Chen Xingchu was stunned.

He had finally found somebody more arrogant than himself.

What on earth was he implying? That if they did not compete for cultivation, then Chen Xingchu would utterly lose in all other aspects...?

What kind of stupid joke was that!

What other aspect of him was Xu Xiaoshou implying as being inferior to him?

You are just a mere Innate rank. What gave you the right to speak so arrogantly?

And in the blink of an eye, Chen Xingchu found himself once again infuriated.

But it surprised him when he glanced at the two major figures of the spirit palace. They showed no reaction at all.

The one who was pouring tea seemed to be fixated on his drink, while the one who was resting with his eyes closed...

Their laid-back demeanor seemed a little too casual, and it was as if they had gotten used to such antics.

"Huh...?"

Chen Xingchu lost his composure right away.

And why did he feel this way?

Because he would get a thorough tongue-lashing from the hall master if he ever displayed such arrogance. Yet this nobody had blatantly done so, and the masters of the spirit palace acted as if they heard nothing!

Or could it be that they thought the "utter nonsense" this brat was spouting was true to a certain extent?

Besides, who does he think he is? Why is he staring at me as if I am some pitiful poor wretch...

Motherf****r!

Chen Xingchu was seething with indignation to the point his hair literally stood up like a fighting rooster. At that moment, he had a sudden urge to vent out his anger.

"Xu Xiaoshou! What, are you afraid to have the duel?"

Suppressing the anger in his heart with some effort, he used a disdainful tone to taunt Xu Xiaoshou. But the challenge came across as somewhat satirical.

Jiang Bianyan frowned when he saw the two masters of the spirit palace remaining pretty calm and simply observing the exchange nonchalantly.

How could they be so relaxed? Could it be that Xu Xiaoshou had some trick up his sleeve?

If that's the case, then we better be a little more careful. The last thing we need is for something unexpected to happen!

He glanced at Yu Zhiwen, who was sitting at the end discreetly and the latter had nodded after receiving the sign.

She lowered her head, and her long eyelashes trembled lightly, shading her mesmerizing starry eyes.

After half a breath, she activated her starry eyes again, and they seemed to glow dimly.

Within her eyes, there seemed to be millions of stars being guided by a divine force. Then they started dancing and swirling in a circle of light before blazing outward brilliantly.

Then, in the next second, the light in Yu Zhiwen's beautiful eyes faltered, and the radiant light was snuffed out without warning.

But it was not because she had detected some unknown horrifying presence. On the contrary, her eyes had come into direct contact with an even more terrifying existence.

Xu Xiaoshou was staring right at her up close, with his eyes wide open!

"Oh, f*ck...!"

Yu Zhiwen was so shocked that her whole body trembled and she staggered back unconsciously. And when she fell into her seat, the chair slid back slightly.

CREAK...

The piercing sound once again echoed in the silent council hall and attracted everyone's attention.

Yu Zhiwen instantly felt blushed and even her neck was flushed a vivid red now. She sat in her seat, feeling awkward and helpless.

When she got the attention of everyone's eyes, she felt so embarrassed that she wanted to cover up her eyes with her veil immediately.

How embarrassing!

She rued the fact that she caused such distraction at such a key moment. Being introverted by nature, she blanched and lost her composure.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

Xu Xiaoshou softened his intense stare. He showed some concern and asked, "Do you want some ginger tea?"

Everyone was taken aback.

So, direct?

"Suspected, passive points, +5."

"I'm good, thank you," she responded.

Yu Zhiwen tried to shrug it off, but she had replied with a high-pitched voice that ended flat and barely audible.

She placed her thin hands nervously between her thighs and was grabbing onto her skirt. And her entire body had stiffened.

Xu Xiaoshou almost laughed.

Indeed, there was something very unusual with this girl's eyes.

Although he did not know what function do they served, that pair of extraordinary starry eyes were probably something extraordinary.

Anyway, he had probably prevented her from properly activating her spirit skill.

As Xu Xiaoshou was assessing her, he did not notice another stiffened body before him. Standing next to the seated Yu Zhiwen, this graceful young man appeared to be petrified.

And Chen Xingchu certainly was, for he was completely shocked.

Here he was, once again being ignored!

His eyes twitched as he clenched his fists tightly.

"Xu, Xiao, Shou!" he bellowed.

"Called, passive points, +1."

Xu Xiaoshou raised his head and frowned.

"Hm? You're still here?"

Chen Xingchu was piqued.

"Cursed, passive points, +1."

"The match hasn't started. Where could I go?" Chen Xingchu snarled, almost breathing fire.

"Huh? You mean you still want to compete? I think you have lost."

"You f*cking..."

Chen Xingchu checked himself and stopped his ranting abruptly when he noticed a few pairs of scary eyes cast on him. And he cooled him down immediately.

"... It seems to me you have no courage to face me and just want to avoid the duel!"

Xu Xiaoshou looked cynically at his opponent and broke out in laughter. He stood up to his full height and asked, "You want to compete?"

"Humph!" Chen Xingchu turned his head.

"You're sure that you won't regret it?"

"Cut the crap, fight me!"

Xu Xiaoshou looked over at Ye Xiaotian and gave him a derisive look. It was as if to say he could not make sense of why the Dean had made him fight with a guy who had no heart or strength.

He thought it'd be better if he had been told to fight the girl beside Chen Xingchu. That way, he could figure out what her trump card was!

Ye Xiaotian nodded slightly, giving him the signal not to hold back.

Xu Xiaoshou understood.

"So, am I setting the rules?"

Looking at how Chen Xingchu behaved, Xu Xiaoshou thought he'd be the type to give it all he got in one go...

Chen Xingchu nodded.

"Mm."

He sighed, then walked up to Chen Xingchu and circled him twice as if to assess him. Then he stopped when he got to Yu Zhiwen's side.

"I am a gentleman and would like to settle matters peacefully. Why don't we sit down and have a debate about the path?"

Yu Zhiwen was alarmed.

Why is he coming so close to her to debate about the path?

She wanted to shift her position but was afraid that she might interrupt the proceedings again by dragging her chair. So she remained next to Xu Xiaoshou.

Chen Xingchu did not expect Xu Xiaoshou to propose such a thing, but thinking that Xu Xiaoshou's cultivation rank was extremely low, it suited him well. He responded with a mirthless laugh.

"Fine with me!"

Xu Xiaoshou immediately grabbed Chen Xingchu's chair over and sat down next to Yu Zhiwen. His move caused everyone's faces to twitch.

In a casual tone, Xu Xiaoshou asked, "It seems to me, you specialize in swordsmanship?"

The east was famous for swordsmanship and the more renowned an organization was, the more likely its disciples specialized in swordsmanship. The Holy Divine Palace was no different.

Chen Xingchu clenched his teeth, seeing that Xu Xiaoshou had conveniently taken that his seat. It immediately put him at a disadvantage!

He grabbed his sword and dragged a seat next to Zhao Xidong, then sat down gracefully.

"That's right!" Chen Xingchu replied.

CREAK...

Zhao Xidong shifted his seat away as quietly as he could...

Chen Xingchu was vexed.

"Cursed, passive points, +1."

Zhao Xidong's gesture made Xu Xiaoshou almost break out in laughter. He pointed at the item in Chen Xingchu's hand, and asked, "Is this a sword?"

The question puzzled Chen Xingchu. He looked down and became annoyed again.

Fool! What else could it be if not a sword? A knife?

"Are you blind?" Chen Xingchu scowled.

"No, I mean, what rank is your sword?" Xu Xiaoshou clarified.

Chen Xingchu looked down his nose with pride, and replied, "It's ranked five!"

DANG!

Xu Xiaoshou suddenly trembled. He even lost his sense of balance and swooned, falling into Yu Zhiwen's arms.

"Oh, sorry, sorry..."

Yu Zhiwen frowned, unclear of Xu Xiaoshou's intention.

Chen Xingchu glared with a look of disdain.

Huh, what a bumpkin!

A mere rank-five sword sent him into such a shock. Had Zhiwen unsheathed her sword, would he pass away on the spot?

"Mocked, passive points, +1."

Xu Xiaoshou ignored the information that flashed in his bar and continued to act shocked. "Rank five? Then is this sword psychic? Does it recognize its master specifically?"

"It's not psychic, but as for recognizing its master..."

Chen Xingchu said no more. He lifted his chin slightly and his finger snapped at the guard of the sword in one sleek motion.

All they heard was a crisp ring and the spirit sword shot up to the air and circling the hall once before it returned to the sheath.

DANG!

To be honest, it impressed Xu Xiaoshou. Even Hidden Pain could not achieve such a smooth manipulation.

"Mm, since you specialize in swordsmanship and possess such a powerful item..."

Xu Xiaoshou made his voice sound cautious and tinged with envy. Suddenly his eyes lit up, and he said, "I suggest we compete with our body strength!"