Lin Zhilun felt an incredible suffocation in his heart. Kneeling down to someone was worse than death itself. How could he kneel?

With a fierce resolve, Lin Zhilun mustered the nearly exhausted Spiritual Power within his body, condensing it into a Gang Qi Blade between his fingers. He let out a cold laugh towards Wang Xiaoqiang and then drew the Gang Qi Blade across his own neck.

Wang Xiaoqiang would not allow it. With a wave of his hand, he launched a Gang Qi Sphere, which struck Lin Zhilun's right hand and sent the Gang Qi Blade flying. "Hmph, you think to die? You must kneel before me even in death!"

Having said that, Wang Xiaoqiang jumped off the duel stage and walked over to Lin Zhilun.

Death being inevitable, no one prefers to die kneeling. Thus, Lin Zhilun frantically tried again to draw a Gang Qi Blade across his own neck.

Wang Xiaoqiang launched another Gang Qi Sphere, dispersing the Gang Qi Blade. "You lose and try to escape responsibility by dying. Are you even a man?"

As he spoke, Wang Xiaoqiang pulled Lin Zhilun's body up. By then, Lin Zhilun's Spiritual Power was completely depleted, and he was dragged up like a dead dog by Wang Xiaoqiang.

After pulling Lin Zhilun up, Wang Xiaoqiang stomped on the bend of Lin's leg.

With a crash, Lin Zhilun knelt down in front of Wang Xiaoqiang.

As Lin Zhilun knelt, aside from Xi Yuerong and Xia Xueyan, the faces of several hundred disciples from Medicine God Valley changed, showing a look of humiliation.

However, no one said a word, because a bet must be honored!

Besides, it was Lin Zhilun who challenged Wang Xiaoqiang; he had dug his own grave. Now that he had knelt down, his fellow sect members felt no pride, wishing he would just die to spare Medicine God Valley further shame. In the future, whenever people saw him, they would recall this shameful history.

The moment Lin Zhilun knelt before Wang Xiaoqiang, his face turned uglier than a dead man's.

Lin Zhilun's life and death were irrelevant to Wang Xiaoqiang. What mattered to him was the wager; now that he had claimed the wager and won respect, this matter had come to an end for him.

Wang Xiaoqiang released Lin Zhilun, saying, "There are always people out there stronger than you, higher skies above the one you know. It's better to be humble, or you'll end up hurting yourself."

Having spoken, Wang Xiaoqiang then walked towards Xi Yuerong and Xia Xueyan. Both women approached him, giving him a thumbs-up.

Now, all the men present were filled with a mix of envy, jealousy, and hatred towards Wang Xiaoqiang, and with disgust and scorn for Lin Zhilun, everyone now awaited Lin Zhilun's death.

Yet, despite the humiliation, Lin Zhilun surprisingly no longer harbored any thoughts of suicide. Not only did he not kill himself, but he also fished out a Life-Saving Pill from within his clothes and shoved it into his mouth. This pill was to be taken when seriously injured. Once consumed, no matter how severe the injuries, it could save one's life.

Lin Zhilun's actions surprised everyone.

"Damn, I thought he was going to kill himself. It turns out he wants to live... "

"Pah, to kneel before someone and still take a Life-Saving Pill. What's the point in living?"

"Exactly, like a dead dog, his existence only tarnishes our reputation…"

Once the Life-Saving Pill was swallowed, its medicinal power began to work.

Lin Zhilun regained some vitality and stood up. He glared viciously at Wang Xiaoqiang and staggered away. As he left, he muttered to himself, unheard by anyone else, "I'm now just a walking corpse; my only purpose in living now is to make Wang Xiaoqiang kneel before me, kowtow to me, and to have Xi Yuerong and Xia Xueyan kneel and lick my boots...!!"

...

This duel incident attracted the attention of the higher-ups of Medicine God Valley, even Valley Master Huan Qingyi was informed.

That evening.

To his surprise, Wang Xiaoqiang received a summons from Huan Qingyi.

Xia Xueyan and Xi Yuerong were both excited and nervous upon hearing this.

Because usually, the Valley Master did not easily summon someone, and even elite disciples often found it difficult to meet her alone. But Wang Xiaoqiang, not being an outsider, had received her summons, which was unexpectedly significant.

Being summoned by the Valley Master could either be a great opportunity or a harbinger of disaster, thus the news left both women both excited and anxious.

Wang Xiaoqiang, however, was quite calm, although this calmness was only superficial, as deep down he was somewhat wary. The strength of Medicine God Valley's master was immensely powerful, and if she were to condemn him for matters concerning the duel, he would really have nowhere to go.

With a nervous heart, Wang Xiaoqiang arrived at a grand hall of Medicine God Valley, which was the sect's main hall.

It was also where Huan Qingyi resided.

Upon entering the main hall, he smelled the fragrances of pills, flowers, and a woman's scent. Perhaps because Wang Xiaoqiang had been around many women before, as the saying goes, "to know a woman by her scent," he thought that the woman he was about to meet, the Lord of One Valley, must be a national beauty like Lady Chiba but younger and more beautiful.

The interior of the main hall wasn't as empty and eerie as those of other sects; the dignified atmosphere was infused with elegance and warmth, resembling the ancient Huaxia Empress's living quarters in its classical beauty and fragrance.

It made one feel comfortable and excited.

The anxiety in Wang Xiaoqiang's heart lessened somewhat.

As he entered the main hall, he saw a woman seated on an intricately carved and luxurious throne at the back of the hall, just as he had imagined. Indeed, she was a national beauty with her hair piled high, cheeks as white as snow, and gentle and bright eyes that subtly conveyed a cold authority, emanating a majestic aura without showing anger.

Unlike Lady Chiba, this woman was very young, looking to be only in her twenties, yet her cultivation base was extremely high, already at the Onefold Body of the Immortal Venerable realm.

Once a cultivator ascended to Immortal Venerable, their cultivation base was divided by "Bodies."

These "Bodies" represented avatars.

The Immortal Venerable is divided into ten bodies in total.

A Onefold Body can create one avatar.

A Second Body can create two avatars.

...

A Tenfold Body can create ten avatars.

...

Take the Valley Master of Medicine God Valley for example, with the cultivation base of a Onefold Body of the Immortal Venerable, he can create one avatar. Just think, if you possess an avatar that has equal or slightly less martial power than the original body, how awesome that would be.

In fact.

The Tenth Stage of the True Immortal Realm has the same strength as the Onefold Body of the Immortal Venerable. However, since the Onefold Body can create an avatar, his strength doubles, which makes him twice as strong as those in the Tenth Stage of the True Immortal Realm.

This is the advantage of an Immortal Venerable.

As Wang Xiaoqiang was secretly sizing up Huan Qingyi, Huan Qingyi was also examining Wang Xiaoqiang. She was curious about how Wang Xiaoqiang, who had defeated Lin Zhilun, possessed such talent. She wondered whether he had Dual Spiritual Roots, or maybe even more, up to five Spiritual Roots.

To her surprise, Wang Xiaoqiang didn't have any Spirit Root at all, which was incredibly unexpected—an individual without Spirit Root reaching the True Immortal Realm and even slaying opponents three stages above him.

This, this was utterly inconceivable!

Seeing Wang Xiaoqiang enter the hall without kneeling, Huan Qingyi felt slightly displeased and coldly said, "Who stands before me?"

Wang Xiaoqiang said, "Why does the Valley Master ask when she already knows?"

Huan Qingyi paused, silently rolling her eyes and thought, this kid is really not ordinary; he actually isn't scared of me?

"Wang Xiaoqiang, you have quite the nerve, and quite the lack of manners too!" Huan Qingyi exclaimed angrily.

Wang Xiaoqiang "The Valley Master has quite the temper, and quite the lack of reason too! All beings are equal; why should I kneel before you?"

"You!" Huan Qingyi didn't expect Wang Xiaoqiang to actually talk back to her, something that had never happened in her life, and she couldn't tolerate it. Immediately, her right hand gestured and her delicate body became blurry, casting a shadow without light.

An avatar appeared from nowhere and solidified as Huan Qingyi shouted loudly, "Split!"

Instantly the avatar flurried out and transformed into a solid form, turning into a woman identical to Huan Qingyi—nationally beautiful and refreshingly elegant, her brow carrying a dignified and slightly angry expression.

This woman was indeed an avatar of Huan Qingyi.

However, this avatar was much weaker than her original body; she used this avatar to test Wang Xiaoqiang's true strength.

"Kill!" Huan Qingyi's original body shouted coldly. Instantly, the avatar pounced towards Wang Xiaoqiang.

Seeing Huan Qingyi making a move, Wang Xiaoqiang's heart sank.

Damn it, he was at the First Stage of the True Immortal Realm. How could he be a match for someone of the fifth level of the Immortal Venerable, not to mention just an avatar of one? Wang Xiaoqiang didn't have confidence in defeating it.

Considering this, Wang Xiaoqiang gritted his teeth and decisively started flying out of the hall.

"You think you can escape? No way!" Huan Qingyi's avatar, following the will of the original, chased after Wang Xiaoqiang.

If he couldn't win, he would flee; this was the principle Wang Xiaoqiang always followed.

Right now, Wang Xiaoqiang was thinking about nothing but escaping...

Flitting rapidly, he flew.

He flew out of the great hall and upwards into the high sky. Since he possessed the "Outer Visitor Jade Slip," he was able to easily cross the Protective Sect Array.

Once Wang Xiaoqiang crossed the Protective Sect Array, he fled desperately—a plight he had never faced since entering the Immortal Realm.

Yet, Huan Qingyi's avatar ceaselessly pursued him.

And it seemed the avatar wasn't aiming to directly seize him, rather it seemed to adopt a cat-and-mouse attitude, wanting to toy with Wang Xiaoqiang first before capturing him once she had had enough.

Thus, although she was stronger than Wang Xiaoqiang, she never caught up, maintaining a pace that was neither too fast nor slow, trailing behind him with a playful cold smile on her face.

Wang Xiaoqiang flew rapidly, and after about ten thousand miles, seeing Huan Qingyi's avatar still casually following behind, he felt exhausted but also annoyed. His thoughts were racing on how to shake off this annoying woman.

When flying over a city, he spotted a bustling market below, where people moved shoulder to shoulder, including both cultivators and mortals. He then had an idea.

He released a Patterned Beast, which, following its master's intent, flew backward towards the avatar of Huan Qingyi.

Meanwhile, Wang Xiaoqiang doubled back downwards.

As the Patterned Beast rushed headlong towards Huan Qingyi's avatar, Wang Xiaoqiang had already descended into the bustling market below, blending into the crowd, rapidly releasing all the Spiritual Spring within him. (To be continued. If you like this novel, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

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