Chapter 34 - Fight!!!
After the Little Prince extended his invitation, a swarm of Inner Sect disciples quickly gathered.
Despite the Little Prince's penchant for high stakes, these disciples saw no mystery in the outcome of the match—Wei Mingzhi was the sure winner.
Why wouldn't they come when there was money to be won?
The Little Prince collected a substantial sum. Eventually, he delegated the money-collecting to a familiar disciple and helped himself to a bunch of bananas from his Space Ring.
“Has the Little Prince opened a wagering pool…?”
Xi Yingzhu pondered briefly before pulling out twenty Spirit Stones and addressing Xi Ming, “Cousin, I'd like to place a bet of twenty Spirit Stones.”
Xi Ming nodded, then casually inquired, “You think Wei Mingzhi will come out on top?”
“No. I believe Peng Gengkun will win.”
Xi Ming spun around, fixing Xi Yingzhu with a look of scrutiny.
Yet, Xi Yingzhu coolly turned away, refusing to meet Xi Ming's gaze any longer.
With a clenched jaw, Xi Ming carried the Spirit Stones over to the betting area.
Just as Little Prince was peeling a banana, he caught sight of Xi Ming and chuckled, “Ah, a member of Lord Xi's household. Who's your money on?”
“Wei Mingzhi,” Xi Ming declared, enunciating each word. “These are my cousin's twenty Spirit Stones and my own fifty.”
The Little Prince nodded in approval. “You're quite confident. Here, have a banana. Just don't back out if you lose later on!”
Xi Ming expressed his gratitude to the Little Prince and took the banana with him.
Xi Yingzhu had overheard Xi Ming's wager. When he returned, she couldn't hide her irritation, “Xi Ming, you…”
“What is it?” Xi Ming nonchalantly peeled the banana and scoffed, “Cousin, I'm not sure why you've changed your stance, but Peng Gengkun is merely an Outer Sect disciple. Even as an elite disciple, he's still from the Outer Sect! And from a humble background at that. Today, he's bound to fall to Wei Mingzhi!”
After a brief silence, Xi Yingzhu asked, “Was it you who prompted Wei Mingzhi to act?”
Finishing his banana, Xi Ming finally answered, “Yes.”
Xi Yingzhu pressed further, “The Wei family is of noble lineage too. Even if they're not as influential as our Xi family, I doubt you can simply command them at will!”
“True, but I gave him the half-used Soul Fixing Fragrance. That made him quite eager to lend a hand!”
“You!” Xi Yingzhu's anger intensified, “You manipulated an Inner Sect disciple with the Soul Fixing Fragrance to strike against an elite disciple?! That's going too far!”
Xi Ming let out a dissatisfied snort.
“Cousin, you're being unreasonable. I did this for your benefit! Why must you overthink things? Remember, you and Dou Xi'ao have an engagement. I'm merely helping Dou Xi'ao eliminate a nuisance.”
Xi Yingzhu grew even more discontent, “I've taken a vow that if I'm to marry, it must be to a genius. And until I become a Direct Disciple, I refuse to marry anyone. I've made it clear that I don't fancy that Outer Sect disciple. Why would you interfere like this?”
She paused, then added in a whisper, “Moreover, shouldn't I have a say in my own marriage? Why does the family have to arrange it…”
Before Xi Ming could offer any consolation, the Little Prince's voice, filled with unbridled joy, rang out, “It's begun! They've started fighting! Bring me my telescope, I want to see this clearly…”
The crowd around the arena wore a mix of expressions. Meanwhile, on the Death Match Arena, after a lengthy standoff, the combatants finally launched into action.
The first to strike wasn't Peng Gengkun, but Wei Mingzhi.
As soon as Wei Mingzhi made his move, his Martial Soul sprang to life.
The fleeting glimpse of soldiers behind Wei Mingzhi was a clear sign to all that he had achieved the Soul Refining Stage!
“Soldier Martial Spirit?” Peng Gengkun was momentarily taken aback, then burst into mocking laughter, “I didn't expect you to actually reach the Soul Refining Stage! Too bad you rushed your breakthrough without proper self-cultivation, choosing instead to manifest the Soldier Martial Spirit! That Martial Spirit is the least impressive of them all!”
Wei Mingzhi wore a look of haughty pride as he declared, “As a warrior of the Soul Refining Stage, you stand no chance against me! Prepare to meet your end!”
The Soldier Martial Spirit may lack formidable power, but it allows a warrior to channel the soul of a soldier, significantly boosting their strength. Moreover, if a warrior refines the Soldier Martial Spirit to an advanced level, they can even manifest an invincible suit of armor.
Despite having recently harnessed the Soldier Martial Spirit, Wei Mingzhi's prowess was not to be taken lightly.
Without even tapping into his Astral Energy, it was clear to all that with a single step forward, Wei Mingzhi caused the very arena beneath him to fissure!
Wei Mingzhi's mere punch was so forceful that it made the air itself reverberate with sound!
His fist then connected with Peng Gengkun, catapulting him backward and nearly toppling him from the arena.
“Face the truth!” Wei Mingzhi looked down with icy detachment, “You have no hope of defeating me…”
But before Wei Mingzhi could finish.
Peng Gengkun, having been hurled away, astonishingly got back on his feet. He even casually brushed the dust from his clothes.
Then, placing a hand to his ear, Peng Gengkun asked with a grin, “What was that? I didn't quite catch it!”
At this, Wei Mingzhi's eyes bulged, and rage surged through him.
With a bellow, Wei Mingzhi lunged forward, aiming another punch to send Peng Gengkun flying once more. But this time, Peng Gengkun nimbly evaded the blow.
Employing the Grade Two Movement Technique, the Shocking Wind Step, Wei Mingzhi launched a series of attacks, yet failed to even graze Peng Gengkun's garment.
Gasping for air, Wei Mingzhi came to a realization.
“A Movement Technique! I never imagined you'd be so fortunate! But I possess one as well! Your realm is no match for mine. No matter how strong your Movement Technique may be, once I channel my Astral Energy, my speed will still surpass yours!”
Having finished speaking, Wei Mingzhi no longer poured his full strength into activating the Soldier Martial Spirit. He simply harnessed its power to amplify his own physical might. Then, channeling his Astral Energy, he executed a masterful set of Movement Techniques.
Peng Gengkun's face took on a serious cast as he observed Wei Mingzhi's earnest approach.
“Earlier, Wei Mingzhi relied solely on the strength of his Martial Soul, which allowed me to fend off his assault. But now that he's tapped into his Astral Energy, I'm facing uncharted territory—I've never clashed with an opponent at this level, so predicting the victor is a challenge. Nevertheless, my strength has been bolstered more than tenfold, so handling his offense shouldn't pose too much of a problem. With that in mind, it's best to aim for a swift and decisive victory!”
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