Chapter 167: Lin Liuli: “Did You Dare to Hurt My Brother?!”
“Daoist Lin Liuli, I have no intention of being your enemy!” Xi Chao quickly interjected. “I simply want to help you; you can absorb this spiritual source.”
“Sorry, but I never asked for your help.” Lin Liuli’s expression was frosty, her whisk glowing faintly with pure light.
Before arriving in Tai’an City, the faint goodwill she had for Xi Chao had already dissolved due to his previous schemes against Lin Qi’an. While Lin Liuli wasn’t biologically part of the Lin family, her loyalty and affection for her adopted family were beyond question.
Having experienced loss before, she cherished her loved ones even more deeply. Her training at Beidu Celestial Palace was all for the sake of better protecting her family.
Even though her younger brother might be slightly stronger than her in certain aspects, she was determined to ensure she could provide support whenever he needed it. To Lin Liuli, anyone opposing the Lin family was an enemy.
“Wait, hold on!” Xi Chao quickly added, desperation creeping into his tone. “Your Perfect Glazed Body has yet to overcome its Icefire Tribulation. I have a mystical artifact that could assist you!”
Xi Chao, as a Destined Child, carried with him the treasure known as the “Profound Icefire Jade,” which happened to perfectly complement Lin Liuli’s predicament.
This statement made Lin Liuli hesitate. Her descent from the Beidu Celestial Palace had two objectives. Firstly, as a representative, she was to participate in the grand event.
Secondly, she sought a method to overcome her Icefire Tribulation. While she couldn’t rely on the direct intervention of powerful cultivators, leveraging the power of a mystical artifact was within the rules.
If she could fully achieve the Perfect Glazed Body, her strength would advance by leaps and bounds, and she could better fulfill her responsibilities as an elder sister.
Seeing her momentary hesitation, Xi Chao’s spirits soared.
“She’s just another woman,” he thought. “As long as I offer what she wants, she’ll come around.”
The thought of courting a Taoist nun like Lin Liuli filled him with a strange thrill.
However, just as Xi Chao was about to press his advantage, a white-clad figure descended like a sudden gust of wind.
“No one wants the spiritual source?” Lin Qi’an casually strode forward and absorbed the spiritual energy left behind by the defeated fifth-level source beast.
“Lin Qi’an?!” Lin Liuli’s eyes sparkled with delight.
Encountering Lin Qi’an within the secret realm was a stroke of fortune, and she showed no anger over him taking the spiritual source. After all, it was only a fifth-level source beast—she could always find another.
“Lin… Qi… An…” Xi Chao’s expression darkened as he roared, “That spiritual source was left for Lin Liuli! How dare you take it?!”
Lin Liuli’s chilling gaze cut through his indignation.
“He absorbed what was mine. How does it concern you?”
“But I killed the source beast for you!”
“Did I ever ask for your help?” Lin Liuli’s tone was icy.
At this moment, Xi Chao resembled nothing more than a pitiful fool, groveling for attention. Despite his efforts to ingratiate himself, Lin Liuli responded with nothing but indifference. This only deepened his frustration.
While Lin Qi’an currently only held a fourth-level spiritual source, Xi Chao simmered with hatred. If not for Lin Liuli’s presence, he would have struck Lin Qi’an down without hesitation.
Suddenly, Lin Qi’an stepped forward, his voice calm but filled with provocation, “Xi Chao, I’ll give you the opportunity to challenge me one-on-one.”
“?!” Xi Chao was stunned for a moment but quickly regained his composure, his mood soaring.
This was precisely what he wanted—a chance to prove himself superior to Lin Qi’an. To have it served on a silver platter was beyond his expectations.
Outside the secret realm, their power levels might be close, but within this environment, Xi Chao’s higher spiritual source level gave him a clear advantage.
This was his golden opportunity to reclaim his pride. A chance to crush the man he hated in front of the woman he admired—what could be sweeter?
—
Outside the Secret Realm:
The audience erupted in excitement.
“Xi Chao versus Lin Qi’an! This is going to be an amazing match!”
“These two are the top young prodigies of the Canglan Dao Domain! I didn’t think they’d duel so soon.”
“Why do they keep fighting each other? Can’t they focus on the geniuses from the Tianhai Dao Domain instead?”
“Patience! This battle will be worth watching.”
Despite the overwhelming odds, many still bet on Lin Qi’an to win. His performances thus far had been nothing short of miraculous, and no one dared underestimate him.
This duel not only ignited the rivalry between two prodigies but also reignited tensions between the Beiyang Tianjian City and Xiling temple.
Both sides had been embroiled in disputes since Lin Qi’an’s earlier transgressions on the temple’s territory, where he killed its members with overwhelming dominance.
Now, the audience awaited the clash with bated breath.
—
Inside the Secret Realm.
“Fine, let’s fight!” Xi Chao agreed enthusiastically, his folding fan snapping open as his sleeves billowed in the wind.
This was the moment he had been waiting for—a chance to defeat Lin Qi’an and earn Lin Liuli’s admiration. Nothing could bring him greater satisfaction.
“Are you really going to fight him? He’s a level higher than you!” Lin Liuli’s tone carried worry.
“Don’t worry,” Lin Qi’an reassured her. “If things go south, I’ll just crush the escape talisman and leave. It’s just a sparring match; I won’t get hurt.”
“Alright, but be careful!”
Although Lin Liuli often teased Lin Qi’an, calling him her “annoying little brother,” only she was allowed to criticize him—no one else. If anyone dared to hurt him, she would never let it slide. Still, a sparring match shouldn’t lead to serious injuries.
If someone crossed the line, though, she wouldn’t hesitate to retaliate.
The match began.
Lin Qi’an wielded spiritual energy to form swords, while Xi Chao unleashed his Icefire Divine Technique, controlling flames in one hand and frost in the other. The forest around them was soon devastated, with trees reduced to splinters and the ground scorched or frozen in patches.
Initially, their battle seemed evenly matched.
Suddenly, Xi Chao unleashed a powerful ultimate move. Twin dragons of fire and ice erupted from his palms, crashing directly into Lin Qi’an’s chest.
With a deafening explosion, Lin Qi’an was flung back hundreds of meters, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Of course, the blood was courtesy of the mini blood pack he had prepared earlier.
“Lin Qi’an!” Lin Liuli’s heart twisted at the sight. She rushed toward him, her worry evident.
Outside the secret realm, the spectators from the Xiling Temple erupted into cheers.
“Xi Chao won! Hahaha!”
“Finally, Lin Qi’an meets his match! This is so satisfying!”
“Brilliant work by the Divine Son! It’s been a while since we’ve seen someone put Lin Qi’an in his place!”
Even Xiling Temple’s emperor nodded in approval. At last, the shrine’s honor had been restored.
Standing atop a tree branch, Xi Chao smirked triumphantly as he looked down on Lin Qi’an.
“Lin Qi’an,” he mocked, “if you admit defeat now, crush your escape talisman and leave, you can still save yourself further humiliation.”
This was undoubtedly one of the most gratifying moments of his life.
“I’m fine, sis… cough!” Lin Qi’an’s exaggerated coughing came with another spray of “blood” as he finished emptying his blood pack.
“Hold on. I’ll avenge you!” Lin Liuli’s eyes burned with fury. In that moment, her hatred for Xi Chao reached its peak.
“I can’t bear to hit him myself, yet you dared to injure him!” Her tone carried an icy chill that sent shivers down Xi Chao’s spine.
Before he could react, Lin Liuli launched a fierce assault. Her attacks came like a torrential storm, each strike filled with unrelenting intent.
“Lin Liuli, I don’t want to fight you! Stop this!”
“You’re courting death.”
“We can talk this out! He was just weaker than me—his injuries aren’t my fault!”
Xi Chao’s protests only made Lin Liuli angrier. Wielding her whisk, she traced the pattern of the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper, unleashing streams of radiant energy that bombarded Xi Chao.
She poured all her spiritual energy into the attack, determined to make him pay.
—
Notifications:
– Ding! Lin Liuli’s hatred for Xi Chao has reached the extreme. Xi Chao’s Luck Value -200.
– Ding! The Host’s scheme succeeded. Villain Points +10,000.
Lin Qi’an was thoroughly enjoying himself.
“Sis, let me help you!”
Under Lin Liuli’s relentless assault, combined with Lin Qi’an’s occasional interference, Xi Chao was quickly overwhelmed. Eventually, Lin Liuli’s whisk struck Xi Chao square in the chest, sending him flying as he coughed up blood.
“I concede!” Xi Chao shouted desperately, clutching his chest.
Yet Lin Liuli wasn’t satisfied and continued her assault, forcing him to crush his escape talisman to avoid being killed.
Before disappearing, his thoughts were a mess. Was injuring her brother really worth all this?
Finally, after Xi Chao was teleported out, Lin Liuli let out a sigh of relief. She immediately turned to check on Lin Qi’an’s injuries.
Uh-oh. He realized the jig was up.
In the chaos, Lin Liuli hadn’t inspected his wounds closely, but now she would undoubtedly notice his “injuries” were fake.
—
Outside the Secret Realm:
The Xiling Temple faction exploded with outrage.
“You people from Tianjian City are so shameless!”
“They agreed to a one-on-one match, yet they teamed up when their guy started losing. If you can’t handle defeat, don’t participate!”
“Exactly! It’s a disgrace. I can’t believe this is how they win!”
Tianjian City’s supporters weren’t having any of it.
“Let’s not forget the first round when your Divine Son lured three beasts to attack our Crown Prince. Did we make a fuss about it?”
“Yeah, right! When you pull dirty tricks, it’s strategy. When we fight back, it’s shameless? Spare us the hypocrisy!”
“Seriously, you’re disgusting. Grow up!”
As the two sides argued fiercely, a crimson source beast suddenly emerged. The beast had likely been drawn by the energy fluctuations from the earlier battle.
The Xiling Temple faction grinned wickedly.
“Look at that! Looks like karma came early for your Crown Prince.”
“One’s injured, the other’s drained of spiritual energy. Let’s see how they handle this!”