Chapter 199: Still a Youngster, Too Playful
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“Thank you all for your kindness. Yu Zhao will always remember it,” Yu Zhao said earnestly, bowing deeply. She made her way to the dueling arena under the enthusiastic cheers of her supporters, preparing for the final battle of the Cultivation World Competition.
As the crowd dispersed, Su Ming suddenly turned to Lan Zi Yu beside him and asked, “Second Senior Brother, did you tell Yu Zhao that Master is ready to forgive her? She should hurry back!”
Su Ming’s tone was urgent, a trace of fear lurking in his heart that he couldn’t quite share. He feared Yu Zhao’s growing circle of friends. What if someone else replaced him in her heart?
“Yu Zhao is stubborn. She doesn’t want to come back,” Lan Zi Yu replied through gritted teeth.
“She doesn’t want to? Why not? Isn’t Master ready to let it go?” Su Ming was puzzled.
“You’re asking me?” Lan Zi Yu sneered. “I think Yu Zhao’s success in a few matches has gone to her head. She’s forgotten her place.”
Being a disciple of Master Qing Yan wasn’t a privilege just anyone could claim. Yu Zhao might be flying high now, but she’d crash into reality soon enough.
Su Ming looked anxiously in the direction Yu Zhao had left. Tomorrow was the final deadline set by their master. He prayed Yu Zhao wouldn’t make any rash decisions at the last moment.
The three brothers were lost in their own thoughts, unaware that Ye Cong Xin had quietly slipped away.
Half an hour later, Ye Cong Xin reappeared. She stood amidst the disciples of the Five Elements Dao Sect, her gaze locked on Yu Zhao, who was now on the dueling platform. A cold glint flashed in her eyes.
“Yu Zhao, you brought this upon yourself. Don’t blame anyone else.”
“Yu Zhao.”
The sultry voice belonged to Yao Ji, a stunningly beautiful woman. Her expressive eyes, even when glaring, carried an irresistible allure. But she wasn’t here to charm. Her focus was entirely on the opponent before her. Yu Zhao was the most formidable obstacle in her path, and Yao Ji’s biggest challenge in the competition.
“Only by defeating you can I secure the ultimate victory,” Yao Ji said coldly. “I didn’t want to oppose you, but you’ve blocked my way. You must die!”
A dark red aura swirled around Yao Ji as malice flickered across her face.
Yu Zhao’s brow furrowed slightly. Ever since her memories as the Water Spirit Jade awakened, her senses had sharpened. From Yao Ji, she detected a faint, unusual fragrance. Before she could analyze it, Yao Ji hurled her feathered fan into the air. It transformed into a white phoenix, and in her other hand, she summoned a small beast-skin drum, tapping it lightly with her fingers.
Boom!
The drum’s sound resonated, causing Yu Zhao’s heart to thump in sync.
Boom!
Another strike. Her heartbeat quickened.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
The tempo escalated. The white phoenix screeched, its wings whipping up a storm of wind blades that rained down like a deadly storm.
Yu Zhao took a step back. The Fleeting Life Mirror emerged, casting a shimmering water screen. It rippled, absorbing the wind blades and replicating their form.
Yu Zhao swiftly channeled spiritual energy, commanding, “Go!”
The two waves of wind blades collided mid-air, creating a ferocious whirlwind accompanied by muffled explosions.
Yao Ji let out a maniacal laugh. “Yu Zhao, you’ve lost!”
She clawed at the beast-skin drum, tearing it apart. From within came a wretched, mournful wail.
But Yao Ji’s triumphant expression froze as Yu Zhao emerged unscathed.
“Impossible! Why are you unharmed?” Yao Ji’s voice trembled with disbelief. When the drum synchronized with Yu Zhao’s heartbeat, their fates should have been intertwined. With the drum destroyed, Yu Zhao’s heart should’ve burst.
“Take a guess,” Yu Zhao’s voice suddenly whispered from behind.
Yao Ji spun around in terror, only to find… nothing.
“Ah!”
The desperate cry of the White Phoenix once again drew her attention away.
Looking up, Yao Ji saw Yu Zhao standing atop the White Phoenix’s back, her hand firmly gripping its neck. The White Phoenix struggled, unable to break free, plummeting from the sky like a meteor.
“Is it over already?”
“So fast. It felt almost effortless.”
“Yao Ji managing even a few exchanges with Yu Zhao is impressive; most don’t last nearly as long.”
As Yao Ji’s life-bonded artifact fell into Yu Zhao’s grasp, the spectators began to lose interest, thinking the match was as good as finished. But just as they were about to call it, the tide shifted dramatically.
The White Phoenix, trapped in Yu Zhao’s grip, opened its beak and spat out a beam of red light. Its feathers began to turn crimson, starting from its tail and spreading upward. An intense heat filled the air.
“Yu Zhao! You’ve fallen for it! Hahaha!” Yao Ji’s panicked expression twisted into one of triumphant glee. “Now, die for me!”
With a dramatic wave of her arms, flames erupted from the White Phoenix, transforming into a sea of fire in an instant. The extreme heat warped the surrounding space, and Yu Zhao’s silhouette blurred and distorted.
Gasps filled the air as many stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
Could it be that Yu Zhao was about to lose?
In the audience, Sect Master Ji Yuan nearly jumped out of his seat in shock but restrained himself as the icy aura emanating from Master Qing Yan kept him grounded. Calming himself, he focused again, his tense face gradually softening.
“She’s still young… playful,” he muttered under his breath.
The sea of flames reflected on Yao Ji’s face, adding an ethereal beauty to her appearance. She laughed wildly, intoxicated by her perceived victory. “Yu Zhao! I’ve won! I am—”
Her voice stopped abruptly.
Yu Zhao tightened her fingers, silencing Yao Ji’s laughter. “Yao Ji, you’re celebrating too early.”
Yao Ji’s lips trembled with frustration, her voice faint as a mosquito’s buzz. “Yu Zhao… why aren’t you dead yet?”
Yu Zhao met her gaze calmly.
Yao Ji’s eyes darkened with malice. “You’ve forced me into this.”
With that, she bit her tongue, unleashing a feral energy from within. The surge broke Yu Zhao’s hold, allowing Yao Ji to free herself. Quickly forming a series of hand seals, she summoned countless red light points from her body. These lights transformed into red ropes, trying to bind Yu Zhao.
Yu Zhao tapped her toes, leaping back with precision, her brows furrowed tightly.
Was it her imagination? This lifetime’s Yao Ji seemed far more troublesome than the last.
Failing again, Yao Ji’s cunning flared anew. The ropes reverted to light points before coalescing into a glowing red sphere, its menacing aura making even Yu Zhao’s heart race.
“Explode!”
The red sphere detonated, sending waves of scorching heat cascading outward. In response, multiple light screens appeared before Yu Zhao, with the Fleeting Life Mirror shielding her chest.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
One by one, the light screens shattered under the onslaught. The searing flames burned Yu Zhao’s skin, and wisps of her hair curled from the heat. A flicker of astonishment crossed her eyes.
Yao Ji fared far worse. Unable to evade in time, flames seared the right side of her face. Blood seeped from the scorched flesh, the sight grotesque and shocking.
“My face! My face!” Yao Ji tentatively reached up, her fingers brushing the disfigured wound. Instantly, she collapsed as though her spine had been ripped out, wailing in utter despair.
The damage to her flawless appearance was a blow as devastating as death itself.