Chapter 360: This Boast Went Too Far

At the square before Biyun Palace, over a dozen men in dark green dao robes stood with menacing presence.

Even Biyun Xianzi herself stepped out from within the palace.

"Teacher, don't bother trying to persuade me!"

"I have a Dao-severing grudge against He Pingsheng—if not for him, I might have advanced another step when forming my Golden Core!"

"I might even have drawn the Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation!"

"It's all his fault—he used despicable tricks and punched my false core apart back then!"

"If I don't avenge this, I'm no true man!"

Wuqiong bowed his head, but his face brimmed with defiance.

He now had every right to do so.

First, his cultivation had broken through—he was now at the same Golden Core realm as Biyun Xianzi.

Second, because he had endured the Five-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, his status within the Xiaoyao Immortal Sect had reached unprecedented heights, and he had won the full support of his Master and Senior Uncle.

Under these circumstances, he feared not Biyun Xianzi.

So when he heard He Pingsheng had arrived at Biyun Peak, Wuqiong rushed over from Yushu Peak.

He had another hidden motive.

He'd heard that when He Pingsheng underwent tribulation at the Five Dragon Gully entrance, he'd drawn only three waves of heavenly tribulation.

Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation?

Hearing this, his heart stirred again.

Why only Three-Nine?

Shouldn't this Jiang's husband have drawn upon some of her fortune—at least Five-Nine?

Does Three-Nine mean Jiang's sister and this bastard are finished?

Does my Five-Nine mean I'm now closer to Jiang's sister?

Wuqiong Dao Ren's greedy heart refused to die—he silently swore to crush He Pingsheng beneath his feet.

Regardless of whether the other dared to accept the challenge.

Amid the commotion, He Pingsheng and Qiao Huizhu arrived together.

"Is this Jiang's sister's husband?"

"He looks utterly ordinary!"

"He doesn't seem to have any special qualities at all!"

"Exactly—plain as dirt!"

Not only the disciples from Yushu Peak, but many of Qiao Huizhu's fellow sisters on Biyun Peak also spoke with bitter envy.

One could imagine the torment Qiao Huizhu would face if He Pingsheng left today in disgrace—gossip would be merciless.

"Shut up!" Biyun glared coldly at the gossiping disciples, itching to slap them both: How dare they expose their own sect's shame in front of outsiders?

The disciples fell silent, but their gazes toward Qiao Huizhu still held no respect.

"Little He…" Biyun spoke gently, "This is Wuqiong from Yushu Peak—you should call him Senior Brother. He's come today to challenge you."

"Do you have time?"

"If you're busy, we can set another date!"

"Or wait until your cultivation catches up to Wuqiong before the match!"

Biyun still protected Qiao Huizhu—every word she spoke carried intent.

First, she pointed out Wuqiong's higher cultivation level—challenging a lower-ranked opponent was unjust.

Second, she subtly hinted He Pingsheng should find an excuse to avoid it.

Before He Pingsheng could speak, Wuqiong spoke first: "Teacher, rest assured—I may be one level higher than He Pingsheng, but during the match, I'll suppress my realm by one tier, so I won't take advantage."

"He Pingsheng…"

Wuqiong turned to He Pingsheng: "Is that acceptable?"

He Pingsheng didn't answer—he asked instead: "Like the match in Hongshi City, suppressing cultivation?"

Not mentioning Hongshi City was fine—but now that it was brought up, Wuqiong remembered how He Pingsheng had shattered his false core with a single punch. His face flushed crimson and pale, fury blazing in his eyes.

"Using spiritual sense to ambush—that's no skill!" Zhang Qi cried out indignantly beside Wuqiong. "If you've got guts, fight my Senior Brother Wuqiong fairly!"

Zhang Qi was still at Foundation Establishment Level Eleven.

What could he do?

Without the rare treasures to break through his bottleneck, he couldn't advance.

He'd actually joined the Five Dragon Gully secret realm back then.

But He Pingsheng hadn't seen him—he'd been expelled from the first Golden Dragon Gully.

They'd never met face-to-face.

"Right!" Many disciples from Yushu Peak shouted: "Don't use spiritual sense!"

"No sneaky tricks!"

"Fight fairly!"

Qiao Huizhu's face turned green with rage: "How isn't using spiritual sense fair?"

Her words drew immediate rebuttal.

And the one who rebutted her? A fellow disciple from Biyun Peak.

One senior sister smiled and said: "When we fight enemies in battle, using spiritual sense is fine. But among sect brothers, it's better not to—this isn't about life or death, just victory or defeat."

"Hmm…" Her words drew many nods of agreement.

He Pingsheng even nodded: "This senior sister speaks wisely."

"Alright… I happen to be free today…"

"Tell me—how do you want to fight?"

He Pingsheng looked at Wuqiong: "You and Zhang Qi can fight me together, if you like!"

"I don't mind."

Zhang Qi instantly shrank back.

Come on—he might be a Three-Nine tribulation trash, but he was still a Golden Core cultivator now.

A Foundation Establishment Level Eleven? One slap would kill him.

He wasn't going near him!

"Hehehe…" Wuqiong sneered. "Of course, it's one-on-one. If I brought Zhang Brother along, winning would be dishonorable!"

"Our Xiaoyao Immortal Sect does have dueling platforms—but those are for Foundation Establishment disciples!"

"Golden Core battles radiate overwhelming might!"

"A platform won't do!"

"Let's fight in the Cloud Sea!"

"I already said—Golden Core battles carry inevitable risk of death or injury!"

Without giving He Pingsheng a chance to refuse, he moved—his body flashed into a streak of light, crossing the void in an instant, landing in the Cloud Sea beyond Biyun Peak.

His posture was elegant.

His speed was swift.

The move drew gasps and admiration from countless cultivators.

Many female disciples from Biyun Peak clapped.

Biyun Xianzi's face darkened with fury—but she said nothing.

Qiao Huizhu said: "Be careful."

He Pingsheng smiled: "No problem…"

He took a deep breath, his spiritual sense flickering slightly.

Hummm…

His body vanished from where he stood.

The next instant, he appeared abruptly in the Cloud Sea, exactly a hundred zhang from Wuqiong Dao Ren.

Everyone on Biyun Peak erupted.

"What the—"

"That's teleportation!"

"How is that possible?"

"He's only Golden Core—how can he teleport?"

"I get it… Golden Core Passage… this guy's a Golden Core Passage cultivator…"

"Oh no…"

"Oh damn…"

"Oh no no no—Wuqiong Senior Brother really overdid it this time!"