Chapter 17: The Wang Family's Daughter, Junyao
"No..." Wang Xihai gently pushed Wang Junyao's hand away and said with a serious expression, "You can't." To be honest, ever since he learned that Chen Qing's strength had reached the Peak of Nine-Ring Martial Disciple, Wang Xihai knew he didn't stand a chance. He himself was only a Ninth-Ring Martial Disciple. While Ninth Ring and the Peak of Nine Rings might seem to be on the same level, the gap between them was enormous.
But who would have thought that Wang Junyao would completely ignore Wang Xihai's attempt to stop her? She took a step forward and leaped out of the rest area. Her agile body traced a beautiful arc through the air before she landed softly on the stage.
"Wang Family, Junyao." The young woman's voice was as gentle as water, a soft and pleasant murmur. And yet, her fiery red dress and long, fiery red hair gave off a feeling of fervent passion. For two completely opposite qualities to appear in a single person, how could she not capture everyone's attention?
Soon, everyone in the entire plaza found their gazes fixed on Wang Junyao—Mu Chen included, of course. It was then that he finally saw her face clearly. She didn't have the kind of beauty that could topple nations, but her delicate, snow-white oval face and a pair of crimson pupils revealed not fiery passion but a tenderness like water, enough to make one feel captivated after a single glance. Her small, pink lips were lightly pressed together, her expression calm and composed, neither servile nor overbearing.
He didn't know what others were thinking, but Mu Chen found himself admiring this young woman. Of course, it was only admiration. His heart was already completely occupied by someone else.
"Eh? This little girl isn't bad either. She actually possesses the Cold Flame." At that moment, the Profound Old Ghost, who had been watching from the side, suddenly cried out in surprise.
Mu Chen paused, startled, and turned to look at the Profound Old Ghost. "Cold Flame? What's that?"
"Oh, it's a very special Fire Attribute constitution. You can call it the Cold Flame Body. As long as someone with this body advances to the Martial Artist realm, their Cultivation speed will become incredibly fast."
Seeing that Mu Chen didn't ask any more questions, the Profound Old Ghost didn't seem to mind and continued on his own, "That's because when they cultivate, they don't need to expel the Water Attribute Primordial Qi that conflicts with the Fire Attribute Primordial Qi. Not only that, but if absorbed properly, the Water Yuan Qi will even assist in the absorption of Fire Yuan Qi, removing the berserk elements from it. This allows for faster absorption and a perfect state of Cultivation with purer Primordial Power. In a sense, this constitution can already be considered a Dual Attribute body."
"That's possible?" Mu Chen exclaimed in amazement after hearing the explanation.
The Profound Old Ghost said, "Of course. You've just been cooped up in this small town for too long. Once these next two days are over and you get out into the world, your horizons will naturally broaden. Then you'll discover that nothing is impossible on this continent."
For some reason, after hearing the Profound Old Ghost's words, ripples spread across Mu Chen's calm heart. At that moment, he suddenly found himself eagerly anticipating the world outside.
"Master, who do you think will win, Wang Junyao or Chen Qing?" Mu Chen asked casually, trying to make conversation.
Without a moment's hesitation, the Profound Old Ghost replied directly, "Of course it'll be that kid, Chen Qing. The little girl on the other side is only an Eighth-Ring Martial Disciple. Before she reaches the Martial Artist realm, her Ice Flame Body offers her no advantage whatsoever."
Hearing this, Mu Chen fell silent. If the Profound Old Ghost said so, then the outcome was all but decided.
…
"Miss Jun Yao, I have never fought a woman before. But since we've been matched, I won't bully you. You can either forfeit now, or I will fight you with one arm tied behind my back." When Chen Qing saw Wang Junyao, he was dazed for only a moment before quickly regaining his composure and speaking indifferently.
Wang Junyao's brow furrowed. "Thank you for your kind intentions, Young Master Chen, but I must decline. Please, use your full strength."
Chen Qing thought for a moment. This was a family tournament, after all. He smiled. "As you wish."
"Begin the match!" After hearing their exchange, Elder Yan gave a low shout and retreated from the stage.
"Hah!"
With a loud shout, Chen Qing's footwork shifted, and he swiftly unleashed a graceful Body Technique. His body shot toward Wang Junyao like an Offline Arrow, his momentum making it seem as if he were facing a mortal enemy.
Wang Junyao was also startled. She hadn't expected him to flip a switch so suddenly. The rapid change in his demeanor stunned her for a moment.
Chen Qing rushed forward, swinging his fist in a huge arc behind him to gather power for a moment. Then, he thrust it forward violently, sending a gust of wind from the blow blasting toward Wang Junyao. He showed no mercy whatsoever.
At that moment, almost everyone closed their eyes. If a blow that heavy landed, the slender young woman would surely be grievously injured, if not killed.
"..."
However, after a few moments passed with no sound, many people opened their eyes, only to find that Wang Junyao, who was originally standing still, had avoided Chen Qing's fierce attack and dodged to the side.
"What was that just now?" Mu Chen's mouth hung open. He had only seen a flash of a red figure before Chen Qing's attack hit empty air.
The Profound Old Ghost nodded and explained, "I don't know what that was, but I can say for sure that this little girl's Body Technique is incredibly impressive. Keep watching. This is just the beginning; we can't draw any conclusions yet."
On the stage, Chen Qing's expression grew serious after his first strike missed. His subsequent moves became even trickier, but every time he felt his fist was about to land on Wang Junyao, she would always cleverly dodge his attack just a step ahead of him.
With a sharp nod, Chen Qing let out another shout, his fists a blur of afterimages as his speed increased.
At first, Wang Junyao could still dodge with ease, but as Chen Qing's speed continued to accelerate, her evasions became extremely strenuous. In less than a few minutes, her stamina began to fail, forcing her to retreat to one side of the stage, panting heavily.
Women naturally have less stamina than men, and Chen Qing's cultivation level was much higher than Wang Junyao's, so his victory was inevitable. What was unexpected, however, was that this seemingly delicate woman, despite her absolute disadvantage, hadn't allowed Chen Qing to land a single hit on her.
"So that's how it is," the Profound Old Ghost chuckled slowly. "Heh heh, this little girl is quite interesting. She focused entirely on training her speed and Body Technique during the Martial Disciple realm. No wonder that kid can't hit her. Among those below the Martial Artist realm, her Body Technique is truly outstanding."
Mu Chen curled his lip and said snappily, "Anyone could see that."
The Profound Old Ghost was speechless.
On the stage, Chen Qing remained perfectly calm, not even breathing heavily, as he gathered his power for another assault. To be honest, he had never encountered an opponent of the same rank with such an excellent Body Technique, and the fight was starting to excite him.
"I forfeit..." Having caught her breath, Wang Junyao waved her hand. 'If I keep fighting,' she thought, 'I'll definitely get hit.'
When those two words were spoken, not only was Chen Qing stunned, but the entire plaza fell silent. Wang Junyao, however, didn't seem to care. Under the gazes of countless people, she calmly walked off the stage and returned to the Wang Family's rest area. She stuck her tongue out playfully at Wang Xihai and said with a sigh, "Brother, I did my best. He's really strong. I have a feeling he might be even a little stronger than you."
Wang Xihai lovingly patted his gentle sister's head and smiled. "There's no other way. Even if I know I'm going to lose, I still have to go up there. Otherwise, people will look down on me. A man can lose, but he can't retreat without a fight."
Mu Chen heard every single word. His body trembled as he muttered, "A man can lose... but he can't retreat without a fight."
"Bullshit. Utterly childish." Just as Mu Chen was repeating the phrase to himself, the Profound Old Ghost sneered from the side.
Mu Chen once again turned a questioning gaze toward his newfound Master. The Profound Old Ghost snorted. "Those words are only fit for flowers raised in a greenhouse. In the Outer Realm, the most important thing is never dignity, nor face—it's your life. Only if you are alive do you have the right to dignity and face. Only by living do you have any hope of having the last laugh. You can lose? In the Outer Realm, there's no such concept as 'losing.' There is only life and death. If you lose, you lose everything. Reality is a very cruel thing."
Mu Chen froze at his words. He had originally been moved by what Wang Xihai said, but now, the Profound Old Ghost's single sentence had shaken him to the core. 'He's right,' Mu Chen thought. 'This is just a tournament; the worst that can happen is a serious injury. But would it be this safe in the world outside? The answer is no. The Extreme Martial Continent is so vast, and countless people die every day. A single careless mistake, and the next one to die could be me.'
"Hmph. This is all just children playing house. There's nothing worth watching in this competition. In terms of talent, these little dolls are passable, but in terms of technique... heh, they're nothing but greenhouse flowers. I'm off to bed!" The Profound Old Ghost shook his head and, in the next instant, vanished without a trace.
Mu Chen shook his head helplessly. He found it increasingly difficult to understand this Master of his. Not only was he mysterious, but his worldliness was also astonishingly vast. He saw Wang Xihai walk onto the stage, and everyone else's eyes went wide. This battle could be considered a clash between two of Luofeng City's greatest geniuses. Of course, they were still unaware of Mu Rongxuan's existence in the Mu Family—the same Mu Rongxuan who couldn't even practice Body Forging three years ago.
"Wang Xihai. Heh heh, I've been waiting for you for a long time." Seeing the refined young man walk onto the stage, Chen Qing finally brought his hands from behind his back, his face filled with excitement.
Across from him, however, Wang Xihai just gave a bitter smile. "Let's not talk. Let's begin."
Chen Qing nodded. Seeing that both were ready, Elder Yan called "Begin!" and stepped back.
As soon as the word was given, Wang Xihai, having learned from the previous match, attacked before Chen Qing could. Chen Qing's strategy was simple: charge forward with explosive speed from the start, overwhelm the opponent with sheer momentum, and then follow up with a relentless barrage of fierce attacks. It didn't take long for an opponent to crack under the dual psychological and physical pressure, unable to unleash their full strength.
"Fierce Tiger Strike!"
Wang Xihai let out a low shout, his hands forming into claws. With a twist of his body, he generated power from his waist and stance, whipping his arms forward to claw at Chen Qing's face. Seeing Wang Xihai launch a fast attack, using a Fist Technique right from the start, Chen Qing wasn't flustered at all. Instead, a look of excitement appeared on his face as he laughed, "Now this is more fun!"
As he spoke, Chen Qing formed his right hand into a palm and slapped Wang Xihai's wrist, neutralizing the attack. His other hand shot out at a tricky angle, aiming for Wang Xihai's armpit to strike his weak spot. Wang Xihai's expression changed. He quickly spun around to dodge the blow and, using the momentum of his turn, threw out a Whip Kick.
The spin had added power to the Whip Kick. When it made contact with Chen Qing's body, even though he had already raised his defense, the force of the blow still sent him sliding back two steps.
The crowd praised him inwardly. The corner of Chen Qing's mouth curled up. "Not bad. But it's still not nearly enough."