C25 Chapter 25

"I'm sorry, I'm just not interested in your body." A jarring voice pierced Jiaang Xue's ears, and a wave of humiliation rose from deep within her. It was the most degrading thing she had ever heard in her life, yet when she faced Hua Hsing, she found herself without the courage to strike back. The person she had once called worthless had quietly surpassed her.

Jiaang Xue's face burned with anger. She wished she could tear Hua Hsing to pieces, but reason told her she could not do it. So she chose to endure. "Don't go too far. At worst, I won't interfere in the matter between you and my sister anymore," Jiaang Xue said after steadying her emotions.

Hua Hsing's face showed a trace of disgust. He had not expected her to be so shameless that she could say such words. He let out a cold laugh, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

As Jiaang Xue watched his departing figure, her face twisted into a savage expression, and a flash of icy killing intent crossed her eyes. In that moment, she felt a sense of threat. She no longer wanted to wait. She wanted to kill Hua Hsing completely. Only the dead could keep secrets forever. "I will make sure you die," Jiaang Xue said coldly.

Night fell. In a dim room inside one of the Inner Sect's pavilions, the two of them looked at each other. A strange, almost sinister expression rested on his face, while hers carried a hint of seductive charm. After a long silence, Jiaang Xue finally spoke. "Brother Baili," she said sweetly.

"It's late. What brings you here?" Baili Xing asked.

Baili Xing was ranked among the top 50 in the Inner Sect. He had reached the fifth level of the Qi Refining Stage. Although he was only at the early phase of that level, he was still considered a powerful figure within the Inner Sect.

Jiaang Xue had come to find Baili Xing because he was widely known for pursuing beautiful women. As long as a woman was attractive, Baili Xing would try to court her. He had once attempted to woo Bing Ling, only to be beaten badly, which made him more cautious afterward. However, the moment he saw Jiaang Xue, those old desires began to stir again. Jiaang Xue understood this side of him, and that was precisely why she had come to him.

"A new Inner Sect disciple, Hua Hsing, has offended me. I want him dead. Can you help me?" Jiaang Xue asked directly.

"A new Inner Sect member?" Baili Xing asked, puzzled. "He just joined the Inner Sect. If you help me with this, I’m willing to offer anything," Jiaang Xue replied. Hearing the word "anything," a sly smile crept across Baili Xing’s face. "You’re joking, right? Your concerns are my concerns," Baili Xing assured her. "Then I owe you one, Brother Baili," Jiaang Xue replied.

Early the next morning, a shocking piece of news spread throughout the Inner Sect. Baili Xing was going to challenge the newly promoted disciple Hua Hsing, and soon every disciple in the Inner Sect had heard it.

Outside Hua Hsing’s quarters, Baili Xing stood silently in a gray robe, a trace of killing intent radiating from him. "Isn’t that Baili Xing?" one disciple exclaimed. "Is he really going to challenge Hua Hsing? What a joke. How could Hua Hsing possibly be Baili Xing’s opponent?" another said. "One is at Qi Refining Stage Level Four, and the other is at Qi Refining Stage Level Five. There’s no comparison at all," a third added.

Amid the disciples’ discussion, Baili Xing finally spoke. "Hua Hsing, get out here!" he roared, his voice echoing with fury.

Resting inside, Hua Hsing was startled by the shout. He frowned slightly and stepped outside. "Who are you?" he asked in a low voice when he saw Baili Xing.

"So you’re Hua Hsing?" Baili Xing asked.

"Yes, that’s me," Hua Hsing replied.

"I challenge you. Do you dare accept?" Baili Xing said with a sneer.

Just as Hua Hsing was about to answer, he caught sight of Jiaang Xue standing behind Baili Xing. Her icy expression instantly made the reason for the challenge clear, and a surge of killing intent rose in Hua Hsing’s heart.

"Do you dare accept my challenge?" Baili Xing shouted again.

Hua Hsing answered calmly, "A fight to the death. You choose the time."

After speaking, Hua Hsing turned and walked back toward the pavilion. Baili Xing froze for a moment, then burst into laughter, clearly surprised that Hua Hsing had proposed a fight to the death.

"You dare fight me to the death? Fine. I’ll grant your wish," Baili Xing declared.

Just as Hua Hsing was about to answer, he noticed Jiaang Xue standing behind Baili Xing with a charming expression. The icy look in her eyes made the reason for this encounter instantly clear to him, and killing intent stirred in his heart. Baili Xing raised his voice and demanded, "Do you dare accept my challenge?"

Hua Hsing answered evenly, "A fight to the death. You choose the time." After saying that, he turned and walked back toward the loft.

Only after Hua Hsing had gone inside did Baili Xing come to his senses. He froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. He had not expected Hua Hsing to propose a fight to the death. "You dare face me in a fight to the death? Fine. I'll do it," Baili Xing said.

Behind Baili Xing, Jiaang Xue was secretly pleased. This fight to the death was the perfect opportunity for Baili Xing to eliminate Hua Hsing. "Three days from now, we'll meet at the life-and-death arena," Baili Xing said before turning to leave.

News of the impending fight between Hua Hsing and Baili Xing spread quickly. Many of the Inner Sect disciples doubted Hua Hsing, thinking he was being too reckless. The entire Inner Sect was abuzz with excitement.

That evening, the Ninth Elder sought out Hua Hsing. "I've reported the remnants of the Yellow Spring Sect to the sect leaders. They've sent several elders, but..." the Ninth Elder began.

"But what?" Hua Hsing asked.

"The Bloody Skeleton you mentioned has vanished without a trace," the Ninth Elder said slowly.

Hua Hsing nodded. This was only to be expected. The Bloody Skeleton was clearly not fully recovered from its injuries, and it would never simply sit still and wait for death. "However, you must be careful," the Ninth Elder warned. Hua Hsing looked at him in confusion. "You have already come into contact with the Bloody Skeleton, so its aura must now linger on you. If you encounter it again in the future, it will certainly be able to detect you. You must be cautious," the Ninth Elder said. "Thank you for the reminder, Master," Hua Hsing replied with a nod.

"By the way, I heard that you are going to fight Baili Xing to the death," the Ninth Elder suddenly asked. Hua Hsing nodded and said, "Yes." "I respect your decision. Are you confident?" the Ninth Elder asked. "About 50 percent," Hua Hsing answered. The Ninth Elder was visibly surprised when he heard that. He had not expected Hua Hsing to be this confident. In truth, Hua Hsing's confidence was greater than that, but he did not want to appear overly self-assured in front of the Ninth Elder. "As expected of a genius who mastered the Golden Light Sword Arts. Go and fight boldly. I will support you in all things."

After saying that, the Ninth Elder took out three pills and handed them to Hua Hsing before leaving. Hua Hsing looked at the three white pills in his hand, his face full of delight. "Body Tempering Pills." "I've got the Body Tempering Pills now, and I'm confident I can advance further," Hua Hsing said.

Over the next three days, Hua Hsing rested at night and trained in the practice room during the day. As time went on, the number of spirit stones in his pocket quickly dwindled. In just three days, he used up all three Body Tempering Pills, and he reached the late stage of Qi Refining Stage Level Four. "I'm confident I can defeat Baili Xing now," Hua Hsing declared.

The past three days had been highly productive for Hua Hsing. Although he consumed three Body Tempering Pills, his strength improved significantly. He spent the entire time in the practice room, something he could not have imagined doing before. Fortunately, he still had plenty of spirit stones left. Even so, he used nearly 5,000 spirit stones during those three days. On the third day, Hua Hsing emerged from the practice room.

In the Inner Sect, there was a garden with a pond and a pavilion at its center. Inside the pavilion were three men and a woman. One of them was Baili Xing, another was Jiaang Xue, and the remaining two were Inner Sect disciples who were on good terms with Baili Xing. "The new disciples are getting more and more audacious. He actually dared to challenge you," one of the disciples said with a chuckle. "And it is a fight to the death. You have to admit, he has guts," another disciple added. "He is just a clueless disciple. This will be his last battle," Baili Xing sneered.

Jiaang Xue, standing nearby, gave Baili Xing a flirtatious glance and said in a sweet voice, "It is time. Let us head to the arena." "No rush. Let him wait a bit," Baili Xing replied with a smirk.

At the Inner Sect arena, a crowd of disciples had already gathered to watch the showdown between Hua Hsing and Baili Xing. "Look, Hua Hsing is here!" someone shouted. The crowd stirred, and all eyes turned to Hua Hsing as he stepped onto the arena and waited for Baili Xing to arrive. "Hua Hsing actually showed up. If I were him, I would have found a way to escape by now." "You are right. Baili Xing is very powerful."

Hua Hsing cried out in delight. He had not expected that his master would give him Body Tempering Pills.

Body Tempering Pills were mid-grade mortal pills and considered relatively precious. The Ninth Elder had taken out three of them at once.

"Now that I have Body Tempering Pills, I am confident I can advance another step," Hua Hsing said.

Over the next three days, Hua Hsing rested at night and cultivated in the training room during the day. As time passed, the number of Spirit Stones in his pocket dropped rapidly. After the full three days, Hua Hsing had used up all three Body Tempering Pills, and his cultivation had now reached the late stage of Qi Refining Stage Level Four.

"With my current strength, I am confident I can defeat Baili Xing," Hua Hsing said.

​