Chapter 184

Chapter 184: The Match with Mei Mei

The more the world says something is impossible, the more it proves how outstanding Shen Sang Ruo is.

Shen Sang Ruo looked at Guan Hui with a mocking curve to her lips and said, “Sect Master Guan, you checked it yourself. What doubts do you still have now?”

True Lord Gu Ci frowned at Guan Hui, then turned to the crowd and said, “Sect Master Guan, you have served as a sect master for many years. Do not be so rash. Shen Sang Ruo has no problem. The match continues.”

After this farce, Guan Hui and the Beast Taming Sect had lost all face. He was about to leave in embarrassment when Shen Sang Ruo stepped in front of him and said, “Wait. Sect Master Guan slandered me for no reason. Shouldn’t you apologize to me?”

Guan Hui’s eyes went wide as saucers, and he barked, “You want an old man like me to apologize to you? Ignorant junior, are you not afraid of losing years off your life?”

He was the Sect Master of the Beast Taming Sect. How could he apologize to a junior in front of so many cultivators from the cultivation world? Shen Sang Ruo smiled lightly as she said, “Since Sect Master Guan was not afraid of losing years when doing something so immoral, this junior will not be afraid either.”

Guan Hui choked on his words, then turned angry.

Su Xi Yu’s cool voice carried across the terrace as she said, “If you do wrong, you should apologize. If people act like Sect Master Guan and refuse to take responsibility, won’t anyone be allowed to slander others without proof?”

Right after that, the rest of Ninghua Sect stepped forward.

Immortal Lord Chang Li’s eyes turned cold as he said, “Sect Master Guan, are you bullying us because our small sect has few people?” His fiery spiritual power crackled in his palm, eager to leap free.

Song Wei Yan shouted, “Sect Master Guan, are you going to deny it in front of everyone?”

In the Joyous Union Sect’s preparation area, Fang Yu chimed in loudly, “Exactly. Even the Beast Taming Sect cannot throw its weight around like this.”

The Joyous Union Sect Master, Liu Ru Yan, who was Fang Yu’s master, did not stop him. Instead she thought back to Yuan Jin’s move just now, her eyes thoughtful.

At last, under the pressure of countless eyes on Fengling Terrace, Guan Hui had no choice but to apologize to Shen Sang Ruo. It was a deep humiliation for the entire Beast Taming Sect. He had been so aggressive when he accused her of cheating, and now he looked just as pitiful. He shot Dong Fang Xu a vicious glare, flung his sleeve, and went back to his sect’s area.

The tournament moved on.

Many cultivators assumed she would beat everyone by relying on Zhu Miao. But except for the bout with Dong Fang Xu, she never called Zhu Miao out again. She relied instead on the Luan Feather Fan in her hand.

The watching cultivators were truly shocked. They had thought Shen Sang Ruo switched to beast cultivation because her original path failed. Who would guess that her original dao arts were also at a very high level?

Someone muttered, “Her character is not great, but her strength is real. If you add up the three brackets, she could rank near the top.”

Another said, “She joined Ninghua Sect and became Young Sect Master right away. Looks like she really has skill.”

Shen Dao Chen and Master Ling Xiao looked at her with growing complexity. Master Ling Xiao, especially, felt a twist in his heart. Without his teaching, Shen Sang Ruo still shone so bright. She was nothing like the unteachable person he had called her. He clenched his fingers tight.

After knocking out Dong Fang Xu to get an easy first win, Shen Sang Ruo charged forward without slowing, fighting all the way to a clash with Mei Mei for a ticket to the final.

Someone whispered, “If Shen Sang Ruo reaches the final, wouldn’t Ninghua Sect end up in the finals across all three brackets?”

Another said, “That is terrifying strength.”

Before the tournament began, who would have thought that so many sects would be overshadowed by a sect with only eight members?

People debated in low voices: “Mei Mei is the Heavenly Sword Sect’s Young Sect Master. Her swordwork is no worse than Ye Huai’s and Feng He Yun’s.” “So what? If Shen Sang Ruo summons that tiny spirit beast and adds her fan, even Mei Mei won’t be able to stand against her.” “I don’t think Shen Sang Ruo is that type. She hasn’t summoned her spirit beast since.”

On the stage, Shen Sang Ruo and Mei Mei were ready. Shen Sang Ruo’s gaze fell on Mei Mei’s sword, whose hilt was set with tiny red plum blossoms. During earlier rounds, she had studied Mei Mei’s Falling Plum Sword Method. It was sharp and relentless, with a trace of chill in it. Mei Mei also thought fast in battle, always finding an opponent’s weak point and breaking the stalemate.

Shen Sang Ruo respected a steady, powerful opponent like Mei Mei, but she decided the winner would be her. [I respect her, but I will be the one to win.]

They had already met and traded words before, so they saluted and then entered battle at once.

Shen Sang Ruo lifted the Luan Feather Fan and struck first with three fan strikes. For most people, one strike would drain all their spiritual power. For Shen Sang Ruo, three was the starting point, a set combo.

“Fiery Cloud Manifests, Glaze Fire Descent.” Orange flames washed over the crowd like a falling sunset.

The familiar moves made everyone think of Immortal Lord Chang Li’s earlier match. People whispered, “She really is a disciple of Immortal Lord Chang Li. Those moves are almost the same.” Others frowned and said, “Wasn’t she once a disciple of Master Ling Xiao? Why don’t we see even one of Master Ling Xiao’s moves from her?”

Every word landed in Master Ling Xiao’s ears. The air around him seemed to sink as anger rose in his eyes. He thought, [It is not that I did not teach her. She got that wild master’s legacy long ago and never put me in her eyes.] Watching Shen Sang Ruo’s moves, he felt the wounds that Immortal Lord Chang Li had left on him begin to ache again.

Layers of flame closed around Mei Mei. Faced with the blaze, Mei Mei stayed calm, lifted her sword, and rushed out of the fire’s edge. She, like Shen Sang Ruo, had watched the other’s fighting style. After a few more exchanges, though she struggled, her eyes suddenly changed. [I’ve found the way to break this.]

One of them fought at range, the other excelled up close. If they kept distance, the ranged fighter, Shen Sang Ruo, had the upper hand. If Mei Mei could push into her Falling Plum Sword’s range, Mei Mei would gain the edge. So Mei Mei focused on closing in.

Her movement was very quick, clearly the result of countless drills. But Shen Sang Ruo was also forged by many trials. Endless Glaze Flame rose to block, giving Mei Mei no chance to approach.

Mei Mei’s eyes hardened. She feinted, slipped through the Glazed Flame’s line, and in a blink appeared right in front of Shen Sang Ruo.

Shen Sang Ruo’s lips hooked up the tiniest bit, a detail easy to miss in the tension. [Come closer.]

Mei Mei stopped holding back. Her strikes turned fierce as she swung the Falling Plum Sword again and again. The tide flipped at once. Shen Sang Ruo had to shift from offense to defense. At less than two meters, the range smothered the Sunset Glassfire Art, forcing Shen Sang Ruo to step back again and again.