Chapter 16: Lu Xueqi, The Seven Factions’ Martial Tournament Begins!

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Shen Mo, encircled by dense spiritual energy intertwined with mist, was gradually dispersing. Watching the scene ahead, the young woman felt a surge of joy as the fog slowly faded—at last, it was forming. She was eager to see what kind of spiritual creature would appear; if it was harmless, all the better, but if it was dangerous, she would have to eliminate it.

Unbeknownst to Shen Mo, just a few meters away, a girl, unclothed and bathing, was watching him intently. The girl herself did not realize that her anticipation was not for a spiritual creature, but for a living person—and, moreover, a man.

When the mist dissolved, the first thing Shen Mo saw was a naked girl soaking in the hot spring opposite him. Shen Mo inwardly exclaimed, “What on earth is this? Perks? Why are there benefits even for soaking in a hot spring?” He swept his gaze over her: her skin was luminous and smooth, her figure voluptuous, her legs slender, her waist shaped like an S.

“My god! I feel the urge rising,” he thought.

The girl opened her eyes expectantly, eager to see what kind of spiritual creature had appeared. Yet, the first sight before her was a handsome young man with a perfect physique, taut muscles, and graceful lines, staring right back at her. Their eyes met. The girl’s cheeks flushed, her heart raced, and she realized she was still unclothed.

“Ah! Scoundrel! Die!” she shrieked, grabbing the Tianya Sword beside her and thrusting it at Shen Mo.

The Tianya Sword was the forbidden blade of the master of Bamboo Peak. A century ago, the Black-hearted Elder was gravely wounded by the previous Bamboo Peak master wielding this very sword, which thus earned its name. Now, since it was in the girl’s possession, she must be the beloved disciple of the current Bamboo Peak master. According to the drama’s plot, the girl facing Shen Mo could only be Lu Xueqi.

“Hey! Wait! What are you doing?” Shen Mo cried, panicking. He had seen her entire body—now saying anything felt utterly shameless.

“Scoundrel!” Lu Xueqi bit her lip, her face flushed with rage, and stabbed at Shen Mo.

Seeing her so furious, Shen Mo realized there was no way to talk his way out; after all, he had seen everything and couldn’t deny it. She was beautiful, and as a dual-cultivation physique, Shen Mo wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip—even if he had already seen her, he decided to experience her with his body, letting her stab him first. Would it hurt much?

Watching the sword approach, Shen Mo thought, “Forget it, if I die, so be it! This will lay the foundation for my future harem!” He stood his ground and closed his eyes.

A gush of blood sprayed from Shen Mo’s body. “Ah, cough!” He cried out in pain, blood spurting from his mouth.

He hadn’t felt pain like this since obtaining his system—finally, he could feel what it was like to be wounded. The sword tip pierced through his chest.

“So, this is what it feels like to be stabbed by a sword.”

Blood dripped into the hot spring.

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“Ah! Why didn’t you dodge?” Lu Xueqi cried in panic as she saw the boy bleeding before her. In Qingyun Sect, killing a fellow disciple was a crime punishable by death. Overcome by anger, she had acted recklessly and stabbed him.

“Haha! I finally managed to relax in a bath, and what did I do wrong? Heaven treats me so cruelly—am I really going to die?” Shen Mo adopted the demeanor of a tragic actor.

“Well then, Father, Mother, your child will soon be reunited with you!”

“I just came to bathe; I didn’t know you were here. When I arrived, this place was empty. Why do you call me a scoundrel? How ridiculous—are women’s lives worth more? Are ours worth less? Now you’ve stabbed me, and I’m dying. I hope you can forgive me—I’m not the person you imagine!” Shen Mo spoke each word with extra tenderness.

He collapsed into the hot spring, and the water turned red.

“I’m sorry! I forgive you, please don’t die! Wait for me, I’ll go back to Bamboo Peak and get something to save you!” Yes! She realized she had rushed in; he was just bathing here, innocent. If he died, she would never forgive herself. She hurried back to Bamboo Peak for help.

“He said he would join his parents, meaning he’s an orphan. He shouldn’t die so young, and now I’ve killed an innocent man.” Lu Xueqi was frantic and truly frightened, blaming herself for not listening to his explanation before striking.

Shortly after Lu Xueqi left, the figure in the water opened his eyes. “System! System! Save me! I’m dying!”

“Host, you idiot! You have superhuman constitution—you won’t die so easily,” the system replied.

A surge of energy flowed into Shen Mo’s wound.

The sword was pulled out, and the wound healed. “Oh my god! That scared me to death. What wild women! My Biyao is still the best!” He sighed, gazing at the Tianya Sword in his hand.

“Fine, I’ll return this sword to her next time I see her. She dared to stab me? I’ll make her pay!” With that, his figure vanished from the hot spring, leaving only a pool of blood staining the water.

...

Time moves on, never showing mercy.

A year passed, and Qingyun Sect’s grand celebration approached—the decennial Seven Peaks Tournament. The name alone told its story: it was the day disciples from the seven peaks of Qingyun Sect competed.

Dragon Head Peak, Bamboo Peak, Great Bamboo Peak, Morning Sun Peak, Sunset Peak, Wind Return Peak, and Tongtian Peak—the Seven Peaks Tournament, also known as the Seven Summit Tournament.

Shen Mo had arrived at the plaza, which was teeming with Qingyun disciples in white and blue robes, mingling and discussing.

In the crowd, Shen Mo spotted Zhang Xiaofan, whom he hadn’t seen for a long time.

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Zhang Xiaofan, Jade Purity Fifth Level.

“Oh! Not bad! Three years since I last saw him, and he’s improved so much? Thanks to my help with merging the Bloodthirsty Pearl,” Shen Mo mused, licking his lips.

“Shen Mo!” Zhang Xiaofan called out upon seeing him.

“Hello, Xiaofan! Three years gone, you’ve made great progress!” Shen Mo responded.

“Not too much, really. Compared to you, I still have a long way to go. By the way, don’t tell senior brothers or master—they don’t know yet. I plan to reveal it during the tournament,” Xiaofan said, scratching his head. He was surprised that even his master couldn’t see through his strength, but his brother could—everyone has secrets, so he didn’t ask further.

“I see. By the way, have your masters arrived?” Shen Mo asked.

“My senior brothers and sisters came first; master and mistress will arrive soon.”

“Oh, I see. Xiaofan, let’s walk around and take a look.”

“Alright.”

The whole area was bustling.

“Xiaofan!” A voice called out.

They looked over and saw a supporting character from the story, Zeng Shushu, who was also the son of a chief.

“Shushu!” Xiaofan waved back.

Zeng Shushu ran over, glanced at Xiaofan, then at Shen Mo, and asked, “Xiaofan, who is this?”

“Oh! Shushu, let me introduce you. This is the person I mentioned to you, my brother, Shen Mo!”

“Hello, I’m Shen Mo,” Shen Mo said, extending his hand.

“Hello, Shen Mo.” Shushu shook his hand.

“Look, those are Bamboo Peak disciples!”

“It’s said the women of Bamboo Peak are exceptionally beautiful. See, the one in front is Qingyun Sect’s foremost beauty, Lu Xueqi.”