After being jilted by the saintess at the beginning, why is she crying?

Li Cheng was now unwilling.

Do you think you'll die if you don't show off?

"Lin Fengmian! You actually dared to come here!"

Li Chengqiang suppressed his anger, raised his voice, and tried to draw everyone's attention back to himself.

"Surrender now, kneel down and kowtow to me a few times, call me 'Grandpa,' and I might take pity on you and spare your life! It's not worth risking your life for a little bit of pathetic pride!"

Lin Fengmian glanced at him, too lazy to pay attention to this noisy clown.

His gaze swept toward the high platform to one side of the arena of life and death, where two figures sat solemnly.

One of them was an elder of the Enforcement Hall, responsible for arbitration and maintaining order, with a stern face.

The other was an elderly man with a deep and robust aura.

Although the pressure from the Core Formation stage cultivator wasn't fully unleashed, it locked onto Lin Fengmian with an icy chill, like a frozen pool.

It was Li Cheng's grandfather, Li Yangwei, the second elder of the Li family.

Lin Fengmian snorted coldly in his heart.

It goes without saying who is behind this so-called "life-or-death struggle".

He remembered that old man.

"Lin Fengmian, are you mute?! If you're scared, then kneel down..."

Li Cheng was even more furious when he saw that the other party was ignoring him.

"If you're going to fight, then fight! Why are you talking so much nonsense?"

Lin Fengmian finally spoke, his voice calm, directly silencing Li Cheng's clamor.

"Wait a moment!"

Just then, an urgent female voice rang out.

A moon-white sword light slashed through the crowd, and a graceful figure descended, none other than Chu Qingyi.

"It's the Holy Maiden!"

"Why is she here? Didn't she break up with Lin Fengmian?"

Chu Qingyi ignored the surrounding chatter and strode quickly to Lin Fengmian's side, her beautiful eyes filled with worry and concern.

"Lin Fengmian, you're too reckless! He's already at the twelfth level of Qi Refining. The difference in your cultivation levels is so vast, how could you possibly win?"

She spoke urgently, even disregarding the occasion, lowering her voice and speaking quickly.

"As long as you promise me you'll leave Nangong Li, I'll guarantee your safety this time! Anything she can give you, I can give you too! I... I can be with you every day..."

She had been disheartened and stayed in the Saintess Palace.

After being rejected by Ye Fan's telepathic message yesterday, she was heartbroken and didn't even bother to reply to his messages.

But upon hearing that Lin Fengmian was going to fight Li Cheng to the death, she could no longer sit still and rushed over.

Although the voice was not loud, the disciples in the front row, as well as the two elders on the high platform and Li Yangwei, heard it clearly!

The male disciples were absolutely furious. They looked at Lin Fengmian with eyes that seemed to be spitting fire, driven mad with jealousy.

Damn it, is this still a saint? Look what she's been turned into!

Lin Fengmian's forehead twitched slightly. Was this woman... too naive?

How could someone say something like that in public? It's just making him the target of a lot of hatred.

"Your Holiness," Lin Fengmian frowned slightly, her tone carrying a distance and a hint of command, "you should go down now. I appreciate your 'kindness'."

He was internally rubbing his forehead: Hurry up and leave, don't ruin my show-off moment!

Hearing his still cold address and rejection, Chu Qingyi's eyes immediately reddened.

I felt so wronged. That jerk!

She had practically abandoned all sense of shame and begged him in front of so many people...

But she bit her lip, still raised her head, looked at the high platform, and her voice regained the cool indifference befitting a saint.

"Elders, Elder Li, this life-or-death struggle arose from a mere quarrel between juniors, which has gone too far. I wish to request the third-tier alchemist of my Chu family to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill for Li Cheng as compensation and a resolution to this conflict. I humbly request your permission to cancel this fight."

"Foundation Pill?!"

Foundation Establishment Pill! That's a top-tier second-tier pill, its effects are simple and direct.

Significantly increases the success rate of foundation building and protects the heart meridian!

For countless cultivators stuck at the peak of Qi Refining, this is the key to the path to immortality, priceless and often unavailable!

Li Yang's face hardened slightly.

He snorted coldly, feigning nonchalance:

"Hmph! Although my Li family isn't wealthy, we don't need your Chu family's Foundation Establishment Pill! This matter concerns my grandson's reputation and the sect's rules; how can it be treated so lightly?"

Actually, I was incredibly craving it; this Foundation Establishment Pill alone sells for tens of thousands of spirit stones on the market.

He changed the subject

"However... if you, Holy Maiden, are willing to become my good-for-nothing grandson's Daoist partner, thus uniting our families through marriage and turning hostility into friendship, I will take charge and settle this matter today. What do you say?"

Li Cheng was overjoyed to hear this on stage, and was so excited he almost jumped up!

Grandfather really understood him!

If I could marry Chu Qingyi... that would be a dream come true!

"Absolutely impossible!" Chu Qingyi refused without hesitation, her eyes sweeping coldly over Li Yangwei and Li Cheng.

Now that she's focused on Lin Fengmian, she's even lost interest in Ye Fan, the Holy Son of the Heavenly Profound Holy Land. How could she possibly be interested in someone like that?

"Alright! Let's see who's the best then!"

Li Cheng felt he had been greatly insulted.

Especially after being so decisively rejected by Chu Qingyi, he became even more enraged and his murderous intent surged.

Without further ado, he moved, carrying with him the surging spiritual power of the twelfth level of Qi Refining.

He charged towards Lin Fengmian first, throwing a punch that sent a gust of wind howling!

"Alright, Qingyi," Lin Fengmian gently pulled Chu Qingyi behind him, his tone still calm, yet carrying an undeniable authority.

"You may leave."

"But..." Chu Qingyi wanted to say something more.

"You really don't trust me that much?" Lin Fengmian glanced at her sideways, his eyes deep.

"I...I didn't, I was just worried about you..." Chu Qingyi's heart trembled under his gaze, and her voice weakened.

I don't want to say it a second time.

Lin Fengmian also conducted an obedience test.

"Okay...be careful."

Chu Qingyi turned and jumped off the deathmatch platform.

But her beautiful eyes remained fixed on Lin Fengmian on the stage, as if afraid something might happen to him.

Lin Fengmian felt that the other party's performance was not bad, and he forgave her a little.

He then looked at Li Cheng, who was charging towards him, his expression calm as still water.

With a series of hand seals and a flow of spiritual energy, a seemingly ordinary mid-grade flying sword emerged from the storage bag.

The sword, suspended in front of him, transformed into a streak of light with a flick of his finger, piercing straight at Li Cheng's face!

"A mere trick!" Upon seeing this, Li Cheng felt much more at ease and even chuckled.

Judging from the fluctuations of spiritual energy, this mere ordinary flying sword could only be wielded by a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

I'm afraid even my protective spiritual energy at the twelfth level of Qi Refining would be unable to pierce through it!

He didn't dodge or evade, but instead channeled his spiritual energy, intending to take the sword head-on to demonstrate his strength.

however--

"Bang!!!"

The moment the flying sword collided with the protective spiritual energy, a muffled loud bang was heard!

Li Cheng felt an immense force emanating from the tip of the sword, causing his blood to surge and his footing to falter.

He stumbled back a step, his protective aura rippled violently, and tiny cracks appeared!