Chapter 29: Qi Hao and Qian Mo

After a while, the sound of the bell and gong rang out once more. The disciples of Wind-Returning Peak, led by Senior Brother Gao, all appeared to have their matches scheduled. They began to make their way toward different arenas.

Zeng Shushu snapped back to his senses and said, “My match hasn’t started yet, but I suppose I should head over now. Where are you two off to?”

Qian Mo replied in a calm tone, “Xiaofan, since you’ve won your match, you should return and report to Master and Mistress.”

“Alright, then I’ll be off. If you have time, come find me,” Zhang Xiaofan said, and he and Qian Mo turned and walked away in the opposite direction. Along the way, everywhere they went, they could hear disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect discussing the match that had just taken place.

Zhang Xiaofan spoke softly, “Qian Mo, thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

Before long, the two of them arrived at the west side of the plaza, where the disciples of the Great Bamboo Peak were gathered. From a distance, they could see Tian Buyi’s face dark with anger, his expression grim.

They exchanged glances, already guessing that Du Bishu and the others must have lost more matches than they’d won.

When Tian Buyi saw Qian Mo and Zhang Xiaofan approaching, his expression softened slightly. He turned away, took a deep breath, and didn’t ask about the results.

Su Ru, Tian Ling’er, and several other disciples of the Great Bamboo Peak were also there, but Senior Brother Song Daren was absent. Tian Ling’er looked fine, but the other brothers wore dejected faces.

Standing beside Du Bishu, Zhang Xiaofan asked in a low voice, “Sixth Brother, what happened?”

Du Bishu glanced nervously at Tian Buyi and, seeing that he wasn’t looking, whispered, “Just now, all of us except Senior Brother had our matches, and only Little Sister won hers. Master is furious.”

Qian Mo and Zhang Xiaofan looked at each other, suddenly understanding the situation.

Su Ru stood nearby, watching her disciples cower while Tian Buyi’s face remained stern. She shook her head and sighed, then turned a gentle gaze on Qian Mo and Zhang Xiaofan. “Xiaofan, you’re back. How did your match go?”

Zhang Xiaofan hesitated for a moment before replying, “Mistress, I was lucky enough to win again.”

Su Ru, not thinking much of it, said, “Oh, losing is nothing to be ashamed of, just treat it as an experience—”

But before she could finish, she paused, her gaze returning to Zhang Xiaofan in surprise. “What did you just say?”

All the disciples, including Tian Buyi, turned to look at him. Zhang Xiaofan smiled with newfound confidence, straightening his back, and nodded toward Tian Ling’er.

Seeing her delighted smile gave Zhang Xiaofan a sense of pride, and he raised his voice, looking toward Tian Buyi. “Master, Mistress, I was lucky enough to win another match.”

Everyone stared at one another in disbelief, their hearts sinking. There had been bets placed on these matches, and hefty ones at that. With Zhang Xiaofan’s unexpected victory, some would likely lose everything, especially Song Daren, who had bet fivefold—he might not have enough to pay back even if he sold all his clothes!

At dawn the next morning, Qian Mo arrived early at the Cloud Sea Plaza, but many disciples had come even earlier. Most had already gathered around the central arena, discussing and waiting for the day’s matches to begin.

Last night, Qian Mo had met with Lu Xueqi here in secret. Now, not seeing her ethereal figure, he felt a slight disappointment. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and headed for the main arena. That little girl usually treats me well—why isn’t she here to cheer me on today?

The Seven Peaks Martial Gathering had already passed its halfway point. Now came the climax: the final duels between the most renowned disciples—each bout more thrilling than the last. To miss a match would mean waiting another sixty years for the next opportunity—truly a regret.

The central arena was the grandest and drew the most attention. Before the matches began, the heads of the Seven Peaks and the various elders would all gather there.

Today was Qian Mo’s third match, and his opponent was none other than the most accomplished senior brother of Dragon Head Peak, the famous Qi Hao.

Qi Hao’s reputation in the Azure Cloud Sect was unmatched. The size of the crowd around the arena was evidence enough of his appeal. Yet, his mood was dark—not because of anything else, but because of the humiliation he suffered yesterday when Qian Mo smacked him off the stage, fueling his murderous intent.

Though Qian Mo’s name wasn’t as well-known, his string of easy victories had marked him as a dark horse with formidable strength. Most disciples had witnessed Qi Hao being sent flying by him with a single palm strike.

Rumor had it that there was already bad blood between the two, and their confrontation was just what many disciples wanted to see.

It happened that Lu Xueqi had no match today, and Qi Hao’s fame eclipsed all other competitors. Disciples from other arenas had all rushed over to watch.

This left the other competing disciples quite miserable. With the refereeing elders included, there were only three people on and around the other arenas. Even the referees were distracted, their eyes drifting toward the central stage.

As time passed, the heads of the Seven Peaks took their seats, the elders of the Azure Cloud Sect gathered below, and disciples from every peak arrived one after another.

Qian Mo had already ascended the arena, as had Qi Hao. Both were dressed in white robes, their long sleeves fluttering in the wind, making for an eye-catching sight.

Below the stage, the disciples began to discuss Qian Mo in earnest, eager for information. When the news spread that he was a disciple of Tongtian Peak, astonishment followed.

What stunned them most was Qian Mo’s record: in two matches, he hadn’t even used a single finger—all his victories had been achieved by overwhelming his opponents with spiritual energy alone. And yesterday, he had sent Qi Hao flying with one palm? Unbelievable!

Above, Qi Hao’s face grew ever darker as he overheard the crowd discussing his humiliating defeat.

Qian Mo wore a serene, effortless smile, unbothered by it all. Qi Hao, on the other hand, maintained a forced smile, though inwardly he wished nothing more than to kill Qian Mo on the spot.

Watching the two onstage, Daoist Cangsong wiped cold sweat from his brow. He hadn’t expected this matchup—the worst possible outcome. One was his disciple, the other his master. Offending his master could be fatal.

If possible, he would have preferred Qi Hao to face Lu Xueqi—at least then he’d know what to expect. Facing his master, however, brought too many uncertainties.

He’d heard that Qian Mo possessed the strength to instantly defeat a cultivator at the peak of the Jade Pure Realm’s third level, making him even more anxious. If anything went wrong, Qi Hao would lose his chance at the crown.

Tian Buyi glanced nervously at Qian Mo on the arena, then at Qi Hao. Though he didn’t care for Qi Hao, he admitted the young man’s skill. Having missed yesterday’s events, he still hoped for a Tongtian Peak victory over Dragon Head Peak.

Master Shuiyue’s beautiful eyes gleamed as she watched Qian Mo, then she turned to Lu Xueqi. “Xueqi, I’ve heard from some disciples that you’ve often gone out at night lately, and you appear distracted when you return. Is that true?”

Lu Xueqi’s cheeks flushed and she lowered her head, replying softly, “Yes, Master, it’s true.”

Shuiyue gave her a sidelong glance, then returned her gaze to the arena, her tone casual, “Who do you think will win between those two?”

Lu Xueqi raised her head, her clear eyes lingering on the handsome youth onstage, recalling the warmth and strength of his embrace.

Just as she looked up, she found Qian Mo also gazing at her, which made her cheeks flush redder still.

(End of chapter)