I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense

Chapter 1021: Chapter 1022: Stubbornness and Headaches
 

Li Quzhuo held his longsword with extreme confidence. The Immortal Ranking represented the strongest combat power of the Heavenly Immortal Realm, and as long as one could make it onto the list, they could be counted among the top hundred in the Heavenly Immortal Realm. This level of cultivation was not something ordinary cultivators of the same rank could compare with.

“Big brother, there’s really no need for this. Why don’t we go to the Sect Master Hall and see the Sect Master first?”

Li Xiaobai seemed rather helpless. Being the ninety-ninth was akin to being nothing more than a weakling, yet the other party felt so good about himself; it was somewhat heartbreaking to burst that beautiful bubble.

After all, the person in question was the eldest disciple, returning to the sect after three years. If he was to be suppressed right off the bat, it wouldn’t be right, either morally or emotionally. It’s best not to fight if it can be avoided.

“What, you want to use our master to pressure me?”

“It’s useless. As the eldest disciple of the Sword Sect, I wield considerable power within the sect. Today, I will act first and report later to suppress you, you wretch!” Li Quzhuo pointed his longsword toward Li Xiaobai and said indifferently.

“Disciple Li Quzhuo challenges Second Peak’s Peak Master Li Xiaobai, requesting to open the Starry Sky Battlefield!”

Whoosh!

No sooner had the words fallen than an invisible energy fluctuation descended from the void, carving out a vast space with countless stars above the Second Peak. Inside it, the Milky Way swirled, boundless and immense, with a gigantic Starry Sky Arena slowly emerging. Simultaneously, Li Xiaobai and Li Quzhuo vanished, only to reappear inside that spherical space.

“The Starry Sky Battlefield has been opened. I didn’t expect our eldest brother to be a famed expert on the ranking as well. With this, our Sword Sect now has two experts on the Immortal Ranking!”

A disciple involuntarily exclaimed upon witnessing this scene, but it didn’t evoke much of a reaction.

Most Sect Disciples were at that moment watching the Starry Sky Battlefield with complex expressions, fixated on the shabbily-dressed young swordsman inside. They had all heard his words: ninety-ninth on the Immortal Ranking.

In the past, such a ranking would have undoubtedly evoked their envy and resentment. But times had changed; under Li Xiaobai’s guidance, not only had their minds and strength improved greatly, but their horizons had broadened as well.

They knew that their new Sect Master Li had defeated Shen Dao of the Blade Sect, who ranked fiftieth on the ranking, utterly overpowering Li Quzhuo—someone the mere ninety-ninth place could hardly withstand.

It seemed our eldest disciple brother was in for a tough time.

“How long do you think the eldest brother can hold on?” a cultivator asked.

“I guess three breaths.”

“Considering he’s the eldest brother, I believe Brother Li will give him enough face. I say ten breaths!”

“Being suppressed right after returning, the eldest brother really has it rough.”

The disciples whispered among themselves. To them, this once prestigious and imposing brother remained distinguished; it’s just a pity he encountered a monster who was completely above such distinction, Li Xiaobai. Especially those Sect Disciples who had remained on the Second Peak and witnessed its rise, influenced by Xu Yuan, came to see Li Xiaobai as their spiritual pillar.

How could such a person be defeated? Deep inside, they had already kicked Li Quzhuo out of his spot in their hearts.

In the void, within the Starry Sky Battlefield, Li Xiaobai faced Li Quzhuo from afar.

“Never seen this before, have you? This is called the Starry Sky Battlefield, a special privilege of those listed on the Immortal Ranking. In this world, unaffected by any external forces, the battlefield only disappears after one side is thoroughly defeated or surrenders. If you’re thinking of running away, you might as well discard that thought now.”

“On this Starry Sky Arena, I’ve defeated many cultivators and I’ve been defeated by many as well. Many ferocious battles were fought with blood and bone, climbing to this position. To exchange blows with a veteran of a hundred battles and lose is also an honor!”

Li Quzhuo spoke indifferently, his eyes brimming with confidence. After initiating the Starry Sky Battlefield, he wasn’t worried about his opponent fleeing, nor was he concerned about others interfering.

He wanted to crush his opponent fair and square in this world, in front of all the Sword Sect disciples, to expose the guy’s true colors and reclaim his prestige as the eldest disciple of the Sword Sect.

“Brother, there’s really no need.”

“I don’t want to suppress you, just come with me to the Sect Master Hall.”

Li Xiaobai spread his hands, looking somewhat helpless as he spoke, the eldest disciple seemed to have a bit of tunnel vision.

“Scum!”

“Utter nonsense!”

“You suppress me? That’s the biggest joke ever, I know your physical strength has a major issue, but you don’t think you can just rely on a strong physique to block my attacks, do you?”

“Physical strength can only parry Sword Qi, but Sword Intent is the embodiment of willpower, capable of directly slicing through one’s Divine Soul. Can you defend against such a spiritual impact?”

Li Quzhuo was livid, his eyes bulging as he thunderously called out.

“Azure Mountain Sword Intent!”

“Buzz buzz buzz!”

The weapon in Li Quzhuo’s hand was a broad-backed longsword, seeming very hefty, with an air of ‘a heavy sword without edge must be cleverly crafted,’ and a mountain range seemed to sit and submit above his head, emitting a weighty Sword Intent.

This was a special kind of Sword Intent, neither sharp and fully revealed nor bristling with killing intent. A sword was a weapon for attack, the king of all arms, but the Sword Intent comprehended by Li Quzhuo was that of a mountain, leaning more toward defense and quite peculiar.

As the Sword Intent erupted, a giant azure mountain hung high and loomed, thundering down.

Before the Sword Intent even arrived, an intense force of gravity fell first upon Li Xiaobai, this is the Azure Mountain Sword Intent, capable of generating mountain-like substantial pressure to crush people to death, smashing them into pulp, a very domineering Sword Intent.

At the same time, the mountains born from this Sword Intent were tough and thick, enough to serve as a defensive Magic Treasure to resist most attacks, a kind of Sword Intent that combined offense and defense.

[Attribute Points +1,500,000…]

[Attribute Points +1,500,000…]

[Attribute Points +1,500,000…]

Attribute Points soared, and the void where Li Xiaobai stood began to distort and warp under the immense pressure, but with the System Defense in place, even the Heavenly Immortal Realm couldn’t harm him in the slightest.

“This move is very good, certainly not bad among those in the Heavenly Immortal Realm.”

Li Xiaobai, with hands clasped behind his back, nodded repeatedly, showing a trace of admiration in his eyes as he spoke like someone instructing a junior cultivator.

“He’s still taking it on with just his physical body!”

“What cultivation level is he at?”

A shiver ran through Li Quzhuo’s heart. To resist his Sword Intent with one’s body, even cultivators of the Sea Clan known for their physical prowess couldn’t be so reckless. Yet this young man in front of him actually did so, unharmed, which was frightening indeed.

Who exactly is this guy, and where did he come from?

“Haven’t you realized yet? The power disparity between us is like a chasm. It’s not so easy to be a Peak Master.”

Li Xiaobai gestured with his hand: “Indeed, you are the eldest disciple of the Sword Sect, but accept it or not, I have already become the Peak Master of Second Peak of the Sword Sect. In just a few short months, I’ve led the Sword Sect towards prosperity and even stabilized our position as the number one sect on the Eastern Continent.”

“On the surface, our ages are not so different, but the difference in seniority is day and night. I won’t bully you, so how about this, I will only strike once. If you can withstand it, I will immediately relinquish the position of Peak Master and hand over Second Peak to you with both hands, how about that?”