<h4>Chapter 153 - Solitary Pir</h4>


    The woman seated across from Xiao Yanlong was Xu Lingxue. She didn’t answer Xiao Yanlong’s question and looked at Liu Wuxie with a hint of concern, waiting for his reply. She had no idea if he would ept the challenge from the elite ss. If he refused, he would never be able to raise his head in the future, bing a target of mockery.


    “Junior Brother Liu, don’t agree to it. This person is Tao Wenbing. He practices a formidable movement technique and participates in the Solitary Pir every year. He has a good grasp of thending points, like the back of his hand. You’ll be at a disadvantage if you were to face him.” Li Shengsheng stepped forward, hoping that Liu Wuxie would reconsider.


    Everyone from Advanced ss Seven nodded as this was an unfairpetition. Liu Wuxie had joined the academy less than a month ago and was still unfamiliar with many parts of the academy. So, it was reasonable for him to refuse the challenge.


    “I ept your challenge!” Liu Wuxie’s voice reached every corner of the venue. It was already toote for anyone to stop him, and the only thing they could do was cheer him on.


    “Junior Brother, you have to be careful. Tao Wenbing hase prepared. So don’t fall for their trap.” Zhao Cheng warned in a hushed tone. Given that Tao Wenbing was at the pinnacle of the Xiantian Realm and still dared to challenge, he must have some level of confidence.


    “I appreciate your warnings!” Liu Wuxie responded, disappearing and reappearing in the region of the Solitary Pirs.


    The Solitary Pirs were different from ordinary pirs used to practice movement techniques. The height and cement of the pirs varied. Beneath the pirs were mud and poisonous thorns. They weren’t ordinary pirs because they were dangerous. A careless misstep could lead to a fatal encounter with the poison.


    Tao Wenbing was already stationed on a pir, a frosty smirk ying at the corners of his mouth. He addressed Liu Wuxie, “You’re quite audacious, Liu Wuxie. I acknowledge your strength, but remember, this is a contest of movement technique, not weapons or martial arts. The first to reach the finish line wins. Are you in agreement with these terms?”


    Even a contender at the first level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm might not be a match for Liu Wuxie. Tao Wenbing, who was at the pinnacle of the Xiantian Realm, wouldn’t have dared to challenge Liu Wuxie if he wasn’t confident in his abilities.


    “How despicable! If you two aren’t allowed to use martial techniques, this won’t be fair for Junior Brother Liu!” Li Shengsheng was furious because Tao Wenbing was tantly digging a trap for Liu Wuxie to jump in. If Liu Wuxie couldn’t use any martial techniques or weapons, he might as well let Liu Wuxiepete with him, having his limbs tied up.


    “I support Senior Brother Tao. Since this is apetition between movement techniques, why should martial techniques or weapons be allowed?” Many echoed Tao Wenbing’s sentiments, finding no fault in his argument. If martial arts and weapons were permitted, they might as well have chosen an arena for thepetition.


    Over fifty students from Advanced ss Six rallied behind Tao Wenbing. With Liu Wuxie having stepped forward, there was no turning back for him.


    “Sure!” Liu Wuxie replied indifferently, ignoring the surrounding mockery. Nothing could cause a ripple in his heart.


    Tao Wenbing’s smile grew wider after hearing Liu Wuxie’s response. He sneered, “The Solitary Pirs stretch seven hundred meters, and we’ll rely on our ability to reach the end. If anything happens, no one will be held ountable!”


    This was tantamount to a death match. The Solitary Pirs were designed for practicing movement techniques, and fatalities were rare. However, today was different. The Solitary Pirs had been modified with poisonous thorns on the ground. This raises the question: Who could have altered the arrangement of the solitary pirs?


    The Xue n had gone to great lengths to eliminate Liu Wuxie.


    Liu Wuxie surveyed the three hundred and sixty pirs before him, each varying in size and irregrly ced. The furthest distance between the two pirs was five meters, necessitating a leap to traverse the gap.


    The surroundings gradually fell into silence as everyone held their breath, keen to observe every detail of this contest, hoping to glean valuable insights.


    “Xue Rui, what are the odds of Tao Wenbing winning thispetition?” In the Profound Grade region, a group of Xue n disciples had congregated, their gazes fixed on Liu Wuxie with malevolent intent.


    “Ny percent!” A murderous intent shed in Xue Rui’s eyes. He had been unable to locate Liu Wuxie in the me Sun Cave, and all the individuals he had dispatched had vanished. It was likely that Liu Wuxie had killed them, but he had no proof.


    “Young Master, please be reassured. This brat will die for sure!” Xue Pinzhi said to Xue Yu in a fawning tone. Xue Yu might not have a high cultivation and was barely in the first level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm, but he had a high status in the Xue n that even Xue Rui had to look up to him. After all, Xue Yu was the grandson of Xue Dingtian.


    Xue Yu clenched his teeth, the events of Azure Billow City still fresh in his memory, fueling his desire to crush Liu Wuxie. He had never experienced such disgrace before. However, the person he despised the most was the woman who had repeatedly rejected him.


    “When this brat is dead, I’ll have my grandfather assist me in proposing to Baili Qing for Xu Lingxue’s hand!” Xue Yu was smitten with Xu Lingxue from the moment heid eyes on her. Her image distracted him, disrupting his sleep and appetite. While many had heard of Xu Lingxue’s beauty, few had actually seen her.


    Liu Wuxie and Tao Wenbing positioned themselves at the starting line, waiting for the signal tomence. The first two hundred meters consisted of a hundred pirs, the next two hundred meters consisted of a hundred pirs, and the remaining pirs were located at thest few hundred meters.


    Executing Ghost Eye, eachnding point of the pir appeared in Liu Wuxie’s mind as he quickly analyzed the perfectnding point.


    “Start!”


    Like arrows released from a bow, Liu Wuxie and Tao Wenbing sprang forward. Tao Wenbing, having mastered a formidable agility technique, moved with a swift whooshing sound, with Liu Wuxie trailing close behind.


    As more pirs were in the first section, the two were evenly matched in speed. The pirs weren’t arranged in a straight line. If it was someone who came for the first time, they might fall if they couldn’t find thending point.


    Tao Wenbing had spent years on the Solitary Pirs, and he could find hisnding with his eyes closed.


    “Liu Wuxie is bound to lose. I’ve heard that Tao Wenbing has been practicing on the Solitary Pirs these past few days, and he knows them like the back of his hand.”


    As they picked up speed, Liu Wuxie and Tao Wenbing became mere blurs. Their afterimages flickered on the pirs. In a sh, they had covered a hundred meters and, at this pace, they could quickly reach the finish line. But things weren’t as simple as they seemed.


    Suddenly, a swishing sound echoed, aimed at Liu Wuxie’s legs. After the first hundred meters, the number of pirs diminished, meaning they had to share a pir to proceed.


    As Liu Wuxie was a step behind, Tao Wenbing seized this opportunity to attack Liu Wuxie’s legs, hoping to send him plummeting into the mud below. The mud had many poisonous snakes and insects. Even if someone survived the fall, the snakes and insects were enough to tear down ayer of skin.


    Gasps of surprise rippled through the crowd as Tao Wenbing unexpectedlyunched a covert attack.


    Liu Wuxie was left with no room to evade; there was only one pir ahead, his solending point. Tao Wenbing had meticulously calcted his move, and if Liu Wuxie didn’t dodge, his legs would be severely injured.


    “This brat is finished!” Students of Advanced ss Six cheered upon seeing this scene.


    “Kill him! Quick, kill him!” Students of Advanced ss Three and elite sses roared as though they could see Liu Wuxie falling into the mud beneath.


    This meant Liu Wuxie only had two choices. The first was to take a step back. But this meant that he would lose, making it harder for him to chase up Tao Wenbing. The second choice was to sh with Tao Wenbing head-on and see who was stronger.


    Tao Wenbing held the initiative, and Liu Wuxie’s odds were low even if he seeded. They couldn’t use weapons or martial techniques, so they could only sh head-on.


    Time was of the essence, and Liu Wuxie had little to spare for decision-making. He was already airborne, making a retreat unfeasible, and his right foot was on the verge of touching down on the pir.


    This elicited a malicious grin from Tao Wenbing, who abruptly amplified his force.


    Xu Lingxue clenched his fist tightly, growing even more concerned. Beside her, Xiao Yanlong’s eyes shed with a hint of viciousness.


    However, a bizarre scene urred as Liu Wuxie spun mid-air before falling to the mud beneath.


    “Haha! That brat gave up!” Everyone thought that Liu Wuxie would sh head-on, but they didn’t expect him to dodge and choose to fall into the mud.


    Tao Wenbing was shocked, quickly recollecting himself after his kick missed. He changed tactics and soared to the sky, kicking the second pir before Liu Wuxie. This ensured that Liu Wuxie would fall even if he managed to leap up from the muddy ground.


    Everything happened in the blink of an eye. No one expected Tao Wenbing to be so despicable, severing Liu Wuxie’s path.


    Li Shengsheng and the students of Advanced ss Seven were left gritting their teeth. They had underestimated the intensity of thepetition, not expecting Tao Wenbing to resort to such underhanded tactics to eliminate Liu Wuxie.


    As Liu Wuxie neared the mud, a pungent odor filled his nostrils. Hisnding point was destroyed by Tao Wenbing, but in a surprising turn of events, Liu Wuxie reached out to grab a pir, using it as a pivot to propel himself forward. This unexpected maneuver left the spectators in awe.


    “What an exquisite movement technique!” Many people stood up from their seats, shocked by Liu Wuxie’s movement technique. Regardless of whether they were friends or foes of Liu Wuxie, they couldn’t help but marvel at his performance.


    With a 360° rotation, Liu Wuxiended on the third pir and appeared before Tan Wenbing. Everything happened in the blink of an eye, and each movement was perfectly calcted. A single misstep could cost Liu Wuxie his life.


    Liu Wuxie didn’t use any martial techniques or weapons, relying entirely on his agility.


    This enraged Tao Wenbing, who let out a deep roar andshed a kick on a pir with his left foot. The number of surrounding pirs began to decrease as they fell one after another, reducing Liu Wuxie’s chances of winning.