What kind of smile was that? It was gentle like water, had the compassion of a saint and a tinge of helplessness, and was resolute too!

In an instant, all the disciples of the Chu Family turned quiet, and amongst them, many got a heartache… it was due to their uselessness that Senior Sister Chu Chu had to sacrifice her latent capacity and go on stage while gravely injured.

The power of imagination was very strong. It was merely a forced smile, but the disciples of the Chu Family associated so many things with it.

After smiling, Chu Chu kept walking and stepped onto the Grievance Settling Platform.

The supervisor of the platform quietly shot a glance at her and secretly used a technique. It was likely a technique to confirm her lineage and status as Chu Chu.

The light of the technique flashed on Chu Chu's body and didn't discover anything unusual. This person was indeed Chu Chu.

After stepping onto the platform, Chu Chu helped up her wounded clansman and gently delivered him to the other clansmen off stage.

The people off stage had prepared earlier and cautiously received the wounded man, sending him toward the tents in the rear to carry out the emergency treatment.

On the Grievance Settling Platform.

Chu Chu slightly raised her head and looked at the three meters tall giant.

The giant also looked at Chu Chu, and in the next moment, an excited expression appeared on his face. "Even after recovering your strength, you're only at the First Stage Dragon Gate Realm? Ahaha, your current strength isn't that of the Second Stage!"

For him, it was a pleasant surprise.

For a cultivator of the First Stage, someone of the Second Stage was almost an insurmountable existence. But after discovering that Chu Chu's current strength was still in the First Stage Realm, the giant could rely on his special bloodline to fight against her evenly. Perhaps he could even kill this genius from the Chu Family!

Chu Chu raised her head and faintly smiled at the giant, not replying.

"The battle can continue," the supervisor named Peng Shenghai said in a grave tone.

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In the rear, where the tent was located.

Soft Feather looked at the tent in puzzlement. Strange, how come Senior Song and Venerable White didn't come out?

If they weren't here, from whom would she retrieve her shapeshifting brooch?!

She really wanted to participate in the battle on the Grievance Settling Platform!

The leader of the Chu Family was in deep thoughts when his expression suddenly changed. When Chu Chu came out just now… the power emanating from her body... was that of qi and blood and not of true qi?!

Even after forcefully bringing out her latent capacity, and temporarily suppressing her injuries, she's still at the First Stage Dragon Gate Realm?

Such being the case, she didn't have any advantage while facing the disciples of the Illusory Sword School. Moreover, she was even injured...

No, I can't let Chu Chu participate in the battle!

The family leader quickly rushed toward the Grievance Settling Platform...

...but it was too late; the battle had already started!

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On the Grievance Settling Platform.

"Girl, it doesn't matter if you're a genius or not, you're fated to die today!" the giant said in a grave tone to bolster his spirits.

After roaring, he dashed forward and used his huge hand to punch toward Chu Chu's head.

The disciples of the Chu Family nervously clenched their fists… they weren't anxious for Chu Chu; they were excited that they would get to see her use the mysterious and powerful 'sword technique' of the Chu Family.

The people of the Chu Family knew that Chu Chu's sword technique was outstanding.

So what if her strength had slightly decreased due to her injuries? Even if they were in the same realm, that giant had no chance of defeating her as long as she had that 'sword technique'!"

On the Grievance Settling Platform, Chu Chu didn't draw the short sword attached to her thigh.

Instead, she assumed the typical stance of a fist technique, standing still. It seemed she was planning to take the attack of the giant head-on.

"Ahahahaha!" The giant madly laughed and said, "Die! Heart Piercing Palm!"

Even if the move was called 'Heart Piercing Palm', the giant merely poured the qi and blood energy in his five apertures into his fist, shrouding it in a faint red light. The move relied on mere brute force, all brawn and no brains.

In battles amongst cultivators, it was fine to listen to those scary and cool names. But if you were to take them too seriously, you might as well lose the battle.

The fist of the giant ruthlessly pounded down. He possessed an extraordinary physical strength that became even scarier when used in conjunction with that violent and overbearing fist technique. Even a Second Stage True Master wouldn't feel too well after receiving his fist. Since this girl intended to receive his fist head-on, he would give her a good taste of his power!

In the front, Chu Chu had a calm expression on her face.

Next, she crisscrossed her delicate hands and prepared to take the fist of the giant head-on.

"Clang!"

When the fist bumped into Chu Chu's hands, a metallic sound echoed. It didn't seem as if a fist and a palm had bumped into each other; it felt as though two pieces of metal had collided!

Immediately after, Chu Chu slightly lowered her hands and took advantage of this short moment to apply soft strength to counter the raging power of the giant's fist.

She managed to block it! How did she do that?! The giant was somewhat stunned.

It wasn't only the giant, even the people of the Chu Family were surprised. They knew that Senior Sister Chu Chu was very good with the sword, but they didn't know that even her fist technique was so strong.

On the platform, the situation quickly changed.

The attacker and the defender traded places.

Chu Chu suddenly moved her hands upward, and under her huge strength, the fist of the giant was pushed away. In the next moment, she dashed forward, brutally clashing against the chest of the giant with her whole body.

"Boom~"

After the clash… the three meters tall giant was sent flying!

This time, she didn't use any sophisticated skill, she merely used brute force!

After he was sent flying, the giant didn't get up for a while. He felt as though a train had hit his chest; even breathing was difficult. He opened his eyes wide and looked at Chu Chu who was standing in front of him.

The physical strength of this little girl was actually higher than his...

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At this time...

The somewhat bored seniors of the Nine Provinces Number One Group repeatedly blinked their eyes.

It wasn't that the battle on the platform had suddenly become interesting… in fact, the level of this battle was still rather low in their eyes.

What piqued their interest was the technique that the girl named Chu Chu used!

Thrice Reckless Mad Saber rubbed his chin and turned his head around, asking his fellow daoists, "If I'm not mistaken, that should be the ❮Basic Buddhist Fist Technique❯, right? I once saw the disciples of Great Master Profound Principle's temple practice this same technique."

"You're not mistaken. That was precisely the defensive stance of the ❮Basic Buddhist Fist Technique❯, and what followed next was the explosive attack of the fifth style," True Monarch Yellow Mountain replied. Even if he hadn't practiced the ❮Basic Buddhist Fist Technique❯, he had a rough understanding of the content.

The ❮Basic Buddhist Fist Technique❯ wasn't one of those common and widespread techniques… it was the treasured lost art of the Jingang Temple back in those days. There was no way the Chu Family could get its hands on such a technique.

Northern River's Loose Cultivator pondered for a moment. Then, as though he had thought of something, he deeply sighed and said, "The Basic Buddhist Fist Technique!"

Cave Lord Snow Wolf nodded and said, "Indeed, the Basic Buddhist Fist Technique…"

Dharma King Creation echoed, "Surprisingly enough, it's the Basic Buddhist Fist Technique!"

Fairy Lychee, who was unaware of the truth, had a confused expression on her face. She couldn't understand why these fellow daoists were sighing with emotion.

"Wait a moment. Since it's the Basic Buddhist Fist Technique, there is another thing that I need to bring to attention." As if he had suddenly remembered something, True Monarch Ancient Lake Temple pointed at Chu Chu on the platform and said, "Carefully check his realm!"

The various people curiously looked at Chu Chu.

After a short moment, Thrice Reckless was the first one to call out in alarm. "F*ck, First Stage Dragon Gate Realm!"

Northern River's Loose Cultivator echoed, "F*ck, it's really the First Stage Dragon Gate Realm!"

True Monarch Yellow Mountain said, "...He almost broke through the First Stage in such a short amount of time!"

Fairy Lychee was somewhat stunned. Wasn't that merely a disciple of the First Stage Dragon Gate Realm? Why were these fellow daoists overreacting like this?

True Monarch Ancient Lake Temple asked, "Who remembers when that fellow started cultivating?"

Northern River's Loose Cultivator replied, "A few days after June 1st." He remembered because it was around that time that he decided to challenge that shady fortune teller to a battle on the summit of the forbidden city.

"And today is?" True Monarch Ancient Lake Temple asked.

Thrice Reckless Mad Saber looked at the date and said, "July 21st, 2019. In any case, less than two months."

"..." Cave Lord Snow Wolf.

"..." Northern River's Loose Cultivator.

True Monarch Fallout said, "Did he use cheats?"

Fairy Dongfang said, "He cheated for sure."

Dharma King Creation lamented, "For all I know, this isn't even cheating. He himself is a living cheat!"

"If I am to recall my own experiences as a loose cultivator… I had to suffer a lot of hardships just to get a mere 'body tempering liquid'. For some reason, I feel a bit depressed now," Northern River's Loose Cultivator said.

"At least you were a loose cultivator, I was in an even worse situation. I was an ordinary little snow wolf!" Cave Lord Snow Wolf voiced his own grievances.

The topic of conversation quickly changed into what seemed to be a session where everyone was stating their grievances.

Fairy Lychee's mind was filled with question marks. "What are you guys even lamenting about?!"

She felt as though there was a generation gap between the other fellow daoists and her. They weren't on the same page anymore.

Were they purposely bullying her?

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On the Grievance Settling Platform, the giant got up once more. Chu Chu didn't take advantage of the fact that he was lying on the ground to keep attacking. She waited for him to stand up while having a calm expression on her face; she even gave him the time to catch his breath.

She was clearly looking down on him!

"Dammit!" the giant roared as he punched once more at Chu Chu.

It was still a fist, and just like before, it relied on mere brute force.

In the front, Chu Chu assumed a defensive stance once again and crisscrossed her hands, preparing to receive the fist of the giant.

Just as they were about to clash, a smug expression flashed through the eyes of the giant.

In the next moment, he took a short sword out of his sleeve.

In the end, the Illusory Sword School was still a school that used swords!

What this giant excelled the most at were sword techniques. Even if he had a large build, he was an expert at using the short sword.

In his hands, the short sword danced like a dagger, nimble and agile.

He instantaneously displayed the strongest sword technique in his possession… the short sword technique of the Illusory Sword School—the Twenty-One Slithering Swords!

While facing this short sword that moved like a poisonous snake, Chu Chu furrowed her brows and sighed with emotion.

Then, her body suddenly moved, causing her to disappear.

The next time she appeared was behind the giant.

"Crack, crack, crack…" A series of crackling sounds echoed.

A ball of lightning had appeared in Chu Chu's hand, emitting crackling noises.

It was the daoist technique, Lightning Palm!

In the next moment, she gently pushed her hand against the back of the giant.

The giant called out pitifully, and his entire body started to twitch crazily. Soon after, he loudly fell to the ground.

This time, he didn't stand up again; he fainted.

Chu Chu turned her head around and faintly smiled at the people of the Illusory Sword School.