Chapter 60 Clumsy (Three Chapters Combined) "Why not? If I..."
"Junior Sister, Junior Sister Jiang..."
Lin Wuwang chased Jiang Yuhuo all the way out of the arena, but she seemed not to hear his calls, only focusing on walking forward. In a moment of desperation, Lin Wuwang stepped forward and grabbed her hand. The heat emanating from her hand startled him; it was hardly the temperature a human should have.
"You have a fever?" Lin Wuwang asked worriedly. "Are you alright?"
Although neither of them was injured in the previous battle, sword techniques are extremely taxing on the body. Lin Wuwang was worried that her body couldn't handle it. Even though he knew that Jiang Yuhuo's strength was unfathomable, he always felt that she was not the kind of person who would cherish herself.
The person he had grabbed stopped, their clear black and white eyes suddenly fixing on him. For a moment, Lin Wuwang had the illusion of being targeted like prey, which made him stiffen and his spine go cold. He felt that the person in front of him was a stranger, not the Jiang Yuhuo he knew, but a beast without humanity.
This moment is fleeting; the next blink of an eye, the person in front of you will revert to their original indifferent and calm demeanor.
Jiang Yuhuo snapped out of her daze, pulled her hand back from his grasp, and said, "I'm sorry, I'm fine. I made you worry."
Lin Wuwang was uneasy about her change and became increasingly suspicious that she was unwell. "Are you really alright? I'll take you back to rest. You have a tough battle to fight tomorrow."
The worry in his eyes was genuine, and Jiang Yuhuo did not directly refuse.
Lin Wuwang continued, "You saw that person just now. He is Mo Sheng, a disciple of Elder Tianque, and the person you will be fighting tomorrow. He is the most outstanding disciple of Tianque in recent years. His strength is unpredictable, and his moves are quite... ruthless. Be careful tomorrow."
Jiang Yuhuo thought of the black Jianmu tree on his chest.
The hierarchy of Tianque is even more rigorous than that of Kunlun Mountain; those who reach the Black rank are no ordinary people. She certainly cannot be underestimated, but Jiang Yuhuo is currently feeling more restless. She knows that what she needs is not rest, but calmness.
She remembered the temple that had sheltered her the night before; the cool hall had given her a good night's sleep, and she decided she would go back again.
Only Wen Yizhan and Zhang Zhenyang knew about her fever. Not wanting outsiders to know, she made up an excuse that she had something to do and declined Lin Wuwang's offer to go back to the inn together.
Lin Wuwang didn't press the matter further. He forced a polite smile onto his gentle face, but there was a hint of melancholy in his eyes. Watching her departing figure, Lin Wuwang suddenly felt a pang of envy for that notorious sect scoundrel.
It was still early, and going to the temple at this time might disturb the daily affairs of the people inside, so Jiang Yuhuo took advantage of the break to walk around Luoyue City and cool off.
Because of the Immortal Sect Grand Competition, there were many more people in Luoyue City than usual. The long street running through the city was bustling with all sorts of people, their smells mingling. Due to the curfew at night, the people in the city were especially noisy during the day.
Jiang Yuhuo walked up to a blacksmith's shop. Inside, the blacksmith was forging spirit swords with spirit stones, hammering away at the blade. The scene attracted her attention. Although her own iron sword was perfectly adequate for her current use, she had to admit that Liu Yueyi's spirit sword was truly beautiful, making her somewhat envious.
However, her attention was quickly diverted. A person wearing a black cloak brushed past her, the wind lifting his hood to reveal a sharp jawline. Jiang Yuhuo saw a very familiar profile; although only half of it was visible, the contours of that profile were unmistakably Wen Yizhan's.
You said you were coming yesterday, and you've already arrived today?
Jiang Yuhuo was puzzled, but then thought that given Wen Yizhan's unconventional nature, this was something he would do. Jiang Yuhuo had no doubts and followed the man's figure.
"Senior brother."
Jiang Yuhuo chased after him, calling out to him, but the long street was crowded and noisy, and "Wen Yizhan" couldn't hear him at all. In fact, he walked faster and faster, his agile steps weaving through the crowd, so fast that Jiang Yuhuo almost lost him.
Jiang Yuhuo had doubts but didn't stop walking. She wondered why her senior brother was so hard of hearing today. Her patience ran out, and she flew down behind "Wen Yizhan".
"Senior brother." She reached out and patted Wen Yizhan's shoulder. "What's wrong with you—"
Before Jiang Yuhuo could finish his question, the person in the black cloak turned around, revealing an extremely beautiful face.
She had snow-white skin and black hair, a delicate mouth and nose, and a pair of captivating peach blossom eyes. The other person looked at her with a slight frown, their expression displeased.
Such a meticulously crafted face is completely different from another person's. Only the facial features are somewhat similar to Wen Yizhan's, but the two have completely different temperaments. If you look at them from the front, you would never mistake them for each other.
Just as Jiang Yuhuo was about to apologize, the man rolled his eyes at her with his handsome eyes, and with a quick slap of his thin lips, left a sharp comment on her actions.
"Clumsy".
?
Jiang Yuhuo was puzzled. Had he misunderstood something?
Li Mengbai had seen plenty of people who eagerly tried to strike up a conversation with him, and he could see through their little tricks at a glance. The woman in front of him was even more crude in her methods.
Ha, senior brother? This kind of mistake-for-an-other act is an old trick from years ago. Is the next line going to be that he and her senior brother look a lot alike?
That's ridiculous.
Li Mengbai chuckled and was about to turn and leave when he heard the woman behind him say, "Sorry, I've mistaken you for someone else."
Jiang Yuhuo felt slightly embarrassed to be mistaken for a lecherous man. Although that was not what she meant, being assumed to be a lecherous man made it seem as if she had done something wrong.
Upon hearing her apology, the young man in the black cloak, who was about to leave, suddenly turned around, grabbed her shoulder, and his gentle peach blossom eyes instantly turned cold and fierce.
"So it was you."
What's the meaning?
Jiang Yuhuo was even more confused. Could he know her? But she had never seen this person before. If she had, she would remember him. This was not a face that one would forget.
"Do you... recognize me? But I don't think I've ever seen you before," Jiang Yuhuo said, blurting out what she was thinking.
Li Mengbai, enraged, laughed coldly and immediately threw off his hood. His long, dark blue hair, hidden within, cascaded down, instantly shimmering like ink splashed on silk in the sunlight. It stirred a desire to touch it in those who saw it, but coupled with the sinister expression on his face, all such thoughts were immediately banished.
"You just apologized," Li Mengbai's gloomy words fell into her ear, like a venomous tongue spitting out a tongue, "Don't you remember that you also apologized last night?"
Jiang Yuhuo realized what was happening and turned to run away.
But the next moment, a talisman unexpectedly struck her from behind, freezing her in place.
The young man in the black cloak walked around to her front, a slow smile playing on his lips as his peach blossom eyes swept over her face. "So you finally remembered?"
How could she not remember? She should have noticed. The cloak he was wearing was exactly the same as the one she had taken from that dark room. This man was the "woman" sitting in that room.
Jiang Yuhuo cursed her bad luck inwardly. There were so many people coming and going on the street, how could she have grabbed the one person she should have offended the most? She tried to use her spiritual power to break through the talisman's restriction, but the talisman was immovable due to some kind of spell.
His hair was blown by the wind, gently brushing against the exposed skin on Jiang Yuhuo's neck, making her feel a slight itch, but it was firmly restrained by his talisman, and she couldn't even brush the hair away.
Li Mengbai's sarcastic smile returned. "Go ahead and run. Aren't you supposed to be a fast runner?" He gripped her chin, slowly applying pressure. "Tell me, who sent you?"
He was tall and imposing. Jiang Yuhuo's chin was grabbed by him, forcing her to meet his gaze. She was forced to tilt her head back slightly. Their hair chased and intertwined in the wind. On the bustling street, they looked like a couple flirting.
Jiang Yuhuo knew she was in the wrong, already at a disadvantage in terms of presence. However, the other party had clearly misunderstood something, so she could only sincerely explain, "No one instructed me; I jumped in myself. Someone was chasing me. You were in the house with no lights on and no windows closed, so I thought it was an empty room and went in to hide. Who knew—"
Before she could finish speaking, she felt a dull pain in her chin. The other person was clearly not satisfied with her answer, and the force in his hand was almost enough to crush her jawbone. He raised his long eyebrows, looking arrogant.
"quibble!"
Li Mengbai's gaze lingered on her face, trying to see pain in her eyes, but she only frowned and didn't even cry out in pain.
Ha, still a tough guy.
But he did notice some changes; she was clearly unhappy, and her tone of voice when she spoke to him had become cold and hard.
"Believe it or not, that's the truth." She glanced to the side. "If I were truly acting under someone's orders, why would I openly stop you on the street and mistake you for someone else?"
Li Mengbai remained noncommittal, deliberately sending a clumsy spy to lower his guard; it was hard to say whether this wasn't a new tactic devised by those people. Those old fogies had used every trick in the book to kill him.
Looking at her indignant eyes, Li Mengbai suddenly had a thought: if she really wasn't sent by them, what kind of person had she mistaken for? What kind of senior brother would have his charm?
So, she did it on purpose, right?
Whether she deliberately sneaked into his room or intentionally struck up a conversation with him, her intentions were definitely not pure.
Li Mengbai wasn't going to let her off easily. He twisted his grip, forcibly pulling her gaze back to him. "Even if you didn't sneak into the room under orders, you still took my clothes, didn't you?"
Jiang Yuhuo's eyes darted around a few times, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her face. It was indeed her own doing; she assumed the people in the room were being intimate like Ning Yu and her apprentice, and not wanting to be seen by the parties involved, she subconsciously pulled off her cloak to cover herself. Now that he wanted to pursue the matter, she had nothing to say.
"That cloak isn't with me right now, I'll return it to you tonight." She left the cloak at the temple, and she should be able to find it when she goes there tonight.
"Do you think I'd still want something you've worn?"
The other party's contemptuous and disdainful words reached Jiang Yuhuo's ears.
"Then what do you want?" She didn't need much money in her daily life, so she didn't carry much with her. She didn't have anything valuable on her either; the only thing she always carried was a sword. Although it wasn't a rare spirit sword, it was worth about the same as a piece of clothing. "I have no money, only a sword. I can compensate you—"
Li Mengbai released his grip on her chin, seemingly annoyed by her shabby appearance, and wrinkled his nose, "Who wants your broken sword?"
He sized her up and down, but nothing about her caught his eye. Even her broken sword was beneath him; it wouldn't even be fit for scrap metal, let alone compare to his exquisite cloak. Li Mengbai silently labeled the man before her in his mind—a poor swordsman.
However, she doesn't seem to be entirely without merit.
Li Mengbai's fingertips touched the jade on her forehead, and the chill immediately spread from his fingertips to his whole body. In just one touch, he couldn't help but shiver in the warm spring day.
This is a piece of cold jade from the far north icy abyss, containing extremely cold air. Although it is not considered a treasure of the world, it is very difficult to obtain. One must personally descend into the icy abyss, pass through millennia-old ice, and endure cold beyond the limits of the human body. Few people would go to such great lengths to obtain a piece of jade that is not very useful. Therefore, cold jade is considered a rare item in the world.
Li Mengbai's treasure trove wasn't without cold jade, but the man was so poor that this was the only piece that could be considered somewhat valuable.
"I want that jade on your forehead," he immediately demanded, making an exorbitant demand. However, this cold jade was chilling to the touch, yet this woman wore it continuously; wasn't she afraid of the cold at all?
"No." The woman refused immediately without even thinking.
Poor people are stingy; he really couldn't bear to part with it. But the more she refused, the more determined he became to get it.
"Why not? What if I want it?" Li Mengbai's thin lips curled up, and his peach blossom eyes gleamed with amusement. "Don't forget, you're currently bound by my immobilization talisman. If you can't offer me satisfactory compensation, prepare to stand on this street until you're old and die."
Li Mengbai pulled his hood back up, crossed his arms, and leaned leisurely against a stone pillar by the roadside, calmly waiting for her to relent. But after a while, this stubborn fellow remained silent. Li Mengbai seemed to lose patience, dusted off his cloak, and prepared to leave, but hadn't taken five steps...
"etc."
The woman did indeed call out to him, her clear black and white eyes looking at him with utter sincerity.
"I need it for a competition tomorrow, so I can't give it to you now. I'll make it up to you after the competition tomorrow."
Li Mengbai smiled.
His laughter was unrestrained and flamboyant, his eyebrows and eyes relaxed, and a small mole at the corner of his eye trembled slightly when he laughed, making him both alluring and beautiful.
He was genuinely happy.
What an easy fool! I haven't seen someone this gullible in a long time. Long-lasting spells are incredibly valuable; how could he possibly use them on someone like this so casually?
He was just bluffing, and she believed him.
Li Mengbai covered her lips with her hand, but couldn't suppress the smile on her lips. "It's a deal. If you dare to go back on your word..."
He took Jiang Yuhuo's hand and traced his fingertips across her wrist a few times. Instantly, a golden rune appeared in the air. With a flick of his finger, Li Mengbai sent the golden rune landing on Jiang Yuhuo's skin. The light dimmed, but the rune did not disappear.
"This is a tracking spell. No matter where you run, I can find you." He deliberately made a grabbing motion in front of her, as if he were catching a mouse.
Li Mengbai removed the immobilization charm from Jiang Yuhuo's back and left in a good mood. He decided to first drink a pot of the city's most famous Luoyue Zui (a type of strong liquor), then take a long nap, and watch tomorrow's match after waking up. He'd overheard his subordinate's report about tomorrow's match, but hadn't paid much attention.
Life suddenly became interesting.
*
Lin Wuwang returned to the inn alone, and it was quite a while before Kunlun disciples gradually returned from the arena.
Upon seeing Lin Wuwang alone, a disciple curiously asked him where Jiang Yuhuo had gone. He had clearly gone out with Jiang Yuhuo, so how come he was alone when he returned?
Lin Wuwang didn't know what was making him feel down, and hearing the question made him feel even sadder, but he still smiled politely and replied, "She has other things to do."
"What could she possibly have done?" the disciple persisted. "He beat Senior Sister Liu today, which startled us all. She's kept it a secret for so many years; she should have explained it to us properly. Now that the competition is over, she's still keeping it a secret. Is she afraid we'll steal her skills?"
Lin Wuwang frowned. He disliked the tone of this disciple's voice when discussing Jiang Yuhuo. His low spirits vanished, and his tone unconsciously carried a hint of suppressed anger. "Her cultivation level is her business. Why should she explain it to you? She has a competition tomorrow. Is there a problem with her practicing outside to prepare for tomorrow?"
It was rare to see the usually gentle Senior Brother Lin lose his temper. The talkative disciple realized he had spoken out of turn, quickly shook his head, and dared not be presumptuous again.
Liu Yueyi also returned and was somewhat surprised to see Lin Wuwang lose his temper. This junior brother was known for his gentle nature back in Kunlun. Although she had lost a match, her seniority made her step in to ease the tension, saying, "It's alright, don't be angry. Losing the match is simply because I was outmatched. Junior Sister Jiang is an unparalleled genius, and it's only natural that everyone is curious about her, but with the competition tomorrow, it's not good to bother her too much. How about I represent everyone and ask her tonight? Junior Brother Lin, what do you think?"
Liu Yueyi had fought against Jiang Yuhuo, so she was naturally more qualified than anyone else to ask her questions. Some disciples who were familiar with Liu Yueyi were eager to try, and some even pulled Liu Yueyi aside and whispered to her to take them along.
Lin Wuwang shook his head. "No need to go. She probably won't be here tonight." He figured she was probably studying outside last night, which was why she was sleeping in this morning. Tomorrow's opponent is even more unpredictable, so she'll likely be studying even harder tonight.
"Also? Was she not here last night?" Liu Yueyi asked.
Lin Wuwang did not answer directly, but said, "Tonight, Senior Sister, you should not disturb her. You can talk about anything after the competition."
"You mean she wasn't in her room last night?" A voice suddenly cut in from the side, and Ning Yu suddenly appeared out of nowhere, rushing in front of Lin Wuwang.
Seeing Ning Yu's surprised expression, Lin Wuwang knew he disliked Jiang Yuhuo, so he didn't answer him. Instead, he asked warily, "What does Junior Brother Ning want to ask?"
Ning Yu realized she had acted impulsively, so she immediately composed herself and tried to make her tone sound calm and harmless. "Senior Brother Lin, please don't misunderstand. I just found a piece of jade on the rooftop last night and I don't know whose it is. I wanted to ask Junior Sister Jiang if she went out last night. I didn't mean anything by it."
Lin Wuwang hesitated for a moment. Jiang Yuhuo had a habit of wearing jade. If it really was her who lost it, he couldn't hide anything anymore. So he said, "She went out for a while last night, but I don't know if she lost any jade. You can ask her yourself later."
Upon hearing his answer, Ning Yu's expression suddenly calmed down. It wasn't feigned calmness, but rather the peace that came from the relief of a weight lifted from his heart. He smiled, as if all past grievances had been resolved, and said, "Senior brother is right. We should ask her ourselves."
*
The young man in the black cloak left, and Jiang Yuhuo tried hard to wipe off the golden rune on her wrist, but the rune seemed to be fused to her skin, and no matter how much she rubbed or washed it, it remained firmly imprinted in that spot.
Jiang Yuhuo sat by the stream, pondering for a while over her wrist, unable to come up with a possible solution. Since the rune only tracked her location and couldn't cause her any real harm, she could only leave it as it was. However, she wondered what secret techniques the black-cloaked youth might be hiding; she must never let her guard down against him again.
Once the competition ends tomorrow and she obtains the Spirit-Subduing Wood, she must make him immediately remove the runes when she gives the Cold Jade to this person so she can return to True Yang Peak immediately. Without the Cold Jade, the fever in her body will be completely uncontrolled. This body is even less resistant to fever than her original self. She can endure it when she doesn't use spiritual power, but once she uses spiritual power, it feels like being scorched by raging fire.
Jiang Yuhuo gave a self-deprecating smile to his reflection in the water.
At this moment, she secretly hoped that Wen Yizhan could arrive as soon as possible.
Dusk fell quickly, and the moon hung above the towering Tianque Mountain.
Jiang Yuhuo got up. After several commotions, the fever in her body had subsided considerably, but she still decided to go to the temple again, firstly to retrieve the cloak that had cost her so much, and secondly to get a good night's sleep in the main hall.
She walked back to town along the stream, and before she had gone far, she saw a familiar figure standing not far in front of her, as if waiting for her there.
Jiang Yuhuo didn't want to pay any attention to this person and was about to ignore him and leave. But the man drew his sword and relentlessly blocked her way back.
“Ning Yu, you are no match for me.” Jiang Yuhu stopped in her tracks, did not draw her sword, and calmly stated her position.
Ning Yu stared at her stubbornly, her voice so cold it could drip water, "Last night, you were the one on the rooftop, weren't you?"
Jiang Yuhuo's heart skipped a beat, not understanding where he had given himself away, but he remained calm on the surface, neither admitting nor denying it.
Ning Yu scoffed, "I lied to Senior Brother Lin and said I found your jade, and he admitted that you weren't in your room last night."
Jiang Yuhu frowned slightly. How would Lin Wuwang know whether she was in the room or not? Besides, how could he judge her based on Lin Wuwang's one-sided testimony?
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Seeing her vehement denial, Ning Yu suddenly became agitated, almost shouting, "You still want to deny it! It's clearly you! Only you have been going against me. From the moment you appeared, nothing good has ever happened!"
Jiang Yuhuo frowned even more deeply and took a few steps back imperceptibly. Given the other party's current state of near-out-of-control behavior, anything was possible.
Ning Yu's sinister gaze remained fixed on Jiang Yuhuo. Seeing her retreat, his anger flared even more. He drew his sword and pointed it directly at Jiang Yuhuo's brow. The light from the spiritual sword made his face appear even more ferocious. "Why are you retreating? Are you feeling guilty? Come on, you're so powerful, come and fight me!"
"I don't want to fight. If you step aside now, I can pretend nothing happened."
"Yes, even Senior Sister Liu was defeated by you. You must think you're pretty amazing."
Jiang Yuhuo stopped and tried to speak calmly, "Ning Yu, calm down."
Ning Yu suddenly slumped down, putting down her spirit sword, and let out a short, mocking laugh. "You look down on me, so you're unwilling to draw your sword against me, right?"
Seeing that his emotions had calmed down slightly, Jiang Yuhuo was about to offer a few words of comfort when Ning Yu suddenly became agitated again. He rushed over and shoved her forcefully, like ordinary people fighting, his eyes red-rimmed, his entire demeanor becoming even more ruthless. "When we were competing for a spot in the grand competition, weren't you secretly laughing at me? Laughing at someone like me for daring to compete with you for a spot, so you didn't even want to fight me, right? They all think I'm arrogant, but Jiang Yuhuo, you're the truly arrogant one!"
Caught off guard, Jiang Yuhuo was pushed back several steps, unable to understand why he cared so much about not having a fight with her. Just as she regained her footing, Ning Yu attacked again with his sword, forcing her to make a move.
"Ning Yu, haven't you gone crazy enough?" Jiang Yuhuo struck him on the shoulder with her sword sheath, trying to bring him to his senses.
She wouldn't even draw her sword! How dare she humiliate him like this! Ning Yu's last shred of reason was burned away by the anger she unleashed. He had never hated anyone so much before. He just wanted to become stronger and stand shoulder to shoulder with his master. Why did she always have to cause trouble?
At a very young age, he was sent to Chongyuan Peak to learn swordsmanship from Peak Master Qing Lin. At that time, Qing Lin had just taken over Chongyuan Peak from the old Peak Master and was just beginning to accept disciples, investing a great deal of effort in each one, including him. No one knew when the boy's filial piety turned into infatuation. By the time he realized it, he had already gone far down this path and could not turn back. The result was predictable: he was beaten and thrown out by Qing Lin, and was never allowed to approach her bedchamber again.
His master clearly liked him too, and he could do without any title or status, just being with his master would be enough, and no one would find out. But Qinglin rejected him time and time again, making him angry. He was angry that he wasn't strong enough, not qualified to be her partner, so he put all his effort into making a name for himself in the competition, but then Jiang Yuhuo appeared.
He had worked so hard for so long, yet he still lost in today's competition. How could she so easily defeat Senior Sister Liu? She stole the show, and everyone came to ask about her. Even Master praised her highly, calling her a genius.
They've all forgotten that they once used that word to describe him.
She had to appear at this crucial moment, not only stealing the spot he had worked so hard for for five years, but also winning every single competition, making all his years of effort seem like a joke. Even more unbearable was that she would make Qing Lin a laughingstock. He knew perfectly well that he had been the one to seduce her from the beginning, but once their affair was exposed, Qing Lin would inevitably bear more blame. He had already tried so hard to hide it, but it was Jiang Yuhuo again. She always managed to accurately hit all his taboos, making him both jealous and wary.
So, it would be best if she died.
Jiang Yuhuo watched the young cultivator rushing towards her; his handsome face grew clearer and clearer, twisting with rage. The spiritual energy on her sword surged, stirring the surrounding air into sharp gales. Ning Yu had actually unleashed a killing move—did he really want her dead that badly?
But didn't he know that her swordplay was faster than his?
As Ning Yu's killing move drew closer, Jiang Yuhuo finally drew her sword. A bright light pierced through the gale and landed on Ning Yu's neck.
If we go just one inch closer, we can sever his blood vessels.
"I've already said, I don't know anything."
If you didn't see it, you naturally don't know; if you did see it, you can pretend you don't know.
The cold voice reached Ning Yu's ears. He understood the meaning behind her words, but he didn't trust her. He just sneered inwardly, "It really is her!"
Then he wouldn't have wronged her this time.
Ning Yu smiled and slowly said, "Yes, you know nothing. Soon, you won't be able to say anything at all."
Only the dead can keep secrets.
Ignoring the sword pressed against her neck, Ning Yu suddenly retreated.
Jiang Yuhuo's expression changed. She hadn't intended to kill him in the first place, but the situation changed too quickly. She only had time to glance at him with a sword aura, which struck his face, leaving a bloody mark. Just as she was about to give chase, she and Ning Yuzhi suddenly conjured up a wall of countless sword energies out of thin air. The sword energies emitted a golden light and swirled in the void, forming a sword array!
When Jiang Yuhuo turned around again, she was completely surrounded by the sword formation.
"Ning Yu, you schemed against me!" Jiang Yuhuo shouted.
He had been lying in ambush there, deliberately waiting for her on her way back to the city, leading her step by step into his trap. His intentional blocking and shoving were all to ensure she entered the sword formation's range precisely.
The sword energy coming from all directions overwhelmed Jiang Yuhuo. She tried to use the Kunlun Sword Technique to break through the sword formation, but for some reason, Ning Yu had used a method that made the sword formation in the void even more resilient than a wall of copper and iron. The more she counterattacked, the more the sword formation seemed to absorb her sword energy, and the stronger the new round of attacks became. Only by standing still and completely giving up resistance could the sword energy slowly return to its original level. But if this continued, she would eventually be exhausted and killed in the sword formation.
Ning Yu stood outside the sword formation, covering his cheek in a fit of rage. Blood kept seeping from between his tightly clenched fingers. How dare she disfigure him!
But seeing her trapped in the sword formation and unable to move, Ning Yu laughed triumphantly again, "So what if I schemed against you? You humiliated me to this extent, and you were sneaking around eavesdropping on me and my master. You clearly came prepared with ill intentions! If I don't get rid of you soon, my master and I will never have peace."
"I have never harmed you, why must you try to kill me?"
Jiang Yuhuo already had wounds on her body caused by sword energy. The bloodstains were not visible on her black clothes, but her exposed skin was covered with fine wounds.
Seeing her disheveled appearance, Ning Yu laughed heartily, feeling extremely pleased. Once the sword formation was activated, sword energy would attack the person in the formation from different directions every moment, leaving them nowhere to escape and never stopping until the prey in the formation was slowly strangled to death.
"What right do you have to say such things? Whether it has caused harm or not is not for you to decide, it is me! I am the one who makes the judgment! Jiang Yuhuo, you have no idea what it feels like to have something you crave taken away right in front of you and to live in constant fear."
"Ning Yu! Break the sword formation!" Jiang Yuhuo roared and slashed at the sword formation, but only received an even fiercer attack in return.
The more she roared like a trapped beast, the more maniacal Ning Yu laughed. He didn't even care about the wound on his cheek, letting the blood stain half his face. As if he had finally remembered his good background and upbringing, he smiled gently and elegantly, just as he had been taught before. "There is no solution, Jiang Yuhuo. Just accept your fate and wait to be slowly strangled to death by it."
A loud bang suddenly came from afar, and Ning Yu and Jiang Yuhuo looked up at the same time. A huge firework bloomed in the sky not far away, and then one after another, blooming in the dark blue night sky, between the city and the mountains.
The people of Luoyue City are celebrating and cheering for tomorrow's final competition.
Ning Yu's eyes reflected the twinkling lights in the night sky, her smile pure and bright. "Look, they're cheering for you. You really shouldn't have let them down."
"It's a pity, I have to go with my master and can't see you being torn to pieces here." He glanced at the sky above the sword formation, where a golden seal was spinning and continuously injecting power into the formation. "But don't worry, I will come back after tomorrow's competition."
After an unknown amount of time, the fireworks in Luoyue City ended.
Ning Yu also left, leaving Jiang Yuhuo alone by the stream.
Jiang Yuhuo leaned slumped against her sword, channeling the last vestiges of her spiritual energy to maintain a barrier around her body against the relentless sword energy within the sword formation. But she couldn't hold on much longer. Once this last bit of energy was exhausted, she would be left to be relentlessly torn apart by the sword energy. Finally, just as Ning Yu had predicted, she would be strangled to death here, bit by bit.
Jiang Yuhuo had countless wounds on her body, but she didn't feel much pain. Her long-term tolerance had made her far more insensitive to pain than the average person. When a sharp blade cuts flesh, the wound often appears before the body can even react, and the pain only follows later.
She was simply unwilling to die so easily at the hands of her fellow disciples.
She had finally obtained a body that would make her stronger, and she had worked her way up to where she was today. She only needed one last battle to obtain the Spirit-Subduing Wood and gain clues to find Jia Qianyang.
How could she die so easily?
She thought somewhat dejectedly, "If only Wen Yizhan were here. He might not have a way to break the sword formation, but if he were here, he certainly wouldn't let her easily fall into someone else's trap."
In an instant, she seemed to transform back into that little girl who was constantly being deceived and cheated in Pinghai County, penniless and struggling in a strange city. Over the years, she thought she had learned a lot, but it seemed she hadn't. There were some things she would never learn; she could only recklessly wander through this world, stumbling and falling, using her flesh and blood to knock on door after door.
How clumsy!
Her clumsiness infuriated her.
Her spiritual energy was exhausted, and a sword aura mercilessly slashed her arm, making her sword-wielding hand even stickier and more slippery. Jiang Yuhuo glanced at it; her hand was now covered in blood. The blood slowly flowed down the blade, finally pooling at the tip in a crimson dot that lingered without dripping.
The second, the third... countless sword energies shot towards her body, and the blood on the swords gathered more and more, finally dripping into the soil at her feet.
Is this how she's going to give up? She's walked into the trap of death once again, with nothing left to lose: her father, her friends, her home, her body... Is she going to lose her life too?
Why should those despicable people live well while she has to die?
That's not fair.
She will never yield to this unjust world, never!
A sword aura shot towards her calf, but her riddled body slowly rose and gripped the sword again. The faint spiritual energy made the iron sword barely emit light, but a much stronger heat surged within her chest—hatred for the mockery of fate, hatred for her own incompetence and clumsiness, and hatred for the baseness and cruelty of others.
Jiang Yuhu clenched his fists and once again swung his sword at the golden seal above the sword formation.
Before Ning Yu left, she noticed the golden seal and knew that it must be the key to the sword formation. She had tried to use it, but no matter which move of the Kunlun Nine Swords she used, the golden seal remained suspended above the sword formation, unmoved.
But this time, the scalding blood made her palms burn, and the sword in her hand felt like freshly forged iron. When she swung it, the heat of the blade ignited the surrounding air, leaving a long trail of fire in the void.
The sword struck the golden seal with a crisp sound. Flames instantly engulfed the seal along the sword's blade, making the golden object shine even brighter in the firelight. Soon, the once-steadfast golden seal was finally scorched by the fire, showing a slight loosening, and its endless spinning finally came to a stop.
As more quenched sword lights slashed past, a "crack" sound suddenly came from the air, as if something had broken.
A crack appeared in the sword formation, and the sword energy that followed began to weaken.
Jiang Yuhuo kept slashing, raising and lowering her sword countless times. Her body was now under her control, driven solely by a burning hatred.
Flames erupted from the sword formation, engulfing everything from the light array surrounding Jiang Yuhuo to the golden seal at the very top. The golden seal's light was swallowed by the golden flames, deformed and melted in the endless heat, finally turning into a pool of liquid and disappearing into the flames.
The sword formation shattered completely, all the sword energy was burned away by the flames and vanished without a trace. The flames on Jiang Yuhuo's hands gradually died down, the burning pain still lingered, but her skin remained intact. The moment the flames disappeared, it didn't seem to extinguish but rather as if they returned to her body.
As the last flame disappeared into the water, a golden light flowed into her body, following the direction of her blood vessels and permeating her entire being. Jiang Yuhuo felt a powerful force surge into her spiritual sea, and at the same time, her body became even hotter, so hot that even the jade pendant on her forehead began to tingle slightly.
She refined the golden seal.
Jiang Yuhuo let out a long breath, the crisis was over, and exhaustion washed over her like a tide. The sky was already turning light, and after a night of fierce fighting, what awaited her was not rest, but another battle of unknown depth.
*
The final match of the Immortal Sect Tournament had completely dismantled the several previously separated arenas, transforming the arena into a vast and expansive plaza. The stands were packed with people, all eagerly anticipating the competition. The fact that one of the main characters was a previously unknown nobody fueled the curiosity: was she a hidden genius, or had she simply gotten this far by sheer luck?
Besides the main characters in the competition, several other uncommon figures also appeared in this battle.
First and foremost was Li Mengbai, the young master of the Yanling Li family, who always attracted attention wherever he went. He wore a magnificent purple robe, which shimmered like flowing light when the sunlight shone on it, making his already beautiful face even more radiant.
As soon as Li Mengbai arrived, the cultivators from Tianque led him to the best viewing spot, where a magnificent canopy and curtains, refreshments and tea were all provided. He sat down leisurely, his whole body enveloped in a purple robe, like a fairy butterfly that had happened to stop by for a rest.
There were originally several ordinary seats set up around this main seat, reserved for those who were not ordinary disciples of the immortal sects, but rather figures of considerable status. Everything should have been peaceful until the person in the main seat raised an eyebrow, and his large group of fierce-looking burly men swiftly and ruthlessly drove away everyone around them. Those who tried to struggle, unaware of the situation, were quickly pulled away by their fellow disciples who recognized them.
He cleared the place of everyone, leaving a large, excellent viewing area in the stands empty, with only a bright splash of purple remaining.
All the disciples from the aristocratic families, including the Li family, had already been eliminated, and no one expected him to come and join the fun today. However, the Li family was the head of the three major aristocratic families and held a pivotal position in the immortal sect. If it were someone else from the aristocratic family who was so arrogant and domineering, they could argue with them, but Li Mengbai, who came, dared not speak out and could only curse in his heart.
All the Kunlun disciples came on this day. After many years without winning the championship, the Kunlun disciples had rekindled their hopes, even though just two days ago they were still furious about the actions of this suddenly appearing female disciple in the council hall.
However, the person who was supposed to play in the game never showed up.
Lin Wuwang hadn't seen Jiang Yuhuo when he left the inn; the room was empty, and he initially assumed she had left first. However, even at the Tianque competition arena, she was nowhere to be seen. Lin Wuwang suddenly recalled Ning Yu's strange behavior yesterday. He subconsciously looked in Ning Yu's direction and saw him sitting beside the Chongyuan Peak Master, the two conversing. Ning Yu's face was covered by a veil, obscuring his expression, but his eyes occasionally curved into smiles, suggesting they were having a pleasant conversation.
Ning Yu also saw Lin Wuwang. Their eyes met, and Ning Yu nodded to Lin Wuwang in greeting, which seemed perfectly normal.
Lin Wuwang immediately looked away, feeling a strange sensation in his heart.
Looking at the empty spot on the competition stage, Lin Wuwang silently prayed in his heart: Jiang Yuhuo, please don't let anything happen to you.
A moment later, the once bustling stands suddenly fell silent. The atmosphere in the entire stadium was as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over it, and even the passing wind seemed to grow colder. Lin Wuwang looked up; the stands were packed with people, all staring in the same direction.
Inside the majestic hall of Tianque Mountain, a person was slowly walking down the steps.
The moment he appeared, he easily captured everyone's attention and breath.
Dressed in a white robe, with a silver belt embroidered with silver Jianmu wood, he proclaimed his status as the scion of the Tianque Sect. His handsome face was unparalleled, and his long, grey-blue hair was tied into a bun with a silver hairpin, hanging loosely down his back, even the slightest sway of his hair was exquisitely graceful. Behind him stood a majestic palace and a towering celestial palace that seemed to pierce the clouds. As he walked toward the crowd, it was as if a god had descended to earth, instantly making all the disciples of the immortal sects appear as mere mortals.
Even this person has come. As the host, Tianque seems to really value this competition.
The sect leader of Tianque Sect took his seat behind the curtains of the prepared viewing platform. The two curtains fell, refusing all the burning gazes.
Only after the figures behind the curtain became blurry and their faces were no longer clearly visible did the arena return to its noisy atmosphere.
The shadow cast by the sun moved inch by inch across the scale on the sun dial.
Everyone was present, except for one of the main characters in this competition.
Time is running out. If she doesn't appear by then, the other Tianque disciple in the final will automatically win.
"What's going on? Is she too scared to come?" The Kunlun disciples on the stands had been waiting for a long time and were getting increasingly impatient.
"As expected, they were still scared. If they had known it would turn out like this, they would have preferred to let Senior Sister Liu go."
"Your Senior Sister Liu didn't win against them..."
"Then let her come. She's made so many people wait in vain. I didn't come here to see the people of Tianque win without a fight."
Lin Wuwang listened to his fellow disciples' complaints and felt extremely anxious, but he was powerless to do anything about it. He kept looking back at the entrance to the venue, which was empty and there wasn't a single person in sight.
As Lin Wuwang looked away, he subconsciously glanced in Ning Yu's direction again, only to find that the other party was not at all annoyed, but rather calm and composed, as if he was neither angry nor concerned about Jiang Yuhuo's absence from the competition.
This is nothing like him.
Lin Wuwang became even more suspicious. He began to recall everything he had said to Ning Yu yesterday, trying to find any clues in it.
"Look, she's here!"
"It's her, it's her!"
The room suddenly erupted in excitement, with some people even standing up and peering out.
Lin Wuwang and Ning Yu turned around together.
A woman dressed in Kunlun black entered the arena. Her hair, which had been tied up, was disheveled, and her clothes were torn in many places, as if they had been cut by a sharp sword. The black at the tear sites was darker than the rest, like the color of dried blood, giving her a disheveled appearance of being seriously injured. Yet, her steps were steady and her posture upright, and from a distance, she did not appear to be weak or injured at all.
She held a sword in one hand and a fist in the other, and slowly stepped onto the dueling platform.
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Author's Note: Writing 10,000-word chapters is truly terrifying! I'm completely exhausted, that's it... [melted] Tomorrow I'll look into the giveaway and send out some small celebratory red envelopes. Since it's a reverse VIP chapter, the participation rate won't be too high, so please, new and old angels, come join us! [shrug]
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