Chapter 265: Life Is A Play, All Depends On Acting Skills
As Xiahou Bubai finished his performance, the atmosphere in the arena shifted.
Sun Yuanlang, who had been eagerly anticipating a good show, saw the tide turn dramatically due to Xiahou Bubai’s posturing. He knew his own situation had become dangerous and tried to provoke further, saying, “I didn’t expect the most potent thing about young Bubai wasn’t his fists or feet, but your glib tongue.” He then sneered, “With mere ghosts like Zhou Huang and Huan Daoji, you think they could set up such a grand formation to swallow all eight or nine of us in one go?”
“They definitely have accomplices, but it’s certainly not our Xiahou Clan,” Xiahou Bubai retorted, reverting to his usual belligerent self, glaring at Sun Yuanlang. “Our seven clans are as close as brothers; no one can drive a wedge between us. You’d best save your strength for fighting for your life.”
“…” The nine Grandmasters remained expressionless, some couldn’t help but show a hint of mockery, but none actually refuted Xiahou Bubai.
In truth, the Grandmasters were sharp and clear-sighted; how could they not suspect Xiahou Bubai of putting on a show? Given his usual disposition, if he were truly righteous, why would he be so submissive and try so hard to appease everyone?
However, apart from Sun Yuanlang, none of the other Grandmasters intended to tear down Xiahou Bubai’s facade. Firstly, Xiahou Bubai’s claims were solid and supported by witness testimony, making it difficult to find fault. Secondly, were the various clans really going to fall out with the Xiahou Clan?
Let alone the Cui and Pei Clans, who always followed the Xiahou Clan’s lead, even the Lu, Wei, and Mei Clans, and the Royal Family, who were already at loggerheads with them, wouldn’t dare to overturn the table so rashly!
Therefore, as long as the situation could be explained away, even if Sun Yuanlang exposed everything, they would not openly confront the Xiahou Clan.
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At this moment, Xu Xuanji, having somehow obtained a Daoist robe and changed into it, finally concealed his incredibly flamboyant chest hair. Seeing that Xiahou Bubai had stabilized the Grandmasters, he finally spoke, “You have all finished your pleasantries, let us now capture this demon together and rid Great Xuan of a scourge!”
“No,” unexpectedly, Lu Xian showed no deference and immediately said in a deep voice, “For the sake of us all escaping, we made a vow that once freed, we would ensure his safe departure.” He then explained honestly, “If Sect Leader Sun hadn’t expended all his True Essence to help us escape, and was now severely weakened, who could have stopped him?”
What else can be said about it? Low emotional intelligence is a fatal flaw. Lu Xian, with no ill intention, managed to offend both sides terribly.
There’s no need to even mention Sun Yuanlang. He had struggled desperately, enduring internal injuries, and used the ‘Universe Reversal’ he just comprehended underground to defeat Xu Xuanji in one move. Wasn’t that to intimidate the enemies so they wouldn’t dare to act rashly?
And now, all that effort was undone by that idiot surnamed Lu, who exposed his true condition in a single breath…
However, Sun Yuanlang knew Lu Xian was trying to help him and didn’t truly blame him. After all, for this shut-in who hadn’t left his house for over a decade, this was his limit; there was no point getting angry…
But Xu Xuanji genuinely hated Lu Xian. This was too harsh a blow, as if it were meant to strip his very skin!
Well, if Sun Yuanlang, in his current weakened state, could defeat the old Daoist priest in one move, then if he were in his prime, wouldn’t he be able to crush me to powder with a single finger? If this were to spread, not only would I, the old Daoist priest, lose all face, but even my Heavenly Master Dao would suffer a great loss of prestige and become a laughingstock under heaven.
Xu Xuanji seethed with rage for a while, but then a wave of fear washed over him. Had Sun Yuanlang, like his Senior Brother, already entered the Half-step Xiantian realm? Otherwise, how could he be so powerful?!
With this thought, Xu Xuanji immediately forgot about arguing with Lu Xian and looked at Sun Yuanlang through gritted teeth, secretly resolving that he must seize the opportunity today to take his life while he was vulnerable!
“Don’t worry, dear Lu. You won’t have to lift a finger; the three of us can capture this scoundrel,” Xu Xuanji said, forcing a smile and not a real one. “This way, you won’t be breaking your vow, and we can still eliminate a menace for the country. Isn’t that a win-win?”
“Uh…” Several Grandmasters listened, somewhat bewildered. Pei Yuqiu and the others, in particular, seemed to be swayed.
“No!” Lu Xian, who had never been one to compromise, said coldly, “I said he could leave, and he must leave. If anyone tries to stop him, don’t blame Lu for being ruthless!” With that, he began to move towards Xu Xuanji.
Xu Xuanji’s anger surged again. He thought to himself, ‘It seems that after being defeated by Sun Yuanlang, everyone dares to underestimate this old Daoist priest!’ He then laughed and said, “Then let this old Daoist priest experience Vice Sect Master Lu’s masterful move!”
Unexpectedly, Cui Dingzhi and Xie Ding suddenly appeared, each grabbing one of Lu Xian’s arms and repeatedly urging, “Calm down, Old Lu, calm down. Fighting now won’t be good for anyone…” Xie Ding then winked at Xu Xuanji and said, “Heavenly Master Xu, did you not consult the almanac before leaving home today? Old Lu is even fiercer than Sect Leader Sun!”
“Hmph!” Xu Xuanji naturally refused to back down and sneered, “Over ten years ago, Vice Sect Master Lu was defeated by my Senior Brother. I want to see how much Vice Sect Master Lu has improved during his secluded cultivation over these past ten years?”
“I’ll tell you one thing,” Xie Ding said with a bitter smile. “Our escape was thanks to the Lu Clan’s Mutual Aid of Square and Circle…”
“Uh…” Xu Xuanji was instantly dumbfounded, all his harsh words stuck in his throat, unable to utter a single one.
“How is that possible?!” The Xiahou Brothers were also horrified, looking at Lu Xian as if he were a monster. Xiahou Bumie, who usually eager to test his skills against masters, showed a look of fear…
“What’s wrong?” The surrounding warriors were confused and asked, “What is Mutual Aid of Square and Circle?”
“Mutual Aid of Square and Circle…” a Grandmaster from the Heavenly Master Dao painstakingly explained, “is the mark of entering the Xiantian realm for the Heaven and Earth Righteous Law…”
“What?!” Everyone snapped back to reality, looking at Lu Xian with immense reverence and adoration. Many directly knelt and kowtowed to Lu Xian, worshiping the legendary Immortal of the Earth!
“Please don’t do that,” Lu Xian said bashfully, very sincerely. “That was a strike that happened to be unleashed by gathering everyone’s True Essence. I absolutely cannot replicate it now.” He paused, then added, “My understanding of that Realm is still like looking at flowers through fog; I am far from reaching it.”
“That’s still Half-step Xiantian!” Zuo Yanqing chuckled sinisterly, as if wanting to stir up trouble. “Grandmasters who can sense the Innate Realm are Half-step Xiantian. Even if they can never cross that half-step, it’s enough to crush us mortals with our physical bodies!”
“I’m still far from it…” Lu Xian said very seriously. “I already struggle to deal with three Grandmasters…”
He was actually analyzing quite earnestly, but to Xu Xuanji and the Xiahou Brothers, his words were incredibly grating.
Damn it, we have exactly three Grandmasters, and you’re implying you can fight three at once now?!
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Now the situation changed again. Lu Xian insisted on letting Sun Yuanlang leave, and the Xiahou Brothers and Xu Xuanji didn’t dare to truly test whether Lu Xian’s Half-step Xiantian was different from Sun Yuanlang’s.
They turned their gaze to the other eight Grandmasters. Xu Xuanji said, with a soft yet firm tone, “Seventeen years ago, my Heavenly Master Dao issued the Heavenly Master Talisman to kill this scoundrel! Esteemed sirs, please lend this sect a hand? The Heavenly Master Dao will be eternally grateful!”
This was the Heavenly Master Dao’s usual tactic: if they couldn’t negotiate, they’d use a grand pronouncement to pressure others. It was up to you to decide if you were friend or foe!
The reason they used it so often was because it invariably worked.
In the eyes of the eight Grandmasters, the consequences of offending the Heavenly Master Dao were more severe than offending the Xiahou Clan. Apart from Zhang Xuanyi, who was the foremost Under Heaven, it was because the Heavenly Master Dao acted on behalf of Heaven’s will, and with a single word could put various clans in an extremely passive position…
