Chapter 150: Mirror Flower Water Moon Rescues Changpu

No one was dissatisfied with this fair and open duel. However, as the saying goes, "there is a brave man under a heavy reward." And so, amidst the cheers of the Yuanqing Sect disciples, another Kunwu Sect disciple flew onto the Yanwu Stage.

It was unclear whether Chengkai was simply too excellent or if those Kunwu Sect disciples were too useless, but Chengkai had yet to suffer a single defeat. Seeing that there were few new disciples left for the Kunwu Sect, even True Person Xuantan found it difficult to keep a straight face.

The Yuanqing Sect had always kept itself aloof from worldly affairs. He had previously assumed it was because their vitality had been sapped by the catastrophe from many years ago, but now it seemed they simply couldn't be bothered to compete for fame.

After yet another Kunwu Sect disciple was knocked off the stage, no one from the Kunwu Sect dared to go up again. Some of the Kunwu Sect disciples grew anxious, but since it had been agreed before the trials that only newly initiated disciples could take the stage, they could only lament that they weren't the ones who could wash away the shame for the Kunwu Sect.

Just as everyone was at a loss, a person walked out from the crowd. It was none other than Changpu.

She did not fly onto the stage like the previous disciples; instead, she strolled leisurely up the steps of the Yanwu Stage. Once she stood still, she smiled and said to Chengkai:

"Why don't you let me have a go with you?"

The Kunwu Sect disciples off the stage were all in disbelief. Although this Changpu was a disciple of Daoist Xuantan, in the time since she had joined the sect, she had truly shown nothing remarkable. She was quiet and reserved all day long, so no one expected her to dare stand out on such an occasion. Furthermore, her performance at the Yuanqing Sect Deliberation Hall earlier had left everyone stunned.

What was going on? How could a woman who was usually so silent and reserved turn into this?

Naturally, they did not know what had happened. Regarding the events that had occurred at the Kunwu Sect these past few days, True Person Xuanhuai had only spoken of them privately with Daoist Xuantan and had never made them public.

Seeing Changpu on the stage, Lianqiao was also startled.

"This... isn't this person..."

"You know this person?" Banxia asked, puzzled.

Naturally, she knew this person. Changpu also came from an Exorcist Family, and her older sister was married to Lianqiao's second brother; the two had once studied exorcism together.

But what surprised Lianqiao was that the Changpu in her memory was a demure woman. Why did the person on the stage give her such a feeling...

It was as if she were a girl from a brothel...

Even if she had joined a sect and learned some skills, it shouldn't have caused such a drastic change...

Hearing what Lianqiao said, Lingxiang couldn't help but smile. It was just as she had thought: this Changpu was truly just an ordinary person, but her consciousness was likely under a seal, and the one controlling her now was someone else entirely.

"People, well, they are still the same person, but the heart, perhaps it is already someone else's."

Lingxiang's nonsensical remark left Banxia and Lianqiao even more confused. When they tried to ask further, Lingxiang only smiled without a word, lifting her chin to gesture toward the Yanwu Stage.

"I do not cross hands with women," Chengkai said, bowing with his hands cupped.

Upon hearing this, Changpu laughed: "Since you don't cross hands with women, then honestly get down there. It will save me the trouble of doing it myself."

Hearing her say this, Chengkai immediately hesitated. He truly never sparred with women, but if he didn't fight, he feared he would disappoint his master.

Just as he was at a loss, he heard a voice from somewhere off the stage: "If you don't make a move, then the Marrow Cleansing Pill will be handed over to others. Losing the Marrow Cleansing Pill is a small matter, but it truly makes it look like the Yuanqing Sect looks down on the Kunwu Sect and is unwilling to associate with it. Wouldn't that damage the harmony between the two sects?"

The one who said this was naturally Lingxiang. Although she had lowered her voice, she recognized it immediately.

Since Fucang Elder had said so, he would accept the challenge!

"Then I shall offend you," Chengkai said, bowing with his hands cupped.

Seeing him do this, Changpu smiled again, her laughter bewitchingly seductive: "They say men are prone to listening to whispers; you just said you wouldn't cross hands with a woman, but after being provoked by someone, you are already breaking your word."

Chengkai did not respond to this, merely assuming a stance. It appeared he intended to abandon his Dharma techniques and fight with physical prowess this time.

Changpu, however, remained completely unmoved, even picking at her fingernails. Her demeanor was extremely frivolous, making Lianqiao off the stage stare repeatedly in shock.

Was this still the Changpu she knew?

Seeing her like this, Chengkai felt somewhat displeased. Although he did not wish to cross hands with a woman and had thus set aside his Dharma Array to fight only with Body Movement, Changpu's attitude was truly disregarding others.

This woman was so arrogant; she really deserved to be taught a lesson.

Thinking this, Chengkai silently recited a mantra. A Dharma Array flashed beneath his feet, and he charged toward Changpu, his movements much faster than usual.

This witchcraft was similar to Xin Yi's, both using Spirit Power to push the body's speed to the limit. The difference was that Xin Yi's technique was driven by his own Spirit Power, while Chengkai's was augmented by absorbing the surrounding Spirit Qi through a Dharma Array.

Chengkai's momentum was fierce, and he reached Changpu in an instant, reaching out to strike her. Just as his fist was about to land, however...

Changpu remained calm. Just as everyone thought she would be unable to react in time, she suddenly grabbed Chengkai's incoming hand, dodged to his back, and pinned him.

This movement was so fast that even the Elders on Wangxian Terrace had not seen it clearly. Everyone present was shocked, especially the Kunwu Sect disciples—during their daily training, Changpu's performance was never outstanding, and she sometimes even struggled to keep up. How could she suddenly have such skills?

Chengkai, pinned by Changpu, was startled. He hadn't expected such a seemingly fragile woman to possess such strength. He had used ninety percent of his power in that punch, yet she had twisted him around with such ease.

Why was it said to be with ease? Because Changpu was currently pinning Chengkai using only two fingers.

Chengkai dared not underestimate her now and hurriedly used his free hand to form a Dharma Technique, but Changpu did not give him the chance. She kicked him, sending him heavily off the Yanwu Stage.

The entire arena fell into silence. No one had reacted yet; everyone was incredibly shocked. And in this silence, the sound of *crack, crack* was particularly distinct.

Changpu followed the sound and saw Lingxiang leisurely shelling pine nuts. She was startled at first, then smiled and said: "I wondered how powerful the Yuanqing Sect was; it turns out to be nothing special. Don't use new disciples to spar with me anymore. I think that person there would be a good opponent."

Changpu raised her finger and pointed. Everyone followed the direction of her finger, and to their surprise, she was pointing at Maidong on Wangxian Terrace.

Maidong also looked innocent. She was eating the snacks Lingxiang had given her, her face covered in crumbs. She hadn't said a word until now; who had she offended?

Everyone gasped. Firstly, they didn't know why Maidong was sitting in the seat that should have belonged to Fucang Elder, and secondly, they hadn't expected this Changpu to be so arrogant as to single someone out to spar with her.

Changpu, of course, was not without a motive. Rather than saying the person on the stage was Changpu, it would be more accurate to say it was Guihua.

She had always believed that Maidong was Lingxiang, the daughter of Tumi Fairy—the daughter of that woman whom the Demon Lord could not forget even after her death.

Today, she would slaughter her in front of everyone!

Just as everyone was astonished, they saw someone fly onto the stage. It was none other than Lianqiao.

Lianqiao had always felt that Changpu was a bit strange, and now that she was provoking the sect like this, she felt she should stop her, both for reason and sentiment.

"Shi Changpu! What are you doing!"

Seeing the newcomer, Guihua was somewhat surprised that someone was so tactless. Without a word, she flew forward to strike Lianqiao, but her palm hit nothing but air.

What she had just struck was actually an illusion, and at this moment, several Lianqiaos appeared all around.

"Shi Changpu, don't you even recognize me?!"

Lianqiao was also surprised. At the very least, they had studied witchcraft together, yet she hadn't expected Changpu to attack without even speaking. If Fucang Elder hadn't told her to be careful before she went on stage, she wouldn't have thought to set up a Dharma Technique in advance.

This was the magical artifact Lianqiao had chosen in Xuancang Cave—the Mirror Flower Water Moon, which had laid down this illusion. Among the many Lianqiaos on the stage, only one was her true self; the others were merely illusions.

"It's me, Changpu! Don't you recognize me?"

Lianqiao asked, unwilling to give up, which made Guihua look impatient.

"You wet-behind-the-ears brat, you actually dare to play with illusions in front of me! You don't even know who your grandmother is!" Saying this, she widened her eyes and reached out to strike behind her.

She used her full strength in this palm strike; had Lianqiao not dodged quickly, she likely would have lost her life on the Yanwu Stage. Even though she avoided the vital points, she was still struck on the shoulder by Guihua and instantly sent flying off the Yanwu Stage.

As soon as she landed, Lianqiao felt her blood surging. Lingxiang hurriedly pushed through the crowd to reach her, used Silver Needles to seal the vital points around her body, and then took out a Pill for her to swallow.

Seeing this, the Daoist Priest Xuantan on Wangxian Terrace could no longer sit still. It was supposed to be a friendly sparring match where one stops at the point of contact, yet he had not expected Changpu to not only speak wildly but also injure someone. Such an excessive act was truly abnormal!

Brother Xuanhuai was right after all; this Changpu must be of the demonic kind!

Just as the Daoist Priest Xuantan was about to stand up, Qianyuan Zhenren held him back from the side. Turning his head to look, he saw that he and all the Elders were sitting calmly, as if they were completely unconcerned about this matter.

"What is the meaning of this, Daoist Brother? My disciple has already injured someone, so why do you stop me from disciplining her?"

Qianyuan Zhenren patted the hand of the Daoist Priest Xuantan and said, as if to comfort her: "Is the purpose of your visit, Daoist Friend, not precisely for her? Although a disciple of my sect was injured, someone is already treating her below the stage, so she will surely be fine. Please set your heart at ease, sit down for now, and it will not be too late to see what happens later."

Upon hearing this, the Daoist Priest Xuantan felt a shock in his heart. Although he had discussed coming to Yuanqing with True Person Xuanhuai, he had never mentioned it to anyone else. Why did the Elders of Yuanqing seem as if they knew the inside story?

He was filled with confusion, but seeing the expression on Qianyuan Zhenren's face, he listened to the words and sat back down.

Wangxian Terrace remained peaceful, but the area around the Yanwu Stage was in an uproar. Once they saw that Changpu had injured someone, the disciples of the Yuanqing Sect were not having it.

Although many disciples were not very close to one another, they were, after all, their own fellow sect members. Now that they were being bullied by someone from an outside sect, how could they just sit by and watch?

While the Kunwu Sect disciples also felt that Changpu had struck too hard, she was, after all, representing the Kunwu Sect on the Yanwu Stage. Since fists and kicks have no eyes, it was considered normal to get injured on the arena. The Yuanqing Sect being so aggressive truly made them feel that they were intentionally making things difficult for the Kunwu Sect.

Just as the crowd was arguing incessantly, a deafening sound suddenly rang out.

"Stop arguing! What kind of decorum is this! It is simply a disgrace to the Daoist Sect's reputation!"

This shout instantly made the area around the Yanwu Stage quiet down. The Yuanqing Sect disciples fell silent because they saw Lingxiang speaking, while the Kunwu Sect disciples fell silent out of astonishment.

Astonished that a woman could actually have such a loud voice; it was truly...

Truly unheard of...

At this moment, Banxia finally arrived. After Lingxiang checked the pulse and confirmed that Lianqiao was out of danger, she gave a few instructions to Banxia, then turned and said to Guihua on the Yanwu Stage:

"Since you are so confident in your own skills, why not spar with me first?"

Upon hearing this, the Yuanqing Sect disciples gasped. This Fucang Elder actually wanted to spar on the same stage with a disciple from an outside sect; if outsiders found out, wouldn't they say the Yuanqing Sect was bullying the small?

——————

Liu Xia wanted to rush to Lingxiang's side upon hearing this, but was stopped by Chengxin Zhenren. He was very confused and was about to ask, but heard Maidong say: "She naturally has her reasons for doing things. Others may not know, but don't you?"

Liu Xia thought about it after hearing this, and followed the advice to stand back beside Chengxin Zhenren.

Based on his understanding of Lingxiang, she was certainly not an impulsive person. Since she said she wanted to spar with this woman, she must have her own calculations.

Guihua sneered at Lingxiang as she slowly walked up the stairs to the Yanwu Stage just as she had. Although she was a bit surprised why Lingxiang was here, she did not speak and just tacitly accepted the challenge.

This woman, she would also have to teach her a good lesson.

Thinking this, Guihua was about to strike and rush toward Lingxiang, but after taking only two steps, she found that she was unable to move at all, and the momentum caused her to lose her balance and fall to the ground.

Seeing such a scene, the spectators below the stage could not help but exclaim in surprise. Those disciples felt that Lingxiang was formidable, and even later on, they would often bring this matter up to tell the newer disciples, claiming she had profound cultivation and could scare an opponent into falling to the ground with just a single look. Of course, that is a story for another time, and we shall leave it at that for now.

Now, Guihua had fallen to the ground and was still unable to move. Filled with confusion, she hurriedly shouted and cursed: "Little demoness, what filthy trick did you use on me! How dare you ambush me!"

"Demoness?" Lingxiang smiled as she walked forward and kicked Guihua, flipping her over. "Since you've already called me a demoness, if I don't do something, wouldn't I be letting down the title you've bestowed upon me?"

As she spoke, Lingxiang pulled a piece of bamboo from her Universe Bag. The bamboo was emerald green and even had a few bamboo leaves on it.

"Did you think Yinqiao went on stage earlier just to be beaten by you for nothing? As early as when she was casting her illusion, she had already placed a Lock Spirit Talisman on the stage for me. Now that I am the butcher and you are the fish, how dare you speak so insolently!" Saying this, she raised the bamboo in her hand and struck Guihua fiercely.

Guihua felt a burst of intense pain from the blow and couldn't help but scream. However, Lingxiang did not stop and struck her again with the bamboo. This time, it hit her hand, and the spot where she was struck immediately turned bruised and purple.

Lingxiang struck eleven times in succession, until Guihua was wailing incessantly. Seeing this, the Kunwu Sect disciples felt their anger rising and all wanted to rush forward to stop her.

It was at this moment that two figures blocked their path; they were none other than Xin Yi and Long Qi.

"If you want to save her, then watch carefully!" Long Qi roared in a deep voice.

The people of the Kunwu Sect were confused. Changpu on the stage was clearly being beaten, so how could this be saving her?!