Free Web NovelChapter 1759 - Death Talisman Pool
Before anyone could comprehend what was happening, Bai Jingye lunged forward and rushed straight at Liu Wuxie. His palm descended like a massive cattail fan, crushing toward him with overwhelming force.
A terrifying Profound Immortal Realm aura swept through the courtyard, snapping Liu Wuxie's hair tie and sending his black hair streaming in the wind. Faced with the incoming strike, he had nowhere to evade. Against a profound immortal, he had no chance of victory.
However, just as Bai Jingye's palm was about to strike Liu Wuxie, a figure flashed to shield him.
"Get lost! This isn't a place for you to act wildly!" Ye Linghan roared. As she moved, a surge of icy energy burst from her body and swept across the courtyard, shrouding everything beneath a faint layer of frost.
Their palms collided, and the impact drove them both backward. Liu Wuxie, however, remained where he stood, completely unharmed.
"Ye Linghan, you dare stop me?!" Bai Jingye roared. He had been only moments away from killing Liu Wuxie and avenging his nephew before Ye Linghan intervened.
"Why did you attack my assistant without a reason?" Ye Linghan demanded as she stepped forward. She remained between Bai Jingye and Liu Wuxie, preventing any chance of a sneak attack.
"He killed my nephew, Bai Jingfu. Why do you think I want to kill him?!" Bai Jingye growled. With every step he took, the murderous intent radiating from him grew heavier.
Ye Linghan naturally had no idea who Bai Jingfu was. Back in Moon Reverence City, she had rescued Liu Wuxie only to repay the favor of saving her father. As for the feud between the Peace and Stability Merchant Association and the White Tiger Merchant Association, she knew nothing about it.
"Even if he killed your nephew, don't you feel ashamed to act against a High Immortal as a dignified, profound immortal?" Ye Linghan sneered. Bai Jingye had completely disregarded his status as a profound immortal, and if news of this spread, it would only bring disgrace upon the Azure Flame Dao Hall.
"Ye Linghan, don't think that I'll be afraid of you just because your father is Fourfold City's city lord. I advise you to step aside obediently. This is a grudge between me and this brat," Bai Jingye growled. He no longer cared about preserving his status. Even if he killed Liu Wuxie, who would dare to challenge him? After all, he was a mentor in spiritual arrays.
While martial cultivation formed the largest faction within the Azure Flame Dao Hall, alchemy, blacksmithing, and spiritual arrays followed closely behind. Although the talisman classes had many students, truly capable mentors were few.
Alchemists were already considered scarce resources, but a mentor proficient in talismans was even rarer.
"You should be the one to leave. This is my territory, and you'll have to get past me if you want to kill him," Ye Linghan said as a longsword appeared in her hand. If Bai Jingye refused to leave, she would no longer show any restraint.
In terms of cultivation, Ye Linghan had already surpassed Bai Jingye. Since ancient times, talismans had never matched martial cultivation in direct combat. Only those with mediocre talent in martial cultivation generally chose other paths.
However, that did not mean the art of talismans was weak.
Cultivating talismans required formidable soul energy, and not everyone was qualified to practice it.
Powerful talisman cultivators wielded astonishing strength, and every talisman carried tremendous offensive power.
Even so, in a true battle, Ye Linghan could easily suppress Bai Jingye.
Shi Wa stood beside Xiao Qian, glaring at Bai Jingye with undisguised fury. Earlier that morning, Bai Jingye had barged in and attacked them without offering any explanation. Shi Wa was injured while trying to stop him. When Xiao Qian attempted to reason with Bai Jingye, he had sent her flying with a slap.
By the time Xiang Rulong and the other mentors had arrived, both had already suffered injuries.
Liu Wuxie asked Shi Wa, casting a glance at Bai Jingye, "Do you want to kill him?"
Shi Wa clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned pale as fury blazed in his eyes. He would not rest until Bai Jingye was dead. He could endure his own injuries, but he would never forgive Bai Jingye for harming his younger sister. For Xiao Qian's sake, he would willingly lay down his life.
"I do!" Shi Wa replied with a firm nod. Never before had he felt such an overwhelming desire to kill someone.
"Bai Jingye, if you defeat him, I will agree to a life-and-death battle with you," Liu Wuxie said as he looked back at Bai Jingye.
"Hahaha!" Bai Jingye burst into laughter, as though he had just heard the most ridiculous joke imaginable.
Even the surrounding mentors and students were left speechless, unable to understand what Liu Wuxie was trying to accomplish. After all, Shi Wa had only defeated Yan Hu at the beach by relying on miraculous footwork. That same method would never work again.
More importantly, Bai Jingye was not Yan Hu.
In a life-and-death battle, Bai Jingye could kill Shi Wa with a single strike.
Ye Linghan turned toward Liu Wuxie in stunned disbelief, wondering whether he had truly lost his mind to propose such a challenge.
Many mentors gathered nearby and discussed the matter among themselves, unable to fathom what Liu Wuxie was trying to accomplish. "Has he gone insane? He wants a mere heavenly immortal to fight a profound immortal?"
"Don't forget that Liu Wuxie isn't ordinary." Many mentors had already changed their opinion of Liu Wuxie over the past few days.
Although Shi Wa's victory over Yan Hu might have involved some trickery, they knew that if they had stood in his place, they would never have achieved the same result.
The surrounding discussions grew louder and louder, while confusion surfaced on Shi Wa's face. Although he desperately wanted to kill Bai Jingye, he knew perfectly well that he was no match for him.
"Liu Wuxie, are you joking with me?" Bai Jingye asked with a grim expression after his laughter subsided. The murderous intent radiating from him had not weakened in the slightest and swept toward Liu Wuxie like a raging storm.
"What's wrong? Does Mentor Bai not dare to fight him?" Liu Wuxie asked with a smile that left everyone bewildered. No one could figure out what he was planning, and that uncertainty only deepened their frustration.
"Very well. I'll kill him now!" Bai Jingye declared coldly. He strode toward Shi Wa, fully intending to begin his slaughter. Even if others accused him of using his cultivation to bully the weak, he was determined to kill Liu Wuxie today.
Ye Linghan immediately stepped forward and shielded Shi Wa and Xiao Qian behind her.
"Mentor Bai is truly impatient. I haven't even stated the rules yet, and you're already so eager to attack," Liu Wuxie remarked, causing Bai Jingye to halt in his tracks.
"Speak if you have something to say!" Bai Jingye roared. He had no interest in wasting time with Liu Wuxie. With more mentors and students gathering around them, he wanted to settle this matter as quickly as possible.
Everyone turned toward Liu Wuxie, waiting to hear what he would say next.
"Since Mentor Bai teaches the art of talismans, I believe you must be extremely skilled in this field, right?" Liu Wuxie asked. The seemingly unrelated question caught everyone off guard and left them completely puzzled.
At the mention of talismans, a trace of pride surfaced on Bai Jingye's face. He was confident that even if he wasn't the best, he could still be considered one of the most outstanding talisman mentors in the Azure Flame Dao Hall.
The Azure Flame Dao Hall had six mentors, and Bai Jingye's talent ranked among the best of them.
Several mentors finally snapped, unable to endure the suspense any longer. "Liu Wuxie, stop beating around the bush and hurry up with what you're going to say!"
"It's simple. Mentor Bai will compete with him in talismans, and it'll be a life-and-death match. If he dies, I'll accept your challenge. But if you die, then we will put the grudge between us to rest," Liu Wuxie replied. He had considered taking action personally, but doing so would inevitably expose his secret mastery of talismans.
Since he couldn't openly use anything from his previous life, having Shi Wa act in his place was the better choice.
Liu Wuxie's objective was straightforward. Since Bai Jingye wanted him dead, he had no intention of showing mercy. He might as well eliminate Bai Jingye now and avoid future trouble altogether.
Ye Linghan could not remain by his side forever. If he ever found himself alone, Bai Jingye would undoubtedly strike without hesitation. Since that outcome was unavoidable, Liu Wuxie preferred to seize the initiative.
"You want to compete with me in terms of talismans?" Bai Jingye froze. He was a mentor in talismans, and the idea of competing against a mere student sounded utterly absurd.
"What's the matter? Mentor Bai doesn't dare to compete with me?" Liu Wuxie asked. His provocations had never failed him. First came the trap, then the bait, and finally the tightening of the net. Every step flowed naturally into the next.
Although it appeared simple on the surface, executing such a plan required extraordinary precision. He first had to shape the atmosphere and create the impression that his opponent could not possibly lose. Only then would the bait become irresistible. Once hesitation appeared, he would apply pressure through provocation and force his opponent to make a choice.
Liu Wuxie had calculated every step with meticulous precision. If Bai Jingye refused, he would appear lacking in confidence and lose all credibility when speaking of revenge in the future. If he agreed, there was a strong possibility that he would walk straight into Liu Wuxie's trap.
"Mentor Bai, what are you afraid of? He's only a first-level Heavenly Immortal, and even if he has high talent in the talisman, how can he possibly surpass you?" The surrounding mentors began to jeer. Naturally, they wanted the situation to escalate into a spectacle worth watching.
After all, simply killing Liu Wuxie would be far too dull. More importantly, they were eager to see what Liu Wuxie was planning.
Voices rose from every direction and converged around Bai Jingye. If he still failed to understand the situation, he would ruin his reputation beyond repair.
"And how do you want to compete?" Bai Jingye asked. In the end, he agreed. He knew that if he refused, the surrounding students would drown him in ridicule.
Liu Wuxie had expertly exploited the crowd's curiosity to force Bai Jingye to accept the challenge. Only someone with extraordinary composure and strategy could manipulate a situation so thoroughly.
Ye Linghan found it difficult to understand Liu Wuxie's intention. Although she had spent more time by his side than anyone else, she often found him impossible to read.
Yet the longer she knew him, the more she realized how vast the gap between them truly was.
"I know that the Azure Flame Dao Hall has a Talisman Tower with a Death Talisman Pool inside. Whoever walks out of the Death Talisman Pool would be the winner," Liu Wuxie declared. The rules he proposed were straightforward. Since this was a competition in talismans, talismans would naturally determine the victor.
At the mention of the Death Talisman Pool, fear gradually appeared on Bai Jingye's face. Even the faces of the surrounding mentors and students turned pale.
With the challenge issued, everything now depended on whether Bai Jingye dared to accept it. Had Liu Wuxie participated personally, he could have crushed Bai Jingye a hundred times over with his mastery of talismans. However, he had chosen a more indirect approach and allowed Shi Wa to compete in his place.
This method allowed Liu Wuxie to conceal his talent for talismans from everyone while helping Shi Wa take revenge, killing two birds with one stone.
"Mentor Bai, you bully the weak because you think they are beneath you, yet the moment I challenge you, you hesitate and retreat. I truly look down on you," Liu Wuxie said, shaking his head as he openly humiliated Bai Jingye before the crowd.
Although Shi Wa knew that his chances of defeating Bai Jingye were less than one in a hundred million, he still felt a surge of excitement. Without the slightest hesitation or regret, he stepped forward and roared, "I want to challenge you!"
His clear voice echoed throughout the courtyard. Although Shi Wa didn't understand why Liu Wuxie was doing this, he trusted him completely. He knew that if Liu Wuxie had truly wanted to harm him, there would have been no need to go through so much trouble. Back then, Liu Wuxie could have simply stood by and watched him die.
