Jiang Ran's Worries

"Begin!" With the chime of the bell, the final battle commenced. The disciples of the Divine Light Sect watched the arena stage, their faces marked with anxiety. At that moment, Qi Yuan also moved. Since his opponent held a Foundation Establishment dharma artifact, then... he simply wouldn't let him bring its power to bear. Not that Qi Yuan was afraid of it. Still, if it could be settled easily, why bother with extra trouble? Minor Stealth Technique! In an instant, Qi Yuan vanished from the stage. Chu Yundong was dazed for a brief moment. Where did he go? Right then, a massive fist came crashing down onto the back of his head. *Bang!* Chu Yundong didn't even have time to react before he was bowled over by the punch! Qi Yuan had played games for so long and possessed a wealth of mob-grinding experience. Flick snipes, positioning, combos—it was all effortless, second nature born of practice! Dealing with someone like Chu Yundong was naturally a walk in the park. After knocking Chu Yundong flat in a single strike, Qi Yuan cast a Dust Cleansing Technique on his fist. Who knew if Chu Yundong had dandruff? He thrust out his fist like a boxing champion. "I won." Pity there were no sexy ring card girls holding up signs for him, let alone daring beauties rushing up to plant passionate kisses. There was only the long-bearded old fellow, the Commandery Prince of Changshan, standing up and waving enthusiastically at Qi Yuan without the slightest shred of decorum. "Divine Light Sect, Qi Yuan wins!" Only when this announcement rang out did the crowd finally register what had transpired on the stage. Chu Tianxiong's face clouded with rage as he glared at Chu Yundong sprawled on the ground. "Useless trash!" Patriarch Baiji also looked startled for a split second, but in the end, he said nothing. As for the disciples of the other sects, they weren't particularly surprised by the sight. Qi Yuan was, after all, the head disciple of Seven Colors Peak. Even without backstage manipulations in this Foundation Establishment Grand Gathering, he likely would have had a shot at taking the championship. Of course, had the Peak Master of Seven Colors Peak not given them advance warning, this gathering would never have proceeded so harmoniously, and the outcome would still have been anyone's guess. "As expected of Seven Colors Peak's head disciple!" "One glance shows he doesn't merely cultivate magic power; his combat mastery is profoundly deep as well!" "Senior Brother, how did you win?" a Divine Light Sect disciple asked. In their eyes, Qi Yuan was a cultivator of the Obsession lineage and was talented enough, but actual combat? Everyone knew the Eldest Senior Brother of Seven Colors Peak had never once set foot in the Combat Hall to spar. He spent all day obsessed with his games, or else taking a kitchen knife out for a walk. "Play more games," Qi Yuan answered earnestly. Hearing this, the disciples all laughed. Qi Yuan stepped down from the arena stage, feeling completely relaxed. This Foundation Establishment Grand Gathering had been hastily organized, and it had wrapped up just as sloppily. As he walked off the platform, he saw a sect elder with a snow-white beard looking at him kindly. The elder held a brown wooden box carved with motifs of birds, fish, and insects. "Qi Yuan, this is the reward for this Foundation Establishment Grand Gathering: the first-grade Foundation Establishment spiritual item, the Yellow Flower Fruit!" The sect elder handed the box to Qi Yuan. All around, the disciples of the Divine Light Sect and the other sects watched with burning envy. Even quite a few elders were green with jealousy. Qi Yuan's eyes also sparkled like stars. Tens of thousands of spirit stones! This was worth over ten thousand spirit stones! The sect elder offered words of encouragement. "May you rely on this spiritual item to achieve Foundation Establishment soon and add another powerful combatant to our sect!" Foundation Establishment? Qi Yuan had no intention of using the Yellow Flower Fruit for Foundation Establishment. After all, he had a better choice. When establishing his foundation, he would build the absolute best: Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment. The Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment that Deacon Xu Renshan had spoken of last time was firmly lodged in his mind. Naturally, he didn't voice any of this. Under the envious gazes of the crowd, Qi Yuan bid farewell to the elders of the various sects and prepared to return to Seven Colors Peak. "You lad, given time, you'll certainly make your mark on our Great Shang Prodigy Ranking! Now that the gathering is over, this old man is off to drink wine with your sect master." Having said his piece, the Commandery Prince of Changshan waved his sleeve and departed with effortless poise. Amid the crowd, Chu Tianxiong looked at Qi Yuan, a flicker of greed flashing through his eyes. Just then, Qi Yuan seemed to notice Chu Tianxiong. A look of concern appeared on his face. "Senior Brother, you'd better be careful lately. The calamity of bloodshed hanging over you is growing thicker by the day." In his judgment, Chu Tianxiong wasn't far from death. He just wondered at whose hands this bloody catastrophe would fall. Hearing this, Chu Tianxiong's expression turned even uglier. "Hmph! You'd better worry about that Junior Sister Jiang Ran of yours. To me, she's the one facing a calamity of bloodshed." "Oh? Is that so? I ought to do a divination for Junior Sister Jiang Ran as well, then," Qi Yuan remarked, acting as though he took Chu Tianxiong's words completely seriously. [She is an ordinary cultivator. Recently, an auspicious glow has emerged around her; good fortune seems imminent.] After reading the prompt, he looked at Chu Tianxiong. "My divination tells me that good fortune awaits Junior Sister Jiang Ran. How about this: go kowtow to her to bask in some of that auspicious aura. Who knows, maybe your calamity of bloodshed will be dispersed." Qi Yuan spoke with utmost sincerity, genuinely thinking of Chu Tianxiong's best interests. "You..." Chu Tianxiong was furious. In the end, he flicked his sleeve and stormed off, not deigning to exchange another word with Qi Yuan. Qi Yuan sighed. "Like the dog that bit Lu Dongbin—completely blind to good intentions." Muttering to himself, he took the Yellow Flower Fruit and prepared to head back to Seven Colors Peak. His master had been so considerate of him; he ought to curry a little favor with her. "Senior Brother Qi Yuan, thank you." Right then, Jiang Ran walked over, her eyes still slightly red. Today, when Chu Tianxiong had targeted and harassed her, she had been terrified. Yet in the end, it was Senior Brother Qi Yuan who had stood up and helped her out. Qi Yuan blinked in confusion. "Thank me for what?" "Thank you for getting me out of trouble, and for saying that... Chu Tianxiong had a calamity of bloodshed hanging over him, infuriating him to the core." Saying this, Jiang Ran felt a bit of vindication. Qi Yuan smiled. "What I said was true; he really does have a calamity of bloodshed coming. What a pity he refuses to listen to good advice. If he had just kowtowed to you, maybe it really would have vanished. People need to know when to take advice. I used to know a guy who was great at taking advice, and he ended up becoming a top streamer." Listening to Qi Yuan's nonsensical rambling, the gloom in Jiang Ran's heart dissipated considerably. "Senior Brother, you're really amusing." Then, as a thought struck her, Jiang Ran's expression turned solemn. "Senior Brother, you must be careful of Chu Tianxiong. He's vicious, ruthless, and never lets the slightest grudge go unavenged. For the near future... try your best not to leave the sect." "A nobody like Chu Tianxiong—what's there to fear? If I lop off his dog head with a single blade, that'll fulfill his bloody omen just fine," Qi Yuan said nonchalantly. Jiang Ran knew Qi Yuan was eccentric, but she still urged him, "Chu Tianxiong is a Foundation Establishment expert. On top of that, he offered his own wife to Old Demon Black Chicken as a concubine. That's precisely why he enjoys immense favor in the Black Mountain Sect. Whatever happens, Senior Brother, you must be cautious." Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Didn't expect the fellow to keep a hat on his head—quite safety-conscious of him." Ending his conversation with Jiang Ran, Qi Yuan left carrying the Yellow Flower Fruit. Jiang Ran gazed at Qi Yuan's receding figure and let out a wistful sigh. "With a first-grade Foundation Establishment spiritual item, five hundred years from now Senior Brother might step into the Divine Infant realm. I wonder if by then... I'll even still be alive." Old Demon Black Chicken hung over her heart like a dense shroud of gloom. And the overbearing, cruel, and tyrannical Chu Tianxiong was an even sharper thorn in their side, loathed by all the disciples of the Divine Light Sect and by Jiang Ran herself. After all, the atrocities Chu Tianxiong had committed in Rong City not long ago had gone completely unpunished. And upon learning that the Black Mountain Sect retinue had chosen to spend tonight resting in Rong City, Jiang Ran felt only deeper fury—and the bitter weight of her own helplessness.