Chapter Sixty-Three: Three Moves to Decide Victory or Defeat

Seeing Ge Qian descend, Ye Feng glanced at him with a slight smile and said, “Actually, I’ve been waiting for you for quite some time. Ever since Junior Sister Yingxue started chasing after you, I have been here ahead of time. So, tell me, what exactly did you and Yingxue plot against Senior Sister Bai Ruyu? As long as you confess honestly and promise to stay out of this matter, I’ll let you go. Otherwise, I’m afraid you’ll have to spend a few months lying in bed, listening to the sound of waves in the 'Tide Pavilion'—the fastest place for updates.” His words were domineering and left no room for negotiation, clearly disregarding Ge Qian.

Ge Qian sneered inwardly. If the other pushed him too far, he didn’t mind killing and taking treasures; after all, every young master of a clan was worth a fortune. However, these people were extremely dangerous, each carrying precious artifacts, and unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn’t provoke them. But if someone dared to ride roughshod over him, he would make them swallow their arrogance.

Ge Qian smiled faintly, his brows furrowing as he replied in confusion, “Senior Brother, I don’t understand a word of what you’re saying. Senior Sister Yingxue only asked me to refine some pills to enhance cultivation. It has nothing to do with Senior Sister Bai. We are all fellow disciples—how could we plot against each other? Besides, with Senior Sister Bai’s strength, I wouldn’t dare bring trouble upon myself.”

Ye Feng’s face turned as cold as frost. He flexed his limbs and said icily, “Few people dare to play games with me now. You’re the first. Make your move—I’ll let you take three attacks.”

Ge Qian remained genial and said, “Senior Brother Ye, your reputation for fairness precedes you. Yet today, you use your strength to bully the weak, trying to force me to admit to something I haven’t done. How is that any different from the methods of the demonic path?”

“You, you—such sharp words. I simply lack evidence, but don’t think I’m ignorant of your schemes. Let me tell you honestly: I won’t let anyone hurt her, not even those who plot in secret. No one and nothing can replace her in my heart—not even if I have to become a demon. Hahaha!” He lifted his face to the sky and laughed, his emotions surging.

Ge Qian’s mind was awash with confusion. This man’s Dao heart was actually infatuation—such variations truly defied understanding. He sighed, saying, “Believe it or not, I have no ill intentions toward Senior Sister Bai.”

Ye Feng’s gaze shifted as he said, “Let’s make a bet. I wager you cannot withstand my three moves. If I win, you’ll reveal your plot. How about it?”

Ge Qian stroked his chin and asked, “And if you lose, what will you wager? Surely the bet shouldn’t only benefit you, or there’s no point in playing.”

Ye Feng sneered, “You’re amusing. Me, lose? That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard. But to make it more thrilling, I’ll wager ten thousand spirit stones.”

“Spirit stones aren’t rare. I can earn them by refining pills myself. Not interested,” Ge Qian shook his head.

Ye Feng’s expression darkened with anger. “A supreme-grade magical artifact—will that suffice?”

“We’re about to advance to the Foundation Establishment stage. Supreme-grade magical artifacts are already meaningless. Let’s make a bigger bet,” Ge Qian replied with a cold laugh.

Ye Feng was so enraged he nearly saw smoke coming from his seven apertures, wishing he could crush this arrogant youth into a pulp. Gritting his teeth, he spat out a yellow orb; runes flowed across its surface, powerful spiritual energy pulsed unpredictably, and it hovered lively in front of Ye Feng.

He shouted furiously, “This is a supreme-grade spiritual artifact, the Earth Spirit Pearl—a formidable defensive item that can also conceal one’s cultivation to confuse enemies. How about it?”

Ge Qian’s pupils contracted. Supreme-grade spiritual artifacts could only be wielded to their fullest by Foundation Establishment cultivators. Such artifacts possessed intelligence, moved fluidly in battle, and their power was immense. This was his first time seeing one, and his heart stirred with excitement. However, Ye Feng’s ability to offer such a wager only showed his immense confidence.

This matter was unlikely to end peacefully. Ye Feng’s strength surpassed those so-called perfection-stage cultivators, making him the ideal opponent to hone his own Dao arts. “Agreed—three moves, as promised?”

Ye Feng’s forceful aura surged. “Naturally. The first move: Earth Puppet Technique.”

He could hardly wait.

The ground shook, and a clay-colored puppet ten yards tall seemed to rise from the earth itself. It strode powerfully toward Ge Qian and swung a mighty fist down.

Ge Qian sensed the gale of force and shouted, “Excellent!”

He neither dodged nor evaded. His body’s shamanic power surged, his arms doubled in size—“Swimming Upstream,” “Going with the Flow,” “Waves Crashing on the Shore.”

The puppet’s giant fist collided with Ge Qian’s fleshly fist. Thunderous booms rang out; the earth puppet was pulverized by his fists and collapsed in a pile of dust.

Ye Feng was shocked. He had expected Ge Qian to use a supreme artifact, dodging and dancing around the puppet. The earth puppet possessed the strength of ten thousand pounds and was imbued with the earth’s spiritual essence, making it not only powerful but incredibly defensive. How could it be smashed to bits in three punches?

He formed another seal. Two more earth puppets erupted from beneath the ground, charging at Ge Qian.

Ye Feng’s expression grew grave. He had begun to regard Ge Qian as a true opponent. “You surprise me greatly. A body cultivator—you are worthy to face me. Next: Dual Puppet Technique.”

Unfazed, Ge Qian moved to meet one puppet head-on. He dodged nimbly and unleashed three punches, shattering the puppet. The other puppet attacked, but Ge Qian leaped, kicked off its head, and stomped it deep into the earth.

Two more puppets emerged, and Ge Qian battled them fiercely. One by one, the puppets were smashed, only to reappear. Yet as time passed, each new puppet was instantly destroyed. Ge Qian seemed an invincible war god, his strength growing ever greater.

Ye Feng kept summoning puppets, draining his magical power, but it was clear that more puppets were futile.

“Ge Qian, you’ve hidden your abilities well—body and magic cultivation combined. You’ve earned the right to face my second move. Among our sect’s Qi-gathering disciples, fewer than five could withstand this. You’re already capable of entering the top ten in the grand tournament. ‘Earth Mountain Slash!’”

Ye Feng faced Ge Qian with utmost seriousness, forming a complicated seal.

Two earth puppets clasped each other and rolled on the ground, transforming into a towering earth mountain ten yards tall, covered in dense runes. It was clearly no ordinary object. In a flash, it appeared above Ge Qian’s head and pressed down to crush him.

Ge Qian felt his whole body tighten, the pressure intensifying. If he resisted directly, he would surely be injured. He formed a seal with one hand and smiled slightly at Ye Feng.

Suddenly, Ge Qian and Ye Feng switched places at incredible speed, catching Ye Feng off guard.

Ye Feng was terrified—how could this be? What kind of technique was that? Fortunately, he had practiced “Earth Mountain Slash” tens of thousands of times and could control it at will, so he hurriedly withdrew his power.

Ge Qian leapt to the mountain’s peak, striking a “Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg” pose as the massive mountain came crashing down.