[To be well-liked by everyone]

It is often said that first impressions are made within the first seven seconds. Making an impression is the first step towards being recognized and well-liked by everyone.

And as a certain kung fu practicing panda once said, the only answer to that is ...A Dramatic Entrance.

As several disciples were starting to discuss the upcoming match, suddenly, a cry rang out. "He's here! Senior Brother Bai Yun has arrived!"

All eyes turned to the entrance, where a figure clad in white had appeared. His temperament was warm and welcoming, brightening the surrounding just with his demeanor. The nearby trees' fluttering leaves paled compared to the radiance of his visage, as he strode forward with unfettered grace.

Each step he took seemed to be infused with some mystical force, as if he were stepping through the very fabric of time and space. His abyss-like dark eyes gazed at something unknown.

As he moved forward, a shimmering sword qi followed in his wake, bathing him in a halo of light that seemed to come from the heavens themselves. It was a sight too picturesque to be real, too mystical to be believed.

The disciples were stunned into silence, unable to do anything but gaze in awe at the man who seemed to have stepped straight out of a painting.

"Wow," one of the disciples muttered, barely able to contain his excitement.

"So this is the legendary innate sword body," another said, his voice filled with awe. "He truly deserves to be called the seed of the Immortal."

Many had heard of the exploits of the innate sword body, but for many, this was the first time they had seen it. And Bai Yun had done so intentionally.

Power of mystery was all too common for Bai Yun who lived at the age of celebrities. He knew that if he were too accessible, too present, the novelty of his presence would wear off quickly. But if he kept himself at a distance, just out of reach, he would maintain an air of intrigue and allure that could not be denied.

And so he walked a thin line, carefully balancing the number of times he showed himself to the public. He made sure that he was never out of the public eye for too long but also made sure that he limited his appearances enough to maintain an air of mystery.

It was a delicate balance, but one that he had mastered over the years. And the results spoke for themselves.

"So that is the Senior brother of the Heavenly Palace. Truly amazing," a disciple muttered in awe.

"Yes. From now on, I am his fan," another said, unable to contain their admiration.

As Bai Yun walked by, he flashed a warm smile at the onlookers. Some of them felt a certain heat coursing through their heart as they became charmed, but he paid them no mind. He soon stood before the ice-cold jade beauty, Xue Qing.

"Junior sister Qing, congratulations on breaking through to the Golden Core realm," Bai Yun said.

Xue Qing remained impassive as she replied in a plain voice, "Thank you, brother. I hope you will indulge me with a spar."

As she spoke, her eyes burned with fighting intent.

Bai Yun nodded. "Since that is what junior sister Qing desires, let us go to the arena."

With that, Bai Yun strode past the crowd, his shadow seeming to engulf the entire area.

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Seeing that, Xue Qing narrowed her eyes and followed Bai Yun to the arena.

...

Everyone's general opinion right now was that Bai Yun had broken through the Golden Core Realm and Xue Qing was also in the Golden Core Realm.

So, from the outside perspective, the battle seems to be Golden Core Realm vs "Golden Core Realm".

A fight that would be cutthroat, engaging, and fierce. But all of their expectation was destined to be all but crash.

After all, he, Bai Yun had just reached the foundation-building realm far from the realm he had been said to possess.

He was two whole realms below Xue Qing, and even with his trump cards, his fighting prowess was no match for hers.

So why did Bai Yun accept the challenge?

The answer was simple: backing out would only encourage others to challenge him. News of his recent breakup with Chang Ai had spread far and wide, and it was not surprising if some of her brain-dead fans would try to avenge her by challenging him.

Even now, the one who challenged him was Xue Qing, considered one of the twin talents alongside Chang Ai.

A coincidence?

He thinks not.

So, he needs to fight against Xue Qing, so that he will not be challenged even more by other brain-dead fans. And more importantly, he needs to win by any means necessary.

As the wind howled in the arena, a long sword materialized in front of Xue Qing. It shone with a bright light, and its Qi seemed to be rolling within it. It was a powerful artifact.

"Brother, please!"

Xue Qing's breath rose, and it seemed to become cold and sharp. Wisps of water vapor condensed into snowflakes around her, slowly falling and then taking the shape of swords made of icy crystals.

Cultivators in the Qi Building Realm had only a preliminary perception of the spiritual energy between heaven and earth. Then, the cultivators in the Golden Core Realm had achieved the realm of unity between Man and Nature, which allowed them to use the spiritual energy externally to form an aura similar to a domain and boost their "Tao".

Xue Qing finished her preparations. She was confident that even if she could not win, she could at least be able to fight the greatest genius of their generation on even ground.

She was truly convinced and thought so until she looked at Bai Yun and ...froze.

...

A gap of two whole realms. The chasm between them was vast and the situation may seem hopeless, but Bai Yun did not despair, for he was incapable of it. So, he instead searched for the best way to defeat her.

After all, a fight was always not fought using just fists and swords, but also through mentality as well.

So, Recall.

Her every movement, every expression, every word.

There isn't a soul who has never told a lie.

When a person lies, the anxious pulse, subtle expression, and nearly imperceptible movements.

[I'm th... ...trongest]

Those are all tells of a lie.

Recall even more clearly. A keen person can tell that a person is lying based on these signals.

However, these did not apply to Bai Yun.

Bai Yun had no such tells. So, his lies were indistinguishable from the truth.

Even more than that, he could configure such lies. This was the weapon, he had grasped to survive and honed to its peak. The weapon, he will rely on.

So, Recall once more.

The tells of a strong person. His master...

His mind raced as he delved deeper into his concentration. So, he started to recall each of her minute details, every nuance of her expressions, her demeanor, and the way she moved. Every little twitch, every subtle shift in her posture, and every flicker of her eyes were etched into his memory.

As he focused on these details, his mind began to configure them, piecing them together like a puzzle. He matched each of her movements and expressions down to the finest point until he began to resemble someone else entirely.

[I am the strongest]

So, as Xue Qing gazed at Bai Yun, what she saw was not the figure of the genius she hoped to defeat, but the visage of... the Immortal Emperor.

A figure countless times stronger than her.

𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙧

An unspeakable pressure enveloped Xue Qing, squeezing the air out of her lungs and making her heart race. She struggled to catch her breath, her legs trembling as she stared at those abyss-like dark eyes. It was as if those eyes were sucking out her strength with just a gaze.

Her mind raced as she came to a harrowing realization.

Impossible to defeat.

He was too strong.

"This can't be real," Xue Qing muttered, her voice barely audible. Her entire body was screaming at her to flee, but she couldn't move a muscle. She stumbled backward, then collapsed to the ground.

Bai Yun did not move nor speak, yet his presence was like the abyss, drowning her in hopelessness.

Finally, Xue Qing couldn't stand her ground, as she felt small compared to Bai Yun who seemed to be as tall as Mt.Tai. She lay motionless on the ground. The arena fell silent, save for the sound of her shallow breaths. She had fainted.

The conclusion was clear.

"Sister Xue Qing of the Arctic Peak is unable to continue. The winner is Senior Brother Bai Yun of the Red Leaves Peak," announced the referee.

Thus, Bai Yun's lie was mistaken for the truth.