Volume 1, Chapter 63 – Just How Strong Is She?

The dream ended there, and soon, another dream began.

Qi Huang found herself standing at the edge of the same plaza with the rest of the Honghua Sect disciples. At the center, a dueling stage had been set up, where two fighters were locked in fierce combat.

‘So the competition has officially begun!’

With that thought, Qi Huang immediately focused her attention on the stage. After all, she had rarely had the chance to witness high-level martial exchanges before.

The two combatants were both young men—one wielded a long spear, while the other brandished a broadsword. Their clashes were direct and brutal, devoid of any flashy techniques. Every time their weapons collided, sparks flew as far as ten feet away, accompanied by the mournful screech of metal. Visible shockwaves rippled through the air with each impact.

Qi Huang was inwardly shocked. Judging by their fighting styles, neither had yet reached the stage where their true qi could manifest externally—meaning they were still in the Body Refinement realm. Yet their speed and raw power were such that if she were to face them head-on, victory would be far from guaranteed.

“Little Ling, can you defeat those two up there? All of our Honghua Sect disciples have been eliminated already. It’s all up to you now.”

Xu Mei turned her head and spoke toward Qi Huang’s body.

‘The entire Honghua Sect has been eliminated?’

Hearing this, Qi Huang felt a pang of sympathy. No matter what, this had once been her sect.

“I can finish them both within ten moves.”

Cheng Hongling replied indifferently.

“Good.”

Xu Mei smiled in satisfaction.

“Ten moves? That’s a bold claim! Is she really that strong? If so, why even bother competing?”

“Junior Brother Bao, you don’t actually believe her, do you? Do you know what sect they’re from? The Honghua Sect! The Honghua Sect of Huangtian County! What kind of genius could possibly come from a place like that?”

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“Huangtian County? That rat’s nest?”

“Exactly. Their cultivation is as stunted as their height—everyone knows that.”

The nearby group of cultivators began whispering among themselves.

“Heh, what a boastful little girl. Do you even know who those two are? One is from the Lieshan Sect, the other from the Changhong Sect—both ranked higher than your Honghua Sect in Yongning Province!”

The leader of the group, an elderly man, openly mocked them. His reason was simple—he couldn’t just stand by and let someone’s baseless arrogance shake his disciples’ morale.

“Sect Leader Shi, whether it’s a boast or not will be proven in battle.”

Xu Mei countered calmly, clearly familiar with the man.

“Brother Qin, who is that girl? A newly risen genius of your sect? How dare she claim she can defeat one of those two in just ten moves?”

Having been rebuffed, Sect Leader Shi turned to Qin Quan, the Honghua Sect’s leader, seeking an explanation.

“You misheard. I didn’t say one—I said both.”

Cheng Hongling corrected him coldly.

“Hah! Why not say ten while you’re at it? If you’re going to brag, might as well go big—that’s how you scare people!”

Sect Leader Shi laughed in exasperation.

“Yes, yes, she’s just boasting. Kids say all sorts of things—no need to take it seriously, Brother Shi.”

Qin Quan replied with exaggerated humility, not wanting his sect’s rising star to attract too much attention.

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Satisfied by Qin Quan’s submissive attitude, Sect Leader Shi finally shut his mouth.

Meanwhile, the two figures on stage continued their battle. Behind the stage was a raised platform where five elder men and women—likely the judges—sat, occasionally pointing and commenting.

Before long, the match concluded, and the next pair of opponents took the stage. Time passed steadily.

“Next up—Contestants Fifty-One and Fifty-Two!”

A representative from the Immortal Alliance announced from the sidelines.

Before the words had fully faded, a thin figure leaped onto the stage.

“Strange… I don’t remember Contestant Fifty-Two being him.”

Ruan Lingyu murmured in confusion.

“Yeah, wasn’t it a short, stout cultivator?”

Miao Xiang chimed in.

“His tag must’ve been stolen. Isn’t it obvious? Our Honghua Sect disciples are prime targets.”

Qin Quan joked.

The others suddenly understood, silently cursing the thief for getting what he deserved.

“Little Ling, be careful. This guy isn’t particularly strong, but he’s fast. He always takes advantage of duels to grope female cultivators. Your senior sister Yun Fei suffered because of him last time.”

Xu Mei warned her disciple.

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“No wonder Senior Sister Yun Fei came back looking like she’d been crying.”

Miao Xiang glanced sympathetically at Yun Fei, whose face darkened with discomfort before settling into gloom. Clearly, the incident had left deep psychological scars.

“That shameless bastard! One of these days, I’ll chop his hands off!”

Shen Yuan cursed angrily.

“Don’t worry. This time, he’ll be the one crying.”

Cheng Hongling glanced at Yun Fei before calmly stepping onto the stage. Her breathtaking beauty was as cold as freshly fallen snow, making everything around her seem like mere background. Her curvaceous figure embodied the epitome of feminine grace, her slender legs faintly visible beneath the swaying hem of her dress. Her peerless allure drew covetous gazes from many male cultivators in the crowd.

“What a shame! Such a beauty is about to fall into Liu Biao’s hands!”

“Yeah, that bastard always uses duels as an excuse to cop a feel. He’s even more shameless than I am!”

“Doesn’t anyone stop him?”

“Who’s going to? He’s a rogue cultivator—no sect to discipline him. As for the Immortal Alliance judges, how can they tell if it’s an attack or just him being a pervert?”

The cultivators outside the arena buzzed with discussion—the men envious, the women silently praying for Cheng Hongling.

By now, Liu Biao had been waiting on stage for some time. He was a scrawny, dark-skinned man with shifty eyes that roamed freely over Cheng Hongling’s most sensitive areas, clearly a man with no sense of decency.

“Judge, wasn’t Contestant Fifty-Two someone else?”

Someone, unwilling to let the scoundrel get away with it, spoke up.

“Apologies, but the Evergreen Conference recognizes tags, not people.”

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The Immortal Alliance judge replied coldly, silencing all objections.

“After you.”

Cheng Hongling cupped her hands in a polite gesture.

“Heh, the female disciples of the Honghua Sect might be weak, but they sure are pretty. Looks like this old man’s in for another treat.”

Liu Biao licked his lips greedily, his hands making crude groping motions. The next instant, he shot forward like a coiled spring, his body transforming into a black streak as he lunged at Cheng Hongling. His thick palm, wide as a fan, aimed straight for her firm backside, his lecherous grin widening.

“How despicable!”

The crowd inwardly cursed. Liu Biao was cunning—by using a slap rather than a grab, it was harder to determine whether it was an attack or harassment.

Yet Cheng Hongling neither dodged nor flinched. Her jade-like hand rested on her sword hilt, then flashed outward in a single motion. A cold gleam sliced through the air—then the blade was sheathed once more.

Liu Biao only felt a sudden chill in his right hand. He instinctively halted, only to see five thin lines of blood appear across his fingers. As the cuts deepened, his digits fell away like tofu sliced by a knife. A heartbeat later, searing pain shot through his nerves, reaching his brain.

“Aaaahhh!”

Clutching his maimed hand, Liu Biao let out a bloodcurdling scream before collapsing to the ground, writhing in agony.

The crowd fell deathly silent.

What shocked them wasn’t Cheng Hongling’s ruthlessness—but her sheer strength. Liu Biao’s speed earlier had been on par with a Body Refinement fourth or fifth-layer cultivator. And yet, he had been instantly defeated with a single sword stroke?

Just how strong was Cheng Hongling?