The other disciples didn't pay any mind to them as there were many other groups within the Plains doing their own thing as well. Neither were any of them interesting enough to take that interest in except Hu Tao and Wan Qing. If they weren't known for being loners some might actually have tried to group up with them. But Hu Tao was known for being a menace while Wan Qing was known for being crazy. Neither of those qualities attracted the majority of the disciples.
���Are you ready to get f.u.c.king pounded, sissy?" Hu Tao asked, standing a couple of meters away from Qing.
"Are you ready to be taught manners by your superior, dog?" Wan Qing bit back.
"Take care to not go too far you two." Lei Zhi said.
"Shut up old man." Hu Tao barked.
"You know Hu Tao doesn't know the meaning of holding back..." Bing muttered.
"What's the point of a fight if you don't try your hardest?" Ying retorted.
"There isn't a need to go that far in just a simple spar." Lei Zhi said while gently petting Ni Xong, the mutant golden panda cub.
"Whatever. Let's see what Qing can do." Ying said with some pep in her voice.
"You really want Hu Tao to lose badly, don't you?" Bing asked.
"Yep! He's had an a.s.s beating coming for a long time. I'd do it myself but, our stages are too far apart. It's impossible for me right now even if I went all out." She sighed.
"I will say, I am interested in seeing Wan Qing's martial arts. Seeing all the unique ways that we fight with the weapons Jing gave us, it's always fascinating to see them being used in a battle." Lei Zhi shared.
"I'm sure it has something to do with those b.u.t.terflies." Ying guessed, as there were a small number of b.u.t.terflies on flying around Qing.
"Yeah I believe so too but I can't really get anything from that alone. Maybe he can control insects with an auxiliary martial art or bloodline." Bing hypothesized.
"She." Zhi corrected before adding, "And maybe it's similar to my fishing rod." Quon mimicked Lei Zhi's petting of Ni Xong with its many tentacles.
"Oh, right." Bing remembered.
"Oh, they're starting. Let's watch!" Ying hushed them.
Hu Tao ran towards Qing like an excited predator, who just saw their favorite meal and couldn't wait to sink their fangs into it. Qing stood straight and proper like a charming prince. The look on her face showed no fear and instead showed arrogance and superiority! She was looking down on Hu Tao. It wasn't just because he was a lower stage than her either. She almost died the last time she looked down on someone weaker than her.
No, she looked down on him because he looked and acted like a simple beast. Qing wondered why Jing would allow someone like this in her plan to fix the sect, but then she remembered something one of her many sisters told her when she was a little girl. "Even mindless beasts have their uses." Maybe it was like that for Hu Tao... She doubted he had any other purpose besides being used for his strength.
"Are you gonna fight or stand there and look like a r.e.t.a.r.d?!" Hu Tao clawed towards Wan Qing's face.
Four insect-like wings formed out of Qing's back and got her out of the way of Hu Tao's attack. They were made of qi and resembled the wings of a b.u.t.terfly. As she was flying back, she partially opened her fan by a third. Hu Tao could see an eye pattern staring back at him from the weapon. She swung it and the wind picked up aggressively, Hu Tao was nearly sent flying into the air if he hadn't gripped his fingers into the gra.s.s.
'So that's something it can do huh...' Hu Tao grinned.
He sent forth his chains that stretched out. They moved like deadly snakes as they slithered straight for Wan Qing. The speed at which they were coming gave the fan princess little time to react, she was forced to block with her fan and the chains instantly wrapped around them as if to squeeze the life out of it. Wan Qing tried to pull her fan free but Hu Tao was stronger than her despite their realm difference.
"Hey! Look here idiot!" Hu Tao suddenly appeared in front of her and kicked towards her face.
With her fan being constricted, she was forced to block it head on. The tessenjutsu user was sent sliding back with her arms in terrible pain. If she took another hit like that head on, she'd lose all feeling in her arms for sure. It looked like Hu Tao was more talented that he looked. She might have to actually try in this fight.
Qing snapped her finger and the giant fan that was being held by the chains scattered into an uncountable number of b.u.t.terflies that flew straight to her. The insects soon reformed themselves back into the metal looking fan and reunited with Wan Qing. The lovely b.u.t.terflies flying around her only added to her beauty. It was time to start round two.
"That's a useful weapon." Bing stated in his surprise.
"h.e.l.l yeah it is! With a weapon like that, she could never lose it or get it taken from her! KICK HIS a.s.s GIRL!" Ying cheered.
"She will definitely be a reliable teammate with a weapon like that." Lei Zhi praised.
"I hope you don't plan on giving up already!" Hu Tao mocked.
"I was just warming up! This battle won't be finished until you refer to me as a woman!"
"Heh. If you can beat me, I'll call you whatever the h.e.l.l you want! Mommy, Daddy, Wifey, h.e.l.l I'll even call ya Grandmother if you're into that!"
Qing swung into the air with her fan. The wind danced to the tune of the anomalous weapon and formed itself into a powerful tornado that curved downward straight towards Hu Tao. The insatiability fighter channeled his qi into his metal ball attached to his chains and kicked it towards the spinning tornado. The metal ball grew greatly from the intake of Hu Tao's qi. Solid and gas met mid-air, the power radiating off of both attacks were blasting the nearby surroundings with strong winds. The gra.s.s below the clash, the clothes of Tao and Qing, the fur of Ni Xong, and the hairs of Zhi, Bing, and Ying.
Hu Tao's giant ball was sent flying straight back at him, forcing him to dodge out of the way as he knew that he couldn't shatter the thing even if he used his full strength. Just standing in the way of that thing was asking to have all your bones broken. It was kind of funny in a way, Hu Tao's own weapons were completely dangerous to himself just as much as they were to his opponent! If he fought someone who could take control of his weapons, then he would have to... wait that sounded pretty exciting now that he thought about it. It would add to the challenge of beating the s.h.i.t out of whoever took his weapons.
"Did you think you were safe!?" The tornado from before chased after Hu Tao like a stalker! It didn't dissipate even after blowing away his ball!
Wan Qing was floating in the air creating even more tornados to deal with Hu Tao. Hu Tao was moving as agile as a monkey! With a silly grin on his face as he barely dodged the numerous wind drills, Hu Tao slowly got closer and closer to the unsuspecting flying cultivator. All Wan Qing could see was him just barely managing to stay alive. He wouldn't even realize that Hu Tao was setting up the perfect sneak attack from below. Hu Tao made sure to focus his eyes on the tornadoes to look as if he was only worried about them.
It was time! At this distance, he could reach him with a single leap! And just in case he decided to fly away as he's on his way, he'll use his chains to latch onto him and bring Qing straight to him. Hu Tao did as he planned and jumped. The surprised look on Qing's face showed that she didn't expect this attack at all.
And just like Hu Tao thought, he quickly flew out of the way to avoid him, letting him latch his chains around his arms. Hu pulled Qing towards him, ready to stick his fist deep into their gut. This wouldn't be as fun if he couldn't beat the s.h.i.t out of him with his fists. He smiled widely as Wan Qing was slowly being wrapped up in his chains on his way to him.
The chains quickly wrapped themselves around Wan Qing from head to toe. By the time she reached Hu Tao, you couldn't see a single centimeter of her body! Hu Tao reared his fists back and let loose a powerful number of blows upon Qing's body. The chains that were wrapped around her spread apart to allow Tao's fists to reach Qing's defenseless torso. She barely let out any sounds of pain and this made Hu Tao's instincts shout at him in warning.
He felt something coming right behind him but how?! He looked at the body wrapped in his chains and saw Wan Qing's body slowly turning into b.u.t.terflies. d.a.m.n it! He was tricked! This sissy ain't too bad at using his head in a fight. Hu Tao couldn't do anything but accept the painful blast of wind slicing apart his back.
He was knocked out of the air and crashed into the ground. Wan Qing flew towards him and hovered over him with her fan ready to be used at any second. It also allowed her an easy way of escaping if he did something she didn't expect. She could just fly straight into the air and out of the way. She arrogantly smirked while looking down at him.
"Ready to acknowledge me now?"
"Whatever, s.l.u.t. If I went all out, you'd be the one on the ground right now. You're just lucky, I gotta save my strength for the top 10 rankers in the Inner Court." He responded.
"Hmph. If I went all out, you'd be all the way in the Middle Plains." Qing scoffed.
"Yeah whatever b.i.t.c.h. I'll see you kids later! I have some more fights to be getting to!" Hu Tao leapt off the ground before jumping away with an excited howl. The qi radiating off of him was much stronger than it was at the start of the fight!
"It was enjoyable to see Hu Tao get his a.s.s kicked but it wasn't as good as I thought it would be." Ying said, getting off the ground.
Qing walked over to the ground and was hugged by Ni Xong. He had tears pooling around his eyes and a worried look on his face. "I don't see what you were so scared of. I was the one fighting." She said before hugging him back and comforting him. He was a little too cute to resist babying in Qing's opinion.
"Maybe you won't feel satisfied until you're the one beating him." Bing shrugged.
"Yeah, I think so too. I can't see myself being satisfied unless it's my fists pummeling him into the ground until his body is broken and bleeding." Ying scarily said with an excited look on her face.
"I believe it would be wise for us to get a move on now." Lei Zhi said.
"WAIT! THAT f.u.c.kING STUPID b.a.s.t.a.r.d DIDN'T TELL US ABOUT THE TASKS!" Ying yelled.
"Hmm. You're right. That was the whole reason we waited here." Bing said before taking out the special talisman given to him by Jing. He sent a message to Hu Tao and a minute later he told them each of their tasks. Even Wan Qing got one and she just joined!
The type of tasks they were given were similar but not all the same. Bing's task was to kill 20 Huan clan members and for every 10 additional member he killed, the better his rewards would be. This was something he could do without blinking. As long as he chose his targets well, he could come out on top! All he had to do was keep a part of their body like a finger or ear to prove his kills and Jing would send Li Li to count them along with his reward.
Ying's task was to kill 20 Fearsome Garden members and for every 10 additional members she killed, the better her rewards would be. Ying didn't have anything against the Fearsome Garden but this was a task sent to her by Jing. She thought it was just a group for weaklings to join and think they were strong. Maybe they were actually more than she thought since Jing wants her to take care of them.
Ying shrugged, "Whatever, as long as I do this, I'm sure Jing won't hold back on the rewards!"
Lei Zhi's task was to weaken any major factions' groups. How he was to do this? He had no idea. This would be an interesting way of dealing with his enemies for the future though. If he couldn't run away from the issue, he could make them weaker for the future. The weaker they get, the easier it'll be for him to run away again! It's the perfect strategy!
Wan Qing's task was to kill the 10th ranked disciple in the Inner Court. w.a.n.g Yong was the grandson of Rong Yong, the elder that was directly under Elder Chang. w.a.n.g Yong was a talented spellmaster and a swordsman of substantial quality. That was all she knew of him besides the boy matching her in cultivation stage. Maybe this was one of the reasons why she was being told to kill him. Qing couldn't figure out the main reason for her being asked this. Did Yong offend Jing somehow? Was his character despicable and not beautiful at all? Perhaps she will find out when she meets him face to face. She was being rewarded with 5 high-tier spirit stones and a Bone Washing Pill if she accomplished this though.
Usually when someone offers 5 high-tier stones for killing someone, the target is known for being dangerously strong and valuable. But Qing doubted that Yong was any less talented than she was, he just battled in the ranking matches more often than her. Once she deals with him, those 5 high-tier spirit stones will probably be enough for her to breakthrough twice and Ni Xong to breakthrough 5 times! They held 10x the amount of qi that a low-rank spirit stone does. The only way one could not be satisfied with a stone of that quality is if they have a cultivation technique that needs an unholy amount of qi to progress.
"Are we ready to move out now?" Ying asked after putting away her talisman.
"I'm good to go." Bing responded.
"Us three are ready." Lei Zhi said, referring to himself, Xiurong, and Quon.
"I am also done reading mine." Wan Qing spoke politely.
"Now let's go get some treasure!!!" Ying shouted, by herself. After seeing no one else sharing her excitement, she punched Bing due to the embarra.s.sment she felt.
"What did I even do?" He said ma.s.saging his arm.
"I can't be the only one who's excited!" Ying shot back.
"I'm excited too. I just didn't express it as much as you." Bing replied, feeling like he was dealt injustice.
