Li Guanqi's face showed not the slightest ripple of emotion, which steadied the minds of all the Great Xia Sword Sect disciples.
Ye Feng and Lin Dong stepped forward, flanking Li Guanqi.
Zhong Lin hesitated for a moment, but also stepped out!
The disciples of both sects looked at Li Guanqi with eyes filled with killing intent!
Just as the leading disciples of the two sects brushed past Li Guanqi's side, one deliberately bumped his shoulder into Li Guanqi's.
A sneer curled the disciple's lips, and he made to keep walking past them.
Suddenly!
A cold smirk tugged at the corner of Li Guanqi's mouth.
Both of his hands clamped viciously onto the faces of the two leading disciples!
His muscles swelled, and with a powerful shove of both arms, he hurled the two late Foundation Establishment disciples dozens of yards away!
The lead disciple of the Qixian Sect felt as if an iron vise had clamped down hard on his face; no matter how he struggled, he couldn't break free!
In the next breath, his body lost its balance and shot into the air!
*Bang! Bang!!*
*Clang! Clang, clang!*
The two figures were thrown into midair, and in the very next instant, all three factions drew their swords!
In a flash, the atmosphere grew tense, blades drawn and bows bent!
Disciples from other sects stopped in their tracks, eager to watch the commotion. Yet right at that moment...
A streak of purple light plummeted from the sky, its cold gleam flashing as a sword slashed toward Li Guanqi!
Ye Feng raised his sword to charge forward, but Li Guanqi held him back with a hand.
Canglang unsheathed in an instant. As vital energy surged within him, dragon scales rippled across the blade.
The blood-red longsword inside his spirit ruins instantly fused into Canglang!
In a flash, a crimson glow flared across the blade, and Canglang actually lengthened by an inch!
"Bestow! Gale!"
An invisible shockwave erupted with a boom, and a flash of sword light as swift as rushing thunder vanished through the air!
*Boom!!*
A deafening roar erupted. Li Guanqi's feet skidded back dozens of yards across the ground!
Behind him, Ye Feng braced his shoulder firmly against Li Guanqi's back to halt his momentum.
The figure in the air showed a flicker of surprise in his eyes, flipping back several yards before landing!
The bluestone pavers beneath the purple-robed figure shattered with a roar. A dignified Core Formation cultivator had brazenly drawn his sword and was flying straight toward Li Guanqi without a shred of restraint!
The flash of indignation on Li Guanqi's face faded instantly, replaced by a sharp, piercing glare!
The sword momentum in his hand shifted abruptly, rising into the opening stance of the Ziwei Demon-Cleansing Sword!
His left foot stomped the ground, the bluestone beneath spiderwebbing with cracks.
The pavers within a yard around his right foot collapsed into rubble!
*Whoosh!!*
A figure suddenly appeared before Li Guanqi, holding out a hand against his chest to stop him.
Li Guanqi looked up slightly, catching Wu Bing's gentle gaze.
Immediately after, Wu Bing's eyes turned freezing cold. He clenched his right fist and punched straight out!
*Boom!!!*
Explosive flames shot into the sky, unleashing a yard-wide fist phantom with a tremendous blast!
The terrifying force instantly sent the incoming purple-robed figure hurtling backward nearly a thousand feet!
The hurtling figure smashed clean through a pavilion, flying out like a tattered rag doll unable to regain its balance.
Wu Bing soared into the air, casting down an indifferent, haughty gaze.
Surrounded by surging, violent flames, Wu Bing spoke in an icy tone: "Ding Qing of the Qixian Sect?
"Heh... A dignified Core Formation cultivator bullying the weak?"
Ding Qing, dressed in purple robes, now had his right hand trembling inside his sleeve, the web between thumb and forefinger split and bleeding!
With a gloomy expression, Ding Qing wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and sneered, "A disciple of your Great Xia Sword Sect slaughtered seven disciples of my Qixian Sect. What vicious malice."
Yet those words only deepened the cold smirk on Wu Bing's lips.
Some onlookers from other sects who didn't know the truth assumed it was a sectarian feud.
Although they disdained Ding Qing's actions just now, they could understand his motive.
Wu Bing, however, didn't bother to offer any explanation. Treading on empty air, he said in a heavy voice:
"Ding Qing. Here and now.
"On behalf of the Great Xia Sword Sect, I issue you a life-or-death challenge. Do you accept, or do you yield?"
As soon as those words fell, everyone within hundreds of yards fell dead silent!
It was so quiet one could hear a pin drop...
Ding Qing's pupils contracted violently, his eyes filled with disbelief!
Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Wu Bing cut him off with a wave of his hand.
"Cut the womanly nonsense. Don't you claim my junior brother killed your sect's disciples?
"Don't you want revenge? I'm giving you the chance. A battle between peers of the same realm.
"Life or death, our own responsibility. Perfectly fair."
Ding Qing's chest heaved violently as his eyes swept over the ground below.
He saw the disciples of every other sect staring right at him, but his mouth opened and closed repeatedly without a single word coming out.
Watching Ding Qing's face flush beet red, Wu Bing turned around in the air and sneered, "Coward!
"If you don't have the guts, then don't bark in front of our Great Xia Sword Sect!
"Useless trash who can only yap like a dog. Even when given the chance, you're worthless!"
Ding Qing trembled all over. Wu Bing's single punch had already shown him the vast chasm between them.
And Wu Bing hadn't even drawn his sword!
Furthermore... though Wu Bing's awakening of a sword spirit ruins was kept quiet, cultivators at their level knew a thing or two about it.
Ding Qing glared venomously at them, flicked his wide sleeve, and snapped coldly, "Hmph! I hope to see you on the tournament stage!"
Ye Feng curled his lip and cursed under his breath, "Even if your whole Qixian Sect were cremated into ash, that mouth of yours would still be rock-hard."
Hearing this, Ding Qing choked with rage, his face flushed crimson, unable to utter a retort.
He could only lead his Qixian Sect disciples away in bitter humiliation.
As for the people from Qinglong Island, their lead disciple's face was as dark as soot as he led his group away.
The conduct of the two sects naturally drew waves of jeers.
Yet countless onlookers were not only awed by Wu Bing's overwhelming dominance, but also deeply shocked by the youth who had withstood a strike from a Core Formation cultivator and even dared to raise his sword to charge back.
Everyone had clearly felt the youth's indomitable aura when he shattered the bluestone beneath his feet!
Before long, practically all the disciples participating in the tournament were talking about the Great Xia Sword Sect!
They had suddenly realized that this small, unassuming sect seemed to have produced some extraordinary figures!
Word of both Wu Bing and Li Guanqi began spreading rapidly within circles.
Some people even dug up the fact that Li Guanqi had awakened a high-grade sword spirit ruins.
Not only that, back when he was only in the early Foundation Establishment realm, he had dared to issue a life-or-death challenge to someone at Ziyang Palace.
And right before all the palace elders, he had ruthlessly killed their disciple!
Coupled with Wu Bing issuing a life-or-death challenge on the spot today over the slightest offense...
All of a sudden, disciples of other sects formed a peculiar impression of the Great Xia Sword Sect:
Every disciple from the Great Xia Sword Sect was vicious, and none of them would swallow an insult!
After all, today's clash had been sparked simply because disciples from the Qixian Sect and Qinglong Island had bumped their shoulder into the youth carrying the stone coffin sword casket.
After recording their identity jade slips, Wu Bing led the group back, sending a mental transmission in a grave voice:
"We are the bedrock of the sect's rise. Starting with us, we will ensure no one ever dares look down on us again!"
Wu Bing turned, clapped Li Guanqi on the shoulder, and said softly:
"If a Core Formation cultivator attacks you again next time, I will stand in front of you.
"There's no need to push yourself too hard. Keep your strength hidden."
Chapter 121