Stronger than everyone else

Fang Wang was led by Gu Li for quite a while. He seized the opportunity and naturally broke free from Gu Li's hand.

I have to say, she's really young.

Fang Wang sighed inwardly, but he wouldn't fall for it. He was still young and couldn't afford to become infatuated with a woman and delay his cultivation.

Gu Li, who was walking ahead, clearly noticed that her ears had turned red.

They walked in silence. Led by Gu Li, Fang Wang entered a mansion, but there was no one inside.

"This is the mansion our Gu family bought in Haixia City. Our Gu family has land deeds in various cultivation cities in the Great Qi Dynasty," Gu Li explained.

Fang Wang nodded. He originally wanted to ask how an ordinary mortal family could transform into a family of cultivators, but then he thought that Zhou Xue must know better than Gu Li, and the history of the Gu family might not be as long as Zhou Xue's.

And so, Gu Li led Fang Wang into a large hall, then closed the door. She removed her veil, stared at Fang Wang, and asked, "The one in white, the stunning beauty, is that you?"

Fang Wang raised an eyebrow and said, "The white-clad beauty killed a ninth-level Spirit Shaping Realm expert. Do you think I have that kind of strength? I reached the Spirit Shaping Realm later than you."

"Your words are really infuriating, but I think it's you. The Amazing Divine Sword Technique is the unique skill of our master Yang Yuanzi. I didn't receive this inheritance, so it can only be you. As for our senior brothers and sisters, their aptitude and comprehension are average, otherwise the third lineage wouldn't have ended up in the second to last position."

Gu Li stared into Fang Wang's eyes as she spoke, her gaze filled with joy, admiration, and resentment—enough to melt any man's heart.

Fang Wang looked away and changed the subject, asking, "Why are you here? Did the sect assign you a mission?"

"The inheritance of the Jihao Sect has caused such a stir, and it's also being discussed within the Taiyuan Sect. Many disciples have come, so it's not surprising that I'm here," Gu Li replied, though she slightly pursed her lips, making it seem like she wasn't being sincere.

Fang Wang bluntly stated, "The Jihao Sect's lineage isn't located in Haixia City; it's almost a thousand miles away, isn't it?"

Gu Li snorted coldly, thinking to herself, "Do you expect me to say that I'm worried about you?"

She then changed the subject, saying, "Are you here to accept a challenge? Li Honggang is at the Spirit Core Realm, already at the third level. Although it's unlikely he'll improve any further in this lifetime, he's still far beyond our current capabilities..."

In the end, she suddenly stopped, because Li Hongshuang, who was at the ninth level of the Spirit Shaping Realm, had been defeated by Fang Wang.

Both the Gu and Li families were prominent clans, so Gu Li had heard of Li Hongshuang since she was a child. Her father had repeatedly marveled at Li Hongshuang's talent, and whenever she thought of such a person dying at Fang Wang's hands, she couldn't help but feel admiration for her.

Because of the Gu family's rich background, she had heard many stories of prodigies, even those from outside the Great Qi Dynasty, but the impact Fang Wang had on her was even more exaggerated than the legends.

"Level three of the Spirit Pill Realm? Are you sure?" Fang Wang asked, raising an eyebrow.

His most important reason for coming to Haixia City was to understand Li Honggang's strength; he wouldn't act rashly.

Gu Li nodded and said, "He's been stuck at this level for at least sixty years. My father said that his greatest blessing in the second half of his life was giving birth to Li Hongshuang."

Fang Wang then asked, "Do you think he might have set a trap in Haixia City?"

Gu Li shook her head and said, "The reason he chose Haixia City is because the city lord of Haixia City, Tang Chengfeng, is a great cultivator at the ninth level of the Spirit Pill Realm. With Tang Chengfeng there, there will be no trouble in Haixia City. This is also why many rogue cultivators like to trade here. Even when facing cultivators from other dynasties, Tang Chengfeng will not be afraid. Among the city lords of the various border cities, Tang Chengfeng has the toughest temper. He cannot tolerate even a grain of sand in his eyes. Therefore, cultivators often duel in Haixia City."

"Moreover, this matter has already caused quite a stir. If Li Honggang were to ask other Li family cultivators to take action, it would make the world look down on the Li family. The Li family values ​​integrity and reputation extremely highly; otherwise, they wouldn't have expelled Li Hongshuang from the family genealogy back then. You don't need to worry about the Li family retaliating against you and your family because of this matter."

Cultivation families value their reputation above all else, at least in the cultivation world of the Great Qi Dynasty.

Hearing this, Fang Wang felt relieved.

Gu Li frowned and asked, "You're not really going to accept the challenge, are you? How confident are you?"

After relaxing, Fang Wang walked to the table and sat down. He smiled and said, "It's about 50/50. I'm usually evenly matched with my enemies. Either they die and I live, or they survive and I perish."

Gu Li sat down and stared intently at Fang Wang.

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"What? Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I'm arrogant?" Fang Wang asked, raising an eyebrow.

Gu Li raised her hand, placed her right hand on the table, and propped her cheek up. She stared at Fang Wang with a wandering gaze. She sighed and said, "Fang Wang, I suddenly feel that our agreement will be hard to keep. By the time I reach the ninth level of the Spirit Shaping Realm, you will definitely be dominating the Spirit Core Realm. The gap between us will only get bigger and bigger."

Fang Wang blinked and said seriously, "Gu Li, do you cultivate just to compete with others? Doesn't getting stronger each time bring you a sense of accomplishment and help you find meaning in life?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Li took a deep breath and said with shame, "You're right, I was being stubborn."

"Your talent is beyond doubt."

"Um……"

Gu Li felt a little better and asked, "Is your strength due to comparing yourself to yourself?"

"Of course not. I want to compete with everyone. I'm naturally competitive. Since I'm cultivating immortality, I want to be stronger than everyone else. That's my goal," Fang Wang replied calmly.

"..."

Gu Li suddenly felt sad again. So, the reason she advised me to compare myself to myself was because I didn't have the right to do so?

……

That night, Fang Wang, relying on his silent and natural skill, quietly arrived at the mansion where Li Honggang lived and pasted a piece of paper on the stone statue in front of the gate.

The next morning, a rumor spread like wildfire throughout Haixia City.

The stunning figure in white has accepted the challenge!

Twenty days later, at noon, we will meet at the South Gate to settle our score!

Inside the Li family mansion, Li Honggang sat in a chair, holding a piece of yellow paper in his hand. He frowned deeply, his face gloomy.

"Are you sure it was pasted on the stone statue at the entrance?" Li Honggang asked.

The servant standing in front of him nodded quickly and said, "I saw it this morning when I went out to clean. It wasn't given to me by someone else."

"Okay, go down."

Li Honggang responded, and the servant breathed a sigh of relief and immediately left.

The purple-robed youth standing to the side frowned and said, "Father, he was able to come to our residence without anyone noticing, so his strength should not be underestimated. Moreover, Third Brother's talent is exceptionally high; an ordinary cultivator at the first level of the Spirit Core Realm might not be his match. To kill Third Brother, the opponent must be a Spirit Core Realm expert, perhaps even higher than you. Is it really worth the risk?"

Li Honggang glared at him and said in a deep voice, "Do you think I challenged him because I was certain of victory? My son is dead, your third brother is dead. No matter how despicable he is, he is still my son and your third brother!"

The young man in purple remained silent, his face grim.

"I am already past my prime. Among you children, Hongshuang was the most talented. If he were alive, I could still rely on him to have a chance to defy fate. Now that he is dead, I have no hope for the rest of my life, but I have regrets. Do you understand the pain of a white-haired man burying a black-haired man?"

Li Honggang sighed, his expression turning weary.

The young man in purple hesitated, as if he wanted to speak but then stopped. Ever since Li Hongshuang joined Qingchan Valley, their branch of the family had been ostracized by the Li family. The Li family, with its dynastic history and millennia-old heritage, cared most about its reputation, and Li Hongshuang had become a stain on their family.

Li Honggang's eyes suddenly sharpened as he said, "Moreover, my actions are also to enhance the prestige of the Li family. If I win, the prestige and power of the Li family will be beyond question. Although my cultivation has not increased for many years, my swordsmanship has already reached its peak. Even if I lose, the Li family will at least appear upright and honorable. My death will earn the respect of the cultivation world and will also help the Li family to better interact with the major righteous sects."

Hearing this, the young man in purple looked ashamed and gritted his teeth, saying, "It's all my fault for not being strong enough; otherwise, Father wouldn't have needed to intervene!"

"Nonsense! This is something I, your father, must take the blame for. You may leave now. Make this matter as impactful as possible. Since Baiyi Jinghong has set a twenty-day timeframe, it means he also wants more onlookers. Let him have his wish. I want to see whether his Thirty-Two Swords of Jinghong is more powerful, or whether my blade is more lethal!"

As Li Honggang finished speaking, he exuded a powerful sense of confidence.

A faint glimpse of a blade appeared in his eyes.