Chapter 629: One-Sided Pummeling
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
"The Cleansing Lake nourishes one’s soul, thus making it highly beneficial toward one’s cultivation. It’s indeed apt to determine the slots based on a cultivation duel!"
After a moment of contemplation, Ye Qian nodded and said, "Alright, cultivation duel it’ll be then. Each Vassal State will form a team each, and the victor will be decided based on the best out of three! However, this will be a friendly duel, so show some restraint. If one side admits defeat, the fight is to be stopped immediately. There’s no need to go so far for a simple duel..."
"Your Highness, I disagree with this proposal!"
Hong shi stood up.
The other three were clearly trying to take advantage of Hongfeng Empire. If they were to accept to those terms, wouldn’t their loss be certain?
Despite all that had happened, in the face of significant material benefits, the trio still continued to maintain their alliance. After all, if they were to lose the slots, they would have to bear the blame from their own countrymen.
Besides, Luo Zhao was no fool. He knew he was framed, and even though Hong shi and Zhang Xuan had spared him, he would surely try to find ways to get even... and this was clearly a good opportunity to do so.
As for Feng Yu... To be pummeled to the point that he couldn’t even recognize himself when looking into the mirror, how could he possibly be content without exacting vengeance on Hong shi?
Chen Yue also had his own benefits at stake in the matter. As the only one who was still fine from the previous confrontations, he became the spokesperson of their alliance.
"Hmm?" Ye Qian turned to look at Hong shi.
"As Your Highness can see, the members of the other teams have already consumed a Consonant Spirit Pill each and enjoyed a significant rise in their cultivation. On the other hand, we have only just arrived at the capital and haven’t gotten a chance to purchase it yet. Naturally, our cultivation is far lower than theirs, and we stand little chance at victory!"
Hong shi spoke directly.
There was nothing embarrassing about his team being weaker. After all, they were indeed at a disadvantageous position given that they hadn’t consumed Consonant Spirit Pills yet.
Chen Yue harrumphed.
"While cultivation might not be everything to a master teacher, it is still an important aspect. Without sufficient strength, everything else is just illusory. You can’t possibly blame us just because you arrived late and couldn’t find any Consonant Spirit Pill!"
"Possessing lower cultivation isn’t an excuse!" Feng Yu interjected.
Luo Zhao glared at Hong shi coldly.
"Hong shi, the both of us know what happened this afternoon. I won’t talk about it now, but I’ll surely get even with you in the future. However... a cultivation duel is clearly the fairest and most apt way to determine the distribution of the slots. If you aren’t confident of winning, why don’t you just admit defeat now?"
The three of them banded together, forcing Hong shi into a corner instantly.
"Admit defeat?"
Just as Hong shi was stumped, Zhang Xuan suddenly spoke up once more. "Impossible. Even if one of us were to admit defeat, it should be you!"
"Indeed!"
Knowing that this young man possessed superior wits and was skilled at dealing with such situation, Hong shi gave him his backing.
"We admit defeat? Why should we? We have already stated the rules, and you’re the only one backing away from the challenge. What else do you want?" Chen Yue sneered coldly.
"What rights do you have to dictate the rules?" Zhang Xuan refuted calmly.
"Indeed! Why should you be the one to decide the rules?" Only then did Hong shi come to a realization, and he quickly chirped in as well.
"Indeed, we can’t dictate the rules. If you find it unsuitable, you can propose an alternative... but naturally, you have to win the majority vote first!"
Chen Yue’s lips crept up.
His intentions were clear. The three of us are an alliance, and no matter how fair your rules may be, as long as we aren’t agreeable to it, what can you do?
Frowning, Hong shi turned to the young man beside him to see how he would reply to this.
"Oh? I’m glad to hear that this matter is open to discussion. I happen to have an alternative proposal in mind which I would like to raise!" Zhang Xuan chuckled.
"Feel free to speak!" Chen Yue said. "However, do note that your proposal will have to undergo our approval first..."
"I believe that you’ll approve of it!"
At which, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the crowd and said, "Since it’s a team fight between the various Vassal States, why must the ones involved in the fighting be the top three rankers? If they were to be wounded in their duel, how would they enter the Cleansing Lake tomorrow?"
"You’re right!" Hong shi eyes lit up.
"Then what do you propose then?" Chen Yue frowned.
"Hehe!" Zhang Xuan chuckled. "My proposal is simple... I think that the 5-star master teachers leading the teams should fight instead!"
"That’s right, the 5-star master teachers... huh?"
Halfway through Hong shi’s words, he suddenly realized what was being said and his remaining words jammed in his mouth. He turned to look at Zhang Xuan with widened eyes and asked, "We... will fight?"
"Indeed. Not only so, Hong shi will be facing the three of you at once!" Zhang Xuan added.
"I’ll face the three of them..."
Hong shi staggered, and he nearly fainted on the spot.
Big Brother, I thought that you had a good idea in mind? After so much trouble, this is all that you have?
Are you so intent on sending me on my way?
Putting everything aside, just Luo Zhao himself is a difficult enemy for me already. To fight the three of them at once...
"You want him to face the three of us?"
Not only was Hong shi light-headed, Luo Zhao, Chen Yue, and Feng Yu were stunned as well. They turned to look at Zhang Xuan as though he was a fool.
Are you serious?
That is the fellow that we have been dying to pummel, and you just had to send him to us... Can such a good deal really exist in the world?
"Why? You dare not accept my deal?" Zhang Xuan taunted with a smirk.
"You are asking us if we dare to accept your challenge or not?" Luo Zhao turned to Hong shi and asked, "Are you certain about this?"
With a constipated expression on his face, Hong shi nodded with tears streaming from his eyes.
He didn’t know what Zhang shi was up to, but given his previous experience, he knew that the latter wouldn’t do anything he was uncertain of. Since he said such words, he must have an idea in mind.
"If you are scared, just say so. Let’s not waste our time on useless chatter."
Zhang Xuan waved his hands in disdain.
"Scared? I only fear that he will end up kneeling, begging for his life in a moment!"
Confirming that the other party was serious on this matter, Chen Yue, Luo Zhao, and Feng Yu burst into laughter.
Fearing that Hong shi might take back his words, Chen Yue quickly turned to the crown prince and said, "Your Highness, you’ve seen what happened. It’s not that we want to take advantage of Hong shi, he’s is the one who challenged the three of us voluntarily to determine the distribution of the slots. Since Hongfeng Empire insists on the matter, I hope that Your Highness can approve of this matter!"
"This..."
Not expecting the situation to turn into this, Ye Qian turned to look at Hong shi with a frown and asked, "You are all 5-star low-tier master teachers, Transcendent 6-dan primary stage cultivators. Your fighting prowess is approximately equal to one another, are you certain you want to face the three of them at once?"
Given that their fighting prowess were approximate to one another, Hong shi facing the three of them simultaneously was as good as an act of suicide. Of this, the crown prince had no doubt.
"I’m certain!"
Before Hong shi could respond, Zhang Xuan had already replied in his stead.
"Alright then..."
Since the parties involved had come to an agreement, Ye Qian decided not to say anything about it. "Alright then, I’ll be announcing the rules of the duel now. Hong shi will be facing Feng shi, Luo shi, and Chen shi, and the distribution of the slots will be decided through the battle."
After which, he waved his hands. A group of guards outside the door immediately came in to clear up the hall to create sufficient space for a duel.
"Make sure to not to go too far so not harm the camaraderie among fellow states!" Ye Qian instructed as the four stepped onto the dueling ring.
"Don’t worry, we’ll make sure to ’hold ourselves back’..." Feng shi sneered coldly. He especially emphasized on the words ’hold ourselves back’.
"Indeed, we’ve been buddies for many years, so how could we possibly do anything overboard?" Luo Zhao smiled.
The both of them had suffered greatly under Hong shi’s hands. Given that the other party was seeking death, they found no reason to let him off.
"Zhang shi, is there even a possibility that Hong shi can defeat the three of them..."
Seeing that the fight was about to start, Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai wiped the sweat off their foreheads nervously.
Zhang shi usually looked rather smart, so why would he suddenly make such a foolish decision?
One against three...
Wasn’t this courting death?
"If Hong shi doesn’t go up, do you think that you can win against them?" Zhang Xuan gestured to their counterparts from the other Vassal States.
"This..."
The duo’s mouths twitched, and they hurriedly shook their heads.
While they might have emerged victorious among the other talented master teachers in Hongfeng Empire, the same could be said about the rest of them as well. If they were to face them in a duel, given that the other party’s cultivation was higher than theirs, their chances at victory was nearly null!
In other words, had they proceeded on with the original duel proposal, their defeat would have been certain.
"But Hong shi..."
While they knew that they were unable to win, the same went go Hong shi as well.
"Just watch on!" Instead of answering the other party’s query, Zhang Xuan simply smiled.
"Alright then..."
The duo had no idea where Zhang Xuan’s confidence came from, but it was already too late for them to do anything as well. Thus, they could only turn their worried gazes onto the dueling ring.
Standing at the very end of the hall, the crown prince watched the dueling ring with a deep frown on his forehead. He had no idea why Hong shi would propose such a ’suicidal’ duel.
Unable to hold back his intrigue, he turned to Wu Zhen beside him and asked, "Senior, who do you think will win?"
Wu Zhen was a 5-star master teacher, and his eye of discernment and experience in such matters were far above his. Perhaps, he might have noticed something that he didn’t.
"Under normal circumstances, it should be impossible for Hong shi to win. However, the very fact that he proposed such a duel means that he must have some kind of trump card..."
But the truth was that even Wu Zhen couldn’t make sense of this matter.
With his eye of discernment, he could accurately gauge the respective strength of the four.
Hong shi couldn’t be considered to be exceptional among the four, even facing one of them would be difficult for him. Yet, to face three of them singlehandedly, that was a recipe for disaster... To insist on fighting such a duel, just what could be going through his head?
"Let’s just watch on. Perhaps... there might be a turnaround!"
Wu Zhen racked his brain but couldn’t find an answer. Shaking his head, he decided to simply watch on with an open mind.
"Un!"
The crown prince nodded. Turning his gaze to the dueling ring, he said, "Hong shi has always been a dependable person. Perhaps he might really have a good idea in mind... Look, it’s starting!"
While the duo was speaking, the duel started.
Hu hu hu!
The three Transcendent Mortal 6-dan experts, Luo Zhao, Chen Yue, and Feng Yu, moved simultaneously and sealed space with the overwhelming pressure from their cultivation.
Fearing that Hong shi might have a trump card up his sleeves, the trio didn’t use their full might instantly. Instead, they surrounded him and traded some blows with him to test him out first.
But after trading a few blows, a bizarre expression slowly crept onto their faces. At this moment, Feng Yu suddenly launched a fist.
Peng!
It struck Hong shi’s face squarely, and blood immediately flowed out from his nose.
"Ah?"
Not expecting his sneak attack to succeed, Feng Yu’s eyes widened, and his body trembled in agitation.
Due to his overexcitement, he accidentally tore open one of his wound, and a wave of intense pain immediately struck him.
"Dependable? Must have some kind of trump card?"
Seeing that even Feng Yu, a fellow so severely injured that it looked like he might just fall dead at any moment, actually managed to strike Hong shi’s face so easily, Wu shi was dumbfounded.
"Why... does it seem like a one-sided pummeling instead?"
Translator’s Thoughts
StarveCleric StarveCleric
Just to re-emphasize since most people have been asking me recently, Library of Heaven’s Path has always been going by a release rate of 11 chapters a week (2 on Monday to Thursday and 1 on Friday to Sunday). The recent more frequent updates are bonus chapters rather than official ones.
Also, please don’t refer to the update rate outside. That’s by no means official and it only reflects the average update rate I have been at in recent times.