I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense

Chapter 797: Chapter 798: All the Competitors Have Died Out
 

“Li Xiaobai?”

“The one who’s part of the notorious four demons?”

“I heard your Sin Value has broken through a hundred thousand, surely the Enforcement Team isn’t here specifically for you, right?”

Elder Chen inquired.

“Of course not. Senior Wu is a cultivator at the Heavenly Immortal Realm, how could she possibly come in person to capture a minor cultivator like me from the Human Immortal Realm? She must have another purpose. Regardless, being able to survive under her assault is enough to prove my strength and fortune.”

Li Xiaobai said, smiling radiantly.

“That doesn’t make sense. How could a high-level expert of Wu Chengjue’s caliber appear in the Sword Sect’s secret realm meant for disciple training and go on a killing spree?”

“She’s the deputy helmsman of the Enforcement Team in the Eastern Continent, why would she personally take action against young members of our families?”

“Could it be that some formidable demon head happened to be hiding within that secret realm, and our sect disciples were actually caught in an undeserved calamity?”

Listening to the conversation between the two, the surrounding clan elders also vigorously began to discuss. They had all heard of Wu Chengjue’s great name; it was said that where she passed, not a blade of grass grew, all the people she killed were of monstrous sin, and her strength had already reached the pinnacle of the Heavenly Immortal Realm.

But a high-level expert like her should not be interested in a secret realm that only contained Demonic Beasts at the Earth Immortal Realm, right?

There was something strange about this matter.

“I’m asking you, since the entire trial ground was frozen over, how did you survive?”

Elder Chen’s face was full of skepticism. He didn’t believe a word from Li Xiaobai; something unknown must have happened within that secret realm.

“It’s because I have a Magic Treasure in my hand that resisted the severe cold, and thus I survived.”

“This item was discovered in some ruins and its power is extraordinary.”

Li Xiaobai said, his voice loud enough for the surrounding elders to hear. He intentionally said this for them, aiming to make himself appealing and thus attract numerous cultivators without making enemies. After all, an innocent man will bear the sin of possessing a jade.”

“What treasure is it that can even withstand the assault of the deputy helmsman of the Enforcement Team? Show me.”

Elder Chen spoke indifferently, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

“This doesn’t seem to have anything to do with our trial, right? I have already told everything that happened within the trial ground. If there are no further questions, Elder, may I ask if you can judge if we are eligible to enter the Inner Sect of the Sword Sect for cultivation now?”

Li Xiaobai said lightly.

“You still want to enter the Inner Sect? Only the top ten from the annual trial are allowed to enter the Inner Sect for cultivation. Are you so confident that you can stand out among the many cultivators?”

“Since you could survive, naturally, other disciples have also survived. For this trial, I will decide that all surviving cultivators can enter the Outer Sect for cultivation. As for the Inner Sect slots, let’s cut them in half, five will do!”

Elder Chen sneered, as he had become certain over the past few days that his grandson and several disciples from the royal families were still very much alive and well.

These chances to enter the Inner Sect were, of course, meant to be reserved for his grandson’s team.

How could those four notorious villains, with their terrible reputation, enjoy such favorable treatment?

“Uh, but…”

Li Xiaobai still wanted to say something else, but Elder Chen gestured to cut him off, “Enough, you four go hand over the Demonic Beast materials. I have already made up my mind about the assessment.”

“Ah!”

“We thank Elder Chen.”

The group looked somewhat awkward as they found the disciple responsible for collecting and recording, beginning to hand over the Demonic Beast materials.

Li Xiaobai reluctantly fumbled for a mammoth ivory from his bosom and handed it over – the disciple was taken aback.

Just this?

You want to enter Sword Sect for cultivation with just a mammoth ivory, and you even dream of entering the Inner Sect?

Is this not just like talking nonsense?

“Cough, cough, junior brother, are you sure? A single piece of ivory seems rather insufficient, doesn’t it? Offering Demonic Beast materials is not only a test of strength and cultivation level but also a contribution to the sect, to enhance the sense of belonging to it. You can’t be so perfunctory.”

The disciple spoke up.

“Yeah, just these. The size of the contribution doesn’t matter. We all harbor a heart fully devoted to serving the Sword Sect, and I believe the Sword Sect will surely understand our circumstances.”

Li Xiaobai said earnestly, gesturing for the old beggar and the others to submit their materials too, each with their pitifully small offerings.

The recording disciple was helpless. He suddenly felt an overwhelming tiredness in his heart. After swiftly noting down the details, he read out loud:

“Li Xiaobai, submitted Demonic Beast material: one mammoth tusk!”

“Elder Tianwu, submitted Demonic Beast material: one Golden Eagle feather!”

“Nicholas Er Gouzi, submitted Demonic Beast material: one crocodile dorsal scale!”

“Ji Wuqing: submitted Demonic Beast material: one Tiger Demon toe bone!”

This disciple’s reading became less and less confident.

The surrounding cultivators fell into a silent and speechless state, the atmosphere in the area turning weirdly dark and frightening.

Elder Chen’s forehead was covered in metaphorical black lines. Did each of them really think just scraping up a bit of material from some corner was enough to pass the trial?

That tusk was actually a rear molar, the size of a fingernail. Not to mention feathers and scales—they were all embarrassingly small. These were the types of things that would be ignored even if left on the roadside, something to offer to beggars!

Who were they looking down on?

He definitely needed to find a pretext to throw these four out later. So many cultivators were trying their hardest to enter the Sword Sect to practice; he could certainly do without these four small-time demon heads.

After submitting their materials, Li Xiaobai and the others stood aside, nonchalantly, as if they were waiting for a show to start.

As time ticked by, the expressions of the elders from the major forces became even grimmer—because after two hours passed, no other cultivators had exited from the trial’s entry point.

Their looks toward Li Xiaobai were changing. Could it be that they had calculated that all of their sect disciples would perish inside, which was why they seemed so fearless?

“What’s going on? My grandson is clearly not dead; why hasn’t he come out yet?”

“That’s right, the disciples of the Great Flame Dynasty haven’t perished either—their Soul Lamps are still burning brightly, showing strong vitality!”

“There are clearly survivors, so why haven’t they come out?”

The crowd grew anxious once more, their sharp gazes all turning to Li Xiaobai simultaneously. With his calm and collected demeanor, he must know something.

Li Xiaobai shrugged and said, “Didn’t I mention earlier? Inside, there’s a thousand miles covered with ice. If you go in now, you might still catch their final moments.”

“Scoundrel!”

“My son!”

“Let me have a look inside!”

“Alive, we must see them; dead, we must see the bodies!”

“Make sure to keep a close watch on these four, don’t let them leave!”

Elder Chen’s eyes flashed with ferocity as he instructed the Sword Sect disciples.

He headed straight into the trial area, with the family elders following closely behind, vanishing at the entrance in a moment.

Li Xiaobai and the old beggar exchanged glances, both seeing the hint of amusement in each other’s eyes.

The little yellow chicken patted its round belly, squinting its small eyes to slits. It had gathered all of the surviving cultivators—now, no one could compete with them for the Sword Sect disciple spots!