A Demon's Path Chapter 37

"What did you say to them just now?" Cheng Yu curiously asked Ling Xiao after they returned to their seats.

Ling Xiao shrugged. "Nothing much. I merely asked them to pay their respects to me as their Master. Heheh!"

Cheng Yu glared viciously at Ling Xiao in anger. "Don't say it if you don't want to. There's nothing amazing about you!"

Ling Xiao suddenly switched from his joking tone to a more serious one. "Senior Sister, I just want to tell you that your failure has nothing to do with your strength, but rather in your inability to use your brain in battle. You're not ruthless enough. Thankfully, I saw a shred of hope when you went on the offensive just now."

When Ling Xiao brought up the classic jump, Cheng Yu actually fell silent for a moment before slowly spitting out her thanks.

Ling Xiao stared blankly at her, showing her he hadn't the faintest clue why she would thank him. "I didn't do anything. What are you thanking me for?"

Cheng Yu bit her lip and seemed to be mustering up all her strength. "If you didn't give me an Accelerating Talisman mid jump, that guy would've broken my legs."

"Oh, is that so? How come I didn't know that?" Ling Xiao stubbornly asked, refusing to admit he'd helped her. "Senior Sister, you have to rely on yourself in battle. Don't get comfortable with the idea that your teammates will always be there to support you." At that, he walked up to Cheng Qiantai's side.

Cheng Yu looked at her wanton and unholy Junior Brother and recalled how close their faces were to each other in that small alley. The memory tugged at her heartstrings. He was clearly helping her, yet he just had to deny it. What was going on in his mind?

Cheng Yu recalled how she'd escaped life-threatening situations twice all thanks to Ling Xiao's astuteness. The boy hadn't bragged about his meritorious deeds even once. He willingly let people misunderstand him and wasn't at all inclined to explain himself. How could there be such a strange boy?

Cheng Yu felt a resentment in her heart she couldn't explain. This abominable hoodlum knows how to torment and beat himself up. Why on earth do I keep thinking about his merits? Anyway, didn't my father give him everything? Humph! She finally found a shred of reasoning that gave her some peace of mind.

It was such a fleeting and creeping feeling that even Cheng Yu herself wasn't aware that her feelings toward Ling Xiao had slowly started to change, albeit ever so minute.

Cheng Qiantai joyously patted Ling Xiao's shoulders in admiration. "Xiao'er, you did well!"

Ling Xiao bashfully smiled. "Many thanks to Master for your praise."

Qian Hai also returned to his father's side. Ling Xiao didn't know what the father-son duo was talking about, nor did he care. He focused all of his attention on the centermost zone of the arena.

In fact, it was harder not to take note of it. All other matches had finished by now, leaving only this match undecided. But that wasn't the odd part. Where things truly became strange was that the fight there didn't even seem to have started yet. Both parties were standing on their end, nobody making a move. The six of them just stood there facing each other. If Ling Xiao didn't know how much time had passed, he would've thought this match had only just begun.

"What are they doing?" All the disciples feverently discussed with one another as they were puzzled by the situation. Their seniors wore serious expressions as they steadily stared at the field.

Ling Xiao and Li Yuanhuan's gazes simultaneously fell on a youngster who looked to be no older than 16. He stood a step ahead of his teammates. Donned in a set of spotless white robes, he gave off the feeling of an otherworldly expert. Even if he was a little younger than the rest, no one dared to underestimate him. This was especially true for his three opponents.

The three of them had been on high alert from the very start. They didn't know how much time had passed since they'd maintained this preparatory stance. But feeling the powerful pressuring aura emitted by the youngster left them too afraid to act.

It wasn't really a pressuring aura. To be more precise, it was a murderous aura.

There wasn't a shred of doubt in them. If any one of them were to make a move, that white robed youngster would kill them in an instant.

Those who participated in the newcomers tournament were all red or orange ranked Celestial Soul Masters. Ling Xiao reckoned that the majority were orange ranked cultivators, and that he was one of the few still at the red rank. So, there shouldn't be a clear disparity in terms of strength between both sides.

Both parties were of the same rank, but that white robed youngster could actually oppress his opponents into submission. Just how strong was he?!

Ling Xiao had a serious expression. He thought it'd be a walk in the park for him to enter the top 10 in the newcomers tournament since he was an anomaly who could cultivate both a celestial and demonic soul. On top of that, he cultivated all seven souls and had the assistance of the magical token.

"I'm no match for that boy at my current state." Ling Xiao shook his head. He speculated that even if he went all out, it would be impossible for him to achieve such grandeur. He would undoubtedly lose to that white robed youngster since he couldn't even match that powerful aura.

It looks like I'd better hurry and fuse my other six souls. Maybe I'll still have a chance to defeat that boy… Time, oh time! This was the first time Ling Xiao felt he didn't have enough time to cultivate. He wanted to head back to the Joker Hotel immediately and cultivate behind closed doors. However, a strong intuition told him that an amazing spectacle was about to unfold.

Ling Xiao's intuition hit the nail on its head. The white robed youngster moved in the next instance. Before his opponents could react he was already right in front of them, sending a punch flying at all three of them.

Indeed, all three of them saw it right. Three carbon copies of the white robed youngster were attacking them at the same time!

Ling Xiao stood up in shock. How's this possible? He wasn't the only one. The others on the field also gasped in surprise, mimicking the shock he experienced. How was this possible? A cultivator could only possess the Doppelganger technique when the cultivation of their Heavenly Soul had at least reached the green rank. Yet right here in front of him, an orange ranked Strength Soul cultivator possessed exactly that technique!

When everyone was still reeling in shock, blood-curdling screeches rang out from the three opponents. Their bodies flew out like artillery shells, viciously slamming into the wall created by the array.

A long and dull buzzing sound rang out when the three bodies crashed into the array. The trio resembled paper as they stuck vertically to the array before slowly sliding down. They leaned against the wall, no longer moving.

The field was silent.

They were dead!

It was impossible to guarantee absolute safety, and it wasn't unheard of to see a few disciples die. However, that only happened when either both parties were evenly matched and fought to the death, or when an accident occurred. If one could dominate the other through sheer force, no one was willing to commit murder. They were Celestial Soul Masters from the Holy Land, after all. But the white robed youngster had so brazenly committed murder. It was as though he was telling the crowd, I just killed your people. What are you going to do about it?

He killed three opponents of the same rank in one move and didn't even give them the chance to retaliate. He was terrifying!

Ling Xiao gripped the armrests tightly, unconsciously pinching them to dust. The feeling this youngster gave others was really too shocking!

Even though the youngster couldn't see outside the field, he still stood on the spot and surveyed his surroundings. His eyes swept across the grandstand like a hawk's as though he wanted everyone to know he was watching them.

He can clearly resolve a match very quickly, but he didn't. He purposely waited for all the other matches to end before making his move. If he held back, those three wouldn't have died, but he didn't. He killed them without hesitation. It's clear he wants to frighten all his possible opponents and prevent anyone from thinking they can confront him. What a vicious and merciless boy! Ling Xiao broke out in a cold sweat when that boy's gaze swept past the Northern Jade Sect's seating area. It felt as if a viper was staring at him.

"Master, I'm feeling a little unwell. I'll be heading off first." Ling Xiao was pale as he stood up from his seat. He didn't care for the strange looks his Master and the others shot him as he turned around and left in a hurry.

Li Yuanhuan followed behind Ling Xiao who walked toward the Joker Hotel. Like always, Li Yuanhuan was deeply concerned about his Junior Brother's health.

"Junior Brother, are you alright?" Only when Li Yuanhuan saw that some colour had returned to Ling Xiao's face did he pose this question.

Ling Xiao bitterly smiled and said, "Senior Brother, I just hope luck is a little on our side so we don't get matched with that boy. If not…"

Li Yuanhuan immediately understood Ling Xiao's pathogen and quickly consoled him, "The Northern Jade Sect has always been pretty lucky. Junior Brother, relax. What's more, you're cultivating seven souls at the same time. Normal orange ranked Celestial Soul Masters just aren't your match. You have to believe in yourself a bit more."

Ling Xiao helplessly nodded and incessantly prayed quietly, My dear Master, Ancestor Qi Mo, although your soul has scattered, I hope it has not yet left this world. Please, bless your disciple by tormenting that brat and let him have nightmares every day, for the rest of his life. It would be best if the nightmares scare him to death.

Li Yuanhuan watched Ling Xiao mutter strange words under his breath but didn't pay it much attention. This was most likely just his Junior Brother's way of destressing.

When Cheng Qiantai and the others returned to the hotel, they realised to their surprise that Ling Xiao had tightly shut the door to his room. Li Yuanhuan grudgingly explained the situation to them. "Junior Brother said he wants to cultivate behind closed doors and asked everyone not to bother him until it's time to take the field tomorrow. Oh right, Master, who's our next opponent?"

Cheng Qiantai and Qian Gui both had a downcast look on their faces. Li Yuanhuan immediately had an ominous premonition. "Don't tell me. Is it the white robed youngster?!"

Chapter end