CHAPTER 28: JIANG RAN'S WORRY

"Begin!"

The bell rang and the final battle commenced.

The Divine Radiance Sect’s disciples focused on the arena, full of worry.

Qi Yuan moved at once. He’d make sure his opponent never got the chance to use the Foundation Establishment artifact! Not out of fear, of course. Why complicate a battle that could be won with ease?

Minor Invisibility!

Qi Yuan vanished from the stage.

Chu Yundong froze for a moment. Where did he go?

Then, a massive fist slammed against the back of his skull.

Bang!

Before he could react, Chu Yundong was knocked flat by a single punch.

Having played countless hours of games, Qi Yuan's monster farming experience was rich. Headshots, kicking, combos—everything came second nature.

Dealing with Chu Yundong is a piece of cake!

Not only did he floor Chu Yundong with one strike, he even cast a Cleansing Spell on his fist before throwing a punch.

Who knows if Chu Yundong had dandruff?

Qi Yuan raised his fist like a boxing champion. "I win."

Too bad there were no sexy ring girls holding up signs, nor any bold admirers rushing up for a hot kiss. There was only the long-bearded Prince Changshan, standing up and waving at him enthusiastically.

"Divine Radiance Sect, Qi Yuan, wins!"

With that announcement, the crowd finally registered what had just happened.

Chu Tianxiong's face darkened, glaring at the fallen Chu Yundong. "Trash!"

Even Black Chicken Ancestor looked startled for a moment, though he said nothing in the end.

The other sect disciples weren't surprised. Qi Yuan was, after all, the chief disciple of Seven-Colored Peak. Even without any 'backroom dealings', he had a very real chance of taking first place.

Of course, had the Seven-Colored Peak Master not threatened them beforehand, the event wouldn’t have gone so smoothly, with the outcome being far less certain.

"He is worthy of being Seven-Colored Peak's Chief Disciple!"

"Clearly, he isn't just about cultivating realms, his combat techniques are equally profound!"

One of the Divine Radiance Sect's disciples asked, "Senior Brother, how did you win?"

They regarded Qi Yuan as an Obsession cultivator. His talent wasn’t bad, but when it came to dueling? Everyone knew Qi Yuan had never once set foot in the duel hall to spar. He spent all day obsessed with games, or wandering around with his vegetable knife.

"Play more games," Qi Yuan replied earnestly.

Hearing that, the disciples all burst into laughter.

Qi Yuan stepped off the arena stage, feeling light and easy.

The Foundation Establishment Event that had begun sloppily ended no less so.

As he came down, a white-haired, bearded elder approached. Smiling kindly, he carried a brown wooden box engraved with birds and beasts. "Qi Yuan, here’s your reward, the level 1 spirit item, the Yellow Blossom Fruit."

The elder handed him the box.

All around, the Divine Radiance Sect’s disciples and others stared in open envy. Even some elders couldn’t hide the blaze in their eyes.

Qi Yuan's eyes twinkled like stars. Tens of thousands of spirit stones! This is worth tens of thousands of spirit stones!

The elder encouraged him. "May this spirit item help you establish your foundation early, and add another force to our sect."

Foundation Establishment?

As if he’d use the Yellow Blossom Fruit for that! He had a better option. If he was going to establish his foundation, nothing less than the Heavenly Dao would suffice! Ever since Xu Renshan had explained it, the concept was lodged firmly in his mind.

Yet, Qi Yuan remained silent. Amidst the envious gazes, he bid farewell to the elders and prepared to return to Seven-Colored Peak.

"Hey, lad! Give it time, and you'll surely rise to become one of the prodigies of our Great Shang Kingdom!" said Prince Changshan with a laugh. "The event's over, I'll be off to drink with your sect master."

With a swish of his sleeve, he departed with elegance.

In the crowd, Chu Tianxiong's eyes glinted with greed as he stared at Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan seemed to notice. His face softened with concern. "Senior Brother, you'd best be careful. The blood calamity upon you grows heavier by the day."

He could see that Chu Tianxiong's death wasn’t far off. He just didn’t know whose hands would deliver it.

Chu Tianxiong's expression twisted. "Hmph. Just worry about your junior sister, Jiang Ran. I’d say she’s the one with looming blood calamity!"

Qi Yuan seemed convinced. "Is that so? I should calculate for Junior Sister Jiang then."

[She is an ordinary cultivator. Auspicious light gathers about her, something joyful seems about to happen.]

Then, he turned to Chu Tianxiong. "According to my divination, happiness awaits Junior Sister Jiang. Why don't you go kowtow to her, share in her blessing? Who knows, maybe your blood calamity will disperse."

"You..." Chu Tianxiong flushed with rage, then swept his sleeves and stormed away, unwilling to waste more words.

Qi Yuan sighed. "To bite the hand who feeds you, you fail to recognize a good man's heart."

He shook his head, cradled the Yellow Blossom Fruit, and prepared to return to Seven-Colored Peak.

Since his master had gone the extra mile for him, he ought to express his thanks.

Jiang Ran approached, her eyes still slightly red. "Senior Brother Qi Yuan... thank you."

She’d been terrified when Chu Tianxiong made things difficult for her, but Qi Yuan had stepped in to help.

Qi Yuan blinked in confusion. "Thank me for what?"

Jiang Ran smiled softly, finally feeling a bit of relief. "For standing up for me... and for saying that Chu Tianxiong had blood calamity upon him. He nearly died from anger!"

Qi Yuan grinned. "I was serious. He really does have a blood calamity. Too bad he won't listen. If he bowed his head to you, maybe it really would've dispersed. People should learn to take advice. I once knew someone who always did. In the end, he became a famous streamer!"

Listening to Qi Yuan's nonsense, Jiang Ran couldn't help but feel her worries lift a little.

"Senior Brother, you really are amusing." Then, her expression grew serious. "Still, you must be careful of Chu Tianxiong. He is ruthless, vengeful, and never lets go of a grudge. It’d be best if you don't leave the sect for the time being."

"Chu Tianxiong? He's nothing. One swing of my knife would’ve lopped off his head, fulfilling his blood calamity," Qi Yuan said casually.

Jiang Ran knew he was never serious, but she insisted. "He's a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator. His wife was given to Black Chicken Ancestor as a concubine. Because of this, he is especially favored in the Black Mountain Sect. Please, Senior Brother, be cautious."

Qi Yuan raised his brows. "So, the fellow’s wearing a green hat. At least he has good safety awareness." [1]

Jiang Ran watched his back, sighing softly. "With a level 1 spirit item, Senior Brother may step into the Nascent Soul realm in five hundred years... I wonder if I'll even live to see that day."

Black Chicken Ancestor’s shadow loomed like a heavy cloud over her heart. Meanwhile, the domineering and cruel Chu Tianxiong was a thorn in the side of every Divine Radiance Sect disciple—especially Jiang Ran. After all, Chu Tianxiong had yet to face any punishment for the crimes he committed recently.

When Jiang Ran learned that Black Mountain Sect's party had chosen to stay one more night in Rong City, her heart was filled with anger and the bitter weight of her own helplessness.

1. When someone is wearing a green hat, it means that his partner is cheating on him. This apparently dates back to the Yuan Dynasty when prostitutes and their families were forced to wear green hats to show their social status. ☜