Chapter Three: Provocation

Bai Feiyu actually didn’t care much about the Snow Tiger. After all, he only had a one-square-meter storage pouch as an outer disciple, and such a large Snow Tiger was impossible for him to carry. Besides, the things that truly held value for him had already been taken.

Yet Chen Xuan's words irritated him.

“At the very least, I—a fourth stage Qi Refiner—killed a Snow Tiger,” Bai Feiyu said, his gaze sweeping over Chen Xuan, who still bore wounds and looked quite disheveled after narrowly evading the Snow Tiger’s attack.

Chen Xuan recalled his own recent predicament, his face darkening.

“What are you implying? Kid, don’t forget, you’re just an outer disciple!”

There was an immense gulf between outer and inner disciples. One hundred outer disciples were not worth a single inner disciple.

Bai Feiyu’s smile grew brighter.

“Yes, I am an outer disciple,” he replied, his eyes tinged with disdain.

He was just an outer disciple, yet he had accomplished something even the inner disciples could not, hadn’t he?

Chen Xuan instantly erupted in fury.

“Are you looking for death?”

He drew his blade without hesitation.

“Chen Xuan, what are you doing?” Qian Shuang stepped in front of Bai Feiyu.

“Junior Sister, step aside!” Chen Xuan’s expression twisted. If Qian Shuang hadn’t intervened, his rage would have stayed focused on the outer disciple who dared challenge him, but now he felt insulted.

Someone he looked down upon was now favored by his junior sister?

This was more than just a provocation; it was a challenge to his dignity as an inner disciple, as a man.

“Brat, do you dare to compete with me? If you win, I’ll give you the Snow Tiger. If you lose, you kneel and apologize!”

“Wasn’t the Snow Tiger mine to begin with?” Bai Feiyu looked at him, puzzled. “Can inner disciples just snatch things from outer disciples at will?”

“Don—”

“Chen Xuan!” Qian Shuang interjected, her face displeased.

Chen Xuan clenched his teeth, his facial muscles twitching. He then turned to Bai Feiyu.

“You, an outer disciple, have no right to question me!”

Bai Feiyu sneered, stretching his body.

“Fine, just make sure you don’t lose too disgracefully.”

“Absurd!” Chen Xuan couldn’t believe he would lose; Bai Feiyu’s killing of the Snow Tiger must have been mere luck.

Qian Shuang glanced at Bai Feiyu with concern. Though he was an outer disciple, he had saved her several times, and she felt a certain fondness for him.

As an inner disciple, Chen Xuan had already reached the fifth stage of Qi Condensation, his talent far surpassing what any outer disciple could hope for. After all, outer disciples never matched the inner in either talent or resources—an accepted reality.

Yet Bai Feiyu’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

After all, as long as he fought, he could pick up attributes and grow stronger—something he welcomed wholeheartedly!

He had no weapon, so after a moment’s thought, Bai Feiyu turned to Qian Shuang and said, “Junior Sister, may I borrow your sword?”

“Don’t even think about it!” Chen Xuan snapped, his face contorted. “That’s Junior Sister’s life-bound weapon. She lent it to you before out of necessity—now you want it again?!”

In the Fourteen Continents, all who could cultivate spiritual power were called Spirit Masters.

Every Spirit Master possessed a life-bound weapon, whatever its form. The life-bound weapon was connected to the heart; its destruction would bring disastrous consequences. Only the closest, most trusted relationships allowed such items to be lent.

Earlier, the situation was dire enough that Chen Xuan let it slide, but not now.

Qian Shuang hesitated for a moment before handing her sword over.

“Junior Sister!” Chen Xuan could not help but look at her, then glared at Bai Feiyu with even more resentment.

“Prepare to die!”

His long blade was suddenly wreathed in crimson flames, warping the air around it.

Bai Feiyu immediately noticed a red orb drop beneath Chen Xuan’s feet.

He dashed forward, his sword aimed at Chen Xuan, but his true target was the orb.

Chen Xuan, unaware of its existence, saw Bai Feiyu recklessly charge and instinctively dodged aside, his momentum broken.

Bai Feiyu saw Chen Xuan’s foot about to crush the orb. Knowing only he could see these things, he instinctively swung his blade at Chen Xuan’s leg.

Caught off guard again, Chen Xuan managed to dodge but ended up with half his leg frozen by ice.

Bai Feiyu’s focus remained fixed on the orb. He picked it up effortlessly, then looked at Chen Xuan, noticing that each injury caused more orbs to drop continuously.

His eyes lit up as he closed in on Chen Xuan.

Chen Xuan had never encountered someone like Bai Feiyu. He wasn’t following any martial arts or movement techniques—just fighting wildly. Yet Chen Xuan kept getting hit, unable to predict his moves.

He felt both humiliated and bewildered. Was he, an inner disciple, really inferior to an outer disciple?

At this point, Bai Feiyu wasn’t even concerned with defeating Chen Xuan.

“Gained one point of fire attribute energy. Accumulated energy grants some immunity to flames.”

“Gained three points of vitality energy. Used to heal injuries.”

“Gained five points of fire attribute energy...”

He realized that Chen Xuan was practically a walking attribute bank, dropping a heap of items every time he was struck. Bai Feiyu moved back and forth, his ears filled with the system’s notifications.

Moreover, he found he didn’t need to touch the orbs with his hands; any body part would suffice.

That freed him up to force more attribute drops from Chen Xuan.

But while Bai Feiyu enjoyed collecting attributes, Chen Xuan, driven into utter embarrassment, was far less pleased.

He could no longer tolerate it; whatever the cost, he had to kill this brat here and now!

“I didn’t want to use that move!” Chen Xuan gritted his teeth. Suddenly, crimson flames surged around him, even his eyes glowing red.

Qian Shuang and the others stepped back in shock.

“Chen Xuan, what are you doing?” Qian Shuang cried anxiously.

This was Chen Xuan’s life-preserving technique. Using it carried a three-month aftereffect, but once unleashed, no fourth-stage Qi Refiner could possibly survive!

Qian Shuang still liked Bai Feiyu. As the sect master’s daughter, she often thought of the sect’s interests. With Bai Feiyu’s strength, after the sect competition, he would surely enter the inner disciples!

He should not be wasted within the secret realm.