Chapter 66: Bai Li Challenges Xie Wuji to a Duel

The purple cedar spiritwood was already an exceptionally hard material, and with his current cultivation, Xie Wujie couldn't possibly break it. But now, having mastered the Undying Fire, he was eager to see how its power would combine with the Mountain Crash technique.

He exhaled deeply. Stripped to the waist, sweat poured down his body, tracing lines along the muscles he had painstakingly trained. The sight was commanding, filled with masculine vigor.

Just then, Bai Li Qingyan was on his way to check on Xie Wujie, carrying a generous supply of food. But as he entered the bamboo grove, he caught sight of Xie Wujie, bare-chested and muscular, the defined lines immediately capturing his attention.

Due to his unique cultivation method, Bai Li Qingyan’s physique was more like a woman’s—almost no muscle, skin so delicate it would make girls envious. Watching Xie Wujie gathering his energy, Bai Li Qingyan felt his heart constrict suddenly; it was the first time he’d ever seen such beautiful muscles.

As sweat slid down those muscles, Bai Li Qingyan unconsciously licked his lips, a strange urge to taste the sweat rising within him, though he managed to suppress it.

“I’m a man—how can I have such thoughts about another man? But Xie Wujie’s muscles are just perfect—not too much, not too little, just right,” Bai Li Qingyan thought, glancing back at his own frail body with a wry smile.

Meanwhile, Xie Wujie was ready. He had fully grasped the essence of the Undying Fire, and now he could channel his fire-type spiritual energy outward, conjuring explosive blue flames.

With a cold snort, Xie Wujie’s entire body ignited with ghostly blue fire. The Undying Fire was naturally blue, unlike ordinary flames. He locked onto the great tree and charged.

“Flaming Mountain Crash!” he roared, barreling toward the purple cedar spiritwood like a runaway train.

A shower of sparks burst forth, and the powerful impact threw Xie Wujie to the ground. When he looked up, he was overjoyed; a crater the size of a head had appeared in the spiritwood.

“As expected, combining Mountain Crash with the Undying Phoenix technique is a perfect match!” Xie Wujie was elated.

“Impressive technique!” Bai Li Qingyan called as he stepped out from the other side.

Xie Wujie had never seen through Bai Li Qingyan’s identity—he didn’t know he was a man. In his eyes, there was only Bai Li Yan’er, not Bai Li Qingyan.

“So it’s Miss Bai Li,” Xie Wujie said awkwardly, hastily searching for his clothes to cover up.

Bai Li Qingyan smiled slightly. “It’s fine, I don’t mind. My eldest brother often goes shirtless at home.”

“Hehe, I wonder what ingredients Miss Bai Li brought this time?” Xie Wujie asked.

Bai Li Qingyan laughed. “You mentioned hotpot last time—I’ve never tried it, so I brought ingredients specially: mushrooms, celery, pork, beef, all ready! But right now, I see you’re in need of a sparring partner—why don’t I challenge you for a match?”

Every cultivator harbored a passion for dueling, and after witnessing the power of Xie Wujie’s Mountain Crash, Bai Li Qingyan was itching to try.

“Wait, I don’t fight women,” Xie Wujie said.

“Then you’ll just have to let me beat you!” Bai Li Qingyan’s eyes flashed pale gold, his fingernails suddenly lengthening. He set the food aside and sprang at Xie Wujie.

Seeing that Bai Li Qingyan was no ordinary person, Xie Wujie raised his guard, preparing to counter.

One of Bai Li Qingyan’s spirit beasts was the Beauty Serpent—a rare and exceptional earth-ranked demon serpent, upper body a beautiful woman, lower body a snake, often kept by the wealthy for amusement. Yet the Beauty Serpent possessed little intelligence, much like a common snake, born a hunter. Its specialty was venom—bone-melting poison capable of dissolving an opponent’s bones.

Now, Bai Li Qingyan had called upon the Beauty Serpent’s spirit, lunging at Xie Wujie.

Xie Wujie relied on his shoulder and arm guards, meeting Bai Li Qingyan’s attacks head on. His iron fists blocked the venomous claws completely.

Back and forth they went, their fierce battle shattering bamboo all around.

Xie Wujie quickly realized that Bai Li Qingyan was formidable; his skills and experience in combat surpassed Xie Wujie’s own.

Each claw struck rapidly, and what began as a balanced exchange soon became one-sided, with Xie Wujie being relentlessly pressed.

Bai Li Qingyan was fully immersed in the fight, each venomous swipe carrying destructive force. Suddenly, he flipped in mid-air, his claws slashing toward Xie Wujie’s face.

Seeing the claws still a little distance away, Xie Wujie seized the moment—he grunted, launching the Mountain Crash.

Blue flames erupted from his shoulder as he rammed Bai Li Qingyan squarely in the chest.

Bai Li Qingyan had never expected Xie Wujie’s impact to be so ferocious, and he was holding back, using only thirty percent of his power. With Xie Wujie’s full-force attack, Bai Li Qingyan had no time to react or muster his spiritual energy.

He was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, slamming into a great tree.

Xie Wujie cursed inwardly and dashed forward, catching Bai Li Qingyan before he could suffer further harm.

But Bai Li Qingyan, stunned by the fierce blow, had already fainted, a streak of blood marring his exquisite face.

“Yan’er? Miss Yan’er?!” Xie Wujie cried in alarm.

Yet, with the clash of their spiritual energies and the impact, Bai Li Qingyan couldn’t possibly get up now.

Xie Wujie had no choice but to lay him flat on the ground, fetching water and feeding it to him.

Just then, Xie Wujie noticed something slip from Bai Li Qingyan’s arms—two large steamed buns. Stunned, he picked them up, looked at them, then back at Bai Li Qingyan.

As Bai Li Qingyan slowly regained consciousness after drinking water, he saw Xie Wujie holding the buns. His face instantly chilled. “You…”

“No, it’s nothing, I won’t tell anyone,” Xie Wujie said quickly. “I understand—girls from the Bluestone Sect all have their own ways…”

Bai Li Qingyan was dumbfounded. He had used the buns to disguise his identity as a man, but Xie Wujie mistook him for a Bluestone girl and sympathized.

Bai Li Qingyan didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. Still, he didn’t want Xie Wujie to learn the truth about him—he couldn’t explain why, just that he didn’t.

Xie Wujie held Bai Li Qingyan close, and a blush crept over Bai Li Qingyan’s face. Already otherworldly in beauty, now with shyness, he was as alluring as the goddess Chang’e in the heavens, leaving Xie Wujie entranced. Xie Wujie wondered how such a beautiful girl could exist in this world.

Her shy expression made Xie Wujie’s heart race wildly. Unable to hold back, he murmured, “So beautiful…”

Bai Li Qingyan was used to compliments, but being praised for beauty by a man, as a woman, left him so embarrassed he could barely speak. “Can… can you let go now?”

“Oh! Sorry, sorry, are you alright?” Xie Wujie asked.

“I’m fine…” Bai Li Qingyan bit his lip, too flustered to find words.

Xie Wujie took a bite of one bun and said, “Is there something wrong with the food at Danxia Sect?”

“Huh?” Bai Li Qingyan was confused by Xie Wujie’s question, but watching him eat the bun meant for his disguise left him feeling complicated.

“I mean, our sect’s Bluestone girls could pave roads with their chests,” Xie Wujie joked.

Bai Li Qingyan was amused by the comment. “If you say that out loud, the female disciples will kill you.”