Chapter 16: Both are my Apprentices, So why Is There Such a Big Difference between them?
By the midpoint of the competition, the remaining participants were all at least in the early stages of mortal transcendence. Li Beifei's number was eighteen, an auspicious number. However, he looked at the ring with a bored expression, clearly uninterested. The competitors were not particularly strong; the most formidable among them was only in the middle stage of mortal transcendence.
Earlier, Li Beifei had encountered an opponent at this level, and he still remembered the man's disgusted expression, as if he had stepped in something unpleasant. Before Li Beifei could even make his move, the opponent jumped off the ring and conceded defeat, overwhelmed by the mere reputation of the Master of Nine Swords.
Meanwhile, Hong Hong, who was in the sixth stage, watched the matches with great interest. She hadn’t yet fought anyone formally; her recent experience had been limited to monster hunting for practice, occasionally sparring with Sister Su who would lower her own cultivation level to make it fair. Despite this, Hong Hong knew that Sister Su would never hurt her, so the fights never felt real.
"Wow!" A sudden commotion erupted from the No. 5 arena nearby.
"It's the Fairy in Tsing Yi!"
"Fairy in Tsing Yi, come on!"
"Fairy in Tsing Yi, look at me! You’re so beautiful!"
"Shut up, she is going to look at me!"
The excitement was palpable, even distracting the young man competing against her. The audience cheered loudly, waving flags, while the Fairy in Tsing Yi maintained an impassive expression. The nearby arenas also took notice, with surprise flashing across many faces. Even Li Beifei couldn't help but stare at her, though his interest was less pure admiration and more blatant lust.
Gu Changsheng, noticing this, thought to himself, "If Beichen knew his descendant was like this, would he be so angry he'd kill him?" His attention then shifted to Hong Hong in the No. 6 arena, noticing the envy in her eyes. "This little girl is already comparing her own beauty," he thought with a chuckle.
Hong Hong was beautiful in her own right, but after a month of monster hunting, a faint murderous aura clung to her, overshadowing her beauty. Besides, at just fourteen, she hadn’t fully matured yet. "When she grows up, she won't be any less impressive than that Fairy in Tsing Yi," Gu Changsheng mused.
"Which family does that girl belong to?" he suddenly asked.
"She is my daughter, my lord," answered Patriarch Mu proudly, causing Patriarch Liu nearby to scowl with envy.
"What a coincidence," Gu Changsheng said, glancing at Li Beifei with amusement.
...
Back in arena No. 6, Hong Hong's name finally appeared on the magic circle. She jumped lightly, turning into a red blur as she landed in the ring. Her opponent was a dark-skinned girl in the early stages of mortal transcendence. Upon seeing Hong Hong, a flicker of panic crossed the girl's face.
"Hong Hong, pleased to meet you!" Hong Hong greeted with cupped hands.
"Bei... Bei Weiwei, please teach me," the girl stammered, trying to imitate Hong Hong's gesture. Seeing her nervousness, Hong Hong was reminded of her own solitary days when she was equally apprehensive around strangers.
"Make your move!" Hong Hong encouraged her.
Bei Weiwei nodded and drew a long sword, revealing herself to be a sword cultivator. She attacked, and Hong Hong immediately responded, the two quickly becoming embroiled in a fierce battle.
"This girl has really learned to let go," Gu Changsheng observed with a smile from the attic, watching his apprentice closely. The Lord of the Demon Suppressing City, noticing Gu Changsheng's words, turned his attention to arena No. 6, showing a hint of surprise at the sight.
Ordinary people in the Void Breaking Realm wouldn’t be able to discern Hong Hong’s cultivation level, but he had already surpassed the Life and Death Realm and could see her level at a glance. He could also tell that Hong Hong was the youngest contestant. To have reached the late mortal transcendence stage at such a young age was truly impressive for a great disciple.
...
After exchanging dozens of moves, Bei Weiwei felt her swordsmanship improving and looked at Hong Hong with gratitude. Though a casual cultivator, she wasn't foolish. She noticed Hong Hong was holding back, allowing her to attack first and last. Rather than feeling insulted, Bei Weiwei appreciated it. Unlike arrogant individuals who might see it as humiliating, she saw it as an opportunity to learn. True to her name, Bei Weiwei considered herself a humble part of the world, working hard on her cultivation without a trace of pride.
"I concede!" Bei Weiwei declared after another round of attacks, deciding to give up.
"Thank you!" she said sincerely to Hong Hong, who smiled and replied, "You're welcome."
Bei Weiwei nodded slightly and jumped off the ring. Hong Hong also stepped down to meditate and recover, always cautious despite not being tired.
In the attic, Gu Changsheng nodded with satisfaction before turning his attention to Arena No. 1, his expression darkening. "Brat!" he muttered.
In Arena No. 1, Li Beifei was battling an opponent in the middle stage of mortal transcendence who practiced spear techniques. Li Beifei, withstanding the attacks with his body, said with a smile, "I can even endure my master's punches! Your spear isn’t sharp enough."
His opponent’s face darkened, feeling powerless. Though aware of Li Beifei's reputation, as young people, they all refused to admit defeat. But after failing to break Li Beifei's defense multiple times, he recognized the gap between them.
Meanwhile, Li Beifei's eyes kept glancing toward Arena No. 5. Realizing Li Beifei's intentions, his opponent cursed, "Li Beifei, you’re just using me to show off in front of girls!"
Caught, Li Beifei blushed but quickly defended himself, "You're wrong, I just wanted to give you a chance."
"That's nonsense. I refuse to be part of your charade," his opponent retorted, jumping off the ring, leaving Li Beifei embarrassed.
"Everyone, don’t misunderstand, I just wanted to give him a chance..." Li Beifei tried to explain, but no one listened.
"So this is the famed Nine Swords? If I face him, I'll just give up too."
"Me too, it's unfair."
...
This led to a strange turn of events, with the competition in Arena No. 1 speeding up. In less than an hour, the top 100 contestants were decided. Gu Changsheng, watching with a dark expression, muttered, "This brat has embarrassed me. Clearly, his education wasn’t thorough enough."
Li Beifei, now observing Mu Qingyi in Arena No. 5, suddenly felt a chill, as if thorns were piercing his back.
...
Soon, the elimination round concluded, with the lowest cultivation level among the remaining contestants in the late mortal transcendence stage.
"No one below the late stages have made it," Gu Changsheng remarked with a smile to the Lord of Demon Suppression City.
Startled, the city lord smiled awkwardly and replied, "Well, you know, the audience loves a good final showdown."
Gu Changsheng chuckled, understanding that the competition wasn't just for charity. The arena, capable of holding hundreds of thousands of spectators, was a major source of revenue.
...
Li Beifei was in high spirits. Not only had the competition gone well, but he had also seen a woman as beautiful as a fairy. Returning to the inn, he greeted Gu Changsheng, "Master, I’m back!"
"Come in, I need to speak with you," came Gu Changsheng's calm voice.
Li Beifei entered without hesitation. "Close the door," Gu Changsheng instructed. As Li Beifei turned to comply, a large fist met him.
"This is for showing off! I wasn’t this flashy at your age, yet you dare to flaunt in front of me!" Gu Changsheng scolded, delivering what he called "love education."
After a session of "love education," Li Beifei sincerely repented, promising not to show off again. Only then did Gu Changsheng let him go.
"Dismissed," Gu Changsheng waved him away.
"Yes, Master," Li Beifei replied, retreating to his room with a bruised face. Once inside, he shed tears of regret.
"They are both my apprentices, but why are they so different?" Gu Changsheng murmured to himself.