76: Chapter 76 You Are the Challenger

You listened to Mu Xue's words and smiled slightly, glancing at the referee on the side: "Has the competition started?"

The referee, an Innate Elder from Danwang Valley, glanced at you and then at Mu Xue.

"Proceed!"

You looked toward Mu Xue.

She acted completely as if you were beneath her notice.

You didn't speak, merely confirming once more that you had indeed suppressed your Realm to the Peak of the Transcendent stage, both in terms of Spiritual Qi intensity and physical prowess.

Naturally, Mu Xue did not believe you could defeat her.

At eleven, Mu Xue had broken through to the Early Stage of the Transcendent Realm and won the championship of that year's Pill King Competition, shocking the entire Dragon Kingdom.

In fact, there was another Transcendent Prodigy that year, a Prodigy from the Xingming Sect who was at the Middle Stage of the Transcendent Realm; everyone had assumed he would be the champion of that Pill King Competition.

Yet, Mu Xue had defeated him by crossing a cultivation gap despite being only at the Early Stage of the Transcendent Realm.

Mu Xue's second participation in the Pill King Competition was at age sixteen; at that time, she was at the Late Stage of the Transcendent Realm and crushed the entire field with an invincible posture.

She only broke through to the Peak of the Transcendent Realm at nineteen.

This year, Mu Xue is twenty-one. In truth, she could have broken through to the Innate Realm long ago, but due to a certain matter, she had been suppressing her cultivation and had not broken through.

Mu Xue actually had a misanthropic mindset; she always kept a candy in her mouth, feeling that if she didn't have that bit of sweetness, she might as well be dead.

Today, upon hearing that a Prodigy with Transcendent cultivation from the Iron Hand Sect had arrived, she hadn't even lifted an eyelid.

Transcendent Prodigy?

I crushed one when I was eleven.

Ever since that Xingming Sect Prodigy lost to an eleven-year-old girl, his Dao Heart had completely shattered, and to this day, his cultivation had not progressed in the slightest.

Mu Xue looked at you, thinking about how she could avoid crushing your self-confidence. Prodigies like you likely followed a path of the Dao Heart based on being "invincible among peers."

Unfortunately, she, Mu Xue, existed within this generation.

Mu Xue sighed, placed the candy into her mouth, and crooked her finger at you.

"You attack first, Challenger!"

Mu Xue felt that by putting you in the position of the challenger, you would be able to justify it to yourself even if you lost.

You looked at Mu Xue and smiled: "Then I won't hold back!"

With the candy in her mouth, Mu Xue still didn't take your words to heart, and was even considering whether to go easy on you later.

But at the very instant you moved, her expression changed; within her field of vision, you had vanished.

Within her field of vision, you had vanished!!!

"How is that possible?"

Mu Xue's pupils constricted sharply, her fingertips trembled subconsciously, and the candy in her mouth rolled slightly.

This was the first time she had felt panic.

She had to determine your position first.

But in an instant, she sensed a massive fluctuation of Internal Energy behind her.

When did he get behind me?

"It's too late!" Mu Xue thought to herself, realizing something was wrong.

It was certainly too late for Mu Xue to turn and defend; she focused her Internal Energy into her feet and used a sliding step to distance herself from your attack.

However, just as her toes touched the ground, you had already arrived in front of her.

"Oh no! How can he be this fast?"

Mu Xue was in disbelief; your movement technique was actually even faster than hers.

At this moment, her center of gravity was unstable, and she had no way to assume a defensive stance; if you attacked, she could only take it head-on.

She saw you raise your arm, the trajectory aimed at her face.

Mu Xue gritted her teeth, her Internal Energy surging toward her head instantly; based on her judgment, this palm strike was aimed at her face.

"He must be trying to slap my face!" Mu Xue judged based on the trajectory of your hand.

The expected attack did not land. She only felt something in her mouth being gently tugged.

Then, the lollipop she had been holding for so long was gone.

Mu Xue was stunned, but she didn't have time to worry about that now. She hurriedly took a step back to put distance between you and her, staring at you coldly, her face filled with a heavy expression.

To everyone off the stage, all of this happened in an instant.

Those Martial Artists who hadn't reached the Transcendent Realm only saw you turn into an afterimage after you finished speaking, and Mu Xue did the same; the two shadows crossed, vanished, and reappeared on the arena.

Then, you were standing in Mu Xue's original position, pinching a white candy stick in your hand, while Mu Xue had retreated to the edge of the arena, staring fixedly at the candy in your hand.

Immediately afterward, a burst of intense cheering erupted from beneath the stage.

Although they hadn't seen the specific process, the result was enough to explain everything.

Mu Xue had suffered a loss at your hands.

"Interesting."

By the window of a pavilion somewhere in Danwang Valley, the Pill King stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze passing through the window and landing on the arena; a rare hint of interest flashed in his cloudy, old eyes.

Beside him, the Grand Elder of Liehuo Sect held a teacup, having stirred the lid three times without managing to take a single sip, his eyes fixed intently on the arena.

"This kid named Lin Heng actually managed to take advantage of that girl, Mu Xue!" the Grand Elder of Liehuo Sect said, setting down his teacup.

"Indeed," the Pill King said indifferently. "It is a pity his Heart-Nature is not right; otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to snatch the candy from that girl, Mu Xue, just now!"

The Grand Elder laughed dismissively. "You cannot say it like that. He is young, after all; at this age, with this level of cultivation, who doesn't have a bit of arrogance? I see the potential of a Martial God in this kid."

Hearing this, the Pill King snorted coldly. "Potential of a Martial God?"

"Weren't you also called a Martial God prospect back in the day? How is it that, even now, you haven't even broken through to the Martial Saint Realm?"

Hearing this, the Grand Elder's smile stiffened on his face. He coughed twice and stirred the lid of his cup again. "A hero does not mention past glories; what is the point of you harping on this?"

The Pill King did not give him a pleasant look. "Stop stirring; if you break my teacup later, you will have to compensate me."

The Grand Elder set down his teacup and looked toward the arena outside the window without speaking.

After a while, the Pill King spoke slowly.

"I know what you old rascal is thinking, but this is Danwang Valley, and this is the Pill King Conference!"

The Grand Elder was silent for a moment, then spoke indifferently.

"That is a true Martial God; he can only make a move for a few days every three years. Do you not find that a pity?"

"Prodigies with the potential of a Martial God appear every few years, but how many can actually reach the step of a Martial God?"

"Sacrificing a kid who hasn't grown up yet in exchange for a ready-made Martial God combat force—no matter how you calculate this, it is a profit. Furthermore, I have checked; this kid has no master, no background, no influence. As for that Iron Hand Sect, we have ten thousand ways to make it disappear."

"Master Wu Suanzi's condition is getting worse and worse; a Martial God is just going to die like this—do you not find that a pity!"

The Pill King was silent for a long time before speaking slowly. "Do you think Master Wu Suanzi would agree?"

"I don't know," the Grand Elder said.

The Pill King turned around, his brows knitted together. "You dare to drag me into this when you don't even know?"

"Because that is a true Martial God—" the Grand Elder said.

The Grand Elder was interrupted halfway by the Pill King. "And one from your Liehuo Sect at that!"

"And a Martial God who is on good terms with your Danwang Valley!" the Grand Elder added.

The Pill King ignored him, his gaze looking toward the arena. "You heard news about the Zhou Family and got anxious, didn't you! I hear that girl named Mu Xue is also a vessel."

"Potential of a Martial God! But in the end, that is only a chance of becoming a Martial God." The Pill King looked at the Grand Elder. "It is also possible to be stuck at the Innate Realm for decades and not even become a Martial Saint!"

The Grand Elder knew the Pill King was mocking him.

But the Pill King spoke the truth, and once he said this, the Grand Elder knew that the Pill King had already agreed.

On the arena.

You held the lollipop you had just snatched from Mu Xue's mouth between your fingertips; the small white stick still bore a bit of moist luster.

Mu Xue stood at the edge of the arena, her chest heaving, her lips slightly parted because the candy had been suddenly pulled away, not yet having had time to close.

She did not speak, merely staring fixedly at the candy in your hand.

You felt that Mu Xue was somewhat like a kitten whose food had been snatched away.

You smiled slightly and walked toward her, moving very slowly, step by step.

Mu Xue did not move, just watching you quietly; she wanted to know what other tricks you would play, and she certainly wouldn't lower her guard again!

You walked up to her and gently pressed the lollipop against her lips.

"It seems—" you stuffed the candy back into Mu Xue's mouth: "—you are the challenger!"