I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense

Chapter 343: 344: Is This Elder Tianji?

One moment, you urgently declared that the battlefront at the border urgently needed hands, and now you’re saying you have nothing better to do and want to act as a guide. Are you eager to let everyone know you’re up to something?

Li Xiaobai was already too weary to complain about the city masters’ casual attitudes.

Moreover, it seemed the two city masters didn’t care about the details; they only wanted to leave the city with Li Xiaobai, then take him down and acquire his secret.

Their intention couldn’t be more obvious if they tried. It was almost embarrassingly clear.

As if he would go out with them.

“The city masters have a heart that values talent, which I understand, but Young Master Li is new here and doesn’t understand many things. Perhaps it would be better to head to the battlefield together once he’s got a clear understanding?”

Yang Guang chuckled.

“Good!”

The two city masters nodded in agreement, as long as Li Xiaobai remained within their line of sight, everything else was negotiable.

After dispersing the crowd, Yang Guang took Li Xiaobai away.

Half an hour later.

Inside a separate courtyard of the City Lord’s Mansion.

Yang Guang sized up Li Xiaobai from head to toe.

“A young hero indeed. I never expected someone like Young Master Li, such a rare talent, to emerge from the Northern Region. The geniuses from the current top echelon are just at the second or third level of the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, but it seems Young Master Li has already surpassed them?”

“My mere Tribulation Crossing cultivation level isn’t worth mentioning,”

Li Xiaobai said casually with a flick of his hand.

Yang Guang was speechless. This genius was indeed powerful but also such a convincing actor.

Yang Huan was also feeling somewhat anxious. Her father was so stubborn, no matter what she said, Yang Guang would not believe that Li Xiaobai was a true big shot. It seemed he was convinced that Li Xiaobai was just a talent at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage.

In fact, it wasn’t Yang Guang’s fault; to most people, reaching the Transcendance Tribulation Stage was already the limit for a genius, and going beyond required withstanding the test of time.

This was an unchanging rule through the ages, which also explained why the big shots from Central Province made a misjudgment, assuming Li Xiaobai was just a common genius with some tricky treasure that made him difficult to deal with.

But Yang Huan knew that he was no mere genius at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage. To withstand a slash from Song Que, at the very least, his cultivation level had to be of the Mahayana Realm.

And his performance in utterly defeating the Sword Demon Elder in the arena was so dominant—how could these big shots fail to see that?

Could a genius at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage be that powerful?

Not being able to get her opinion through made Yang Huan a bit petty, but she couldn’t directly reveal the truth, so she was left to sulk alone.

“Young Master Li, what do you think of those two city masters from earlier?”

Yang Guang coughed lightly, changing the subject. By now, he had started treating Li Xiaobai as an equal.

He might also be at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, but in terms of strength, he probably wasn’t much stronger than Li Xiaobai.

“Hmm, they have malicious intentions and are constantly thinking of killing me,”

Li Xiaobai said slowly.

“Then, what are your plans, Young Master Li?”

“I plan to fleece those two city masters a little,”

Li Xiaobai said slowly, with a hint of mischief in his eyes.

“Oh? How do you plan on fleecing them?”

Yang Guang asked with interest.

“Heh heh, City Lord Yang need not concern himself with that. I have a clever plan. All City Lord Yang needs to do is keep a close watch on that Cangying for me,”

Li Xiaobai said mysteriously.

“Young Master Li, rest assured, I have already sent someone to investigate.”

Yang Guang nodded and said.

In the end, he seemed a bit worried and repeated his advice, “Young Master Li, please do not leave the city alone. The two City Lords have set their sights on you. They wouldn’t dare to make a move within the city, but once you’re out, it will be their territory.”

“When the time comes for you to leave the city, I will send experts to escort you.”

“City Lord Yang, don’t worry, I have a good sense of the situation,” Li Xiaobai waved his hand and said with a chuckle.

He knew that no matter how much he boasted about his own capabilities, the City Lord wouldn’t believe him, and he didn’t feel like explaining anymore.

Once he finished taking advantage of this situation, he’d teach these City Lords a lesson on how to behave.

After seeing off Yang Guang, Li Xiaobai closed the door, flipped his wrist, and took out a copy of the Immortal Spirit Daily.

Ji Wuqing, who was beside him, leaned in with excited eyes.

“Kid, are you planning to stir up trouble again?”

“Count me in this time!” the Sect Master chimed in.

“Indeed, I am about to stir things up, but it’s not yet time for you and me to make a move,” Li Xiaobai replied with a light chuckle, taking out a Spirit Stone to summon Elder Tianji’s Primodial Spirit Phantom.

“Yo, Young Master Li, it’s been a while! I’ve had a tough time waiting for you!” Elder Tianji appeared and looked at Li Xiaobai with a lament like that of a grieving wife: “You haven’t summoned me for so many days, I’ve been waiting so anxiously!”

“Hehe, here I am, aren’t I? Finding news also takes time. Besides, as media professionals, we should seek the truth, right? It takes time to verify the authenticity of an event!” Li Xiaobai chuckled.

“Hmm, good, Young Master Li handles things reliably, you always think ahead. No wonder every story you report is so enthralling. What’s the big news this time? The front page headline has always been reserved for you!” Elder Tianji said with a beaming smile, as the sales of Immortal Spirit Daily had recently increased.

All thanks to Li Xiaobai, who was continually creating news and then publishing it—truly a distinguished talent of his generation.

“Is that… Elder Tianji?” Yang Huan was staring, flabbergasted.

Elder Tianji was a big name she had long admired. The second-ranked powerhouse on the Celestial List, incredibly powerful, single-handedly established the entire Immortal Spirit Continent’s strength rankings.

Although there were occasionally some minor issues and biases, overall, it did not significantly impact the larger picture.

She had also tried activating the Immortal Spirit Daily’s Formation to summon Elder Tianji before, to publish an article about a murder and a case of wrongful accusation. But at that time, Elder Tianji scolded her harshly, saying her story lacked appeal and couldn’t stir the emotions of the readers.

It was a sheer waste of his time.

Afterward, she never dared to contact him again, but she didn’t expect Li Xiaobai to be so familiar with Elder Tianji.

Upon seeing Li Xiaobai, the old man was all smiles, so much that he could hardly keep his mouth closed. Could such an influential figure also have a side that paid no attention to his image? Could it be that he had inclinations towards the love of dragons and the sun, too?

The more Yang Huan thought about it, the more alarmed she became—a truly frightening prospect!

Moreover, looking at this, Li Xiaobai has published who knows how many articles in the Immortal Spirit Daily. Indeed, a big shot is a big shot; everything they do is top-notch.

“This time we are publishing about a mystical artifact located on the frontier. The focus should be on spreading the newspaper in those border areas!” Li Xiaobai said indifferently.

“No problem at all. The frontier is a tough nut to crack; they usually don’t read the Immortal Spirit Daily. I’ve long set my sights on capturing that market. If we can break into the frontier market, I’ll split the first year’s profits fifty-fifty with you!” Elder Tianji’s eyes gleamed with excitement. Finally, the day he had been waiting for had arrived—his Immortal Spirit Daily was one step closer to becoming renowned across the entire Immortal Spirit Continent!

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Chapter 344: Chapter 345: Who’s the Best at Exploiting Loopholes?

“Spirit Stones or no Spirit Stones, it doesn’t matter; the key is that I like writing news.”

Li Xiaobai took out his pen and paper, and with bold calligraphy in columns, he captured Elder Tianji’s burning enthusiasm.

“Mysterious black flames spotted on the outskirts of the frontier, a precious treasure suspected of emerging!”

“The strange black flames have spread to many battlefields—are they friend or foe?”

“Life persists, flames never cease; what secrets lie buried at the source of these eerie black flames?”

“Burn it, it must be burned! If we don’t burn away these Flesh Mountain monsters, what future can the human race have?”

Several reports were written in one breath, leaving Elder Tianji extremely satisfied.

When it came to journalistic reporting, it indeed had more flavor when written by Li Xiaobai. Even after studying it multiple times, he had never fully grasped the essence of clickbait.

“Young Master Li truly is a prodigy; his ideological awareness has long surpassed that of ordinary beings.”

“However, I’d like to offer a word of caution to Young Master Li—the Flesh Mountains in the borderlands are incomparably strong, far from the rubbish you see on the battlefields. If you encounter a real heavyweight Flesh Mountain, it’s best to turn and run.”

“The human race has never been short of strong cultivators. If it were possible to thoroughly eradicate the Flesh Mountains, they would have been destroyed long ago. Young Master Li, please be cautious and know when to flee.”

Elder Tianji put away Li Xiaobai’s manuscript and spoke with a grave expression.

Li Xiaobai was startled within: “All the Flesh Mountains on the four battlefields are just trash?”

“Those things are at best a few small fry; they’re nothing compared to real Flesh Mountains. Remember this in the borderlands—if you encounter a colossal Flesh Mountain, just turn and run. You simply can’t kill that thing.”

Elder Tianji spoke indifferently as the energy of the Spirit Stones was exhausted, the Formation ceased to operate, and the Primordial Spirit Projection in the void gradually dissipated.

“Young Master Li, take good care of yourself!”

Li Xiaobai put away the Immortal Spirit Daily, his heart also slowly sinking.

According to Elder Tianji, the situation in the borderlands was more complex than he had imagined, with even such a mighty figure unwilling to intervene.

Moreover, the Flesh Mountains immortal cultivators fought to the death over on the four battlefields were only considered small fry by others; the implications were immense.

Originally, Li Xiaobai had planned to bring Hellfire to the frontier to wreak havoc, but now it seemed that this plan would be shelved before it could even start, as the ferocity of the borderlands exceeded his expectations.

Yang Huan was also looking utterly horrified.

She had been in the borderlands for over a decade; none had ever spoken to her like this. She had always believed that the human race could achieve complete victory by simply purging the four main battlefields.

Now, someone was telling her that the enemies they had been fighting all this time were just the tip of the iceberg, hardly counting for anything, making it difficult for her to accept.

If anyone else had said this, she would’ve never believed it, but the one who spoke was Elder Tianji, sharing such information during a conversation with another influential figure. The message was absolutely reliable.

In a moment, she felt lost. If all this was true, what was the point of their years of perseverance?

What should she do moving forward?

If the situation couldn’t be changed, should she still bother spending her time in the borderlands?

Li Xiaobai noticed the woman’s unusual demeanor and coughed twice.

“Ahem, no matter how powerful the Flesh Mountains of the borderlands are, they don’t concern you. The tall ones will hold up the sky, and you are responsible for cleaning up the Flesh Mountains in the small battlefields. Naturally, someone will take care of suppressing the Flesh Mountains in the large battlefields.”

“Everyone has their own responsibilities and missions. It is precisely because everyone has strictly fulfilled their own duties that peace has been maintained in the borderlands for so many years.”

“So, as long as you are in the borderlands, regardless of your cultivation level, you have your own value. Don’t overthink it; just concentrate on doing your part.”

Li Xiaobai hadn’t expected that one day he would turn into a life coach, offering guidance and resolving doubts for others.

“Hehe, not bad, as long as you earnestly follow me, I guarantee you’ll be safe and sound!”

“Merely Flesh Mountains, in front of me, they are nothing—not even worth a fart!”

Ji Wuqing also said, patting his chest, brimming with confidence.

“`

“Then thanks a lot, Brother Chicken!”

Yang Huan was actually amused by Ji Wuqing, and after hearing what Li Xiaobai had to say, she realized she had been overthinking it.

If the human race truly had no way to deal with Flesh Mountain, the border wouldn’t have been at peace for so many years.

Just like the boss said, just do your own thing and let the taller ones worry about the sky falling. The boss is one of those taller ones; he isn’t panicking, so why should she worry unnecessarily?

With this in mind, Yang Huan calmed down and looked at Li Xiaobai with even more admiration.

“Giggle, no biggie, do a good job, I’ve got high hopes for you!”

Ji Wuqing truly enjoyed such treatment, feeling great with a little fan cheering for him like this.

“Since you’ve figured it out, go play by yourself, I need to cultivate.”

Having said that, Li Xiaobai skillfully picked up Yang Huan from the side, threw her out of the room, and then closed the door.

Leaving behind a pair of shocked beautiful eyes.

She was once again thrown out by the boss, in the exact same way, without a trace of reluctance.

Hmm, the boss must prefer fresh meat. Got to cater to his tastes. It’s time to find him some!

…

At the same time.

In the fourth battlefield, within a camp.

Inside the main tent.

Wu De was sobbing to two young men.

“Brother Yang, Brother Ling, you must avenge me!”

“That guy is too arrogant, he crippled my cultivation level on the stage, my life is practically ruined because of him!”

The two young men’s expressions sharpened immediately upon hearing this.

“Junior brother, get up. To think that someone still dares to be so disrespectful in this border area, provoking our Devil Cloud Cave, is he seeking death?”

“What’s his last name, his name? I’ll go and chop off his head for you!”

Overjoyed at their words, Wu De realized his guess was right. His senior brothers were indeed bound by brotherly loyalty and wouldn’t abandon him. At this moment, he felt the warmth again.

“This person is none other than Demon Sword Li Xiaobai, who caused a great commotion in Central Province a few days ago!”

“If the two elder brothers could slay him, not only could you vent the anger for your junior brother, but you could also return to Central Province for a hefty bounty!”

“Hmm, Demon Sword Li Xiaobai…”

The two young men nodded, but then seemed to realize something.

“Wait, are you talking about Li Xiaobai, the cultivator who emerged from the Northern Region?”

“Correct, that’s him. Rest assured, senior brothers, despite his cultivation level at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, he’s definitely no match for you two!”

Wu De hurriedly added, extremely confident in his two senior brothers. Unknown to others but clearly to him, his seniors progressed frighteningly fast in their cultivation, far surpassing those so-called top talents.

Their abilities competed on par with the older generation’s experts, but the next second he was dumbfounded.

“Bullshit!”

“Our junior brother… is he someone you can mess with?”

“Don’t you know we were seven brothers when we started out?”

“Fourth brother, I thought no survivors should be left. To brazenly provoke our junior brother, causing him so much trouble, you must die!”