Chapter Ninety-Eight: Open Conflict and Hidden Maneuvering — Who Will Prevail

"You brat, you knew full well this was a trap, so why did you still obediently walk into it? From the way things look, whatever he wants you to do must be terribly dangerous. There is no reason at all for you to risk your life, much less sacrifice yourself for him. Once we enter that mysterious land and get what we came for, we will part ways and have nothing more to do with him. Why should you wade into this muddy water again?" Xiao Yin said, striding quickly to Yu Shang's side with a cold expression as he tried to persuade him.

If not for that mysterious land holding everything up, he would have taken this brat and run long ago. Why would he have stayed here of his own accord for so long, only to let that cunning old fox scheme against him all this time? He had long since known that the old fellow's willingness to let them enter the treasure vault without obstruction could only mean he had some ulterior motive. What he had not expected was that this time the target would be this brat. How could he possibly swallow such humiliation?

"It is obvious that old bastard has already got me dead to rights. I cannot fight back at all, so for now I can only agree to his terms. Besides, too many things are involved here. We were never going to be able to separate ourselves from him completely anyway. There are some things I cannot explain to you right now. I can only say that my ties to this place are not so easy to sever, so we'll just have to take it one step at a time." Yu Shang glanced around, then spoke to Xiao Yin with utmost caution.

In truth, it was not merely that the old fellow had driven Yu Shang to the brink and left him no choice but to reluctantly accept the wager. Rather, the connection between Mist Orchid Academy, and even the entire Ancient Azure City, and Yu Shang had already become entangled beyond reason, its hidden links far too baffling to be explained. He had no choice but to maintain cordial relations with this place. Otherwise, given how treacherous that old fox was, Yu Shang would already have severed ties with it long ago.

Besides, that night he had accidentally discovered the Grand Elder's secret. The Grand Elder would not let him off so easily. If Yu Shang had not guessed wrong, apart from the matter he had been asked to handle, the old man would also seize the chance to make him do other things as well. So beyond temporarily stabilizing that old fox and having him shield him for the moment, Yu Shang had no other choice left. At that moment, he truly felt as though he had fallen into a bottomless abyss from which there was no escape.

Still, if when the time came the task the old fellow wanted him to do truly violated his principles and went against his will, then he would not be so foolish as to force himself to do it obediently. After all, he was not the kind of weakling who could be butchered at will. If he were angered, the consequences would be severe. One must never forget that Yu Shang was only good to the people he cared about. As for everyone else, if they dared provoke him, the only place left for them would be the road to the underworld.

"Both of you stop whispering so openly. I know you realize I can eavesdrop on other people's transmissions, but don't think that means I can't hear you. Within my range, not a single sound can escape my ears. You'd better hurry up and settle the matter, so this wager can reach its conclusion," the old dean said with a light laugh as he looked at the two of them whispering to each other. It seemed that this old fellow really was not easy to deal with.

"Old bastard, rest assured. We will decide a winner for sure, and I will not soften my heart toward this brat just because of a few things. I will bring out my true strength to face this fight. That is not only respect for this brat, but respect for myself as well!" Xiao Yin sighed, then said in a voice full of resolve. To everyone else, it felt as though he had transformed from Xiao Yin back into the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit, radiating a majesty he did not usually possess.

"Good, then let us begin!" Yu Shang said to Xiao Yin with a faint smile. As expected, this little serpent knew him best. If Xiao Yin truly intended to hold back, Yu Shang would really think this was not help at all, but an insult. A battle was sometimes not merely a contest of whose cultivation was higher, but of who was more devoted, more obsessed with the contest itself. So bringing out one's best was the barest form of respect.

The moment the words fell, the two of them simultaneously took on the best posture for battle. Xiao Yin, no, he should now be called the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit. In an instant, the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit's body radiated a chilling crimson light, a color that represented death. As for Yu Shang, black light poured from head to toe. Unlike other such lights, it did not feel sinister at all; instead, it carried the bearing of a sovereign.

Indeed, on the battlefield there was no such thing as brotherhood. Yu Shang swung his blade and slashed mercilessly at the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit. But the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit did not rush to evade. Instead, it whipped out its terrifying tail. Yu Shang had expected the power of the blade to inflict some injury on the serpent, yet when the two collided, only a few sparks burst forth. There was no scene of blood spraying like a waterfall.

It seemed that injuring the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit would not be easy either. Its body was as hard and sharp as a weapon itself. Even a divine blade of such profound caliber could not harm it in the slightest. This fight was becoming more and more interesting.

The Blood-Red Serpent Spirit opened its bloodthirsty maw and lunged toward Yu Shang, but Yu Shang did not meet it head-on. Instead, with a turn of his body, he sprang onto its back and sat astride the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit as though it were a mount.

Such an act was nothing short of an insult to such a noble creature. Even a sworn brother could not endure such disrespect. Yu Shang had successfully enraged the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit. It tossed and thrashed wildly, shaking its body with all its might in an attempt to throw Yu Shang off. Yet the brat clung to him as though he had grown there; no matter how violently it struggled, it could not shake him loose. Worse still, he was even striking the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit's head with the blade. Did this damned brat think its head was forged from thousand-year black iron? Its entire body might be as hard as a weapon, but even so, that did not mean it could not feel pain!

The more pain the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit felt, the happier Yu Shang became. That was exactly the result he wanted. If he wished to control the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit, brute force alone would never be enough. He had to use the secret techniques of his clan to send his true qi into its mind, and only then could he use that energy to seize control of its thoughts. Of course, it would not be enough to send in just a wisp of true qi. He would also have to employ a secret method to mutate the true qi stored within his body.

But that head of its, as hard as a wall of bronze and iron, would never allow true qi to enter so easily. So Yu Shang had no choice but to harden his heart and open a wound, letting the true qi flow in through the injury in order to control that stubborn little serpent. Yet how could an existence as terrifying and deeply scheming as the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit possibly let Yu Shang have his way so easily? After following this brat for so long, how could it fail to guess what he was trying to do?

Very well. You want to seize control of the other side before I do? Then let me first show you the taste of a thousand arrows piercing the heart!

All at once, the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit, which had been thrashing about, suddenly stopped. It closed its eyes. Everyone looked on in confusion. Why had it stopped so abruptly? Was it trying to recover its strength? Of course, the outcome was always unexpected. The moment the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit opened its eyes again, countless fine crimson rays, thin as needles, suddenly shot out from the patterns on its back.

Yu Shang was startled and hurriedly dodged to the side, but he was still a step too late. The slender red light brutally pierced his shoulder, and blood began pouring out as though it would never stop.

The remaining crimson rays struck elsewhere as well, nearly injuring the spectators. If the old dean had not acted swiftly and sent a streak of white light back at them, the others might already have been riddled through and through, suffering a tragic end.

Those crimson rays were truly formidable, especially in the instant they burst out from within. Their power was simply impossible to withstand. Anyone even a little slow would be injured by them. Even someone as fast as Yu Shang had not escaped this disaster.

Seeing this, the crowd drew in a sharp breath. It seemed that the two of them were serious this time, fighting with real killing intent and showing not the slightest mercy. Yu Shang lowered his head to look at his wound, and then, to everyone's surprise, he actually laughed. That only made the onlookers even more puzzled. Why was this brat smiling so happily after being injured? Could it be that one of those crimson rays had struck his head and left him a little unhinged?

Just when everyone was worrying about Yu Shang's injuries, he acted as though nothing had happened and charged forward again, once more grappling viciously with the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit. Anyone who did not know the truth would think these two had some sort of mortal grudge and would not stop until one of them was dead.

After being wounded just now, Yu Shang had completely steeled his heart. Every move now seemed bent on taking the serpent's life.

He swung his blade and slashed directly toward the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit's lower jaw. It seemed he had already found the little serpent's fatal weakness. The Blood-Red Serpent Spirit froze, first retreating several steps, then hurriedly darting behind Yu Shang and clamping its jaws down on the blade.

Although Yu Shang and the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit were evenly matched in cultivation and toughness, he was somewhat at a disadvantage when it came to sheer strength. Sure enough, he was forced back and allowed the blade to be taken from him.

But the blade was a weapon that acknowledged its master. Seeing itself seized by a stranger, it immediately released the power within, catching the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit off guard. When the light faded and the crowd looked again, they saw that the serpent's mouth was filled with blood, clearly wounded by the blade's force.

Yet the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit unexpectedly discovered that this blade was not merely a simple weapon. It was a living being with a soul.

It was only because it was still incomplete that its true form could not be revealed. Otherwise, it would never have allowed itself to be plundered so easily, nor would it have merely punished the serpent with a burst of light instead of taking its life. It seemed that at some point, he should still have a proper talk with that brat about this matter. He only hoped the boy had not been blinded by this weapon and would still be able to see clearly and investigate its background.

However, while the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit was distracted by its thoughts, the blade suddenly broke free of its restraints on its own and swiftly returned to Yu Shang's hand. It was rather loyal indeed.

Seeing this, the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit did not rush to counterattack. Instead, it looked at Yu Shang and the weapon in his hand, then smiled with a trace of relief and silently thought to itself that the blade did not seem likely to do the brat any harm for the time being. In that case, it might as well spare it for now.

But the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit's decision to pause did not mean Yu Shang would stop. This time, he did not use the weapon in his hand. Instead, he roared, "Flowing Severance!" and unleashed a burst of true qi at the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit.

That true qi indeed rippled around the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit like flowing water. It seemed gentle and harmless, yet in truth it concealed murderous intent. As expected, the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit became trapped by the true qi and could not move. If it had still been the humanoid form of Xiao Yin, perhaps it would have found a way to restrain that energy. Unfortunately, it was now in its true form. Though the Blood-Red Serpent Spirit looked formidable on the outside, it was actually somewhat clumsy within, and the most dangerous thing for it was precisely this unpredictable sort of technique.

Seeing this, Yu Shang immediately pressed his advantage, flooding his own true qi through the blade as he struck. The Blood-Red Serpent Spirit had no choice but to use that same move once more, one that injured others and itself alike. Once again, countless red rays burst forth from the patterns on its body, violently shattering the true qi surrounding it before it lashed out with a sweeping tail. But this collision caused both sides to suffer some degree of injury.

It seemed the two of them were destined to be evenly matched, impossible to separate by rank.