Chapter Thirteen: Upright Youth Never Fears Temptation

The members of the True One Sect had not yet had time to mourn for She Yicheng when the battle between Wei Jin'an and Xie Zhengqi began. Wei Jin'an dared not be careless; She Yicheng had just lost his life due to negligence. The two stood facing each other for a long while before finally clashing, their long swords meeting and sending sparks flying.

In their first exchange, neither used any spells, relying solely on the swords in their hands for relentless attacks and parries. Suddenly, Xie Zhengqi could not restrain himself—at the moment their swords collided, he unleashed an Ice Sealing spell, sending a stream of icy blue mist shooting toward Wei Jin'an, attempting to hinder his movements.

Wei Jin'an countered with a Blaze spell, a burst of fierce flame rising from his hand to meet the blue mist. The mist evaporated under the intense heat, but in that instant, an extremely fine needle accelerated and pierced Wei Jin'an's brow.

Wei Jin'an slowly collapsed, a crimson stain spreading between his brows.

With two disciples dead in succession, the True One Sect was stunned. Disciples in the Qi Condensation phase typically relied on physical prowess and footwork in combat, able to use basic spells but limited by their spiritual power, making frequent usage impossible.

Thus, Qi Condensation battles could result in injury, but deaths were rare. Even if defeated, there should be ample time to admit defeat. Yet, both True One Sect disciples had been ambushed and killed unexpectedly.

Was this deliberate targeting, or simply bad luck for those two?

The strongest two disciples in the Qi Condensation phase were now dead. Only Yi Qiuming and Zhou Qi remained for the sect’s tournament, and the outcome seemed certain.

Fifth Star Wen frowned deeply. The situation had been promising, but if all Qi Condensation disciples were wiped out, the True One Sect might end up last after all.

Now, there was no time to dwell on the deaths. Losing meant more deaths in the future.

During a lull in the proceedings, Zhou Qi slipped over to the disciples of the Life and Death Sect who were running the betting pool. “Senior brother, is there a bet for Zhou Qi of the Life and Death Sect?”

“There is. Zhou Qi’s odds are one to two hundred. Basically, no one bets on you,” the disciple replied.

“What does one to two hundred mean?” Zhou Qi asked curiously.

“If you bet Zhou Qi survives, for every one spirit stone, I pay you two hundred. If you bet Zhou Qi dies, you get nothing back for your wager. Understand?” the disciple patiently explained.

“Then I’ll wager two hundred low-grade spirit stones on Zhou Qi surviving!” Zhou Qi declared.

“Junior brother, earning spirit stones isn’t easy for you. Best not to gamble. Haven’t you seen how True One Sect is being targeted? Zhou Qi is rumored to be their main focus,” the betting disciple cautioned.

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“I’ll place the bet anyway!” Zhou Qi insisted. It wasn’t blind confidence; if he died, spirit stones would be useless. If by chance he survived, he would make a fortune.

“Alright, since you insist, who am I to refuse easy profit? What’s your name, so I can record it?”

“My name is Zhou Qi,” he replied, leaving the two hundred spirit stones behind and returning to the True One Sect.

The betting disciple shook his head helplessly, clearly understanding Zhou Qi’s thinking: two hundred spirit stones gained for free, even low-grade ones are better than nothing.

By the time Zhou Qi finished his gamble, Yi Qiuming had already been defeated. Though he survived, he was as good as dead—he’d lost an arm and was gravely wounded!

All three Qi Condensation disciples had fallen; only Zhou Qi remained, as good as total annihilation.

Fifth Star Wen was at a loss for words, his gaze filled with guilt as he looked at Zhou Qi. Zhou Qi shouldn’t have needed to participate in the Five Sect Tournament so soon, but because of Fifth Star Wen’s own conflicts with the other sects, Zhou Qi was forced into the spotlight. What a pity!

Liu Piaopiao was also full of worry.

It was Zhou Qi’s turn now. His opponent was Sha Dong’er from the Peach Blossom Sect.

Sha Dong’er was stunningly beautiful, with long eyelashes and a delicate, well-shaped nose, a cherry-red mouth, and a white dress outlining her graceful figure, her every movement exuding allure.

Zhou Qi dared not be careless. He drew his sword, observed cautiously, ready to use his Shadow Step at the first sign of danger.

Sha Dong’er’s eyes grew brighter, clearly activating a charm spell.

In Zhou Qi’s eyes, Sha Dong’er appeared unclothed, teasing and posing.

So this was it? Zhou Qi finally understood what charm spells were about. Having grown up under the influence of Japanese educational films, he’d seen at least a thousand such scenes, and had long since developed immunity. Still, he feigned infatuation, standing motionless.

Seeing her spell succeed, Sha Dong’er showed a triumphant smile, swaying as she approached and reached out to strike Zhou Qi.

With a swift Five Elements Step, Zhou Qi dropped his pretense, instantly appearing behind Sha Dong’er. His Taiji Palm struck her squarely in the back.

Before Sha Dong’er realized what had happened, she was sent flying off the stage like a kite with a broken string.

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Zhou Qi had actually won, and the crowd was astonished—a Qi Condensation seventh-layer cultivator winning so cleanly.

But seeing it was the Peach Blossom Sect, they understood: a ninth-layer cultivator should have fought properly instead of relying on charm against a twelve-year-old boy. Wasn’t that pointless?

Zhou Qi’s victory shocked the betting disciple from the Life and Death Sect; it was clearly an accident. The crowd agreed—what was the point of charming a boy ignorant of worldly affairs?

Off the stage, Liu Piaopiao’s gaze was complex. It seemed Zhou Qi understood nothing, yet he somehow had feelings for her. Was it the stirrings of adolescence?

Winning at least brought Fifth Star Wen some comfort. An accidental victory was better than total defeat.

Zhou Qi advanced to the second round. He carefully observed the other contestants, pondering his chances.

The Qi Condensation peak cultivator from Spirit Silence Cave was formidable—his combat skills and spell power were impressive, a terrifying opponent. Zhou Qi rehearsed possible outcomes in his mind, realizing his chances were slim.

The Unconcerned Pavilion cultivators fought desperately, risking life for life—if you stabbed them, they’d accept the wound to inflict one on you. Facing such opponents, Zhou Qi knew to keep his distance and not give them the chance to trade blows.

The Immortal Farmer Garden cultivators appeared harmless and honest, but were actually sly and ruthless, never hesitating to strike. Against them, one needed utmost vigilance.

As for the Peach Blossom Sect, they probably wouldn’t try charm spells on him again; no one falls for the same trick twice.

Zhou Qi observed quietly, mentally rehearsing strategies for the upcoming battles.

The matches continued, with casualties in every sect.

At the end of the first round, Spirit Silence Cave had three victories, Immortal Farmer Garden, Peach Blossom Sect, and Unconcerned Pavilion each had two, and True One Sect had one.

By this point, all sects had few disciples left standing. True One Sect, apart from Fifth Star Wen and Liu Piaopiao, had only Zhou Qi, Zhai Qianqian, and Fu Shaojian unscathed, two badly wounded, and the rest dead.