Chao Tianjiao’s eyes lit up. She murmured, “When the strong lose their temper, they draw their blades at the stronger. When the weak lose their temper, they draw their blades at the weaker… Well said! Now lower your blade!”
“Huh?” Li Qingshan was taken aback.

  Chao Tianjiao sneered. “You want to use a weapon like that in a conflict between fellow disciples? Don’t tell me you’re planning on killing him?”
Li Qingshan rolled his eyes. “But you said that this is a battle to the death.”
“Have I?” Chao Tianjiao looked around at Le Tian and Pi Yangqiu beside her. They both chimed in cooperatively, “You haven’t.”
Chao Tianjiao placed her foot on the railing and leaned over. “Kid, this is my territory. I set the rules!” Let’s see if you’re still so arrogant when you have nothing to rely on!

  “Fair enough.” Li Qingshan stowed the blade away and turned towards Shen Yushu before asking loudly again, “Do you all know what the strong is?”
Shen Yushu felt some pity inside. He could not kill Li Qingshan here. However, as soon as he remembered how killing Li Qingshan would definitely infuriate Ruan Yaozhu, he no longer found such a pressing need to do so anymore. Once he became a direct disciple, a formal disciple would be completely at his whim anyway.

  He sneered and said, “Li Qingshan, don’t get too cocky. The loser will leave the Hundred Herbs garden forever.”
Li Qingshan completely ignored him, raising his right arm without looking back and clenching his fist. “When the strong lose their temper, they raise their fists at the stronger. When the weak lose their temper, they raise their fists at the weaker!”
Le Tian grinned, while Pi Yangqiu looked up. His lips also curled slightly.

  Chao Tianjiao berated him furiously. “Have you had enough!?”
Li Qingshan smiled. “I’m afraid that I won’t even be able to use my hands later. But that’s fine too. Against the likes of him, I’ll headbutt him to death even if I can’t use my hands or legs!”
Shen Yushu ground his teeth. “You’re asking to die!” He pointed at the ground and made a gesture. “Woodland Imprisonment!”
Towering trees rose up from the ground, bending and curling like dragons and snakes, surrounding Shen Yushu. The grey bark shone with a metallic lustre, like an impregnable fortress of metal. It continued to grow, becoming extremely thick and sturdy, standing on the swamp.

  This was originally a technique for trapping the enemy, yet he had used it to protect himself. With his experience of failure, he had to make sure that nothing could go wrong this time, such that he gave him no openings at all. He would turn himself untouchable first.

  If anyone wanted to reach him, they had to destroy this fortress of metal first, while he could continue to make the trees grow.

  Even Human Sovereigns with Yang Souls would need to expend quite a bit of effort when they could not use arcane treasures.

  “This Shen Yushu is a coward!”
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  Chao Tianjiao furrowed her brows. Even against a Soul Nascence cultivator, he was so timid and cautious that even she felt embarrassed. It formed a clear contrast against Li Qingshan’s arrogance. However, she also stopped worrying, dismissing that slight feeling of uneasiness.

  “Sigh, it’s going to be difficult now!”
Pi Yangqiu sighed. If he had the asura armament, then the situation would be slightly better. Even he could not think of a way for Li Qingshan to penetrate Shen Yushu’s defences right now.

  He glanced at Le Tian. “I really don’t know where you find the confidence to gamble against me.”
Le Tian stared straight at Li Qingshan. His eyes shone brightly. “I have no confidence. I only believe in him. Come, my dark horse. Show me how you win!”
To her great dismay, Chao Tianjiao discovered that she felt slightly uncertain once again inside, Don’t tell me he can actually win? No, that’s completely impossible. Even I cannot overcome a situation like this if I were in his shoes.

  Ruan Yaozhu practised the Heavenly Tome of Nature too, so she understood it extremely well. From a certain perspective, this heavenly tome actually suppressed fighters who possessed tough physiques like them. The vegetation it produced could grow endlessly, possessing the endless power of nature. It definitely was not just a fixed defence, but a natural trap that could be used on the offence. If Li Qingshan wanted to approach Shen Yushu, he would instead be walking into the trap, guaranteeing his defeat.

  As a result, Li Qingshan simply stood where he was with his arms crossed. He sneered. “So you’re this afraid of me? I’ll let you take three moves first then. Let’s say that’s the first. You’re welcome to try a little harder!”
Chao Tianjiao furrowed her brows, Just what is he trying to do? Why isn’t he making an attempt at a slim victory considering the fact that the defence isn’t completely sturdy just yet and saying something like letting him take three moves first? Does he really want to lose?

  If it were an actual battle to the death, a method of defence like that was extremely foolish. Li Qingshan would be fine as long as he ignored him, and Shen Yushu would actually become imprisoned in a forest.

  However, this was a duel, and the arena was only this swamp. The most terrifying part about the Heavenly Tome of Nature was that as long as there was ample time to cast techniques and spur on the plants, it would become stronger and stronger. It was capable of a myriad of different things too.

  “Then let me take those moves!”
Shen Yushu sneered. Sure enough, he continued to strengthen his defences. He spent fifteen whole minutes on it, and the fortress of metal had grown to several times its size from before, occupying a tenth of the swamp. And sure enough, Li Qingshan simply remained where he was and watched on without even batting an eye.

  A duel like that was extremely rare even in the Xuanwu area. Chao Tianjiao said, “Hmph, one’s a coward and the other’s a fool!”
Shen Yushu finished his preparations and cut to the chase. He bellowed out, “Yin Soul projection!”
His Yin Soul rose up into the air, staring at Li Qingshan with its jade-green eyes. It spread its arms and slowly raised them.

  The calm surface of the swamp suddenly began to surge. Huge trees churned and grew from the mud, like hundreds of wriggling snakes, filling the entire swamp. He was determined to give Li Qingshan no opportunity at all, to crush him with his cultivation at Yin Soul. He unleashed the strongest aspect of the Heavenly Tome of Nature. He wanted to push Li Qingshan into dire straits step by step while appreciating the despair on his face.

  However, to his disappointment, Li Qingshan was unfazed. “Second move.”
“Alright, very good!”
Shen Yushu laughed out of anger and continued to power the Heavenly Tome of Nature, raising trees one after another. In a short while, the swamp had turned into a forest as if it had already grown there for tens of thousand years. The criss-crossing branches sealed off the sky.

  Chao Tianjiao said, “There’s no need to watch anymore. It’s his loss! Tsk, and I had thought he was capable of something. Turns out it was all just an act!”
Le Tian slammed the railing and called out fervently, “No, my dark horse doesn’t lose!”
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  Shen Yushu roared furiously, “Go die!”
His Yin Soul shone with blinding green light, unleashing all of his resentment and fury instantly. The endless forest tilted towards Li Qingshan at the same time like tsunamis from all directions, swallowing him instantly like a great net that had suddenly tightened. They wrapped together firmly layer after layer. The tremendous force behind them made his body creak. If it were not for his physique of the demonic and divine, he would have been crushed to a pulp instantly.

  Li Qingshan cried out frantically, “Ah, I can’t hold on for any longer!”
Chao Tianjiao was unable to watch this, turning her head away. Even when she won the gamble, she did not feel happy. This is far too shameful. How can there be such a shameless man? When she recalled the slight feeling of uneasiness she experienced earlier, she felt even more humiliated. She had actually almost been fooled by a bastard like this. I really do want to butcher him! But whatever, I’ll just let this serve as a lesson to him! There’s no need to anger Bamboo over a piece of trash like him.

  She was just about to interfere and save him from there.

  Li Qingshan’s voice, filled with laughter, rang out from the trees. It was a little deep. “Just kidding. That’s the third move. It’s my turn now!”