ARLQLCC chapter 52

The atmosphere on the arena was somewhat subtle. Xie Yao’s exit had drawn everyone’s attention. On the adjacent spectator seats, Xie Qinghuai had already stood up and rushed over, afraid that Xie Yao would lose his mind and end up fighting Su Ji.

Xie Qinghuai hurried over, and Xie Daoqi also stood up from his seat.

Although he didn’t know why his direct disciple was acting like this, his son had never really gotten along with Xie Yao. To prevent anything from going wrong, he also went over.

Thus, a scene unfolded on the arena: Su Ji was surrounded by three cultivators surnamed Xie from Kunlun Divine Palace.

One of them was even the sect master of Kunlun Divine Palace, Xie Daoqi.

This scene was even more interesting than the previous match. If the Great Elder hadn’t stopped him, Tao Yue would have already rushed down to watch up close.

Xie Qinghuai stood in front of Su Ji and looked at Xie Yao warily. “What are you going to do?”

Xie Yao glanced at him. “Move aside.”

Xie Qinghuai frowned even deeper. “First tell me what you’re going to do.”

Xie Yao: “None of your business. Move aside.”

Xie Qinghuai: “If you don’t say it, I won’t move.”

Xie Yao: “Move aside.”

Xie Qinghuai: “If you don’t say it, I won’t move.”

Xie Yao: “Move—”

They repeated this completely meaningless exchange several times. In the end, Su Ji patted Xie Qinghuai’s shoulder and poked out half his head. “Qinghuai, don’t be nervous. He should just want to fight me.”

Xie Qinghuai was shocked. “What?! Then even more reason not to let it happen! That Xie Yao is a damn bastard—he hits really hard!”

Su Ji: “……”

Go on, tell your story.

Su Ji now had a headache. He never expected Xie Yao to come blocking him in the spectator stands before the reward had even been announced.

If he had known it would become like this, he might as well have left right after the match started.

The three were in a stalemate when Xie Daoqi arrived a step later. Before he could even speak, he heard Xie Qinghuai anxiously say, “Father!! Xie Yao suddenly wants to beat up my friend, hurry and stop him!”

Xie Daoqi coughed and asked, “Xie Yao, what’s going on? How can you just hit people randomly?”

“Master.” Xie Yao bowed to Xie Daoqi. “I’m not hitting him randomly. I want to spar with Su Ji. He wants to run, so I had to block him.”

Xie Daoqi: “……This, do you know him? Why do you want to spar with him?”

He understood this disciple very well. His personality was indifferent, usually not talkative—someone who couldn’t even squeeze out a proper sentence.

But such a person was extremely obsessed with cultivation. He loved sparring the most. Those weaker than him did not interest him, and all disciples of similar level in the sect had already been beaten by him, so he eventually started challenging Xie Daoqi every day.

Although he was no match for Xie Daoqi, Xie Yao’s obsession with the sword and his talent meant he improved in every fight, growing stronger with every battle—until Xie Daoqi got annoyed and simply threw him to Xie Qinghuai as a sparring partner.

Xie Qinghuai, who was lazy to the extreme, still managed to surpass his peers and reach the Nascent Soul realm, and Xie Yao had contributed greatly to that.

Every time Xie Yao sparred with him, Xie Qinghuai would never have a day without pain on his body. That was also why, even though they lived under the same roof, they never got along.

Xie Yao’s battle-obsessed personality had actually lessened a lot. Earlier, Yuan Chenxin had managed to hold on against him for quite a while, and Xie Daoqi originally thought he would continue to spar with Yuan Chenxin—but instead, he directly jumped off the stage and came to block someone in the spectator stands.

One must know, although Xie Yao was obsessed with fighting, he wasn’t so obsessed that he would lose all sense of etiquette.

Before sparring with strangers, Xie Yao would properly issue a challenge post. Only after the other party accepted would he fight—he would never act so rashly.

Unless… he already knew Su Ji.

Xie Daoqi asked, “Do you know this Little Friend Su?”

Xie Yao nodded.

At this, everyone’s gaze shifted to Su Ji.

Su Ji: “……”

Su Ji: “…It’s a long story.”

Xie Daoqi: “It’s fine. Make it short.”

This matter had to start before Su Ji left Chenxin Sect. Although it was already something from his past life, Xie Yao left a very deep impression on him. Even after so long, he still remembered clearly.

At that time, he was at the Nascent Soul Great Perfection stage and had taken a mission to the northern snow mountains to pick ice lotus.

Who would have thought that at the place where the ice lotus grew, he would encounter Xie Yao surrounded by a pack of wolves.

Back then, Xie Yao had just entered the Nascent Soul Great Perfection stage as well. Alone, he was no match for the wolves. Just as he was about to have his arm bitten off in a sneak attack, Su Ji arrived and saved him. The two of them worked together to drive the wolves away, and Su Ji successfully picked the ice lotus.

However, after resting briefly, when Su Ji said goodbye and prepared to return to his sect, Xie Yao suddenly pulled out a challenge post from nowhere, saying he wanted to fight him.

Su Ji hadn’t eaten a proper meal for three days and had no interest, so he refused. But Xie Yao persisted. The two of them argued for a long time, until even the usually gentle-tempered Su Ji got annoyed.

He didn’t accept the challenge post and instead fought Xie Yao in a fierce battle.

The fight was earth-shattering. Su Ji still remembered the burning fighting intent in Xie Yao’s eyes after his defeat. Afraid that Xie Yao would continue, he slipped away while the other was still getting up.

Xie Yao chased him for a day and a night, but in the end Su Ji, being faster on his feet, managed to shake him off before dawn.

After returning to his sect and submitting the ice lotus, he found a challenge post stuck on his back, unnoticed.

That challenge post is still inside his magical artifact to this day.

“That’s how it was.”

Su Ji left out the part where he had once been a disciple of Chenxin Sect and explained the whole story.

After hearing it, Xie Daoqi laughed so hard he couldn’t close his mouth.

No wonder Su Ji had been so eager to leave before the sword contest even ended—he had been chased so badly by Xie Yao back then that even after so many years, his body still reacted instinctively to run.

Chasing someone for a day and night just to deliver a challenge post and fight again—that really was something Xie Yao would do.

Xie Qinghuai twitched his mouth and looked at Su Ji with sympathy. “Su Ji, you’ve really had it rough. Back then, Xie Yao was like a mad dog—bit whoever he saw. I didn’t expect you to have been bitten by him so early.”

Su Ji rubbed his temples in headache. “Sect Master Xie, you see… I’m also technically a victim. Can I leave now?”

Xie Yao stepped forward. “You accepted my challenge post. We must fight.”

Su Ji sighed helplessly. “That was something you secretly stuck on me. I never accepted it.”

Xie Qinghuai chimed in, “Exactly! Xie Yao, you really aren’t a good person!”

Xie Daoqi’s gaze moved back and forth between the two before he coughed awkwardly and suggested, “How about… since the sword contest hasn’t ended yet, you two go up and have a match?”

Xie Yao: “Alright.”

Su Ji: “Huh?”

On the high platform, Tao Yue, who had been listening the whole time, got excited and loudly supported, “Yes! Everyone’s watching anyway, might as well settle it today! Otherwise Xie Yao will keep thinking about that challenge post and might even chase you home to fight—that wouldn’t be good!”

The Great Elder beside him was speechless. Tao Yue had just been in a bad mood earlier, but now that there was excitement, he had thrown everything away and was more excited than the people involved.

However, he was also curious, so he didn’t stop it and tacitly allowed it.

The surrounding disciples were also excited and shouted, “Chef Su! Fight him!”

“I only saw Chef Su make a move once at Lianshuo Peak. I didn’t expect him to be so good at fighting too!”

“Chef Su, go for it!”

“A match won’t take long!”

Even Yun Xicheng and the others came over, enjoying the chaos. “Su Ji, we want to watch too.”

Su Ji: “……”

He knew—if he didn’t fight Xie Yao today, he probably wouldn’t be able to leave.

But this might not be a bad thing. After this fight, regardless of win or loss, in front of so many people, Xie Yao probably wouldn’t keep bothering him about the challenge post anymore. That would solve a problem.

Thinking of this, he sighed and nodded. Under the cheers of the crowd, he walked onto the arena holding a little cat cub.

Chu Zhaoye was brought out by him. For some reason, Su Ji saw a hint of anticipation in its eyes.

“……” Su Ji said, “Be good here. I’ll come get you after I’m done.”

Under everyone’s gaze, Chu Zhaoye didn’t speak. Instead, it affectionately nudged his palm and softly meowed.

After settling Chu Zhaoye, Su Ji turned around and saw Xie Yao already summoning his black iron sword, impatient.

After all these years, although Xie Yao looked more steady, his love for battle hadn’t changed at all.

Su Ji didn’t know why he was so insistent on fighting him again. Perhaps it was because he had never lost in his youth, but had suffered a setback at Su Ji’s hands, and couldn’t let it go.

Since he couldn’t escape anyway, Su Ji no longer tried to avoid attention. But once on the stage, he would respect his opponent. He stood opposite Xie Yao, and a light, flexible spiritual sword filled with vitality appeared in his hand.

The sword was called Fengchun (逢春), meaning “encountering spring after dead wood comes back to life.” Unlike weapons forged from materials by others, this sword was born from heaven and earth itself. Though it could cut iron like mud, its sword intent was gentle yet powerful.

After his rebirth, aside from the Lianshuo Peak incident, Su Ji had not seriously fought with Fengchun again.

On the arena, everything fell silent. The watching disciples held their breath.

When the Discipline Hall disciple shouted “Begin!”, the two facing each other turned into afterimages and disappeared from their spots. The sound of weapons colliding echoed through the sky, and overwhelming battle intent instantly swept over the silent spectator stands!

The spiritual energy of the Soul Transformation realm spread out relentlessly. Silence was replaced by even more intense cheers, whistles piercing the sky, some even stood up in excitement.

After watching so many matches, only this one, from the very beginning, made people’s blood boil.

Who would have thought this year’s Sword Trial Tournament would have an extra match to watch? This trip was truly worth it!

Author’s note:

The events from back then left a deep psychological shadow on little Su.

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