Chapter 272 - 160: My Blade Is No Less Sharp
After a moment of silence, Bai Qing slowly nodded, her tone regaining the composure of a Sect Leader:
"Since you’ve shown such sincerity, Captain Chen, I will agree to the matter of Refining Soldiers and the Spirit Pills. There’s no need to bring up the Elemental Crystals again. Consider it my way of establishing a good rapport with you and befriending a young talent like yourself."
"In that case, I must thank you for your generosity, Sect Leader Bai."
Chen Sheng cupped his fist again, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. He seemed unsurprised by this outcome.
"Hold on."
Just as the atmosphere seemed to have eased, Lu Xuanzhou, who had been observing with a cold gaze, suddenly spoke up.
He first gestured with a cupped fist toward Bai Qing, then turned to Chen Sheng. The faint smile on his face was long gone, replaced by an icy chill.
"You’ve got some nerve, Captain Chen."
Lu Xuanzhou’s voice was not loud, but every word was crystal clear, laced with undisguised scorn:
"With just a few words, you claim the battle of Wushan Mountain as your bargaining chip? Do you really think, Captain Chen, that you alone can sway a major event like the battle of Wushan Mountain—one that involves six major sects and the Government Office?"
Chen Sheng’s brow twitched. His gaze finally settled completely on Lu Xuanzhou as he spoke in a flat tone:
"How dare you? Who are you? Since Sect Leader Bai has already given her consent, what gives you the right to interfere?"
"Lu Xuanzhou of Luoyun Manor!"
Lu Xuanzhou announced his name, enunciating each word, his gaze cutting into Chen Sheng like a razor’s edge.
"Oh—"
Chen Sheng drew out the sound, a look of dawning realization on his face. Then, his lips twisted into a smirk.
"So, it’s the Young Master of Luoyun Manor. I was wondering which nobody was causing such a commotion."
At this, Chen Sheng’s tone shifted abruptly, taking on a taunting edge:
"Speaking of which, I suppose I have some history with your Luoyun Manor. I’ve crossed paths with Young Master Lu Maozhi from Your Manor. His fiancée, Miss Wang Zilan... is quite lovely."
BOOM—!
The words were like a boulder dropped into a placid lake.
The calm on Lu Xuanzhou’s face shattered instantly. A cold glint flared in his eyes, and a biting killing intent practically surged out of his body.
Chen Sheng had stolen a bride from Luoyun Manor, dragging its reputation through the mud. This was already a thorn in his side.
Now, not only was Chen Sheng utterly shameless, but he even dared to mention Wang Zilan in such a flippant tone to his face. This was no longer a provocation; it was naked humiliation.
Lu Xuanzhou strode forward. The longsword at his waist, inlaid with a blue gemstone, slid half an inch from its scabbard with a sharp SHING. A bone-chilling Sword Qi instantly permeated the air, causing the temperature in the hall to plummet.
His eyes locked onto Chen Sheng, he squeezed the words out through gritted teeth:
"Chen Sheng, do you want to test how sharp my Treasure Sword is?!"
Faced with the surging killing intent and Sword Qi, Chen Sheng didn’t retreat an inch. Instead, he chuckled softly, his right hand falling to the hilt of his Cold-Intimidating Blade. He replied, word for deliberate word:
"My blade is just as sharp!"
BOOM!
The aura of a peak Earth Fiend erupted from within Chen Sheng.
Though not as dense and heavy as Profound Gang Qi, the extreme, domineering cold originating from the Nine Nether Yin Fiend surged forth like a tidal wave. It clashed head-on with the aura emanating from Lu Xuanzhou, holding its own for the moment.
Inside the grand hall, the air seemed to freeze.
The candle flames wavered violently under the clash of the two invisible energies, casting dancing shadows all around.
The two figures stood in opposition, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. A battle could erupt at any second.
"Enough!"
A cold, sharp reprimand rang out, like an icy spring striking stone, instantly shattering the standoff.
Bai Qing, seated on the main dais, slowly rose to her feet. Her moon-white robes stirred without a breeze as she unreservedly unleashed the vast, mountain-heavy pressure of a Profound Mastery expert!
The pressure wasn’t violent, but it was incredibly weighty. Like an invisible wall, it easily separated and suppressed the clashing auras of Chen Sheng and Lu Xuanzhou.
Bai Qing’s sharp eyes, full of authority, swept over the two men. Her voice was laced with an undeniable chill. "Are you two planning to use the Grand Conference Hall of my Danxia Sect as your personal dueling arena?"
She might extend an olive branch to both sides for the sake of her sect, but that did not mean they could behave so outrageously in the heart of the Danxia Sect, right in front of her, the Sect Leader.
Chen Sheng felt the mountain-like pressure and was inwardly alarmed, but a smile quickly spread across his face as he gave a slight bow to Bai Qing.
"Sect Leader Bai, please calm your anger. I had no such intention. It’s just that this Young Master Lu seems to have a bit of a temper, and I was forced to defend myself. In fact, he was being so aggressive that it made me wonder: does Luoyun Manor now call the shots in Ning’an Prefecture?"
With those words, he deftly turned the tables, painting Lu Xuanzhou as the aggressor.
Hearing this, Bai Qing’s cold gaze shifted to Lu Xuanzhou.
Lu Xuanzhou’s chest heaved as he struggled to suppress his roiling qi and fury.
In the presence of a Profound Mastery expert like Bai Qing, no matter how enraged he was, he dared not truly act out of line.
He took a deep breath, sheathed his sword, and cupped his fist toward Bai Qing.
"Sect Leader Bai, please calm your anger. It was this junior who lost his composure and acted improperly. But Chen Sheng’s insults against my manor were too severe, and for a moment, I could not control myself."
After explaining, Lu Xuanzhou looked at Chen Sheng again, the killing intent in his eyes having transformed into a cold, baleful glare.
"Chen Sheng, today, out of respect for Sect Leader Bai, I’ll let this slide. But if you dare spew such arrogant nonsense and insult my Luoyun Manor again... I’ll make sure you leave Qixia Mountain horizontally!"
This was not entirely an empty threat.
While there was an unwritten rule among the top factions that the strong should not bully the weak, it was a different story if it was a "spar" between juniors—especially if one party was insistent on provoking the other.
With his Profound Gang Realm Cultivation, if he were to "accidentally" grievously injure Chen Sheng, who was in the Earth Fiend Realm, the Jingwu Bureau would have a hard time finding a legitimate reason to retaliate, even if they were displeased. Besides, the Jingwu Bureau currently didn’t have a single person under the age of thirty who had reached the Profound Gang Realm.