Chapter 1422: Chapter 1423: You’ve Never Seen Rain Before?
Li Xiaobai waved his hand grandly, exuding boundless charisma. His intentions couldn’t have been clearer: lead the way, leave the rest to me!
“Yes, sir, follow me!”
The woman’s heart overflowed with joy at the sight. She was now certain that the elder before her was extraordinary, definitely not some ordinary old man. Even if he wasn’t an inspector from the Heavenly God Academy, he had to be a seasoned master. Being able to accompany a cultivator like him, as long as she showed her best, promised countless benefits in the future.
She had painstakingly performed good deeds throughout the city to attract the attention of the elusive elders from the Heavenly God Academy. Now, having encountered Li Xiaobai, who seemed to be a hidden powerhouse, she had to seize the moment.
“What’s your name, young lady? Where’s your home, and who’s your master?”
Li Xiaobai leaned on his walking stick and followed behind, grinning as he asked.
“Sir, my name is Fu Tao, a disciple of the Fu Family from Cangtian City. Our Fu Family has always been renowned for doing good deeds without leaving our names. Helping you out today is simply a small act of kindness from a junior, so I beg you not to take it to heart.”
Fu Tao beamed radiantly, trying to subtly angle for praise, but Li Xiaobai had long mastered such tactics and automatically filtered out all useless information.
The woman was from the Fu Family of Cangtian City, another notable family comparable to the Baihe Family.
“Hmm, a fine young lady. Don’t worry, this old man never dwells on trifles. Besides, your apologetic attitude is quite commendable. Let’s consider the matter of bumping into me settled.”
Li Xiaobai waved his hand casually as he spoke.
Fu Tao silently cursed in her heart. It was clearly this old man extorting her, yet now he was putting on the appearance of a victim forgiving her?
Still, since he was a senior, as long as she could win his favor, anything would be worthwhile.
Minor Tribulation Peak—this was the gathering place for young talents in the city to sit and discuss martial teachings. Cultivators loved sparring here to validate their lifelong learning.
It was said that the origin of this mountain was extraordinary. It was formed when a heavenly being crossed their tribulation here, withstanding a strike of Heavenly Tribulation unharmed. Hence, the name Minor Tribulation Peak. People believed that a mysterious power guarded this mountain, making it a favored location for Crossing Tribulations.
At this moment, a group of youths gathered at the foot of the mountain, heatedly debating something.
Li Xiaobai and Fu Tao walked toward the crowd, and their voices drifted into his ears.
“In my opinion, cultivation techniques should condense power into a single point and then release it explosively to achieve optimal results. Most finger techniques nowadays follow this principle, and their power is astonishing.”
“Indeed, it should be so. Brother Zhang’s theory is quite constructive. Even a single drop of water, if falling from a sufficient height, could effortlessly pierce a cultivator’s chest. This is the so-called Water Drop Pierces Stone Technique!”
“Yes, exactly…”
“It’s remarkable that the elite disciples from the sects on the mountain are discussing profound topics over tea, yet we at the base can also hear such high-level theories. This attendant student of the Fu Family’s eldest son truly has a perspective and poise that ordinary people cannot compare to.”
At the foot of the mountain, by the steps, a richly dressed cultivator was passionately expounding his insights into cultivation techniques. His delivery was articulate and compelling, and his audience listened intently. He was, after all, the attendant student of the Fu Family’s eldest son, someone everyone had to show respect to. Moreover, his remarks were faultless—if one could refine their power even further, their killing techniques would indeed become more ferocious.
Li Xiaobai’s expression became odd. The cultivators in this city were quite amusing: one dared to teach, and a whole group dared to learn, all of them brimming with enthusiasm. Were they not afraid of accidentally going astray in their cultivation?
He led Fu Tao toward the mountain summit, where the truly talented young cultivators gathered. As for the disciples at the base, they didn’t catch his eye—they lacked the worth for deception.
“Hold on, does this senior have an opinion to share?”
“Was there something wrong with what I just explained?”
The young man noticed that Li Xiaobai paid him no mind, and his face slightly darkened with displeasure in his tone.
“Oh, nothing. This old man just wants to head up the mountain. I hope you might grant me passage.”
Li Xiaobai cupped his hands and said cheerfully.
“It’s no problem for someone like you to ascend the mountain. However, at this moment, disciples from various sects and clans in the city are sparring and debating atop the mountain. Not just anyone is allowed to observe them. If your skills are lacking, you won’t have the qualification to reach the summit. Senior, in your advanced years, I presume you wouldn’t stoop to relying on your age. Why not showcase your abilities and broaden our horizons?”
A sharp glint flickered in the young man’s eyes as he squinted and spoke.
He came from a prestigious family. Although he was merely an attendant student, his experiences were vast. He had a good grasp of the city’s notable elders and seniors, but he hadn’t heard of anyone matching Li Xiaobai’s demeanor or appearance. Hence, he dared to speak so boldly.
“You wish to hear my thoughts?”
“I overheard you discussing the Water Drop Pierces Stone Technique just now. I can’t help but ask, have any of you ever been caught in the rain?”
Li Xiaobai asked with a mischievous smile, posing a soul-stirring question that instantly rendered the crowd dead silent.
This hit the mark. Upon reflection, the elder was right. All that talk of water drops piercing stone and raindrops falling from a height—it was just rain, wasn’t it? They had never heard of rain killing anyone!
“As people, we must remain grounded. The essence of Water Drop Pierces Stone lies in persistence and daily tempering, not in trivial tricks of cleverness.”
Li Xiaobai laughed heartily and stepped toward the summit.
“Stop right there!”
“Who are you, and why are you causing trouble here, disrupting our debate?”
“Are you deliberately trying to stir up conflict?”
The young man froze momentarily, then fumed with rage, stepping forward with an angry shout.
“Hold it!”
“Humiliating yourself yet daring to show your face! Out of my way!”
Fu Tao, who had been observing coldly, stepped forward. With a flick of her hand, she shoved the young man aside. Just moments ago, she too had been curious to hear Li Xiaobai’s insights. Unexpectedly, he had casually pointed out the contradictions in the cultivators’ arguments.
Being able to effortlessly single out the flaws in their debate, this elder must be an extraordinary master!
“Immortal Fu!”
“It’s Immortal Fu from the Fu Family! She’s following that elder closely—who is he?”
“It seems the city hasn’t heard of such a figure before!”
Seeing Fu Tao’s respectful demeanor toward Li Xiaobai, the cultivators looked puzzled.
“I…”
“This…”
The young man was stunned for a moment but quickly seemed to grasp something. Fu Tao’s recent actions throughout the city were well-known among the clan’s cultivators, even drawing ridicule. Now, seeing her willingly following a mysterious elder, the unspoken implications became abundantly clear.
This elder wasn’t just anyone—he might very well be a Heavenly God Academy elder come to evaluate the city!