After sending off the old Master of Thunder and Wind, Qin Shao returned to his small courtyard. Gazing at himself in the mirror, he adopted a rather unseemly pose and said, "No matter how many times I look, the most handsome person in the Heavens still seems to be you. What a pity. How can I possibly explain how you've ended up so stunning—so handsome that you're truly rare in the heavens and unmatched on earth?" "Er, er," an out-of-place voice interrupted, "My disciple, could we perhaps be a bit more composed? Won't we die if we don't boast?" Good heavens—someone had been listening from outside. Even though Qin Shao had an exceptionally thick skin, he couldn't help but blush. Turning around, he noticed the Heavenly Emperor also flushed. He instinctively asked, "Master, what's wrong? Your face is so red." The Heavenly Emperor's eyes twinkled. "Just now, when I heard your praise of yourself, I felt rather embarrassed." "Ah, you haven't successfully refined your inner elixir using your disciple's method. Don't think that finding a respectable excuse will mask your true intentions—do you really think I'm that easy to deceive? Fine, let's move on. Let's change the subject: 'Master, you've come to find me—what would you like to convey?' The Emperor nodded and said, 'The match is approaching. I'd like to remind you of one thing—stay composed throughout the battle...' 'Master, I'm confident I can do that,' he replied with strong conviction. The Emperor glanced at him sternly: 'I haven't finished yet. What I mean is, even if you lose, that's perfectly all right...' 'Master, you truly are generous. With your words, my confidence has only grown stronger,' he interrupted once again, not giving the Master the courtesy of letting him finish. The Emperor glared at him again, "Will you just let me finish? What I'm trying to say is, if you lose, could you, in front of everyone, admit that you're not actually from the Haotian Palace?" "Why?" This time, it was Qin Shao who shot him a sharp look. "Your teacher won't be able to face this embarrassment. You have to uphold the prestige of the Haotian Palace, right?" The Emperor smiled with a most cunning air. "Don't worry," Qin Shao said, looking down his nose at him. "Originally, I planned to defeat Jiling Shen. But after hearing you say that, I've decided to lose from the very beginning—right at the start, I'll kneel down and publicly claim that all the people trained at the Haotian Palace are just waste, that the Haotian Emperor never actually teaches his disciples. That should satisfy you." The Emperor's face turned green. "Well, if I've said nothing at all, then go on—be off with you, good disciple." "Yes, Master." When it comes to dealing with such ungracious individuals, Qin Shao has plenty of experience—he simply needs to respond Dressed in a long robe of pale moon-white, Qin Shao looked vibrant and energetic, his feet gliding on flying swords as he strode toward the arena. The news of the match between a disciple from Haotian Palace and the Giant Spirit had already spread throughout the heavenly realm, drawing many to specially come and witness it—among them several senior figures from the Celestial Palace. Though the match had still some time to go, the arena was already packed with people. The Giant Spirit had arranged a pavilion on the right side of the arena, setting out tables, chairs, tea sets, and snacks. He sat comfortably in his chair, radiating confidence and pride. In his eyes, as a renowned upper-tier immortal with over a thousand years of fame, defeating a young up-and-coming disciple was as easy as crushing an ant—just a few solid punches would send him to the ground, and all the past grievances would then fade away. In the Celestial Palace's Office of the Imperial Chamber, the Jade Emperor was carefully reviewing official memoranda when Laojun hurried in, saying, "Your Majesty, there's something interesting happening outside—would you like to take a look?" "The Jade Emperor raised his head: 'What's going on?' 'Guiling Shen is fighting a match against a human,' said Laojun. He waved his sleeve, and on the side wall, a projection of the match appeared—along with Guiling Shen's proud face. The Jade Emperor chuckled: 'Someone has challenged Guiling Shen. How bold! I'm sure it's a young upstart, eager to build their reputation by riding on Guiling Shen's fame, isn't that right?' Laojun nodded: 'Your Majesty is right—it's Qin Feng, the young man.' The Jade Emperor was taken aback: 'That name sounds familiar.' 'Indeed—it's the one you previously awarded a flying-ascending pill to, a Chinese cultivator.' The Jade Emperor blinked: 'That was three months ago, wasn't it? Qin Feng has already ascended to the heavens. That doesn't make sense. Even a young upstart wouldn't dare challenge Guiling Shen. He must be seeking trouble on his own.' Laojun then gave a detailed account of the events, emphasizing the rivalry between Qin Feng and Guiling Shen. After listening to this, the Jade Emperor still furrowed his brows: "Qin Feng truly has a bold spirit. But I can't understand how he managed to enter the Hall of the Heavenly Sovereign and become his personal disciple. Longjiang, do you think he's up to the task? He's only been at the heavenly court for three months—what credentials does he have to compete with Juling Shen?" Longjiang shook his head: "I also think he's not up to it. Still, he's backed by the light of the Hall of the Heavenly Sovereign, and the Heavenly Sovereign wouldn't allow his favored disciple to be humiliated here, would he?" Indeed, that would make for a good show. Then they might as well enjoy the spectacle. Juling Shen chewed on a bunch of grapes passed by a soldier, swallowed them, then, with a rather unceremonious gulp, expelled the grape skins, and hummed in a rough, resonant tone: "It's already this late—how come that young man hasn't shown up yet? Is he really acting like a turtle retreating into his shell? If so, shouldn't I be declared the winner?" The elder deity in charge of managing the arena replied, "Ji Ling General, please remain calm—there's still half a minute left." Ji Ling God's eyes widened in astonishment: "Then what if he doesn't arrive even after half a minute? What then?" The elder lowered his eyelid slightly: "Well, in that case, it's clearly your victory." Ji Ling God laughed heartily: "I'm certain that young man is hesitant. Otherwise, why hasn't he come earlier? I believe he's afraid to come. I myself am someone who can remain composed—so I'll simply wait for him an additional half minute." On the opposite side of the arena, Qingya stood beside Chen Xi and Chen Jie. The men were handsome, the woman graceful, drawing many eyes. "Chen brother, won't Qin brother be late?" asked the tall, handsome Chen. "Not at all, Chen brother. Qin Feng is a man of punctuality," said the blossoming brother, who feels he knows Qin Feng well and believes he would never be a turtle who hides his head—such is not his nature. "Then that's good," said Chen with a smile. Two handsome Chen brothers instantly clicked, barely needing to cut a chicken and burn yellow paper to swear brotherhood as in-laws—well, perhaps it's just that the "Flower Prince" remains so ladylike. Qingya said, "I'm certain Qin Feng won't fail to show up; in fact, he'll probably arrive in a rather dramatic way." Both of them asked in unison, "How do you know for sure?" The beautiful Overseer gestured toward a certain spot in the sky, "Because I saw it."