C11 Bullying Others!

"Fellow Daoist Loong Jiaoyang, you've arrived. Senior Brother Gao Chuan has been eagerly awaiting you for quite some time now." Yue Bai greeted Loong Jiaoyang with a smile as radiant as if he'd just indulged in honey. Despite his pain, he had made it a point to witness what he anticipated to be Loong Jiaoyang's dire fate.

The man in white, previously turned away from Loong Jiaoyang and Guo Liangren, pivoted to face them. His features were refined, with a gently sloping nose and a sharp, almost feminine chin beneath his thin lips.

It was undeniable that both Gao Bing and Gao Chuan were the epitome of scholarly charm. In contrast, Loong Jiaoyang's lean face and pronounced bone structure lent him an air of unwavering determination, though it came at the expense of that genteel aura. Coupled with his towering height and robust build, he bore the appearance of a rugged brute.

"Yue Bai is utterly contemptible; he did that deliberately," Guo Liangren muttered bitterly.

"Disasters are inescapable, but I'm curious to see how Gao Chuan intends to duel with me." Loong Jiaoyang was never one to shrink from a challenge.

Guo Liangren, frustrated, thought, "Why must Fellow Daoist Loong Jiaoyang be so obstinate? He could just leave now... No, I must seek out Saintess Zi Shan; Loong Jiaoyang's safety is at stake today."

"Junior Brother Guo Liangren, where are you off to? Today's spectacle is a rare treat, and you might even have the chance to run a betting pool. Would you really pass up such an opportunity?" Yue Bai called out, his voice booming with mirth.

Guo Liangren froze under Gao Chuan's intense scrutiny. As a mere apprentice alchemist in the Pill Fire District, he couldn't afford to cross a second-grade alchemist like Gao Chuan.

It was common knowledge that the most skilled alchemist of the Profound Girl Sect was merely a fourth-grade practitioner, and there were only seven who ranked second-grade or higher.

These individuals were the treasured elite of the Profound Girl Sect. To provoke their ire was to court death itself.

"Guo Liangren, I'm wagering a hundred thousand gold coins that Loong Jiaoyang will be utterly disabled in both hands by the end of today!" Gao Chuan dismissed Loong Jiaoyang, who was approaching, and turned to Guo Liangren with a frosty voice, "A hundredfold payout—any objections?"

"Senior Brother Gao, my entire net worth doesn't even come close to a million gold coins..." Guo Liangren's complexion was ashen as he spoke with a heart-wrenching plea.

"If you can't pay it all at once, you can serve as my slave and repay the debt gradually. I'm quite generous with my servants—ten gold coins per year," Gao Chuan said with a chilling indifference that belied his scholarly appearance.

Guo Liangren clenched his jaw in the face of Gao Chuan's tyranny, too fearful to retaliate. He didn't want to die, so he could only glare resentfully at Yue Bai. It was clear to him that Gao Chuan's vendetta was spurred by Yue Bai's involvement.

"Isn't this a bit much? Guo Liangren is still your junior brother from the same sect. Is it necessary to torment him like this?" Loong Jiaoyang challenged, his eyebrows arching in disapproval.

"And what business is it of an outsider to meddle in our sect's internal affairs?" Gao Chuan finally directed his contemptuous gaze at Loong Jiaoyang, looking through him as if he were nothing more than thin air.

A fierce anger ignited within Loong Jiaoyang. He was a man of strong principles and could not tolerate such oppression from a fellow disciple. Gao Chuan's haughtiness laid bare the stark contrast between the Devil Dao and the Righteous Dao sects.

"So, an outsider fancies himself worthy of taking Gao Bing's place as the Holy Son? Since you're skilled in the art of alchemy, let's settle this in the way of alchemists. The loser will cripple his own hands and renounce the craft of pill refining forever!" Gao Chuan's gaze was icy, his words biting, and his tone even more frigid.

"Hmph, just because you issue a challenge, am I obliged to accept? If I refuse to duel with you, what can you possibly do to coerce Fellow Daoist Guo Liangren?" Loong Jiaoyang retorted with a frosty tone.

Loong Jiaoyang's response left Yue Bai and the others visibly taken aback. Gao Chuan was initially caught off guard, but soon his expression turned to one of scorn.

Upon hearing Loong Jiaoyang's words, Guo Liangren was momentarily perplexed. He quickly remembered that Loong Jiaoyang had only recently mastered pill refining and didn't grasp the significance of a showdown between alchemists, which only heightened his concern.

"Hehe, Loong Jiaoyang, are you unaware that refusing a challenge from a fellow alchemist of equal rank will prevent you from earning the Pill Refining Guild's recognition?" Yue Bai taunted with a sneering laugh.

The recognition of the Pill Refining Guild at stake?

Loong Jiaoyang's mind raced. He was well aware of the Pill Refining Guild, the most prestigious alchemist association on the Nine Profound Continent. Membership in the Guild meant access to necessary herbs at any time, and the status it conferred was more advantageous than any sect disciple's title.

The sovereigns of the three great empires held the Pill Refining Guild's members in high esteem, going to great lengths to avoid offending them and ensuring that the Guild's alchemists would not be denied the opportunity to craft their medicinal pills.

"Does the Pill Refining Guild really have a rule that denies recognition to those who refuse challenges?" Loong Jiaoyang inquired, his brow furrowed in doubt.

"The Pill Refining Guild is home to the mighty; what true expert would shy away from a challenge? And the defeated? What right do they have to join the ranks of the Guild?" Yue Bai countered with a cold, mocking sneer. "Country boy, perhaps you should stick to hunting and spare yourself the humiliation at the Profound Girl Sect."

Loong Jiaoyang fixed Gao Chuan with an icy stare and challenged, "You've reached the level of a second-grade alchemist, while I can only produce a first-grade Strength Boosting Pill. Does that even qualify as a challenge between equals?"

"If you manage to refine a Power Boosting Pill, it's possible you could also produce a Tier 2 Medicine Pill. By that logic, you're essentially a Tier 2 alchemist already. So, this challenge is perfectly appropriate for your level. Loong Jiaoyang, you can decline the challenge, but if you do, you'll leave your hands behind and be expelled from the Profound Girl Sect!" Gao Chuan declared with malice.

"Why would you want to cripple my hands if I refuse the challenge?" Loong Jiaoyang demanded icily.

"I have no intention of giving an enemy the opportunity for revenge," Gao Chuan replied sharply, his eyes glinting with cold ferocity. "Tell me, Loong Jiaoyang, do you have the courage to match my alchemy skills?"

Anger welled up in Loong Jiaoyang. "Of course, I dare. Why wouldn't I?"

"Heh, that's more like it. You've got some spine after all!" Gao Chuan sneered, pleased with his manipulative success.

"I'll take on your challenge. And if you lose, you'll cripple your own hands and forfeit the Alchemy Courtyard to me," Loong Jiaoyang retorted, his voice like ice.

"Thinking you can win? You're clueless about your own limits," Yue Bai mocked with a cold laugh.

"Silence! Who gave you the floor?" Loong Jiaoyang shot Yue Bai a withering look. He had no patience for those who borrowed power to threaten others.

Stifling his frustration, Yue Bai wanted to lash out, but remembering the close bond between Saintess Zi Shan and Loong Jiaoyang, he bit his tongue, inwardly cursing Loong Jiaoyang.

"Win, and all my possessions within the Profound Girl Sect are yours," Gao Chuan stated resolutely.

"Agreed. You have my word," Loong Jiaoyang responded, nodding firmly.

Turning to Yue Bai and the others, Gao Chuan commanded, "Go fetch two sets of ingredients for the Spirit Gathering Pills. Yue Bai, retrieve the Spirit Jade Pill Refining Furnace from my alchemy courtyard."

With orders in hand, Yue Bai and the rest departed. Loong Jiaoyang, frowning, fixed Gao Chuan with a cold stare. "What are you implying?"

"Since you've accepted the challenge, let's battle it out right now. A single batch of medicinal herbs will determine the victor!" Gao Chuan's eyes twinkled with a sinister smirk.

Loong Jiaoyang hadn't anticipated that Gao Chuan would insist on an immediate duel. He realized he had been tricked; he had never once refined a Spirit Gathering Pill. Succeeding with just one set of ingredients was a task more daunting than reaching the heavens.

"Loong Jiaoyang, feel free to concede defeat right now. It makes no difference to me," Gao Chuan said, arms folded across his chest, looking down on Loong Jiaoyang with disdain.

"Gao Chuan, you prey on the fact that I'm new to pill refining. So what if you win today? Your tactics lack any sense of honor!" Loong Jiaoyang retorted with indignation.

"Heh, honor? Winning is all that matters. The outcome speaks for itself. After all, who remembers the defeated?" Gao Chuan replied with a cold, mocking laugh.