Chapter 282 Aching Foot
At the foot of Bright Summit, the absolute territory of Ming Cult, about forty or fifty cavalrymen were now leisurely letting their horses graze on the sparse grass of this barren land.
In front of them was an extremely simple ring, just haphazardly encircled with broken stones.
At this moment, a valiant man around thirty, sat upon a tiger-skin chair with a thick iron spear lying nearby, exuding a sense of heft.
Beside him stood two foreign beauties of distinct appearances.
"Why waste so much time here? Is the Central Plains really that amusing? It's just an inferior land; I feel uncomfortable even breathing."
Bader looked at Tuli's indifferent demeanor, clearly agitated.
This woman's figure was tall and elegant. She wore a beige robe patterned with cloud motifs and a wide belt of alternating red and white, which made her slender waist seem even more delicate.
She had thought that they were heading south to the Central Plains to finally confront Ba Fenghan and settle the score, but she had not expected to come here instead.
Although her True Qi wasn't much affected after arriving here, she always felt off and lethargic.
Moreover, her mind was completely occupied with the thought of resolving things with that faithless Ba Fenghan, and she couldn't muster any enthusiasm.
"Hehe, I think you just want to settle things with Ba Fenghan," the other beauty said, smiling mirthfully as she teased.
"Chunyu Wei, your senior brother was killed by him. Don't you want revenge?" Bader's voice was as cold as ice.
"I don't want to be here either—it's quite uncomfortable. But this is the order of our Master, the Khan. And besides, we are now hundreds of years in the future. Aren't you curious at all?"
Chunyu Wei was the third disciple of 'Martial Venerate' Bi Xuan. Her strength was outstanding among the younger generation, and personally, she wasn't very keen on following Tuli here, feeling that the man was too sinister—even her Master did not like him.
Yet, as they ventured deep into the south this time, she had to represent her Master.
"The last time they went south, they already sent secret messages back for their own assessment. Have we come to this remote region of the Western Regions to stage such a pointless arena? There is no one who could defeat me here, not a single challenge."
Bader, the Tujue woman, had a wild streak, and even Zeng Aniu's few times playing the savior, in her eyes, were nothing but trickery. If she were to step into the ring, it was uncertain if her opponent would leave in one piece!
The crude True Qi of the martial artists here seemed completely insignificant in her eyes, hardly worth a blow.
"Enough."
Tuli, known as 'Tornado', snorted coldly as he saw another group of people descending the mountain path from Ming Cult, his face revealing a trace of cruelty.
"They come and go, just the same few. Judging by our encounters in the Central Plains, it's very likely that these are the strongest members of Ming Cult."
While saying this, he looked up at the foot of the mountain, where hundreds of disciples of the Five Elements Banner were guarding in a military formation.
Shields, arrows, and spears combined with the terrain advantage made this another reason why they could hold the arena without worry.
It seemed Ming Cult had always maintained sufficient vigilance. With their current manpower, they truly couldn't take it by force.
However...
"With each strike before, I left a trace of True Qi within his body. Given the gap between us, he can't expel it quickly; it will only accumulate more and more. Soon it'll be too late to reverse, and then I can use this to blackmail him into surrendering that technique for mustering energy..."
At this moment, Tuli was quite expectant.
This world lacked developed Inner Strength, and their True Qi was in disarray, but their skills in its application were actually quite impressive.
"Having come all this way, besides bringing back intelligence, we should also take some benefits."
"Heh, just don't be too presumptuous. We have a clear advantage, and yet they have been persisting. I don't think such heroes would easily admit defeat and hand over their techniques."
Chunyu Wei had always found Tuli somewhat disagreeable, and this trip included the implication of 'surveillance'. She scoffed at his words.
She rather liked Zhang Wuji's style, and Zhang Wuji was also very handsome. As a woman from Tujue, her assessment was quite bold.
"Ha, no one can hold firm in the face of death. How about we make a bet?"
Tuli chuckled lightly, but then he paused, noticing that the person descending this time was not centered around Zeng Aniu but was replaced by another handsome man of about the same age.
Seeing yet another pretty boy, Tuli frowned slightly as unpleasant memories surfaced.
For the Tujue people, a robust and valiant appearance represents the charm of masculinity.
"So, have we finally got some new blood this time? I wonder how many rounds they can survive."
Tuli didn't even bother to stand up; he just leaned back in his tiger-skin chair with a half-mocking, half-smiling expression.
The Tujue people only respect the strong. At least for now, aside from Zeng Aniu, who could barely earn a modicum of his respect, the others were all weaklings.
"Tuli, this is the thirty-first Sect Hierarch of our Ming Cult!"
Shi Zuoshi let out a loud call, seemingly to vent his frustrations from the past period.
The Sect Hierarch has returned; the skies are clear once again!
"Hahaha, so you've finally stopped pretending? We're from the Central Plains, and though we can't be completely certain, we do have an impression of your strength. You've always been among the top figures in the Ming Cult, haven't you?" Your adventure continues at empire
Tuli's face was filled with a look of amusement.
Think you can fool me? Heh, not even as intimidating as your archers.
After he spoke, he looked at Tao Yu with a mocking expression.
"So, Sect Hierarch, you've remained hidden all this time, letting your subordinates take the lead. You're not about to say you were in seclusion, are you?"
"No, just went on a long trip."
Tao Yu spoke in an amicable tone, holding back the others who wanted to retort, then he walked directly towards the platform.
"Forgive the ignorance of your humble servant and junior, Sect Hierarch, for causing Tuli Khan such amusement."
Calmly walking to the center of the platform, Tao Yu glanced over Tuli and the two distinctively beautiful women behind him, then suddenly revealed a slight smile.
"So, Tuli Khan, please, go ahead."
Tuli was taken aback. Up until now, these people from the Ming Cult had only been sparring with the warriors he brought, those few dozen riders. Although their numbers seemed small, they were the elite personally trained by the 'Martial Venerate' Bi Xuan. Otherwise, they wouldn't have joined this mission.
Up till now, the people from the Ming Cult had only been passively dealing with the situation, occasionally saved by Zeng Aniu.
It had always been Zeng Aniu saving the day, which naturally began to reveal their weakness after a while.
But what was this now? A direct challenge to himself?
With just a few strikes through the air from him, you're already struggling to cope—that's way too presumptuous!
"Heh, how about you beat my men first..."
"What, is Tuli Khan afraid that after losing to me, your beauties will run off with me? Though it seems to be a tradition among the Tujue."
Tao Yu casually hit a nerve, causing Tuli to suddenly stand up, his tiger-like eyes glaring.
This reaction somewhat surprised Tao Yu, who then said with an odd look on his face,
"Did I break your defenses just like that? Don't tell me I hit a sore spot? Have others taken something from you before?"
Tao Yu's face was full of curiosity, as if he wanted to probe further.
"You're courting death!"
Tuli had intended to maintain his dignity and let his men fight first.
But now, having his unpleasant memories provoked, he instantly took up his spear and lashed out in a fierce leap towards Tao Yu, aiming to skewer him through on the spot.
A sharp whistling sound filled the air.
"Why the hurry..."
Tao Yu felt the sharpness of the attack that reached him despite being several yards away, and he couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.
However, this guy's strength was indeed formidable.
A man whose name I've never heard before was able to instill in me a slight sense of danger—the depths of the Great Tang are truly profound...