With a roar, Gong Xie charged again, his blade blazing with spiritual fire.
Yue Chan sidestepped, her daggers weaving seamlessly into a shield that absorbed his attack.
She pivoted, letting the shield dissolve back into slender red lace.
With a deft flick, it transformed into a spear—she thrust, the tip halting a hair's breadth from Gong Xie's throat.
He froze, breath ragged; the only sound, the soft lapping of dark water.
Yue Chan held his gaze, unwavering.
"This is the end, Gong Xie. You wanted a true fight—here it is."
But before the duel could finish, Yue Chan's eyes narrowed.
She whispered, "Reverse."
The world shuddered.
Darkness and water vanished, replaced by a biting chill and an endless expanse of white.
Snowflakes drifted down, blanketing the ground in silence: the illusion realm had become a frozen wasteland.
As the last echoes of power faded, both weapons dissolved, leaving only their bodies and their will.
Gong Xie attacked first, driving a powerful punch at Yue Chan.
She crossed her arms, absorbing the blow, skidding backward across the ice—but stayed upright.
Seizing the moment, Gong Xie's gaze snapped to the jade token—its green glow suspended in the air, hovering above the snow between them.
He lunged, hand outstretched, desperate to claim the prize just beyond his grasp.
In that instant, Yue Chan's red lace hairband reappeared in her grasp.
She shaped it into an elegant bow, drawing a shimmering arrow of spiritual energy.
The bowstring hummed, the arrow's point aimed unerringly at Gong Xie's hand as he reached for the jade.
The frozen world held its breath.
The balance of power teetered between hunter and hunted, the snow reflecting the cold fire in both their eyes.
With a sharp twang, the arrow shot forward, striking Gong Xie's hand just as his fingers brushed the jade.
He fell to the ground with a grunt, clutching his wounded hand and staring in disbelief at the blood welling between his fingers.
For a moment, Yue Chan appeared unfazed.
She stepped forward, watching him with an almost innocent look.
"Does it hurt?" she asked softly.
Gong Xie slowly lifted his face, eyes burning with a deadly glare.
"What… do you… think?" he spat, his voice trembling with rage.
Yue Chan twitched her lips, then glanced up at the floating jade token.
With a soft sigh, she summoned it with a gesture; it landed gently in her palm.
She held it up, letting Gong Xie—still sprawled in the thick snow—see her claim.
"As fellow warriors, we should let go of what happened today and follow the rules," she said calmly. "I never intended to kill you. But if you have any lingering grudges, let's settle them here and now. This is just a tournament, Gong Xie. Don't let one defeat define you. More battles await. Don't lose hope."
Gong Xie was silent, unable to find words.
"Get up," Yue Chan said gently. "You can help yourself—there's no shame in standing after a fall."
At first, Gong Xie ignored her words. Seeing this, Yue Chan stretched out her hand, offering to help him up.
After a moment's hesitation, he accepted her gesture and rose to his feet.
Yet as he regained his composure, his eyes burned with contempt.
Yue Chan caught the change in his expression, instantly sensing his hidden motive.
"Yue Chan, I appreciate your sincerity," Gong Xie said, a sinister grin twisting his lips. "But I won't be swayed by your words."
He tightened his grip on her hand, his intent unmistakable.
Without warning, Gong Xie unleashed his internal force directly at Yue Chan.
The sudden surge struck her hard, sending her skidding backward across the snow.
Her knees buckled, but she managed to stay upright.
She clutched her chest with one hand, bracing against the ground with the other as she steadied herself.
Blood splattered onto the snow as she coughed, pain tightening her features—this time, she was truly hurt.
Gong Xie attacked again, his fist slamming into Yue Chan with brutal force.
She was hurled backward, her body crashing into a snowdrift and disappearing beneath the thick, white mound.
A triumphant smile curled Gong Xie's lips as he lunged for the jade token now lying in the snow.
From their seats around the vast arena, onlookers watched the battle unfold through the spectral screen.
The audience was a sea of mixed expressions—some stared in awe, others with bitter or worried looks.
The tension was palpable, every eye fixed on the fate of the jade token within the illusion realm.
On the other side of the arena, Elder Xue Mo grinned in Elder Yun Ji's direction.
Had they been standing side by side, Xue Mo might have started bragging already—a reaction hardly unexpected now that the screen showed Yue Chan finally injured.
Back in the hollow of the illusion realm, Gong Xie strode toward the snowdrift, expecting to find Yue Chan defeated beneath the mound.
He was certain his blow had finished her.
But as he brushed the snow aside, surprise flickered across his face—Yue Chan was gone.
Only a faint impression in the snow marked where she had landed.
He stepped back, eyes darting across the frozen expanse, searching for any sign of her.
There was nothing—just a sudden hush in the air, a pressure building, as if an immense force was bearing down on him.
Instinctively, he looked up.
Yue Chan was descending from above, her body twisting through the air like a blazing white flame, her open palm aimed directly at him.
Gong Xie struggled against the crushing force pinning him down, but it was unbearable.
His spiritual power felt smothered, refusing to answer his call.
Suddenly, Yue Chan materialized before him, her movements swift and merciless.
Before he could react, her hand shot out, gripping his throat with unyielding strength, her eyes alight with fierce determination.
"I chose to spare you. The least you could do is not repay my sincerity with ruthlessness," Yue Chan hissed, her voice cold. "Ungrateful fool—you wasted my mercy. Now, get lost!"
She released her grip on his throat and, with a burst of spiritual force, struck Gong Xie, sending him flying backward.
It wasn't over.
Yue Chan pursued Gong Xie relentlessly, striking him again before he could recover.
She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, her eyes glinting with cold, dangerous resolve.
"Your master, Xue Mo, is watching us," Yue Chan said coldly. "I wonder how he feels, seeing his puppet flailing like a poisoned rat. Earlier, I told you there would be more battles ahead for you—reasons to be hopeful. Now, I'm starting to regret those words."
Gong Xie suddenly paused in his struggle, slowly lifting his face to meet Yue Chan's predatory gaze.
"What are you trying to do?" he demanded.
Yue Chan didn't answer immediately.
Her eyes swept the surroundings as she recalled—they were still within her illusion realm.
Before the duel began, she had conjured a spectral screen, allowing the onlookers to witness every moment of the battle from outside.
She raised her hand and snapped her fingers.
Outside the illusion realm, in the vast arena, the spectral screen remained—but now the contenders had vanished from view. No one could see what was happening inside.
A wave of shock rippled through the audience as they realized the battle was now hidden from their eyes.
The arena echoed with murmurs and exclamations of disbelief.
Elder Yun Ji's eyes narrowed, thoughts racing.
What was Yue Chan planning?
"How could this happen?"
Li Haoran burst out, turning to Elder Yun Ji for an answer.
Beside them, his master, Elder Qing Yun, was equally at a loss.
Though Elder Yun Ji understood the truth, some things were better left unsaid.
Receiving no answer, Li Haoran could only fall silent.
He turned his attention back to the spectral screen, hoping desperately that the scene would return.
While the spectral screen outside had gone dark, the confrontation inside the illusion realm continued.
"Gong Xie, will you admit defeat?"
Yue Chan asked, her voice calm and expression unreadable behind her mask.
"I won't! Not unless you die first!"
Gong Xie spat back.
Yue Chan closed her eyes briefly, exhaling a slow breath through her nose.
"If I die, we both die. Remember—you're inside my illusion realm. If you kill me, you'll be trapped here forever, cut off from the outside world. This prison is of my own making. Only I can release you."
A harsh laugh burst from Gong Xie, clearly unconvinced by Yue Chan's warning.
"Listen to yourself—acting like you're some kind of god! Do you really think you can threaten me? How dare you!"
"It seems it's impossible to convince you," Yue Chan said coolly.
"Not unless you die first, you wretched woman!"
Yue Chan's eyes narrowed.
"Then let me show you what a wretched woman can do."
Her expressions hardened.
Without another word, she stepped forward, her movements swift and precise.
Before Gong Xie could react, her hand shot out and pressed against his chest.
Spiritual energy surged between them—overwhelming, irresistible.
Gong Xie's eyes widened in horror as he felt her power invade his meridians, locking him in place.
He struggled, but it was futile.
With a deft motion, Yue Chan forced her will inside him, her fingers curling as if grasping something invisible.
A heartbeat later, a flicker of greenish light emerged—Gong Xie's spiritual core, trembling in her grasp.
He gasped, agony etched across his face, as Yue Chan drew the pulsing core from his body.
She held it aloft for a moment, meeting Gong Xie's gaze.
Then, without mercy, she clenched her fist.
The spiritual core shattered, fragments dissolving into dust, and the remnants scattered into the cold, silent air.
Gong Xie collapsed into a vegetative state, unable to utter a word, his vacant eyes fixed on Yue Chan.
Yue Chan knelt down and effortlessly pried the jade token from his limp hand.
In his current state, he resembled a pitiful fish out of water, gasping soundlessly for breath.
Yue Chan slapped his face lightly, a smirk tugging at her lips.
"Idiot. Don't die yet."
But she wasn't truly heartless.
With a sigh, Yue Chan channeled her spiritual power, sending a gentle surge of energy into Gong Xie's body—just enough to keep him alive.
Though he would survive, his spiritual core was gone. He would never again wield spiritual power, nor walk the path of a cultivator.
As Gong Xie regained some strength, he struggled to sit up.
Yue Chan reached out and helped him, steadying him as he trembled in the cold snow.
Once he'd caught his breath, he looked up at her, confusion and awe mingling in his gaze.
"You possess an innate power," he said hoarsely. "Who exactly are you?"
Yue Chan remained silent, her expression unreadable behind the mask.
He hesitated, then pressed, "Is that why you hide your face? Is it because—"
Before he could finish, Yue Chan rose abruptly, cutting him off.
"It's time to leave," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Gong Xie managed a faint, bitter smirk.
"You don't even dare to answer me. I suppose that means my suspicions are correct."
Yue Chan's eyes narrowed.
"When we return to the arena, focus on healing yourself. Take care of your wounds. I may have taken your core, but I chose to spare your life. Remember that."
She turned away, the jade token clutched in her hand, her silhouette sharp against the endless white.
For a moment, silence hung between them—an unspoken understanding that something fundamental had changed.
Yue Chan paused and glanced over her shoulder.
"Gong Xie, come with me. Let's go."
Her voice was calm, leaving no room for defiance.
Gong Xie hesitated, but with nothing left except his battered body and pride, he pushed himself to his feet and trudged after her, the snow crunching beneath his unsteady steps.