Xia Tian's grin grew wider, savoring the moment, he asked, "My help? What kind of help do you need?"

He didn't deny her outright, but instead, he asked her to state her request.

Cheng Ting's heart was racing, her palms slick with sweat. "It's about Xia Chen!" she cried out, desperation lacing her voice. "He fell into a deep hole, and I can't find him. Please, please help me find him!"

"He fell into a hole?" Xia Tian asked, his eyes glinting with amusement.

Cheng Ting's expression changed, and she nodded frantically, her eyes pleading. "Yes, please, he could be hurt or worse!" she begged, her voice trembling.

But to her shock and dismay, Xia Tian simply laughed it off, his shoulders shaking with mirth. "Come on, girl, you can't be serious," he scoffed. "You expect me to go traipsing around looking for your lover? What's in it for me?"

Cheng Ting felt her heart sink as she watched him turn away, a sense of hopelessness washing over her. "Please," she called after him, her voice trembling. "He's the love of my life, my everything! I'll do anything, anything at all, just please help me find him!"

Xia Tian turned around, his eyes glinting with something cold and calculating. "Anything?" he repeated, his voice low and dangerous.

Cheng Ting nodded, her eyes shining with tears. "Anything," she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest.

Xia Tian looked at her for a long, tense moment before shaking his head. "No one helps anyone without any back in exchange, little girl," he said, his voice low and menacing.

"Even a person who donates to charity only does it for their own satisfaction. So tell me, what would I get from helping you? And don't you dare offer your body; it is not within my standards," he added, his eyes raking over her with a cold contempt.

Cheng Ting felt her face flush with anger and humiliation. "What?" she exclaimed, her voice rising. "Why would I offer my body to you? Xia Chen is my lover, not you!"

She stomped her foot in frustration as she watched Xia Tian's retreating back, her heart heavy with a sense of betrayal.

Xia Ying stepped forward, his face apologetic. "I'm sorry," he said softly, before following behind Xia Tian, leaving Cheng Ting alone in her misery.

Xia Tian kept walking with a smug smile, ignoring the small incident that have happened.

He chuckled at the thought of Cheng Ting's desperation, finding her naivety amusing. He had no intention of helping her find Xia Chen, but he wanted to see how far she was willing to go to get what she wanted.

Xia Tian knew that people like Cheng Ting developed false personalities to navigate the world, always wearing a smile and being friendly to get what they want.

This behavior was ingrained in them over time, as they realized that being nice and playing the victim helped them achieve their goals.

Xia Tian mused on the evolutionary roots of this behavior, how our ancestors would use anger and brute force to tackle obstacles in their path. Whenever they encountered an obstacle, their anger would temporarily increase their strength, allowing them to remove it.

Over time, this behavior had been passed down through the generations, manifesting in the modern world as frustration and anger when our goals are obstructed.

Cheng Ting was a prime example of this behavior, always wearing a smile to get what she wanted. But Xia Tian saw through her facade and had no interest in helping her.

He wondered how far she would go to get what she wanted, and if she was willing to offer anything in exchange for his help. Xia Tian continued on his way, leaving Cheng Ting to her misery, confident that Xia Chen would find his way out of the hole on his own.

[Master, shouldn't we investigate the incident more?] inquired Luo Xue, her voice laced with concern.

Xia Tian's lips curled into a smug grin. 'Nah, he's one lucky son of a Destiny. He would have made it out alive even if I wasn't around,' he replied, his tone dismissive.

Suddenly, Xia Tian's sharp eyes caught something intriguing outside.

With a swift kick, he propelled himself out of the window and landed in the small training ground near the fountain.

His gaze honed in on the two women locked in a fierce battle.

Wang Wenshu was putting up a good fight, but Sword Fairy was a force to be reckoned with, turning the tables at the last moment.

Xia Tian couldn't resist the urge to interfere. "Pfft, weaklings," he muttered under his breath, his confidence oozing out of every pore.

He sauntered away, his steps measured and arrogant.

Sword Fairy was taken aback by the slight, whirling around to face him. "What did you say?" she demanded, her voice sharp.

Xia Tian turned to face her, a sly grin playing on his lips. "Oh, just that you're a bit of a pushover, that's all," he replied with a wink.

He strolled away, leaving the audience gasping in disbelief.

"Did he just diss the Fairy?" someone whispered in shock.

"Yup, he sure did. And he even called her weak!" another chimed in.

The crowd was in an uproar. "Holy cow, this guy's got some serious guts. He's even braver than the last guy who fought her."

Some started comparing Xia Tian to Xia Chen, while others imagined his defeated face as Sword Fairy beat him to a pulp.

The air was charged with electricity, and it was clear that Xia Tian had just made a powerful enemy.

Sword Fairy refused to believe she was weak and didn't want to bicker, yet the curiosity took better of her. "Wait a minute," she said, her voice tinged with a hint of challenge. It was time to teach this boy a lesson for the torture she had gone through all these days.

"You said I am too weak?" she asked, her eyes narrowed.

Xia Tian looked at her strangely. "Are you not just weak, but also deaf? Can't you hear properly?" he replied with a smirk, clearly enjoying the attention he was receiving.

Despite the uproar around her, Sword Fairy surprisingly kept her calm, as if she was expecting him to trash-talk. "Then prove that I am weak," she challenged him, tossing a wooden sword at him.

Xia Tian caught it easily, his eyes gleaming with confidence. "Don't say I didn't warn you," he said with a grin, twirling the sword in his hand.

The audience grew silent as they watched the two face off, anticipation filling the air.

Sword Fairy advanced first, her movements fluid and graceful. Xia Tian met her head-on, his sword clanging against hers as they traded blows.

"You're not bad," he said, a hint of admiration in his voice.

Sword Fairy smirked. "You're not so bad yourself," she replied, her eyes glinting.

Their swords clashed again and again, the sound echoing throughout the courtyard. The audience held their breath, wondering who would come out on top.

Xia Tian suddenly swept his leg out, knocking Sword Fairy off balance. With a flick of his wrist, he disarmed her. The wooden sword clattered to the ground.

The audience gasped in shock. Sword Fairy had been defeated.

Xia Tian looked down at her with a smirk. "Told you you were weak," he said, turning to walk away.

Sword Fairy pushed herself up, her eyes blazing with fury. "You got lucky," she spat.

Xia Tian turned back to face her, his grin widening. "Sure, keep telling yourself that," he replied, before strutting away.

The audience murmured in awe, some impressed by Xia Tian's skills, while others were shocked by his arrogance.

This time, the Sword Fairy didn't charge outright. Instead, she stood tall and proud, her eyes fixed on Xia Tian, waiting for him to make a move.

Xia Tian, with his hands behind his back, walked closer to her, his lips curving into a sly smirk. "With this attitude, you will forever be stuck in the mortal realm," he said, his voice dripping with venom.

The Sword Fairy felt a twinge of annoyance at his words, but she tried to ignore it.

As Xia Tian approached her, she felt a sudden jolt of pain in her shoulder, and her eyes widened in surprise.

She winced, realizing that Xia Tian had found her sore spot.

She sustained that injury while fighting with Wang Wenshu but never shown it on her face, yet Xia Tian was able to spot it merely with a glance.

Sword Fairy didn't want to get serious, but this brat was forcing her hand. "Don't blame me for it," she muttered, her voice low and menacing.

As the wooden sword started to shine with qi and a layer of pure energy enveloped it, the audience gasped in amazement.

"Damn, this guy is done for. Such thick sword intent!" someone exclaimed, their eyes wide with excitement.

Even Wang Wenshu grew curious and said, "She didn't use it while fighting with me?" Her eyes darted back and forth between Xia Tian and the Sword Fairy, trying to anticipate their next moves.

The sword intent was really thick, although its strength was restricted to the spirit formation realm.

The aura could be felt throughout the entire sect, causing a ripple of excitement and anticipation among the spectators.

Xia Tian smiled faintly, his eyes flickering with amusement.

While some assumed he would also release his sword intent and even thought that it wouldn't compare with that of the Sword Fairy, he did something outrageous.

He faced her with the same wooden sword, with no change in his expression. "Don't blame me as well," he warned, his eyes turning sharp, as if daring her to make a move.historical