Peerless Speed and Swordplay

The two cultivators stood a safe five meter distance across from each other.

The others spectated from an even safer distance.

How did it end up like this? That was what Jin Bo was wondering. All he wanted was for Mao Geming to end the plague that was Li Yusheng. Now, this friend of his was making the most absurd wager he'd ever witnessed!

"As long as he crushes Seducer Li, I'm fine!"

Jin Bo tightened his fist, desperately hoping this womanizing talent would finally be humbled.

The guests and servants watched neutrally. This was the best entertainment they'd had in months.

"Who do you think will win?"

"Ha~ isn't it obvious? Mao Geming, of course."

"Really?"

"Yes! While it is foolish to say Brother Li doesn't have the talent for cultivation, it is even more foolish to say he would win against someone whose a top outer sect disciple in the Profound Tempest Sword Sect. I heard they have one of the most elite sword cultivators, surely Geming is among those ranks."

"If that's the case, then perhaps he'll even defeat Brother Li in a matter of seconds!"

"Exactly... peerless beauty doesn't equal peerless talent!"

As for Hou Liang, he just watched in silence. Most of this didn't matter to him──as long as there was no serious commotion, there'd be no problems. "You better end this quickly, Senior Brother," he mumbled to himself.

Mao Geming unsheathed his sword, and a powerful green aura started to pool out of his body like a small storm.

That's wind spiritual energy!

The sword itself looked eerie and mysterious, clearly a formidable treasure.

Upon sensing Mao Geming's true aura, they could tell he'd been hiding his cultivation. It felt extraordinary. Now, they were even less in Li Yusheng's favor, believing he couldn't match such a powerful presence.

After all, Mao Geming was actually in the lower peak-stage of Grotto Spirit Realm!

"I hope you won't back out now!" Mao Geming grinned.

Li Yusheng's face was expressionless, but seeing how confident his opponent was, he decided to get serious.

Mao Geming had to be defeated before he could demonstrate his power. That was the only way to control the situation.

If Li Yusheng defeated him when Mao Geming released all his power, it would only cause a commotion, which Hou Liang was trying to avoid.

With a clear choice in mind, Li Yusheng walked forward.

Each step he took made Mao Geming more uncomfortable, or better still, more wary, and the output of his spiritual energy increased as a result.

Clearly, he has the upper hand──experience as an outer sect disciple in a middle-class sect, and also a powerful treasure to back him up.

What could go wrong?

Li Yusheng held out one hand and manifested his own sword.

It was a very plain, extremely ordinary sword, but Mao Geming couldn't take his eyes off it.

Sweat started to bead on Mao Geming's forehead as he stared at Li Yusheng's sword.

He wondered why he felt inexplicably cautious about the sword. It made no sense.

Keeping his eyes on his opponent's sword, Mao Geming raised his own powerful sword, the blade practically drowning in potent wind spiritual energy.

"Raahh──!!"

He was prepared to unleash the full power of his cultivation.

THUD!

The next thing Mao Geming knew, he was buried in a pile of rubble with broken bones and a very deep cut in his chest, blood spraying out like a gushing river.

Huh?

He was now staring at the sky, wondering how he ended up there. Last he remembered, he was staring at Li Yusheng's sword, and now he was here.

When did all this happen?!

Everyone was left in shock. They didn't know when, but they were certain Li Yusheng moved and landed the first attack.

SWISH~!

The stroke of a sword, that's what they heard.

Some didn't even hear the sword make a sound. They only saw a flash, and the next thing they knew, Mao Geming was blown away like a leaf caught in a violent gust of wind.

No one could say a single word.

Everyone was shocked to their core. They all thought Mao Geming would win this fight, but it was the exact opposite, then times that by a million.

Their expectations for him were a mountain, but he turned out to be a pebble to Li Yusheng.

One he had now crushed.

Jin Bo, who was watching and hoping his friend would win, widened his eyes in both shock and indescribable fear.

'This seducing serpent... he's a monster!'

The bald man's lips quivered greatly.

Li Yusheng waved his sword through the air, and it vanished like a magic trick.

"That settles that..."

Proudly, he flicked his wide sleeves and clasped his hands behind his back, advancing forward after.

As he walked, the guests and servants cheered with excitement.

This was swordplay at its finest!

"That was..."

"So unbelievably quick!"

"Wait, if Brother Li could win so easily, wouldn't that means he's at least peak-stage of Grotto Spirit Realm?!"

"Li Yusheng's strength is unmatched!"

"And Brother Li is so perfect too. Imagine having such peerless beauty and still being a genius as well!"

"He's definitely the one female servants always talk about!"

...

...

...

Li Yusheng was now standing before the bloodied Mao Geming, looking a little disappointed.

He had clearly hoped that this outer sect disciple would be a challenge for him, as he never really got the chance to test his strength in the Immortal House.

Cough! Cough!

The more Mao Geming coughed, the more blood he vomited.

Li Yusheng's face remained plain. He had no interest in showing any sympathy to a man who would fight a less-experienced cultivator just to sleep with him.

"Your storage ring... give it to me."

Li Yusheng smoothly crouched over Mao Geming and held out a hand for the semi-conscious fellow.

A storage ring was a required artifact for a cultivator. It had a special storage function and was usually worn on their fingers. They could store various items and were typically categorized into different levels based on their capacity and quality.

"Urrghh──!"

With Mao Geming's fatal wounds, he could barely speak, let alone move his body.

Li Yusheng let out an irritated sigh but did his best to maintain his cool by displaying a very empty smile. "Alright~ I'll have your useless friend give you some recovery pills, but only after you tell me where your storage ring is." He had already looked at the cultivator's fingers and saw no signs of it.

Mao Geming coughed up some more blood. "I..." he tried to speak, but failed.

To ease his frustrations, Li Yusheng giggled and playfully flicked Mao Geming's forehead. "Don't do that again. It's dirty." He sounded like a mother scolding her son about his messy room.

Li Yusheng looked back for a moment and then shook his head, cleanly clicking his tongue.

"Tsk, tsk! It seems your bald friend has already left you. Sigh~ you really need to associate yourself with better people."

"..."

"Didn't you hear me? I said your weasel of a friend, he's left you already."

Conceding, Mao Geming weakly used his eyes to point the location of where he'd hidden his spatial ring. It was a usual practice for cultivators to do such in case of any unfortunate situation.

Li Yusheng reached into Mao Geming's robes.

Hmmn~

The wounded cultivator blushed a bit as he felt the gentle touch of the man of his interests.

With an irritated face, Li Yusheng retracted Mao Geming's spatial ring and disappeared into the crowd.

Since the place wasn't destroyed and there wasn't much commotion, Hou Liang had no problems with Li Yusheng. In fact, he was impressed with how well Li Yusheng handled the situation. He impressed everyone so much that they were silent. If it were a flashy battle, there would surely have been disruptive noises.

"Get him out of the Immortal House."

Hou Liang gave an order before he left.

Mao Geming was helped out of the crowd by a group of servants.

Cough! Cough!

Blood continued to spurt from the gash on Mao Geming's chest, his complexion was drained of color, and his eyes devoid of life.

Li Yusheng's peerless speed and swordsmanship left him bewildered.

He was unaware of how he had been defeated.

But as he faced imminent death, he realized that Li Yusheng had the capability to end his life. From confidence to the taste of concrete.

Now, Mao Geming was just wishing for an escape from all the laughs and stares of the crowd.

He recognized the mockery he had become.