My Portable Spirit Farm: Rise of the Humble Servant

Chapter 199: The Layout Begins

As Chen Ping walked away, he waved his hand dismissively toward the crowd behind him.

Praising me is fine!

But mindless adulation is dangerous!

And what is with this applause? Are you trying to fan the flames and ensure I get targeted by the Tianling Sect’s higher-ups?

His gestures, however, were futile.

Amidst thunderous applause and under the scrutiny of countless eyes, he walked back to the Qingyun Sect’s viewing platform.

Only after he reached the stands did the applause gradually fade.

On the arena, Xie Qing remained, looking like a bereaved dog.

The referee, after a moment of stunned silence, announced Xie Qing as the victor. Only then did Xie Qing cease his dazed behavior.

He stood frozen in place, not leaving the stage for a long time, lost in unknown thoughts.

A gust of wind blew past, messing up his long hair.

He let out a helpless sigh and walked off the arena with the demeanor of a loser. He hunched his back, seeming to age twenty years in an instant.

Meanwhile, Chen Ping’s face remained “pale,” his aura “feeble.”

It was as if that earth-shattering outburst had truly drained every ounce of his strength.

In reality, it was just an act to fool the gullible. If anyone actually believed it… well, that was their problem.

Chen Ping looked at Xie Qing’s dejected figure and felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

How could he not be satisfied?

He had pummeled his opponent, and when the opponent finally tried to retaliate, they found they had punched nothing but cotton.

Headmaster Li Lingfeng looked at Chen Ping, the smile on his face deepening with a knowing, playful glint.

He stepped forward personally, patted Chen Ping on the shoulder, and lowered his voice.

“You… you… can’t you just be honest for once? Did you have to make such a big scene? The risk is too great, and the return isn’t high… You need to be more steady and mature in the future, understand?”

His tone was meaningful; he had clearly seen through Chen Ping’s act of “exhaustion and surrender.”

In Li Lingfeng’s view, Chen Ping not only possessed strength far exceeding what he revealed, but his ability to assess the situation—hiding when necessary, striking when appropriate, withdrawing immediately after a display of power, and never clinging to empty fame—was even more rare.

However, the boy was still young and lacked experience, which led him to act impulsively at times.

This was understandable; it was all part of the process.

When Li Lingfeng was young, his conduct had been far more flamboyant and conspicuous than Chen Ping’s.

Nevertheless, he still felt the need to advise caution. He didn’t want his disciples to suffer the losses he had endured in his youth.

Li Lingfeng had already begun to calculate.

After the Grand Competition ended, he needed to find a way to more firmly tie this Elder Chen—a man of deep thoughts and immense potential—to the Qingyun Sect’s war chariot.

Zhao Yuanqi, on the other hand, stomped his foot in frustration.

“Ah! Junior Brother Chen! You… you clearly had a chance to win just now! How… how could you surrender?”

He had watched with boiling blood, fully believing Chen Ping could create a miracle. He never expected Chen Ping to jump off the stage himself at the last moment.

Zhao Long, however, was flushed with excitement. He rushed over with large strides, his eyes filled with gratitude and worship.

“Senior Brother Chen! You… you did that to vent my anger, didn’t you?! Those hits were so satisfying! You were amazing!”

Although Zhao Long appeared unapproachable to outsiders, those who spent time with him knew the truth.

This young man had a simple mind and was worth befriending deeply.

Zhao Long was convinced that Chen Ping’s final series of fierce attacks was intended to teach Xie Qing a lesson for injuring him. He didn’t mind Chen Ping’s “surrender” in the slightest.

As long as that pent-up anger was vented, nothing else mattered!

Chen Ping nodded obediently to Li Lingfeng.

“Thank you for the Headmaster’s teaching. This junior will remember it and be more careful next time!”

To Zhao Yuanqi’s regret, he merely twitched the corner of his mouth.

“Senior Brother Zhao, I was exhausted. I couldn’t fight anymore.”

To Zhao Long, he revealed a gentle smile.

“Xie Qing injured you; he had to pay a price.”

These words effectively confirmed Zhao Long’s guess.

Bai Yue was not present.

The failure had hit her too hard, and she dared not leave her cave dwelling.

If she couldn’t break free from her current mental predicament and figure out how to walk her own path… even if her cultivation improved in the future, her achievements would be limited.

Chen Ping curled his lip.

He felt that people like her were particularly weak-minded.

With the conclusion of Chen Ping’s battle—a defeat that brought glory—the Qingyun Sect’s final points in the Elite Battle were locked at 10 (Bai Yue: 4 points, Chen Ping: 4 points, Zhao Long: 2 points).

Since Bai Yue and Chen Ping stopped at the top eight, and Zhao Long at the first round, the Qingyun Sect had no further opportunities to score in the Elite Battle.

But these 10 points were enough to temporarily place them first in the eight-sect rankings!

This was a height the Qingyun Sect had not reached in hundreds of years!

The subsequent matches continued, determining the final four and the finalists.

The result of the championship match was unexpected.

The Tianling Sect’s two strongest disciples—Gu Yunshen and the second-ranked Xie Qing—met in the semifinals.

It should have been a “tacit” spar between fellow disciples.

However, for some reason, Xie Qing seemed greatly provoked. As they fought, he suddenly began to battle in earnest, disregarding the rules and frequently unleashing costly trump cards and killing moves.

Perhaps the battle with Chen Ping had left an indelible shadow, making him desperate to prove himself!

He wanted to prove he was stronger than Chen Ping, stronger than Gu Yunshen—stronger than anyone!

Forced into a corner, Gu Yunshen had no choice but to go all out in response.

The two fought with a ferocity far exceeding the bounds of a spar, ultimately injuring each other severely.

Although Gu Yunshen won a pyrrhic victory relying on his slightly superior strength, his injuries were grievous, and even his foundation was affected.

Two days later, in the championship match, he faced the Tianling Sect’s third-ranked disciple, Mo Xiuyuan, who was well-rested and in perfect condition.

This guy was lucky. In the previous round, he had drawn a bye, allowing him to advance directly to the finals!

With his severe injuries unhealed, Gu Yunshen simply couldn’t withstand Mo Xiuyuan’s strange and insidious Yin Thunder techniques.

After struggling for over an hour, Gu Yunshen had no choice but to admit defeat gloomily.

In the end, the title of Champion of the Elite Battle unexpectedly fell into the hands of Mo Xiuyuan!

That precious Bodhi Seed naturally belonged to him as well.

Chen Ping watched as Mo Xiuyuan received the Bodhi Seed from the Violet Palace Elder presiding over the competition. The seed emitted a warm glow and contained vast vitality.

A trace of icy resolve flashed deep in Chen Ping’s eyes.

Mo Xiuyuan… I hope you don’t consume the Bodhi Seed immediately. Wait for me to help you!

Chen Ping recited silently in his heart.

The plan could begin.

Sometimes, it wasn’t that he was bloodthirsty, but this Bodhi Seed was simply too important for his future path.

Mo Xiuyuan was clearly not the best owner for such an item.

If he consumed the Bodhi Seed, it would only increase his cultivation by 20 years—a mere drop in the bucket for his long path of cultivation!

Besides, can “killing to seize treasures” in the cultivation world really be called robbery?

No, that is simply giving a treasure a correct destination. It is an act of great benevolence!

Chen Ping’s eyes shone brightly.

For the sake of the Dao, some things had to be done.

The Team Battle was scheduled for three days later.

Chen Ping used this precious interval to begin the first steps of his layout.