Chapter 196: Who Is the Strongest Fighter

The moment the finger energy beam shot out, a ripple of vital energy centered on Li Weiyi's fingertip spread in all directions.

"Boom!"

Lu Wensheng finally unleashed his eighteen Thunderstrike Formations, which collided with the incoming finger energy. In an instant, energy fluctuations surged skyward, and lightning even flew off the platform, spreading to the distant streets.

When everything settled down, Li Weiyi was seen kneeling on one knee on the platform, propping himself up with a hand and breathing heavily. His body was scorched black and he looked utterly disheveled.

In contrast, Lu Wensheng's robes were as good as new, and his eighteen Thunderstrike Formations had withstood the beam, still enveloping him. Who was superior was immediately obvious, but…

He was now standing below the platform!

He had been knocked off just moments ago.

Li Weiyi slowly stood up, fixing his gaze on Lu Wensheng below, feigning ease and dominance. "Ten moves. You are the first person to exchange ten moves with me, and the first to force me to use my strongest trump card. But you lost!"

Qi Wangshu and Zuoqiu Baiyuan could finally breathe, gasping for air, then shouted, "Lu Wensheng of Thunderous Sky Sect has been defeated in ten moves!"

"Boom!"

The martial cultivators watching the battle erupted in excitement, finding it utterly unbelievable.

From start to finish, Lu Wensheng had firmly held the upper hand, with a higher level of cultivation, refined thunder techniques, and a stronger physique, yet he was defeated in ten moves.

It wasn't a defeat; he had merely been knocked off the platform.

How could the disciples of Thunderous Sky Sect admit defeat? Someone retorted, "Senior Brother Lu hasn't lost! Everyone can see who's superior."

"Rules are rules. Is Thunderous Sky Sect a sore loser?" Zuoqiu Baiyuan countered.

Qi Xiao, naturally seizing the opportunity to suppress Thunderous Sky Sect for the Zuoqiu Clan, calmly stated, "After ten moves, Li Weiyi stands on the platform and Lu Wensheng is below it. The outcome is clear for all to see. In plain sight, can you still deny it?"

"Xiao Shu, tally it up. See how many Spring Coins Young Master Lu owes Li Weiyi. If he can't produce them, or refuses to pay, Thunderous Sky Sect will lose face across the Southern Region!"

Li Weiyi shouted, "Waive the change for Brother Lu!"

"That makes it 260,000 Spring Coins," Qi Wangshu stated.

Ten catties of immortal soil, worth a million Spring Coins, couldn't be decided upon directly by Zuoqiu Ting in his current capacity; he needed to consult the clan head.

This illustrates the immense value of 260,000 Spring Coins.

The Thunderous Sky Sect disciples' expressions all changed.

One pretty junior sister, appearing sixteen or seventeen, looked at the somber-faced Lu Wensheng with concern. "Senior Brother Lu, you didn't lose to him. He just used the rules to win. He's a scoundrel!"

Lu Wensheng's gaze sharpened, and he raised his head again. "I want another match!"

Zuoqiu Baiyuan sneered, "Lu Wensheng, have you no shame? Look at Young Master Li's current state; can he still fight?"

The last move earlier made Qi Xiao realize Li Weiyi was still holding back, and his worries subsided. "As the referee, I must remind Young Master Lu. You must pay the Spring Coins first before you can challenge again."

"Exactly, pay up first," Qi Wangshu said.

A Thunderous Sky Sect disciple said, "You're clearly robbing him, deliberately luring people into a trap to extort vast wealth."

Zuoqiu Baiyuan retorted, "Young Master Li is of noble character and values his reputation. He only seeks to exchange martial arts with friends. He has never set up a gambling ring. The five hundred Spring Coins are merely an entry fee; even losing them wouldn't be a significant blow. It was Lu Wensheng who went too far, insisting on using this opportunity to humiliate the Zuoqiu Clan. Now that he's lost, he blames us."

A heated argument ensued between the two sides, with each blaming the other until their faces turned red and their necks swelled.

Lu Wensheng naturally couldn't produce 260,000 Spring Coins. Feeling his reputation ruined, he silently turned and left.

"Senior Brother Lu!"

The Thunderous Sky Sect disciples rushed to follow him.

"A top sect, the Nine Springs Pure Immortal Physique, and this is all you've got?" Zuoqiu Baiyuan, unafraid of offending Thunderous Sky Sect, mocked relentlessly, hoping to provoke Lu Wensheng into a greater loss of composure.

Unfortunately, his wish was not granted.

Li Weiyi, displaying great magnanimity, said, "Brother Baiyuan, that's enough. It's best to forgive and forget."

Lu Wensheng, who had walked some distance, heard this and took a deep breath, barely suppressing the lightning about to erupt within him.

Qi Wangshu asked, "Aren't you going to chase him for it? Are you really just letting him off?"

"No rush, he might just come back tomorrow!" Qi Xiao replied.

"Brother Weiyi, is that all for today?" Zuoqiu Baiyuan asked.

Seeing many eager martial cultivators below the platform, Li Weiyi shook his head. "No! A promise is a promise. If I said two hours, I'll fight for two full hours. I... can last!"

Zuoqiu Baiyuan picked up the list of those who had paid the challenge fee. "Next up is Red Fox Ji from Mount Tianya!"

A demonic martial cultivator with a red fox head and tail, like a phantom, soared onto the platform. She had transformed into a human body, dressed in a woman's robe, with her arms and hands now devoid of fox fur, appearing fair and slender.

Five moves later, Red Fox Ji let out a pathetic cry, severely wounded by one of Li Weiyi's fingers.

Li Weiyi, with his hands clasped behind his back, commented, "Utterly vulnerable! During combat, your breathing is chaotic, and your internal energy circulates without any discernible pattern. Your martial arts proficiency is a mess. Among the fourth-level cultivators of the Five Seas Realm in Mount Tianya, who is the strongest?"

Red Fox Ji, completely subdued by Li Weiyi's critique, felt he spoke great sense and weakly replied, "Wood Ape Ling Qing."

Li Weiyi said, "Bring him here tomorrow. If I'm going to fight, I'll fight the strongest. Give her fifty Spring Coins, and if Wood Ape Ling Qing comes tomorrow, give her another fifty."

Standing on a floating island of formations in the Immortal Forest, one could perfectly observe the packed crossroads below.

Next to the crossroads, the newly erected platform was strikingly conspicuous.

Inside a white jade pavilion on the south side of the floating island, Zuoqiu Ting, transformed into a dragon-like figure, sat in the main seat of the dimly lit hall. Behind him, a map of the twenty-eight provinces of Lingxiao hung on the jade wall.

Parts of the terrain of the Far West Ash Region and the Netherworld of the Dead, located outside the twenty-eight provinces, were also outlined.

Zuoqiu Ting's eyes shone brightly in the darkness as he laid out the pros and cons: "At this Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, the Far West Ash Region represented by the Young Venerable and the Imperial Court are the two strongest forces."

"Let's not even mention the Ash Spirits! The two major powers of your Western Region, the Quanrong and Querong, will undoubtedly obey him. Now, Coffin Mountain, Night City, and the Three Chen Palaces in the Southern Region are also colluding with him, and Mount Tianya is waiting to be bought."

"The Young Venerable's primary target will undoubtedly be the Zhu Clan. Zhu Huan is dead, and you are next."

"The Zhu Clan cannot win."

Zhu Yibai, sitting opposite, wore a structured armor exuding a bloody aura, yet his appearance was exceptionally handsome. Far from the ruggedness of a seasoned warrior, he had red lips, white teeth, and skin as fair as jade.

He toyed with two jade beads, one black and one white, in his hands. "The Imperial Court's power won't be much less than that of the Far West Ash Region, and Immortal Child Ge may not be weaker than the Young Venerable. The Imperial Court's primary target will undoubtedly be the Zuoqiu Clan, and the Zuoqiu Clan cannot win either."

"Therefore, our two clans must form a secret alliance for the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival to have a viable outcome," Zuoqiu Ting stated.

Zhu Yibai's lips curled upwards. "The Zuoqiu Clan is the host. I don't believe you'd dare to organize the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival without absolute certainty of victory. Zuoqiu Ting, if you want to cooperate, you must show sincerity. I want to know your Zuoqiu Clan's trump card."

Zuoqiu Ting looked at the map on the wall, pondering for a moment. "You must understand one thing! Your Zhu Clan has no choice; there is no other way out than to cooperate with the Zuoqiu Clan."

Zhu Yibai's eyes narrowed. "You're being alarmist."

Zuoqiu Ting said, "Facing an enemy of the Young Venerable's caliber, the only ones qualified to sit at the table are the Zuoqiu Clan of the Southern Region, the Snow Sword Tang Clan of the Northern Region, the Dragon Gate and Thunderous Sky Sect of the Eastern Region, and the Imperial Court, which is hostile to all rebel forces."

"Below the Young Venerable and the Imperial Court, the Snow Sword Tang Clan, which occupies five provinces in the Northern Region, is undoubtedly the strongest. Second comes the Zuoqiu Clan, supported by the Nine Li Tribe."

"The Zhu Clan, Dragon Gate, and Thunderous Sky Sect—these three powers are vying for fifth place."

"Even if the Zhu Clan and Thunderous Sky Sect join forces, they can at best only defend themselves. As for the Dragon Gate... it's laughable to even mention them; they were responsible for ruining the Zhu Clan's favorable situation."

"The Snow Sword Tang Clan is indeed powerful, but they don't need the Zhu Clan. If the Zhu Clan takes the initiative to form an alliance, can they achieve equal status? Can they share life and death? They would merely be exploited."

"Their best option is to sit back and watch the tigers fight."

Zhu Yibai fell silent. In the hall, only the sound of the black and white jade beads spinning in his hand could be heard.

After a long pause, he stood up and left without a word.

The door opened.

The hall became bright again.

The previous dimness was because Zuoqiu Ting had absorbed all the light in the room.

Zuoqiu Lancheng, the second successor of the Zuoqiu Clan, walked in quickly after seeing Zhu Yibai off. "How did the discussion go?"

"That wasn't Zhu Yibai, just a substitute. But this substitute is very strong, possessing cultivation strength close to that of a successor." Zuoqiu Ting stood by the wall, his gaze fixed on the map.

Zuoqiu Lancheng frowned, letting out a cold snort. "Is Zhu Yibai being overly cautious, or does he simply lack sincerity?"

"People tempered by the battlefield are bound to be extremely cautious, so it's understandable. He must be under considerable pressure facing a dangerous individual like the Young Venerable," Zuoqiu Ting said.

Zuoqiu Lancheng added, "Oh, by the way, Lu Wensheng also lost, exactly in ten moves."

Zuoqiu Ting showed no surprise at all. His gaze shifted from the map, and as he walked outside, he chuckled, "Lu Wensheng would never admit defeat. Didn't he challenge for a second match?"

"He certainly wanted to."

Zuoqiu Lancheng then recounted the details of the gambling match.

Zuoqiu Ting was dumbfounded. He had initially thought Li Weiyi would only start earning significant money later, but he hadn't expected him to make so much on the very first day. He could already imagine what the future days would hold.

Even Zuoqiu Lancheng was envious, quite covetous. "For us, collecting even one thousand-year-old spirit medicine involves extreme danger. Yet, he effortlessly earned enough money for two or three such medicines... However, collecting the debt from Lu Wensheng might be difficult, as he likely cannot pay."

Zuoqiu Ting's eyes sparkled with amusement as he stood by the railing, looking down at the street beneath the clouds. "Debts must be paid; that's only right. This money cannot be avoided. It seems I'll be able to earn a large sum along with him..."

"Xue Kongdong of Shuzhou, Southern Region, defeated in four moves!" Qi Wangshu announced loudly.

After offering his martial arts critique, Li Weiyi asked, "Among the fourth-level cultivators of the Five Seas Realm in Shuzhou, who is the strongest? Bring him here tomorrow, and you'll receive one hundred Spring Coins."

"Zhu Qingyan of Xinzhou, Northern Region, narrowly defeated in seven moves."

Li Weiyi's voice immediately followed, "Zhu Qingyan, bring all the strongest fourth-level cultivators of the Five Seas Realm from the seven provinces of the Northern Region! I wish to exchange martial arts with them as friends."

Seeing Li Weiyi, who appeared disheveled and weak but was in fact full of vigor and possessed unfathomable martial arts proficiency, Zhu Qingyan instantly realized he had been acting all along. With a mixture of resentment and hatred, she said, "Young Master Li, you are indeed no ordinary person. I, Zhu Qingyan, concede. However, experts in the seven northern provinces are as numerous as clouds; there will naturally be someone who can defeat you."

"Excellent then, I was only worried there'd be no one in the Northern Region."

Li Weiyi truly dropped the act. His aura was exceptional, like a martial saint, and his gaze sharply swept over all the spectators present. "Today ends here. I haven't really had a satisfying fight; only Lu Wensheng showed some promise. Tomorrow! Everyone, come back tomorrow. I will weigh all the dragons and phoenixes of the Fourth Realm from the twenty-eight provinces."

He was incredibly arrogant, but his combat power was undeniably formidable. With dozens of undefeated matches, he was truly a legend in his realm.

Topics such as "Young Master Li," "challenge fees," "defeating all enemies in ten moves," "Lu Wensheng's huge gambling debt," and "weighing all the dragons and phoenixes of the twenty-eight provinces" quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys.