Moments later, Xing Yi’s limp and bruised body was thrown off stage. Wu Jia didn’t even spare him another look as he returned onstage.

Xing Yi couldn’t gather the strength to stand. His entire body ached in pain. From every muscle and bone to places that he didn’t even knew could experience pain. He was a stiff ball that couldn’t move, as even a single contraction would cause that very muscle to wreathe in pain. And any attempt at a full breath would cause a sharp pain in both lungs.

And he didn’t know how many, but a lot of his bones were completely broken. Smashed to little, tiny bits. He could feel loose pieces rattling around with every little movement.

He stayed like this for a while as the Golden Blood Assembly continued to its exhibition matches. Wu Jia, after trading a few moves with a foundation establishment senior, yielded to save face and returned to his spot beside Wu Qing.

The exhibition didn’t stop for Xing Yi as he continued to wreathe in pain on the ground. The surroundings cultivators made sure to stay away from him and didn’t dare to get even ten meters of him. After all, no one wanted to associate with a mortal. Especially someone who had just been humiliated in front of the sect. During this time, Xing Yi silently circulated his inner qi, in hopes of making a quick recovery to stand up and leave as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the Bloody Path Sect’s Stewards were gossiping.

”Li Guoji’s dirty little secret has finally reached the day of light. No longer is the mortal’s existence a mere rumour but reality!”

“When he made the call to allow him entry into the sect, I thought that I was dreaming.”

“If it were me, I would’ve snatched the medallion away from him, forced the matter into secrecy and sent the boy on his way home with a big bag of gold for his troubles.”

With Xing Yi’s public beating and the scrutiny of the sect’s elders, the many stewards used this as an opportunity to insult and attack the now vulnerable Li Guoji. Even Li Guoji’s closest members began to doubt him, and some were so audacious as to talk about him when they were only several meters away!

“That scheming bastard!” Li Guoji gritted his teeth in anger as he stared at a smiling Wu Qing from across the arena. His hands held in tight fists, he held back the urge to fly over and rip him into shreds. Wu Qing noticed his staring and it only made Li Guoji even more furious when the other person continued to ignore his gaze.

“Martial Brother Li, do not make any rash decisions. Once the assembly is over, we can take some time to recuperate and think of a counterattack. Simply handing the position of Head Steward is not our only option. We have plenty of time,” One of Li Guoji’s close confidants came to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Heeding their advice, Li Guoji nodded his head in agreement and calmed down, “Yes, I think that is quite advisable for this situation. I must not hand over the position to that fiend. If he ever happens to become the Head Steward, it will surely spell disaster for the Bloody Path Sect.”

However, at some point, as the pain came down to a barely tolerable level, an inextinguishable rage had been alit within Xing Yi. It was sudden and abrupt. It arose when he remembered the emotionless face of the crowd and elders, how no one had come to help him, the ruthless beating the Wu Jia gave him, how pathetic the meaning of a cultivator’s “face” was, and how the strict rules of the strong and weak and allowed this to happen.

That sword had never stopped. It had continued to break bone after bone, tore muscle, and was an unpredictable torture that rocked his entire body. He had begged it to stop so many times and eventually he had given in.

And now that he reflected on that and realised, he had given in, he almost felt his head explode. His entire body shook in uncontrollable rage as he forcibly craned his neck up to stare daggers into the distant figure of Wu Jia. Even from hundreds of meters, he recognised that grey-haired youth. He wore dark purple robes, his hair slicked back at a short length, and a steel sword, jade lining its hilt.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

He wore a smile that he shouldn’t have been wearing. It shouldn’t be there. He should’ve been on the ground suffering in pain begging to Xing Yi for mercy. Not up there with a happy smile and without a care in the world.

He should just drop dead.

Did kindness exist? Why did none of them care to stand up for him and point out that he had been hypnotised by a butterfly? Why was he framed by three of the elders?

Countless questions flashed through his mind as his head shook in pure rage, simulating the many ways that he would kill Wu Jia for this transgression. His body trembling in pain, he somehow managed to move his arm forward and pull himself forward in a slow crawl.

When he first embarked on his journey to the sect, he vividly remembered the words his parents had said. At that moment, they were simply the worries of coddling parents. But now, he saw the wisdom in their words and he wanted to live up to them.

“Don’t be afraid to fight back,” His father had said.

He seemed to stick onto that phrase as he moved forward, a mission on his mind. The weakness, humiliation, and suffering he had experienced under the hand of Wu Jia would not be forgiven. No matter how strong he may be, he could not let this go. For the sake of his honour. Not for his face.

Face was something created by fools!

He wouldn’t let himself be trampled on. He would fight back no matter who they were.

Even if they were a so-called immortal.

Xing Yi reached the edge of the arena with bleeding fingernails and his eyes wide open in a furious expression.

He pushed himself onto the arena and pointed in Wu Jia’s direction.

Ignoring the foundation establishment cultivators currently fighting on stage, he screamed, “Wu Jia, you have wronged me!”

It may be suicidal to say this out in the open. But he had learned that one thing cultivators seemed to latch onto was face. And he would use it to his advantage.

Although his voice was drowned out by the many chattering voices in the crowd and ongoing fight, his voice still reached Wu Jia and the surrounding cultivators. Wu Jia’s smiled quickly disappeared and looked over at Xing Yi with a dark expression.

It wasn’t a moment later that Wu Jia unsheathed his sword and jumped forward. Within just a few seconds, he bounded towards Xing Yi and without hesitation, aimed to slice his head off in one clean slice.

But, Elder Wan intervened.

Wu Jia immediately froze.

At the same time, the fight on stage temporarily paused as all eyes were now on the pair yet again. Even while being frozen mid-air and his blade only inches away from Xing Yi’s neck, Wu Jia stared at Xing Yi with wide, murderous eyes.

Wu Jia was too close for comfort, his face only a half-meter away. He could even feel his breath against his face.

Xing Yi realised a grim reality that if Elder Wan hadn’t frozen Wu Jia in time…

Looking at Wu Jia nervously and his hands quivering, he declared, “I will take revenge. I will grow stronger and show you that I’m not someone to be easily trampled on. In three years, I am going to challenge you to a duel and win!”

As Xing Yi finished saying this, Wu Jia’s blade seemed to shake, dancing on the edge of Xing Yi’s skin.

Elder Guoji almost fainted.

Wu Qing couldn’t be any more delirious.

Elder Yang smiled in amusement as he stroked his beard.

Elder Hui blinked his eyes in surprise.

Elder Wan’s emotionless façade slightly faltered as she turned her head in confusion, not sure she had heard Xing Yi correctly.

The crowd erupted into chaos, a mix of uncontainable laughter and mocking chatter.

Elder Wan lifted her pointing finger, allowing Wu Jia to move his mouth and speak.

“Once I am released from Elder Wan’s entrapment, I will kill you.”

Wu Jia’s words sent a chill down Xing Yi’s spine.

Was Wu Jia really not going to accept his challenge and instead kill him outright? Fortunately, his worries were quelled when Elder Yang spoke up.