When Domain Lord Liuli heard that God Monarch Si Tian wanted to challenge her, she flashed a sweet smile. Stepping forward, she said with a laugh, "You want to challenge me? I'm afraid I don't feel like accepting your challenge… But what about you? Would you be willing to challenge me instead?"
She did not respond to Si Tian's challenge, instead turning to ask the God Monarch Bing Que.
"I won't challenge you. I figure two beads are enough, I don't need any more."
The God Monarch Bing Que, who rarely spoke, answered in such a timid tone that it sounded almost pathetic.
Si Tian secretly rejoiced. If the God Monarch Bing Que refused, then he got the opportunity! Never mind how many beads he could win, if he happened to kill Domain Lord Liuli, all her beads would become his. Although it looked like she was wagering just one, in truth everything on her person was essentially at stake. He had seen Yi Tianyun taking beads from her hands before; after each victory, they returned the beads to her. So if Si Tian killed her, he would claim the lot.
"Alright. Since he won't challenge me, I'll accept your challenge," said Domain Lord Liuli with a note of resignation. If the God Monarch Bing Que wasn't going to fight, she had no choice but to face Si Tian.
"Great!"
Si Tian almost wanted to cheer. He turned to the Venerable Spirit.
"Senior Venerable Spirit, she has agreed. Shall we begin now?"
He was eager to start, afraid Domain Lord Liuli might regret it later.
"Yes,"
The Venerable Spirit replied with a wave of his hand, separating the two in a special battle arena. No sooner had the arena formed than Si Tian charged forward at once. His arms sprouted razor-sharp claws, his body rapidly expanding into a massive Dragon-Leopard form, adorned with dragon scales for durability and the explosive might of a leopard. Each claw rivaled the strength of a middel grade Heavenly Dao weapon. This was his natural gift: fierce talons capable of tearing the heavens, combined with the power of dragon blood to multiply his shredding force.
In the blink of an eye, Si Tian appeared before Domain Lord Liuli, claws ripping down mercilessly. He wanted to shred her into pieces. The savage blow distorted the very space around her, leaving nowhere to run.
"Die!"
Si Tian's face was ferocious, venting all his pent-up frustration, he'd lost to God Monarch Lu Yuan earlier and felt deeply aggrieved. But now he could slaughter a half-step Heavenly Venerable, proving his own might. More importantly, he'd gain enough beads to handle the next trial.
Domain Lord Liuli's eyes went cold. Already prepared, she flourished the blue ribbon coiled around her hand, deftly winding it around Si Tian's claw.
Normally, such a ribbon should have been torn to shreds by those claws. But the moment they collided, the fierce talons were immediately entangled by the blue ribbon. In the blink of an eye, it bound them thoroughly, robbing the devastating strike of all power.
"No…!"
Si Tian's expression changed. He tried to reverse his move, not expecting his attack to be neutralized so effortlessly. That fearsome, ripping claw turned limp, unable to exert any force.
"Too late!"
Domain Lord Liuli's eyes gleamed with blue light. With a flick of her wrist, the ribbon slid up the captured hand, ensnaring much of Si Tian's arm and fixing him in place.
"I'll cut it off!"
Si Tian clenched his teeth and, without hesitation, severed his own arm. He leapt backward as blood splattered around him.
Domain Lord Liuli waved her ribbon, flinging the blood aside so not a single drop touched her. Still, Si Tian had escaped, sacrificing his arm to avoid being wrapped up entirely and strangled.
Of course, this ribbon was no ordinary artifact. It was a top-tier High-Grade Heavenly Dao weapon, superior to most others of the same rank.
Having lost an arm, Si Tian quickly focused on stopping the bleeding; his limb would regenerate in time. Nonetheless, Domain Lord Liuli's display of power left him shaken to the core. Only now did he realize he had walked straight into a trap.
She wasn't weak at all. Despite being a woman, her style of combat countered him completely. Reflecting more carefully, he realized all those beads in her possession had practically acted as bait, luring them into challenging her. Nobody would challenge Yi Tianyun now that they'd seen how he slaughtered God Monarch Lu Yuan, nobody wanted to face the so-called "speed king" who could outrun even Kunpeng.
The God Monarch Bing Que must have sensed something was off, which was why he refused a match.
But Domain Lord Liuli gave him no chance to regroup; she instantly pressed the attack, waving her ribbon again. It extended in concentric arcs, like thick walls blocking every escape route.
"Blue Ice Twist!"
She yanked the ribbon tight, constricting the space around him. Si Tian tried desperately to break free by rushing her, but from the beginning, she had dictated the battlefield. His defeat was inevitable.
After a few explosive exchanges, Domain Lord Liuli wrapped him again with the ribbon. Ultimately, she wrenched it hard, crushing Si Tian God Monarch into bloody fragments.
All too easy, a clear case of "softness conquering hardness." It was never really in doubt.
"I've won,"
Domain Lord Liuli said, gathering the spoils of victory. She walked back to Yi Tianyun with a radiant smile.
"Amazing job," Yi Tianyun remarked. "He hardly put up a fight. You toyed with him from start to finish, he looked no different from an ordinary God Monarch despite being half-step Heavenly Venerable."
He shook his head; Domain Lord Liuli's combat style was fearsome, maximizing the principle of softness overcoming brute strength. A single misstep against her, and defeat was certain.