When Jun Qiangwu awoke, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling. His eyes blinked in confusion for a few seconds before the memories of the inter-disciple tournament flooded his mind. After hearing Mu Long’s words, he had fainted. A scowl appeared on his face and he sat up, only to wince as his body screamed in pain.
“Senior Brother!”
Jun Qiangwu looked left to see Xingyi staring at him with worry. For a moment, his expression softened, but just as quickly, it hardened. “What are you doing here?”
Xingyi flinched at Jun Qiangwu’s indifferent tone. “I was just worried.”
“I don’t need your worry. If you don’t have anything important, leave.”
Xingyi just stared at Jun Qiangwu. The face was still the same, but he felt like a completely different person. “Senior Brother, what happened to you? You’ve changed.”
“No,” Jun Qiangwu said. He reached for his face and pulled. The skin started to distort and stretch, and moments later, he pulled off the Hundred Faces Silk Mask he wore and revealed his original face. “I’ve never changed. This is what I’ve always been like.”
Xingyi stared at Jun Qiangwu’s real face. It was much more handsome than his former plain appearance, but it only brought a sense of chill to Xingyi. She would have much rather preferred Jun Qiangwu’s disguise. “I—”
“Leave,” Jun Qiangwu said before the younger girl could get another word in.
Xingyi made a face that was uglier than crying, but Jun Qiangwu remained unmoved. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
“…goodbye, Senior Brother,” Xingyi said. Her shoulders trembled as she turned around, making her seem small and pitiful. Still, Jun Qiangwu said nothing as he watched her leave the room.
Now alone, Jun Qiangwu clenched his fists. ‘How could I lose?!’
He didn’t understand. Had he become overconfident, so he fell into Mu Long’s plot? Even so, he still couldn’t forgive himself for what happened. “System, how could Mu Long beat me?”
[Mu Long kept calm and utilized a superior strategy in the face of adversity. Even with his eyes gone, he still saw the path to victory and used your confidence against you.]
Jun Qiangwu knew that, too. He just couldn’t accept it. “Tell me, how talented is Mu Long. Is he more talented than me?”
[Mu Long’s talent is below average.]
“Then how could he match me? Our cultivation bases are similar. Didn’t you say the Nine-Five Scripture is supreme?” Jun Qiangwu questioned.
[Mu Long’s talent is below average, but the host’s talent is not much better.]
Jun Qiangwu’s expression turned ugly.
[Compared to the geniuses of the immortal realms, you are not much. Had you not caught the attention of the Great Creator, you might not even reach Mu Long’s level. In addition, the advantages of the Nine-Five Scripture only show its greatest advantages in the Core Formation Realm and above. And although the Five Element Book that the members of the Xi Immortal Dynasty cultivate is an inferior version, it is still a top-tier cultivation method even in the immortal realm.]
“In the end, you’re still saying that my loss is because of my own inferiorities?”
[Yes.] The Nine Heavens Revenge System answered bluntly, without a hint of mercy.
Jun Qiangwu’s nails pierced his palms, causing his blood to flow out. “Mu. Long. Qian. Jia. Feng!”
He took out a pill from the system space and swallowed it. Soon, all the injuries on his body healed. Jun Qiangwu stood up and changed his clothes. When he walked out, he saw his master, Elder Hui, arriving.
Elder Hui stared at Jun Qiangwu’s face, not recognizing it. However, he still recognized his disciple’s aura. “Wuqiang?”
Jun Qiangwu shook his head. “That’s a false name. My real name is Jun Qiangwu.”
“So that’s the case,” Elder Hui asked. He looked at his disciple. “Can you tell me why you tried to kill that lass, Qian Jiafeng?”
Since he was no longer hiding his identity, Jun Qiangwu saw no reason to hide his motives. However, he still added some points as to prevent punishment. “When I was fighting Jiafeng, I closed my eyes because I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to hold myself back. However, she forced me to open my eyes, and the moment I saw her, I lost all reason.”
Elder Hui raised an eyebrow. “Sure, sure. What do you plan to do now?”
“I want to apply for a mission. I want to temper myself and hone my skills,” Jun Qiangwu said.
“Don’t be in such a rush,” Elder Hui said. “You still haven’t received your rewards for the tournament. You’re allowed to choose two techniques from the Technique Repository and a new weapon from the Arms Repository.”
“Oh.” Jun Qiangwu didn’t really care. As long as he continued to complete the side mission for the Nine Heavens Revenge System, he would still be able to get everything he wanted.
Speaking of missions, even though he failed the main mission, it didn’t disappear. Did he have to wait for the next inter-disciple mission to complete it?
“Don’t be in a rush to leave,” Elder Hui said upon seeing Jun Qiangwu’s expression. “You have a life-and-death enmity with that Qian Jiafeng, but the Xi Immortal Dynasty doesn’t allow its members to kill each other.”
Jun Qiangwu looked away. It seemed this fate with the Xi Immortal Dynasty would come to an end in the future. He didn’t really care, but a flash of sadness appeared in his heart as Xingyi and Hou Yawen’s images appeared in his mind.
Elder Hui could see Jun Qiangwu’s thoughts, but he didn’t care very much. He never placed the disciples in his eyes much. Were it not for Xi Ri’s orders, he wouldn’t even have taken Jun Qiangwu as a disciple. “Do you know that you can apply for a life-and-death duel to other disciples if you have enough motive?”
Jun Qiangwu’s body stilled, and he stared at Elder Hui.
Seeing that he had caught his disciple’s full attention, Elder Hui continued. “It was originally a clause created in case two disciples formed an irreconcilable grievance. I just never expected to see it used so soon. The process is simple. You have to submit an application to the Department of Punishment, stating who your target is. From there, the department will mediate a time for you two to conduct your life-and-death duel if they feel your motive is reasonable. Of course, the other party can refuse. If they refuse, they must put forward a representative to duel in their stead. Naturally, the representative must agree.”
“If they have a representative, can I kill them?” Jun Qiangwu asked.
“Of course,” Elder Hui said. “The representative will take on all the responsibilities. If the representative loses, the person they are representing will die, too.”
Jun Qiangwu smiled for the first time since the inter-disciple tournament. “Excuse me, I have to go to the Department of Punishment.”
Inside Mu Long’s room, Qian Jiafeng held a notice in her hand with pursed brows. Beside her stood Mu Long with a displeased expression.
“Life-and-death duel? I never expected there to be such a rule,” Qian Jiafeng said with a sigh.
Mu Long turned toward his head bodyguard. “Did you know?”
“I never heard of it, but since it was sent by the Department of Punishment, it should not be false,” Zhuangbo said.
“That bastard. Not only does he dare reverse black and white, he still wants your life?” Mu Long said. “Jia’er, let me represent you. I’ll make sure he never bothers you again.”
Qian Jiafeng shook her head. “No need. I’ll accept the challenge.”
“What?” Mu Long stared at Qian Jiafeng. “Jia’er, you think I will lose to him?”
“I’m a realistic person,” Qian Jiafeng said. “He only joined for a year, yet he reached the Sixth Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm. And even if you are in the Seventh Stage, your victory was too close. Even if you fight him again right now, victory or defeat is unknown. What will happen in a year or two?”
Mu Long gritted his teeth. He never thought someone would place him in second in his entire life. And the person who did this was the woman he decided to marry.
“I’m sorry,” Qian Jiafeng said. “You should distance yourself from me. This way, when I die, Qiangwu won’t find trouble with you. This entanglement, let it end with me.”
The anger in Mu Long’s eyes vanished. Pity and empathy appeared in his eyes instead. “Jia’er”
“What are you doing?” Qian Jiafeng asked when the notice slipped from her grip.
“Jia’er, you are the woman I recognize. In front of me, you don’t have to act strong. Since I am your man, I will bear your burden and shield you from all harm,” Mu Long said. “Besides, it remains unknown who is more talented.”
“Ever since I was young, I’ve never met anyone as talented as me. I never felt that pressure, even in the Xi Immortal Dynasty. Although I have cultivated wholeheartedly, it cannot be said that it is my fastest. Now that I feel pressure, I will only grow faster,” Mu Long said. He gazed gently at Qian Jiafeng. “That’s why, Jia’er, leave everything to me and rest easy.”
The corners of Qian Jiafeng’s eyes filled with unshed tears. Inwardly, Qian Jiafeng sighed. She had to admit, in terms of personality, it was Mu Long who knew how to speak to comfort women, unlike Jun Qiangwu.
Jun Qiangwu soon received the reply to his application. As he expected. Mu Long volunteered himself to take Qian Jiafeng’s place in the duel. Since he was the challenger, Mu Long decided when the duel would take place. As long as it is within ten years, he could choose any time.
To his surprise, Mu Long chose three years. Jun Qiangwu didn’t understand why Mu Long would set the time of the life-and-death duel at three years. Didn’t Mu Long understand that the more time given to him, the less likely his chances of victory?
He smiled. It was a belligerent smile full of darkness. ‘Qian Jiafeng, I want to see how you despair after your last pillar of support dies. Without me, without Mu Long, you are nothing.’
Jun Qiangwu left the Xi Immortal Palace, and left Xanadu. He had already chosen two techniques from the Technique Repository and a set of armor from the Arms Repository. He hadn’t even brought his bodyguards with him.
For the next two years, he embroiled himself in endless killing. Perhaps, the number of monster corpses he made exceeded all the monsters killed by the disciples of the Xi Immortal Dynasty. Unknown to him, his body started to change.
It wasn’t noticeable at first, but Jun Qiangwu’s hair took on a blood-red shade. And when the sunlight struck it at the perfect angle, his hair shone crimson. Not just his hair, but his eyes took on a red hue, too. His visage turned ferocious. Even with his handsome face, just one glance at him would instill fear in anyone who looked at him.
If those core formation masters scanned Jun Qiangwu with their spiritual sense, they would be able to sense the bloody aura following behind him. It was like a devil cloaked in the shroud of thousands of corpses. If any of his old acquaintances who knew him saw him now, they would not be able to recognize him.
Jun Qiangwu’s cultivation hadn’t stagnated either. He rose from the Sixth Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm to the Eleventh Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm. If he relied on his talent alone, he would have only entered the Eighth Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm at the end of the three-year period.
The reason for his increase in talent was because he learned a technique in his dream. It was known as the Blood Swallowing Art. By absorbing the blood of monsters, cultivators, or demons, he could increase his cultivation at a speedy pace. The only downside was that he became more bloodthirsty and irrational. Not that he noticed.
Then, an accident occurred during his third year of tempering.
While he searched for his next target, he saw a familiar figure. It was Qian Jiafeng. She was not alone, and she had journeyed with several other disciples in order to temper themselves. Although she manipulated Mu Long to accept the life-and-death duel in her place, it didn’t mean she didn’t want to grow stronger herself. In fact, the life-and-death duel only accelerated her desire for power. If she had the strength, she would have killed Jun Qiangwu herself.
Madness took over Jun Qiangwu’s mind. He released a bestial growl and charged at Qian Jiafeng and the other disciples from the Xi Immortal Dynasty. By the time the blood haze receded, a pile of dismembered limbs and corpses surrounded him.
Jun Qiangwu looked around. He could recognize some of the scattered clothing and even the body parts. “Qian Jiafeng, she’s dead? Just like that?”
He didn’t feel any pleasure. It felt as if someone had controlled his body and killed her without him being able to experience it. “Dammit, dammit! I wanted to make her experience hell before dying in despair!”
Jun Qiangwu didn’t have much time to wallow in his misery, as he felt a searing heat in his robes. He reached in and threw out the blistering source. Upon throwing it out, he recognized it. It was the XiyiD.
The thrown XiyiD froze in midair before shooting toward Jun Qiangwu. He didn’t even have time to react before the XiyiD slammed into his chest. A blazing pain filled his mind, and when he regained his ability to think, the XiyiD had disappeared, but it didn’t leave without leaving its mark. Literally.
Branded on his chest was the word “Sinner.”
