Chapter 183

Chapter 183: Did Shen Sang Ruo Cheat?

An eerie quiet fell. Only the sounds of fighting from the other platforms could be heard.

The Spirit Voice Transmission rang out: “Shen Sang Ruo wins!”

The words hit like a hammer, snapping everyone back to their senses. Who could have expected the arrogant Beast Taming Sect Young Sect Master Dong Fang Xu to lose like this?

They hadn’t even seen the Two-Headed Sacred Lion launch a single attack before Shen Sang Ruo’s Spirit Beast crushed it and knocked it out.

The entrance was so grand, yet the ending was so abrupt.

Worse, the sect famed for Beast Taming had its Young Sect Master eliminated in the very first match, and by a so-called nobody’s Beast Cultivator from a small sect.

Shen Sang Ruo had taken down the “hard bone” in everyone’s eyes without breaking a sweat.

The contrast was so sharp it might be the most humiliating defeat in the Beast Taming Sect’s thousand-year history.

People’s attitudes toward Shen Sang Ruo did not soften much, but no one dared look down on her anymore.

On the high dais, Guan Hui’s face turned almost green. Losing this match meant they would earn no points in the third group. Forget fighting Flying Cloud Sect and Heavenly Sword Sect for first or second. Even holding onto third now looked shaky.

At his side, Xu Han let a sneer slip. Dong Fang Xu, it turned out, was not much better than him.

Shen Sang Ruo was heading to draw her next opponent when Guan Hui suddenly rose.

He called out: “True Lord Gu Ci, I have doubts about the match just now.”

From the start of the Sect Grand Tournament, he was the first to question a result. All eyes turned to him at once.

True Lord Gu Ci, who kept order for the tournament, nodded: “Sect Master Guan, please speak.”

Guan Hui said coldly: “I report that Ninghua Sect’s Young Sect Master Shen Sang Ruo violated the rules and cheated.”

Uproar swept Fengling Terrace. Even Shen Dao Chen and Master Ling Xiao could not help but look over.

True Lord Gu Ci’s tone stayed firm: “This is serious. Sect Master Guan, choose your words carefully. What proof do you have?”

Guan Hui gave a thin smile: “One rule of the tournament forbids any non-Contracted Beast from entering battle. Shen Sang Ruo is the adopted daughter of Flying Cloud Sect’s Sect Master Shen. I clearly remember that when she left Flying Cloud Sect a little over a year ago, she was not a Beast Cultivator.”

He narrowed his eyes: “Anyone can see her Spirit Beast is far from ordinary. I am very curious how she subdued such a Spirit Beast in such a short time.”

His meaning was plain: she must have snatched a powerful Spirit Beast to bring to the tournament.

Shen Sang Ruo’s eyes filled with scorn. A?? third-ranked sect’s master could not afford to lose with grace.

Guan Hui spoke so confidently that True Lord Gu Ci’s brows drew together. If this were true, the entire Ninghua Sect would be stripped of its qualifications.

Guan Hui pressed on: “Sect Master Shen and Master Ling Xiao should know this even better than I do. Why don’t the two of you tell us whether she was a Beast Cultivator back in Flying Cloud Sect?”

With that, he laid bare Shen Sang Ruo’s ties to Flying Cloud Sect.

Under the weight of everyone’s gaze, Shen Dao Chen paused, as if weighing gains and losses. After a moment’s thought he declared: “Sect Master Guan speaks the truth.”

His commanding voice carried across Fengling Terrace, stirring a fresh storm. His eyes were cold. He knew this would add fuel to the flames and push Shen Sang Ruo closer to a point of no return. That was the point: to show her how many would target her without Flying Cloud Sect behind her. Master Ling Xiao’s look held the same meaning, with a touch of contempt. Self-made trouble must be paid for.

Dong Fang Xu, seizing on a lifeline, jumped up to shout: “Everyone heard that, right? Shen Sang Ruo, how dare you! Do you dare say you didn’t break the rules?”

As a Beast Cultivator, he knew how hard it was to form a Bonding Contract with a Spirit Beast as strong as Zhu Miao, especially for someone who had not been a Beast Cultivator for the past ten-plus years. Jealousy finally found its outlet.

Facing their certainty, Shen Sang Ruo kept a faint smile, more precisely a mocking one. [They really don’t use their brains.]

Too bad for them, Zhu Miao was truly her Contracted Beast.

She stepped forward, scooped up the little dumpling, and met Guan Hui’s eyes: “If you want to know whether he’s my Contracted Beast, Sect Master Guan can verify it right now. Why make such a fuss?”

She tilted her head: “Will you test him yourself, or shall I bring him to you?”

Her calm tone held not a trace of panic. Seeing her like this, Guan Hui hesitated inside.

He snorted: “Fine, I’ll test him myself. Let’s see how long you can keep up that tough talk.”

“No need,” a voice called from the other side of the preparation area.

Everyone turned. Yuan Jin of the Beast Taming field had already stood up.

He met Guan Hui’s gaze and said: “I already checked. That Bamboo Bear is indeed her Contracted Beast.”

In the Cultivation World, Yuan Jin counted as an authority in Beast Taming. His words gave Shen Sang Ruo strong support. Shen Dao Chen and Master Ling Xiao both stiffened.

Yuan Jin added mildly: “Sect Master Guan, are you questioning my method of examination?”

Many had heard of the grudge between Yuan Jin and the Beast Taming Sect. After Yuan Jin refused Guan Hui’s olive branch, he endured even while being targeted. Yet today, he stood for Shen Sang Ruo and faced Guan Hui directly.

Most people, including Shen Dao Chen and Master Ling Xiao, wondered how Shen Sang Ruo had any connection to Yuan Jin.

Guan Hui’s face grew darker: “You say it’s true, and that makes it true? How do I know the two of you aren’t in this together?” He leaped from the dais, clearly set on verifying it himself.

Yuan Jin said nothing more and sat back down. He had already achieved his aim.

Shen Sang Ruo cupped her hands to Yuan Jin in thanks. He knew Guan Hui would test again anyway. This matter had nothing to do with Yuan Jin; he could have stayed silent and avoided further conflict with the Beast Taming Sect. He had hesitated earlier when sending Ji Zi Cang over, but this move said plainly he would stand with her and with Ninghua Sect.

In a fine mood, Shen Sang Ruo smiled sincerely at Guan Hui: “Please, Sect Master Guan.”

Guan Hui found her attitude baffling. Frowning, he extended his Divine Sense to probe the link between Shen Sang Ruo and Zhu Miao.

She raised a brow: “Well?”

He gritted his teeth: “Impossible!” He checked again and again, only to find the same result each time.

His reaction told the crowd everything.

The most shocked of all were those from Flying Cloud Sect. She had already shown overwhelming strength during her fight with Bai Mu Mu for the Young Sect Master seat. Now, with Zhu Miao as her Contracted Beast, who knew what height she would reach in the future? They did not dare imagine it.