Book 2: War Chapter 20: Fame Spreads in Qingfeng
The snowflakes dancing in the air suddenly froze the moment his clothes shattered, hanging motionless in the sky.
Dugu Baitian stood in the center of the arena like a god!
Thousands of pairs of eyes stared at him unblinkingly. This youth, akin to a deity or demon, had now awed everyone present.
Yet, Dugu Baitian's own heart was also surging with excitement. Is this power? Is this the realm of the strong? The feeling of immense strength is truly wonderful. He felt as if he possessed the power to dominate this world, and the crowd also sensed the intimidating aura of an emperor descending upon the mortal realm.
Dugu Baitian, still with his eyes tightly closed, slowly spoke, each word forceful and resonant: "Old Daoist with the Silver Beard, are you convinced?"
The old Daoist had already suffered severe internal injuries. Now, buried in the ground up to his neck, he felt unbearably stifled and struggled to speak: "This humble Daoist's skill is shallow; I am no match for you."
"I asked if you are convinced!" Dugu Baitian roared, his profound power causing the frozen snowflakes to tremble and resume their dance.
"Begone!"
With a casual wave of his hand, the dancing snowflakes melted and vanished into thin air. Wave after wave of shocking events had already numbed the nerves of the watching heroes, but this scene still caused a stir among the crowd.
The Silver-Bearded Daoist stared blankly at everything before him, his heart filled with regret. Why did I provoke this strange and terrifying youth? If given another chance, I would never do such a foolish thing again. His face flushed red, and after holding back for a long time, he finally whispered, "This humble Daoist is convinced."
The crowd erupted. A senior expert actually said "I am convinced" to a young expert! For a moment, the area was filled with an uproar. Dugu Baitian clearly felt his explosively increased power rapidly fading; the feeling of being a powerhouse was gradually leaving him. He knew time was short. His figure moved like a ghost into the crowd, where he grabbed Lu Feng and pulled him out, then swiftly returned to the center of the arena.
Lu Feng's face was deathly pale. The image of Dugu Baitian's divine and invincible prowess had already shaken him to the core. Now, terrified and ashen-faced, his voice trembled: "Dugu Baitian, what... what do you want?"
"I want you to repeat what happened that night."
"I... I've already said it, haven't I? You... you mustn't use your high martial arts to threaten me." Lu Feng gradually calmed down because he knew that the five King-level experts were still present and would certainly not allow Dugu Baitian to "act recklessly."
Suddenly, Dugu Baitian raised his right palm high, aiming to strike Lu Feng's face. Lu Feng let out a terrified "Ah!" scream. Simultaneously, a sharp cry came from the crowd: "No! Don't kill my senior brother! I'll talk!" Immediately after, Xu Yun ran out.
Dugu Baitian stopped his hand, looking at her coldly. The five King-level experts remained silent, standing quietly to the side.
Xu Yun said, "It... it was our master and disciple who framed you. We were wrong."
"Louder! I didn't hear you!" Dugu Baitian roared.
"It was our master and disciple who framed you! We were wrong!"
The heroes erupted again, curses and shouts filling the air.
"Despicable! Truly shameless villains!" "They've completely disgraced the Falling Heaven Palace!" "Scum!" ... ... ...
Humans are pragmatic creatures. When you are at the peak of your power, many will flock around you, flattering and praising you. When you fall from grace, accusations will be endless.
Dugu Baitian slapped Lu Feng twice across the face. For a martial artist, this was the greatest insult, especially in front of so many people. Almost half the sects in the Qingfeng Empire had sent representatives, and there were many from other countries as well. Unable to bear this humiliation, Lu Feng immediately fainted. Xu Yun quickly dragged him out of the arena, fearing Dugu Baitian might deliver a fatal blow.
Dugu Baitian walked up to the Silver-Bearded Daoist and looked down at him: "Old Daoist, did you ever imagine a day like this?"
At this moment, the Silver-Bearded Daoist was truly humiliated to the extreme. Not only had he been beaten and buried in the ground by a junior, but his most favored disciple had also been insulted, and now he himself was being interrogated like a criminal. After all, he was a figure who had been famous for many years; he decided he would rather die than bow his head again.
Seeing his silence, Dugu Baitian took two more steps forward and sat right on the Daoist's head, a wicked smile appearing on his face. "Pfft!" He actually used his energy to force out a loud and clear – fart.
"Hahaha..."
The crowd was in an uproar. No one could have imagined that the youth who moments ago was domineering and majestic would instantly turn into a hooligan with a wicked expression, let alone perform such a "heroic feat."
The heroes nearly laughed themselves silly. Liu Ruyan and her maid laughed until tears streamed down their faces. Ding Ping, Liu Yifeng, and their group were even more exaggerated, improvising a doggerel on the spot, one line each:
"Dugu Baitian's fart shakes heaven and earth." "Blown right into Silver Beard's mouth." "The old Daoist was very dissatisfied with this fart." "Ran to the Falling Heaven Palace to weep." "The master of Falling Heaven Palace was very angry." "Gathered his left and right to discuss." ... ... ...
Those around them, seeing their antics, burst into even louder laughter.
A smile finally appeared on Situ Mingyue's face. The world-destroying aura Dugu Baitian had emitted earlier had not only frightened her but also made him feel distant and unfamiliar. But this wicked-faced youth before her was the familiar Baitian哥哥 who would always dote on her.
The Silver-Bearded Daoist fainted on the spot – not from the physical power of Dugu Baitian's earth-shaking fart, but because of its implication. A respected senior expert actually had a youth sitting on his head "throwing his weight around." It was simply unbearable, so he went off to complain to the God of Slumber.
The moment Dugu Baitian sat on the old Daoist's head, Li Fang knew it was bad, but it was too late to stop him. He never expected the subsequent "heroic feat" either. This was his Li residence, and he had an obligation to protect his guests. He hadn't anticipated things would develop like this. He hurried towards the center, intending to reprimand Dugu Baitian.
But just then, Dugu Baitian stood up. His tall, stalwart figure turned in a circle in the arena, and he said clearly, "Using my family's 'Rapid Advancement' divine art in battle today was truly a last resort. I, Dugu Baitian, am not an unreasonable and tyrannical person. If someone respects me a foot, I will respect them ten feet. If someone provokes me without cause, I will not be a merciful Buddha. Even if I must sacrifice my life, I will fight them to the end." After saying this, he suddenly fell backward onto the ground.
The crowd instantly fell into chaos. The heroes finally "understood" why this young man's power had suddenly increased so dramatically. Of course, many still had doubts, as Dugu Baitian's power earlier was simply too unbelievably high. Situ Mingyue's face turned pale with fright. "Baitian哥哥!" she cried out sorrowfully and rushed over. Zhou Tianzheng, Wang Fei, and others also charged into the arena. Liu Ruyan felt too embarrassed to go in, but Shan'er had no such reservations and quickly ran over. Li Fang and the five King-level experts followed.
Dugu Baitian felt himself hit the ground, and then his body lost all sensation, but his mind remained acutely clear. He felt surrounded by endless darkness, which brought a deep fear, yet also a sense of familiarity. But he couldn't remember when he had encountered a similar situation. The more he desperately tried to recall, the more it eluded him, accompanied by waves of headache. Finally, he completely lost consciousness.
When Dugu Baitian woke up, it was already three days later. He didn't know that during these three days, his name had spread throughout the Qingfeng Empire, making him a model for young experts. Even the nobles of the upper class knew of a youth named Dugu Baitian. His Nine Revolutions Art became a renowned martial art in the Qingfeng Empire, and the fictitious 'Rapid Advancement' art became known as a ultimate technique for desperate fights. For a time, Dugu Baitian became a frequent topic of conversation in the martial world of the Qingfeng Empire. Invisibly, he also became a target; many young men resolved to test their skills against him. Of course, many young women also gained a new idol.
Three days later, Dugu Baitian awoke. He caught the scent of a familiar jasmine fragrance, and his heart trembled. He didn't dare open his eyes. He didn't want to, couldn't bear to face that graceful figure.
A soft voice reached his ears: "Baitian哥哥, you've finally entered the martial world. You didn't go to the Wushuang Empire but came to the Qingfeng Empire instead. If I hadn't been representing my sect to visit General Li Lin, I wouldn't have seen you at all. I know you dislike me now, don't want to see me. It was my will that wasn't firm enough. Why didn't you give me a little more time? Actually, I've missed you very much." As she spoke, she began to cry. Between sobs, she said, "Baitian哥哥, wake up quickly. I want to hear you call me Yue'er again, I don't want to see your indifferent expression... Rest and recover peacefully. I'll go prepare your medicine."
Dugu Baitian listened as the footsteps gradually faded away before slowly opening his eyes, touched deep inside. Just then, the door curtain was suddenly pushed aside. Dugu Baitian was shocked – he hadn't sensed anyone so close! He saw Demon King Li Chang slip inside and immediately understood; it was perfectly normal for a King-level expert to be capable of this.
"Senior..." Dugu Baitian tried to get out of bed.
Li Chang pressed him down gently and said with a smile, "No need for formalities. Why were you pretending to sleep earlier? Because of that girl? Young man, cherish what you have before you. Don't reach my age and regret it."
"It's not..." Dugu Baitian stammered, thinking: The old are truly shrewd; nothing escapes them.
"Young man, don't be embarrassed. I've been through your age; I understand everything. Enough, let's not talk about that. I waited here in the Li residence until you woke up because I wanted to say a few words to you. Young man, I admire you. That's what I wanted to tell you. If you encounter any trouble, come find me in the Banyue Empire."
"Thank you, Senior Li, for thinking so highly of this junior." Dugu Baitian was genuinely moved. A King-level expert was actually so approachable and had waited three days just to say a few words to him.
Li Chang said, "I am well-versed in the art of physiognomy, but I cannot see through you. However, I have an intuition that in the future, you will stir up great storms across the continent. And it seems to extend beyond this very continent. I truly wonder what kind of scene that will be. Something to look forward to."