Chapter 889: Zhang Kuanglie's evil move!

Li Yun was eager to start cultivating the Myriad Sword Spirit Command Art, but he had no intention of ignoring a message from Feng Xuan. He took out the Echo Transmission Stone right away. Just as he was about to speak, however, his expression suddenly changed.

“Li Yun, Brother Li, how did you do in the Chronospace Vault?”

The voice coming from the stone was familiar, but it did not belong to Feng Xuan. It was Zhang Kuanglie’s, and it was full of obvious mockery and amusement, as if he were deliberately enjoying Li Yun’s reaction.

Li Yun’s face darkened at once.

“Zhang Kuanglie, why are you using Brother Feng’s transmission stone? Where is he?”

“You mean Feng Xuan?” Zhang Kuanglie laughed loudly. “That fellow is under my foot right now. In case you’re wondering, we’re standing right in front of the Everlasting Pagoda, and several hundred cultivators are watching.”

His laughter grew more and more arrogant. “Li Yun, if you really think of Feng Xuan as your friend, get over here right now. Otherwise, I can’t promise what kind of humiliation he might have to suffer.”

Li Yun’s eyes turned cold.

“Zhang Kuanglie, wait for me. I’m coming now.”

He cut off the transmission at once, and a chilling aura spread from his body. Having failed to threaten him directly, Zhang Kuanglie had turned around and gone after Feng Xuan instead. Using someone who had nothing to do with their dispute as leverage was both shameless and despicable.

Li Yun had lost all interest in starting on the Myriad Sword Spirit Command Art for the moment. He left the Chronospace Vault and headed straight for the Everlasting Pagoda.

…

A large crowd had already gathered outside the Everlasting Pagoda. Zhang Kuanglie stood in the middle of it with one foot on the ground and the other pressing Feng Xuan down.

Five cultivators stood beside him. One was enormously fat, another was painfully thin, and several had narrow eyes and unpleasant expressions. None of them looked particularly trustworthy, and their appearance matched their reputation.

All five were notorious troublemakers on Chronospace Island. They often worked with Zhang Kuanglie and had caused trouble for countless cultivators over the years, so most people avoided them whenever they could.

Several hundred cultivators were standing nearby. Many of them looked at Feng Xuan with sympathy, yet nobody stepped forward.

“What terrible luck. Feng Xuan somehow got dragged into Zhang Kuanglie’s dispute.”

“Once people like Zhang Kuanglie latch onto you, getting rid of them is a huge headache.”

Another cultivator sighed. “I heard Zhang Kuanglie wanted Li Yun’s Everlasting Trial Token, and Li Yun turned him down. So Zhang Kuanglie went after Feng Xuan because he’s close to Li Yun. Feng Xuan really got hit by disaster for no reason at all.”

Several people shook their heads. Many cultivators hated Zhang Kuanglie and his companions, but unfortunately, the group was far from weak and ranked among the stronger cultivators living on Chronospace Island.

Even though true death was impossible here, public humiliation could still destroy a person’s dignity, and few people wanted to risk becoming Zhang Kuanglie’s next target. So even though they felt sorry for Feng Xuan, nobody interfered.

“Brother Zhang,” said the shifty-eyed cultivator beside him, glancing around, “do you really think this will work? Will Li Yun actually come just for Feng Xuan?”

“He will,” Zhang Kuanglie answered without hesitation. “Feng Xuan is suffering because of him. If Li Yun doesn’t show up, everyone here will know he abandoned a friend to protect himself, and his reputation will be ruined.”

He smiled confidently. “Besides, young geniuses are usually arrogant and care a great deal about their pride. Even if he doesn’t come for Feng Xuan, he’ll come for himself.”

The shifty-eyed man nodded at once. “You’re right, Brother Zhang.”

Just then, a commotion broke out in the crowd.

“Li Yun is here.”

“He actually came.”

“He really has guts.”

The cultivators quickly moved aside and opened a path, and Li Yun walked through it.

“Li Yun…” Feng Xuan’s expression grew complicated. Part of him naturally felt resentful, since he had been dragged into this conflict because of Li Yun, and Zhang Kuanglie would never have targeted him otherwise.

Even so, seeing Li Yun actually show up moved him. At least Li Yun had not abandoned him.

“Brother Li!” Zhang Kuanglie laughed loudly. “You really are loyal.”

He kicked Feng Xuan aside. “Good. You didn’t disappoint me.”

Li Yun’s expression stayed cold. “Enough nonsense. You forced me to come here, so what exactly do you want?”

“Why so impatient?” Zhang Kuanglie said with a smile. “I just want to make a wager with you.” He looked Li Yun up and down. “You passed the first floor of the Everlasting Pagoda on your very first try. I truly admire talent like that, so I want to experience it for myself.”

His smile widened. “Of course, I’m not going to bully you. I’ll suppress my cultivation to the 1st level of Spirit Manifestation Realm.”

The crowd went quiet at once, and Zhang Kuanglie continued.

“If I win, then the next time you get an Everlasting Trial Token that lets you into the Chronospace Vault, you have to give it to me. If you win, I’ll never bother you again, and whenever I see you in the future, I’ll make a point of staying out of your way.”

He looked extremely pleased with himself. “How about it? That isn’t an unreasonable request, is it?”

The same thought came to almost everyone’s mind, and that thought was how shameless he was.

Zhang Kuanglie was a powerful Dao Resonance Realm cultivator. Even if he suppressed his cultivation to Li Yun’s level, his experience would not disappear. His comprehension, his combat instincts, and his understanding of laws and techniques would all remain.

Someone who had truly reached the Dao Resonance Realm was fundamentally different from an ordinary cultivator at the 1st level of Spirit Manifestation Realm. Even with his realm suppressed, Zhang Kuanglie could easily kill most cultivators at the same nominal level, and he could probably fight people several minor levels above him. Yet he was pretending that the battle would be fair.