Chapter 169 Showdown Zhou Wen kept calling Li Xuan’s phone, but no one picked up his calls. As for the sprouts, they gradually grew in size, forming a bud. Zhou Wen didn’t hesitate. He summoned Truth Listener and plucked the few sprouts. Then, he called Li Xuan and this time, it connected. “Old Zhou, why are you calling me in the middle of the night?” Li Xuan’s half-asleep voice came through the phone. “I called you more than ten times. Why didn’t you answer?” Zhou Wen asked. “No way, right?” As Li Xuan spoke, he looked at his phone. Indeed, there were more than ten missed calls. He was immediately given a fright. “Strange, my phone is right beside my pillow. How can it be that I didn’t hear it?” Cultivators had keen senses. No matter how soundly they slept, it was impossible for them not to be woken up by their cell phone’s loud ringing. “Perhaps you’ve been working too hard recently. Get some sleep. I need some as well.” Zhou Wen was certain that Li Xuan had been in the same fake death state as Wang Lu. Ignoring what Li Xuan would be thinking, Zhou Wen hung up the phone and looked at the mysterious phone. He saw that Truth Listener had devoured all the little flower buds, licking its lips as though it hadn’t had enough. For the next few days, Zhou Wen didn’t game. He stared at the Dead Man Tree every day. As long as it changed its color and sprouted, Zhou Wen got Truth Listener to pluck the flower buds and eat them. As such, there were no more bizarre deaths in the school. At most, it was rumored that someone had fainted, only to awaken quickly. On the eighth day, the dead tree recovered its original black color. Only when there weren’t any other changes did Zhou Wen let out a long sigh. However, on second thought, Zhou Wen found it a pity. Up to now, he still didn’t know what changes the flowers would undergo if they truly matured. Now that this tree existed in a mobile game, no one can see it again, much less touch it again. I’m afraid there’s no chance to see the scene of the flower truly blooming. Zhou Wen felt a little regretful as he thought to himself, If only this tree can be taken out again. If anyone offends me in the future, I’ll plant it at their doorstep. Without knowing how powerful the Dead Man Tree is, they will die just from touching it. A death a touch, two touches two deaths, how quaint. Zhou Wen only mused over the idea. Since the Dead Man Tree had entered the game, it couldn’t be taken out again. “Coach, are you free now?” Feng Qiuyan, who had not seen him in days, suddenly came to Zhou Wen’s dorm. Zhou Wen felt a headache when he saw him, but he couldn’t chase him away. All he could do was reply, “I’m going to be gaming the whole day. I’m not free.” Feng Qiuyan didn’t mind as he continued, “Coach, I have already gained some success in the way of calmness. I hope you can test the results of my recent cultivation.” Zhou Wen wore a look of puzzlement. He didn’t remember when he had taught Feng Qiuyan how to calm his mind. Yet, this fellow had actually mastered it. “How do I test it?” It wasn’t right for Zhou Wen to say that he had taught him nothing. “I only know how to use a saber. Coach, please spar with me and see if there’s any room for improvement in my saber techniques. Consider it my third lesson,” said Feng Qiuyan as he transferred the 20,000 to Zhou Wen. Zhou Wen originally wanted to say that he didn’t have time to spar with him, but seeing that he could collect 20,000, he swallowed the words he was about to say. Simply sparring gained him twenty thousand. There was no reason to refuse. He went to a sparring hall in the school with Feng Qiuyan. Feng Qiuyan took a practice rubber saber and said to Zhou Wen, “Coach, what weapon would you like?” “I don’t need any weapons.” Zhou Wen had never practiced any weapon skills in the real world. Although he knew how to use swords and sabers, it was only limited to him slashing with brute force. There wasn’t anything technical about it, so he might as well not use them. “Coach, on your guard.” Feng Qiuyan didn’t stand on ceremony as he slashed with his saber. Feng Qiuyan’s saber appeared as heavy as a mountain. It was so fast that one could clearly see it, but not dodge it. Even more terrifying was the biting cold saber aura that came with it. It instantly streaked across several meters and struck Zhou Wen. Feng Qiuyan’s saber was fast, but Zhou Wen wasn’t slow either. He suddenly darted to the side and dodged Feng Qiuyan’s saber aura. At the same time, he used Dragon Gate Fairy Skill to escape Feng Qiuyan’s sharp and powerful saber aura. Feng Qiuyan’s attacks increased in speed with each strike he delivered. Zhou Wen pushed the Dragon Gate Fairy Skill to its limits, but he found it increasingly taxing. It was as though he was a tiny boat in a stormy sea that could sink at any moment Zhou Wen tried everything, but only barely stayed out of striking distance from Feng Qiuyan. If it was purely a competition of skills, Zhou Wen wouldn’t even have the chance to counterattack. “Hold on.” Zhou Wen suddenly shouted to stop Feng Qiuyan from continuing his attack. “Coach, what’s the matter?” Feng Qiuyan stopped and asked. “You’ve slashed twenty-three times since the beginning. Even if each strike only consumes one Primordial Energy point, your Primordial Energy should have been depleted. How can you still use your saber aura?” Zhou Wen asked Feng Qiuyan. Furthermore, Feng Qiuyan’s saber aura was so strong that it was impossible for him to only consume a bit of it. Feng Qiuyan said, “This is because I’ve raised my Primordial Energy Skill, Rainbow-Startling Saber Aura, to Rank 10. After advancing to Rank 10, the Primordial Energy consumption is greatly reduced. In addition, my Life Providence and Primordial Energy Art augments my saber technique. It will further reduce the expenditure and accelerate the recovery of my Primordial Energy. Under normal circumstances, I can continuously slash out twenty-seven times before being completely drained of my Primordial Energy.” “Do all Primordial Energy Skills have such effects after reaching Rank 10?” Zhou Wen asked in surprise. “Regardless of which Primordial Energy Skill it is, there will be a qualitative leap when it reaches Rank 10. However, the effects might be different. Coach, don’t you know?” Feng Qiuyan looked at Zhou Wen in puzzlement. He believed that Zhou Wen definitely knew about this. “I’ve never practiced Rainbow-Startling Saber Aura, so I didn’t know of the effects when it reached Rank 10. I was just asking.” Zhou Wen thought of his Ashen Palm. Although it was only a Mortal-stage Primordial Energy Skill, it was abnormally powerful. It dealt quite a good deal of damage to Legendary creatures. Vigor Divine Fist, which was a Mortal stage skill, was already unsuited for him. Astral Slash Blade and Astral Suction Palm don’t have any ranks, so I’m afraid they can’t be upgraded. Ashen Palm has already reached Rank 10, but it’s a Mortal stage Primordial Energy Skill after all. Its might can’t keep up with my current needs, so I’m not sure if there’s any possibility of raising it. Zhou Wen decided to use his Ashen Palm to battle Feng Qiuyan. However, he soon discovered that Feng Qiuyan’s technique was much more skilled than his. Soon, Zhou Wen was at a disadvantage. All he could do was use Dragon Gate Fairy Skill to dodge, making it difficult for him to find a chance to counterattack. Feng Qiuyan’s saber techniques were getting faster and more stable. Even without the aid of the saber auras, he still possessed extremely lethal force.