Chapter 132: A Bluff
As soon as Qi Ying entered the Fire Gorge, he felt an intense heat wave surging. He immediately unleashed his True Energy Protective Barrier to prevent himself from getting burned.
There were red flames everywhere, and their scorching temperatures made it difficult to breathe, but it also accelerated the circulation of blood and energy in his body.
Faster energy circulation was beneficial for practicing both cultivation methods and battle techniques.
In particular, the cultivation method Qi Ying was using was technically a fire-type one, so the effect would be enhanced in the Fire Gorge.
The gorge itself wasn’t very massive; it was only less than two hundred feet wide, and about a thousand feet in length. Through the flames that obstructed his vision, Qi Ying could indistinctly make out a few human silhouettes.
The deeper he went, the more powerful the flames became.
After walking for over two hundred feet, Qi Ying decided that he had reached the ideal cultivation environment for himself. As such, he stopped and activated his Purple Energy Cultivation Method.
Whoosh!
A huge cloud of Purple Energy immediately appeared around him, before flowing relentlessly into his body.
The rate of cultivation was more than twice his normal rate!
Qi Ying was quite excited by that discovery, and just as he prepared to cultivate his battle technique.
“Who’s there?”
A loud yell suddenly erupted and Qi Ying saw two figures approaching him. After they reached about a hundred feet away from him, he finally managed to catch a clear glimpse of their faces. Those were two disciples who appeared to be over twenty years of age, and the vast auras emanating from their bodies indicated that they were above the Third Spirit Martial Stage.
Furthermore, they did not harbor good intentions.
Qi Ying had heard that a large section of the Fire Gorge had been taken over by various large factions. Within those factions, members would offer up their Yun Xiao Points to the higher-ups, in exchange for time to cultivate in the Fire Gorge.
It appeared as if those two disciples were part of one of those large factions.
“May I ask who...”
Before Qi Ying had a chance to finish his sentence, one of the disciples aimed a disdainful glance at him and sneered, “You must be a newbie! You’re only at the Sixth Energy Martial Stage, and you’re cultivating in the Fire Gorge? Rudder Master Liu is cultivating less than a hundred feet away from you; you’ll disrupt him if you cultivate here as well! So piss off!”
The disciple clearly didn’t regard Qi Ying as anyone important.
He recognized everyone in the Green Class that had a high status.
Seeing as he didn’t recognize Qi Ying, then he had to be just some ordinary kid!
Qi Ying glanced at them to discover that there was a sword-shaped jade pendant hanging from each of their waists.
“You two are from the Bixue Sword Alliance?”
“That’s right!” One of them replied in a loud voice, seemingly very proud of his faction, “You know we’re from the Bixue Sword Alliance now, so you better piss off! Rudder Leader Liu is going to attempt a breakthrough to the Seventh Spirit Martial Stage in three days, and he’s currently accumulating energy in preparation. You’re only at the Energy Martial Stage, so you don’t deserve such a great cultivation environment!”
“...”
Qi Ying narrowed his eyes and remained standing on the spot.
“I said piss off!”
“Hurry up!”
Both of the disciples were getting a little annoyed.
‘Why wasn’t the kid displaying any reaction to the fact that they were from the Bixue Sword Alliance?’
Normal disciples would have immediately scrammed after hearing that!
Qi Ying chuckled internally.
If it were any other action that had taken over the Fire Gorge, then he would have conceded.
It wouldn’t be wise to make too many enemies, and cultivating in the outer ring of the gorge yielded decent effects anyway.
However, he was facing the Bixue Sword Alliance!
That was Chu Bixue’s Bixue Sword Alliance, the very same one that had sent Jade Class disciples to assassinate him.
They were already sworn enemies, so there was no need for him to concede.
“Can’t you just tell your Rudder Leader Liu to go somewhere else?”
Qi Ying said in a faint, yet clear voice.
“What?”
The two Bixue Sword Alliance disciples could hardly believe their ears. Was that Energy Martial Stage disciple retarded? He was telling Rudder Leader Liu to make way for him? One had to realize that that area in the Fire Gorge belonged to the Bixue Sword Alliance; that was an undisputed fact. Even the members of the Fierce Tiger Sect didn’t dare to encroach upon that territory.
Whoosh!
Qi Ying began to practice his fist techniques in a slow and leisurely manner. “What? I have the free right to cultivate in the Fire Gorge, and it’s not like I’m pressed right up against your Rudder Leader Liu. If he feels like I’m too close to him, then tell him to go elsewhere! I have to cultivate now, so stop disturbing me!”
Gasp...
The two disciples glanced at one another.
‘How can this brat be so calm and collected? Could it be that he really was some important figure that they didn’t recognize?’
At that moment, a figure emerged from the flames. It was a thin man with a long face and a pair of narrow eyes.
“Rudder Leader Liu!”
“Rudder Leader Liu, this kid doesn’t want to leave. Physical altercations are prohibited in the Fire Gorge as well, so...”
Rudder Leader Liu narrowed his already very narrow eyes as he turned to Qi Ying. “Allow me to introduce myself; I am Liu Chunlei. May I ask your name? Apologies for my ignorance, but I didn’t realize there was an important figure like you among the new disciples this year.”
“Blood God Alliance, Qi Ying.” Qi Ying replied indifferently.
“Blood God Alliance?”
Liu Chunlei and the two Bixue Sword Alliance disciples were all confused.
‘What the hell is that?!’
They had been cultivating in the Fire Gorge for five consecutive days, so they were naturally unaware of the Blood God Alliance’s existence, as it had only been founded three days prior.
Qi Ying could see the befuddlement on their faces, and he explained with a serious expression, “The Blood God Alliance is a joint faction founded by the Han and Wei families. It has branches in all five classes, and I am the third flag leader of the Blood God Alliance Green Class Branch, Qi Ying. What? I just wanted to cultivate here for a little; do you insist on kicking me out?” Qi Ying feigned an enraged expression as he said, “Setting aside the Blood God Alliance, my surname is Qi, so I advise you to learn your place!”
“...”
Liu Chunlei and the two disciples were rooted to the spot.
‘Holy sh*t!’
The Blood God Alliance was a joint faction created by the Han and Wei families? That meant that just the Green Class Branch of the Blood God Alliance was comparable in status to the Bixue Sword Alliance! And that kid was the third flag leader of the branch? He was on the same level as Rudder Leader Liu!
They were initially quite skeptical that a Sixth Energy Martial Stage disciple would be given such an important position, but Qi Ying’s final sentence had completely stumped them.
His surname was Qi...
historical
Could it be that he was a member of the Qi family?
That had to be the case!
If he were just some ordinary kid with the surname of Qi, then he wouldn’t dare to be so arrogant!
They went to extensive efforts to gather information on all of the important figures in the academy, but there was no guarantee that no one would slip through the holes.
As such, all three of them were beginning to panic.
A member of the Qi family and a branch flag leader of the Blood God Alliance... He was of an even higher status than Liu Chunlei!
Liu Chunlei immediately turned to his two companions and roared with rage, “Are you two retarded? How could you be so disrespectful to Flag Leader Qi? Give yourselves a slap each!”