ETR | Chapter 53

Xiao Xueman originally thought they were coming for Yu Zhengrong, but unexpectedly, it was him they were after.

"Are you the legendary Xiao Xueman?"

"I don't know where you heard that legend," Xiao Xueman sighed, "I am Xiao Xueman, but whether I match the legend in your imagination is another matter."

Probably because of his trip to the First Heaven last time, news about him couldn't be kept under wraps.

"You, a president of an arena, and a president of the Mercenary Guild, both running over here, is that really okay?"

Although the person in front of him wasn't from Wangtian Immortal Gate, Xiao Xueman still found him a bit of a headache.

He had heard of the Mercenary Guild President Feng Yiyan’s name before—a wind and fire dual-type, Spirit God Level 4.

Because of his dual-type, his strength was slightly higher than Yu Zhengrong’s.

Speaking of which, Xiao Xueman had to thank him, because the auxiliary pills Xiao Wan used before were all given by him.

So Xiao Xueman’s attitude had always been good since he appeared.

Feng Yiyan, true to his wind and fire dual-type nature, was straightforward and fiery in speech.

“Everyone in the First Heaven is saying Xiao Xueman is back.

At first, I didn’t believe it, but after checking carefully, Yu Zhengrong kept running down there every day, not coming back for a day or two, so I knew he must be looking for you.”

Xiao Xueman sat down and poured himself a cup of tea, not nervous at all, and asked him back, “So what exactly do you want?”

“To fight you!”

Feng Yiyan’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“I used to fight Yu Zhengrong every day, and after beating him, it got boring.

I’ve always wanted to fight Wangtian Immortal Gate, but I can’t get into the inner gate.

Yin Ying is nowhere to be found, and Qin Lou, even more so, can’t be found in a lifetime.

Now that I’ve finally found you, you must fight me!”

Xiao Xueman: “…”

He had seen people like this before.

In the Spirit Realm Continent, where combat power reigns supreme, there are quite a few of them.

Simply put, they’re battle maniacs, and fighting is the meaning of their cultivation.

Feng Yiyan is probably a standout among them.

Luckily, Xiao Wan went to the mines; otherwise, if he came back and saw this person, he probably wouldn’t be able to cultivate in peace.

“Don’t pay attention to him. He deliberately followed me here this time,” Yu Zhengrong also looked a bit troubled.

“To suppress his strength and come to the Middle Realm, he even went to the guild to fight and snatched their pills, took them to temporarily hide his strength to come here.

After taking the pills, he gets a bit excited, but don’t worry, the pills only last two days, and he’ll leave soon.”

With Feng Yiyan's combative nature, he should have swapped roles with Yu Zhengrong and become the president of the arena.

Xiao Xueman didn't take this matter seriously. This is the Twelfth Heaven; after Feng Yiyan suppressed his strength, he couldn't beat him anyway. After being noisy for a while, he was quickly tied up by Xiao Xueman.

Vines wrapped around him securely, pinning him to the ground, making him unable to move.

"Stop making a fuss," Xiao Xueman sighed, "I don't like fighting people for no reason now."

He remembered the matter of the pills and didn't hurt him. But this guy, dissatisfied with being suppressed here, insisted on Xiao Xueman going to the First Heaven to have a proper fight.

After a brief exchange and being tied up, Feng Yiyan seemed even more excited.

"You must fight me!" His eyes gradually turned fanatical, "No other wood-type is like you!"

Seeing Xiao Xueman tie him up, Yu Zhengrong thought of sending him back to the First Heaven.

Feng Yiyan was tied up tightly by Xiao Xueman’s vines, unable to struggle.

Even when he tried to threaten Yu Zhengrong verbally, it didn’t stop his actions.

“Thanks for the pills, but I won’t go back to the First Heaven just to fight you,” Xiao Xueman said. “Go back.”

“Pills?”

Feng Yiyan’s expression turned a bit strange upon hearing this.

He seemed to remember something, glanced at Yu Zhengrong, then smiled.

“Is it the pill that assists dual-type cultivation? Did Yu Zhengrong give it to you?

Hey, Xiao Xueman, if you agree to have a good fight with me, I’ll give you the pill recipe for free, how about that?”

Xiao Wan’s dual-type spiritual power was becoming more stable, and he was gradually needing less medication.

Afraid of developing a dependency, he was consciously reducing the frequency of medication, relying more on himself for control.

The pill was still useful, and having the recipe in his hands would naturally be great.

Hearing this, Xiao Xueman hesitated for a moment.

“Xueman, don’t believe him,” Yu Zhengrong quickly said.

“This pill was made by an alchemist under him. It’s a secret recipe, and even if the alchemist is under the arena, the recipe might not be disclosed within the sect.

Feng Yiyan doesn’t know alchemy; he doesn’t know the recipe and just wants to trick you into fighting.”

Yu Zhengrong was clearly a bit nervous, even trying to seal Feng Yiyan’s voice to stop him from speaking further.

Feng Yiyan saw through his intentions and struggled even more.

Yu Zhengrong couldn’t seal him, and instead, he shouted,

“I don’t know the recipe, but I know the main ingredients! I don’t know alchemy, but I’ve inquired and know you’re an alchemy master.

I’ll tell you this, and you can figure it out yourself eventually!”

Xiao Xueman had studied the pills before.

Most of the ingredients he could recognize, but there were a few that, due to being refined and mixed in the pill, he couldn’t distinguish.

Now, few things could pique Xiao Xueman’s interest, and this recipe was one of them.

“Win or lose, you’ll tell me?”

“Of course,” Feng Yiyan promised.

“I swear on the name of the arena, I won’t lie. If you really beat me, I’ll tell you more—all that you want to know.”

Feng Yiyan was combative, and he indeed had the capital for it.

Spirit God Level 4 strength wasn’t particularly outstanding in terms of level.

Several pavilion masters in Wangtian Immortal Gate had equal or higher levels.

Not to mention Qin Lou—Yin Ying, as an elder above the nine pavilions, was Spirit God Level 6.

But dual-type spiritual power can challenge higher levels.

Feng Yiyan’s spiritual power was strong, his combat experience rich, and when he went crazy, he didn’t care about his life.

In terms of actual combat, even Yin Ying, two levels higher, might not be able to beat him.

The First Heaven always acknowledged Feng Yiyan as the most powerful spirit cultivator besides Qin Lou.

He couldn’t find Qin Lou, but in previous battles, he hadn’t lost to anyone.

Fortunately, Feng Yiyan only liked fighting and not expanding his influence; otherwise, the First Heaven might not be as peaceful on the surface.

Now, having received news of Xiao Xueman, he heard that this legendary empress was no less than Spirit God Level 9 Qin Lou.

But he searched for a long time and couldn’t find Xiao Xueman’s trace.

Later, he sensed something and followed Yu Zhengrong’s trail to find him.

Xiao Xueman was genuinely tempted by the recipe.

Xiao Wan had gone out again and wouldn’t be back for a while.

Going to the First Heaven for a fight, at most, would take two or three days, and it wouldn’t delay anything.

Moreover, after the fight, he could also visit Shen Guan in the Second Heaven.

It had been three years since they last met, and he wondered how the Fox Clan was doing.

Yu Zhengrong saw Xiao Xueman’s expression and knew he was seriously considering it.

He glared at Feng Yiyan and whispered,

“Can you calm down a bit? Don’t cause trouble here! And don’t talk nonsense!”

"I never talk nonsense," Feng Yiyan, still tied up, grinned, "How about it, not a bad deal, right?"

"Not bad," Xiao Xueman admitted, "Shall we go now?"

"Great!" Feng Yiyan's face lit up with excitement, "Right now!"

Yu Zhengrong's face grew more tense after hearing this. He stepped forward, trying to persuade, "Xueman, this..."

"Don't worry, I won't lose," Xiao Xueman said, "I'll be back as soon as possible. You stay here and wait for Xiao Wan. He shouldn't be back so soon, but just in case."

Yu Zhengrong knew his character, firm in his decisions. Once he spoke, there was no taking it back.

The arena and Mercenary Guild's transportation spirit instruments were parked in Tianyin City. Xiao Xueman untied Feng Yiyan, and the two could adjust their state on the way to the First Heaven.

Feng Yiyan clearly took this fight seriously, focusing on recuperating and nurturing his spirit along the way. Xiao Xueman, on the other hand, remained relaxed, brewing a pot of tea for himself on the ark.

When they arrived at the First Heaven, Feng Yiyan emerged from his cultivation, opening his eyes just as Xiao Xueman finished his pot of tea and had eaten most of the snacks on the table.

"The snacks are good, and the tea is nice," Xiao Xueman commented when he saw him awake, "Better than Tianyin City's."

Previously, in the Twelfth Heaven, Feng Yiyan didn't take being quickly tied up seriously. He had taken the strength-suppressing pills and couldn't exert his true power, so it didn't count.

"I've already forced out the effects of the pills," Feng Yiyan felt Xiao Xueman seemed too laid-back, "Don't be too arrogant. Your fame was from hundreds of years ago. The Spirit Realm Continent changes rapidly, and no one can stay at the top forever."

Xiao Xueman smiled at him, still with that gentle demeanor.

But when they truly rested in the First Heaven, and Feng Yiyan, full of ambition, made his move, he felt the same overwhelming pressure as in the Twelfth Heaven.

Xiao Xueman didn't need a spirit instrument; he simply didn't need one.

In Feng Yiyan's eyes, as a battle maniac with a strong attack type, wood-type, being an auxiliary type, was never taken seriously. But Xiao Xueman shattered his expectations.

Turns out, wood-type could be played like this.

Without needing to move, Xiao Xueman released his spiritual power, and the sky-covering vines formed an unbreakable barrier. Feng Yiyan hadn't even had a chance to make a move before he was sealed and unable to move.

Xiao Xueman was at least Spirit God Level 9 to have such overwhelming control over him.

The vines, whatever they were, couldn't be burned by Feng Yiyan's fire, nor cut by his wind blades. As he was gradually entangled by the vines, he felt fear for the first time.

"I won," Xiao Xueman hadn't moved a step since entering the field, "Want to continue?"

Feng Yiyan remained silent.

"You're still young, and you have opportunities to improve in the future," Xiao Xueman kindly added, "Being dual-type, when you reach Spirit God Level 7, maybe you can have a proper fight with me."

His words seemed to stab another knife into Feng Yiyan's heart.

Spirit God Level 7, easier said than done.

For the past century, with Qin Lou absent, Feng Yiyan had no opponents, and he had grown somewhat arrogant, feeling special. Even as a Spirit God Level 5, he thought he could contend with a Level 9, but reality told him otherwise.

"A bet is a bet. Come on, give me the recipe."

Feng Yiyan was released from the vines. He lay on the ground, silent. Hearing this, he slowly took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over.

"I need some quiet," after the fight, he felt a bit broken, "to reflect on life."

Xiao Xueman, having obtained the recipe, didn't care what he did. Feng Yiyan was a bit reckless but also quite sincere.

Xiao Xueman, being much older, felt a bit like he was bullying a kid seeing Feng Yiyan like this.

“You didn’t use your wind and fire dual-type well,” Xiao Xueman offered some advice before leaving.

“The strong attack direction is good, but you also need to be flexible.

Wind-type is fast; if you hadn’t charged directly at the start and instead dodged from the flanks, it would have been much better.”

Xiao Xueman wasn’t giving random advice.

He had taught a wind-type and a fire-type before—Qin Lou and Yin Ying—both top-notch on the continent.

Take Yin Ying, for example.

In a direct fight, he might not beat Feng Yiyan, but combat is complex, not just about head-on clashes.

Yin Ying was good at avoiding the sharp edge; even if he couldn’t win directly, he could escape.

Moreover, if he used the wind-type to repeatedly dodge and deplete Feng Yiyan’s spiritual power, in a prolonged battle, the outcome would be uncertain.

Qin Lou was even more formidable; no matter the method, Feng Yiyan wasn’t his match.

Perhaps because Feng Yiyan happened to be a wind and fire dual-type, Xiao Xueman unconsciously thought of the two he had taught. His eyes flickered, and he stopped talking about it.

Feng Yiyan's eyes lit up, "If I fight like that, do I have a chance to win against you?"

Xiao Xueman thought for a moment and answered honestly, "No, but you could last a bit longer."

Author's Note:

Xiao Xueman: One punch, one kid.