Chapter 177: 应战

Climax!

"You..." Xiang Yi, Wan Dao Xuan, and the other person were all astonished and speechless.

As soon as Senior Sister spoke, Guan Yingjie secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He also felt it would be more reliable if Senior Sister personally took action, but he was too embarrassed to say, "I can't do it, you go instead."

Those three were not surprised by Mu Lanqing's strength, but rather by her relationship with Wang Sheng. Tang Zhen tried to ask, "Mulan, given your relationship with him, is it appropriate to have a public showdown?"

Li Shanshan also asked, "Yes, will it not affect your relationship?" Mu Lanqing replied, "It's fine, as long as you don't worry that I'll go easy on him."

Indeed, the three of them really did have concerns about this. Having previously seen this woman protect her own man, they worried that she might not dare to strike hard, thus compromising everyone's interests.

What else could be done? Even Guan Yingjie was confident. If they stepped in and failed, it would be a loss of both interests and dignity, which would be extremely embarrassing.

Accompanied by Cao Shujing and Yin Huixin, Mai Zhanchang, the sect leader of Youkang Mountain, entered the small gate of the training ground for the first time. Along the way, he couldn't help but look around.

Upon learning that Shi Chun was a master, the attitude of Elder Ke and the other two genuinely changed. Their subtle arrogance vanished, and their smiles became more genuine.

With such a prize at their doorstep, they would naturally be unwilling to let it slip away. "Alright," the guards at the entrance responded, and after letting in those who could enter, they immediately blocked the cave entrance.

Guan Yingjie interjected, "Let's wait until dawn. Things will be clearer then. The location can be the open ground behind the mountain."

On the last day of the great conference, it wasn't just the entire capital that was abuzz; at least half of it was. The most exciting moment was about to arrive. Too many people wanted to come and witness the outcome, but most were not qualified to enter.

When Elder Ke and the other two arrived, they announced, "The matter is settled, without any surprises."

Guan Yingjie somewhat guessed their thoughts and spoke up, "Alright, no need for insincere words. You can rest assured on this point: since my Senior Sister has taken action, she will not disregard the sect's interests. She will go all out and show no mercy."

Those words significantly eased the worries of the three. Soon after, Cao Shujing, who was trying to probe for information, was stopped outside. Mu Lanqing nodded slightly, indicating she understood.

After a brief silence, seeing that no one spoke, Elder Ke stated decisively, "Good, since no one objects, it's settled! Everyone, you may disperse and rest."

Bian Jixiong immediately questioned publicly, "What's going on with your Youkang Mountain? You started by partnering with my Jietang True sect, but then you all ran off one by one. I heard you even laid hands on your own people from Shengzhou and then went over to Xuanzhou to work hard for them. What exactly do you Youkang Mountain people, acting so two-faced, intend to do?"

The imperial training ground, even before nightfall, had fallen silent. Inside and out, there was an unprecedented quiet.

It was for no other reason than to see how Lan'er would handle the situation.

The group of rabble-rousers clearly felt intimidated. As the saying goes, 'a person's name creates a shadow,' and no one believed that the 'Big Boss' could be a match for Mu Lanqing.

They had just sat down for a moment when Wan Dao Xuan rushed over and said to Lan'er, "Big Boss, Elder Ke and the others are here. They say they've accepted your challenge and want you to come out and speak."

Instead of responding to the questions, he publicly praised the other party's good points, which quickly defused much of the awkwardness and also showed his boldness, making people look on with admiration.

Xiang Yunshan arrived.

Bian Jixiong and Elder Lin, who was beside him, did not stand up. As elders of Shengzhou's largest sect, their stature was not comparable to that of a sect leader from a sect like Youkang Mountain.

Elder Ke waved his hand again, "No, no, you know their relationship, but it's really not worth fighting for face in a matter like this. We must be cautious. Doesn't he himself know whether he's good at night combat? If he's good at night combat, we'll fight tonight. If not, then we'll wait until dawn. This isn't just about you; with so many people's interests at stake, we cannot be careless."

Cao Shu also said, "That's right. If Shi Chun's strength were ordinary, we could treat this lightly. But since we know his power is extraordinary, treating it lightly again would be too careless. We absolutely cannot be negligent."

Without being overly dramatic, he stood up and left.

Lan'er also turned and returned to her cave. As she passed the entrance, she said to the guards, "I need to quietly cultivate my vital energy. No one is allowed to enter without my permission."

He waved a hand, signaling the end of the gathering, then courteously cupped his hands to Lan'er, turned, and left to report.

Even in the imperial capital, a moment when so many sect leaders gathered was extremely rare. As fellow sect members, they naturally understood the strengths and weaknesses of their disciples.

She also possessed a sense of pride, confident that no one among the Shenzhou participants could be her opponent. Shi Chun's statement about letting them carefully choose the time and place somewhat offended her pride.

Wu Handong had just led Cao Shujing to the Shengzhou seating area and was about to take her through the aisle to the Youkang Mountain seats, when a dignified voice called out, "Mai Zhanchang!"

Only eight people from each sect were allowed to enter. With the sect leader's arrival, that Youkang Mountain disciple could only wait far outside the venue. Although the training ground was large, its size was, after all, limited.

Li Shanshan: "Exactly."

The sect leader was not the only one to arrive this time. Sect leaders from other factions with participating disciples, most who could come, had arrived.

Of course, Qian Cheng wouldn't be so arrogant. This time, he was clearly somewhat displeased.

There was no need for circumlocution. Elder Ke glanced around and formally announced publicly, "Brother Wang, Miss Mu Lanqing has spoken. This time, the rest of us will not participate. She will personally face your challenge and compete with you!"

Lan'er spoke up, "Time and place." A slight smile appeared on Lan'er's lips. With such confidence, it seemed clear that Mu Lanqing would be making her move.

Lan'er: "What can't be said directly? Why send people running around?" Lan'er: "No, it's fine, let's do it that way." Mu Lanqing: "Any time, any place is fine; I won't pick, and you don't need to either."

Wan Dao Xuan said, "You also said that, and they said it's better to make some things clear and confirm them publicly, to avoid any backtracking later."

As for whether Wang Sheng would go easy, they weren't concerned. If he could, that would naturally be even better, but the question was, did that scoundrel seem like the type to go easy?

Mu Lanqing showed no reaction. The three exchanged glances and withdrew.

After all, she was here on a mission. Before the official start of the great conference, she also wanted to observe further, to see if anything she hadn't noticed before would emerge, so she could reach a definite conclusion for her final report. Then she waved her hand at the crowd, "Alright, let's stop with the unpleasant talk. I said the time and place are for you to choose; discuss it among yourselves. Wang Sheng, when and where do you think you can best display your strength?" Xiang Yunshan, observing from the side, took another look at Lan'er, knowing that she had been preparing for a showdown with Mu Lanqing for a long time, and that things had actually reached this point.

As these words were uttered, exclamations erupted everywhere. Many among the elite felt excited, as if victory was certain. Others harbored private doubts: given Mu Lanqing's relationship with Shi Chun, would she publicly outshine her fiancé? How would they get along in the future?

The matter was thus settled. Too lazy to argue further with this rabble, Qian Cheng had nothing more to do with these people. He retreated to the cave for peace.

Not long after they left, Mu Lanqing also returned to the cave. She sat cross-legged, her long sword drawn from its scabbard at her waist. She pulled out a white handkerchief, and with slender fingers, she unfolded the handkerchief and repeatedly wiped the blade. A faint, deep violet glow, like sandalwood gold, shimmered coldly on the blade.

Outside the training ground, luxurious carriages gathered, pulled by various precious spiritual beasts. Dignitaries came and went, dazzling the eyes of people from smaller sects. It was truly an eye-opening spectacle.

Wan Dao Xuan feigned sincerity, saying, "Don't worry too much. We still have faith in you in this regard; you are someone who clearly separates public and private matters." Before retreating outside the cave, he merely nodded slightly in greeting to Chu Jingting and the others. Still appearing taciturn and depressed as if having undergone immense trauma, he arrived at this crowd of people, and he had to continue his act.

However, Elder Ke, still looking bewildered, said, "Brother Guan, with what he said, how can we not believe Cao Shu?"

The few people looked in the direction of the voice, only to see at the very front an old man with an otherworldly aura, dressed in snow-white robes, with temples streaked with white, beckoning with his hand.

In a contest of strength, daring to truly strike would likely be the key to victory or defeat. In another cave, Mu Lanqing stood with her hands behind her back, gazing at the distant starry sky.

Before leaving, Elder Ke added another sentence, "I heard he accepted the challenge. Cao Shu seemed very calm, showing no reaction."

The three also thought so. Seeing that Mu Lanqing did not object, the matter was thus settled.

Cao Shujing then announced loudly to everyone, "A single battle between the two sides will determine the winner and end the dispute. The loser will have no complaints or regrets and must not create further trouble. Does anyone have any objections?"

Not only did he have to endure it, but he also forced a smile onto his face, saying, "My sect's disciples are disappointing, making you all laugh. I hear Jietang True sect's disciples performed well this time, and it seems they have yet to..."

She truly wanted to see how capable this Shi Chun fellow really was. She just didn't believe that even in terms of combat strength, she could be inferior to him.

Now that Mu Lanqing had proactively brought up this point, it made the three feel awkward about appearing too petty.

Upon hearing the report, Wu Jinliang personally went to receive the person. On the way, when Xiang Yunshan asked about the situation, Wu Jinliang did not hide anything and informed him of the current state of affairs.

He was, after all, a sect leader, and being publicly reprimanded by an elder from another sect like that, with so many people from other sects watching, he felt he was losing face, his expression turning red and pale. However, it was not appropriate to openly turn hostile. Inside the cave, everyone who could go out, except those guarding the worm crystal, followed to see the outcome. Many people at the scene exchanged glances, and there were still those with conflicted feelings, but ultimately, no one spoke out.

Furthermore, he was determined to kill Cao Shu and Wu Jinliang later. Regardless of whether it could appease the domain lord's wrath, he had to make a show for the domain lord. The old sect leader also meant the same thing. For this, he had already disregarded any previous plans.

Lan'er remained silent, waiting.

Mai Zhanchang had already heard about the relevant situation from Wu Handong. As soon as he heard the situation, he knew what was on his daughter's mind: she dared to defy the sect's decision. He was already seething with anger, and with these two rebels, Lan'er and Wu Jinliang, his blade for cleansing the sect was almost unsheathed.

Cao Shujing and the other eight then left together.

Finally, a group of rabble-rousers led by Lan'er, and a group of Xuanzhou elites led by Elder Ke and the other eight, faced each other, separated by a distance of approximately three meters.

Mai Zhanchang was startled, recognizing Bian Jixiong, the Grand Elder of Jietang True sect, whose status was second only to the sect leader. Not daring to delay, he immediately turned and walked out of the aisle, approaching the front row to greet him, "Elder Wu is here, and Elder Lin as well."