As Ci Nian, Shen Xiu, and Ju Chizi decided to attend the Lotus Gathering, Li Yundong, aboard the yacht, was subtly becoming the target of everyone’s scrutiny.

Though only two rounds of combat had passed, the strength Li Yundong displayed was enough to instill deep apprehension in the cultivators from every sect.

Since antiquity, literature has no absolute first, and martial arts no true second; who doesn’t envy the one holding the top position, who doesn't yearn to pull that person down and climb up themselves?

Dang Qiang of the Penglai Sect shook his head emphatically and boomed, "True Master Li, True Master Sun, truly a magnificent bout! In all my years, this is the first time I’ve witnessed such a novel and exciting duel! It was brilliant, truly brilliant! However, even the most thrilling fight must have a victor and a vanquished—so, who actually won just now?"

This single question struck the core of everyone's unspoken desires. Setting aside the sheer spectacle of the fight, their selfish ambitions surged forward again. They thought: A Great Cultivator proficient in Lightning Arts, who is simultaneously skilled in the Five Elements—this is simply an unparalleled Great Cultivator!

And, most terrifyingly, he is so young!

If they let him continue his arrogance, when would they ever have a chance to rise to prominence?

Ding Nan watched Li Yundong, her face awash with shock, and she couldn't help but stutter, "Too strong... how could he be this powerful?"

Zheng Yuan’s expression was grim. His wariness towards Li Yundong had escalated to its absolute peak. For the first time, he felt such an intense, terrifying sense of threat emanating from another person.

This tension and vigilance were so consuming that he failed to notice the strong undertones of admiration in Ding Nan’s voice. He mistook her tone for the despairing groan of his disciple, Lü Fengping, unable to avenge her grievances.

A cold glint flashed in Zheng Yuan’s eyes. He thought: No, this boy absolutely cannot be allowed to claim the Immortal Brush. Otherwise, though the world is vast, where would sects like ours find a foothold?

He glanced around and saw the cultivators from all the sects looking at Li Yundong with complex expressions, their eyes filled with envy. A thought sparked in his mind, and a smile spread across his face. In a tone of praise and admiration, he addressed a cultivator from the Shenxiao Sect beside him, "True Master Zhang five hundred years ago, True Master Li five hundred years later! Excellent! I truly never imagined our cultivation world would produce such a remarkable Great Cultivator, and so young at that. Astounding, truly astounding!"

The neighboring cultivator looked at Zheng Yuan, as if trying to discern whether his praise was genuine appreciation or forced flattery. A somewhat older cultivator from the Shenxiao Sect scoffed softly, clearly unconvinced. "Zhang Sanfeng was indeed a Great True Master, but whether Li Yundong is one, I cannot say. He is still too young for such a title."

Zheng Yuan was inwardly delighted to see that someone among the assembled cultivators was taking offense. He pressed on, fanning the flames of discord: "Nonsense, as the saying goes, heroes often emerge from youth. With such young talents around, we old bones can rest easy and pass on."

This older cultivator was none other than Liu Yuqing of the Shenxiao Sect, whose seniority was equal to Sun Baitan’s; he was also a Great Cultivator in seclusion. He had come to the Lotus Gathering intending to steal the spotlight, but he had been utterly stunned by Li Yundong before even stepping onto the stage. Seeing the fear etched on his own disciples' faces, none dared to even think of competing.

Liu Yuqing frowned deeply upon hearing Zheng Yuan’s words and shot Zheng Yuan a hostile look. He said darkly, "Sect Leader Zheng, what exactly do you mean by that remark?"

Zheng Yuan chuckled, stroking his beard. "True Master Liu, don't you agree? Cultivators nowadays advance far too quickly. We old folks simply can't keep up! In a few short years, the world will belong to them!"

Though Zheng Yuan spoke softly, nearly everyone on the yacht heard his words. Su Chan and Ruan Hongling, having confronted Zheng Yuan before, knew that this seemingly benevolent and kind old man was actually venomous, hiding a dagger behind a smile. Seeing him heap such praise on Li Yundong, they exchanged wide-eyed, puzzled glances.

Ruan Hongling wondered aloud, "What wicked scheme is brewing in that old fox’s belly to praise Li Yundong so highly?"

Su Chan blinked, looking at Zheng Yuan with genuine confusion. "Could it be that, seeing how formidable Yun Dong is, he wants to make peace with us?"

Ruan Hongling scoffed. "Hmph, that man's belly is full of nothing but ill intentions! I say he's hatching some vile plot. Does he ever mean well? I don't believe it for a second!"

Seeing Ruan Hongling speaking so carelessly and loudly, drawing the sidelong glances of cultivators from other sects, Zi Yuan frowned internally and subtly stepped on Ruan Hongling’s foot beneath the table.

Ruan Hongling winced as her toe smarted, quickly pulling it back. She shot Zi Yuan a look of discontent and let out a couple of grunts, ultimately refraining from uttering the harsher words she had intended.

Zi Yuan was naturally calm and discreet, preferring to avoid trouble. However, Zhou Qin, having just reached the Foundation Establishment stage, was full of youthful vigor. After hearing Ruan Hongling and Su Chan’s whispers, she pondered for a moment before coldly sneering, "This is the tactic of 'Praise to Kill'—exaggerated praise masking malice! Zheng Yuan intends to provoke the other sects into forming a united front against Li Yundong, leading to a group assault."

Upon hearing this, Su Chan and the others instinctively looked towards the cultivators of the other sects. They immediately noticed many meaningful glances directed their way, laced with resentment and jealousy. They gasped in alarm and cried out in unison, "It must be true! The audacity, the shamelessness!"

Su Chan urgently asked, "Senior Sister Zi Yuan, what should we do now?"

Zi Yuan pondered for a moment, then said gravely, "Perhaps we should have Li Yundong concede or agree to a draw. Offending every sect in the cultivation world for the sake of the Immortal Brush is simply not worth it!"

But before the words left her mouth, Ruan Hongling and Zhou Qin simultaneously exclaimed, "No!"

Ruan Hongling cried out, "Senior Sister Zi Yuan, what nonsense are you speaking now! This is the Lotus Gathering, the quadrennial Lotus Gathering! You can’t just say give up!"

Zhou Qin raised an eyebrow as well. "Zi Yuan, I disagree with you! Must a person dim their own light and conceal their strength just because they are too powerful? What kind of logic is that?"

Zi Yuan shook her head slightly, offering a wry smile. "You don't understand... My master, Wang Yuanshan... he was exactly like this in his youth. His power was too outstanding, and because he didn't know how to exercise restraint when he was young, he was ostracized wherever he went, becoming a solitary figure about whom everyone spoke ill."

Su Chan was slightly startled, and she quickly made a connection: Ah, so that’s the kind of person Wang Yuanshan was. Isn’t my own master like that too? Solitary and arrogant in temperament. No wonder they were instantly drawn to each other! Yun Dong cannot end up like that; I don't want him to become that way!

With this thought, the young girl softly tested the waters, saying, "How about... asking Yun Dong to agree to a draw? After all, this round did look like a tie!"

Although Zhou Qin was sharp and bold, she was also considerate of the overall situation. She hesitated before saying, "I wonder what Master thinks..."

While they were conferring in private, Wan Zhenyuan, standing on the platform, smiled and cupped his hands toward Li Yundong and Sun Baitan. "True Master Sun, True Master Li, I propose that this bout be considered a draw. What say you?"

Sun Baitan, who was currently regulating his energy, glanced sharply at Wan Zhenyuan. A flush spread across his aged face; he knew his Sect Master was trying to save his reputation by arranging a draw. Otherwise, if the news spread that a cultivator with decades of Five Elements practice had been bested by someone practicing for only half a year, how could he face anyone?

The cultivators from other sects understood the situation perfectly well, and many who did not wish to see Li Yundong win two consecutive matches remained silent.

Those who wished to speak a word of fairness, like Du Fei, swallowed their words before they could be uttered, fearing they would offend more of their peers.

Only Dang Qiang jumped up, shaking his head vigorously and shouting, "Incorrect, incorrect!"

Wan Zhenyuan frowned upon hearing him but quickly smoothed his expression, chuckling, "Dang Qiang, what insight have you gained now?"

Dang Qiang boomed, "In my view, this round was clearly won by True Master Sun Baitan!"

The crowd was instantly surprised and turned to look at Dang Qiang.

Wan Zhenyuan was momentarily stunned, not expecting Dang Qiang to side with him. Greatly pleased, he smiled and feigned courtesy, "True Master Dang, what do you mean by that?"

Although Sun Baitan’s expression was awkward, he watched Dang Qiang with curiosity, eager to hear what profound insight this usually jocular fellow had to offer.

Dang Qiang pointed triumphantly at Sun Baitan and declared, "Look at everyone! True Master Sun is covered in sweat, but True Master Li hasn't broken a single drop. True Master Sun spent half the time regulating his breath and didn't dare speak a word, but True Master Li is completely composed. Comparing the two, isn't it obvious that True Master Sun Baitan has won?"

The crowd erupted in understanding—this fellow was arguing the opposite of the truth!

Sun Baitan’s face turned green with fury, his body trembling uncontrollably. Wan Zhenyuan’s face also flushed purple, and he roared, "Dang Qiang, you’ve gone too far! You show utter disregard for seniority and respect!"

Dang Qiang opened his mouth wide, feigning utter confusion. "What did I do? Was I wrong?"

Wan Zhenyuan was seething inside. He couldn't openly clarify Dang Qiang’s point, as that would be directly admitting Sun Baitan had lost. In his exasperation, he roared, "You, what did you mean by what you just said?"

Dang Qiang adopted an air of wronged innocence. "Were you not deciding the winner based on who worked the hardest just now? I saw True Master Sun was drenched in sweat; clearly, he put in the most effort!"

The crowd burst into loud laughter. Wei Qing, who loved stirring up trouble, quietly chimed in, "Then would that make construction laborers the world's top combat experts?"

Du Fei struggled to suppress his laughter and glared at her, whispering fiercely, "Hush, don't talk nonsense!"

Ruan Hongling, sitting not far from them, drawled sarcastically, "Nonsense! Coal miners are the real experts!"

A wave of booming laughter swept across the yacht.

In cultivator duels, the highest form emphasized effortless grace and composure; the greater the cultivator, the more ethereal and transcendent their use of techniques appeared, like immortals descending. In their view, only low-level practitioners made a spectacle of themselves through sheer exertion.

Dang Qiang’s comment was akin to a direct slap to Sun Baitan’s face. Sun Baitan snorted in rage, stamped his foot hard enough to make the yacht tremble, and turned, storming off the deck.

Wan Zhenyuan panicked, quickly running a couple of steps after him. "Martial Uncle, Martial Uncle!"

But no matter how loudly he called, Sun Baitan kept his face hidden within his sleeve and hurried away, refusing to look back.

Wan Zhenyuan clenched his teeth in fury, a flash of murderous intent crossing his eyes as his face contorted into something incredibly sinister and savage. Yet, the moment he turned back, Wan Zhenyuan’s expression returned to calm. He chuckled, "Martial Uncle has left early. Therefore, this bout will be considered a win for True Master Li!"

Zhou Qin and the others secretly sneered at this: He won, so he won—what was this talk of considered a win?

Wan Zhenyuan smiled and bowed to Li Yundong. "True Master Li, congratulations on another victory. Are you prepared for the next match?"

Li Yundong remained standing in place with an unwavering smile. Facing the varied gazes and hushed discussions of the crowd, he stood like a high peak unmoved by the passing breeze, his emotions completely undisturbed. He returned Wan Zhenyuan’s bow and smiled. "I am prepared, Sect Master Wan! But who will contest the next round?"

The crowd exchanged glances, thinking to themselves: Sun Baitan has already lost; if we step up now, can we guarantee a win?

Silence descended upon the yacht. Only Zheng Yuan shook his head with a sigh, "True Master Li is indeed too impetuous. Fighting two rounds back-to-back must have depleted a significant amount of his true essence. It is a pity he doesn't take time to recuperate before stepping back up. Alas..."

Though his words sounded like well-meaning advice, they struck a chord with the others: Right, Li Yundong has fought twice already. No matter how strong he is, his true essence must be depleted. If someone challenges him now, wouldn't it be a massive stroke of luck?

Su Chan, Zi Yuan, and Zhou Qin couldn't help but become enraged, crying out simultaneously, "Damn you, Zheng Yuan!"

Su Chan urgently said, "Zheng Yuan is being malicious! He’s trying to incite everyone to use wave after wave of attacks to wear Yun Dong down!"

Zi Yuan frowned deeply. "Precisely. I just wonder if anyone will volunteer to be that cannon fodder!"

As soon as she spoke, an elder from the Shenxiao Sect stood up and announced loudly, "I am Liu Yuqing of the Shenxiao Sect. True Master Li, shall we trade a few moves?"

Su Chan exclaimed in shock, "There really is someone acting as cannon fodder?"

Ruan Hongling sneered, "You think he’s cannon fodder, but he probably sees this as a chance for an easy gain! If he loses, it’s no big deal—Chen Yunyan and Sun Baitan already lost before him, so there’s no shame. But if he wins, he gains everything back!"

The women gritted their teeth and cursed.

Nearby, Zhou Qin watched as Li Yundong smiled slightly, preparing to bow and accept the challenge. Suddenly, an impulse surged through her, and she leaped to her feet, shouting loudly, "I will take this round!"

Her voice was both loud and sudden, immediately drawing the collective gaze of the entire assembly toward her.

Liu Yuqing scrutinized her from head to toe, frowning. "Who are you? Why should you step in?"

Zhou Qin took a deep breath, steadied herself, and cupped her hands respectfully. "As the saying goes, when the master has business, the disciple steps in to serve!"

Liu Yuqing was slightly surprised. "Are you Li Yundong’s disciple?"

Zhou Qin stated clearly, "Indeed. I am Zhou Qin, Li Yundong’s founding senior disciple!"