Chapter 302 – Absolute Victory

Tang Chuan’s expression shifted from shock to embarrassment to anger as he hurriedly tried to explain. But Li Guanqi raised his hand and cut him off. “Alright, alright. I know what you meant. If I win, my condition is simple.”

Tang Chuan pursed his lips, expecting Li Guanqi to repeat what he’d said earlier.

Instead, Li Guanqi’s grin vanished. His face darkened, and he stared coldly at Tang Chuan. “If you lose, I want one of your hands.”

Silence. Deathly silence.

A thousand disciples were already gathered to watch, and even many sect elders had come. Above, the elders frowned.

“Isn’t that a bit much?” one elder asked.

Beside him, a thin, withered old man stroked his goatee with a frown. “Yeah, it’s just a duel. How is cutting off someone’s limb appropriate?”

A man with hard, angular features next to them huffed coldly. “Why not? These disciples treat the Phoenix Lightning Sect’s martial stage like a joke. If that’s his condition, I say it’s a fitting one!”

The two elders fell silent at his words.

As Tang Chuan’s expression shifted again and again, a pitch-black tear split the sky. An old man in purple robes stepped out slowly.

Deep wrinkles carved his face, each one a testament to the years he’d lived. His eyes were milky white, yet carried the weight of an abyss. His thin eyebrows and deep eye sockets made him look vicious.

He hovered in the sky, fixing his gaze on Li Guanqi.

Li Guanqi bristled at the man’s hostile stare. He shot upward in a flash, stopping before him, eyes narrowed. “Senior, if you’d like to take your disciple’s place in this duel, I don’t mind.”

When the disciples below saw the old man’s face, they quickly simmered down and bowed, greeting him loudly, “Greetings, Grand Elder!”

“Greetings, Grand Elder!”

Their voices merged into a tide that seemed to shake the heavens.

A man in the crowd murmured with a curl of his lip, “What’s that old demon Zhou doing here? Wasn’t he in closed-door cultivation?”

The Grand Elder clasped his hands behind his back, cast Li Guanqi a glance, and snorted. “That won’t be necessary.”

Looking down at Tang Chuan, he said, “Since Elder Li has made his request, just agree to it, Chuan’er. Don’t be a wet blanket.”

Tang Chuan straightened at the sight of his master. He smiled and nodded. “Naturally.”

The old man didn’t interfere further. In a flash, he appeared beside the elders, conjured a chair from crackling lightning, and settled down to watch.

Li Guanqi appeared on the stage, and a thick, orange barrier rose from its edges.

The transparent barrier allowed the audience to watch while shielding them from danger. It was strong enough to absorb the energy ripples of attacks from Nascent Soul Realm cultivators.

Tang Chuan looked at Li Guanqi and smirked. Then, he took out a glittering sword from his storage ring. It was a spirit sword—a rare treasure.

Li Guanqi simply turned his head toward the audience, smiling at Tang Jing. “Mind lending me your sword?”

Tang Jing gasped, flustered. She pulled out her sword. “Uh... I don’t have a lightning spirit root. It’s also just a magical sword.”

Beside her, Liu Man opened her mouth but held back from talking.

Li Guanqi smiled. “That’s fine. And you don’t have to worry about me breaking it.”

Whoosh!

The sword flew into Li Guanqi’s hand. As vital force coursed through him, he gripped the sword and began to grasp its properties.

Boom!

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

A strong pressure erupted from Tang Chuan. He leveled his sword at Li Guanqi and shouted, “Today, I’ll humiliate you!”

Li Guanqi shrugged. “Honestly, you people are so dramatic.”

Boom!

His own aura exploded outward.

Ripples shuddered across the barrier. Tang Chuan paled beneath the crushing force.

He’d believed that being half a step into the Nascent Soul Realm meant the gap between them wouldn’t be insurmountable. But now he felt like a tiny boat adrift on a vast ocean. If Li Guanqi so much as willed it, he could sink him with ease.

The corners of Li Guanqi’s lips curved up, then his aura started to weaken until he was half a step into the Nascent Soul Realm.

But that was not it. Li Guanqi casually flicked his sword a few times, suppressing his cultivation to the late Golden Core Realm.

The crowd exchanged baffled looks.

Even Tang Chuan’s master subconsciously leaned forward slightly as he watched the stage with a slight frown.

Tang Jing furrowed her brow and murmured, “Why is he doing this?”

Zheng Yao tilted his head. “Maybe... he wants to fight Tang Chuan on equal ground? Like, he thought he was really strong at the Golden Core Realm, so he’s suppressing himself back down?”

Before Tang Jing could reply, Liu Man cut in, her eyes not moving from the stage. “No. He’s so arrogant that he thinks he can crush Tang Chuan even at a lower cultivation level. He’s overflowing with confidence.”

The disciples buzzed in confusion.

Onstage, Tang Chuan smirked. “Don’t tell me you expect me to suppress myself too?”

Li Guanqi shook his head quickly. “No, no... This is enough to defeat you. You stay as you are. Let’s begin.”

Tang Chuan was about to retort when Li Guanqi vanished.

Tang Chuan felt goosebumps all over his body. There was no time to think. He turned and slashed his sword sideways.

Clang!

Tang Chuan was blasted dozens of zhang backward, leaving behind an afterimage of himself still standing there.

Li Guanqi gave no pause. He shot after Tang Chuan, who was still flying backward through the air.

What followed left the crowd dumbstruck.

Li Guanqi, suppressed to the late Golden Core Realm, utterly dominated Tang Chuan. No matter how hard Tang Chuan fought, he could barely defend, jumping around the stage like a clown.

Compared to Li Guanqi’s calmness, Tang Chuan’s behavior was embarrassing.

Gradually, realization spread. “How... how is he overwhelming Tang Chuan when he’s only at the late Golden Core Realm?”

“Look! Every time he moves, it’s like he already knows Tang Chuan’s next move. He cuts Tang Chuan off before he can do anything!”

“Damn... No way... That’s possible?!”

Liu Man focused on the two youths on stage, not daring to blink. Almost without thinking, she whispered, “His talent for battle and instincts are terrifying...”