Chapter 171 - 171
Chapter 171: Effortlessly Crushing Gu Tiansheng, Feng Qingyu's Bold Conjecture
After Feng Qingyu was one-sidedly tormented by Luo Qianxue for nearly six full hours, Luo Qianxue had finally grown bored.
She slapped Feng Qingyu unconscious, then turned and left with an expression of utter disinterest.
The victor had been decided — Luo Qianxue.
Seeing that the match was over, Gu Tiansheng rushed into the arena.
One look at the indifference on Luo Qianxue's face sent fury blazing through him.
"You're asking for death!"
The moment those words left his mouth, Gu Tiansheng shot toward Luo Qianxue and hurled a punch at her.
"You're the one asking for death."
Luo Qianxue's brow furrowed slightly. Countering after his strike, she thrust out a palm and sent Gu Tiansheng flying.
The instant he was sent flying, it wasn't only Gu Tiansheng who was stunned — Ren Tianfeng and the others were equally shocked.
"What?! You're a Saint Emperor too?!"
Gu Tiansheng regained his composure, his expression turning impossibly ugly.
He had originally assumed that aside from himself, only Lu Xiaoyao and Lu Qingyun were Saint Emperors in this Tiansheng Grand Tournament. He never expected Luo Qianxue to be one as well.
Then, as something clicked in his mind, he stared at Luo Qianxue in disbelief.
"You were the mysterious cultivator who broke through to the Saint Emperor Realm in the Tiannan Secret Realm!"
"So what if I was? Get out of my way."
Luo Qianxue's expression remained calm. Without sparing Gu Tiansheng another glance, she turned and left the arena.
Gu Tiansheng lay on the ground, his expression dark and venomous, but ultimately he didn't dare make another move against her.
If she could swat him away with a single palm strike, Luo Qianxue had to be at least at the Mid Saint Emperor Realm. Picking a fight would only result in him losing face.
Right now, comforting Qingyu was far more important.
With that thought, Gu Tiansheng scrambled to his feet and hurried to Feng Qingyu's side.
"Qingyu, are you alright?"
He examined Feng Qingyu's condition and discovered that she had merely been knocked unconscious, which finally let him breathe a sigh of relief.
But the moment he saw how horrifically red and swollen her cheeks were, his killing intent toward Luo Qianxue intensified.
"Just you wait. So you've been cultivating a little longer than me — give me another century, and your death will be a certainty!"
Outside the arena, Luo Qianxue spotted Lu Xiaoyao and Lu Qingyun.
"So, how was it? You two aren't mad at Sister Qianxue, are you?"
Luo Qianxue looked at them and asked.
The two gently shook their heads.
"We'd never be mad at you, Sister Qianxue. We already said — as long as you didn't kill her, anything goes."
Seeing that they understood, Luo Qianxue finally let out a breath of relief. She had genuinely worried the two might resent her for it.
"In that case, get yourselves ready. We might end up facing each other next, and you'd better not use it as an excuse to settle personal grudges."
Luo Qianxue changed the subject with a smile.
After all, some time had already passed since the Tiansheng Grand Tournament began, and people were being eliminated every day.
It wouldn't be long before it was their turn to face one another.
And out of respect for them, Luo Qianxue would not hold back.
"Don't you worry, Sister Qianxue — the champion's title in this Tiansheng Grand Tournament is mine!" Lu Xiaoyao's fighting spirit surged the moment the tournament was mentioned.
"Then let our skills do the talking."
Lu Qingyun refused to be outdone.
After all, they were all at the Peak of the Saint Emperor Realm now. If everyone pulled out all their trump cards, there was no telling who would come out on top.
Meanwhile, after Gu Tiansheng carried Feng Qingyu away, she regained consciousness fairly quickly — Luo Qianxue hadn't struck to kill, after all.
The moment she awoke, Feng Qingyu's eyes blazed with hatred.
"I want her dead! I will see her dead!"
She had been humiliated by Luo Qianxue twice now, and this time it had happened in front of a crowd, with Luo Qianxue slapping her face over and over again. If she could stomach that, then what was the point of all her years of cultivation?
"Qingyu, calm down. Luo Qianxue is a Saint Emperor too."
Gu Tiansheng's brow was heavy as he spoke.
Those words hit like a bucket of cold water, instantly dousing Feng Qingyu's fury.
A Saint Emperor... Perhaps it was best to let this slide for now and settle the score once she grew stronger.
Before long, Feng Qingyu recalled what Luo Qianxue had said before striking, and she couldn't help furrowing her brow in thought.
Who exactly had Luo Qianxue been talking about?
Suddenly, a flash of insight cut through her mind, and everything from the past came together.
That time at Myriad Dao Academy when she went to find Fu Qitian and Luo Qianxue had deliberately targeted her — combined with Luo Qianxue's claim this time that she had hurt someone's heart.
"Could it be... she was talking about Lu Xunxian?"
"No, that's impossible. Lu Xunxian is just an ordinary person — how could he possibly know someone like Luo Qianxue?"
"But then again, what if? Both of my children turned out to be the Holy Son and Holy Maiden of those two great Sacred Lands. What if, through some twist of fate, he got to know Luo Qianxue?"
The more Feng Qingyu thought about it, the more terrified she became. All of a sudden, it seemed as though things had spiraled far beyond her control.
With that thought, Feng Qingyu shot to her feet, intent on finding Luo Qianxue and demanding answers.
But Gu Tiansheng stopped her.
"Qingyu, don't worry. I swear I'll avenge you — twenty years. Within twenty years, I'll have your revenge!"
Gu Tiansheng's tone was deadly serious as he made his promise.
It had taken him just over twenty years to reach the Saint Emperor Realm. He refused to believe he couldn't reach the Peak of the Saint Emperor Realm within another twenty.
The day he broke through to the Peak of the Saint Emperor Realm would be the day Luo Qianxue died.
"Alright. But right now I'd like to be alone for a while. You should go prepare for the next round, Holy Son."
Feng Qingyu seemed somewhat distracted, but Gu Tiansheng didn't notice.
Once he left, Feng Qingyu hurried off without delay. She needed to find Luo Qianxue and get a straight answer.
On Luo Qianxue's end, after parting ways with Lu Xiaoyao and Lu Qingyun, she went to Lu Xunxian, worry gnawing at her.
"Xunxian, I beat Feng Qingyu up pretty badly today. You're not going to blame me for it, are you?"
After speaking, Luo Qianxue lowered her head, unable to meet Lu Xunxian's eyes.
After all, no matter what, Feng Qingyu was still Lu Xunxian's Dao Companion — or rather, his former wife. What if he still had lingering feelings for her?
Seeing Luo Qianxue's guilty demeanor, Lu Xunxian couldn't help but smile.
"What would I blame you for? It's perfectly normal. Getting hurt in a match happens all the time."
"But no matter what, she's still your..."
Luo Qianxue raised her head abruptly, but the final two words wouldn't come.
Lu Xunxian shook his head, his back turned to her, a tinge of wistfulness in his voice.
"She and I are long finished. Her parents may have raised me, and I'm grateful for that, but I won't sacrifice my own happiness for an obligation."
"Their kindness earns her a guarantee that I won't let her die. Beyond that, the rest is up to fate."
Hearing this, Luo Qianxue finally relaxed. She had been so afraid he would blame her for it.
After he finished speaking, the air between them fell silent.
"Then... what I said before — have you thought it over?"