17: Chapter 17: One Battle Determines Market Share

The moment the three Fire Snake Technique lunged over, the heat on the arena exploded with a boom.

One on the left to block the path, one in the middle to suppress from above, and one on the right to circle behind; with this move, Zhao Mingyue left Li Qingfeng absolutely no way out.

Many people off the stage stood up straight in a flash.

"It's over, how can he dodge this???"

"Zhao Mingyue has actually practiced the Fire Snake Technique to three snakes? Being at the Peak of Qi Refining Stage 7 really isn't just for show."

"Fire overcomes Wood; Li Qingfeng is definitely done for this time."

Li Chengyue's face was taut, the hilt of the sword in his hand creaked as he gripped it, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "That grandson is truly playing for keeps!"

Li Ruolan frowned, her hand already pressed against her talisman pouch.

She knew the rules, of course; she couldn't intervene, but watching Li Qingfeng get surrounded by the three Fire Snake Technique, her heart was in her throat.

Su Qingyue sat in the viewing area, having almost jumped up just a moment ago.

She wore a light cyan dress that hugged her slender waist, and beneath the hem of her skirt, her fair ankles were tensed tight.

On her gentle, beautiful face, worry was practically overflowing; she bit her lip hard, and the sachet in her hand was almost crushed by her grip.

But the next second, she forced herself to sit back down.

It couldn't be...

Li Qingfeng would absolutely never get himself into such a dead end for no reason.

This man, while looking like he just liked to run his mouth, was sharper than anyone inside.

He had been retreating for so long just now; surely it wasn't for nothing.

On the arena, Zhao Mingyue's eyes were filled with the smugness of someone who had victory in his grasp.

He thrust both palms forward violently and shouted sharply, "Li Qingfeng, it's not too late to admit defeat! Otherwise, when these three Fire Snake Technique burn you, that tattered magic robe of yours won't be able to save you!!!"

Li Qingfeng looked up at him; the bangs on his forehead were slightly disheveled by the heatwave, but not a hint of panic could be seen on his face.

"Don't speak too soon."

He tapped his toe lightly on the arena floor.

That was all it took.

The Azure Wood Spiritual Power he had secretly stuffed into the cracks earlier detonated instantly!

Snap!

The wooden planks of the arena cracked in response, and several cyan vines shot out from the gaps.

These vines didn't foolishly rush into the Fire Snake Technique.

With the temperature of those Fire Snake Technique, colliding with them would be no different than serving yourself up as a meal.

They slithered rapidly along the ground, aiming straight for Zhao Mingyue's ankles and wrists.

Zhao Mingyue's expression changed in an instant.

"When did you..."

Before he could finish, two vines had already tightly coiled around his right ankle, and another thinner vine struck his wrist with a "slap."

This strike didn't have much force, but the timing was impeccable—it was exactly at the most critical moment when he was channeling his fire-controlling Spiritual Qi.

The firelight in Zhao Mingyue's palm shuddered violently.

The three Fire Snake Technique immediately lost their aim, as if they were drunk.

The one in the middle rushed too hard, crashing head-on into the one on the left, and the one on the right, slow to turn, got swept into it as well.

Boom!!!

The three streaks of fire collided in mid-air, exploding into a massive wave of red heat.

The heatwave rushed toward them, and the defensive formation patterns on the arena hummed and lit up from the shock.

The people off the stage nearly had their eyeballs pop out.

"He could even break it like that?"

"He kept retreating just now; was he secretly setting up vines?"

"Damn, Zhao Mingyue got outplayed!"

The moment the firelight blocked everyone's line of sight, Li Qingfeng moved.

He activated his Light Armor magic robe, the defensive spiritual patterns lighting up against his body, and dashed out, braving the residual heat.

He twisted the magic sword in his hand, infused it with Azure Wood Spiritual Power; the sword glow was not flashy, but it was steady and fast.

Just as Zhao Mingyue tried to forcibly shatter the vines at his feet, the cyan light was already upon him.

"Get lost!"

He roared, thrusting his left palm out, flames emerging from his palm as he tried to force Li Qingfeng back.

Li Qingfeng didn't take this palm strike at all.

He shifted his footing, the sword tip turning alongside the edge of the flames, and followed through with an upward flick, slicing directly at the thread of Spiritual Qi still connecting Zhao Mingyue's palm to the Fire Snake Technique.

Clang!

The firelight shattered.

Zhao Mingyue's rhythm for controlling the fire was completely thrown into chaos.

Only then did the tension in Li Qingfeng's heart ease.

It worked.

This guy was strong, but he was too eager to pin him down in one move.

The more anxious he was to win, the more flaws appeared in his technique.

So what if he was at the Peak of Qi Refining Stage 7?

Once the node for controlling the fire was broken, he was still helpless.

He stepped in, extending his magic sword horizontally, the tip stopping steadily three inches from Zhao Mingyue's throat.

Zhao Mingyue froze completely.

Sparks were still coming from his right hand, and the vines at his feet were charred black, but it was too late to move now.

The whole arena was silent for a few seconds.

The referee looked back and forth at the two of them before announcing in a deep voice: "This match, Li Family, Li Qingfeng wins!!!"

Boom!!!

The Li Family's seating area erupted.

"He won!!!"

"He actually won!!!"

"One month of stall tax revenue from West Street, it's ours!!!"

Li Chengyue punched his own palm, grinning so wide his molars showed, "Satisfying! Too satisfying! This time, the Zhao Family's face has been thoroughly slapped!"

Li Ruolan also released her talisman pouch, commenting indifferently, "The setup was precise; not a single move was wasted."

The Grand Elder sat at the very top, satisfaction practically overflowing in his eyes.

This wasn't just as simple as winning a magic duel.

This was winning back cold, hard cash; it was actual industrial revenue.

Over the years, every time the Li Family competed with the Zhao Family for market territory, wasn't it always a bloody struggle? Now, Li Qingfeng, a mere Qi Refining Stage 7, had snatched the fat meat right out of the Zhao Family's mouth in front of all four families.

This achievement would definitely be recorded in the Family genealogy.

The Zhao Family's side turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

Zhao Mingyue's face was livid; the sword tip three inches from his throat left him unable to say a word.

He lost too frustratingly.

In terms of Spiritual Qi, he had more than Li Qingfeng.

In terms of Realm, he was higher than Li Qingfeng.

Yet Li Qingfeng never clashed with him head-on from start to finish, instead focusing on hitting his fire-controlling nodes, tearing his prized Fire Snake Technique to pieces.

A Zhao Family Elder stood up with a dark face and said coldly, "The outcome of this battle has been decided; Li Qingfeng, you may withdraw your sword."

Li Qingfeng glanced at Zhao Mingyue, sheathed his sword, and remarked casually, "Brother Zhao, your temper is quite fiery, but your skill in controlling fire is a bit lacking."

Zhao Mingyue gritted his teeth so hard they clicked, nearly spitting out a mouthful of blood on the spot.

This sentence was more painful than a slap to the face.

Wang Qingluan stood by the Wang Family's seating area, arms crossed over her sword, watching Li Qingfeng with a serious gaze.

"Able to endure, skilled at setting up, and daring enough to get in close."

A Wang Family disciple beside her whispered, "Sister Qingluan, do you think he is stronger than Zhao Mingyue?"

Wang Qingluan said very calmly, "In a direct clash, not necessarily. But in the arena, whoever can best utilize their own advantages is the one who wins."

On the other side, the Jade Slip used for notarization drifted up slowly.

White light shone on the surface of the Jade Slip, and the Spiritual Qi imprints left by the four families appeared one by one.

Then, a line of small characters formed, clearly stating: This battle, Li Family wins; one month of West Street stall tax revenue from the Zhao Family is transferred to the Li Family.

With this, the Zhao Family couldn't go back on their word even if they wanted to.

The referee announced the result of the wager publicly, and the cheers from the Li Family's side grew even louder.

When Li Qingfeng walked off the arena, the Grand Elder actually stood up personally.

"Li Qingfeng."

His voice wasn't loud, but it suppressed the surrounding chatter.

Li Qingfeng cupped his hands and said, "Elder."

The Grand Elder said very solemnly, "In this battle, you won back one month of West Street stall tax revenue for the Family; this merit will be recorded in the Family genealogy. After returning to the clan, your cultivation resources will be increased by one month's worth. For your little courtyard, you may have priority to collect a batch of Spirit Medicine for nourishing from the Spirit Herb Garden."

Hearing the last sentence, Li Qingfeng's heart skipped a beat.

Spirit Medicine for nourishing.

This stuff was good for his cultivation, and even more useful for recuperating Su Qingyue's body.

Especially since her vitality had been growing stronger recently; although he couldn't be 100% sure yet, Li Qingfeng had already taken this matter to heart.

Compared to a few words of verbal praise, this batch of Spirit Medicine was real gold and silver.

He immediately cupped his fists and said, "Thank you, Elder. As a disciple of the Li Family, fighting for the Family's interests is what I should do."

The Grand Elder's gaze became even gentler.

"Good. Remember those words."

Li Qingfeng turned around and happened to meet Su Qingyue's eyes.

She was still sitting in the viewing area, waist slender and legs long, the light cyan skirt hem draping down her lower legs, her face still flushed from being too nervous just a moment ago.

The way she looked at him was soft, containing the relief after worry and an unconcealable bit of pride.

Li Qingfeng felt a warmth in his heart and waved the sachet in his hand at her.

Su Qingyue's face turned slightly red, and she muttered softly, "You've already won, yet you're still not acting properly."

But even as she said that, the smile in her eyes couldn't be hidden.

Just then, the System's notification sound rang out.

[Host has represented the Family to win industrial revenue.]

[Family Luck observation progress has increased significantly.]

[Reward: Cultivation advancement.]

[Reward: Twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stone.]

[Reward: One fragment of the Spirit Field Nourishing Talisman Formation map.]

[Note: The Spirit Field Nourishing Talisman Formation can improve the soil quality of low-grade spirit fields, increase the survival rate of Spiritual Plant, and the stability of nourishing Spiritual Qi. If set up long-term, it can increase the Family's industrial revenue and improve the gestation environment for your Dao Companion.]

Li Qingfeng's eyes lit up instantly.

Good stuff!!!

This map fragment sounded unremarkable, but it was exactly what he wanted.

Increasing spirit field output would make the Family value him more; with stable nourishing Spiritual Qi, Su Qingyue's body would be easier to recuperate; and if they really had children in the future, they could grow up in a better environment.

This was what you called a perfect closed loop.

Fight a battle, win an industry, and then use the System's rewards to manage the Family.

This was way more satisfying than just hacking people.

In a corner in the distance, that grey-robed Cultivator had watched the entire magic duel from start to finish.

He scribbled a few lines on a Jade Slip, then whispered to the attendant beside him, "Steady, accurate, and knows when to advance and when to retreat. This Li Qingfeng of the Li Family is interesting."

The attendant asked in a low voice, "Should we report this to the Outer Sect Deacon?"

The grey-robed Cultivator nodded, "Report it. The Li Family needs to be re-evaluated."

There were a few more matches in the Small Tournament, but everyone's mind was long gone from those ordinary victories and defeats.

The biggest winner of the day was undoubtedly the Li Family.

When the Small Tournament ended and the four families were preparing to leave, the grey-robed Cultivator suddenly stood up and, with his attendant, walked toward the Li Family's Grand Elder.

Li Qingfeng was accompanying the Grand Elder; seeing this person approach, his heart immediately raised his vigilance by three points.

The grey-robed Cultivator took out a cyan token, with the words "Qingyun" engraved on it, and faint Spiritual Qi light flowing along the edges.

Several of the surrounding clan Elders' expressions changed simultaneously.

The Grand Elder narrowed his eyes and asked in a deep voice, "Are you a member of the Qingyun Sect, Your Excellency?"

The grey-robed Cultivator cupped his hands, but his eyes were fixed straight on Li Qingfeng.

"Outer Sect of the Qingyun Sect, Steward Xu Wenshan."