Chapter 81: Chapter 81

Xia Jian didn’t bother with pleasantries and directly initiated a challenge. His original intent had been to dupe Li Xiaobai into taking that seat, all so he could avenge his clan members.

He hadn’t expected Li Xiaobai to be so cooperative.

He was not like these ordinary family descendants; having cultivated in Zhenyuan Country for years, he had already touched the threshold of the Great Perfection realm of the Golden Core Stage. In this realm, even the Family Head would hardly be his equal.

Moreover, having faced life and death struggles outside for many years, he had few equals at this level.

“Very well, make your move,” Li Xiaobai said, instinctively provoking and drawing hatred, while sitting steadily in his chair, not moving an inch.

“What do you mean by this, Boss Ye?” Xia Jian frowned.

“Young Master Xia, please make your move. If Liangchen leaves this seat, you can consider it my loss,” Li Xiaobai said with a chuckle.

“Woof, this is Lord Ergouzi’s henchman. If you defeat him, you will be qualified to challenge Lord Ergouzi himself!” Ergouzi stood up, carrying his paws on his back and spoke indifferently.

“Damn it, this is too arrogant. Second brother, cripple his cultivation!”

Xia Liu was the first to explode; both the man and the dog were infuriating.

“Seeking attention, nothing more. Boss Ye, I hope you come to your senses after today and realize there’s always someone stronger,” Wang Ruoxian said calmly, convinced of Xia Jian’s inevitable victory.

“Then Xia will respectfully comply,” Xia Jian replied, his expression turning icy as he twisted his wrist and a giant brush appeared in his hand.

“Ink Art, a gentleman’s open heart creates unity in the world.”

Lines of calligraphy crisscrossed in the void, ancient runes flowed, and the Eight Characters Truth materialized, bearing the weight of all living beings and plummeting towards Li Xiaobai.

This was a Confucian technique; scholars wielded their ink treasures as magic treasures, used their inner literary energy as a means of attack, and suppressed everything with overwhelming righteousness.

“This is a Confucian technique, an Ink Art attack — it suppresses everything based on one’s understanding of Confucian classics!”

“Young Master Xia must be at the Golden Core Stage cultivation level, barely inferior to the Family Head. Who would have expected him to unleash such power? Zhenyuan Country is truly worthy of its heritage.”

“I’m afraid Boss Ye is in trouble. It’s hard to counter the suppression of a scholar.”

“Yes, this might have been overconfident…”

[Attribute Points +200…]

[Attribute Points +200…]

The power is decent, not beyond the scope of the Golden Core Stage. Li Xiaobai focused on the system panel before him, allocating all Attribute Points to defence.

Xia Jian’s hands moved ceaselessly, writing something in the void. Li Xiaobai only felt a tightening around him as several large characters bore down from the void with the weight of ten thousand jun.

Underfoot, the rocks cracked, and the ground was webbed with fissures; the oppressive force was formidable.

However, it was of no use against the Indestructible Golden Body; the Eight Characters Truth only made him feel a bit heavier.

“Young Master Xia doesn’t seem too open-hearted…” Li Xiaobai taunted with a smile.

“Did you hear that, kid? Your heart isn’t open!”

“‘A gentleman is open and unconstrained; a petty man is full of worries’ — that’s you!”

Ergouzi became animated at the sight, spouting nonsense; with Li Xiaobai able to withstand the onslaught, he could boldly put on an act.

Xia Jian’s expression changed, Li Xiaobai was unfazed by his Eight Characters Truth, and even the dog beside him was full of mockery.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Altering his brush strokes, Xia Jian no longer wrote the Truth but instead sketched a Mountains and Rivers Map in mid-air.

A long river appeared out of nowhere, with rushing waters surging and flowing.

“This is a fragment of the Mountains and Rivers Map, which is a national treasure of Zhenyuan Country, left behind by the Great Immortal Zhenyuan in his early years. Young Master Xia has actually seen it and even comprehended a part of it!”

“It is said that the Central Province forces that interact with Zhenyuan Country have always maintained a friendly relationship precisely because of this Mountains and Rivers Map.”

“Once the Mountains and Rivers Map is displayed, it can suppress everything.”

“Young Master Xia is truly a genius. Our Ancient Moon City is on the rise!”

Billowing river waters fell from the sky, with surging waves carrying the roar of thunder as they crashed down toward Li Xiaobai with the force of thunderbolts.

The special effects were quite impressive, unlike those Golden Core Stage cultivators he had seen before. As the river water fell, Li Xiaobai felt his body being fixed in place as if it were filled with lead.

[Attribute Points +300…]

[Attribute Points +300…]

Although the effect was powerful, the actual force was still mediocre. Even with an inheritance, the Golden Core Stage was just the Golden Core Stage.

“Young Master Xia’s move is quite ordinary, and Liangchen’s heart is completely unmoved, he even wanted to laugh,” Li Xiaobai chuckled.

“This is impossible!”

Xia Jian’s face changed dramatically; he had just used the power of his inheritance to display a vision of a corner of the Mountains and Rivers Map. Any ordinary cultivator facing the overwhelming river would have been utterly obliterated, yet Li Xiaobai was completely unharmed.

But then his face flushed red, his chest felt stuffy, and his insides churned as if the river had been overturned; he was actually injured. How could this be? Xia Jian’s eyes filled with shock and anger.

“Boss Ye, you are clearly seriously wounded, don’t force yourself anymore. Lie down quietly, and Xia will immediately arrange for someone to treat Boss Ye!”

“Don’t overexert yourself, otherwise the injury may worsen, affecting the foundation of your Great Path.”

As these words were spoken, the surrounding cultivators were enlightened. So he was forcing himself all along; they almost got scared to death. They advised him, “Yes, Boss Ye, don’t force yourself. When compared to life, face is worth nothing.”

“And besides, with Young Master Xia’s exceptional talent, there’s no shame in losing to him.”

“Yes…”

Li Xiaobai scratched his head, somewhat astonished. This Xia Jian’s self-perception was a little too good.

“Liangchen just wanted to let Young Master Xia make a couple of moves first…”

“Could it be that the move just now was Young Master Xia’s full strength?”

“Hehe, did Young Master Xia get slapped in the face? Your attack was completely useless. Lord Ergouzi didn’t get hurt at all, he even wanted to laugh!” Ergouzi was thrilled.

Wang Ruoxian looked shocked. Li Xiaobai’s appearance didn’t seem faked; he was indeed unharmed. Xia Jian’s offensive power was certainly all out. If it had been her, she would not have been able to remain unhurt either.

This bathhouse owner, despite his young age, actually possessed such cultivation level. Wang Ruoxian felt she needed to reassess this man.

Xia Jian’s eyes were somewhat dazed. The other party wasn’t pretending; his Eight Characters Truth hadn’t even left a scratch on Li Xiaobai. Instead, he himself had suffered a significant injury.

“This is impossible. How can anyone in my generation surpass me? I am almost at the Great Perfection Realm of the Golden Core Stage. Even disciples of major sects are only comparable to me.”

“Who exactly are you!”

“I am Ye Liangchen. Liangchen loves to act against those who consider themselves extraordinarily capable.”

“Perfection is perfection, anything less is not. What is this ‘almost perfection’?”

“Young Master Xia, don’t look for a way out for yourself. You are really quite weak.”

“In this world, the only one who can harm Liangchen is Liangchen himself.”

Li Xiaobai stood with his hands behind his back, speaking indifferently. Xia Jian’s attack was quite good; after a full round, he had earned the System two thousand Attribute Points.

[Defensive Power: Indestructible Golden Body Sixth Turn (48000/60000) can be advanced.]

As these words came out, everyone was petrified. Before this moment, no one would have expected today’s martial contest to turn out this way.

Xia Jian had used all his methods but couldn’t even scratch him. What kind of strength was this?