Chapter 54: Must Win
Li Shuang did not look back.
She stepped onto the Arena with quiet determination, standing still as if waiting for destiny to unfold.
“Little Junior Sister, you must win!” came the spirited call.
Luo Ming Yue and Jiang Yi unfurled a banner, their voices echoing like a battle cry. Jiang Yi’s fingers trembled, turning pale with worry. [This is not a good sign—everyone’s eyes are upon us!]
Yet Luo Ming Yue reveled in the attention, her shouts growing louder with each passing moment. At the heart of the crowd, Jiang Yi’s eyes were filled with regret. If only she had known the outcome, perhaps she too would have stepped forward, hiding away like Senior Brother Liu, who had long prepared for his own duel in the Arena.
Hearing their voices, Li Shuang turned with a gentle smile. In that instant, it was as if winter’s frost melted away—a lotus bloomed amidst the chill.
Luo Ming Yue’s cheers rang out even more boldly, and even Jiang Yi seemed to relax. If their antics could coax a smile from their Little Junior Sister, so be it.
Sheng Yuan pressed his lips tightly together.
Once, Li Shuang’s warmth belonged only to them.
Her rare smiles were treasures meant for a chosen few.
But now, she shared them freely, as if they meant nothing.
What did they mean to her anymore? Were they so easily cast aside?
[Eldest Senior Sister…] he thought silently, repeating the title in his mind, though he could no longer speak it aloud.
“Seniormost Brother,” Ye Zhao Zhao said softly, as though she sensed his inner turmoil. “Senior Sister Li has left us, but do not fear. I will stand by you and for everyone.”
Sheng Yuan forced a smile. “Zhao Zhao, give it your all.”
Yes, Zhao Zhao was still by his side.
She was young and kind, and though his heart was heavy, he could not help but hope.
All this might have been resolved with a simple talk, yet Senior Sister had taken it too far. A sting of pain mixed with a spark of defiance stirred in Sheng Yuan’s heart.
Fine. Let’s see if Senior Sister truly thrives without Spirit Void Peak.
“Zhao Zhao, show your might. You must win this match,” he said, straightening Ye Zhao Zhao’s collar.
Lately, whispers about Spirit Void Peak had grown louder. Even some of their own disciples questioned whether banishing Li Shuang had been wise.
As the Eldest Senior Brother, it was his duty to steady their hearts and sway the tides of opinion. The surest path was a resounding victory by Ye Zhao Zhao. With her triumph, doubts would fade like shadows at dawn.
“I will do my best,” Ye Zhao Zhao promised with a gentle, obedient smile.
“Do not be careless,” Shen Yue cautioned, his eyes clouded with worry.
But Ye Zhao Zhao brimmed with confidence. “With Long Yan at my side, I shall not lose.”
Her fingers brushed over her sword sheath, instantly linking with Long Yan in the mysterious realm of the Sword Spirit.
In her heart she whispered, “Long Yan, will we win?”
Long Yan’s firm reply echoed: “Fear not, Zhao Zhao!”
He was sure of victory against Li Shuang. After all, he had followed her for over ten years, learning every habit, every technique, every graceful move of her swordplay.
Moreover, while Ye Zhao Zhao’s cultivation barely reached the late Foundation Establishment Stage, Li Shuang was still honing her skills in the Energy Refining Stage. Their gap was vast. Even with the mysteries of the Sword Domain at her side, Li Shuang’s spiritual energy lagged far behind.
Long Yan recalled Li Shuang’s arduous duel with Duan Zi Yu. Even though that young man’s Sword Dao skills were inferior, Li Shuang had struggled long before winning. Ten years of practice and mastery meant that no one knew Li Shuang’s sword techniques better than he did.
This time, he vowed, victory would be theirs. For Zhao Zhao, he would deliver an exhilarating duel!
He could already see the regret deep in Li Shuang’s eyes when defeat came, and the joy lighting Zhao Zhao’s face when she prevailed.
At the center of the Arena, the match was announced: “Second round of the selection tournament: Li Shuang versus Ye Zhao Zhao.”
The referee’s voice boomed across the crowd.
“Begin!”
As soon as the judge left the Arena, the battle began.
Ye Zhao Zhao did not launch an attack immediately. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Li Shuang and spoke: “Senior Sister Li, I should have learned your sword techniques long ago. But Long Yan wishes you to know that abandoning him was a grave mistake. So, I shall fulfill his desire—today, he commands the Dragon’s Roar.”
Her words were poised and clear. Anyone watching knew that the Dragon’s Roar Sword was guided by Long Yan’s spirit. Rather than hide her true intent, Ye Zhao Zhao declared it openly. It was not that she feared clashing with Li Shuang, but she intended to honor Long Yan’s wish.
Li Shuang saw through Ye Zhao Zhao’s subtle trick with clarity.
She replied calmly, “It is allowed to have Sword Spirits assist in battle. There is no need for so many words.”
She paused, then continued steadily, “Besides… without Long Yan’s guidance, you lack the true understanding of Sword Dao.”
Her tone was calm, yet her words cut deep like a swift blade.
Ye Zhao Zhao’s face fell, and a murmur ran through the crowd.
A disciple of the Sword Sect who, after ten years of training, did not understand Sword Dao?
Impossible!
Was she truly a disciple of the Sword Sect?
Fury burned in Ye Zhao Zhao’s heart. How dare Li Shuang speak so!
“Senior Sister Li, you jest,” she forced a smile. “As a true disciple of the Sword Sect, I do understand Sword Dao.”
But the truth was undeniable.
She had never truly endured the hardship of sword training.
To hide this, she had played a careful game—admitting a lack of mastery to mask her deeper insecurities. Her senior brothers on Spirit Void Peak had been led to believe her act.
And True Immortal Ling Xu—whether he believed her was unclear—but as long as she remained respectful, he never pressed the matter.
Yet now, before everyone, Li Shuang had shattered her pretense.
Ye Zhao Zhao fumed silently.
“Is that so?” Li Shuang smiled lightly. “Then when Long Yan can no longer hold the front alone, you will have no choice but to show your true strength. Then all will see that Ye Zhao Zhao is a genius of Sword Dao. How do you say?”
Ye Zhao Zhao’s eyes darkened.
True strength? What strength did she possess?
Li Shuang had driven her into a corner. If Long Yan faltered, she would have to step forward herself—and she had no real skill with the sword!
Her carefully woven deception was on the brink of collapse.
“Zhao Zhao, do not fear. I shall not be defeated,” echoed Long Yan in her heart, as their bond resonated through their spirit contract.
He knew all too well that Ye Zhao Zhao was lost when it came to true Sword Dao.
But what did that matter?
He was strong enough.
He would protect Zhao Zhao!
She was delicate, a young flower who should not bear the harsh weight of endless sword training. With her, he felt needed.
Suppressing the rising panic, Ye Zhao Zhao declared, “Then… as you wish, Senior Sister.”
At that moment, Dragon’s Roar was unsheathed.
Its intricate patterns gleamed like radiant light, and in the deep shadows, the Sword Spirit Long Yan moved the blade with unseen, steadfast hands.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation