear that? He admitted it himself. Some Young Master Qingshu! You can’t even differentiate truth from falsehood. You should just be a guard or a janitor.”
Young Master Qingshu said coldly, “Blabbering endlessly. Do you really think that a has-been Azure Dragon King can protect you? Die!”
Young Master Qingshu understood that he could not continue arguing with someone like Qi Wuxue. The more they spoke, the worse it became. So, without another word, his figure flashed, and he used the folding fan in his hand as a weapon as he charged at Qi Wuxue.
Qi Wuxue was rather surprised at Young Master Qingshu’s sudden attack, as Bright Moon City strictly forbade personal fights. Any grudges needed to be resolved in the arena.
Both sides needed to be willing. Otherwise, if one attacked, he would receive the punishment of Bright Moon City.
Clearly, this Young Master Qingshu wanted to use his identity to deal with this. He intended to kill Qi Wuxue with one attack. At that time, after the person was dead, even if Bright Moon City punished him, he would have nothing to fear.
It was highly unlikely that Bright Moon City would expel the Holy Scion of an Immortal Holy Land.
Young Master Qingshu moved very fast. Qi Wuxue could not even see his shadow. It was also too late for Long Fei, who was on the jade bridge, to come over and help.
“Dang!”
In the time it took for a spark to fly, an intense clash echoed into the surroundings. The startled Qi Wuxue discovered Xiao Chen blocking in front of him.
Xiao Chen held a folding fan as well, pressed against the tip of Young Master Qingshu’s closed fan.
Young Master Qingshu did not feel surprised. He smiled and said, “In the past, I somewhat feared you, as you were a quasi-Emperor. Now, I am a Small Perfection quasi-Emperor as well. Do you think I would still fear you?”
He seemed to want to test Xiao Chen’s strength. After not being able to kill Qi Wuxue with one strike, he shifted targets to Xiao Chen.
“Pu chi!” Young Master Qingshu’s folding fan suddenly opened. His fingers moved, and the spread folding fan danced around like flower petals, circling upwards.
As the folding fan rose, the Righteous Qi pouring out from his body strengthened; his aura soared continuously.
A mysterious phenomenon manifested behind Young Master Qingshu. The bamboo and bridge in his folding fan appeared. The rising Righteous Qi was like the bamboo, standing tall and never falling.
Xiao Chen glanced at this and opened his folding fan as well. Then, he thrust his hand forward, and his folding fan likewise spiraled upwards. A similar mysterious phenomenon of a bridge, river, and bright moon appeared.
There was now a bridge under each of the two men. However, the mysterious phenomena behind them were different. One was the bright moon while the other was the lush bamboo.
The two folding fans soaring in the air clashed with each other, competing with their strong auras and mysterious phenomena.
The two on the bridges did not remain idle, quickly sending out attacks at each other and dealing with the attacks that came.
Xiao Chen felt somewhat surprised. This Young Master Qingshu’s Palm Technique was rather exquisite. Furthermore, it contained a Righteous Qi resonating with the bamboo behind him, which compensated for any gaps.
If Xiao Chen did not bring out some of his true ability, he would not be able to make short work of this Young Master Qingshu.
However, this was not the time for Xiao Chen to expose his strength yet. There were many eyes here. He already noticed that the experts of Bright Moon City had arrived quietly.
For some reason, these experts did not make a move to stop the two from fighting.
Aside from this, several other strong auras were rushing over. These auras contained horrifying Righteous Qi, and their cultivations were very deep.
With one glance, it was clear that these were the experts of the Heavenly Province Academy.
Hence, Xiao Chen was not in a rush. He just treated the exchange as playing with the other party. As for Young Master Qingshu’s bragging, he let it pass with a smile.
Would a mature adult feel any rage over a young kid throwing a childish tantrum?
Clearly not. Right now, this was the kind of mental state that Xiao Chen possessed. Hence, he did not feel any anger at all.
Compared to Xiao Chen’s surprise, Young Master Qingshu was aghast. He was already using sixty percent of his strength and had even brought out his will of wood.
However, Xiao Chen seemed to treat his efforts as nothing, dealing with him casually. He did not even display the saber Dao that was his forte.
After exchanging a hundred moves, Xiao Chen lost interest in playing. He suddenly changed moves, executing three different kinds of attacks at the same time—fist, claw, and palm. He did not increase his strength, but the moves turned illusory and strange.
The fist was from the Kun Peng Fist, the claw was a dragon-claw-type move, and the palm was Moon Bright Like Fire. Xiao Chen took the essence of these and fused them in a wondrous fashion.
This was Young Master Qingshu’s first time seeing such an attack. His reaction lagged, and he exposed openings.
If Young Master Qingshu was wise, he would immediately retreat at this moment and stop fighting.
However, he was not convinced in his heart and wanted to continue fighting with Xiao Chen, to show his superiority.
Seeing that his opponent wanted to make a big move and display his true strength, Xiao Chen sought an opening and punched Young Master Qingshu’s chest.
The fist turned into a claw, then into a palm. There was only one contact but three different kinds of force.
Young Master Qingshu groaned as he fell. Then, the ancient wooden bridge under him shattered. The bamboo exploded like firecrackers as the mysterious phenomenon collapsed.
Xiao Chen reached out, and his folding fan returned to his hand. The mysterious phenomenon of the bright moon, river, and bridge turned into an illusionary scene and withdrew into the fan.
As Xiao Chen fanned himself, he slowly descended with his white clothes fluttering. The casual movement caused everyone to feel a pleasant unconstrained feeling.
Clearly, Young Master Qingshu, who had fallen to the ground, had not expected that he would still suffer greatly under Xiao Chen’s hand, despite advancing to quasi-Emperor with much difficulty and using so many of his sect’s resources.
With a wave of his hand, Young Master Qingshu’s fan returned to his grasp. His aura suddenly changed and soared again in preparation for a full-on battle.
“That’s enough! Young Master Qingshu, don’t forget where you are,” Fang Qingxuan reminded with a cold voice from the jade bridge.
Young Master Qingshu’s expression fluctuated, but he eventually calmed down. He looked at Xiao Chen and said, “I know why you are here. You want to take the Dragon’s Gate’s mountain tablet away in the Four Seas Hero Gathering three days from now. I will not let you do as you wish.”
Xiao Chen smiled indifferently. “I’m afraid you are not capable of that.”
“Azure Dragon King, I see that you are still as arrogant as before!”
A cold snort came from the distance. A large group of outstanding young talents flew over from the northeast. The Holy Scions of the Cyclic Astral Palace, the Five Poison Sect, the Yinyang Paradise, and the Myriad Fiend Island, as well as the Young Palace Lords of the Divine Dragon Palaces of the four seas, all appeared at the same time.
There were also the Young Treasure Master Yi Ling, the Lunar Palace’s Holy Daughter Yue Bingyun, and some of the outstanding talents of the previous Four Seas Hero Gathering.
Clearly, someone had gathered all the outstanding talents of the Heavenly Starry Ocean before this.
Chu Yang stepped forward and looked at Xiao Chen, who was below. Then, he said indifferently, “I say, Brother Qingshu. I was wondering why you were gone for so long. It turns out that this fellow is still around.”
The Five Poison Sect’s Holy Scion said coldly, “He is just a has-been genius of the Kunlun Continent, yet he dares to come and misbehave in our Heavenly Starry Ocean. He really treats us outstanding talents as nothing.”
The crowd below grew excited. Unexpectedly, the commotion at the Twenty-Four Bridges attracted so many outstanding talents over.
Furthermore, it seemed like these Holy Scions had something against Xiao Chen, not acknowledging his strength.
Xiao Chen looked around. The expressions of this group of people were different from before. They were now proud and spirited, radiating confidence.
He understood. When these people were in Despair City and fighting over the source of despair, they had been shocked by the strength he revealed.
At that time, several of them wanted to challenge him but were not confident. Now that they were quasi-Emperors as well, they were raring to go, eager to trample him.
“Xiao Chen, it seems like matters have blown up,” whispered Qi Wuxue, who was at the side. He felt some fear at the formation before him.
Xiao Chen said calmly, “We are in Bright Moon City. They will not dare to mess around. Let’s go!”
After Xiao Chen said that, he simply ignored the group of Holy Scions’ mockery and went to greet Long Fei, preparing to leave immediately.
Such an attitude immediately angered several people, tempting them to attack.
When Yue Bingyun saw that, she said indifferently, “Bright Moon City prohibits personal battles. If anyone has any grudges, settle them in the Four Seas Hero Gathering three days from now.”
Chu Yang snorted as he coldly watched Xiao Chen’s departing figure. Then, he flung his sleeves and turned to leave.
“Some Azure Dragon King. He’s nothing more than a coward,” the Five Poison Sect’s Holy Scion mocked and left as well.
The many outstanding talents derided Xiao Chen’s actions, believing that he was afraid to face the group.
Soon, the news that the Azure Dragon King Xiao Chen, who had been missing for nine months, had appeared in Bright Moon City spread like wildfire.
Previously, several people had guessed that Xiao Chen, who had only twenty years left, would definitely not come.
Normally, when one learned of grievous news, under the heavy mental pressure, not to mention improving, it was already good if one did not regress.
Right now, Xiao Chen was like the sun setting in the west, his light fading quickly, nearing his end.
As for the outstanding talents of the Heavenly Starry Ocean, they were like the rising sun. They were blazing like fire and continuing to grow brighter. What was there to compare with?
Coming to this Bright Moon City merely permitted these outstanding talents who had newly advanced to quasi-Emperor to trample Xiao Chen, to use his reputation as a stepping stone and spread their own.