Qin Lu’s eyes narrowed into thin slits as he studied the woman before him. Through their brief exchange, he had gauged the depth of Kong Mengli’s reservoir. She was undoubtedly powerful, but she was not invincible.

Aside from that initial, bone-jarring kick, she hadn’t managed to touch him again. His Grandmaster Soft Wind Technique allowed him to drift through the air like a dandelion seed, untouched by her glacial fury. Under the dual pressure of his speed and Gu Yue’s ferocious spear, the widow of the Tao Family was already showing signs of fraying.

Her hair was disheveled, and her expensive jade-woven robes were marred by several clean slices. Qin Lu knew that if he cast aside his reservations and unleashed his full cultivation, he could bring her down. Yet, logic dictated they hold the advantage in a two-on-one skirmish; there was no reason to play fair.

“You are a Mid-Foundation Establishment expert,” Qin Lu said, his voice dripping with cold mockery. “And yet you challenge a junior at the Early stage to a duel? Tell me, have you discarded your dignity along with your mourning veils?”

Kong Mengli’s face remained a mask of frozen indifference. “Dignity is a luxury for the living. I only want you dead. Nothing else matters. Now, I ask you—do you have the courage to accept, or are you merely a coward who hides behind a woman’s skirts?”

“Don’t listen to her!” Gu Yue barked, her spear tip humming with killing intent. “Why should we play your game? If you want a fight, we can settle it right here. Let’s see if you can survive the both of us!”

Kong Mengli snorted, her gaze shifting to the crowd below before returning to Qin Lu. “If you lack the spine to stand alone, then crawl out of the White Jade Market and never return.”

“We aren’t going anywhere,” Gu Yue countered. “The only person leaving should be you. Perhaps it’s time you joined your husband in the dirt!”

The insult hit like a physical blow. Kong Mengli’s face flushed a violent crimson, her knuckles turning white as she gripped her hilt. Then, a chilling calm settled over her. She looked at Qin Lu with a predatory sneer.

“You stepped forward today for those friends of yours, didn’t you? Lu Xian, Cao Yunxi… names are so easy to remember,” she whispered. “If you won’t leave, I suggest you tell them to watch their shadows. In this market, ‘accidents’ happen to the weak every single day.”

The temperature around Qin Lu seemed to drop. A suppressed, calculating rage flared in his chest. His friends were mere Qi Refiners; against a Foundation Establishment cultivator, they would be snuffed out like candles in a gale.

“This is between us,” Qin Lu said, his voice vibrating with a low, dangerous resonance. “Why involve those who have no part in your grudge?”

“They know you,” Kong Mengli replied flatly. “In my eyes, that is a capital offense.”

“If you touch them,” Gu Yue threatened, “I will ensure the Tao Family is erased from the registers of the living. I will cut the weeds and dig up the roots until not even a child remains.”

The air grew heavy as the two women stood at daggers drawn. Market Master Jiang Ge, caught in the center, felt a massive headache brewing. The rules of the White Jade Market were designed to keep the peace among the masses, but they were paper-thin against the whims of Foundation Establishment masters.

Jiang Ge groaned inwardly. He hated the paperwork and the diplomatic fallout of dead elites. He was about to interject with a half-hearted plea for peace when Qin Lu suddenly stepped forward, hovering in the air between the two women.

“Fine,” Qin Lu’s voice rang out, amplified by spiritual essence to every corner of the district. “I accept your challenge!”

A collective gasp went up from the spectators below. The street erupted into a cacophony of whispers. “Is he mad? A Early-stage cultivator taking on Kong Mengli?” one man muttered. “Qin Big Mouth has finally lost his mind,” another laughed, though many were already sprinting toward the Life-and-Death Platform to claim a seat.

Kong Mengli’s eyes flashed with a spark of dark joy. She turned to Jiang Ge and cupped her hands. “Then I ask the Market Master to serve as our witness. Tonight, Qin Lu and I settle this forever.”

Jiang Ge sighed, relieved to have a controlled environment for the slaughter. “So be it. I shall witness. Tonight, at the hour of the Dog, you shall meet upon the Life-and-Death Platform. Let this one battle resolve all enmity!”

With the pact sealed, Kong Mengli didn’t waste another breath. She turned into a streak of white light and vanished toward the Tao estate. Qin Lu and Gu Yue descended into the quiet courtyard of the Gu manor as the crowds dispersed to place their bets.

Inside the quiet study, Gu Yue turned on him, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Are you a fool? Why would you agree to a solo duel? You saw what happened at the start—she nearly put a hole through you!”

“The grudge has grown too large to ignore,” Qin Lu said, his tone measured and calm. “She threatened my friends, and that is a line she cannot cross. I would rather end this now, decisively, than spend my life looking over my shoulder.”

“But can you actually win?” Gu Yue pressed, her worry palpable.

Qin Lu sat cross-legged on a meditation mat, closing his eyes to center his dantian. A faint, confident smile played on his lips. “Don’t worry. I have a full understanding of her limits. She cannot defeat me.”

For the next few hours, the White Jade Market hummed with an electric energy. Gambling dens worked feverishly to update their placards, and the odds against Qin Lu grew by the minute. To the world, he was a dead man walking. To Qin Lu, it was simply the final step in a necessary chore. A great battle was imminent, and for the first time, he intended to show the market what ‘Max Level’ truly meant.