A predatory sneer twisted Gong Xie's lips, his gaze so sharp it could have cut through steel—and Yue Chan felt the chill of it.
Yet she never wavered.
Her posture remained unflinching, eyes narrowed in concentration as she quietly studied Gong Xie's every move, searching for the slightest clue of what he would do next.
Every heartbeat between them was thick with tension, both warriors locked in a silent contest of anticipation and resolve.
Suddenly, a cold shimmer danced in Gong Xie's palm as he conjured his spiritual weapon—a blade forged from swirling, ethereal energy that glimmered with lethal promise.
Yue Chan's eyes widened for a heartbeat; she had not expected this.
Gong Xie's intent was clear: there would be no leniency today.
Gone was any pretense of a fair, honorable duel—he had abandoned hand-to-hand combat, forsaken the sacred rules, and chosen to end her life with deadly force.
It was obvious—Gong Xie was not here to fight honorably.
He was here to kill her, and every action made that deadly purpose unmistakable.
Yue Chan turned her head, searching the distant crowd until she found her master watching from afar.
Their eyes met across the chaos, and for a brief moment, time seemed to slow.
Elder Yun Ji stood silent, his lips pressed together in a tight line, but he managed a quiet, confident nod—an unspoken message of faith and resolve.
She had never imagined that today she would be forced to kill a fellow warrior—someone who once shared her path—all for the promise of a reward.
Yet when it came to killing, her heart was cold and steady; taking a life was something she knew how to do.
Gong Xie, I only put up the reward for the sake of the fair battle you keep barking about. Are you really that desperate to kill me?
Yue Chan's mind swirled with conflicting thoughts, but she kept her gaze locked firmly on Gong Xie, never letting her guard down.
You're only at the mid-high Golden Core stage, yet you brag endlessly just because you've beaten every other warrior in this tournament. Gong Xie, you have no idea who I truly am.
"You're spacing out? Unexpected—you're just a spiritless coward!" Gong Xie sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.
His arrogance only made Yue Chan smirk, her eyes glinting with quiet contemplation.
"We haven't even started, and yet you're already calling me a spiritless coward," she replied, her tone steady and unflinching.
"Gong Xie, that's just your wishful thinking. Your petty taunts don't scare me; if anything, they inspire me. Doesn't that sound better?"
Gong Xie's eyes narrowed, and though he was momentarily speechless, his hands curled discreetly at his sides.
"Ah... I almost forgot—my instincts never fail me," Yue Chan continued, her voice laced with quiet confidence. "Putting on this show in front of everyone was your true purpose all along, wasn't it? Or perhaps it's better to say you're trying to threaten me, to make the crowd believe you're the most feared warrior in all of Jianhu. You hope my knees will wobble at your desperate words, so you can mock me and boast to everyone that even I was afraid of you."
"Gong Xie, don't waste your time arguing with her. End her now!"
Elder Xue Mo shouted from the sidelines, voice sharp and commanding.
Yue Chan turned her head slowly, catching sight of Elder Xue Mo making desperate, agitated gestures beside the platform.
She met his eyes for a brief moment—a silent plea for restraint flickering in her gaze—before shifting her attention back to Gong Xie.
As expected, birds of a feather flock together, she thought with a weary sigh.
Elder Xue Mo shouted again, voice brimming with indignation.
"Do it! Do it!" he pressed, jabbing his hand forward impatiently.
Gong Xie gritted his teeth, tightening his grip on the sword, and lunged at Yue Chan with a sudden, deadly thrust—his blade aimed straight for her heart.
But before he could reach her, Yue Chan unleashed a thin thread of qi, lightning-fast and precise.
It pierced through the air and struck Gong Xie squarely in the forehead, freezing him in place.
A gasp rippled through the audience, jaws dropping at Yue Chan's effortless move.
Murmurs echoed as the crowd tried to make sense of what had just happened—wondering how Gong Xie could be frozen so suddenly.
"What's happening?"
That question spread through the crowd in an instant.
Maintaining her cold composure, Yue Chan strode forward with quiet grace toward Gong Xie's frozen form.
She stopped in front of him, meeting his vacant eyes with a steady, unflinching gaze.
"Can you still see me?"
Yue Chan asked softly, her voice gentle as she waved her open palm in front of Gong Xie's unblinking eyes.
"Let's consummate our destined encounter somewhere hollow," she added in a near-whisper.
Locking her gaze onto the center of Gong Xie's forehead, Yue Chan's eyes flashed for an instant, a glint of silver slicing through her pupil.
She stepped back, extending her hand with her palm up.
Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she spoke a single word into the air: "Reverse."
Though it seemed like such a simple word, as she turned her palm downward, the world appeared to twist and turn upside down.
In the blink of an eye, both Yue Chan and Gong Xie vanished from the battle platform.
In their place, a shimmering surge of spiritual power rose, forming a luminous projection—like a spectral screen—for the crowd to witness what would unfold next.
Far from the platform, Elder Yun Ji's worry mounted.
Unable to remain with the crowd, he broke away and hurried toward the open platform where Li Haoran stood.
Elder Qing Yun followed close behind, sensing his companion's unease.
Li Haoran turned to him, his brows knitted in confusion.
"Master Yun, what's going on?"
Elder Yun Ji couldn't bring himself to answer, his mind swirling with concern.
Over and over, a single thought echoed in his head:
Yue Chan shouldn't be allowed to reveal her hidden knowledge—if she does, she could expose herself.
On the opposite side of the arena, Elder Xue Mo watched him closely, eyes narrowing with open suspicion.
Elder Yun Ji met his gaze calmly, refusing to let the doubt shake him as he slowly turned his attention back to the unfolding scene.
"Master Yun? You still haven't answered me," Li Haoran asked again, hope lingering in his voice.
Elder Yun Ji cleared his throat, shifting his gaze to the spectral screen hovering above the platform.
"I don't know either," he admitted quietly. "Only my disciple can answer that. All we can do now is watch and wait for her return."
Li Haoran managed a small smile at his response.
"I see."
The spectral screen displayed the whereabouts of the clashing warriors, allowing everyone to witness their movements.
However, while the scene unfolded vividly before their eyes, no sound accompanied the images—none of the battle's effects could be heard by the onlookers.
In essence, the spectral screen provided a live view of the event, but all sounds remained confined to the realm where the clash actually took place, leaving the audience in silent suspense.
Within the illusion realm, Gong Xie was hurled mercilessly onto the battlefield.
He tumbled across the ground, coming to rest far from his spiritual weapon.
The surface beneath him was so dark and glassy, it looked like still water—black and endless.
Every inch of the landscape was coated in shadow, and even the ground he stood on rippled faintly, as if he were standing atop a pool of midnight.
Gong Xie scrambled to his feet and rushed to retrieve his sword.
As his fingers wrapped around the hilt, he heard the soft sound of footsteps splashing in the dark water, drawing closer.
"Are you alright?"
Yue Chan's voice echoed gently from a distance, her silhouette barely visible through the gloom as she approached Gong Xie.
He hissed, his voice edged with eagerness.
"What is this place? Why did you bring me here?"
Yue Chan tilted her head slightly, a faint smirk on her lips.
"Isn't it obvious? Did you forget what you said? You wanted a rematch with me—but it turns out, you weren't seeking a rematch at all. You just wanted to kill me."
"I really, really want to kill you. So badly," Gong Xie admitted, his words trembling with raw intent.
"I see. That's exactly why I brought you here," Yue Chan replied coolly. "This is my illusion realm. The arena wasn't enough space for you to try and kill me—so I granted your wish and brought you somewhere far more fitting for an execution. Here, we don't have to hold back, and no one else will be hurt if our blows turn brutal."
Gong Xie was speechless for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized Yue Chan's calm demeanor.
"You're not just an ordinary cultivator. Who exactly are you? You lured me here!"
"Lured you?"
Yue Chan echoed, her tone even.
"I'm simply looking out for our situation. Why not just admit you wanted to dispose of me after getting what you wanted?"
"How confident you are," Gong Xie sneered. "Words alone can't satisfy me. Face my sword!"
With that, he lunged forward, blade flashing toward Yue Chan.
Yue Chan stood her ground, waiting for Gong Xie to close the distance.
Just as he was about to strike, she swiftly pulled the red lace hairband from her hair and snapped it sideways.
In an instant, it transformed into a blazing sword, its fiery edge gleaming as she raised it to meet his attack.
Their swords met in a crisscross pattern, the clash sending a bright spray of sparks into the air.
Their piercing gazes locked, neither willing to yield.
Gong Xie lunged again, his spiritual sword slicing through the air with lethal intent.
Yue Chan met his charge head-on, the force of their collision sending ripples across the black, mirror-like water beneath their feet.
He pressed forward, attacking with a relentless flurry—slashing, thrusting, spinning—each movement fueled by his burning desire to end the fight.
Yue Chan countered every strike with measured precision, her expression calm and unreadable.
Suddenly, Gong Xie feinted left and swept low, aiming for her legs.
But Yue Chan was ready.
With a flick of her wrist, the red lace sword shimmered and morphed into a coiling whip.
She snapped it downward, the blazing length cracking against Gong Xie's blade and sending a jolt of force up his arm.
He stumbled back, surprised, as the weapon in her hand shifted again—this time solidifying into a staff of red-gold fire.
She spun the staff in a wide arc, forcing Gong Xie to leap away.
The dark water beneath them rippled violently, reflecting bursts of crimson light with every movement.
Gong Xie regrouped and unleashed a volley of spiritual energy, blades of light arcing toward Yue Chan.
In response, her staff split into twin daggers, each one catching the incoming energy and dispersing it into harmless wisps.
"You—what kind of artifact is that?"
Gong Xie snarled, sweat beading on his brow.
Yue Chan's eyes glinted. "One suited for every threat."