"Is this the legendary Song Wanníng?"
"She looks pretty, sure, but nothing else seems special about her..."
"Well, when you have a good master, your status rises with the tide."
"Exactly. Blame yourself for having no backing, hahaha!"
"..."
A group of disciples chatted idly beneath the battle platform, their voices deliberately unrestrained so every barbed remark drifted into Song Wanníng's ears. Her lips curved faintly. She swept her gaze toward the loudest of them.
Those disciples stiffened at once. Their eyes darted away in guilt, none daring to meet hers again.
"Junior Sister Song, offense ahead!"
Lin Hao twirled the long staff in his hand, his expression turning grave. He would not allow himself to be humiliated. Losing here would mean endless mockery.
"Offense ahead."
Song Wanníng's tone was calm, her sword tip tracing a light arc across the ground, battle spirit surging.
The instant her words fell, she moved first. Her foot slid forward by the smallest measure, and in that breath, a swirl of white light streaked with gray burst toward Lin Hao.
At the same time, the Sword Dao True Domain unfurled like silk breaking free from a cocoon, locking directly onto him.
Lin Hao's eyes narrowed. With a sharp flick of his staff, a golden Dapeng bird's phantom surged forth, its piercing screech threatening to burst eardrums.
The massive bird swooped at her, talons outstretched, a cold gleam in its eyes that made one's scalp prickle.
But in the very next heartbeat, her Sword Dao True Domain swallowed the Dapeng whole, dragging it into her own realm.
The white light was already spreading beneath Lin Hao's feet. His Primordial Soul wavered in dizzy disarray for a heartbeat—long enough. By the time he steadied himself, the icy edge of a longsword was already pressing against his throat.
The battle platform fell silent in an instant. The gathered disciples froze as if gripped by invisible hands, eyes wide with disbelief.
What just happened?
Hadn't the fight just begun?
Senior Brother Lin Hao hadn't even made a proper move—so why was it already over?
Lin Hao himself was even more stunned. He had thought his higher cultivation gave him leeway, so he let Song Wanníng strike first for the sake of appearances.
Who would have thought that choice would turn into such a humiliating joke? His face flushed an angry red.
"Senior Brother Lin, you've lost."
Her voice remained cool. She had counted on him giving her the first strike, using the sudden burst of light to seize the fight in one decisive move. If she revealed all her trump cards too soon, later matches would be far harder.
Clearly, her gamble had paid off.
In the blink of an eye, Lin Hao was defeated.
"You—you cheated!"
Lin Hao's face darkened to a mix of blue and purple as he glared at her. "If you have the guts, fight me again!"
Song Wanníng only smiled faintly. The sword at his throat edged forward, its chill seeping into his skin. Lin Hao's scalp prickled as he met her gaze—depths so cold and unreadable they made him swallow hard, his palms slick with sweat.
"A wager is a wager. Others wouldn't be so kind as to leave you alive."
Her presence carried a quiet weight. She had no interest in wasting time on him.
In a true battle, who would give you a second chance?
One loss could mean death.
Lin Hao seemed to grasp her meaning. His face twisted further.
"Song Wanníng wins!"
The elder overseeing the match took the chance to announce the result, his gaze lingering on her. That move she used—why did it resemble an ancient inheritance of the Guhan Sect?
But wasn't she newly ascended? That shouldn't be possible.
Perhaps it was only coincidence. Still, his curiosity toward her grew.
Lin Hao's loss came as a shock to many. Everyone had expected his victory, yet he had been felled so suddenly that it was hard to accept.
Song Wanníng lowered her sword. Lin Hao leapt from the platform and fled without a backward glance. His dignity was in tatters. For a long while, he would surely be the butt of every joke. The thought almost made him cry. If only he had struck first, he wouldn't have lost like this.
The disciples were left staring.
They had come to watch Lin Hao teach a newcomer a lesson—yet the tables had turned so fast.
But soon, others stirred and stepped forward to challenge her.
Song Wanníng stood on the platform, scanning them briefly. She had no interest in accepting. The one she wanted to test might be among the crowd behind them.
With a cool tone, she refused them all. "I won't waste time. If no stronger opponent comes forth, I'll be on my way."
She crossed her arms over the sword in her embrace, standing proudly on the stage.
That one short sentence was enough to spark outrage.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Don't think that just because you beat Senior Brother Lin Hao you're invincible! He only lost because he underestimated you!"
"Exactly! You're just a newly ascended cultivator from the lower realms. This isn't your shabby little world!"
"If not for Martial Uncle Leng's status, how could you possibly have a personal disciple's seat? Don't think too highly of yourself!"
"I'll fight you myself!"
"She's just afraid!"
Voices rose in anger, every thought laid bare.
Disciples of Guhan Sect were not ones to shy from conflict, and some were backed by other Grand Elders. They had no fear of retaliation from her.
In fact, they were eager to suppress her and bring honor to their faction.
Song Wanníng felt the malice from all sides, yet her expression remained calm.
"Tsk. As a mere ascender, I really would like to see what you so-called natives can do."
A flash of cold light passed through her gaze.
So what if she was an ascender?
Were ascenders so contemptible?
These arrogant fools who looked down on others...
The chill in her eyes deepened, her battle spirit surging higher.
Those who ascended from the lower realm had endured hardship beyond imagining. To rise from such an environment proved that ascenders were no weaker than the cultivators of the spirit world—often, they were stronger.
Her resolve to grow stronger blazed brighter. Her sword hummed at her waist, battle intent shaking the very air of the platform.
"If there's anyone stronger than Lin Hao, step up. The rest, don't waste everyone's time."
Her tone was as brazen as ever, without a trace of fear.
That very arrogance stirred anger in certain observers.
"Then let me be the first to test you."
Sun Lian, face like frost, rose from the crowd. With a few graceful leaps, she landed on the platform.
"Since you don't understand the rules, I'll teach you how a newcomer should behave in this sect."