"Chu Yuan, what kind of attitude is that?" Huyan Lanruo said, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.
"I'm laughing because I can't figure out what kind of soup this kid fed you all, that you'd actually think he's a genius! A cripple with nothing but a red Soul Sea — what kind of achievements can he possibly have in his lifetime? And this piece of trash thinks he's fit to associate with us?" Chu Yuan sneered. He was on good terms with
"You've gone too far!"
Nie Li's gaze turned cold. He didn't consider Chu Yuan worth his time, so he couldn't be bothered to respond. But that didn't mean he would indefinitely tolerate a jumping clown performing right in front of him.
"Chu Yuan, your talent isn't exactly anything to write home about either. You're three years older than Nie Li and still stuck at Bronze Three Star. You've got some nerve criticizing others," Huyan Lanruo said with a smile. Many scions of prominent families at their age had already advanced to Silver, yet Chu Yuan remained at Bronze Three Star.
Hearing Huyan Lanruo's words, Chu Yuan felt a flush of embarrassment. Among their generation, he wasn't the worst in terms of talent, but he was easily the least hardworking. He spent every day indulging in wine and women, paying no attention to his cultivation, and was still only at Bronze Three Star.
"So what? At least I have a yellow Soul Sea. With just a little effort, breaking through to Silver won't be difficult. But him? He'll probably never reach Bronze One Star in his entire life!" Chu Yuan continued to strike at Nie Li without mercy. The fact that Nie Li kept his mouth shut clearly meant he was scared. Someone like Nie Li could only fool people with a pretty face and sweet talk — what real ability could he possibly have?
A red Soul Sea was nothing but garbage!
Nie Li swept his sharp gaze toward Chu Yuan and let out a cold laugh. "Then I'll issue you a challenge right now. Loser has to get on all fours and bark like a dog three times around the courtyard. What do you say?"
The moment she heard Nie Li's words, Ye Ziyun tensed and tugged at his sleeve. What was wrong with Nie Li? He was actually challenging Chu Yuan? His current cultivation hadn't even reached Bronze One Star, while Chu Yuan was already at Bronze Three Star! That gap in levels was like an uncrossable chasm — utterly impossible to bridge.
Seeing the worry etched on Ye Ziyun's face, Nie Li felt a small warmth in his chest. She really did care about him.
Huyan Lanruo, on the other hand, showed a brief moment of surprise before her gaze settled on Nie Li with a hint of deeper interest. He didn't seem like the type to act recklessly.
Chu Yuan froze for a moment upon hearing Nie Li's challenge, then burst into uproarious laughter. "What did I just hear? You're challenging me? Ha! That's the funniest joke I've ever heard. A Bronze One Star wants to challenge me! Talk about not knowing your own limits!"
"Nie Li, don't be impulsive," Ye Ziyun said, thinking he had been provoked into an irrational decision.
"Even without using Soul Power, my physical strength alone is more than enough to smash your teeth all over the ground!" Chu Yuan laughed arrogantly. His physical strength alone already rivaled Bronze One Star. "Kid, if you're scared, take back what you said while you still can!"
Nie Li flexed his fingers, producing a series of sharp cracks from his knuckles. He regarded Chu Yuan with an icy gaze. "If every day I have to deal with trash like you jumping around in front of me, I'll never have any peace! Since you're so blind, I'll have to step in and teach you a lesson. There are people you simply cannot afford to offend!" As he spoke, Nie Li's eyes swept over Shen Yue and the others as well.
Chu Yuan's expression darkened, and he glared viciously at Nie Li. "You're asking for this!"
Even
Yet Nie Li didn't strike Chen Linjian as the reckless type. A flicker of curiosity arose in his mind, and he waved his hand, signaling the onlookers to step back a safe distance.
"Don't worry," Nie Li said softly beside Ye Ziyun, a grin on his face. "If your man can't even handle a little scene like this, might as well walk into a wall and die!"
"You—" Ye Ziyun's cheeks flushed crimson, and she stamped her foot. Nie Li was seriously the worst! She had only been showing a friend's concern, yet here he was running his mouth like that. It irritated her to no end — maybe she should just let Chu Yuan teach him a lesson.
Watching Ye Ziyun's flustered and exasperated reaction, Huyan Lanruo cast a meaningful half-smile at Nie Li. So he wasn't some wooden block who didn't understand anything — the boy actually knew how to make a girl's heart flutter. But ever since earlier, his attitude toward her had been cold. Was it possible her charm wasn't enough? Huyan Lanruo was confident that with her allure, wrapping a boy like Nie Li around her little finger should be effortless! She found herself even more intrigued by him.
The crowd parted, leaving two clear spaces for Nie Li and Chu Yuan.
Shen Yue watched the scene unfold, a cold gleam flickering in his eyes. Nie Li actually dared to challenge Chu Yuan — he was practically courting death. He had spoken with Chu Yuan several times, and he knew that if the opportunity arose, Chu Yuan would beat Nie Li half to death. But for reasons he couldn't quite articulate, seeing the calm certainty on Nie Li's face sent a vague sense of unease stirring in his heart.