Chapter 2180: Qi Linger's Victory

"Since you cheated, I don't need to feel bad anymore..."

Zhang Xuan smiled faintly.

If the other party had played by the rules, he wouldn't have said much. A win was a win, a loss was a loss, and a gamble required fairness. Even if it meant jeopardizing his own plans, he would never break the rules. This was his inner standard.

But since this guy started with dishonest intentions, they certainly wouldn't just stand by. He might not have had a solution before, but seeing the Gu worm leading the way to find the Great Cycle, a plan had already formed in his mind.

"Although she took the Beauty Pill some time ago, the Heavenly Dao True Qi isn't easily dissolved. I should still be able to control it..."

Concentrating his mind, he slowly extended it into the opponent's body. Sure enough, he sensed a faint wisp of true qi flowing within her, mingling with other energies. When Qi Ling'er was in the underground mall of Nightfall City, she had taken a Beauty Pill, and his true qi had remained in her body. At the time, it was a precaution for safety, a backup plan. Even after several days, he could still control it at will. With this, the effect would undoubtedly be far more powerful than the Gu worm, and most importantly, it would be silent and undetectable by anyone.

Whoosh!

Under his control, the Heavenly Dao True Qi slowly spread, forming a circular path along a specific trajectory in the blink of an eye. Wherever it went, the previously blocked and restricted areas were all unblocked. Qi Ling'er, who had been bewildered and felt certain to lose, instantly comprehended everything, her eyes shining brightly. Although she didn't understand why this was happening, she knew... the martial art she had been unable to grasp until now... was broken!

Not only that, but its flaws were also rectified, making it even more powerful and profound!

Zzzzz!

The divine power circulated twice within her body, and her understanding of the martial art had reached a profound level. Full of excitement, she still maintained a facade of anxiety on her face.

"Hm?"

She might have fooled Qi Wei'er, but it was unlikely she could fool the Divine King before her. The Qi Family Head was slightly taken aback to see the previously stumped girl suddenly comprehend everything in the blink of an eye. Although his martial art was flawed, mastering it required immense comprehension... to cultivate it to a profound level in a blink of an eye was undoubtedly a pipe dream!

"She probably just comprehended it; there's still a ways to go before mastering it..."

He speculated internally, then glanced at the incense stick nearby and smiled faintly, "Time's up!"

Qi Ling'er and Qi Wei'er stood up simultaneously.

"Let's begin!"

Seeing the other party sweating profusely, Qi Wei'er's lips curled into a slightly excited smile. She had suppressed her many times before, but it hadn't been very effective due to family reputation. Now, to publicly embarrass the Family Head, even though the bet wasn't officially acknowledged by either side, if she won, the other party's punishment would definitely not be light. This would not only satisfy her but also establish her authority. Otherwise, if everyone ignored family rules and could return whenever they pleased after being sent out, how could such a large family be managed?

"This martial art is too complex; it's hard to achieve results in an hour. Family Head, why don't you give me another half hour so I can consolidate my understanding..."

Qi Ling'er's face turned red then pale as she gritted her teeth. To make the fish bite, one naturally had to enlarge the bait.

"The Family Head set an hour earlier. How can you go back on your word? Let's start! Don't drag it out!" Qi Wei'er sneered. She thought the other party was scared.

Seeing that this girl couldn't even see through such a shallow trick to lure someone in, the Qi Family Head sighed inwardly. Previously, because of Qi Yue, he had thought Qi Wei'er was talented and might be of great use in the future, but he hadn't expected her to be so incompetent. Such a simple trick had fooled her! However, it was understandable. Everyone knew each other's backgrounds, and Qi Ling'er's talent was certainly known. If she couldn't comprehend it even after half an hour in the Moon Clarity Pool, it would be truly strange if the other party could. It was this confidence that made him willing to bet.

"Begin!"

The Qi Family Head said indifferently.

Qi Ling'er feigned helplessness and looked at the middle-aged man before her, "Family Head, please examine my cultivation!" Qi Wei'er also stepped forward. Soon, both their cultivation levels were identical, and even the true power within their bodies was controlled with precision.

After this was done, Qi Wei'er, full of smiles, swayed gracefully, rushed forward, and with rapidly flicking wrists, her palm strikes fell like raindrops.

"Excellent!" Watching this scene, the Qi Family Head secretly nodded. The girl before him had not only comprehended that this martial art was difficult to master and broken free from the constraints of blindly following instructions, but she had also modified it to be extraordinarily powerful. Although it was still far from what he cultivated, achieving this at her age was sufficient proof of her talent. He secretly nodded, then looked at the martial... art Qi Ling'er had comprehended. His eyebrows suddenly jumped, and his mouth twitched: "This..." He was too shocked to speak. Although the girl's attack had not fully materialized, the circulation of divine power within her body had already begun. An ordinary person might not discern the direction and power of the flow, but as a Divine King expert, he understood at a glance... the modified martial art of the opponent was many times more powerful than his own modifications! With the simplest method, she had actually elevated a second-rate technique into the ranks of peerless secret manuals that even he found difficult to comprehend! How did she do it?

Before his shock subsided, the air cracked with a whip-like sound. Qi Wei'er, who had been full of confidence, blushed as the girl before her delivered a resounding slap. Her delicate body swayed twice before she fell to the ground.

"You lost!" With a single, instant defeat, Qi Ling'er stopped attacking. Her hands clasped behind her back, her face brimming with pride. Having been suppressed by the other party for so long, she had finally gotten her revenge today.

"You..."

Qi Wei'er was utterly stunned. She had thought that her brother's martial art would make dealing with this person a walk in the park, but she never dreamed that she would be slapped to the ground without even lasting a single move. Hadn't she failed to comprehend and understand this martial art? How could she be so strong?

Not only did she have that expression, but Qi Yue, standing to the side, also frowned. As a peerless genius, he could naturally see the terrifying nature of Qi Ling'er's slap. The root was indeed the Family Head's martial art, but... how was it modified to be like this? Even if the Family Head personally intervened, he couldn't possibly modify a technique to this degree! Unless... the ancestor!

"Could it be... that the ancestor was displeased by our family members fighting and secretly intervened?"

His heart turned cold. For a Divine King expert to be unable to detect it, and for the modifications to surpass even him, there was only one possibility: a stronger individual or someone with a deeper understanding of cultivation techniques had acted. And in the entire Qi family, the only one who could achieve this was the ancestor, Qi Meng!

While they were all shocked, Qi Wei'er finally recovered, her face pale. She suddenly roared, "You're not using this martial art! I'm going to kill you..." Before she could finish, she lunged forward to attack. Being slapped in the face by someone far inferior to her was simply too humiliating.

"Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?" Qi Yue grabbed his sister and shouted. The Family Head had personally posed the challenge; a loss was a loss. If she continued, she would only humiliate herself further.

"Brother, I've been with her for so many years. With her talent, it's absolutely impossible for her to comprehend this martial art and modify it like this... I don't believe it!" Qi Wei'er's teeth were almost gnashing. Others might not be familiar with this girl, but she had always considered her a rival. How could she not understand? Her aptitude was ordinary; though she had some cleverness, it was nothing in the face of true talent! What's more, she was practicing the secret technique her brother had modified.

"You lost!"

Shaking his head, the Qi Family Head no longer paid attention to the girl. Instead, he looked at Qi Ling'er, his eyes filled with curiosity: "Perform the cultivation technique you comprehended for me to see!"

"Alright!"

Nodding, Qi Ling'er flipped her palm.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

As she performed the martial art, violent winds surged around her, the force compressed together, and the air created sonic booms.

"Marvelous, simply marvelous! To think it could be done like this..."

The Qi Family Head's eyes flickered continuously, as if he couldn't believe it himself. Creating a cultivation technique wasn't just about having an insight; it involved constant deliberation, fearing any mistakes. It was like ancient poets writing poetry; a simple character could have a profound impact. Watching the martial art performed by the woman before him, every move was flawless, without a single defect. The Qi Family Head's face flushed with excitement. Observing such a martial art would also greatly benefit his own cultivation.

"This... did you truly comprehend it yourself?"

Unable to hold back any longer, he asked. When did Qi Ling'er acquire such talent? He hadn't even known! With such ability, even if she could only stay in the Moon Clarity Pool for a quarter of an hour, her future achievements would certainly surpass those of Qi Yue, who stood nearby. She possessed the true potential of a Divine King.

"Yes..." After a moment of hesitation, Qi Ling'er nodded. Although she didn't understand why she had suddenly made such a breakthrough, she had already guessed it was related to Young Master Zhang, who was not far away. However, since he preferred to keep a low profile and not reveal himself, she had to claim it as her own achievement.

"Very good!" The Qi Family Head smiled faintly. Qi Ling'er breathed a sigh of relief. Ignoring her own joy, she looked at Qi Wei'er, "Do you have anything more to say?"

"I have nothing to say..." Qi Wei'er gritted her teeth. Held back by her brother, she had somewhat come to her senses. Even the Family Head praised her, and with such combat prowess, Qi Ling'er had indeed surpassed her. Saying anything more would be useless.

"Family Head, she was pressing me every step of the way, as you saw. Since I won, about the bet..." Qi Ling'er looked over.

"Alright, the so-called bet was just nonsense; there's no need to take it seriously!"

Waving his hand, the Qi Family Head said no more. "Sending you to that place in Nightfall City was indeed an injustice these past years. From today onwards, you don't need to go back. Manage the family's Moon Clarity Trading Post instead!"

Qi Wei'er's face turned pale. The Moon Clarity Trading Post was a massive imperial city enterprise belonging to the family, which she had always controlled. Giving it directly to the other party meant stripping her of her authority! Although it wasn't the exact punishment from the bet, it effectively stripped her of her rights and handed them to the person before her... She had thought that with her brother's help, she would surely win. She never dreamed such a result would occur. It truly was... trying to steal a chicken and losing the rice instead. It was like throwing her own face on the ground for others to trample upon.