Chapter 122 How could you slap me in the face by complaining?

As the thunderous roar subsided, Bai stood alone in the center of the arena.

"Bai Ye wins in the Wilderness State!" The referee elder's voice resounded throughout the arena, announcing the end of the battle.

"Yay, we won again!" Cheers erupted from the cultivators of the Wilderness State below the stage, their faces filled with excitement and pride.

Bai waved to them and pointed to the next arena, saying, "Go over there and watch the fight."

She flashed and went straight to the next arena. The crowd that had been surrounding this arena also rushed to the next one. It would be a loss to miss a fight of this caliber.

The battles on the other four arenas are still raging, and there are no truly weaklings among those who make it into the top ten.

At this point, no one will hold back anymore; everyone should use whatever skills they have. After all, if they keep hiding their abilities, they might be hiding them for another hundred years.

Bai also looked at the arena ahead, where Bai Qingji was fighting against the illusionary genius Su Lan. It seemed that Bai Qingji had fallen into an illusion, and she was using her long sword to fight against thin air.

However, the Bai family's Imperial Blood Domain was indeed domineering. Even when trapped in the illusion, Bai Qingji's domain still protected her tightly, and Su Lan couldn't do anything to her for the time being.

Bai glanced at them a few times and then stopped looking. Of the ten people, Su Lan was the least threatening to her. As for Bai Qingji, she could even handle her own mother, let alone Bai Qingji.

She flashed to another arena, which was surrounded by disciples of the Sanqing Sect. The round-faced little girl she had seen before was among them, and a composed older female cultivator stood beside her.

The little girl's face fell as soon as she saw her, and she muttered under her breath, "Wang Baiye, you're lucky you didn't run into my senior sister, otherwise you would have been in real trouble."

Upon hearing this, Bai chuckled and looked at them, deliberately baring his teeth. "When it comes to fighting, it's always best to do it yourself. Why don't you come up on stage and teach me a lesson?"

"Hmph, I'm still young!" The little girl pouted angrily, like an inflated pufferfish. "When I grow up a bit more, I'll definitely beat you to a pulp."

"Don't be rude!" Xiao Zizai pressed down on the little girl's shoulder and pulled her behind her. She looked at Bai Ye with a slight apology, "Fellow Daoist Bai, please forgive this child. We have spoiled her and she speaks without thinking."

Bai waved his hand dismissively, "It's fine. Teenagers are all like this. The more you try to control her, the more she'll cause trouble."

"Hmph hmph hmph!" The little girl hid behind Xiao Zizai, grunting like a little pig, it was unclear who she was angry with.

Bai also mimicked her and hummed a few times, which made the little girl even angrier.

On the arena, Ming Wushuang and Ye Rugo clashed. It must be admitted that Ming Wushuang, hailed as the number one genius of the Nine Provinces, was indeed terrifyingly strong.

Every gesture she made seemed to resonate with the Dao. Whatever technique she used, its power was terrifying.

Even the most basic fireball spell is a hundred times more powerful in her hands. What an ordinary cultivator would simply produce is a fireball, but when she uses it, the fireball contains the laws of heaven, and when it explodes, it is comparable to an asteroid explosion, with terrifying power.

Ye Rugo was being overwhelmed and was on the verge of losing.

"Is this the innate affinity for the Great Dao inherent in the Immortal Spirit Body?" Bai murmured to himself, "Truly terrifying!"

"Hmph, now you're scared, huh? When my senior sister Ming faces you, she'll definitely beat you to a pulp." The little girl leaned close to Bai Ye's ear again, whispering like a chattering little sparrow.

Bai glanced down at her, somewhat amused, "Why do you have to beat me up?"

"Because...because..." The little girl was speechless for a moment. She tilted her head and thought for a moment. Isn't the point of a ring match to win against your opponent? What reason do you need?

After brainstorming for a while, she sorted out her thoughts and said confidently, "Because our Sanqing Sect wants to be number one, and to be number one, we will definitely crush you."

“But your Sanqing Sect has won first place for many consecutive years. Shouldn’t the first place be rotated among different people? That would be fair,” Bai retorted.

"Huh?" The little girl was clearly stumped, her mouth agape as she stood there, stunned.

Xiao Zizai listened to their conversation and saw her junior sister looking completely bewildered. She watched with amusement but didn't interrupt. This little girl came from the Sanqing Sect, protected by her closest relatives and pampered by countless senior sisters. She was too naive and didn't know the dangers of the world.

"Think about it, the Three Pure Ones Sect is rich in spiritual energy, with spiritual herbs and medicines everywhere. Cultivators here can advance their cultivation by leaps and bounds. But what about our Desolate State? To find a decent spiritual herb, we have to search the entire desolate mountain. Tell me, aren't the cultivators in the Desolate State pitiful?"

"Poor thing." The little girl was clearly persuaded, her face full of sympathy.

Bai continued to bluff, "Then tell me, should I win first place? If I don't win first place, will the Wilderness State never have enough resources, and will the cultivators there be unable to cultivate?"

"But...but we are the number one sect! How can the number one sect not be number one?" the little girl said, somewhat troubled.

"Silly girl." Bai lowered his voice, beginning to solemnly slip in his personal opinion, "The reason the Sanqing Sect became the number one sect is because it teaches without discrimination, and even more so because your Sect Master Zhong possesses genius, great love, and selflessness. She is beautiful inside and out, gentle as water, and as beautiful as a celestial being..."

"Cough cough~"

A slightly annoyed voice rang in Bai Ye's mind. Even though it was just a cough, she could recognize it as her wife's voice.

Bai also looked up and met Zhong Jiuli's gaze from the high platform. She asked with her eyes, "What's wrong?"

Zhong Jiuli transmitted her voice, "What nonsense are you spouting to her?"

She replied telepathically, "I'm trying to brainwash her. Her thinking is wrong. How can she keep carrying the burden of being the best in the world while cultivating? It's very hard to always strive to be number one."

"Stop talking nonsense and disturbing her Dao heart. If you anger her grandmother and she comes to teach you a lesson, I won't be able to stop her," Zhong Jiuli warned her.

"Who is her grandmother? Is she very powerful? I also have a great-grandmother."

“Of course she is powerful. There is a secret place in the Sanqing Sect called Tianjing Lake, and her grandmother was the one who guarded the lake.”

"What does that have to do with me?" Bai asked, puzzled.

"Tianjing Lake has always been open only to the top ten in the Nine Provinces Grand Competition. Now that you are qualified to enter, do you have any connection with the grudge you've formed with the lake-guarding elder's granddaughter?"

"Oh~~~~" Bai Ye replied telepathically, as if suddenly realizing something, "You think I'll be treated unfairly after I go in?"

"Watch your words!" Zhong Jiuli said with a sigh. "How could the elders of my Sanqing Sect be such narrow-minded people?"

"Okay, okay, I was narrow-minded, I was petty. But could you please stop secretly watching me next time? I have no secrets from you." Bai changed the subject.

Zhong Jiuli's eyes narrowed slightly, and her voice turned cold, "What secret do you want?"

Bai Ye knew immediately that his wife was angry again, and she quickly shook her head: "No, I don't want secrets."

"Hmph, you're smart enough to know what's good for you!" Zhong Jiuli snorted arrogantly, then looked away and ignored her.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you shaking your head and swaying to yourself here all by yourself?" The little girl next to her curiously leaned closer, staring at her with her big, round eyes.

Just now, Bai Ye stopped halfway through his sentence and then stood there shaking his head and nodding, as if he had been stunned.

The little girl said with a hint of realization, "I know, you're captivated by our sect leader, aren't you?"

Bai also looked away and pushed away the head that was close to him. "Go away, little brat, don't think about these adult things all day long."

She looked up at the arena, originally wanting to see Ming Wushuang make a few more moves, but in the time it took to chat for a few minutes, she had already finished her fight and was walking off the stage with a calm expression.

Bai had no choice but to leave the crowd and turn to another arena. It must be said that the battle between Shi Manman and Bei Qianxue was definitely the most intense and hardcore of all the duels.

On the arena, sword light and fist shadows collided continuously, with explosions echoing constantly. The terrifying force caused the surrounding space to tremble and distort. If it weren't for the protective array on the arena, the entire Sword Debate Peak would probably have been destroyed by these two.

They were all the kind of fighters who only attacked and never defended. Their punches and swords clashed, and they never gave an inch. Bai was thrilled and mesmerized watching them.

The duel between the two lasted all night, until dawn before a winner was decided.

In the end, Shi Manman prevailed due to her strong physique, withstanding Bei Qianxue's fatal sword strike head-on and knocking her opponent off the stage with a devastating punch, thus advancing in a thrilling fashion.

Bei Qianxue fell into the loser's bracket and faced off against the other prodigies again. Fortunately, they had an hour to rest, allowing them to meditate, regulate their breathing, recover their spiritual energy, or take some pills to heal their injuries.

An hour later, the lottery tube spun again, and the five losers began their draw. After a day of fierce competition, the three winners emerged victorious and advanced to the next round.

The remaining eight prodigies began a new round of draws for their matches. This time, Bai Ye's opponent was none other than her newly made friend, Shi Manman.

The two stood on the stage. Bai looked at Shi Manman, who was more than a head taller than her, and said with a smile, "Little Manman, when I hit someone, it hurts a lot. If it hurts later, don't cry."

"Hmph, with your skinny arms and legs, I hope you won't be lying on the ring groaning when I punch you later." Shi Manman also said in a gruff voice.

But she was genuinely kind of simple-minded and cute. Even when she tried to make a fierce expression, her big, bell-like eyes still revealed a touch of innocence. Far from being intimidating, they were rather endearing.

Bai was also amused and nodded repeatedly, "Alright, alright, let's see whose fist is stronger."

"Come on then!" Shi Manman roared, her voice booming so loudly it hurt people's eardrums.

Bai Ye clenched her fists and lightly tapped her feet, creating spiderweb-like cracks on the solid arena with her stomp. Using this force, she tore through the void like a sharp sword and rushed straight towards Shi Manman.

Shi Manman exerted force with both legs, her body as solid as a rock, rooted to the ring, and at the same time clenched her iron fist to meet the attack.

Two fists, one large and one small, collided in mid-air.

"Bang!"

Like two planets colliding, a deafening explosion resounded through the sky, and the violent shockwave shattered the arena's protective array.

With a single blow, Shi Manman was forced back several steps, her heavy footsteps making a thud, each step leaving a deep imprint on the arena, demonstrating the immense power she possessed.

Bai Ye's figure tumbled several times in mid-air before landing steadily. His robes fluttered in the strong airflow, and his silver hair flew in the wind.

Shi Manman shook her hand, her finger bones throbbing with pain. She looked at Bai Ye with surprise. Only after the two of them clashed could she truly feel how terrifying her friend's physical body was.

Beneath that slender and tall frame lay divine power that was in no way inferior to hers.

"How was it?" Bai asked with a smile.

"Again!" Shi Manman roared, choosing to take the initiative to attack.

With heavy steps, the phantom of a raging bull reappeared behind her, charging towards Bai Ye like a mad bull.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The two exchanged blows, fist to fist. Each punch shattered the protective array, and the raging energy swept towards the stands.

Liu Xianyue rolled her eyes helplessly, then flew down to personally stabilize the formation, lest these two savage bulls destroy the arena. These were all the property of her Wanxiang Pavilion; those two little brats didn't know the value of money when they weren't in charge.

Bai Ye and Shi Manman were like two wild and ferocious beasts, fighting to the death on this arena with their physical strength. Every part of their bodies was a means of attack.

"Goodness! That's a really hard punch!" Shi Manman threw another punch, which Bai Ye caught steadily.

She sighed in a deep voice, "Sister really misjudged you before. I thought you were so frail and weak."

Bai parried her iron fist, then spun around and delivered a sweeping kick to Shi Manman's thick waist, sending her staggering back several steps. As the two created some distance between them, she grinned and asked, "So, what about now? Do you still need nutritional supplements?"

"Replenish, we must replenish!" Shi Manman's eyes flashed with a burning light. "If you can temper your body to this extent without our clan's secret techniques, if you add the nourishing secret techniques of food, you might really grow into a humanoid weapon."

"Aren't you afraid that you won't be able to beat me?" Bai Ye punched her again, sending her staggering back dozens of steps.

Shi Manman, panting heavily, said, "You bastard, don't think I didn't see it. I can't beat you right now. You're a real freak. You're so skinny, but you're so strong."

She caught Bai Ye's heavy punch, which caused her hand bones to shatter, the sound of cracking bones clearly audible.

Shi Manman seemed oblivious to the pain, instead laughing loudly, "Damn it! I can't even imagine what you'll become after you use my clan's secret dietary supplement method. At that time, you'll probably sweep away the younger generation of the Nine Provinces all by yourself!"

"Then thank you in advance, Xiao Manman." Bai also thanked her with a smile, showing no mercy and throwing punches faster and faster. She delivered a fierce elbow strike to Shi Manman's chest.

"Pfft!!" Shi Manman coughed up a mouthful of blood, staggering back dozens of feet before regaining her balance. She raised her hand and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, rolling her eyes with a wry smile.

"Hey, you little brat, no wonder your mother twisted your ear. How can you be like this? You thank her on the one hand, but you hit her so hard!"

The two fought fiercely, and their conversation was equally lively. From the moment they stepped onto the stage, they chatted like old friends.

Listening to their conversation, onlookers might think they were close friends catching up, but if they looked at the arena, they would see that it was not a friendly reunion at all, but rather two ferocious humanoid beasts attacking each other.

Each of those iron fists carried the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, and each kick seemed designed to smash the opponent's skull.

The sounds of bones cracking and screams of agony echoed from the arena. Most of these screams came from Shi Manman; despite her strong physique, she couldn't withstand Bai Ye's punches.

In the end, almost all of Shi Manman's bones were broken, and she collapsed on the stage, too weak to get up.

Bai stood beside her, both her fists bleeding, some from Shi Manman and some from herself. She was panting heavily, looking down at the motionless Shi Manman, "How are you? Do you still have the strength to fight? I can wait for you to catch your breath."

Shi Manman shook her head with difficulty, spat out a bloody tooth, and squinted her eyes, saying, "I'm not hitting you anymore, you little brat. I'm going to tell your mother. How can you hit my face like that?"

"Haha, it's like you didn't slap me in the face." Bai Ye pointed to his bruised eyes and said, "Look, you've bruised them all over. My wife will be heartbroken to see this."

"Hmph!" Shi Manman groaned, then lost the strength to speak and fainted.

The elder referee on the arena then announced Bai Ye's victory. Bai Ye didn't rush off the stage, but instead summoned Little Green Tree to treat Shi Manman's injuries.

On the other side of the arena, Ming Wushuang also easily defeated his opponent with an overwhelming advantage, advancing to the next round with ease.

At this point in the battle, the situation is gradually becoming clear.

Almost all the top talents have already fought each other, and everyone present has already made a judgment on who is stronger and who is weaker.

The strongest contender in this year's Kyushu Grand Competition is, without a doubt, the peerless genius who has long been famous throughout Kyushu, the chief disciple of the Sanqing Sect, Ming Wushuang.

From the very beginning of her tournament career, she has always been composed and unhurried in every battle, regardless of who her opponent is. It seems to make no difference to her. Every victory she has won has been achieved with nonchalance, as if she has never used her full strength.

On the other hand, Bai Ye, who suddenly appeared and attracted much attention, had an equally impressive record, but compared with Ming Wushuang's profound and dignified demeanor, he was ultimately inferior.

For a time, everyone on and off Sword Debate Peak, as well as in the major cities of the Nine Provinces, was shouting Ming Wushuang's name, their voices shaking the heavens, as if they were prematurely crowning the new king of the Nine Provinces.

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Author's Note: Thank you everyone for the nutrient solution, landmines, and moonstones! I received so many moonstones, I'm so happy. Last year, when I first signed the contract, I watched ads every day to accumulate moonstones in order to upload the cover [laughing][laughing]. Now I'm so rich!