Chapter 51: The Next Opponent—Ye Zhao Zhao!
Ye Zhao Zhao stole a glance at Li Shuang, her eyes dark with anger.
“Damn it!” she thought. For ten long years, she had toiled and trained, reaching the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul. But recently, her cultivation had begun to fall. Now, she had slipped back to the early stage. [If this continues, my Nascent Soul will vanish!]
All because of Li Shuang! How could she dare change her cultivation technique? How could she leave Spirit Void Peak? If Li Shuang had stayed, she would have remained under Ye Zhao Zhao’s strict control.
Ye Zhao Zhao finally understood something. The Li Shuang of old was cold on the surface but warm at heart. Yet after learning the Grand Supreme Emotionless Art, she had grown cold both inside and out. It seemed that none from Spirit Void Peak could now stir Li Shuang’s negative emotions.
Then… Ye Zhao Zhao’s hand moved almost on its own to the hilt of her sword.
What of the Dragon’s Roar Sword? What of Long Yan? When her treasured sword had pierced Li Shuang’s dantian, she must have felt deep despair and agony. Could Li Shuang truly forget that pain?
[If she has forgotten, I will make sure she remembers.]
Her eyes flashed with dangerous intent. One thought burned in her heart: she wanted Li Shuang as her opponent in this match. On the arena, she wished Li Shuang to witness that the sword she had nurtured for ten years now obeyed her every command.
Long Yan’s mastery of the Sword Dao had even surpassed that of Duan Zi Yu. If he faced Li Shuang, victory would be certain.
Chang Le An and Ye Zhao Zhao exchanged determined glances as they looked at Li Shuang. Though Li Shuang felt their eyes upon her, she did not give them a second thought.
Liu Jun Cheng sighed, “I really hope I don’t end up drawing you, Little Junior Sister.” He felt helpless. Even if he fought with the strength of the late Foundation Establishment Stage, he doubted he could defeat her. That would bring too much shame to a Senior Brother.
Li Shuang smiled faintly. “That won’t happen.”
“Hm?” Liu Jun Cheng looked at her in surprise. Li Shuang was not guessing. She was sure. Wasn’t the draw meant to be random? How could she be so certain?
Her calm smile revealed nothing. Her cultivation technique had sharpened her senses to the attention of others. She had long seen that Sect Leader Meng Yi Fei had been watching her since the battles began. Even the drawing box had been examined by him. After his inspection, he had given her a deep, knowing look. [This draw… it is not entirely fair.]
Li Shuang knew that Meng Yi Fei did not wish her harm. Instead, he wanted her to show her true value. With that in mind, there was only one opponent she could face in this round.
Li Shuang looked steadily at Ye Zhao Zhao. Her opponent would be Ye Zhao Zhao. And Long Yan. She felt no regret over this match-up.
Long Yan had absorbed many lessons of Sword Dao from Li Shuang. He represented the Li Shuang of the past. But now, before them stood a reborn Li Shuang. This battle would be the forge to strengthen her Sword Heart. She was confident that she would not lose. Her journey was far beyond this point. She had vowed to win every battle until she reached the pinnacle of Sword Dao.
Then the drawing began. One by one, the disciples stepped forward to draw their lots. Li Shuang did not know how Sect Leader Meng Yi Fei had manipulated the draw. But when the results were revealed, her opponent was exactly who she had expected: Ye Zhao Zhao.
It was as if fate had declared it—Long Yan was meant to stand with Ye Zhao Zhao. A flicker of delight danced in Ye Zhao Zhao’s eyes. Her wish had come true! In the next round of the tournament, she would face none other than Li Shuang.
With bold determination, Ye Zhao Zhao strode toward Li Shuang, a bright smile on her lips. “Senior Sister Li, who would have thought that we would face each other in the next round?”
Li Shuang nodded faintly, her face giving nothing away.
Calling upon Long Yan, Ye Zhao Zhao spoke in a gentle tone, “Senior Sister Li, I must confess, I have felt a tinge of guilt. Long Yan was nurtured under your guidance, yet you cast him aside without a thought. He has since trained day and night, determined to show that he was never meant to be abandoned.”
At that moment, the disciples around them turned their eyes toward the two women. Some looked with subtle interest; others with direct focus. Everyone knew that when these two met, a grand spectacle was sure to follow.
Ye Zhao Zhao’s words caused murmurs among the onlookers. Her meaning was clear. Even though the Dragon’s Roar Sword was once cherished by Li Shuang, it was Ye Zhao Zhao who had ultimately forsaken it. Thus, tomorrow, Long Yan would fight with all his might. By speaking now, Ye Zhao Zhao made it known: if she won with Long Yan’s help, it was not because of any trick, but because Li Shuang had chosen to abandon him first.
Li Shuang’s eyes grew as cold as ice as she looked at Long Yan. “Ye Zhao Zhao, I have made myself clear. One betrayal is enough to sever all ties. Since Long Yan chose to turn against me for you, he is no longer of any concern.”
“Senior Sister Li, what betrayal? You must not speak so rashly,” Ye Zhao Zhao quickly interjected. She had acted carelessly, yet she still wished to appear proper.
Unwilling to argue further, Li Shuang simply said, “We shall see tomorrow.” Then, turning away, she departed.
Liu Jun Cheng shot a meaningful look at Ye Zhao Zhao before following Li Shuang. “Little Junior Sister, do not be angry. She can only savor this moment of triumph for one last night,” said Chang Le An in a lively tone. “Little Junior Sister, you reached the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul in just ten years! That speed is something Li Shuang can never match. In truth, you are the true favored daughter of heaven! If not for your modest heart and reluctance to fight, who would even remember your name in the sect? But tomorrow, Little Junior Sister, you must not hold back. Let all witness your true strength!”
A warm glimmer shone in Chang Le An’s eyes as he looked at Ye Zhao Zhao. She was too kind-hearted, too humble. If she were not, Li Shuang would have long stolen the spotlight.
Ye Zhao Zhao’s cultivation was without doubt. Yet, no one had ever seen her true prowess in Sword Dao. She often claimed that her sword skills were merely average. But Chang Le An suspected that her incredible talent was hidden behind her modesty.
In the past, Li Shuang often advised Ye Zhao Zhao not to neglect her sword training and to hone her technique. Yet, Zhao Zhao had her own methods and refused to rely on endless practice. Li Shuang, perhaps envious of her natural gifts, once imposed strict training regimes on her. After a few sessions, Ye Zhao Zhao would collapse from exhaustion. Every cultivator has a unique path to mastery. [Was this deliberate suppression?]
After that, Li Shuang stopped interfering in Zhao Zhao’s training. And from then on, Zhao Zhao never again displayed her swordsmanship before the others.
A decade had passed, and now even they did not know the true progress of Zhao Zhao’s Sword Dao.
“Zhao Zhao,” urged Chang Le An, “I know you like to hide your strength, but now is not the time. Strike her down and let her taste defeat.”
“They are all fellow disciples; such hostility is unnecessary,” Ye Zhao Zhao replied quietly. She knew better than anyone the depth of her own sword skills. A technique that demanded relentless effort was not for her. As long as her cultivation was high enough and she had her treasured weapons, she could crush any opposition.
Tomorrow’s duel was certain. With Long Yan commanding the Dragon’s Roar Sword, she did not need to make an extra move. A Sword Spirit would manifest before her, wielding a divine blade, and backed by an overwhelming force of cultivation. How could Li Shuang ever win?
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation