Chapter 148 Asking for Trouble

Daiyue couldn't help but marvel inwardly upon hearing this. She realized that Ge Qian was extraordinarily resourceful, bold, and meticulous, and it would be best to treat him with absolute sincerity in the future, lest she attempt to outwit him only to end up manipulated herself. With a charming smile, she said, "Junior Brother Ge truly anticipates everything. Pozhan and Jiuhua indeed harbor this exact intention. They were unaware that you had already advanced to the Core Formation stage and thought they could simply abduct you! The High Priestess asked me to tell you not to be afraid, as she and the Heavenly Star Sect stand firmly behind you as your backing."

Ge Qian nodded and replied, "Please thank the High Priestess for her protection. I will not disappoint her. Let us go; we must not keep our guests waiting."

Daiyue led the way with Ge Qian following closely behind, and together they arrived upon the high platform.

Daiyue respectfully addressed the High Priestess, "Junior Brother Ge has been brought here."

The High Priestess Qin Chuchu had not expected Ge Qian to arrive so quickly. She nodded and said, "Well done."

Then, turning to Ge Qian, she instructed, "You must be Ge Qian. Give Senior Pozhan a full and truthful account of the events at the Lesser Dao Arena."

Pozhan carefully scrutinized the early-stage Core Formation cultivator before him, whose aura was bizarre yet formidable. A slight frown creased his brow as he thought to himself that this opponent possessed great strength and would not be easily dealt with. Fortunately, however, he had only recently made the breakthrough and still lacked experience in battles among Core Formation practitioners.

Jiuhua stared angrily at Ge Qian, wishing she could rush forward and tear him to pieces. Yet, since this was the territory of the Heavenly Star Sect, she had no choice but to suppress her rage.

Ge Qian bowed deeply to the High Priestess and said, "Thank you, High Priestess, for upholding justice for your disciple. Since Senior Pozhan has traveled from afar to inquire about this matter, I shall hold nothing back. However, since this affair involves the internal infighting of your Beast Taming Sect, I must ask the Senior not to fly into a rage."

Pozhan let out a cold snort, gathering his pressure in the air so that it writhed and clawed in a ferocious display. Yet he refrained from directly pressing down upon Ge Qian, opting instead for psychological warfare and intimidation.

"You had better not conceal anything," he warned, "otherwise even the Heavenly Star Sect will not be able to protect you!"

Ge Qian turned a deaf ear to the pressure in the air, acting as if it were completely nonexistent, and continued smoothly, "Back at the Lesser Dao Arena, Fellow Daoist Jiuhua led the expedition. Everything was supposed to be foolproof, on the verge of achieving a triple crown and perfection, so that upon returning you could make the breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage, is that not correct?"

Jiuhua glared fiercely and snapped, "That is correct! But what does that have to do with the Confucian Sect being slaughtered within the Lesser Dao Arena? Stop trying to deflect and get to the point, Ge Qian!"

Inside, her fury was so intense it felt as though her three corpse spirits were leaping into the air in rage. The mere ant whom she could once have crushed with a single finger now dared to address her repeatedly as "Fellow Daoist." It was infuriating! If this were allowed to continue, where would her dignity be? This boy simply had to be eliminated.

Ge Qian smiled faintly and said, "Fellow Daoist Jiuhua, there is no need to lose your temper. Some misunderstanding exists between the two of us, and I merely had good fortune on my side. Surely you aren't jealous of me, are you?"

Trembling all over with suppressed rage and breathing heavily, Jiuhua stood speechless. Pozhan gave a dry cough and commanded, "Cut the nonsense and get to the point!"

"Senior Pozhan," Ge Qian continued calmly, "at the time, the expedition was led by Liu Xixi, an elite disciple of the Beast Taming Sect. Jealous of Fellow Daoist Jiuhua's soaring cultivation level, she intentionally slacked off and gathered fewer spiritual herbs, thereby ruining your triple crown and planting a heart demon within you that prevented you from breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage—or rather, cutting you off from the Nascent Soul realm for the rest of your life. I heard this with my own ears while hiding inside a secluded cave. It seems Sima Tu of the Confucian Sect also accidentally overheard Liu Xixi issuing these orders. Unfortunately for him, he lacked my good fortune and was discovered by Liu Xixi. Consequently, she spread the false rumor that Sima Tu had stolen the Psychic Fruit King and united the other three sects to slaughter every single cultivator of the Confucian Sect! I advise the Senior not to pursue this matter any further, lest the scandalous truth come to light and damage the reputation of the Beast Taming Sect." With these few succinct sentences, Ge Qian cemented the guilt upon the Beast Taming Sect.

Pozhan roared in anger, "Audacious Ge Qian! How dare you spout nonsense and slander my Beast Taming Sect? Do you believe I cannot strike you down right here and now?"

Jiuhua, however, knitted her brows. She recalled that Liu Xixi had been rising rapidly in prominence lately and had even caused trouble for her own subordinate, Wu Jiang. Liu Xixi was vicious in her methods, skilled in plotting, and seemed to hold no regard for her whatsoever. It was entirely plausible that she would commit such a malicious act to eliminate rivals.

Faced with Pozhan's wrath, Ge Qian smiled indifferently and said, "Senior Pozhan, there is no need to be annoyed. I am merely speaking the truth. Even if you were to summon all four other sects, I would say the same thing. Why not issue invitations and let everyone come to judge right from wrong?"

Pozhan's eyes rolled rapidly in their sockets. Had the High Priestess Qin Chuchu not been present, he would have raised his hand and killed this utterly exasperating brat on the spot.

If the boy's words were to spread, the Beast Taming Sect would forge an irreconcilable blood feud with the Confucian Sect. Moreover, Liu Xixi was currently deeply favored by the Sorcerer Ghost King and could not afford to be alienated.

Ultimately suppressing his fury, Pozhan said, "Ge Qian, remember what you have said. This must not be spread to others. You will simply declare that the people of the Confucian Sect provoked the resident pack of fierce beasts and were killed by them, and that it has nothing to do with the Beast Taming Sect or the other three sects."

Ge Qian assumed an expression of righteous dignity and retorted, "Would I not be lying then? Whenever I tell a lie, I lose my peace of mind and cannot eat or sleep, which severely impacts my cultivation!"

Pozhan produced a magic treasure rolling with demonic qi and declared, "I acquired this treasure by chance. Although it carries demonic qi, its power is astonishing. This Sorrowful Bell shall be given to you. Remember your words from just now and never speak of that matter again!"

Inwardly, however, he thought: Once this demonic treasure is refined, its wielder will be infected by its sorrowful aura, descending into madness amidst ceaseless grief until dying of melancholy.

With a sweep of his spiritual sense, Ge Qian felt the sword intent of sorrow residing within his dantian immediately stir and grow restless. He thought to himself, *Old fellow, this is precisely what your young master needs.*

He respectfully reached out, accepted the treasure, put it away, and said, "Thank you, Senior Pozhan. Now, what was it I was saying just now? How strange, I cannot seem to remember. Fellow Daoist Jiuhua, do you still recall?"

Jiuhua could no longer contain her fury. A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed from her lips as she hissed, "Don't be so smug, Ge Qian! Once you step outside the Heavenly Star Sect, let's see who protects you!"

Pozhan exchanged a glance with a short, stout early-stage Core Formation cultivator standing behind him.

The short and stout cultivator immediately caught the hint. Stepping forward, he respectfully addressed Qin Chuchu, "High Priestess, I have long heard that Ge Qian, the newly advanced cultivator of the Heavenly Star Sect, possesses exceptional strength. I, Niu Sanben, wish to test the profundity of the Heavenly Star Sect's arts."

Qin Chuchu was about to refuse, knowing full well that Niu Sanben had clearly been dispatched by Pozhan to deal with Ge Qian. Since Ge Qian had only recently made his breakthrough, he might still be unfamiliar with magical arts and combat.

However, Ge Qian spoke up before her, "High Priestess, I have recently gained new insights into a few minor spells. It would be fitting to spar with Fellow Daoist Niu. However, in battles of magical arts, injuries are inevitable. If Fellow Daoist Niu should accidentally be hurt, he cannot blame me; life and death are up to fate."

Noticing Ge Qian's confident demeanor and his deliberate high-profile attitude—which suggested he must have a purpose—Qin Chuchu replied, "Fellow Daoist Pozhan, you heard him. Ge Qian's attacks are ruthless; if your man is injured, our sect will not take responsibility. Likewise, if Ge Qian is injured, I will not intervene."

Pozhan laughed heartily and said, "Such spirit! Boy, let it be so. But I must remind you, once a person is dead, nothing remains; status and realm are mere floating clouds."

Ge Qian nodded and said, "If you have the guts, then bring it on. Why all the empty chatter? Fellow Daoist Niu, please."

With a swift movement of his body, he leaped into the center of the grand hall and stood proudly with his chest puffed out.

Niu Sanben was so angry his nose was practically crooked. Thinking to himself, *I will tear your chest open and rip out your guts,* he let out a howl like a wolf, tore through the air, and landed right opposite Ge Qian. "Ge Qian, I advise you to cripple your own magical power and kowtow in apology to save yourself from suffering. Perhaps I might spare your life then! Otherwise, I shall have no choice but to send you to the underworld!"