Chapter 117
Diao Fei and the other third level qi refining warrior were undoubtedly the strongest ones in this contest, but the most eye-catching was actually Qian Rongzhi. There were many female qi refining warriors, several of them among the ones who came to apply this time, but few could have her innate beauty. Beautiful women were eye-catching no matter where they went. There were three spots however, and Li Qingshan occupied one already. The last two firmly belonged to the two third level qi refining warriors, while the others had practically no chance left as long as they didn’t meet each other.
The contest progressed very quickly. Many times victory and defeat were divided in an instant as fleeting as a spark. The fourth round came in less than four hours. Only four persons were left in the field. It seemed the two third level qi refining warriors were about to defeat the two second level ones and seize victory, but the situation then suddenly changed. A green-clothed messenger read from the list; the two second level qi refining warriors faced each other, the third levels faced each other.
The expressions faintly changed on the faces of both Diao Fei and the other third level qi refining warrior, while hope suddenly burst out from the two second level ones, Qian Rongzhi among them. Her attitude was calm, as if she’d expected it long ago.
Li Qingshan drooped his eyes when Qian Rongzhi walked into the field. Victory and defeat were already decided. Qian Rongming had a medium-quality talisman as a trump card, and Qian Rongzhi was faintly above him no matter in cultivation or in status, hence how would she be lacking one of her own.
Qian Rongzhi grasped a talisman in her hand as soon as she went on stage just as he expected. But what exceeded Li Qingshan’s expectations was that she didn’t immediately trigger it. Instead she mildly said to the opposite qi refining warrior, “Noble son Zhang, you should be able to see that the might of my medium-quality talisman is extremely great. I have no desire to cause harm however. Please admit defeat!”
“Noble son Zhang” couldn’t help but hesitate. He indeed had knowledge and experience of Qian Rongzhi’s strength, and added to this medium-quality talisman, his odds of victory didn’t reach even one third.
Qian Rongzhi made full use her advantages as a woman. The drizzle dampened her clothes, drawing the outlines of her beautiful body. Her eyes were misty as rain, not appearing the least threatening as she seemed to be simply beseeching his consent, “I am truly unwilling to become your foe unless as a very last resort. If one day your esteemed self were to visit Ancient Wind City, Rongzhi will entertain you properly without fail.”
Zhou Wenbin laughed on the pavilion and said, “Captain Zhuo, is it fine even this way?”
Zhuo Zhibo said, “Why wouldn’t it be. The contest isn’t only about cultivation to begin with, but even more about wisdom.”
Li Qingshan couldn’t help but respect this woman’s schemes. As he expected, that qi refining warrior called “Noble son Zhang” chose to admit defeat under the soft pleading words of a beautiful woman and the coercion of a talisman.
Qian Rongzhi also walked across the plaza and came under the pavilion, coming to a stand beside Li Qingshan. She even gave Li Qingshan a honeyed smile. “There have been some people who previously underestimated the noble son. If I have given offense, then please do not take it to heart.” She’d started indistinctly to display her body’s beauty worthy of pride, as if Li Qingshan weren’t a murderer related to Qian Rongming’s death but a heroic young man for whom her heart raced.
It was actually the first time Li Qingshan heard someone call him noble son, but it only gave birth to a secret chill. He gave an imperceptible grunt and no longer paid attention to her. She was a belle poisonous as snake or scorpion, whether she genuinely didn’t put Qian Rongming’s death to heart or was pressing her hatred down to the bottom of her heart. Such a heart probably came from the education of a great clan. It was impossible for him to be tempted by such a woman, no matter how beautiful.
Qian Rongzhi not only paid no mind to Li Qingshan’s indifference, she even continuously searched for topics of conversation. “Who do you think will win out of those two?”
Li Qingshan frowned and focused his vision entirely on the field. The exchange of blows between the two third level qi refining warriors would be the climax of this contest, but it wasn’t to be the intense crossing of swords and the anxious confrontation he’d imagined.
After a few probes, Diao Fei triggered that Thunder Strike Talisman he bought from Li Qingshan. A flash of thunder thick as a water bucket fell from the sky in a burning white radiance and easily broke through the protective true qi, frying his opponent to a chunk of coal.
The vestiges of that lightning strike disappeared from under the eyelids only a long time later. Its formidable might made even Li Qingshan astonished. He would have suffered injuries even turned back into a monster from this divine punishment in the form of thunder.
Qian Rongzhi’s eyes twinkled. “This noble son Diao picked a good time.”
The right timing and opportunity were things critical to every spell or technique. Dark thunders had been continuously rolling inside the layers of clouds today. This Thunder Strike Talisman had displayed a power closed to an upper-quality talisman in this summer storm weather. It was simply nothing a low-level qi refining warrior could withstand and became an absolute trump card.
Diao Fei also walked beside Li Qingshan. He did his utmost to maintain his calm but it was difficult to hide the ecstasy on his face. He even said thanks to Li Qingshan in a low voice, seemingly not splitting hairs about that one Pearl Dew Pill any longer.
Two medium-quality talismans became the keys the keys to victory. The three of them became the final winners, reconnecting their previous karma from the boat; the three of them could definitely not be called friends however.
Zhuo Zhibo said on the pavilion, “Come up!”
“I refuse!” Someone suddenly howled, his face distorted by jealousy. The psychological blow from the defeat made him somewhat insane, brimming with hatred as he watched Li Qingshan. “With you trash’s strength at the first level, what allows you to stand above me…”
Zhuo Zhibo didn’t act but merely said to Li Qingshan, “You’re already an Eagle Wolf guard, someone provoking you is the same as provoking the Eagle Wolf Guard, you know what you should do!” It was as if he didn’t realize the difference between qi refining at the first level and the second level. The other Eagle Wolf guards also had expressions of partaking in the fun and waited for Li Qingshan to be defeated. See if you still have any face to stand here.
Li Qingshan turned around free and easy. He walked toward that qi refining warrior whose name he’d learned was Lu Hui from the contest right now. It was precisely the one who’d provoked him from the very beginning and whom he’d insulted as garbage in return. He said, “Since you wish so strongly for death, then I’ll help you accomplish your desire.”
Such words sounded like delirious ravings when they fell into the others’ ears.
“What do you want to do? You’re only at the first level of qi refining!” Lu Hui unexpectedly felt a deep sense of fear for some unknown reason as he watched Li Qingshan slow approaching steps. He was much more clear-headed now and regretted his earlier words.
Li Qingshan stopped his feet when they were still separated by a distance of twenty steps. He leaned his body forward and bent his knees like a tiger lying low in the forest as it readied itself to pounce on its prey. He leaped up, his strength breaking out after being compacted for a brief moment.
Li Qingshan’s eyes were easy and unperturbed like a young king of beasts lithely leaping out from the woods without ruthlessness or wrath, merely a tranquil serenity born from self-confidence that sent palpitations to the hearts of men.
Lu Hui watched that pair of emotionless eyes and felt an almost suffocating pressure. He’d hastened the entire true qi inside his body when Li Qingshan had halted his steps, but he merely saw an afterimage glide beside him when Li Qingshan turned the extreme tranquility into extreme action. The speed of that shadow was too high, to the extent it gave birth to the illusion that the raging winds only rushed to him a long time later, hitting his face together with an ice-cold drizzle.
The human silhouette in front of him disappeared from his eyes. He felt a sharp pain in his chest. He lowered his head; there was a hollow emptiness in his chest. He struggled to turn his head back and saw Li Qingshan grasp a heart dripping with fresh blood in his hand. He opened his mouth, but he fell down facing the sky before he had time to say anything.
A moment of silence emerged in the entire plaza, the sound of the rain becoming suddenly clear and sharp. Everyone exposed shock, and even Zhou Wenbin or Zhuo Zhibo revealed some emotion. They said in unison, “Body refining warrior!”
A second level qi refining warrior killed in one hit, moreover not from an ambush, not by a talisman, but killed frontally; everyone felt a gust of deep chill. The qi refining warriors looked at Li Qingshan as if they were looking at a monstrosity. Was he really at the first level of qi refining?
They no longer complained about Li Qingshan not going on stage, but felt rather incomparably fortunate. There would probably have been a few more corpses laying at the edge of the field if he’d gone on stage, and maybe they would have been among those. No one was a fool indeed. To dare to peddle talismans before the battle was to have absolute confidence on one’s own strength. Pity themselves for actually mocking him, but it was fortunately they hadn’t truly stood out and made an enemy of him like that fool.
Even the Eagle Wolf guards who’d always maintained a flippant attitude toward the contest below all watched Li Qingshan with consternation. They were originally exceedingly contemptuous of this kid who’d relied on his connections and joined through the backdoor in broad daylight as soon as he came, but they entirely changed their views at this moment. This kid was definitely not one that could be casually taught a lesson.
The shock Li Qingshan brought to the crowd as soon as he acted was even above that of Zhuo Zhibo killing the qi refining warrior earlier. One had attacked the weak from a position of strength. Instantly killing the other side was merely to be expected. The other defeated the strong from the weaker side, but he likewise destroyed his enemy, this was too abnormal.
Li Qingshan tossed the heart down and steadied his breath. He’d instantly burst out his physical strength and true qi in the space of a flash, and the resulting effects were a little surprising even to himself, although he had had absolute confidence and certainty when he’d attacked.
Tiger Demon Steam Leap, Tiger Demon Heart Scoop, these moves seemed to have merged into his blood after he turned into a monster, becoming part of his instinct.
He’d taken advantage of an opening and defeated Feng Zhang with merely the strength of his body back when he didn’t have a bit or shred of true qi. During these few days, he’d cultivated every day and made his body become even more formidable thanks to the monster qi transformed from the several dozen qi condensing pills he’d eaten. His true qi was also nearing the peak of the first level and was pure to the extreme on top of it. His power had gone through a change overturning the sky and the land.
It had been the opposite for Lu Hui. He’d just gone through three matches right then and his physical strength or true qi had both been at their weakest. Between one strong and one weak, the outcome had been very obvious.
Li Qingshan had a new assessment about his own power. In a human state, it shouldn’t be a problem to frontally kill a third level qi refining warrior. He hadn’t seen a fourth level qi refining warrior yet, hence it was difficult to tell. Of course, all of this was based on the premise the opposite side didn’t have too powerful a trump card. Even in a contest of trump cards however, how many people could compare to him?
Li Qingshan went back beside Qian Rongzhi and Diao Fei. They both retreated slightly back despite themselves. The frightful destructive power he’d exposed caused an extremely great pressure for them.
Qian Ronzhi couldn’t fake out a smile anymore. No one could force out a smile if they knew the one beside them had the ability to kill them at any time, and that person also just happened to be dissatisfied with themselves.