Harry took a look at the disciple, and snorted. He couldn't sense any strength from this man, only a vague pressure, which meant he was in the Qi Absorption Realm. Not just that, but he was also standing in the midst of all the Inner Disciples. Macnair must have been extremely desperate to try this tactic.
"Haha, I didn't think the New Port Sect was this shameless. You're at the Qi Absorption Realm, aren't you? To publicly challenge me, just at the 8th level of the Body Tempering Realm, are you trying to throw your face away?"
"Indeed, I am at the 1st level of the Qi Absorption Realm," the man admitted frankly. "However, I am only 17 years old this year, and younger than you. Therefore, there is no shame in challenging in you."
"No shame?" Harry smirked. "Before the competition started, your Sect Master clearly said that a challenge can't be made against someone at a lower cultivation level. Now that your sect is losing, are you trying to twist the rules?"
"Right, how can you change the rules at this time?" someone from the Swan Sea Sect yelled from behind Harry. As one, all the disciples started criticizing the New Port Sect. Cries of 'sore losers' and 'shameless' rang throughout the air.
"Enough of this pointless talk," the man snapped, trying to change the subject. "Do you accept or not?"
"Why do I need to accept your challenge?" Harry sneered. "Are you an Outer Disciple?"
"No, but – "
"Then I don't accept your challenge. The actions of your sect are really laughable. It – actually, you know what? I'll accept your challenge on one condition," Harry suddenly had a thought.
"What condition?"
"I'm not talking about you," Harry dismissed him and looked over to the Sect Master.
"Sect Master, earlier, you said you'd give me 100 Qi Crystals for every battle I won."
"What about it?" she asked, not sure where this was going.
Harry thickened his face as much as he could. Since it was about the Nameless Technique, he had to take the chance to earn more Qi Crystals.
"Well, 100 Qi Crystals was the rate for Outer Disciples. Now that I'm being challenged by an Inner Disciple, this battle will be a lot harder. I think it would be fair if we increased the amount, don't you agree?"
When they heard that shameless request, everyone's jaw dropped wide open.
'Did I hear that right? Is James negotiating with the Sect Master?'
First, James scolded Walden Macnair, the man known across the whole empire simply as the Executioner, right to his face. That was shocking enough, but now, James was even trying to haggle with the Sect Master?
'James, if your guts get any bigger, you will ascend to the sky!'
Everyone here knew the reputations of both Sect Masters very clearly. Walden Macnair was known to be a violent executioner, indiscriminately killing whatever in his path. Though Gwenog Jones didn't have that sort of reputation, she was still known to be fierce and short-tempered. After all, her title, the Swan Sea Harpy, came after she massacred an entire clan to its last member.
Harry's friends felt like they would faint from nervousness. Didn't they tell their Outer Disciple friend about the Sect Master's short temper? Why was he antagonizing even Gwenog Jones?
If James offended the Ivory Fist Clan, or the Alchemy Hall, or even every Elder of the sect, then he could still live, because the Sect Master was there to enforce the rules. But if James pissed off even the Sect Master, then there was nobody in the sect to save him.
Even Macnair was stunned into silence for a moment. In his entire life, he had never seen such a shameless money-grubber.
Strangely though, the Swan Sea Sect's Sect Master didn't seem to be angry. If anything, she just appeared amused.
"Very well. When you win, I'll give you 500 Qi Crystals," she agreed.
'What the – she actually agreed?' people were dumbfounded. The normally cold and aloof Sect Master actually agreed to James request?
"Alright, now that that's settled, I accept your challenge," Harry declared, turning back to his opponent.
The disciple from the New Port Sect glared back at Harry with a venomous stare. In the New Port Sect, he was the most talented of his generation, the first to reach the Qi Absorption Realm. His talent and strength were respected everywhere he went. Yet, this fool from the Swan Sea Sect was only thinking about how to earn more money! James didn't even see him as a real opponent!
And the Sect Master – what did she mean by 'when you win'? How the hell was this greedy idiot going to beat him?
"James, do you think you can defeat me like how you beat the others?" he spat, and leapt onto the stage. He took out a short sword, which he clutched tightly with both hands.
"Yeah, something like that," Harry nodded.
"Haha, hahaha" his opponent let out a long laugh. "As expected, your courage only comes from your ignorance. Let me tell you – my name is Tristan Nott. That's right, I'm also from the Nott Sacred Clan! Now that you know that, do you even dare to fight? I suggest you forfeit right now!"
He finished with a sneer, expecting the whole Swan Sea Sect to fall into dismay. Whenever he brought his background up, there was no one who ever dared to attack him. But all he saw was a crowd of awkward expressions staring back at him.
'Does James dare to attack you?' the Swan Sea Sect members thought. 'I don't think there's anything James doesn't dare to do!'
Though many people thought that, some weren't so sure. Surely, James knew better than to offend even one of the 28 Sacred Clans, right? If James injured this person like how he injured the rest of the Outer Disciples, the consequences would be far more severe.
"You're also from the Nott Clan?" Harry asked in surprise. "Are you related to Theodore?"
"He's my older brother," Tristan proudly stated.
"Oh, that scoundrel is your brother? In that case, I'll definitely fight you," Harry made up his mind. For the sake of the Swan Sea Sect, he had to teach the Nott Clan a lesson.
"You – don't you know what will happen if you offend me or my clan?" Tristan asked in mix of shock and rage.
"Since you got on stage, we're supposed to have a battle. What, do you expect me to just forfeit after hearing your surname?"
Then seeing Tristan's expression, it was obvious he actually expected that exact thing.
"Wait, you do? Haha, your New Port Sect is just too shameless. Not only did you guys send a Qi Absorption Realm cultivator to fight me, you even picked someone with a huge background, to get me to forfeit without even fighting. Today, my eyes have been opened," Harry finished with a mocking grin at the New Port Sect.
"James, you're just an ignorant country bumpkin. Since you don't feel the proper awe for the Nott Sacred Clan, I'll instill it in you!" Tristan yelled.
"In the vast Scarlet Phoenix Empire, there's no one who doesn't fear the Nott Clan. Whenever someone despises the Nott Clan, my clan puts them to death! Very soon, you'll pay that same price!"
"Rainstorm Sword – Rain Pours from the Sky!"
Tristan's movements were identical to those of Theodore's. He lifted his sword and raised it high into the air, pointing it to the Heavens. Though there was no Sword Intent or accompanying vision of slaughter, his movements and use of Qi was identical. And above Harry's head, a dozen blades of Qi formed and shot straight down towards him.
For a brief moment Harry was prepared to dodge to the side, having seen what that attack was capable of. But when he examined Tristan's attack, he let out a laugh and just stood still. Although the attack looked the exact same as Theodore's, the power behind it was too lacking in comparison. He knew it couldn't hurt him.
Strengthening Flesh!
A second later, the shower of blades fell upon him. There were gasps of surprise from the New Port Sect's side, not expecting James to take this attack head on, but they were quickly replaced by smirks. This James idiot was too arrogant to even dodge or defend against this attack. When his body was turned into a sieve, he only had himself to blame.
Yet, nobody from the Swan Sea Sect looked worried. They all knew James had some kind of indestructible body, and on top of that, he didn't even seem to feel pain. To give him an actual injury, one would need to be in at least the middle-level of the Qi Absorption Realm.
And sure enough, when the blades disappeared, the figure of James was revealed. Other than a few light scratches and cuts, he was completely unharmed. He patted his shoulders, rubbed a few tiny wounds, and nodded approvingly.
"Not bad, you actually managed to leave a scratch on me."
"You –" Tristan's mouth went dry. "You – you – that's impossible! How did you survive my Rainstorm Sword?"
Though he wasn't as talented as his older brother, he was still considered a cultivation genius. He could easily fight against those at the 2nd level of the Qi Absorption Realm, and even injure those at the 3rd level with this attack. Yet, how could someone at just the 8th level of the Body Tempering Realm stand there and not even be harmed?
"Rainstorm Sword? Are you sure that's the Rainstorm Sword? I thought you were trying to tickle me," Harry pretended to yawn, and stretched languidly, giving the appearance that he walked through a light drizzle instead of a deadly shower.
"James, don't be too cocky!" Tristan snarled. "Let me tell you, the only reason you survived is because I've haven't mastered that move! If I had, you'd definitely be dead!"
"Let me tell you, you're only still on the stage because I'm in the Body Tempering Realm. If we had the same cultivation level, I'd crush you before you could even spew all that shit out your mouth."
Suddenly, the rest of the New Port Sect remembered James was just at the 8th level of the Body Tempering Realm. Because no one in the Body Tempering Realm could injure him, they subconsciously started equating him with a Qi Absorption Realm cultivator. But for him to survive even Tristan's attack, then what exactly was his defense like?
"James, your words are meaningless here! I'll definitely take your life with my next attack!"
Harry just shook his head, giving off the impression of an adult helplessly sighing at the actions of a child.
"Young boy, you're too arrogant for your own good. As your elder, I'll have to teach you a lesson today – that you're no different than the rest of the trash that came up on stage. To defeat you, I also need just one single attack. And to stop your sword, I only need a single finger."
To everyone's shock, Harry actually placed his left hand behind his back. He brought his right hand in front of his face, and closed it into a fist, leaving only his pinky finger sticking up.
"Come on now," Harry smirked.
'What the… James… what are you doing!?' the Swan Sea Sect thought in disbelief. 'This isn't the time to be fooling around!'
Though Harry didn't know it, this hand gesture was actually an extremely rude gesture used in the empire to mock others. The pinky finger was meant to represent a certain part of the male anatomy, and sticking it in the air by itself was a symbol of utmost humiliation. It was just a coincidence he used this finger, but to Tristan and everyone else, it looked like James was doing it on purpose.
"James… James… you die!" Tristan roared, absolutely infuriated. As a member of the Nott Sacred Clan, since when had he ever been humiliated like this? Not just this hand gesture, but also those words – who was this fool to call himself his elder? He gripped his sword with both hands and charged at Harry, preparing to swing it and behead this idiot with all his might.
Strengthening Flesh!
Forging Bone!
Using the few hundred Qi Crystals he had earned from slapping Nelson, Harry was able to fully strengthen the bone in his pinky finger, and a bit of his ring finger. He instinctively knew the defensive strength of his body, or at least, his pinky finger, was now equivalent to his offensive strength. Though having a strong pinky finger wasn't useful in a real battle, it was perfect for just humiliating Tristan.
Swish!
Tristan's sword flashed in a bright arc of light, and Harry moved his hand to intercept. With perfect accuracy, Harry lined his pinky finger up with the trajectory of the sword. The edge of the blade sliced through Harry's flesh, and he hissed in pain, but then –
CLANG!
It sounded like Tristan slashed his sword against a sheet of metal. It struck Harry's pinky bone, then stopped right there. The impact sent both finger and blade ringing, but Tristan's sword was unable to slice through Harry's toughened bone.
The spectators all saw Tristan charge forwards and swing his sword. And to their surprise, James was actually using his finger to block it! The result, of course, should have been that both finger and head would be separated. But instead… why did it look like the sword wasn't able to advance?
And when they looked at Tristan, they could see two expressions on his face. It was red from all the strength and energy he was putting into his strike, but his eyes were also as wide as saucers, unable to process what was happening.
"What the –"
Rebirthing Muscle!
Too fast for Tristan to react, Harry whipped out his left hand from behind his back, and slapped Tristan across the face as hard as he could. There was the sound of an explosion, and then Tristan was sent flying a dozen meters, landing in a heap – off the edge of the stage. He lay on the dirt howling in pain and unwillingness, unable to understand why his attack failed to even slice off James' pinky finger.
The entire Swan Sea Sect erupted into cheers.
"Holy shit! It was really just one move!" someone exclaimed.
"Heavens, am I dreaming? Did we actually defeat the New Port Sect?"
"James won all 41 battles! That means –"
"JAMES!"
That last roar came from Theodore, and the stadium instantly quieted. Without anyone noticing, Theodore was standing on the stage, near the area his brother had fallen. Every muscle of his body was clutched in intense rage, and all his veins looked like they would pop out his skin.
He made a grasping motion towards Harry, and the next moment, Harry's body stiffened. He felt Theodore's enormous killing intent lock in, and he shuddered when he saw Theodore's cold and enraged eyes.
"James! How can a lowly thing like you touch a member of my Nott Sacred Clan? Since you injured my brother, you deserve to be killed like a dog. DIE!" he roared.
He was infuriated with how James injured his brother, but more than that, James' strength made him uneasy. When he was at the 8th level of the Body Tempering Realm, he definitely didn't have the strength to withstand the power of the Rainstorm Sword. His brother may have been inexperienced with the move, but it was still the Rainstorm Sword, the peerless technique of the Nott Sacred Clan! Did that mean that James' body or whatever cultivation technique he practiced was more powerful than his? No matter what, he refused to accept that.
'Anyone who has even a chance of being more talented than me – they must die!' he savagely vowed.
Theodore took two steps forwards, then he vanished. The next moment, he reappeared right in front of Harry, and clutched his throat with his left hand. His sword appeared in his right, and he prepared to bring it down.
Harry's eyes widened in panic. He didn't think Theodore would actually be arrogant enough to disregard the entire Swan Sea Sect and attack him in its borders. But the next moment, Theodore's grip slackened, and he froze too.
"Gwenog, what's the meaning of this?" Macnair suddenly yelled.
Turning his head as far as he could manage, Harry saw the Swan Sea Sect's Sect Master had gotten up, and was staring at Theodore with a cold expression.
"Macnair, if your Inner Disciples defeat my Inner Disciples, I won't say a thing. And if your Outer Disciples defeat my Outer Disciples, I won't say a thing either. But if your Inner Disciples attack my Outer Disciples, then don't blame me for being vicious."
"Your Outer Disciple is the vicious one. Look at how he injured my disciples! Your sect is raising a lawless lowlife! We have the right to punish him!" Macnair ranted back at the Sect Master. Having someone like James in the Swan Sea Sect was a disaster for the New Port Sect. If James was allowed to grow, then it would be troublesome. He had the same thought as Theodore – this problem had to be nipped in the bud.
Harry grew infuriated yet again when he heard that. All his calm was shattered, and he was beginning to feel his blood rising again, begging him to activate it. True, he was vicious, but it was Theodore who did it all first. And even after someone at the top of Qi Absorption Realm attacked him, Walden Macnair was shameless enough to invent a righteous sounding excuse to deal with him.
"I won't bother talking reason to an unreasonable man like you. If someone at the same age or cultivation level can beat James, I'll have no complaints. But since you want to kill my disciples, I'm sure you have no problem if I slaughter all of yours," the Sect Master coldly said. Above her head, her nine enormous swords appeared, pointing towards the New Port Sect members.
They hummed with power, shivering, like arrows pulled back against a bowstring. One command, and they could shoot forwards and slaughter the New Port Sect's disciples.
Those disciples cried out in alarm, and backed up behind their Sect Master. The Swan Sea Sect's Sect Master didn't look like she was joking, and her blades were clearly primed to kill. Would they actually lose their lives here?
"Gwenog, are you insane? Do you want our two sects to go to war?" Macnair yelled.
"War? My Swan Sea Sect is not a good target for bullying. Do you think I don't know the real reason you're here today? If it's a war you want, it's a war you'll get. And with all your disciples dead, let's see how your New Port Sect recovers."
Macnair's face went from red to purple. He had never been threatened in this manner before.
"You should know what will happen to you if you attack the Young Master of the Nott Sacred Clan," he finally said. At this point, he could only bring up the Nott Sacred Clan as his backing.
"And you should know what will happen to you, too," the Sect Master responded. "What will the Nott Patriarch do to you if his sons die in your care, I wonder?"
Macnair's expression changed, and his resolve seemed to crumble a bit.
"I don't believe you dare to kill my disciples," he responded, though his voice wavered.
"You can believe whatever you like. I will give your disciple three seconds to release James. One."
The Sect Master didn't hesitate at all before counting.
"Two."
"Theodore, release him," Macnair spat. Even if he fought and occupied the Sect Master, they were at best evenly matched. She could order the Elders of her sect to kill his disciples, and he wouldn't be able to protect them. While he was in the Swan Sea Sect, he was at a disadvantage.
He couldn't afford to lose a whole generation of disciples here, but more than that, the Sect Master was right. If the Notts really died under his care, after the Nott Clan eradicated the Swan Sea Sect, they'd come after him next.
Theodore glared at Harry with one last look of hatred, then released him.
"James, consider yourself – "
Burning Blood!
"Fuck you!"
Harry's foot shot out, and viciously kicked Theodore's crotch. In the midst of the tension-filled silence, the sound of two eggs cracking rang throughout the Dueling Hall.