Chapter 148 - 128: Slay
"Xie Yuan!"
"Xiaoxie!"
"Master Xie!"
The members of the Escort Agency recognized the figure in an instant, their faces a mixture of shock and joy.
But their relief quickly turned to anxiety. Zhao Xingyang immediately shouted:
"Xiaoxie, don’t come in! Something’s wrong in here! Go find the Chief... Oof!"
Before he could finish, an instructor from the Vajra Sect members surrounding the agency men launched a sneak attack with a staff. Zhao Xingyang was a fraction too slow to react. The staff jabbed him in the stomach, and he doubled over like a shrimp, unable to speak.
The Vajra Sect members watched Xie Yuan burst in, their gazes strange.
They knew one of the Escort Agency’s five masters hadn’t shown up yet, and that was Xie Yuan.
And though Xie Yuan had only recently broken through to the Third Training, his rise to fame in Yunzhao City had been meteoric. He had shot up through the ranks with incredible speed.
It felt like just a few months ago, he had just joined the Escort Agency and taken first place in the new disciple competition.
In the blink of an eye, he had become a master!
The people in this training hall were the core of the Vajra Sect. They knew that Xiang Zhuo, a Third Training instructor, had been sent to infiltrate a group of mountain bandits to ambush and kill Xie Yuan. An enemy with such immense potential could absolutely not be left alive.
But a few days later, Xie Yuan had returned unscathed, while Xiang Zhuo’s head had turned up at the local yamen!
No one knew what had happened, nor did they know the true extent of Xie Yuan’s strength. But one thing was certain: he couldn’t be treated as just any ordinary Third Training martial artist.
Peng Jie’s eyes glinted darkly as he stared at Xie Yuan, a smile touching his lips.
"Master Xie, you’re a little late, but at least you didn’t miss the party. Good, very good... Any later, and your Longteng Escort Agency would have lost everything."
"So, what will it be? Are you going to get on stage for another match, or will you concede defeat right now and admit your Escort Agency can’t compare to my Vajra Sect?"
He spoke with feigned indifference, trying to bait Xie Yuan onto the stage.
The Escort Agency members below the stage grew frantic. Not only was there something strange about the air here—they had all been silently poisoned—but the men from the Vajra Sect had clearly taken an antidote beforehand and were perfectly fine.
Even without this dirty trick, there was a whole major cultivation realm separating Xie Yuan and Peng Jie!
Peng Jie had already demonstrated strength at the peak of the Fourth Training in the previous matches. Xie Yuan, at best, was only at the Third Training. How could he possibly compete?
The Escort Agency members wanted to warn Xie Yuan not to fall for the trap, to get out quickly and tell Shen Longteng what was happening. That was their only hope. But most of them could barely stand, let alone shout. Zhao Xingyang and Lu Zhenyu had both been struck and couldn’t make a sound. They could only try to signal Xie Yuan with their eyes, desperately urging him to leave.
But Xie Yuan acted as if he hadn’t heard the initial shouts, nor noticed anything strange about them being cornered. He strode through the training hall’s entrance, step by step, and entered the main hall.
"The Vajra Sect? Your name may mean ’diamond’, but you act like scheming ghouls. Without your filthy tricks, the gap between you and the Escort Agency would be as wide as the heavens and the earth."
Xie Yuan bellowed, then his gaze swept over the crowd gathered in the corner.
Seeing Xie Yuan finally look their way, the Escort Agency members’ hearts leaped with joy. They started making frantic expressions, but then Xie Yuan pointed directly at the Vajra Sect members and yelled:
"The Vajra Sect is nothing to be afraid of! If you want a match, you’ll get one!"
"Why don’t you all just come at me at once? I have nothing to fear!"
At these words, it wasn’t just the Vajra Sect members who were stunned; the men from the Escort Agency were dumbfounded as well.
’Xiaoxie, you fool!’
Panic seized them. They were blinking so hard their eyes hurt. How could he not see?
’He’s usually so sharp, why is he being so reckless now?’
Peng Jie was also taken aback by Xie Yuan’s outrageous claim. His eyes shifted, and he glanced at the two remaining Third Training instructors from the Vajra Sect, giving them a slight nod.
The two instructors slowly broke away from the crowd and moved toward the entrance, deliberately yet casually positioning themselves behind Xie Yuan to block his escape.
Seeing the two Third Training martial artists finally leave the group surrounding his comrades, Xie Yuan relaxed slightly inside.
Watching their cautious steps, as if they were afraid he’d run, Xie Yuan smiled faintly. Instead of retreating, he advanced, leaping directly onto the high stage.
The two Third Training martial artists froze for a moment when they saw him voluntarily jump onto the fighting stage.
’Is this guy an idiot?’
’The encirclement is so obvious, yet not only does he not run, he dives right into it!’
The two exchanged a look, then quickly took a few more steps to stand guard at the entrance like a pair of door gods.
When the Escort Agency members saw this, they fell into complete despair.
’It’s over. Now there’s really no escape.’
Watching Xie Yuan jump onto the stage, Peng Jie’s eyes flashed, and a sarcastic smile spread across his face.
"It’s good for a young man to have courage, but failing to recognize your own strength is just foolishness."
Seeing Xie Yuan act so impulsively, he suspected for a moment that Xie Yuan wasn’t an idiot, but actually possessed some real strength. He immediately dismissed the thought.
’No matter how strong he is, how could he possibly be stronger than me?’
’Besides, that *thing* is burning beneath the stage.’
Xie Yuan saw Peng Jie’s expression, one of absolute certainty in his victory, and scoffed.
"Sect Leader Peng, are you sure you don’t want them to attack all at once? I’m afraid you’ll regret it later."
Seeing Xie Yuan still so confident, Peng Jie’s gaze changed. He narrowed his eyes, looking at him as if he were already a dead man.
"I have met many talented young men, but this is the first time I’ve seen one as foolish and arrogant as you."
"I only need one hand to deal with you. In a few moments, I’ll make you regret those words."
"Then what are we waiting for?"
Xie Yuan chuckled, his eyes suddenly turning sharp and cold. He swung his axe violently, making the first move.
CLANG.
Peng Jie was bare-handed, yet he blocked the shimmering blade of the Moon-Cutting Axe with a single palm.
A flash of Blood Qi surged from his palm, emitting an earthy yellow glow as it steadily caught the axe.
Xie Yuan’s expression turned serious. ’Peng Jie’s Rock Skill really is extraordinary. He’s trained his palms to be like weapons; he’s at no disadvantage even when bare-handed.’