C22 I'll Give You Two Choices..

The assessment hadn't started yet, but the tension was palpable.

Yet, nobody spoke of Zhao Yu. Once hailed as the sect's top prodigy, his reputation had taken a nosedive after he was poisoned, and his prowess had sharply declined. He was no longer seen as a formidable figure by his peers.

Zhao Yu was unfazed by this. There were advantages to being conspicuous, just as there were to keeping a low profile.

All he wanted now was to head back to his quarters, enjoy a bath, change into fresh clothes, and relax in comfort.

"Zhao Yu!" Out of nowhere, a booming voice echoed.

The disciples in the vicinity were startled and turned to look.

Zhao Yu halted and pivoted to see who it was. Liu Guang approached with a sneer plastered across his face.

In a composed manner, Zhao Yu inquired, "Senior Brother Liu, did you need something from me?"

He sensed Liu Guang's malice but remained indifferent.

Liu Guang hadn't been a challenge for him a month ago, and with his strength having significantly increased since then, Zhao Yu was even less concerned.

"Absolutely!" Liu Guang's eyes blazed with animosity as he declared, "Zhao Yu, I challenge you to another wager!"

He had lost a staggering thousand Tao points to Zhao Yu in their last bet, nearly wiping out his wealth. The defeat had festered into a grudge, and he was eager for payback.

With a smirk, Zhao Yu retorted, "Another bet? Are you planning to renege on your word again after losing? I have no interest in gambling with someone who reneges on their promises."

Internally, Zhao Yu was on alert. Liu Guang was aware of his regained strength, and given Liu Guang's cowardly nature, why would he provoke him unless he had a strategy to win?

The sect's disciples around them couldn't help but laugh at Zhao Yu's response.

Liu Guang's face turned beet red with fury, his teeth clenched.

His reputation had plummeted within the sect after he failed to honor his previous bet, to the point where even the Outer Sect disciples snickered at him behind his back.

With a light chuckle, Zhao Yu said, "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

After he finished speaking, he turned to leave.

He had no intention of wasting his time on someone like Liu Guang. He would rather spend that time sleeping.

Enraged, Liu Guang bellowed, "Zhao Yu, if you're too scared to take this bet, you're nothing but a coward!"

Zhao Yu halted, fixing Liu Guang with an icy stare. "You think I'm afraid to put you in your place?"

The chill in Zhao Yu's eyes sobered Liu Guang, who suddenly became aware of the gulf in strength between them, sending a shiver down his spine.

"Zhao Yu, I've heard you've grown quite arrogant since your recovery. I didn't believe it until now, but seeing is believing. Do you really think you can lord over the Sky Profound Sect just because you've regained your powers?"

Zhao Yu followed the voice and saw a tall, dark-skinned disciple with a commanding presence approaching. "Liu Feng is here."

"That's Liu Feng?"

"Yes, that's him. I heard he's been training outside for a year and has reached the peak of the Fourth Layer in Qi Refining."

The disciples murmured among themselves, their gazes filled with awe as they looked at Liu Feng.

So, this was Liu Feng. Zhao Yu's gaze sharpened.

He remembered the sect disciples' chatter when he first joined. Liu Feng's status was on par with Sun Mingyu and Zhou Yun, making him a force to be reckoned with.

"Cousin!" Liu Guang exhaled in relief upon seeing Liu Feng, though his face betrayed a hint of embarrassment.

Zhao Yu let out a derisive chuckle. "Senior Brother Liu is usually so cautious. I was curious why he suddenly found the nerve to challenge me. Turns out he's got backup."

Liu Feng scoffed arrogantly, "My cousin might not be the best, but he's still my cousin. He's not someone just anyone can insult. To bully my cousin is to disrespect me."

"I bullied him?"

Zhao Yu shook his head. "How can you not see who's in the wrong? He was the one who challenged me to the bet."

However, Liu Feng was not open to hearing Zhao Yu out. Cutting him off mid-sentence with impatience, he snapped, "Save it. All I need to know is that my cousin got the short end of the stick because of you. That's all that matters."

Zhao Yu responded with a calm, "So, what do you propose?"

"What do I propose?" Liu Feng let out a scornful laugh before replying, "You've got two options. First, you immediately transfer two thousand Tao points to my cousin. A thousand to cover his losses to you, and another thousand as compensation for the offense. Then, you publicly apologize to him, and we can put this matter to rest."

Zhao Yu remained silent.

Liu Feng's demeanor turned icy as he glared at Zhao Yu with a menacing intensity. "Your second option," he threatened, "is that I'll give you a thrashing every time I see you, stripping you of any dignity you have left. Don't fool yourself into thinking the sect's rules will keep you safe. If I decide to come after you, I'll find a way! Plus, I've heard the Sect Master isn't too fond of you. Who knows? Beating you might even earn me some favor. Two birds with one stone."

He paused, his sneer deepening. "And since I'll be staying at the sect for quite a while after my return, you can only imagine how miserable your life will be."

Zhao Yu's expression grew colder by the second.

Some onlookers felt sympathy for Zhao Yu, and a disciple spoke up, unable to hold back, "Senior Brother Liu, at the end of the day, you're all part of the same sect, not enemies. Why be so merciless?"

"Merciless? That's right," Liu Feng retorted sharply. "And if any of you have a problem with that or think to defend Zhao Yu, you're picking a fight with me. Don't blame me if you all end up on the receiving end of my fists. I'm not one to shy away from a little exertion."

Liu Feng's arrogance was palpable, dismissing everyone around him as if they were beneath his notice.

The disciple who had spoken up turned beet red, and although many other disciples were visibly upset, none dared to voice their discontent.

In this world, after all, might makes right.

With Liu Feng's formidable strength, few in the sect, save for Sun Mingyu and a handful of others, would dare to confront him directly.

The once timid Liu Guang now carried himself with an air of arrogance. He fixed Zhao Yu with a smug look and taunted, "Zhao Yu, you used to strut around so confidently. Why are you silent now? Listen up, I want more than just two thousand Tao points from you. I want you to kneel and kowtow to me, to pay back the humiliation you caused me—with interest."

"Zhao Yu, I must admit, I'm rather fond of you choosing the second option."

Liu Feng let out a mocking laugh. "Once hailed as the Sky Profound Sect's top prodigy, weren't you? I imagine it'll be quite satisfying to put a former genius like you in your place."

Zhao Yu regarded them with a cool gaze, feeling a wave of revulsion as if he had swallowed a fly. He wasn't looking for trouble, but trouble seemed to have a way of finding him. With his current level of strength, he had no reason to fear Liu Feng. But he preferred to keep his abilities under wraps for now. There were those in the sect, like Zhang Xuemeng and others, who saw him as a nuisance. Revealing his strength at this juncture would only put them on high alert, potentially provoking them to act against him.

With the inner sect disciple examination on the horizon, Zhao Yu wanted to avoid any unnecessary complications.

After a moment's thought, Zhao Yu spoke up, "Senior Brother Liu, it seems you're intent on a sparring match. To refuse would be to disrespect you."

"You have no choice but to accept," Liu Feng said with a cold smirk, poised for confrontation.

"Hold on," Zhao Yu interjected, raising his hands.

"Dare to renege on your challenge?" Liu Feng asked, his tone grave.

Zhao Yu offered a light chuckle. "Hear me out. Liu Guang just challenged me to a wager. As it happens, the inner sect disciple assessment is tomorrow. Let's place our bet on that. If I lose to you in the exam, I'll follow through with your first choice. What do you say?"

Before Liu Feng could respond, Liu Guang scoffed, "Do you take us for fools? Trying to buy time with this tactic? With your level of cultivation, you might not even last long enough in the examination to face my cousin."

Zhao Yu replied, "Then we can simply find another time to spar. There's plenty of time ahead, and I'm not going anywhere. If we escalate this now and cause a scene, even if the Sect Master doesn't step in, other elders will. And if they decide to revoke our examination privileges because of it, we'd be worse off than before."

Liu Feng found himself hesitating. There was a ring of truth to Zhao Yu's words.

He was also aware of his own tendency to be overbearing, which hadn't won him any friends within the sect. It wouldn't take much for someone with an agenda to blow a minor incident out of proportion and report it to an elder, potentially stirring up a hornet's nest of trouble.

Liu Guang let out a derisive snort, but as he opened his mouth to retort, Liu Feng gestured for him to be silent.

"We have an agreement then. If you renege on your promise, consider yourself a dead man!" Liu Feng stated icily.

Zhao Yu chuckled lightly. "Rest assured, I have no intention of breaking my promise. But since this is a wager, the stakes must be even. If I lose, I'll offer an apology. What happens, though, if you're the one who loses?"