Chapter 38: Everyone Present Is Trash!

Chi Zhongrui, his heart racing with agitation, could not help but kowtow repeatedly to express his gratitude.

"Thank you, True Disciple Li! Please rest assured, True Disciple Li; I will certainly not cause you any trouble over these next three months!"

"I will dedicate myself completely to the Holy Sect's grand scheme, and will serve faithfully until my dying breath!"

Li Jiaoying waved her hand, her expression indifferent.

"I hope you can keep your word. That is all; you may go. I will contact you if there is anything I need you to do."

"Yes, yes, yes, I shall take my leave."

After another round of effusive thanks, Chi Zhongrui stood up, quietly retreated from the room, and closed the door behind him.

Once Chi Zhongrui was completely out of sight, a sinister curve appeared on Li Jiaoying’s stunningly beautiful face.

"It seems my master was right. These hypocritical righteous cultivators are nothing but greedy fools. One can play them like a fiddle with just a few words; using them is far too simple."

"Hmph, a Golden Core cultivator actually dreaming of becoming the head of a sect. How laughable. He doesn't even stop to think: would the Holy Sect ever set its sights on this pathetic little sect, let alone go to the trouble of propping up a minor Golden Core cultivator as some bullshit sect leader?"

At this point, Li Jiaoying could not help but laugh to herself.

"In three months, the Illusion Star Grass will mature, reaching ten thousand years of age. By then, I can use it as the main ingredient to refine a cauldron of Nine-Refining Illusion God Pills."

"Once consumed, my Thousand-Illusion Heavenly Demon Physique will reach complete mastery. The position of Holy Maiden will be well within my grasp. All this painstaking patience over the past three years will have been worth it..."

"When that time comes, I will purge you and that fool of a son of yours. Consider it a service to the Xianxia Sect, ridding it of vermin."

Thinking this, Li Jiaoying allowed a charming, faint smile to touch her lips, then closed her eyes once more to resume her cultivation.

...

Time flowed by, and in the blink of an eye, another half-month passed. As dawn broke, the outer sect became boisterous and lively.

Today was the annual Outer Sect Tournament. Not only were many outer disciples gearing up, striving for a high ranking, but many inner sect seniors had also come specifically to watch the spectacle and evaluate these rising stars of the sect.

Although the Xianxia Sect was no longer in its prime and had declined into a small-to-medium-sized sect, it still housed two thousand disciples. Aside from the four hundred or so chore disciples, there were over a thousand outer disciples. These disciples gathered in a vast open space, creating a sea of people.

In the center of the crowd were the nearly two hundred disciples who had signed up for the tournament.

The vast majority of these were outer disciples, all with a cultivation level of at least the seventh level of Qi Refining. In such a setting, the few individuals dressed in chore disciple attire stood out conspicuously.

"Look, it’s that guy! That’s the disciple who received the 'Perfect Disposition' rating in this year's assessment. What was his name again..."

"Hmph, he’s just a four-element spiritual root holder. So what if he has a 'Perfect Disposition'? He’s only just joined, and he’s already thinking of entering the tournament? He’s not afraid of being beaten to death in a single blow..."

"Look, there’s another one next to him. I bet neither of these two will last even a single exchange. They’re going to embarrass themselves for sure..."

The two people being discussed were Su Yi and Xu Ze.

Of all the tournament participants, they were the only two chore disciples.

The crowd’s discussion was completely unabashed. Xu Ze heard every word, and he could not help but clench his fists.

Su Yi, on the other hand, remained unmoved, as if the mockery and ridicule around him were merely a light breeze, failing to influence his state of mind in the slightest.

However, because the two of them made no move, the crowd assumed they were afraid, becoming increasingly emboldened and speaking even more viciously.

Xu Ze could not take it anymore and was about to step forward, but he was held back by a hand.

"Let me handle this trash."

Su Yi gave him a smile, then took a step forward, walking toward the braggarts.

Hearing Su Yi dare to call them trash, the male cultivators were incensed.

"You bastard, do you know who you're talking to? Do you dare say that again?!"

Before he could even get close, a fierce-looking male cultivator jumped out from the group, glaring at Su Yi with rage.

Su Yi glanced at him and shook his head.

"Don't misunderstand. I'm not targeting you. I'm saying... everyone here is trash."

Once these words were spoken, the air in the area seemed to freeze. The crowd stopped their clamor and stared at Su Yi in unison.

Simply... arrogant!

After a moment of silence, the scene erupted in an uproar.

Looking back at all the previous tournaments, they had never seen a disciple so brazen—daring to call everyone trash the moment he opened his mouth!

Even those who had not been hostile toward Su Yi now glared at him because of his words.

He had completely lost all sense of hierarchy!

"Kid, do you know who you're talking to? Have you ever seen a fist the size of a sandbag? Cross me, and I'll make you swallow it!"

"This kid is looking for death! Damn, should I call him brave or insane?"

"Bastard, how dare you provoke everyone! Kid, don't let me run into you. If you do, I'll beat you until you're begging for mercy!"

For a moment, the crowd became unusually united, glaring at Su Yi and hurling verbal abuse. The more hot-tempered disciples rolled up their sleeves and began walking toward him.

It looked as though a fight was about to break out.

The fierce-looking disciple also regained his composure, his face twisted with malice.

"Since you like to run your mouth, I'll make sure to knock all your teeth out!"

He said this while starting to walk toward him.

"What are you all doing? Private fighting is strictly prohibited before the tournament begins! Anyone who violates this will be disqualified immediately!"

Just then, a disciple responsible for maintaining order at the Inner Affairs Hall hurried over, his voice suppressing the scene that was on the verge of spinning out of control.

The disciples here all wanted to join the inner sect through the tournament, so their expressions changed at these words. The few who were about to attack scratched their heads in frustration, glared at Su Yi, and retreated.

However, Su Yi’s words had been too offensive; many disciples still couldn't resist hurling threats.

"You better hope you don't run into me later, or I'll tear you apart!"

"If you meet me, I'll twist your head off and kick it around like a chamber pot!"

"And me! If you run into me, I'll beat you until you're on your knees calling me 'Grandpa,' or I'll change my last name to yours!"

"You bastard, I'll let you be arrogant for a while longer. When you run into me later, I'll knock your teeth down your throat!"

Listening to the jeers and insults, Su Yi remained entirely unfazed, a mocking smile on his lips.

"If you want to face me, you’d better train harder. By the way, let me tell you: I’ve already claimed the championship for this tournament. Even the Dao Ancestor couldn't stop me—I said it!"

Upon hearing this, public outrage was incited once more. Almost all the outer disciples participating in the tournament were enraged, gritting their teeth and wishing they could rush forward and tear Su Yi to pieces right then and there.

"This guy is too arrogant! No! I can't take it!"

"I can't take it anymore, brothers! Come with me and beat him!"

"Charge!"

"Go!"

"..."

"Go on then, didn't you say you'd go?"

"You charge, why are you dawdling?"

Although they were all disgusted by Su Yi, actually making a move would mean disqualification. No one wanted to be the first to stick their neck out, so when it came time to actually act, they all began to find excuses to back down.