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

“Some people are not to be trifled with, be careful or you might lose your life!”

“Trash, no matter how much it piles up, is still just a heap of trash. It’s not too late to back down now, otherwise, once you’re in the arena, at best, you’ll break arms and legs; at worst, your Zhang Family might be finished!”

The bratty kid was spouting nonsense with increasing absurdity, as if Li Xiaobai was truly his bodyguard.

“Brat, weren’t you just bragging that your Sister Ya Ya is the number one among the younger generation?”

Li Xiaobai’s face turned dark; he’d actually been fooled by a bratty kid.

This little guy was rather cunning, his conduct hardly befitting of an eleven- or twelve-year-old child; his skills in inciting trouble and fanning flames were clearly those of a seasoned veteran!

“Kid, I’m giving you a chance to show off. Everyone facing you is a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage. If you take them down, you will have earned the right to challenge me. How does that sound?”

“If you can teach them a lesson, I might even introduce you to Sister Ya Ya.”

The bratty kid was smug, looking like he had Li Xiaobai all figured out.

Li Xiaobai’s temples twitched. The longer he spent with him, the stronger his urge to thrash the boy became.

But since this little fella was the Zong Family’s Third Young Master, he couldn’t just ignore him. Maybe he could use the boy to his advantage, as a breakthrough point for entering the Zong Family. With that, there was no need for any other reason.

He could just walk into the Zong Family as the bratty kid’s friend without raising too much suspicion from the family members.

And it was clear that the forces behind these young men were at odds with the Zong Family. Beating up their younger generation would naturally lead their elders to seek retribution. That way, grudges would be established, and he could start stirring things up.

Hmm, this was a brilliant strategy to kill many birds with one stone!

“Worthless Hu, do you know who you’re speaking with?”

“The mere Zong Family dares to go against me? Do you know that even your Family Head has to speak humbly in front of my father? Just one word from my dad, and it would be no trouble to have your family kneel!”

Brother Zhang’s face turned icily cold, his eyes flickering with the venom of a snake as he stared down Zong Hu.

Zong Hu shrank back, nervously pulling out a portrait and tossing it forward.

“Open your eyes wide. You have no idea the stature of the mountain standing before you. Being able to speak with such a powerhouse is a blessing earned by your ancestors!”

Zong Hu hid behind Li Xiaobai and shouted.

Li Xiaobai held his forehead. This guy, doing the most cowardly things while talking tough, was not only boastful but also very deserving of a beating.

“This is…”

“The young prodigy personally invited by the Vice Leader?”

“The one who easily escaped from the hands of the old ancestors of every clan in Central Province?”

Brother Zhang’s expression changed multiple times. The information on the portrait was too shocking. The old ancestors of every clan in Central Province—how powerful would those cultivators be?

Surely stronger than the Family Head, right?

Stronger than the Family Head, he could hardly dare to imagine that.

“Brother Zhang, this thing is surely fake. If this guy was really invited personally by the Vice Leader, how could he appear here, and how could he be mixed up with Worthless Hu?”

“Exactly, if you ask me, this portrait was probably drawn by Worthless Hu himself.”

A bunch of young people said. It wasn’t that they didn’t believe it, but the things written on the portrait were too exaggerated. If the person depicted were some old man, they might even believe it, but the one in front of them was clearly a normal youth, not much older than they were.

“`

What merit or ability does he have to possess such strength and cultivation level?

It must be fake!

“Yes, what audacity, to dare to forge the Vice Leader’s handwriting, you’re going to die a miserable death!”

“Li Xiaobai, is it? Come with us to the fighting arena, otherwise, this young master can only let the Punishment Hall enforce the law!”

Zhang Family sneered coldly, his tone chilling as he spoke.

Zong Hu’s heart also skipped a beat; he had forgotten about this. He tore off this portrait from the notice board without having checked its authenticity. If it was a fake, and the other party caught onto this detail, the Zong Family might be seriously implicated.

If the Punishment Hall got involved, Sister Ya Ya and the others might truly be expelled from Aolai Country.

He glanced nervously at Li Xiaobai’s calm face, his heart thumping. Could this man, who looked no different from an ordinary person, truly possess real talent?

“Since Young Master Zhang insists on this, then I will accompany you. However, let me say this beforehand, if I lose, you’re not allowed to tattle to your parents,” Li Xiaobai said with a light laugh, his tone nonchalant as if he did not put anything in his eyes.

In fact, that was indeed the case. Were it not for Zong Hu’s reminder, he would’ve almost forgotten that such low-level realms as Foundation Establishment even existed in the Immortal Spirit Continent.

“Good, let’s go!”

In Aolai Country, fighting arenas could be seen everywhere, almost every place where cultivators resided had an arena. This was to prevent cultivators from lashing out in anger, making it convenient for them to step onto the arena at a moment’s notice; hence, over a hundred of varying sizes had been built.

Several minutes later, Li Xiaobai followed a group of kids to the front of an arena. A fair number of onlookers gathered around, eager to watch the spectacle. For Young Master Zhang to deal with mortals had become the norm, and they were pleased to have a distraction.

“Hey, look, Young Master Zhang has brought someone over again!”

“Heh, this time it’s a mortal too, but look, isn’t that a little kid following behind him? Is it a father-son match today?”

“That’s the Zong Family’s Worthless Young Master. Looks like he’s offended Young Master Zhang; there’s going to be a good show.”

“I remember the woman from the other day; wasn’t it on this very arena that Young Master Zhang hacked off her limbs? Those screams are still fresh in my memory, that taste, tsk tsk tsk, indescribably wonderful. I wonder what part Young Master Zhang will chop off this time?”

“How about a bet? I guess it’ll be an arm!”

“Hehe, I bet on that shorter leg.”

“Hehehe, I guess that too…”

Listening to the conversations of the surrounding crowd, Li Xiaobai frowned slightly. It seemed that Zhang Family wasn’t just a bratty kid; he was a menace!

So young and already maiming ordinary mortals, what would he become when he grew up?

“Come on, give us your handprint. Life and death are decreed by fate, wealth and honor are in heaven’s hands. The arena is blind to the fists and feet; if by accident you die, don’t go blaming anyone,” Zhang Family said, taking a paper contract from the cultivator guarding the arena, a cruel smile on his lips.

Before Li Xiaobai could say anything, several teenagers rushed forward and aggressively pressed down on Li Xiaobai’s hand, pulling out a small knife and aiming it at his thumb, ready to forcefully press his handprint.

They made a cut.

[Attribute Points +10…]

Defense not breached…

Zhang Family: ???