"You and I have been friends for years. I should've shown some mercy. But you were right—there are no friends on the battlefield. If I held back, wouldn't that be an insult to you?
Don't you agree?" Song Wanníng returned the exact words Liu Yiyi had planned to say, not letting her have the chance to play the victim.
If she had lost, Liu Yiyi would have definitely spun it with some righteous-sounding nonsense, using the moment to boost her own image.
"You—you said your cultivation didn't follow the conventional path!" Half-sprawled on the arena floor, Liu Yiyi felt the spiritual energy in her body leaking at an alarming rate. Her heart clenched.
The fight had ended faster than she could take a sip of water.
Though her injuries weren't life-threatening, her reputation had been thoroughly ruined.
More than anything, she felt cheated.
Song Wanníng had clearly implied her cultivation was unstable, yet her strength was overwhelming. She had obviously lied.
"I did say that. I reached my breakthroughs through special encounters. Otherwise, how could I possibly advance so quickly?" Song Wanníng tilted her head slightly. "But your reaction is strange. I never said I relied on pills, did I? If you assumed that, what does that have to do with me?"
"You—" Liu Yiyi was completely shut down, her anger flaring. She glared at Song Wanníng and finally understood. She had walked right into a trap.
This was revenge.
All because she suggested the duel?
So many years had passed. Had Song Wanníng changed this much?
To think she would lie and manipulate.
Liu Yiyi couldn't accept it.
"Wow, that Liu Daoyou really overestimated herself. She and Senior Song aren't even on the same level. Challenging her like that? Just asking to be humiliated."
"Exactly. Who walks into a fight that hopeless? It's like she volunteered to get beaten."
"Good thing our Senior Song still had some mercy. Otherwise, Liu Yiyi would be crippled. That was already a light punishment."
"Senior Song really is our role model. So impressive. Liu Yiyi might be weak, but she's still a Nascent Soul cultivator. And she was taken down in just a few moves?"
The disciples below the platform were buzzing with excitement.
After all, it was the opening match. Everyone had been hoping for a strong start from Wentian Sect.
The atmosphere on the other side—among the allied sects—was far less cheerful.
"You think Liu Yiyi did it on purpose? I heard she and Song Wanníng were close. Maybe they coordinated this whole thing?"
"That makes sense. Why else would she push for a duel knowing the gap between them? She must've done it for Song Wanníng's sake." Suspicious gazes turned toward Wangshan Sect.
They were supposed to challenge Wentian Sect together, but now it looked like someone on their side had defected.
"What are you all talking about? This is a misunderstanding!" said the Wangshan Sect leader, his voice tight. He was more humiliated than anyone.
When Liu Yiyi had made bold promises about winning, he had believed her—now it just made him look like a fool.
He cleared his throat and turned toward Liu Yao. "Your sister was just testing the waters for you. Now that she's lost, it's your turn."
The priority now was damage control.
They needed to eliminate any suspicion of collusion. Otherwise, when it came time to divide resources, the other sects would use this as leverage to undercut Wangshan Sect's share.
Privately, the sect leader cursed Liu Yiyi, then locked his gaze on Liu Yao.
Caught off guard, Liu Yao froze for a moment.
His sister losing to his long-time crush didn't bother him. If anything, he thought it made sense.
But now the sect leader was pushing him into the spotlight.
Liu Yao frowned. "I don't want to fight Song Wanníng."
He liked Song Wanníng. Why would he draw his sword on her?
He still harbored fantasies of winning her over, of someday standing at her side. The moment he spoke, the entire crowd remembered the old rumors—Liu Yao had long admired Song Wanníng. Their expressions turned even more skeptical.
Was Wangshan Sect really collaborating with Wentian Sect?
If Liu Yao stepped onto that platform, it would only seem more obvious he intended to throw the match. The sect leader kept a straight face, but quickly sent a voice transmission to Liu Yao.
"If you don't fight, they'll think your sister conspired with Song Wanníng. When this is all over, she'll be the one they punish. Can you live with that?"
Liu Yiyi was Liu Yao's only family. Of course he knew what the sect leader was threatening.
"You don't have a choice," the leader added sharply.
Liu Yao's face darkened. After a long hesitation, he finally rose and flew to the stage. He and his sister had no powerful backing. Even as Nascent Soul cultivators, they relied entirely on the sect's support. They couldn't afford to offend the leadership.
He hated this helplessness. But for now, he had no way out.
Unless… he could win over Song Wanníng.
She had the Song Clan behind her. She was a respected pill master. Her looks and talent made her the target of countless suitors.
Back then, she had eyes only for Gu Qingyuan, ignoring him completely.
But now, with Gu Qingyuan out of the picture, this was his chance.
And of all times, the sect leader had to send him up now.
Liu Yao landed on the platform with a grim look, clearly reluctant.
Liu Yiyi was already standing again. Her body ached from head to toe, still pulsing with pain from the "Ten Thousand Swords Piercing the Heart." Her spiritual energy continued to bleed out.
Even after taking pills, the bleeding wouldn't stop.
What a vicious technique.
Her hatred only grew.
When she saw her brother land, her eyes lit up with a dangerous gleam. She quickly sent a voice transmission.
"Brother, you have to teach Song Wanníng a lesson. Get revenge for me!"
Liu Yao was at the peak of Nascent Soul, strong and well-trained. Song Wanníng was just a pill cultivator. Without the advantage of realm suppression, she shouldn't stand a chance.
But Liu Yao frowned, his gaze lingering on Song Wanníng, clearly conflicted.
Liu Yiyi saw right through him and nearly exploded with anger.
"Useless man."
"Brother, you must win. Song Wanníng only respects strong men. If you lose, she'll definitely look down on you!"
She added another whisper. "Now's your chance. Show her what real strength looks like. She'll fall in love with you for sure!" It was a ridiculous lie, even she didn't believe it.
But Liu Yao's eyes lit up.
She was right. Women admired power. If he lost now, Song Wanníng would never take him seriously. He needed to impress her. To show her what a real man looked like.
Not some pale pretty boy like Gu Qingyuan.
"You can rest now. Leave the rest to me," Liu Yao said, stepping to the center of the platform with the air of a seasoned cultivator.
When he looked up and met Song Wanníng's amused eyes, his heart skipped a beat, but he quickly forced himself to stay calm.
"It's been a long time, Song Daoyou. I trust you've been well? I heard you broke off your engagement with Gu Qingyuan. Congratulations. That's wonderful news."
There was affection in his gaze, but even more calculation.
And that was exactly why Song Wanníng found him so disgusting.