Chapter 21
Lin Queli pursed his lips.
He wasn’t sure how big the gap between a Golden Core and him was, but even if it was huge, he didn’t have many choices now. Anyway, he couldn’t be killed in the arena. He would just go up and endure it. At most, he would get injured and come down to let Helan Xue heal him with a single touch, and he could even earn some points.
It-it wasn’t impossible.
After making up his mind, Lin Queli took a deep breath and stepped onto the arena.
He was afraid of bringing shame to the Myriad Sword Sect, so he imitated Helan Xue and the others, putting on a cold and aloof expression, and went up with a gust of wind at his feet.
After noticing the movement here, Shouyang couldn’t help but grip the armrest of his chair and frown.
What’s going on?
The challenge arena was different from the regular four-group arenas. This was a special, independent arena with a large drum in the middle. Whoever successfully hit the drum first would be the winner. Lin Queli looked at the drum, which was close yet so far away, and then looked at the surrounding crowd with some apprehension.
Hearing that it was a competition for the position of Helan Xue’s inner-sect disciple, many curious people came to watch. Because not many people knew about it, the number was average, but it was enough to make Lin Queli nervous.
Lin Queli thought to himself, it’s a good thing I exchanged for the low-level spell beforehand and had a special training with Shouyang for half a month, otherwise it would be too embarrassing to stand here with nothing.
“Please.” Qiu Heng cupped his fists and rushed directly towards Lin Queli, his aura fierce.
Lin Queli was so scared he took a step back, and before he could react, he was thrown to the ground.
Lin Queli’s eyes widened. The next moment, a hand knife came chopping towards his face.
Lin Queli rolled to the side and heard the sound of the floor cracking where he had been.
Holy cow!
Lin Queli almost couldn’t hold back his expression. He stood up but couldn’t find an opening to attack. He was beaten back by Qiu Heng and could only focus on blocking.
He found a gap and saw that Qiu Heng’s movements seemed to have slowed down a beat. He quickly wanted to throw out a spell, but instead, he was not careful and was hit in the chest by Qiu Heng’s palm and sent flying.
“Ugh…!”
Lin Queli lay prostrate on the ground, his face pale, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Shouyang stood up directly from his grandmaster’s chair.
The others who were watching couldn’t help but frown.
They thought to themselves, this delicate young boy looks like he’s between the Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment stages. Now it seems he really can’t fight a Golden Core cultivator across levels.
Someone shouted, “Little brother, hurry up and surrender!”
“Yeah, yeah! It’s already amazing that you accepted the challenge. Don’t let your spiritual roots get damaged!”
Qiu Heng paused.
He gritted his teeth, thinking that Lin Luo was indeed a wastrel with no cultivation or strength, who served others with his looks!
But it didn’t matter. As long as he became a disciple of the Myriad Sword Sect…
Lin Queli was also stunned. Surrender… huh?
He couldn’t see Helan Xue, so he subconsciously looked up at Shouyang, who was closer.
Shouyang frowned and nodded, pointing at the drumstick on his waist.
—As long as he threw down the drumstick, it meant he was forfeiting.
Lin Queli had no choice. If he stayed any longer, he would just get beaten up. So, under Qiu Heng’s expectant gaze, he took out the drumstick and threw it.
Qiu Heng said with a smile, “I look forward to sparring with junior martial brother again tomorrow.”
It was a best-of-three. As long as Qiu Heng won another match tomorrow, everything would be settled.
Lin Queli took a deep breath, trying his best to look not too pathetic and still have the demeanor of a “gentleman.” He stood up, puffed out his chest, and cupped his fists. “Me too.”
The daytime competition ended, and there would be a banquet after dark. It was for the cultivators to fill their stomachs and for the sect cultivators to have a chance to interact with each other.
Helan Xue never went to such occasions, and this time, Lin Queli also rarely gave up the delicious food and didn’t go.
He was in his room, letting Shouyang heal him.
“Sob, sob, sob, sob, sob… it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!”
—After returning to the Myriad Sword Sect and closing the door, Lin Queli screamed like a pig being slaughtered, his cold and aloof temperament gone without a trace.
Ji Chun, who had come to help apply the medicine, stood by Lin Queli’s side with his eyes full of sympathy.
“Senior martial brother—” Lin Queli clutched his chest, about to cry. “I almost died!”
Shouyang frowned and said helplessly, “It’s not allowed to kill in the arena. You wouldn’t have died. But since you know you’re not as good as him, why did you accept the challenge? You were too reckless.”
“Senior martial brother doesn’t know what he said about me! Could I refuse?” Lin Queli said uncomfortably, “If I refused, I would have shamed senior martial brother and Shizun…”
“Indeed!” Ji Chun couldn’t help but say, “Immortal Lord doesn’t know the situation at that time. I also heard it from others…”
Ji Chun vividly described Qiu Heng’s “praise-killing.”
“Exactly, exactly.” Lin Queli nodded vigorously. “So it wasn’t me being reckless!”
Shouyang first frowned as he listened. At this moment, he was sitting behind Lin Queli, and the hands that were transmitting spiritual energy to his back unconsciously tightened.
Looking at the fuming Lin Queli, Shouyang suppressed his emotions and said with a warm smile, “The face of the Myriad Sword Sect doesn’t need to be supported by you alone, and the responsibility of the Changming Clan won’t fall entirely on you.”
Lin Queli’s head drooped even lower. He pinched the spirit bead on his wrist and said, “But what if I didn’t go, and Shizun was disappointed in me and didn’t want to take me in?”
…
In the Ice Cave Abode, Helan Xue paused.
When Lin Queli was flustered and uneasy, he liked to touch the prayer beads. In fact, whether it was Elder Mingguang, Qiu Heng, and the others’ criticism of Lin Queli before, or Qiu Heng’s challenge letter under the guise of advancing by retreating later, Helan Xue had heard every word.
Helan Xue frowned slightly.
He’s noisy and mischievous, but actually stupid and simple. He doesn’t know how to refute what others say, and he even foolishly went up to the arena. It seems like he would be bullied if no one was by his side.
Helan Xue burned a sound transmission talisman.
“Ji Chun, tell him to come here.”
…
Late at night.
Lin Queli walked into the Ice Cave Abode with some unease.
He was a little confused. Why did Helan Xue ask him to go over?
He actually hadn’t seen Helan Xue for two weeks. Helan Xue had been in seclusion, and at the grand competition, he had only sat high up and looked down.
Could it be that his performance today was too poor, and Helan Xue was going to give him a lecture?
Lin Queli couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.
But if he was going to be spanked… it wasn’t impossible.
He was still 30 points away from the high-level spell. A few more spankings to let him exchange for a spell might make him not die so miserably tomorrow?
After entering the cave, Helan Xue was sitting in meditation on the stone platform as usual.
Lin Queli put his hands behind his back, pinched the spirit bead, and said with his eyes darting around, “Shizun… good evening.”
Helan Xue slowly opened his eyes.
Half a month was just a flick of a finger to him. Besides, he would share sensations with the bracelet from time to time and knew that Lin Queli was cultivating well with Shouyang.
His tone was flat as he said, “Is your injury healed?”
Lin Queli quickly nodded. “Mmm! Senior martial brother healed me. There’s still some residual evil qi in my chest, but it’s not a big deal. It will slowly dissipate after some rest.”
Lin Queli glanced at Helan Xue again, but unfortunately, he couldn’t see what he was thinking.
He was a little nervous. Could it be that he was going to be asked to leave the Myriad Sword Mountain?? Get out as soon as you’re healed?
It can’t be!!
Although it’s really embarrassing, but no—
Lin Queli pouted and pounced on Helan Xue’s side, saying pitifully, “Shizun, I did my best…”
But Helan Xue just said, “Do you want to win?”
Lin Queli paused, then, after a moment, he nodded blankly.
If I don’t win, you’ll kick me out. What else can I do!
Helan Xue stood up, took Lin Queli outside the cave, and handed him a wooden sword.
There were three rounds in the match. The first round was a competition of spiritual energy, the second used weapons, and the third was a free-for-all.
That is to say, the round Lin Queli had the best chance of winning was the second round tomorrow. After all, the gap in spiritual energy between a Foundation Establishment and a Golden Core cultivator was too big.
Helan Xue: “Qiu Heng’s moves are rigid, and his spiritual energy is strong. He uses brute force. You just need to memorize his moves and use softness to overcome hardness, and you will have a chance.”
A Golden Core cultivator was a huge mountain to Lin Queli, but to Helan Xue and other high-level cultivators, he was just a child. Qiu Heng’s moves were nothing more than a few clumsy tricks in his eyes.
Helan Xue: “Swing the sword.”
Lin Queli held the sword with both hands and looked at Helan Xue in surprise.
Was Helan Xue… going to teach him?
Teach him personally?
Hand-in-hand?
Lin Queli carefully raised the wooden sword and swung it at Helan Xue.
Helan Xue extended his index finger to block the wooden sword and said coldly, “What are you afraid of?”
Lin Queli: “…!”
Lin Queli said in a fluster, “I… ah!”
The next moment, Helan Xue’s wooden sword was at his waist. Lin Queli looked up, and the tall man cast a shadow over him. He met those impassive golden eyes.
“This Venerable will demonstrate again. You remember it.”
“Oh, oh…!”
Lin Queli took a deep breath and cheered himself up.
…
Smack!
Lin Queli’s wooden sword and Helan Xue’s met in mid-air.
Helan Xue was imitating Qiu Heng’s moves, so for a whole night, Lin Queli was huffing and puffing, running around, and from time to time, he was gently thrown onto the snow. But Helan Xue had barely moved from his position, only the wooden sword in his hand was moving flexibly.
Lin Queli did indeed become familiar with the moves… or rather, he had memorized them by rote.
To put it bluntly, it was successfully engraved into his DNA. The moment Helan Xue raised his hand, Lin Queli could subconsciously throw out the answer from his muscle memory.
Helan Xue finally gave a little affirmation. “Your memory is not bad.”
Lin Queli thought to himself, of course.
I’m a college dog!!
Thump!
Just as his attention was diverted, Helan Xue’s sword stabbed towards Lin Queli’s throat.
“!!”
New knowledge point!
Teacher, this isn’t in the textbook!!
Lin Queli was so scared that his feet slipped, and he fell backwards.
“Whoa!!”
This unexpected fall had a chance of causing injury. Helan Xue caught Lin Queli’s waist.
【Congratulations, Host, for completing physical contact: Holding Waist. Reward: 3 points!】
Lin Queli: “…!”
Lin Queli held his forehead and said in a weak tone, “Aiya, Shizun, I feel a little dizzy… maybe my injury hasn’t healed yet, and I’m a little tired now. I can’t walk…”
Seeing that Helan Xue didn’t react, Lin Queli said with a sad face, “Shizun, you didn’t even see how I was beaten. I even spat out blood. Sob, sob, sob, my chest hurts…”
“When I think that I don’t know if I’ll be hit with another palm tomorrow, I’m so scared. Ah, maybe I’ll be stabbed with a sword tomorrow. Sob, sob, sob, if this disciple dies, Shizun will definitely forget me immediately and take that Qiu Heng…”
Helan Xue let go of Lin Queli.
Lin Queli fell onto the snow with a thump, dumbfounded.
“…”
“Shizun, you’re so mea—”
The next moment, Helan Xue took out a longevity lock from his robes. “This item has been infused with This Venerable’s spiritual energy and can help you resist the spiritual energy attacks of other cultivators.”
——n.
Helan Xue raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”
Lin Queli sat up and took the longevity lock with both hands. “Un… unbelievably, the best in the world! I will always follow Shizun!”
Helan Xue: “Go back.”
“Yay!”
Lin Queli happily put the longevity lock on his neck, treasured it by tucking it into his collar, and went back.
The longevity lock was made of silver, and the three small bells would make a crisp but subtle sound when Lin Queli moved too much.
But to a high-level cultivator like Helan Xue, it was very obvious.
…
After Lin Queli returned to his room, he received a notification from the System.
【Congratulations, Host, for obtaining a key item from the main plot of the original novel—the Longevity Lock!】
Lin Queli was stunned.
Huh?
【In the original novel, this longevity lock was one of the treasures given to Helan Xue by his master. It could be used to resist spiritual energy attacks. Helan Xue casually gave it to the Long Aotian’s biological mother, saying it was a gift for the child. But the original Helan Xue was a fickle lover, and the mother and son were separated due to the chaos of war. Later, when the Long Aotian returned to find his family, this longevity lock played an important role.】
I see.
The corner of Lin Queli’s mouth twitched, feeling a little strange.
How should he put it? He was now indeed the Long Aotian’s “biological mother,” and the plot had inexplicably connected.
So in the future, when he ran away, he could indeed give the longevity lock to the Long Aotian.
—Although he wasn’t pregnant yet, and Helan Xue giving him the longevity lock now seemed to be treating him like a son. The plot was correct but strange.
It’s just…
Lin Queli rested his chin on his hand and let his thoughts wander. “Da Zhuang, if the main plot won’t deviate too much no matter what, then won’t the Long Aotian I give birth to in the future kill Helan Xue? But Helan Xue is so strong now, he shouldn’t be easily killed, right…”
But with the protagonist’s halo and plot armor, it was hard to say.
【Although, but, Host, you’re worrying about this now? We’re not even close to that point. You haven’t even completed [beep], [beep], and [beep]?】
Lin Queli: “…”
【Hey, wait… what’s this—Congratulations, Host, for obtaining a special item, reward: 5 points, limited-time low-level exchange coupon x1… wow!! Host! I just received a notification, you can exchange for items in the store!】
【But this is limited-time, which means you must exchange and use it within 24 hours, or the item will disappear! Let me see what there is…】
Lin Queli’s hope was ignited. “Is there anything that can make my spiritual energy increase instantly!”
【No, Host. The limited-time store gives items based on the Host’s current mission needs, and your main mission is not to level up!】
【There are beauty pills, chrysanthemum tightening pills, delicate and soft body pills… aphrodisiac! Host! There’s an aphrodisiac!】
Lin Queli: “…Your store is quite indecent.”
But…
“Aphrodisiac?! Didn’t you say I had to have a certain amount of points to exchange for it?”
【It’s different. That’s a high-level aphrodisiac. This is a low-level one. It’s not certain if it will work. Does the Host want to take a risk and try it?】
Lin Queli thought to himself, I’ll firmly reject the other items. Isn’t it better to try this one?
Lin Queli swallowed hard.
It’s just… he had to drug Helan Xue within 24 hours, which meant during the grand competition?
