Chapter 280 - Three Lashes

Long Yuyin moved up the flight of steps as she walked up to Nie Li’s level. She lowered her head, swept a glance at him, and coldly smiled, “I never expected you to reach this level. However, with your lowly status, this should be your limit, right?”

Her words were filled with ridicule towards Nie Li.

At Long Yuyin’s words, Nie Li finally snapped, “Long Yuyin, you think you’re very talented? You think you’re that amazing? If it weren’t for the vast cultivating resources from your family, you’d be nothing! It’s just like you said, the Dragonseal Family can transform trash into geniuses. Without the Dragonseal Family, you’re no different from trash!”

Long Yuyin never expected Nie Li to outright rebuke her!

“You dare to call me trash?!” Long Yuyin’s eyes were filled with a frigid bloodlust as she eyed Nie Li. Ever since she was young, no one had ever dared to call her trash!

Nie Li coldly laughed. “Long Yuyin, putting your family aside, you’re a thorough piece of waste. You think that your Blood Dragon bloodline is so formidable? Haha, in my eyes, the Blood Dragon lineage is no difference from rubbish!” Nie Li was filled with indignation towards Long Yuyin’s arrogant appearance.

Originally, someone with Nie Li’s personality wouldn’t be easily enraged. However, he kept recalling Long Yuyin’s malicious words that had forced the death of his Master.

“Why wouldn’t I dare denounce you? Others are afraid of your identity, but I, Nie Li, am not afraid of you. A wretch like you should have your tongue cut out and deep fried!”said Nie Li, coldly.

“You actually dared to call me a wretch…” Long Yuyin’s face turned ashen as she pointed at Nie Li, “You actually dared to say such things to me?! I’ll annihilate your entire family!” Since when was Long Yuyin criticised like this before? When everyone looked at her, they all showed fear in their eyes. She’d already been used to looking down on everyone her age. Since when had anyone criticised her so viciously like Nie Li had done?

“Long Yuyin, you’re someone who’s only strong on the outside but weak on the inside. People like you just keep relying on your family’s strength. Without your family, you’re just a piece of trash. What genius? Hilarious! If you have the guts, come and compete with me. You think that being ranked tenth on the Saint Soul Board is very formidable? Very soon, I’ll let you know that everything you’ve been proud of is nothing but a mere joke!”

Long Yuyin was angered to the point that her chest heaved up and down. This was the first time that she’d been so enraged by someone.

Long Yuyin furiously glared at Nie Li as she tightly clenched her fist. “You’re only good with words. Let me tell you of the huge difference between us! A one on one competition? Haha, how laughable! No one has ever dared to say such words to me, Long Yuyin, before. I’ll have you lose so completely that you won’t be able to be anything but convinced of our differences! If you lose, I’ll give you three severe lashes. So, do you dare accept my challenge?”

Nie Li was someone who hadn’t even reached the Heavenly Fate Realm yet. Three lashes from Long Yuyin might even claim Nie Li’s life!

“Why wouldn’t I dare? I’ll throw the same words right back at you. The time limit is until the end of today. If you lose, I’ll serve your own three lashes to you!” Nie Li glared at Long Yuyin as he narrowed his eyes, which also contained chilling intent. “Do you dare?”

Nie Li was well aware that because of Long Yuyin’s Blood Dragon bloodline, three lashes were basically nothing to her. However, for a girl like Long Yuyin, three lashes would be even harder for her to accept than death.

Long Yuyin coldly laughed. “What a joke! Did you say I’ll lose?”

Nie Li coldly stared at Long Yuyin. “The question is, do you dare?”

After staring into Nie Li’s sharp gaze, how could Long Yuyin admit defeat? She snorted, “Why wouldn’t I dare? I’ll wait for you at the top!”

Upon finishing her words, Long Yuyin turned and moved up the steps. One hundred twenty-sixth step, one hundred twenty-seventh step.

With every step up, the Heavenly Dao’s repelling force grew stronger against her.

Xiao Yu looked at Nie Li and Long Yuyin and a trace of concern flashed through his eyes. He had no idea why Nie Li would provoke such a woman. If Long Yuyin were to give Nie Li three lashes, it might even claim Nie Li’s life! Xiao Yu knitted his brows and looked at Nie Li. He usually wasn’t such a rash person.

Like a wildfire, news of Nie Li and Long Yuyin’s bet spread across the Saint Soul Grounds.

“What? That kid Nie Li actually agreed to such a bet?”

“Yeah, that kid Nie Li really intends to achieve high results in one go. Simply impudent! Even if his talent is stronger than Long Yuyin’s, it’s impossible for him to surpass her in one day!”

“One hundred ninety-nine steps. Once you reach the one hundred twenty-somethingth step, every steps afterwards would be as hard as reaching the sky. That fellow Nie Li is being way too arrogant and conceited!”

“Long Yuyin’s three lashes will definitely kill that fellow!”

The number of people gathering outside the Saint Soul Grounds steadily increased in numbers. They all came for one reason: to see the results of the bet between Nie Li and Long Yuyin!

Simultaneously, elsewhere in the Skysoul Institute

Nanmen Tianhai and Huang Yu were closely observing the situation inside the Saint Soul Grounds. When they were first made aware of the bet, the two of them couldn’t help the solemn expressions that flashed over their faces.

Nanmen Tianhai furrowed his brows. “Although that kid Nie Li’s talent is pretty good, he’s still being too conceited. How could he offend Long Yuyin? If he loses the bet, those three lashes from Long Yuyin will kill him! Even if he manages to win, there’d be no benefit for him, other than the humiliation of Long Yuyin. On the contrary, he would end up offending the Dragonseal Family!”

Huang Yu sighed and said, “It’s unavoidable for youths to be a little rash. Long Yuyin’s excessively arrogant attitude probably made her say something that made him angry.”

They couldn’t help pondering the consequences of this matter. If this incident escalated out of hand, they would be forced to step in!

Back over at the Saint Soul Grounds

Long Yuyin walked up to the one hundred twenty-ninth step before stopping. Upon reaching this step, she could no longer proceed any further. She turned her head and coldly swept her eyes at Nie Li before she sat down on the step. From the one hundred and twentieth step onward, every step would become extremely tough. Each and every genius who’d reached this point would find great difficulty in taking another step forward.

Long Yuyin could sense that if she cultivated for a brief moment, she’d be able to move up to the one hundred-thirtieth step. That meant that on the Saint Soul Board, she’d be able to claim the ninth rank.

Nie Li trying to surpass her was simply a lunatic’s dream!

The first time she entered the Saint Soul Grounds, she’d only managed to reach one hundred twenty-five steps before stopping. Even after cultivating for two or three months, she’d only managed to move four steps up.

At that moment, Nie Li was continuously cultivating his Heavenly Energy before he finally made another step up, ascending to the one hundred twenty-second step.

At the sight of this, everyone who’d had their attention on him, was astonished. Nie Li had made that movement so quickly. To think he actually took another step up!

One must know that making a step in the one hundred twenty-somethingth steps was extremely difficult. That region was in the lower limit of the Heavenly Fate Realm’s communication with the Heavenly Dao. Those who’d yet to reach the Heavenly Fate Realm would only be able to reach the one hundred thirty-eighth step, maximum! That had been the record for over several thousands of years!

Everyone had their eyes glued on the two of them.

The corner of Long Yuyin’s mouth twitched. “Hmph. He actually made a step up. But so what? When I first came here, I ascended one hundred twenty-five steps.” She continued to quietly cultivate as she forced herself towards the one hundred thirtieth step.

The powerful repelling energy exerted a tremendous pressure on her Soul Realm and she felt as though it was about to burst open. However, Long Yuyin still clenched her teeth and laid her foot on the one hundred thirtieth step.

The Saint Soul Board changed, once again.

Long Yuyin’s name went from tenth to ninth.

Those who stood outside, staring at the tablet, immediately broke into a commotion.

“Good heavens! Long Yuyin actually managed to move up a step and became ninth!”

“As a newcomer, those results are too formidable!”

“Nie Li looks like he’s destined to lose. That kind of height isn’t anything that’s easily achievable!”

Undoubtedly, Long Yuyin was the most dazzling genius the institute had seen in recent years. Ordinary newcomers would find it extremely tough to reach such a high position in just a few months.

Nie Li had actually made that bet with that Long Yuyin. That was simply an ignorant and foolish mistake. Did he really think that Long Yuyin’s level was easily achievable through words?

Jin Yan stood on the one hundred nineteenth step. It’s already impossible for him to ascend further. He had already tried to push himself further several times, but his soul realm would suffer a terrifying pressure. When he raised his head to look at Long Yuyin and Nie Li’s silhouettes, his eyes were filled with jealousy.

Jin Yan was fine if he couldn’t win against Long Yuyin; but why couldn’t he even win against Nie Li? His heart was filled with dissatisfaction.

No matter how hard he tried, he could only remain where he was, and watch Nie Li and Long Yuyin from afar. He absolutely didn’t believe that Nie Li could win against Long Yuyin. Long Yuyin’s standards weren’t achievable by ordinary people. Wanting to win against Long Yuyin was simply impossible!

Xiao Yu also watched Nie Li in concern. He had no idea why Nie Li would make such a bet.

Nie Li furrowed his brows. When he reached the one hundred twenty-second step, he suddenly felt an intense pressure bearing down on him.

Nie Li thought to himself, ‘It’s just as Master told me in my previous life. My vicious thoughts are too heavy. There are tens of thousands of creatures that live between Heaven and Earth, and the Heaven and Earth accommodates all their vicious thoughts. But despite that, trying to gain the Heavenly Dao’s acknowledgement seems to be too difficult for me.’

However, the one hundred twentieth step was, of course, not his limit.

If he got stuck at just the one hundred and twenty-second step, then wouldn’t his two lives have been in vain?

Nie Li stood on the one hundred twenty-second step with both eyes closed and activated the [Heavenly God] cultivation technique. The [Heavenly God] cultivation technique was a powerful technique that could allow him to communicate with Heaven and Earth.

The first chapter of [Heavenly God] cultivation technique: The Heavenly Dao shines. Heaven shrouds but cannot contain. The Great Dao envelops but cannot dispute. Know all, perhaps, perhaps not.

Nie Li repeatedly muttered the first chapter of the [Heavenly God] cultivation technique as a surge of massive aura emanated from his body and spread throughout the surrounding area.