Chapter 304 – Motivational Session

The childish-looking Zheng Yao clenched her teeth and leaped onto the martial stage. When Tang Jing saw her, she too flew up to join.

Li Guanqi smiled, then turned to the onlookers. “Take a good look! Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves? Even the female disciples have stepped onto the stage. Do you have no balls?”

The other spectators initially had no intention of going onstage, but when they saw their senior sisters go, they hesitated. More importantly, Li Guanqi’s mocking triggered them.

More and more figures stepped onto the large stage until it was covered in a dense crowd.

Li Guanqi gazed calmly at the few hundred people onstage, then rubbed his nose.

“If you’re sending this many at me, I’ll just have to use full strength.”

The crowd went still, shocked. Then Li Guanqi grinned. “Just leave ten late Golden Core Realm cultivators for me.”

Liu Man smiled. “Listen to Elder Li. We can’t fight with so many people onstage.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you all this time,” Li Guanqi said.

Soon, only ten inner sect disciples remained. They were seasoned, long-standing members with high cultivation. From their burning gazes, Li Guanqi could tell that they genuinely wanted to learn something.

Li Guanqi took a deep breath.

Clang!

The sword in his hand let out a gentle sword cry.

Gasps rippled through the crowd as Li Guanqi pressed his aura down further—until it was at the mid Golden Core Realm. Ten late Golden Core Realm cultivators stood before him, each a senior of the inner sect.

Liu Man frowned. “Are you really planning to fight us with that level of cultivation?”

It had made sense when he suppressed his realm only slightly below Tang Chuan’s, but now the gap was enormous. And there were ten of them.

Li Guanqi nodded with confidence, then turned to the sea of disciples. “There’s something you must understand. Out in the world, when conflict comes, remember this: if you can swallow the insult, swallow it. If you can’t win, then run.”

The crowd erupted in laughter.

“Run? That’s humiliating!”

Li Guanqi looked at the guy who spoke. “What’s worth more? Your pride, or your life?”

The plump disciple had no answer.

Li Guanqi continued, “If you’re set on fighting, then finish it at the root. Show no mercy. And remember... when you’re outside alone, you’ll inevitably face unfair odds where you're outnumbered and fighting for your life. Today, I’ll show you how to handle that situation.”

Liu Man and the other inner sect disciples nodded solemnly. Having been dispatched on various assignments beyond the sect, they’d occasionally experience the same situation.

Liu Man’s beautiful eyes lit with curiosity. “You’ve faced that before, haven’t you?”

Li Guanqi nodded.

“How many people did you face?”

Everyone leaned forward, eager to know the greatest number of opponents he’d faced at once.

Li Guanqi recalled the time he and Ye Feng fought a dozen hunting parties. The moment he thought about Ye Feng, a smile crept up his face. “A hundred and thirty-two people.”

Everyone drew in a sharp breath. Many people swallowed in shock. Their jaws dropped, and their eyes widened, as if they had heard something unbelievable.

Some doubted him, including the muscular man hovering in the sky with the other elders. He chuckled. “This kid sure can brag. A hundred cultivators? No one survives that. Still, it’s good to scare the youngsters.”

But the Grand Elder, Zhou Shiqing, gave the man a long look before turning back to Li Guanqi. “Not necessarily...”

“

Hmm?

What do you mean?”

Zhou Shiqing narrowed his eyes. “Do you remember that news that shook the Eastern Territory not long ago?”

The man thought for a long time, then his eyes widened. “You mean... when a dozen hunting parties vanished in the Hell Mountains without a trace?”

Zhou Shiqing said nothing more, but everyone understood. Their eyes returned to Li Guanqi, filled with shock.

Li Guanqi raised his hand. “Let’s begin!”

Boom!

Liu Man straightened, sword in hand. “Forgive me!”

The ten disciples on stage spread out, surrounding him.

The crowd cheered them on, eager to see Li Guanqi display his abilities.

But in the next instant, he bolted like a startled rat. “When you’re being chased by a bunch of people, just run!”

The crowd burst into laughter.

Before the sound even faded, Li Guanqi suddenly whirled around and charged forward, sword in hand. He ran so fast he seemed to fly across the ground.

There were several cold glints of light.

A youth with a cold expression raised his blade, only to scream a moment later. His face contorted, turning green, then purple. At last, unable to endure, he threw his sword aside and clutched his crotch, howling.

The other disciples instinctively closed their legs.

“It hurts... it hurts...” he wailed.

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Suddenly, a strange cloud erupted onstage. It was white cement powder, which Li Guanqi had flung straight at their eyes.

“Protect your eyes!” Liu Man yelled.

Crash! Thud!

Two figures shot out of the cloud of smoke with a white fist seal on their chests.

After he finished, Li Guanqi ran again. “Don’t take on more than you must. Drop one opponent, and you open a gap to break free of the pack. There’s no such thing as a shameful trick. Anything that keeps you alive is a good trick.”