Li Feiyu had killed someone right there at the sect grand tournament, throwing the martial arts arena into chaos.
In a corner of the spectator stands, Han Li frowned and retreated behind the crowd.
He muttered to himself in complaint, "This Senior Brother Li is much too reckless. I only came to take a quiet look because I was afraid something might go wrong, but now look—he's fine, and he went and killed a man in broad daylight. This troublemaker is always so careless, never giving anyone a moment of peace."
"Since it was a martial arts duel, it's about deciding who's the best, but also about life and death!"
"Nonsense! Li Feiyu thinks too highly of himself and killed someone in public. That's a direct challenge to the sect rules!"
"You lot are just jealous of Senior Brother Li!"
"You disregard the rules; you've all been blinded by Li Feiyu!"
...
The martial arts arena was in absolute chaos for a while. A large group of Li Feiyu's admirers insisted that duels were matters of life and death and this was just an accident.
However, Qian Duoduo and the usual crowd who envied Li Feiyu all claimed that Li Feiyu had committed murder with premeditation.
Zhang Xiuer bit her lip nervously, her little fists clenching tighter and tighter. She was in no mood to join the verbal brawl.
"This violates sect rules! I have to go find my uncle and figure something out!"
Over on Qian Duoduo's side, Li Feiyu took a swift stride forward and thrust the blood-dripping tip of his blade right against the bridge of Qian Duoduo's nose.
When had Qian Duoduo ever witnessed such terrifying speed in swordplay and footwork? He was truly trembling with fright.
As for Wang Juechu, he frowned deeply. This young man handled things much too rashly.
Slowly rising to his feet, he channeled his internal energy and addressed all the disciples present: "Silence! The sect grand tournament is now concluded, and Li Feiyu takes first place! However, for killing a fellow disciple in public, he is confined for six months. Furthermore, the sect trials must not be delayed. Starting tomorrow, disciples of all halls shall participate in the trials according to the roster!"
With the sect master having spoken, the matter was settled for now.
Late at night, in the Qijue Hall confinement cell.
Li Feiyu was practicing contortion and stealth techniques. He had no intention of wasting time practicing the Blinking Saber and Sword Technique; he would just wait to level it up through hard work later.
"Senior Brother Li! Senior Brother Li!"
There were plenty of people who wanted to visit him, but only a few actually had the ability to do so.
Looking at Zhang Xiuer and Guo Laoshi through the small window, Li Feiyu momentarily didn't know what to call them.
By now, Li Feiyu had roughly guessed that the original Li Feiyu had always looked down on these second-generation privileged youths. But later on, likely after being heavily suppressed, he grew closer and closer to these normal pampered heirs out of a need for survival and ambition.
The original novel only depicted the story of Li Feiyu and Zhang Xiuer relentlessly showing affection, and even then, it was entirely from Old Devil Han's perspective.
"Zhang Xiuer, Guo Laoshi!"
Zhang Xiuer felt a chill in her heart. Yesterday she was "Xiuer," and today he was acting like a stranger!
Guo Laoshi only said a few words before heading off to keep watch. Zhang Xiuer was a bit sharper, so the important business still had to come from her.
"Senior Brother Li, my uncle said that both Sect Master Wang and Sect Master Wu likely hold you in high regard. As long as you offer a public apology and take an extra three years of confinement, this whole affair will blow over. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything—just treat it as three years of closed-door cultivation. Xiuer... when you come out..."
Li Feiyu simply laughed. Three years of confinement? What a joke—in three years, he might have already reached the Great Circle of Qi Condensation.
Seeing Li Feiyu's relaxed and smiling face, Zhang Xiuer hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly, "Senior Brother Li, I know you have great abilities and high aspirations, and that you look down on people like us who rely on our families. But not all of us are like Qian Duoduo or Wu Yan. With Senior Brother Li's skill and talent, none of your peers can compare. Yet... yet..."
Zhang Xiuer's large eyes fluttered as she hesitated for a long time.
Li Feiyu helped her finish: "Yet, this martial world is all about human connections and favors. Having ability of your own isn't enough; you still need backing."
Fearing she might bruise Li Feiyu's self-esteem, the young woman had been speaking in half-sentences.
At these words, Zhang Xiuer said happily, "With Senior Brother Li's vision, of course you understand everything. ...Just like you, I've had no parents since I was little. My uncle and aunt have no children of their own, and they treat me like their own flesh and blood. Although my uncle isn't a sect master or deputy master, nor is he a high-ranking elder, with Senior Brother Li's abilities, given just a little bit of support, you will definitely be able to spread your wings and accomplish great things!"
At this moment, Li Feiyu suddenly did a flip and leaned right up against the window, close to Zhang Xiuer.
"You... want me to..."
With Li Feiyu leaning in so close, Zhang Xiuer's face flushed and her heart raced.
Only to hear Li Feiyu say, "Become your uncle's disciple!"
Zhang Xiuer blurted out anxiously, "Senior Brother Li, stop joking around..."
Li Feiyu nodded. "Oh... you mean for me to be Elder Li's adoptive son, making you my adoptive younger sister!"
Zhang Xiuer was both embarrassed and exasperated. What time was it, and this fellow still had the mood to crack jokes!
"Senior Brother Li, as long as you understand what I mean—everyone says I'm the number one beauty of the Qixuan Sect. If you're with me, you won't lose out... Three years from now... I'll be just eighteen, and we..."
"Besides, there aren't many women in the Qixuan Sect anyway!"
Li Feiyu's knack for ruining a romantic atmosphere actually helped Zhang Xiuer relax quite a bit.
"Anyway, you know my feelings now. I have to go. Once the trials are over... Xiuer will come see you again!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Xiuer and Guo Laoshi left.
Li Feiyu was someone with a rather low moral baseline; he probably wouldn't suffer any inner demons even when cultivating immortality. After all, everything was the arrangement of Destiny, all for the sake of Fortune points, and he harbored no other malicious intentions!
"Hehe..."
"That laugh is truly lewd and wretched, simply unbearable to the ear! Looks like I was worried about you for nothing!"
With his familiar Smoke-Fading Step and Breath-Concealing Technique, who would have thought Xiao Li would still be looking out for Senior Brother Li.
"Xiao Li, it's pretty nice here. Don't you worry!"
"Of course it's nice: good food, good drinks, good sleep, fine wine, fine delicacies, and fine beauties. 'Senior Brother Li~... you know my feelings now... Xiuer will come see you again...' Ugh! So cheesy!"
Hearing Han Li mimic Zhang Xiuer's girlish voice, Li Feiyu laughed heartily.
Li Feiyu quickly said, "Xiao Li, don't be jealous. I haven't agreed to her yet..."
Han Li didn't dare touch that topic; Li Feiyu was truly too brazen and shameless.
He continued, "I came to tell you that your poison is already cured. The world outside is vast, and you can go wherever you like. As long as you don't recklessly throw your life away here, I'll have my own way to get you out of trouble in a few months. I'll come once a month, so watch yourself."
Judging by that tone, Master Xiao Li was going to be casting Fireballs any minute now!
Li Feiyu smiled. "Like I said, the two of us brothers are going to dominate the Qixuan Sect. Just wait and see!"
Han Li was about to reply when his pupils suddenly constricted and he frowned.
He said in a low voice, "Even Wang Juechu is here. You sure are a busy man—I'm leaving!"
It certainly was great to cultivate immortality; Sect Master Wang was several zhang away, yet he was discovered just like that, effortlessly.
"Young man, you're far too arrogant and rash in your actions! You could have discussed this with me."
Li Feiyu said to Wang Juechu outside the door, "If I weren't arrogant, what kind of young man would I be? You old foxes weigh every option and hesitate at every step; if we had discussed it, you definitely wouldn't have agreed. Jiao Long tried to assassinate me three times—leaving him alive was specifically so I could finish him off in public. Let those people who envy me know that I, Li Feiyu, repay every grievance! Besides, getting locked in here isn't necessarily a bad thing!"
Wang Juechu let out a cold snort and handed Li Feiyu a guardian's waist medallion.
[Fortune of Destiny! Become a Qixuan Sect Guardian, Fortune +50 (Total: 128 points)]
Li Feiyu toyed with the medallion and remarked casually, "A Qijue Hall guardian is much better than other inner sect guardians!"
In the original novel, Li Feiyu caught a spy and was appointed as a guardian of the Outer Blade Hall. An outer sect guardian was far inferior to a core inner sect Qijue Hall guardian like this one.
Wang Juechu didn't take the bait and continued to ask, "You probably didn't use your full strength today, did you? Was what you used that set of seventy-four volumes of the Blinking Sword Technique?"
Li Feiyu said, "I really wouldn't have thought you knew about it either."
"The Blinking Sword Technique is a secret technique of our predecessors, a supreme mastery that once created a legendary Martial Saint! Every sect master looks at it, but none of them practice it. You have to abolish your internal cultivation first, and even with top-tier talent, it takes ten years to achieve anything. The problem is, who is confident enough in their talent, and which martial artist dares to do such a thing! To think you actually trained it to this degree in just a few dozen days—not only is it unimaginable, but your potential is limitless! Have you somehow figured out a shortcut method?"
Li Feiyu said, "It's nothing much, just putting in some hard work!"
Wang Juechu said solemnly, "Right now you are merely at the mastery stage of the Blinking Sword Technique, yet you are already invincible among the younger generation. Cultivating the Blinking Sword Technique to Great Accomplishment would be enough to match our three Supreme Elders. If you reach the Great Circle, you'll be just like the predecessor who created this technique—a living legend!"
Li Feiyu just smiled. Sure enough, people were keeping an eye on this Blinking Sword Technique.
After all, that senior had single-handedly killed a dozen or so Hua-realm grandmasters back in the day; it was simply too tempting for anyone practicing martial arts.
Wang Juechu beat around the bush and asked many more questions, but Li Feiyu brushed them all off with nonsense.
After Sect Master Wang left, Li Feiyu let out a long sigh, his expression of heartbroken grief exceedingly earnest.
He muttered to himself, "Should I tell the sect master the truth... But that would be far too cruel! To practice this technique, one must first castrate oneself... Only then can one banish all distracting thoughts and unleash the maximum power! Xiuer, Senior Brother Li has let down your kind intentions... Sigh..."
Two zhang away, Wang Juechu's face changed drastically, his heart suffering a massive shock!