Chapter 878: The Second Demand
Translator: KurazyTolanzuraytor Editor: JayC
"The first demand — You, cripple your own cultivation!" As soon as Huang Daniu spoke, it was like a heaven shaking event that caused the expressions of everyone besides Duan Ling Tian to become shocked.
Never had they imagined that Huang Daniu was actually put forward such an absurd demand.
Asking a Wood Peak elder to cripple his own cultivation? Isn't this a joke?
"What? You're unwilling?" Duan Ling Tian couldn't help but laugh coldly when he saw He Gang's expression that had went grim. "Don't forget that Daniu and I were almost killed by you… Now, we aren't asking for your life, and only your cultivation. We can already be considered to be benevolent to you."
The surrounding crowd of Wood Peak disciples were speechless when they heard Duan Ling Tian.
Even this can be called benevolent?
He Gang was an elder of the Wood Peak, an existence at the sixth level of the Void Transformation Stage.
His cultivation was only obtained from experiencing more than half his lifetime of cultivation and accumulation.
Once he was crippled, then they could imagine that He Gang's life would be more miserable than death!
"Duan Ling Tian, don't go too far!" Luo Chen who'd always been maintaining silence finally couldn't help but shout out in a grim voice.
"Luo Chen, shut your stinking mouth! It isn't your place to speak now! Believe it or not, Daniu and I will leave the Wood Peak right now if you dare speak another word!" Duan Ling Tian glanced coldly and indifferently at Luo Chen as he spoke with a low voice.
"Duan Ling Tian's intentions are my intentions." Huang Daniu spoke out in support.
"Unfilial disciple, shut your mouth!" He Gang's face sank and berated. "If you dare speak another word, then I, your Master, will end your life with my own two hands!" Luo Chen's face turned unsightly, yet he didn't dare speak another word.
He was extremely familiar with his master's temper, and he knew that his master was a man of his word.
"Little fellow." Yang Ling looked at Duan Ling Tian and Huang Daniu as he frowned. "Can the both of you change it to a different demand? Elder He is a pillar of support of our Wood Peak after all, you two…"
"Elder Yang, we aren't forcing him to cripple his own cultivation…" Duan Ling Tian bluntly interrupted Yang Ling and spoke indifferently.
"That's good." Yang Ling didn't become angry because Duan Ling Tian interrupted him, and he heaved a sigh of relief instead.
"But if he doesn't satisfy our demand, then we'll leave the Wood Peak right away!" Duan Ling Tian finished his sentence.
For a time, Yang Ling's face went grim.
Never had he imagined that Duan Ling Tian and Huang Daniu would be so stubborn, and they seemed as if they wouldn't let the matter go unless He Gang's cultivation was crippled.
But with a quick thought, he came to an understanding.
According to what Duan Ling Tian had said earlier, they'd almost perished at the hands of He Gang.
If he put himself in their shoes, then a demand like this wasn't going too far.
Yang Ling's current way of thinking was precisely the way of thinking of the surrounding crowd of Wood Peak disciples.
After they were shocked by the demand that Huang Daniu put forward, they recalled what had happened earlier at the first possible moment, and they came to an understanding.
If they stood in Huang Daniu's place, then they would make a similar decision.
"Daniu, looks like this Elder He isn't able to make a decision… Let's leave." Duan Ling Tian glanced at He Gang whose expression changed indeterminately before shaking his head, and then he called out to Huang Daniu and intended to leave.
"Wait!" Right when Duan Ling Tian and Huang Daniu intended to leave, He Gang finally spoke out, and he seemed as if he'd instantly aged a few years.
"At the bottom of it all, even though the incident today was caused by this unfilial disciple of mine, I can't absolve myself from blame… So, I apologize to the both of you once more." He Gang bowed to Duan Ling Tian and Huang Daniu once more, but they only looked coldly and indifferently at him.
Bang!
Right at this moment, He Gang struck out like a bolt of lightning had struck his Dantian with his palm.
Whoosh!
In the next moment, vast Origin Energy that had almost turned liquid escaped from He Gang's Dantian before charging into the sky in the blink of an eye before vanishing.
As for He Gang himself, his countenance was ghastly pale as he plunged down from the sky.
Without his cultivation, he'd already lost the ability to continue flying.
All of this only happened in the blink of an eye, and it was swift to the point most of the people present at the scene weren't able to react to it.
"Alas." Yang Ling sighed. With a raise of his hand, a shapeless force swept out to hold up He Gang who'd lost his cultivation and saved He Gang from falling to his death.
"You, take Elder He to take a rest." Yang Ling looked at a Wood Peak disciple.
"Yes, Elder Yang." The Wood Peak disciple selected by Yang Ling replied respectfully before leaving while bringing He Gang along.
Meanwhile, everyone including Duan Ling Tian and Huang Daniu recovered from their shock in succession, but their faces were covered in shock. Obviously, they never expected that He Gang would really do it.
"This He Gang is someone that dares to take responsibility for his own actions… He crippled his cultivation at the sixth level of the Void Transformation Stage just like that without the slightest hesitation! I have to admit, he's a qualified elder of the Wood Peak." The hatred in Duan Ling Tian's eyes vanished and was replaced by admiration.
For the sake of the Wood Peak's future, a martial artist at the sixth level of the Void Transformation Stage was willing to cripple his own cultivation…
Just this action had already obtained his respect.
"But unfortunately, his judgment is too bad, and he took such a selfish disciple that destroyed his entire life." Huang Daniu's eyes flashed as he spoke slowly.
"Master!" Right at this moment, Luo Chen who stood in the distance cried out sorrowfully, and then he flashed out to swiftly chase up towards the direction that He Gang left towards.
"Want to leave?" As soon as Luo Chen moved, Huang Daniu who'd always been keeping an eye on him gave chase, and with Huang Daniu's cultivation, he chased up to Luo Chen and stopped him in the blink of an eye.
Luo Chen's face sank when he saw Huang Daniu appear before him, and then he looked at Yang Ling. "Elder Yang, my master is old, and now his cultivation has even been crippled… I want to go take care of him."
At this moment, Luo Chen played the affection card.
He knew clearly that after his master crippled himself to satisfy Huang Daniu's first demand, Huang Daniu would surely make a second demand.
He didn't even have to guess before knowing that the second demand was related to him.
So he wanted to quickly leave, as this was where trouble would strike him.
But unfortunately, he'd only just moved when Huang Daniu had stopped him.
"Hmph!" Yang Ling grunted coldly when he heard Luo Chen, and his eyes that were filled with wisdom stared fixedly at Luo Chen and seemed as if it could see through everything. "Don't think that I don't know what you're thinking… How could a selfish person like you really be concerned about Elder He?"
"Little fellows, what's your second demand?" Lang Ying glanced at Huang Daniu before looking at Duan Ling Tian.
"Duan Ling Tian, you do it." Huang Daniu chucked as he spoke to Duan Ling Tian.
At the same time, his eyes stared fixedly at Luo Chen as if he was a hunter that was staring at his prey.
"The second demand of Daniu and I is extremely simply… Luo Chen can choose either one of us to undergo a life and death battle with! If he's able to survive for the time of three breaths, then we'll let bygone be bygones and stay in the Wood Peak."
"Even if he's killed by the person amongst us that he chooses within the time of three breaths, we'll similarly stay in the Wood Peak, and we'll represent the Wood Peak to participate in the Battle of the Five Peaks and bring honor to the Wood Peak!" Duan Ling Tian's words were spoken clearly and resolutely.
Whoosh!
Duan Ling Tian's words were like a stone that caused a thousand ripples, and it caused the surrounding crowd of Wood Peak disciples to be unable to refrain from going into an uproar.
"The time of three breaths? Aren't they underestimating Luo Chen too much?"
"If Luo Chen fights Huang Daniu, then perhaps he wouldn't be able to last the time of three breaths. But now, Luo Chen is allowed to choose one of them to carry out a life and death battle with… In this way, there're too many variables."
"If Luo Chen chooses Duan Ling Tian, then I presume he'll be able to last the time of three breaths."
…
For a time, most of the Wood Peak disciples thought that Duan Ling Tian and Huang Daniu had the intention of letting Luo Chen off.
Only Yang Ling, Ke Zheng, and Chen Wei who knew Duan Ling Tian's strength clearly knew that Duan Ling Tian's strength far surpassed Huang Daniu, and if he wanted to kill Luo Chen, he would probably use less than a breath of time.
"Alright! I agree to your demand." After he heard the second demand Duan Ling Tian revealed, Luo Chen's whose expression changed indeterminately gritted his teeth and agreed to it in the end.
"Elder Yang, I hope you can bear witness to the agreement between us." Luo Chen looked at Yang Ling, and his he spoke as if he was extremely afraid that Duan Ling Tian and Huang Daniu would go back on their words.
"You can choose any one of them to undergo a life and death battle with… So long as you're able to last for the time of three breaths, then I guarantee your safety!" Yang Ling didn't refuse and agreed.
Of course, he knew that these words of his were unnecessary because it was impossible for Luo Chen to last the time of three breaths at the hands of Duan Ling Tian and Huang Daniu.
A gust of wind blew past slowly, and it contained strands of coldness within it.
High above in the sky, the crowd of Wood Peak disciples stared at Luo Chen with concentration.
Even though they were mentally prepared and guessed that Luo Chen would surely choose Duan Ling Tian, but they still felt slight anticipation when Luo Chen was about to make a choice.
"Duan Ling Tian!" Just as most of the Wood Peak disciples thought, Luo Chen's gaze locked onto Duan Ling Tian as he took Duan Ling Tian to be the weak link.
Huang Daniu revealed a smile as if a scheme of his had succeeded when he heard Luo Chen choosing Duan Ling Tian. "Luo Chen actually dared challenge Duan Ling Tian… He's truly courting death!"
Presently, Huang Daniu seemed to have already completely forgotten that even if Luo Chen didn't choose Duan Ling Tian and chose him, Luo Chen would similarly be unable to escape the fate of death.
After a short moment, the two of them stood in confrontation while being surrounded by the crowd of Wood Peak disciples.
Duan Ling Tian, Luo Chen.
Luo Chen stood in midair and withdrew his spirit weapon, a grade three spirit sword that had flowing lights revolving around it, at the first possible moment, and he seemed to be seeking a sense of security from doing this.
Presently, he was staring fixedly at Duan Ling Tian. Even his breathing had become hurried as cold sweat started to emerge from his forehead, and he was extremely perturbed.
On the other hand, Duan Ling Tian stood silently on the spot and remained unmoving like a mountain.
From the beginning until the end, he didn't look at Luo Chen in the eye, and he who had an absent-minded gaze didn't seem like he was undergoing a life and death battle in the slights and seemed as if he was daydreaming.
Humiliation!
Undisguised humiliation!
Duan Ling Tian's attitude caused Luo Chen's rage to skyrocket, and he clenched slightly more tightly upon the grade three spirit sword in his hand and was ready to make a move at any moment.
"Today, the Wood Peak disciples Duan Ling Tian and Luo Chen will undergo a life and death battle… The sect won't pursue the matter if any one of them dies! All the Wood Peak disciples present are witnesses." Yang Ling's voice was sonorous like a bell as it spread out. "Begin!"