MSBITRS Chapter 41 V2

**“Does this Dragon Prince truly plan to kill me here and now?

Perhaps he thinks that, since I’m not a chosen talent, my death wouldn’t provoke much backlash from the sect while venting the Dragon Palace’s frustrations.

Tch, that must be it.

I must tread carefully in this match.”**

Caution heightened, Li Changshou prepared himself.

Ao Yi’s celestial armor radiated a dazzling light as he stepped forward, his aura surging like a tidal wave.

Even from thirty paces away, Li Changshou felt Ao Yi’s energy locking onto him.

He gathered his power, regulating it with his self-created Turtle Breath and Calm Qi Technique, ensuring his output matched the limits of a second-level Void Return cultivator.

Then, he stepped forward.

Their auras clashed.

“Come on!”

A sharp gleam flashed in Ao Yi’s blue eyes as he abandoned any long-range techniques, preparing to rush forward and present his delicate face directly to the fists of the weakest disciple of the Du Immortal Sect.

“Wait!”

Li Changshou let out a loud shout, startling Ao Yi so much that he nearly stumbled forward onto the pristine “ground” of the water lotus platform.

What now?

Ao Yi frowned as he looked at Li Changshou, his expression mirrored by the puzzled gazes of the crowd. They had been ready to fight—so why the sudden pause?

Li Changshou said, “Since this is a sparring match, we ought to set some rules first. Shouldn’t there be a respected referee to determine the winner and boundaries to ensure neither of us steps outside the designated area? Starting without any guidelines would hardly align with the Dragon Palace’s reputation for precision or its commitment to fairness and order.”

This guy is so tedious…

Black lines of frustration seemed to appear on Ao Yi’s forehead, but the nearby Tortoise Prime Minister felt that Li Changshou’s words were both reasonable and irrefutable. It was, in fact, an oversight on the Dragon Palace’s part.

Stepping forward, the Tortoise Prime Minister volunteered to serve as the referee. Using his immortal power, he drew a large circle with a diameter of 200 feet on the platform.

“The Second Prince and this virtuous disciple of the Du Immortal Sect shall spar with clear rules: no use of lethal artifacts, and the match must cease at the agreed boundary.”

With the arena prepared and the ground rules set, the sparring match suddenly felt far more official.

Li Changshou and Ao Yi faced each other again, their gazes locked, standing thirty feet apart as their auras reconnected.

Ao Yi stomped lightly, and several diamond-shaped ice shards, each containing flickering flames, materialized around him.

I’ll put on a great display and lose spectacularly!

Drawing his breath and focusing his energy, Ao Yi once again readied himself to charge. But just as he was about to rush forward—

“Hold on!”

Li Changshou’s voice rang out again, making Ao Yi stumble mid-step and nearly fall.

This guy! He keeps shouting just as I’m gathering my energy!

Li Changshou said, “Second Prince, what if we changed this to a battle of wits instead of combat…”

“Enough talk! Take this!”

With a growl, Ao Yi charged forward like an arrow released from a bow, his body surrounded by the radiant light of the ice shards. He left an afterimage behind as he dashed directly toward Li Changshou, deliberately leaving an obvious opening in his stance.

Li Changshou, holding a stack of talismans, moved with a feigned clumsiness that had a faint air of grace. He barely dodged to the side, avoiding Ao Yi’s charge with his Dragon Cloud-Step, a respectable but non-extraordinary movement technique from the Du Immortal Sect.

Ao Yi frowned as their paths crossed, his gaze lingering on Li Changshou’s slightly panicked expression.

What’s going on? Is he this hesitant to counterattack?

Ah, I see. My ferocity must have intimidated him.

Don’t worry! Strike me head-on, and I’ll let you shine with a glorious victory!

Ao Yi stopped after twenty feet, executed a stylish mid-air flip, and prepared to charge again.

Li Changshou casually threw six talismans, forming hand seals that caused intertwining flames to erupt toward Ao Yi.

Without hesitation, Ao Yi barreled straight through the flames, his body blazing as he charged forward unscathed.

Relentless!

Li Changshou once again utilized his evasive movement technique. This time, while appearing slightly less panicked, he continued to retreat in an almost theatrical display of “struggling,” all the while tossing more talismans. Ao Yi accepted the flames, his relentless pursuit painting him as an indomitable force.

The chase unfolded over dozens of exchanges, with Ao Yi growing increasingly frustrated. Despite his calculated openings, Li Changshou either avoided striking or seemed incapable of exploiting them.

Why won’t he take the bait? Is he too scared or just too weak to seize the opportunity?

Finally, they made their first physical contact. Backed into a corner near the boundary, Li Changshou let out a faint sigh, revealing a trace of determination. Throwing several talismans, he unleashed a Heavenly Five-Thunder Palm, one of the Du Immortal Sect’s more advanced techniques.

Lightning crackled, flames roared, and Ao Yi charged straight into the storm, his fist meeting Li Changshou’s palm.

Huh?

Ao Yi’s instincts suddenly tingled with a faint sense of danger.

Wait a second…

Li Changshou, on the other hand, was equally puzzled.

Why does his punch have no strength at all?

Still, Li Changshou followed through with his plan, staggering back and feigning a desperate retreat while subtly redirecting Ao Yi’s momentum.

Taking the cue, Ao Yi stumbled dramatically, crashing to the side with exaggerated effort. Internally, he thought, This should be enough!

Just then, he noticed Li Changshou coughing and saw a faint trace of blood on his fingertips.

Li Changshou sighed deeply, his expression a mix of frustration and resignation. “It’s over. I lost. My skills are inferior. Back to the mountain for more training.”

With that, he stepped back, conveniently crossing the boundary.

The audience—immortals, Qi refiners, and dragonfolk alike—watched with mild regret. Li Changshou’s performance was admirable for a second-stage Return-to-Void cultivator.

He conceded?

Ao Yi froze, staring at the glowing boundary line in disbelief.

What’s this? Did he surrender first?

Is this even allowed?

The Tortoise Prime Minister’s voice rang out: “The winner of this match is—”

“Ahhhh!”

Ao Yi suddenly roared, his body erupting with faint golden blood, and cracks appeared in his celestial armor. His shout startled even the Tortoise Prime Minister into silence.

Ao Yi glared at Li Changshou, trembling with “rage” as he gasped out, “Such powerful… talisman techniques…”

With that, the Second Prince collapsed dramatically into a “pool of blood,” prompting a chaotic rush of dragon experts to his side.

Li Changshou: …

This little dragon’s acting skills… barely passable at best. Maybe good enough for a young idol.

Nearby, the Du Immortal Sect’s true immortals quickly surrounded Li Changshou to shield him.

The show was over.