Chapter 1634: You Overestimate Yourself

Previously, Elder Xu had harbored resentment towards Peng Wuyan after his disciple was injured by her, and he had been unable to vent his anger. Now, seeing Zu An step forward again, he finally had an outlet for his frustration, feeling a surge of satisfaction.

"I genuinely don't want to meddle in your Daoist sect's affairs, but now that I see someone refusing to accept defeat and attempting to discredit the winning disciple through other means, as a referee, I cannot stand idly by," Zu An scoffed.

"Well said!" Grandmaster Huoling echoed excitedly. To be honest, she had initially looked down on Zu An. After all, the jianghu (martial arts world) and the imperial court were naturally at odds, and in the eyes of jianghu practitioners, someone like Zu An was inevitably suspected of being an imperial lackey. Moreover, he seemed to have little cultivation and was likely a pretty boy who rose through connections. Now, surrounded by enemies, it was this very "pretty boy" she had disdained who came to support her and her disciple. She felt both thrilled and ashamed.

After speaking, Zu An walked directly to the arena and supported a somewhat shaky Pei Mianman. "How are you feeling? Quickly meditate and recover your qi. I'll handle the rest."

"Mmm," Pei Mianman gazed at him deeply, her eyes brimming with affection. Although she had just defeated Zhixin, her actual cultivation was still slightly inferior to his. His frantic counterattack during her victory had left her with considerable injuries, and her vital energy was significantly depleted. Unfortunately, the surrounding crowd's demand for an inspection had prevented her from recovering.

As expected, Ah Zu cared about her the most.

"Ugh, I'm getting goosebumps," Yun Jianyue, from a distance, couldn't help but rub her arm with a look of disgust. "Do they think everyone here is dead, openly flirting like that?"

Qiu Honglei explained, "Others don't know about their relationship, so they probably won't notice anything."

Yun Jianyue couldn't help but glare at her. "Sometimes I truly wonder if you ever get jealous?"

Qiu Honglei smiled subtly. "As 'demonesses' who bring calamity to the nation, we are meant to be the objects of others' jealousy. To be jealous of others is a sign of incompetence. Didn't you teach me that, Master?"

Yun Jianyue was speechless.

Indeed, as Qiu Honglei said, the disciples from various sects in the arena, unaware of Zu An and Pei Mianman's relationship, didn't think much of it. However, many male disciples were incredibly envious. Appearing to help Miss Pei when she was most helpless would surely win her favor easily. Yet, they knew their limits. In that situation, even if they were three times bolder, they wouldn't dare to step forward for her.

At this point, Elder Xu scoffed, "This is no longer just a matter of a competition. It concerns the safety of the entire Daoist sect and even all living beings under heaven. There was a similar incident in Daoist history: a disciple accidentally obtained a magic artifact and his cultivation rapidly advanced. Little did anyone know it was an evil object, and one day it suddenly devoured the vital essence of all disciples on an entire mountain peak of a sect, leading to extremely tragic consequences. Later, masters from various sects joined forces and paid a heavy price to seal that evil object. Our current actions are merely to prevent a repeat of that disaster."

The sect masters nodded discreetly. Their recent statements, besides wanting to trip up the Palace of Blue Skies, were also influenced by this historical incident.

However, when it came to Pei Mianman's interests, why would Zu An bother with their arguments? "Isn't this just an unfounded accusation? I see there are always some people in this world who constantly preach about benevolence, righteousness, and worrying about the nation, but in reality, they are full of deceit, debauchery, and devious schemes."

Elder Xu was furious. "Who are you talking about?"

Enrage points from Xu Chuan +711711711…

The other sect masters who supported inspecting Pei Mianman also looked displeased.

"Whoever is agitated, that's who I'm talking about," Zu An smiled faintly, staring directly at him.

Many young disciples nearby stifled their laughter, desperately trying to keep their heads down to hide their smiles.

"You scoundrel!" Xu Chuan was practically fuming. The passive-aggressive taunts Zu An had learned from years of lurking on forums in another world were a devastating blow to the people of this world.

"Who is the scoundrel talking to?" Zu An quickly retorted.

"The scoundrel is talking to you!" Elder Xu instinctively replied, but upon seeing the strange expressions of those around him, he immediately realized he had fallen into a trap. His face turned the color of a pig's liver.

Enrage points from Xu Chuan +888888888…

At this moment, a person stood up. "My friend, merely being good with words is meaningless. In this world, cultivation speaks for itself. Luo Dongjiang from Mount Luofu would like to request your guidance."

This was Luo Dongjiang, the chief disciple of Mount Luofu. Seeing his elder so enraged by the opponent, he stepped forward to help defuse the situation. Prompted by him, Elder Xu finally came to his senses. He realized that engaging in a verbal dispute with such a young man was truly beneath his status. Fearing Zu An wouldn't accept the challenge, he deliberately provoked him, saying, "Lest it be said that I, an elder, bully you, I'll let Dongjiang exchange a few moves with you. Don't worry, he always knows how to hold back and won't take your life." While he wouldn't kill him, a few superficial injuries would be quite normal. Luo Dongjiang understood the implied meaning and nodded subtly at him.

The disciples in the arena looked at Zu An with sympathy. The glory of saving the beauty was not so easily earned. This "pretty boy" showed no qi fluctuations whatsoever, looking like an ordinary person. Any random disciple present could probably crush him, so how could he possibly be a chief disciple's opponent? He had just stepped forward, likely relying on his status as an imperial official. However, in this era of great struggle, everyone respected only the strong, regardless of their status.

Many disciples from Li Hentian even started to jeer, wanting Luo Dongjiang to teach Zu An a good lesson. Firstly, there had been a conflict between them at the Prince Yan's manor. Secondly, since this incident involved Zhixin and the sect's honor, they naturally regarded Zu An as an enemy.

Only Zhao Xiaodie muttered to herself, "You all underestimate him too much..." She had fought Zu An before; he had effortlessly crushed her, and even now, she still felt a deep, soul-stirring sensation from that encounter.

"What did you say, Senior Sister?" The gloomy young man beside her couldn't help but turn his head. He was Cai Yu, the ninth junior brother, who had wanted to challenge Zu An at the Prince Yan's manor but the matter had ended inconclusively, which he deeply regretted.

"Nothing," Zhao Xiaodie forced a smile. She knew that even if she spoke, these people wouldn't believe her, so it was better to let them witness it for themselves.

At this moment, Zu An glanced at Luo Dongjiang on the arena with disdain. "You? You're not worthy."

The entire arena erupted in an uproar; the level of provocation was instantly maxed out. Even figures of sect master level, like Wang Wuxie, were somewhat perplexed. Was this young man genuinely formidable, or was he just bluffing? But this bluff was perhaps too outlandish.

The chubby monastic disciple Jiese from Wuyou Temple asked the adjacent Master Jianhuang, "Master, what do you think?"

Master Jianhuang slowly replied, "He was very calm when he said that, without a hint of fear or even a flicker of emotion, as if it were a matter of course."

The young monk Jiese was startled. "Could it be that he truly is a hidden master?"

"We will find out soon enough," Master Jianhuang's gaze was fixed on the arena.

At this moment, Luo Dongjiang's face flushed crimson. He directly drew his sword and lunged at Zu An. "Then let me see if your skills are as sharp as your tongue."

Enrage points from Luo Dongjiang +444444444…

In his rage, he completely forgot Elder Xu's instructions and no longer held back in the slightest.

Qiu Honglei nervously clutched Yun Jianyue's arm. "Master, is he really as powerful as you say?"

Yun Jianyue winced slightly and brushed her hand away. "Are you questioning your master's judgment?"

Qiu Honglei offered an awkward smile. Normally, she would trust her master completely, but when it concerned Zu An, she couldn't help but be flustered with worry.

As Luo Dongjiang's sword was about to strike Zu An, Zu An didn't move an inch. Many in the arena secretly scorned him, thinking he must have been scared senseless. However, on second thought, it was understandable. Luo Dongjiang's full-power strike in his fury was probably too fast for most of the disciples present to react to.

Just then, a white blur flashed, and Luo Dongjiang's sword was deflected by a gentle force. He looked up in astonishment at Wang Wuxie, who stood at the center of the high platform.

Wang Wuxie said, "This matter can be deliberated at length; there's no need for a life-and-death struggle." After all, he was still the Grand Tutor. If an imperial envoy were to die here and he failed to intervene, the repercussions afterward would be immense. With Wang Wuxie stepping forward, Luo Dongjiang naturally dared not defy him and could only glare resentfully at Zu An.

At this point, Zu An calmly remarked, "You should thank the Grand Tutor for saving your life."

Luo Dongjiang: "???"

In fact, those were the exact words he had intended to say, but he never expected his opponent to utter them first. Did this guy have no shame?

Enrage points from Luo Dongjiang +999999999…

This was also the thought of everyone else present. Wang Wuxie's face twitched slightly, and he felt some regret for having just intervened to save him. Ten thousand years from now, if grave robbers were to open his coffin, most other things would have long since decayed, but his mouth would certainly still remain.

Elder Xu was also enraged. "You brat, since you claim Dongjiang is unworthy of your attention, then let me experience your impressive skills. I just hope you won't hide behind Sect Master Wang anymore." He even disregarded the bad reputation of an elder bullying a junior, seizing the opportunity to attack based on a loophole in Zu An's recent words.

Enrage points from Xu Chuan +999999999…

Zu An glanced at him, shaking his head slightly. "You overestimate yourself. Why would I need to use my hands to deal with you?"

Elder Xu: "???"