CHAPTER 27: MY DOMINEERING MASTER FELL FOR ME?

Qi Yuan stood on the arena stage, his sleeves snapping sharply in the wind.

No way... am I THAT handsome? So much so that the other party was overwhelmed and surrendered on the spot?

He glanced at Duan Tianjiao, who had just conceded. Oh, well. She’s still a woman after all. No wonder she can’t resist my charm.

Qi Yuan pretended not to notice the strange looks others were giving him.

"The victor of this match is Qi Yuan!"

Without the slightest guilt, he accepted the result and stepped down from the arena. After that, other cultivators took their turns dueling, fighting with great enthusiasm.

As time passed, Qi Yuan sat cross-legged in the crowd, nearly dozing off.

Prince Changshan stroked his beard with a smile. "Brother Qi, with the level 1 spirit item, Yellow Blossom Fruit, your future is boundless."

Qi Yuan seemed puzzled. "The duels aren't even over yet. How does Your Highness know I'll take first place?"

The prince only smiled and said nothing.

Time passed quickly, and soon, it was Qi Yuan's turn again. This time, his opponent was a swordsman from Floating Mountain. Swordsmen were rare in the Great Shang Kingdom.

Qi Yuan grew more serious. He actually wanted to see if swordsmen really fly on their blades, or transform into sword-light. Of course, Qi Yuan also knew his opponent was only at the Qi Refinement realm. There was no way he could actually fly on his sword.

The Floating Mountain youth held an iron sword that gleamed coldly. He pointed it at Qi Yuan. Qi Yuan, in turn, raised two fingers into a sword-seal.

Since the sword was called the gentleman’s weapon, Qi Yuan remained humble before the sharp-eyed youth. "Please guide me!"

Since his in-game weapon had always been a giant sword, he could be said to walk the path of the sword.

A fierce, exhilarating clash of swordsmanship between men was about to begin.

However, the youth suddenly went pale and clutched his stomach. "What a domineering spell, invisible to the naked eyes! Senior Brother... I admit defeat!"

Once again, Qi Yuan's opponent conceded on the spot and retreated from the stage.

He froze. This seems a little too much of a coincidence. No way... not even men can stand my charm?

Qi Yuan decided it’d be safer not to go out too often. With another victory under his belt, Qi Yuan stepped down again. He narrowed his eyes at the Seven-Colored Peak.

The mountain stood majestically, its peak wreathed in clouds, revealing bits and hints of white-jade palaces.

Master...

Qi Yuan's thoughts wandered to that outrageous woman. In all of Divine Radiance Sect, only she would be so shameless to pull such a thing.

"Brother Qi." The prince smiled at him. "Isn't the Yellow Blossom Fruit as good as yours? To have such a master, what a blessing in this life."

When the Yellow Blossom Fruit appeared, all the sects and noble families had been restless, eager for it. Unfortunately, the Seven-Colored Peak Master had sent carrier pigeons to the other sects. Her letters carried no promises of profit, just pressure backed with past favors.

Truly, only one person possessed both the gall and the power to match it. The major sects, though unwilling, could only swallow their anger. Thus, they staged this little play here. The Qi Refinement realm disciples still fought their matches seriously since there were other spirit items available.

Qi Yuan stared at Prince Changshan and asked slowly, "Does my master's face carry that much weight?"

"Not just face," the prince replied, eyes distant. "It's strength. Thirty years ago, the Demonic Desire Sect grew ambitious, seeking to unify Great Shang and crown themselves the head of the immortal path. Did you know what happened then?"

Qi Yuan leaned in with genuine curiosity. Truthfully, he’d only been in this world half a year, and hadn’t spent much time with his master. All he really knew was that she was beautiful.

"Your master, the Seven-Colored Peak Master, went to the Demonic Desire Sect by herself," said the prince. "She claimed she wanted their newly-planted Ancient Qichun tree. The sect was in its prime, so of course they clashed. No one knows how the battle went. All they knew was that your master planted that very tree atop Seven-Colored Peak."

The prince's eyes gleamed with humor. "Since then, the Demonic Desire Sect never dared to speak of unifying the Great Shang Kingdom again."

Because of that incident, the great sects owed the Seven-Colored Peak Master no small debt of gratitude. Hence why, this time, they ceded the spirit item to her disciple.

Qi Yuan blurted without thinking, "So, my domineering master fell in love with me?"

Prince Changsan's smile froze. "You brat, keep your voice down! Don't drag me into this!"

He, for one, was terrified of the Seven-Colored Peak Master. Rumor had it she was a late stage Nascent Soul realm cultivator. If not for lingering injuries, she’d have stepped into the Violet Palace realm.

After that, Qi Yuan's duels became absurdly smooth. Every time he stepped on stage, his opponent immediately conceded. Clearly, before coming here, the sect elders had warned them: "Don't harm the Seven-Colored Peak Master’s disciple!"

However, just as Qi Yuan entered the final round, an incident occurred.

A black-robed youth stepped forward, exuding dense, murderous aura.

"I am Chu Yundong of Black Mountain Sect. Please grant me your guidance, Senior Brother!" he shouted.

Instead of immediately surrendering like the others, he solemnly stared at Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan was unfazed. "Please."

He glanced at Chu Yundong's strange weapon. It resembled a feather duster, but the black feathers were layered tightly, appearing sharp and unyielding.

[A Foundation Establishment artifact. Once activated, the feathers scatter like blades, capable of injuring even Foundation Establishment cultivators.]

All the sect elders below showed astonishment. Some turned to Black Chicken Ancestor with a puzzled expression.

Elder Feihua of the Demonic Desire Sect said, "The Black Mountain Sect's ambition isn't small."

Black Chicken Ancestor only chuckled. "The spirit item is there for everyone to take. Otherwise, what’s the point of holding this event?"

"They've even brought out a Foundation Establishment artifact," muttered Sword Master Fenguang of Floating Mountain Sect. His eyes narrowed. "Black Chicken Ancestor... your cultivation seems to have grown again?"

The others also turned toward Black Chicken Ancestor, trying to glean more information. No one believed the Black Mountain Sect would have dared to act without his command.

That old monster was in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, while the Seven-Colored Peak Master was late-stage, though injured.

Could it be Black Chicken Ancestor has also broken through to late stage Nascent Soul?

The crowd saw many implications from one small incident.

Chu Tianxiong grinned from ear to ear. He couldn’t unleash his anger on Qi Yuan for his fortune telling because Black Chicken Ancestor restrained him. Now, seeing this, he was delighted. He couldn’t wait to see Chu Yundong defeat Qi Yuan and seize the level 1 spirit item.

By now, the sect elders no longer cared about the duel’s outcome. Their thoughts were already on how to relay the news back to their sects. Only Prince Changshan and Chu Tianxiong kept their eyes fixed on the arena. Due to the rules, the prince couldn’t warn Qi Yuan to be wary of Chu Yundong's artifact.