Chapter 6: Giving the Scoundrel a Thorough Beating, The Grand Ceremony of Taking Disciples Begins

By the time Li Wudao and his party arrived, the perimeter of the Xuantian Sect was already crowded with people. They were packed densely as far as the eye could see—at least ten thousand young hopefuls gathered for the entrance examination. Many had already pitched tents to camp nearby, fearful of missing their chance at tomorrow's trial.

The younger members of the Li clan looked around in excitement, clearly awestruck by the spectacle before them. As a top-tier sect in the Eastern Wilderness, the Xuantian Sect boasted vast territory, home to hundreds of peaks rising thousands of feet into the clouds. The spiritual energy was dense, and the atmosphere was imposing. From afar, one could see ancient trees reaching for the heavens and cranes circling the peaks. On both sides of the sect, waterfalls and spiritual springs cascaded down with a thunderous roar. It was truly a land of extraordinary spiritual grace.

Having spent the entire day in the carriage, Li Wudao felt stiff and decided to step out for a walk. He had barely taken a few steps when a voice dripping with mockery reached his ears.

"Oh, I never imagined that a good-for-nothing like you would actually dare to show up."

Recognizing the familiar voice, Li Wudao frowned and glanced to his side. Sun Qian stood there with her arms crossed, surrounded by members of the Sun family. They whispered among themselves, casting looks of cold disdain and mockery, their conversation filled with nothing but insults directed at Li Wudao.

"What is the meaning of this, Sun family? Do you take our Princedom for someone to be bullied?"

"Hold your tongue! Who gave you the audacity to insult the Young Prince?"

The members of the Li clan noticed the scene and quickly rallied around Li Wudao, their faces filled with vigilance and anger. They had long despised this woman, who had brought a lover to their gates to break off her engagement, causing the entire Princedom to lose face.

"I wondered what kind of dog was barking, and it turns out to be you, you mangy stray." Li Wudao raised an eyebrow, feigning realization.

"You... how dare you insult me?" Sun Qian’s expression stiffened, and she pointed a trembling finger at him in disbelief.

"Insult you? What are you? I’d even dare to hit you, you piece of trash."

Li Wudao moved with lightning speed, stepping out of the crowd and landing a heavy, resounding slap across Sun Qian’s left cheek.

*Slap!*

The crisp sound echoed for dozens of meters. Taken completely by surprise, Sun Qian was sent sprawling to the ground. Her head buzzed, her exquisite hairstyle was ruined, and she sat there, utterly dumbfounded. For years, Li Wudao had been completely subservient to her, obeying her every whim and acting more obedient than a dog. She never imagined he would dare to slap her in such a public setting.

Both the Li and Sun families were stunned. However, the former quickly felt a sense of satisfaction, while the latter’s expressions turned dark. Inside the carriage, Jiang Churan witnessed the scene, her eyes flickering with surprise. Was this truly the same timid, submissive boy? It was as if he had become a completely different person.

"You, a worthless piece of trash, dare to hit me? This is an insult... unforgivable!" Sun Qian struggled to her feet, her hair disheveled and her face contorted with rage; she looked as if she wanted to tear Li Wudao to shreds. Her left cheek was already swollen, displaying a clear, stinging slap mark that looked rather ridiculous.

"How dare you humiliate me like this!" Sun Qian clenched her fists, channeling the true energy within her body, and struck out toward Li Wudao’s face. With her cultivation at the peak of the Body Tempering Realm, this blow was enough to severely injure a mere mortal like Li Wudao.

"Getting desperate, are we?" Li Wudao gave a disdainful smile.

With a simple backward step, he easily dodged the punch and countered with another slap, this time landing on Sun Qian’s right cheek. The force sent her stumbling, spitting blood and two teeth, nearly collapsing to the ground again.

"Stop!" The elders of the Sun family, their faces grim, moved to intervene, but were blocked by the Li family guards, leaving them to watch helplessly. They were deeply confused. Wasn't Li Wudao supposed to be untalented, unable to even cross the threshold of the early Body Tempering Realm? How could a "waste" possess such strength? It defied all logic.

Jiang Churan was equally puzzled. If the first slap had been a coincidence, the second certainly was not. Any martial artist with basic defensive instincts would not be touched so easily by a mortal. Yet, Li Wudao had not channeled any true energy; it appeared he had defeated a peak Body Tempering cultivator using nothing but raw physical strength.

"This fellow has secrets..." Even Jiang Churan, a Peerless Empress in her own right, found Li Wudao difficult to read. With her level of cultivation, she could not even discern his aura. This meant either he was leagues above her in power, or he possessed a treasure capable of masking his presence. Regardless, one thing was certain: the Li Wudao of today was no longer a mortal.

"I will kill you!" Sun Qian, blinded by rage, had lost all sense of decorum. She drew her sword, her aura erupting as she charged at Li Wudao, determined to fight to the death.

"Look, getting desperate again." Li Wudao remained calm and composed. Just as he prepared to teach this treacherous woman a lesson, an Outer Sect Elder of the Xuantian Sect intervened, forcibly halting the conflict.

"Enough! This is the territory of the Xuantian Sect; fighting is strictly prohibited. Any further disturbances will result in immediate disqualification!"

With the elder’s intervention, Sun Qian could only suppress her resentment. "Consider yourself lucky, you piece of trash. I’ll let you keep your life today, but just wait until the assessment starts tomorrow—I can’t wait to watch you make a fool of yourself!" With that parting threat, she turned and left, her face ashen. The rest of the Sun family followed, having lost too much face to remain any longer.

"Clown..." Li Wudao sneered to himself. Had it not been for the grudges held by the original host, he wouldn't have bothered with such a person. In his past life, people like her weren't even worthy of carrying his shoes.

"Young Prince, that was domineering!"

"Young Prince, you're the best! I've wanted to hit that bitch for a long time!"

The members of the Li family gathered around, cheering and expressing their satisfaction. Even the younger generation, who had previously looked down on Li Wudao, changed their opinions and began to engage him in conversation.

After finishing with his clansmen, Li Wudao hummed a tune and returned to the carriage, feeling refreshed. He looked at Jiang Churan. "How was that? Did your Young Master handle himself well? Was it cool?"

The young girl blinked, her eyelashes fluttering as she said softly, "Acceptable." With that, she closed her eyes and ignored him.

[Ding! Jiang Churan’s favorability has increased by 2. Current favorability: 5.]

Li Wudao chuckled to himself. *Tsundere, she says one thing but feels another.* This future empress seemed to have a bit of a prickly side.

Night eventually fell. The night passed in silence.

The next day, Li Wudao opened his eyes and glanced at Jiang Churan, who was still meditating. He felt a flicker of surprise: *Oh? This girl has already reached the early stage of the Blood Transformation Realm? That’s fast...*

As he gazed at the girl’s exquisite, jade-like profile, he searched for words to describe her—"a beauty that sinks fish and drops geese," "a face that puts the moon and flowers to shame"—but felt they were all too cliché and failed to capture her essence.

Suddenly, the girl opened her eyes and looked at him with a calm, enigmatic expression. "Is it beautiful?"

Caught off guard by her gaze, Li Wudao felt a slight chill and quickly looked out the window, acting as if nothing was wrong. *She truly is a child of destiny,* he thought. *Her presence is overwhelming; an ordinary person really couldn't handle her.*

Not long after, the sound of bells echoed from outside.

*Gong—*

The Xuantian Sect’s recruitment ceremony had begun.