The youth pointed at Liu Wuxie, and his aloof tone sounded jarring in everyone's ears.
"Brother Li, he's the one who injured us. Please help me take revenge," Ai Shan said, his voice dripping with flattery. His tone made it clear that the young man, Li Shan, was the one he had invited to deal with Liu Wuxie.
"How do you want me to teach him a lesson? One punch costs a hundred astral stones, one kick is a hundred and fifty," Li Shan said with a smile as he looked at Ai Shan. His help came at a price.
The onlookers chuckled. They thought Ai Shan had fetched a powerful ally, only to discover that he had merely hired one.
Even Liu Wuxie arched a brow, the corner of his lips curling into a faint smirk.
"Ten punches," Ai Shan declared. He didn't have many astral stones, but he was willing to spend everything he had to vent the anger smoldering in his chest. Even if ten punches didn't kill Liu Wuxie, they would still ease his resentment. And besides, ten punches for a thousand astral stones was quite the bargain.
"Deal," Li Shan replied and began walking toward Liu Wuxie.
"Brat, you heard him. Take my ten punches, and I promise I won't kill you," Li Shan said arrogantly. With his cultivation at the Transcendent Realm, he had every reason to look down on someone stuck at the Heaven Profound Realm.
He Yingwu grew anxious. He knew Liu Wuxie could kill Transcendent Realm experts, but he didn't want the situation to spiral out of control.
"If he's paying you a hundred astral stones to hit me once, I'll pay you a thousand to hit him once," Liu Wuxie said with a devilish smile.
One thousand astral stones was no small amount for someone at the Heaven Profound Realm, and ten punches added up to ten thousand astral stones.
Li Shan's eyes lit up with greed.
"Brat, do you realize a thousand astral stones is no small amount?" he asked, his voice edged with temptation. He and Ai Shan weren't friends—they were only using each other.
The crowd stirred with curiosity, wondering if Liu Wuxie could afford such a sum.
"Punch him ten times, and these ten thousand astral stones are yours,” Liu Wuxie said. He casually drew out an interspatial pouch and revealed the glittering astral stones for all to see.
Though his reserves were not limitless, he could still spare tens of thousands.
The sight of the astral stones made Li Shan's eyes glow green. He wanted to snatch them outright, but with so many eyes watching, openly robbing Liu Wuxie would only earn him ridicule.
"Brother Li, don't let him trick you! I hired you first!" Ai Shan panicked. He couldn't afford ten thousand astral stones to compete with Liu Wuxie's offer.
The crowd's smiles turned sly. They had expected Liu Wuxie to take a beating, but he twisted Ai Shan's tactic against him instead.
"That kid isn't simple," someone muttered. The majority still doubted Liu Wuxie's chances, but they could see that he wasn't ordinary.
Everyone's interest sharpened. Li Shan was notorious for his greed, and there was no way he would walk away from such an offer.
"Brother Ai, you heard him. Unless you can match his price, I can't refuse," Li Shan said openly, extorting him.
More people pressed in, their gazes fixed on Liu Wuxie.
"I don't have that many astral stones," Ai Shan cried. Even if he had them, he wouldn't spend them; his cultivation came first, after all.
"In that case, Brother Ai, you'll have to take my ten punches. But don't worry, you won't die. You'll need just a few days' rest," Li Shan said. Then, he turned and drove his fists into Ai Shan.
It was over in the blink of an eye.
Ai Shan's life remained safe, but bruises and humiliation covered him.
He wanted to dig a hole and bury himself. He had hired Li Shan to beat Liu Wuxie, but he ended up taking the punches himself.
After finishing, Li Shan turned back to Liu Wuxie. "I've done the job. Hand it over."
He reached out expectantly for the astral stones.
"Sorry, I've changed my mind," Liu Wuxie said, slipping the pouch away as though it were nothing.
He had never intended to pay; he only wanted to vent his anger and make Ai Shan suffer. The so-called ten punches were barely scratches, and he knew Li Shan would likely turn his fists on him afterward.
Despite his youth, Liu Wuxie read people more sharply than most.
The crowd realized it, too. They knew that if Liu Wuxie were to pay, Li Shan would almost certainly attack him for more astral stones.
Laughter erupted as people realized that Liu Wuxie had been toying with them all along.
Li Shan's face turned ugly. A Heaven Profound cultivator had just made a fool of him, and the scornful stares from the crowd burned into him like knives.
Ai Shan froze as well. He had been about to hire Li Shan to take revenge again, but seeing the turn of events, a cruel smile crept onto his lips.
"Brat, you've angered me," Li Shan growled. He could not walk away without killing Liu Wuxie now. His murderous aura erupted like a storm, pressing down hard. His aura would have blown any other Heaven Profound cultivator away instantly.
However, Liu Wuxie stood firm, showing not even a ripple of fear.
"If I were you, I'd leave with them. Some people can't be provoked," he said calmly. His sudden swagger even left He Yingwu baffled.
This wasn't Liu Wuxie's usual style—he often kept a low profile. When it was time to be bold, however, he would never shrink back from it.
Today, he wanted to make an example out of Li Shan so that no one would dare provoke him again. At the same time, he wanted to draw the Heavenly Dragon Sect's attention. With this, he could kill two birds with one stone. He had been wondering how to cause a stir, and these people had delivered themselves to him.
Li Shan's fury boiled over. He slammed his palm toward Liu Wuxie with his fifth-level Transcendent Realm cultivation. His strength was leagues above the guards' back on Anlu Star.
Ai Shan's face lit with joy. Liu Wuxie was certain to die, and he wouldn't have to spend a single astral stone. He was just about to laugh when the bruises on his lips reminded him of the punches he had taken earlier.
As the strike descended, Liu Wuxie lifted his right foot and drove it into Li Shan's abdomen. It looked as if Li Shan had hurled himself into the kick.
The solid impact blasted Li Shan away, sending him flying across the air. His figure carved an arc before crashing into the ground and leaving a man-shaped pit.
The crowd erupted in laughter. No one pitied him; they only gloated.
Ai Shan's jaw dropped. Even someone at the fifth-level Transcendent Realm couldn't withstand a single kick from Liu Wuxie.
"You dare hurt my brother!" the woman beside Li Shan shouted, drawing her sword. She, too, was at the fifth-level Transcendent Realm, her combat strength on par with his.
Liu Wuxie's face darkened. Though he rarely struck women, he had no qualms when the need arose. Without drawing a weapon, he swung his palm. His force shifted the sword's path aside before slapping her squarely across the face.
She flew backward with the sword still in her grip, and when she landed, a red palm print blazed across her cheek.
The air fell silent. No one had expected Liu Wuxie to defeat two Transcendent cultivators with only a kick and a slap.
The woman scrambled back up and charged again, brandishing her sword, but Li Shan pulled her back. He knew Liu Wuxie's combat strength was extraordinary. If they were to attack him again, they would only bring further humiliation.
Ai Shan and his lackeys had already fled into the crowd. Even Li Shan had lost, so they definitely stood no chance.
Not far away, Mu Heng and Shen Yue saw everything.
"That kid's interesting," Mu Heng said with a smile. He had expected Liu Wuxie to die, only for the situation to flip shockingly.
"He's only lucky. Against those siblings in a real fight, he'd be dead," Shen Yue said coolly. Raised as her father's jewel, she had grown willful. Her sharp cheekbones and sharp eyes gave her a haughty, mean air despite her beauty.
"You're right. If they had fought seriously, that brat would have died," Mu Heng replied, flattering her. He had been pursuing Shen Yue for years. If their two planet lord fathers became in-laws, their status would soar.
Shen Yue's lips curved into a pleased smile upon hearing the reply.
And so the farce ended...
Tomorrow, the Heavenly Dragon Sect's upper echelons would arrive for the assessment.
"Wuxie, what's gotten into you today? Why so high-profile? Aren't you afraid of trouble?" He Yingwu asked once the crowd had dispersed.