Lin Huanhuan took the initiative to step forward. Deviating from her usual behavior, she shot a provocative look at the other girl and smiled. “What’s this? Are you planning to challenge me again? Sure, why not. How about we place a wager on it?”
She saw through Shangguan Muqing at a glance. Her cultivation was still at the peak of Qi Condensation, and there was no telling when she would be able to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.
Thus, Lin Huanhuan’s first reaction upon seeing Shangguan Muqing was to restrain her aura. She didn’t want Shangguan Muqing to notice her breakthrough so she could more easily teach the girl a lesson.
‘I never thought that one day I would be able to fight across levels against a peak Qi Condensation expert. This time, I’ll make Shangguan Muqing understand what a true genius is. I hope she isn’t too crushed, or I’ll definitely laugh at her forever!’
At that thought, Lin Huanhuan felt the corners of her mouth twitch. She had to use all her strength to keep from laughing out loud.
However, Shangguan Muqing did not fall for it. Instead, she furrowed her brows and asked, “You broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage? How was it so fast?”
“Huh? How did you know?” Lin Huanhuan failed to react for a moment.
Shangguan Muqing didn’t answer. She simply gave a cold snort. “Qi Condensation against Foundation Establishment has absolutely no chance of victory. Consider this your win. I’ll come back to compete with you once I’ve reached Foundation Establishment. Goodbye!”
Lin Huanhuan was still dazed as Shangguan Muqing turned around and left. By the time she snapped out of it, Shangguan Muqing had already disappeared.
Lin Huanhuan’s lips twitched, feeling a bit annoyed. “Damn it, why is she so sharp? Wouldn’t it have been better to just let me bully her for a bit?”
The blue-robed Junior Sister, having heard their conversation, hurried forward to offer her congratulations. “Congratulations on breaking through to Foundation Establishment, Junior Sister Lin. From now on, you are truly ahead of us.”
Lin Huanhuan returned the gesture politely. This kind of daily social interaction was still necessary before she became invincible.
A short while later, the blue-robed Junior Sister brought over a soldier puppet specifically used for testing attack power. She then left, closing the door behind her.
This wooden puppet could not move, but its defensive power was astonishing. Furthermore, it was rooted to the spot, allowing it to continuously regenerate itself.
Lin Huanhuan raised her hand and took out her folding fan. The Dao Base atop her spiritual platform trembled in tandem with her movements. Four jade pillars simultaneously surged with golden light, gathering in the hall. Several golden wind blades rose into the air, flying from her Dao Base to slash at the wooden puppet.
***
Lin Huanhuan walked out of the inner room and met the somewhat surprised blue-robed Junior Sister. She smiled and asked, “Junior Sister, how much does this test cost?”
The blue-robed Junior Sister froze for a moment, not expecting that question. However, she quickly replied, “There is no need to spend spirit stones. As a Foundation Establishment expert of the Lingyun Sect, you have three free testing opportunities every month. Since this is your first time here, Senior Sister, you still have two opportunities left this month.”
“I see.”
Lin Huanhuan nodded and added another sentence. “I might have damaged the wooden puppet a bit severely. Is that going to be a problem?”
The blue-robed Junior Sister’s expression remained unchanged as she chuckled softly. “Of course not. Even if you completely destroyed the wooden puppet, you wouldn’t have to pay any compensation—provided you were actually capable of doing so.”
“Then I’m relieved.”
Lin Huanhuan left immediately.
The blue-robed Junior Sister shook her head but said nothing. She merely grumbled to herself, ‘This Senior Sister Lin is indeed a spoiled one. She doesn’t even know this basic common sense. She probably just left a few deep gouges on the wooden puppet and thought it was serious damage.’
Just as she was about to go inside and check, Shangguan Muqing—who had supposedly left—crawled out from somewhere. She looked left and right before saying, “Junior Sister, can I go in and take a look with you?”
The blue-robed Junior Sister made a quick calculation in her mind. ‘Shangguan Muqing is a noble daughter of the Shangguan family. Although she is only at the peak of Qi Condensation, her status is prestigious and worth befriending.’
The blue-robed Junior Sister nodded with a smile. “Of course you can. Please follow me.”
The two of them walked inside together. When they saw the scene within, their bodies froze completely. Their pupils shook with shock, and they even wondered if they were still dreaming.
The wooden puppet, which should have been perfectly intact, was now completely disintegrated. Severed limbs and broken fragments were scattered everywhere, and only the core remained in place, trembling slightly as it recovered at an extremely slow pace.
‘How is this possible?!’ The blue-robed Junior Sister screamed in her heart. ‘This wooden puppet is a testing puppet for the Foundation Establishment stage. Although it has no offensive power, its defensive power is incredible. Usually, it would take three to five cultivators at the early Foundation Establishment stage an entire morning of effort to dismember it!’
Moreover, the wooden puppet’s regenerative ability was extremely strong. Even if it were cut in half, it could recover in at most 10 breaths.
‘To destroy a wooden puppet as completely as this… just how much attack power would that require?!’
Shangguan Muqing swallowed hard and asked in disbelief, “Junior Sister, is it possible that something went wrong with this wooden puppet?”
The blue-robed Junior Sister’s expression turned serious. “Senior Sister Shangguan, please mind your words. The soldier puppets here are absolutely the latest models, updated regularly every month. Everything is recorded in the books, and there are never any errors.”
This was a matter concerning the interests of all staff at the martial arts arena, and she would not allow it to be questioned in the slightest.
Shangguan Muqing realized she had misspoke and quickly apologized. She then asked, “Then, what level of strength is required to reach this degree of destruction?”
The blue-robed Junior Sister thought carefully before replying, “In terms of the early Foundation Establishment stage, such powerful attack strength is already considered top-tier. I just don’t know how she would fare in actual combat. If her combat skills are strong enough, she could already be considered a prodigy.”
Shangguan Muqing’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably. “This… this… how am I supposed to win in the future?”
***
As Lin Huanhuan walked home, she replayed her performance in her mind to identify any shortcomings.
‘My super inner demon’s strength is mainly reflected in real combat. Combined with my current combat power, I should be quite strong among those at the early Foundation Establishment stage. I wonder how I compare to those true peerless geniuses?’
‘Forget it, forget it. I should stick to fighting those at lower levels. The odds of winning are higher that way.’
Lin Huanhuan thought about it briefly and quickly moved on. Then, she remembered that Bai Lingfeng had not yet reached the Foundation Establishment stage. ‘Should I just give it a try? Regardless, that guy is probably still out looking for natural treasures. He definitely won’t be in top condition when he returns.’
‘He’ll be in bad shape while I’m in peak condition. Then, if I launch a sneak attack—plus the fact that I’m an entire major realm higher than him—wow. The more I think about it, the more tempting it gets. It feels like I really have a chance.’
As she thought about it, Lin Huanhuan actually felt the urge to act on the idea. Once she came to her senses, she quickly slapped herself several times and patted her face. “Calm down, calm down. For now, Bai Lingfeng has no intention of killing me. There’s no need to engage in a life-and-death struggle.”
“…Besides, I might not even be able to kill him. Forget it, I’ll let him off this time.”