"Fight him with one hand?"
The moment those words were spoken, not just Li Daocheng, but all the other disciples from the Fangwai Immortal Land rose to their feet on the high platform, unable to sit still.
Down on the lapis lazuli paved ground, the azure-robed youth stood with one hand held behind his back and the other raised, a dazzling smile on his face. How could Li Daocheng, the target of the challenge, bear such a slight? No one had ever dared look down on him like this!
"Elder, please grant me permission to fight! I have mastered the Immortal-Combating Classic and advance along dual paths—I fear no one from the ancestral courts of any sect!" he petitioned urgently.
The elder from the Fangwai Immortal Land narrowed his eyes, deeply displeased. Those of their path had always been the domineering ones, yet today they were being cornered and provoked.
"Enough. Today ends here."
The elder shook his head, refusing to let him take the field.
He sensed that Li Daocheng might not necessarily win either. If he were defeated, it would be a total rout, stripping away even their final shred of dignity.
Within the Six Imperials ancestral court, he could not project his conscious spiritual light to probe the azure-robed youth's true depths. After all, that old codger with barely any hair left on his head was staring right at him.
Yet his sharp instincts told him that this youth was downright monstrous—likely a hidden trump card kept by the Six Imperials ancestral court, unleashed specifically to skewer and shatter this whole group of challengers!
"What if I keep both hands behind my back!" Qin Ming spoke up again. With a flick of his wide sleeves, he tucked both hands behind him.
The looks in many eyes shifted. Did that mean he intended to fight using only his feet?
The disciples of the Six Imperials ancestral court stirred in excitement. They felt this junior brother was truly ferocious; it had been years since they had seen such an overbearing "seed disciple."
Still, they truly felt refreshed and invigorated!
All along, it had been the outer realm acting dominant, and now the tables were finally turned.
Clouds and mist swirled across the martial grounds, formed by heavy steam from the Fire Spring, extraordinarily splendid and making the azure-robed youth look as though he stood high above the nine heavens.
Qin Ming stood with his hands behind his back, his chin tilted slightly upward.
"He is so arrogant!" The white-clad maiden Luo Yao spoke, her teeth grinding in fury, yet she had no way to vent it. Hearing these words, Li Daocheng naturally grew even more enraged.
In fact, the disciples of the Fangwai Immortal Land had reached the end of their patience. Top core disciples stepped forward requesting to fight, wanting to take the field using the true arts of the outer realm.
For so many years, they had always held a sense of superiority, looking down on the Newborn path as a route taken by those rejected by the immortal path.
Yet today, they were the ones being looked down upon!
However, their elder Mu Huaijin grew increasingly convinced that the azure-robed youth in the arena had something to rely upon, and aimed to upend every single disciple of the outer realm present.
Mu Huaijin swept his gaze across them and said, "As disciples of the immortal path, what sort of conduct is it to be this reckless? What does this amount to? A trifling spar—why pay it any mind?"
Then, he calmly added, "He was fated never to tread the immortal path and can only rely on physical mutations to elevate himself. It is entirely normal for him to rise faster and hit harder in the early stages. Starting from the Outer Sage realm, people like him will slow down and be quickly left behind by you. By the third realm, he will only be able to gaze at your backs from afar."
Hearing the elder say this, the disciples of the outer realm felt much better. The agitation within them subsided, and they gradually regained their calm.
Mu Huaijin spoke again: "Later on, he might even end up competing against your disciples and grand-disciples, because his rate of advancement will only grow slower and slower. In the next realm, you will qualify to pick people like him as your guards. If you go engage in a bloody brawl with him now and trade blows back and forth, years from now you will realize it was hardly worth the effort."
Of course, he only sent this via voice transmission; otherwise, some of the old men from the Six Imperials ancestral court might come over in person to "measure" him.
At once, the disciples of the outer realm were relieved. Facing an opponent with the methods of the Newborn path and losing was merely trivial scenery along their immortal path.
And yet, why did this "scenery" feel so glaring?
The opponent actually spoke up again, making their tempers flare!
"I, Qi Zizai, stand here today and ask only this: do the disciples of the immortal land dare to fight?" Qin Ming called out in challenge.
Originally he had thought of taking the name Wu Zizai, but figured that Wu sounded like five, and ranking ahead of Lu Zizai—whose Lu sounded like six—felt improper. It was better to use Qi, sounding like seven. Qi Zizai was arrogant and domineering, representing the Six Imperials ancestral court; what did that have to do with Qin Ming?
"You boast of the immortal path, whose radiant light illuminates the night sky, yet not one of you dares to step forward?!" Qin Ming spoke again.
The white-clad maiden Luo Yao clenched her fists, Li Daocheng's purple hair drifted upward, and the other disciples were beside themselves with fury.
Without a doubt, the name Qi Zizai was destined to stick with them for a long time; it would be very difficult for them to forget today's experience.
Mu Huaijin's words had been wasted. The young disciples who had just sat down were all provoked into leaping back up.
"Qi Zizai, I will—" a core disciple began.
"Sit down!" Mu Huaijin pressed a hand firmly onto his shoulder.
Qin Ming sighed inwardly. He had wanted to provoke Li Daocheng into taking the field for a serious exchange, agitating his emotions violently, for he truly coveted that Immortal-Combating Classic.
Yet the Fangwai Immortal Land's elder was simply too cautious. Even with such blatant provocation, the man refused to take the bait, showing considerable restraint. Seeing Qin Ming's helpless look, Mu Huaijin felt like stepping into the arena himself.
"So it's Junior Brother Qi Zizai! Such a young and promising seed-tier figure is bound to become a great power in the future—perhaps even the patriarch of our Six Imperials' revival!" A group of disciples within the ancestral court buzzed with excitement. Their mood was entirely different, bursting with exhilaration and fervor.
Only Lu Zizai's expression stiffened slightly. That name was a bit too flamboyant.
Especially when he saw Qin Ming raise a hand again, he felt this was going too far. Qin Ming had already "overachieved" his mission and could not keep going; he had to be called back immediately.
For Qin Ming had slowly extended a hand, folded four fingers back in, and pointed a single finger to the heavens. Without even thinking, one could tell he was about to say something outrageous again.
"That's enough. Get off the stage, quickly," someone transmitted into Qin Ming's ear. Going too far was truly bad.
Left with no choice, Qin Ming slowly lowered his index finger, turned, and drifted away, leaving everyone with a transcendent and unforgettable silhouette.
Behind him, the young disciples of the Six Imperials ancestral court chanted his name.
Qin Ming felt no awkwardness uttering those arrogant words. What did being domineering matter? For right now, he was merely Qi Zizai.
He assumed the spar had drawn to a close, yet not long after, an elder sought him out, saying there was an exchange gathering waiting for him to attend.
Qin Ming was surprised. It wasn't over yet? Even the elders of the Six Imperials ancestral court had not expected it; they had merely made polite arrangements with a smile, but the other party had actually "gladly" agreed.
It was mainly because Mu Huaijin and the others wanted to observe Qi Zizai up close—could a patriarch of revival truly be emerging in the decaying Six Imperials Dao arena?
Inside the massive palace built of lapis lazuli, it was exceedingly spacious. Thick pillars, one after another, were carved with godkin creatures, exuding an ancient aura.
Upon ebony tea tables, tea fragrance drifted through the air. The atmosphere was harmonious as the old fellows laughed and chatted.
Qin Ming was astonished. All the disciples of the outer realm had come, including the silver-armored maiden who had suffered the backlash of her own Purple Palace thunderfire; even the wounded were present.
Although the three elders of the outer realm were smiling, they were not in good spirits. Beside each of them sat a scruffy old man, huddled so close they might as well have been linking arms in joyous conversation.
The Six Imperials people were guarding against them projecting conscious spiritual light to investigate their disciples.
Not only had Qin Ming shown up, but Zhuo Ya and Cui Chongxuan were also present, alongside a dozen or so disciples from the Six Imperials side.
Zhou Shize said, "I think it is better to leave this place to the youngsters. With us here, they won't be able to loosen up."
In the end, he invited Mu Huaijin and the others elsewhere for tea. Qin Ming's eyes sparkled, his heart stirring with excitement.
He appraised the opposing side; every one of them wore a hostile expression toward him.
"We can be considered friends made through battle. Allow me to offer tea in place of wine to apologize to everyone."
Qin Ming stood up. Now that the old men were gone, he was looking forward to this exchange immensely.
Nearby, the youths of the Six Imperials ancestral court admired him greatly. To think he would simply hold a teacup and stroll alone into the opposing crowd!
"This Senior Brother Qi is truly the vanguard of our generation!" Cui Chongxuan sighed softly, his eyes shining. He had watched the spars from start to finish, and the dominant manner in which Qi Zizai swept his opponents had left him in awe.
In the Fangwai Immortal Land's group, everyone had felt offended, and some still wished they could fight him to the death. A few even radiated faint light as their armor clanked.
Qin Ming did not care. How would they dare act out in the Six Imperials ancestral court? Besides, with no elders present, who was afraid of whom?
Unfazed, he beamed brightly and said, "Everyone, there is no need to dwell on the spars. In my heart, it has already vanished like smoke. Do you truly wish to trudge forward carrying a mountain on your backs? The road ahead is long. If you wish to draw near to the immortals, you must possess a heart of great freedom and easy detachment."
Everyone present was taken aback. This madman had actually adopted a completely different demeanor, which caught them off guard. Furthermore, what he said actually carried some truth.
Qin Ming raised his cup and said, "Everyone, cultivation is all about removing one mountain after another from within your heart. You should let it go. What do fleeting honor, disgrace, gains, and losses count for?"
The disciples of the Six Imperials ancestral court were filled with admiration. What was true breadth of mind? Qi Zizai lived up to his name—far too detached and free!
The expressions of the Fangwai Immortal Land disciples softened slightly; this madman seemed a bit more agreeable than before. However, before long, their opinion changed completely.
Qin Ming spoke up: "Everyone, you still need to work hard. I would hate for you, years from now, to gaze upon my back across an endless sea of mountains!"
Some disciples from the Fangwai Immortal Land had already begun sipping their tea in response to his "goodwill," but now they wanted to spit the bitter tea right out. This madman had actually escalated!
The people of the Six Imperials ancestral court were dumbfounded as well. This Senior Brother Qi Zizai was truly too bold! To stand right in the middle of that crowd and dare say such things? They hurried forward, fearing a brawl would break out, ready to jump in!
Naturally, Qin Ming acted this way because he had his sights set on the Immortal-Combating Classic. He needed to fully stir their emotions, sending them through extreme highs and lows, or he would have no opening to strike.
Beside him, the white-clad maiden Luo Yao knitted her brows, clenched her fists, and ground her teeth, itching to land a punch on his beaming face. But standing this close to a practitioner of the Newborn path, relatively speaking, put her in greater danger.
At the same time, she found those words rather familiar. Then she recalled that several months ago at Black-White Mountain, she had said something similar to a certain youth.
"This..." She felt thoroughly stifled. To be looked down upon in turn by someone of this path! Most importantly, his track record was right there for all to see, overwhelmingly dazzling.
"Your Immortal-Combating Classic is quite good, but none of you have truly mastered it," Qin Ming said, naturally striking while the iron was hot. His first target was Li Daocheng.
Because he was a top mutant, undoubtedly a seed disciple nurtured with high priority.
However, Qin Ming was disappointed. Although Li Daocheng was indignant, a cloud of purple mist drifted through his conscious spiritual light and flowed through his entire body, gradually calming him down.
This person's willpower was exceptionally firm!
Qin Ming did not want to waste time, so he turned and walked away to pursue the next best option.
He was very eager to obtain that Purple Palace thunderfire. If mastered, it would be a terrifying trump card. Having already mastered wind-thunder force, adding this Purple Palace thunderfire would truly be wondrous beyond words.
"Junior Sister, the technique you practice is remarkable, but I could tell at a single glance that something is wrong with your approach, leaving behind considerable hidden flaws. That is why I defeated you so easily in battle."
The silver-armored maiden originally possessed a gentle and delicate demeanor, but now half her face was bruised purplish-black from the backlash of her own thunderfire; she was severely injured.
Now, flames of anger leaped in her eyes. It was bad enough that this madman had defeated her, but now he had strutted right up to lecture and critique her!
Qin Ming smiled and said, "Don't be angry, I speak only the truth. Furthermore, I can tell you how to cultivate thunder force. Having fire without thunder can only be considered an incomplete technique—you have not mastered it thoroughly."
The silver-armored maiden gritted her teeth. "You truly are arrogant. After just a single spar, you think you can guide me in cultivating the Purple Palace thunderfire?"
"Of course!" Qin Ming's smile broadened as he guided her emotions deeper into the topic, engaging in a warm and friendly exchange with her.
Soon after, the silver-armored maiden was stunned. What kind of monster was this? He truly was able to offer her inspiration, enlightening her greatly! Qin Ming, naturally, gained immensely as well, his smile growing brighter and increasingly cordial!
In the end, his expression turned solemn again. The deeper he probed into the Purple Palace thunderfire, the more he realized it was far from simple; it seemed capable of being mined even deeper.
Meanwhile, Lu Zizai arrived at a secluded ground within the Six Imperials ancestral court. Amidst heavy fog, an enormous wondrous bird sensed his aura. Just opening its eyes released golden rays that dispersed the night mist, to say nothing of its feathers, which began to glow as if ready to incinerate the entire vault of heaven.
"Be quiet," Lu Zizai said.
The wondrous bird immediately dimmed and shrank, ultimately transforming into a palm-sized golden bird that perched upon his shoulder.
Lu Zizai sighed and said, "Deliver a letter for me."
Chapter 160