Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 75 - Stirring Up Trouble (1)

Mu Cengxiao stood in front of Tian Fangfang.

“Junior Brother Mu?” Tian Fangfang was also surprised. Mu Cengxiao usually kept to himself, rarely speaking. It was rare for him to show such brotherly affection. Tian Fangfang was touched. “Are you here to help?”

“Help?” Tan Tianxin’s sword was intercepted, his expression extremely unpleasant. He sneered, “With just a piece of scrap iron? Ridiculous.”

“Young Master Tan,” Tian Fangfang remembered Xuan Lingzi’s advice and spoke kindly, “Originally, we had no hostility. This gentleman only owes you some spirit stones. Why not make peace?”

“He won’t make peace.” Mu Cengxiao spoke calmly as he looked at Tan Tianxin. “His intention from the beginning was to eliminate them.”

“Eliminate?” Tian Fangfang was puzzled.

“Are you disciples here to participate in the Secret Realm Trial?” Mu Cengxiao looked down at the young man who was worriedly holding onto his senior brother. Upon hearing this, he nodded and said, “My senior brother and I are representing the Liuli Sect to participate in the Secret Realm Trial.”

Liuli Sect, that name rang a bell for Zanxing. Liuli Sect was a small sect formerly known as ‘Liuli Wandering Villa.’ During the Human-Demon War, this small sect also participated in the battle. Although they mostly kept a low profile, they persisted until the end, earning some reputation. Thus, they changed their name to ‘Liuli Sect,’ but their sect’s influence remained weak, belonging to the type of sect that was usually unheard of. It seemed evident now that they were being bullied by disciples of Chihua Sect.

“That’s correct.” Mu Cengxiao continued, “This gentleman, Young Master Tan, should also be here to participate in the Secret Realm Trial. The secret realm is limited in size, yet there are many people. If there’s one less competitor, naturally, there’s a greater chance for each of us.” He looked at Tan Tianxin. “Isn’t that right, Young Master Tan?”

In the Qiang Qiang Gambling Hall, silence filled the air for a while.

The secret realm of the Li’er Country wouldn’t open for another five days, but the competition had already begun from the moment they set foot on this land.

Perhaps this disciple of the Liuli Sect accidentally owed Tan Tianxin spirit stones, or maybe he fell into someone else’s trap from the beginning. But in this cultivation world of survival of the fittest, only one reason was needed. No matter how flimsy and full of loopholes the reason sounds, as long as there was a reason, it was enough.

The smile at the corner of Young Master Tan’s mouth paused, and he looked at Mu Cengxiao with a probing gaze. “What’s your name?”

“Mu Cengxiao, from the Taiyan Sect,” the youth replied coldly.

Zanxing: “….”

In the original work, the face-slapping plot was more or less the same, typically involving the antagonist provoking, the protagonist accepting the challenge, then immediately counterattacking, leaving everyone stunned and the scene explosive. But Zanxing distinctly remembered that never once did Mu Cengxiao introduce himself so boldly from the start.

This wasn’t part of the original plot.

The young man in blue beside him exclaimed, “Ah,” in surprise. “It turns out to be that declining sect. This is getting interesting.”

Zanxing furrowed his brow. What did he mean by “declining sect”? From the tone of the person beside him, it seemed like he was also a disciple of some sect.

On the other side, Tan Tianxin, upon hearing this, was first taken aback, then his gaze turned peculiar. He said, “Taiyan Sect?”

Within the gambling hall, there were other sect cultivators present. In the cultivation world, it was no secret that the Taiyan Sect and the Chihua Sect were arch-enemies. Hearing this, they all stayed to watch the scene unfold, unwilling to miss out on the excitement.

“I never expected it to be the Taiyan Sect meddling in our affairs,” Tan Tianxin chuckled a few times. Then he suddenly looked at Mu Cengxiao fiercely and said, “Is the Taiyan Sect reduced to just the two of you? Are you the geniuses who came to participate in the trial? Is the Taiyan Sect so depleted now?”

“Whether we are depleted or not is not for you to decide,” Mu Cengxiao said coldly.

“Alright,” Tan Tianxin stepped back and said, “Let’s give it a try. Huang Fan, He Ri.” Suddenly, two men in black-gray Daoist robes appeared from the gambling hall. Tan Tianxin wielded his long sword and said, “Let’s teach these wild dogs what a true major sect is!”

The two men brandished their swords and rushed toward Mu Cengxiao and Tian Fangfang alongside Tan Tianxin.

“Two against three, shameless,” Zanxing sent a message to Gu Baiying and drew her iron staff from her waist, charging forward. “Senior Brothers, I’ll help you guys!”

In the Qiang Qiang Gambling Hall, chaos erupted.

Mu Cengxiao faced off against Tan Tianxin, Tian Fangfang against He Ri, and Zanxing against a cultivator named Huang Fan. This Huang Fan was also quite young, probably in his early twenties. All the participants in this expedition to the secret realm were talented individuals recruited by various major sects in the past decade, so they were naturally quite young. However, as soon as they began fighting, Zanxing sensed the formidable strength of her opponent.

The Taiyan Sect emphasized comprehensive education, so disciples were trained in various weapons. For example, Zanxing used a staff, Mu Cengxiao used a sword, and Tian Fangfang used an axe, each with their unique characteristics. On the other hand, the disciples of the Chihua Sect exclusively used swords. Their swordsmanship was fierce, and their qi carried a bloodthirsty aura. They didn’t exhibit the elegance typical of sect cultivators, rather, they seemed like cold-blooded killers, wielding their swords as emotionless tools of murder.

The tip of the sword struck the edge of the flower-patterned rod, emitting a crisp sound. Huang Fan, the cultivator, sneered, “The Taiyan Sect looks so unattractive, resorting to such low-grade weapons for its disciples. It’s unbearable to watch.”

“The quality of a weapon doesn’t depend on its sophistication,” Zanxing replied. “It depends on the person using it.” With that, she tapped the tip of the staff, causing layers of blooming flowers to unfold from the shaft. Ripples of moonlight-colored waves appeared in the air, seemingly intending to draw the opponent’s sword in.

Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Huang Fan abruptly withdrew his sword. He was pushed back two steps by Zanxing’s iron staff, his expression filled with surprise.

“The Chihua Sect looks even more unattractive,” Zanxing returned his words unchanged. “To recruit such low-grade disciples, it’s unbearable to watch.”

Huang Fan’s face darkened, and he roared, “Shut up, you ugly freak!” Then he charged again with his sword. Where the staff and the sword clashed, sparks suddenly flew, but the continuous flow of flowers extinguished the sparks and enveloped the opponent’s sword. Huang Fan kept retreating step by step. Zanxing felt a strong wind behind her and heard Tian Fangfang shout, “Be careful, Junior Sister!”

Suddenly ambushed, Zanxing spun around to evade, but Huang Fan’s sword was already thrusting towards her chest.

The main male lead was right there, yet they were targeting her, the cannon fodder. The original work was really unfair!

There was a shrill scream from Mimi, followed a gleaming spear tip shooting out from a diagonal angle, effortlessly deflecting the menacing sword. The forceful wind generated by the spear tip was like a sea, and the owner of the sword couldn’t evade in time, getting smacked in the face by his own sword hilt.

The air in the arena seemed to freeze.

Zanxing looked ahead.

“Junior nephews,” the young man stood in front of her, his back to her, his voice filled with impatience. “Not even fifteen minutes in and you’ve already caused trouble. You’re really something.”