The Post Sky Tipping Era
Chapter 577 - 413: The Treacherous Cultivator (Extra)

Chapter 577: Chapter 413: The Treacherous Cultivator (Extra)

Di Zhu’an and the instructor Zhou Yu hadn’t expected that Li Yi would indeed plan to engage in a life-and-death duel with the Foundation Establishment cultivator Lin Caiyi. They wanted to persuade him otherwise, but it seemed their efforts were futile.

"Li Yi, if you insist on fighting, just have a normal match. There’s no need to gamble your life; the risks are too great," Di Zhu’an said.

Li Yi replied, "If I don’t take down a cultivator, they’ll only become more brazen. Moreover, if I want to unleash my full power, holding back won’t be an option. Don’t worry—I’m confident in my victory. Just tell me where the Magic Battle Platform is."

"Over there."

Di Zhu’an pointed in a direction. "The so-called Magic Battle Platform is actually a Low Grade Treasure artifact brought out by Taoweng Immortal. The treasure takes the form of a high platform approximately two kilometers across and rests on the ground. Once activated, formations will start, and they’ll only conclude when a winner is determined. This design prevents participants from fleeing midway and confines the power so the surroundings won’t be destroyed."

"Excellent."

Li Yi nodded, immediately summoned Good Wings, mounted the beast, and flew toward the Magic Battle Platform.

"Di Zhu’an, you’re really just enjoying the spectacle, aren’t you? Are you seriously letting Li Yi go for a duel to the death with Lin Caiyi?" The instructor Zhou Yu said with some anger. "Even though we’ve lost so many matches already, at least no one from the Golden Academy has died yet. If Li Yi goes now, there’s no guarantee he’ll make it back alive."

"Can you stop him? That guy is a martial artist—when a martial artist’s temper flares, they fight with killing intent. I know this far better than you do. Besides, that conniving woman has humiliated us enough; who can endure it?"

Di Zhu’an said this as someone who had inherited Li Yi’s martial arts legacy. He was also practicing martial arts himself and progressing rapidly, having already reached the Blood Refining Realm.

"Damn it, let’s go and take a look."

Knowing it was too late to talk sense into Li Yi, Zhou Yu immediately rushed toward the Magic Battle Platform.

Di Zhu’an thought for a moment and, despite his own injuries, also dragged himself forward to see what would unfold.

At this moment, Li Yi was speeding through the air atop Good Wings, making his final preparations. He planned to coat the Fei Mu Needle with Feather Serpent Venom for a decisive strike against that Foundation Establishment female cultivator. Since this was a life-and-death duel, he cared nothing for honor—tricks were fair in such a setting. After all, he was a naturally wicked Earth Prisoner.

"Kid, if you poison the Fei Mu Needle, you’ll ruin it," a residual consciousness within the Sword Coin suddenly revived, issuing a warning. "Feather Serpent Venom can kill souls. If poisoned, the trace of soul power you’ve instilled in the Fei Mu Needle will be obliterated completely. Don’t do anything foolish."

"Huh?" Li Yi froze for a moment. "There’s such a logic to it?"

Thinking deeper, he realized the remark made sense.

The residual consciousness inside the Sword Coin snorted. "I’ve warned you before. You lack proper education and reasonable cultural understanding, but you didn’t believe me. Your idea to poison the enemy is good, but you must do it with precision. Apply a small amount to just the tip of the needle—this venom is ferocious, and even a Foundation Establishment cultivator won’t be able to resist."

Li Yi heeded the advice, poisoning only the needle’s edge rather than impulsively soaking the entire Fei Mu Needle. He clearly didn’t want to lose his crucial weapon in the process.

Soon.

Looking at the golden magical needle now tipped with tiny green luminescent dots, he knew successfully poisoning had worked.

He then checked the items stored in his Storage Magical Artifact, preparing potential weapons for use in the battle.

Once fully prepared, Li Yi finally saw the Magic Battle Platform in the distance.

The Platform turned out to be a slab of white jade—a square structure floating three meters above ground and spanning four square kilometers. At its four corners rose red jade pillars engraved with illegible runes that shimmered with light, indicating formations ready to be activated.

Nearby, a cluster of Xuanxian Continent cultivators had already constructed refined small houses—seemingly transformed from Spiritual Treasures—that were magically adjustable in size. They looked quite remarkable.

In front of those houses sat numerous cultivators cross-legged, ranging from Foundation Establishment cultivators to Golden Core cultivators, numbering sixteen in total.

They seemed to be waiting to face Golden Academy challengers. Over the recent days, many individuals had indeed come forward to challenge them, but all had failed. So far, not a single evolver from the Golden Academy had managed to defeat a same-level cultivator.

Li Yi’s arrival atop the mutant beast Good Wings drew the attention of several Foundation Establishment cultivators.

They regarded the beast enviously, recognizing its immense potential—once cultivated seriously, it could evolve into a valuable ally.

"Such a Spiritual Beast in the hands of these locals is truly wasted," one Foundation Establishment cultivator sighed in regret.

"Wood Daoist, if you want it, add some stakes. I’ll win it back for you," the female cultivator Lin Caiyi suddenly spoke, her expression concealing a subtle arrogance.

"Oh? Caiyi Daoist, what do you mean by that?" The Foundation Establishment cultivator named Wood Daoist asked in surprise.

Lin Caiyi explained, "Earlier, I had a duel with a local named Zhou Yu. He lost to me and wagered a liquid metal battle armor, which I now possess. Later, this person bumped into me. I took interest in his Storage Bracelet and deliberately humiliated him. As expected, this native named Li Yi couldn’t bear the disgrace and challenged me. Not only that, he insisted on a life-and-death duel."

"I noticed this man carries several items of good fortune, so I lured him to the Magic Battle Platform to make everything official—avoiding unnecessary complications."

"Remarkable." Upon hearing this, Wood Daoist became delighted. "If the opponent is willing to bet his possessions, then I’ll only want one thing—the mutant beast. In return, I’ll offer this item."

He presented a Spirit Pill.

"What is this..." Lin Caiyi looked puzzled at the unfamiliar item.

"This is the Time Erosion Pill. Consuming it will save ten years of cultivation effort, but it also sacrifices ten years of lifespan within a day. Caiyi Daoist, considering that you are at the peak of Foundation Establishment and about to form your Golden Core, this pill would guarantee success in forming your core."

Lin Caiyi’s face lit up with joy upon hearing this. Without hesitation, she used her Divine Sense to grab the Spirit Pill from the air. "Very well. Once the matter is settled, that mutant beast is yours."

"Thank you, Caiyi Daoist," Wood Daoist said with a smile, clearly pleased.

Before the duel even began, the Xuanxian Continent cultivators had already started divvying up Li Yi’s possessions, treating him with utter disdain as they reveled in their sense of superiority. They didn’t believe a mere Soul Realm native could pose any threat.

Meanwhile, Li Yi remained unaware of their discussions. His silver eyes locked onto Lin Caiyi’s figure in the distance.

"Lin Caiyi, I’ve come as invited for the duel." Li Yi’s voice echoed with unwavering resolve.

"If you wish to spar with me, I warmly welcome it. Such encounters foster mutual growth for the cultivators of both realms. However, duels inevitably entail injuries. How exactly do you propose we fight?" Lin Caiyi rose into the air, her flowing garments making her appear almost otherworldly. Her demeanor was poised and faultless, triggering no criticisms from those observing.

Their dialogue swiftly attracted the attention of other cultivators, even drawing curious glances from Golden Core cultivators nearby.

Many had presumed no further challengers would appear today. Yet here came another stubborn Golden Academy student, despite the academy’s repeated defeats.

"Weapons unrestricted. A single fight to the death," Li Yi declared.

A duel to the death?

The sixteen cultivators immediately fixed their gaze upon Li Yi.

Sure enough, after losing so many matches, someone finally showed their intent to stake their life.

It was inevitable—just a question of who would make the call first.

"Death matches risk impairing relations. How about we sweeten the stakes and keep the duel limited to mutual injury?"

Lin Caiyi smiled elegantly, employing a tactical retreat to bait Li Yi into exposing all his possessions.

She wasn’t only covetous of Li Yi’s Storage Magical Artifact but also of his Life Repair Cabin and peculiar leather armor.

She suspected Li Yi also held a Miracle Item.

Higher odds seemed likely.

After all, these Golden Academy students, who styled themselves as geniuses, often had fortuitous encounters.

"You want my belongings? Fine. If I die, everything on me is yours. Similarly, if you die, everything you own becomes mine. If your assets fall short of matching mine, the others can pitch in. How about that?"

Unwilling to take losses, Li Yi offered a fair proposal.

"Are you implying that I am less wealthy than you?" The smile on Lin Caiyi’s face froze, as if insulted.

Li Yi responded, "You could say that. When you’re dead, though, your belongings might fall short of my expectations, and I don’t want to take losses."

"If that happens, I’ll make up the difference—I promise you won’t lose out," said Zhang Yihua, a Golden Core cultivator, calmly.

"I’ll vouch for Lin Caiyi as well," another Golden Core cultivator added.

"We cultivators of Xuanxian Continent are not dishonorable. No matter your possessions, if Lin Caiyi loses, I’ll cover her bet myself," yet another Golden Core cultivator declared.

They weren’t genuinely interested in backing Lin Caiyi but rather unwilling to let a native Soul Realm cultivator dismiss the credibility of Xuanxian Continent cultivators.

"If you truly intend a life-and-death duel, you must sign a Death Contract. Upon signing, the formation on the Magic Battle Platform will activate. Until one party perishes, the formation will remain locked—preventing external interference and ensuring fairness." Lin Caiyi flicked her finger, sending a drop of blood splattering onto a crimson jade pillar.

As the blood was absorbed, a formation lit up.

Li Yi glanced at it, realizing why the jade pillars were red—it was blood stains.

Without hesitation, he also cast a drop of blood, his blood shimmering with a silver hue—an extraordinary sight.

This detail immediately caught the attention of the surrounding cultivators through their Divine Sense.

"His blood glimmers with silver light? Lin Caiyi, this man isn’t simple. He possesses a rare bloodline, probably of high grade—he may even be a descendent of an Immortal."

"Be cautious; this individual is different from the other Soul Realm Evolvers. Don’t underestimate him during the duel—you might misstep."

"I’ll lend you a High Grade Spiritual Artifact to ensure you prevail without mishap."

A Golden Core cultivator covertly tossed an item toward Lin Caiyi, embedding it into her body.

Lin Caiyi felt it—it was the Xuan Turtle Armor, a High Grade defensive Spiritual Artifact.

This artifact would grant her an unassailable position. Even a Golden Core cultivator wouldn’t easily break through before exhausting their mana reserves.

"Thank you, senior," Lin Caiyi responded via telepathic message, expressing her gratitude.

"Here’s also a Heavenly Thunder Talisman. Use it to eliminate him. With his unique bloodline, his future potential is limitless. Secretly killing him might invite retaliation from his ancestors, but this duel offers a legitimate opportunity to strike him down," Zhang Yihua said, discreetly embedding a talisman into Lin Caiyi’s Dantian, ready to activate at a moment’s thought.

With two trump cards gifted by the Golden Core cultivators, Lin Caiyi was nearly invincible.

It had to be said—the cultivators were both sinister and shrewd, stacking advantages atop an already dominant position.

If Earth Prisoners were inherently wicked, then these cultivators were inherently treacherous.