Chapter 54 - 29: Must Win

Li Shuang did not look back.

She simply walked up to the arena, step by step, and then stood there quietly, waiting.

"Junior Sister, you have to win!"

Luo Mingyue and Jiang Yi unfurled a banner.

Jiang Yi was so nervous her knuckles were turning white. ’It’s over, it’s over, why is everyone looking over here?!’

Luo Mingyue, however, thrived on the attention. The more people looked, the louder she shouted.

In the center of everyone’s gaze.

Jiang Yi looked as if she had lost the will to live. She was even starting to feel a little regretful.

’If she had known this would happen, she would have signed up for the tournament too. Brother Liu had left early to prepare for his own arena match, managing to escape this ordeal...’

Hearing the commotion, Li Shuang turned and smiled at them, a faint smile blooming on her lips.

At her smile,

It was as if ice and snow melted in that instant.

A lotus bloomed even in the ice.

Luo Mingyue immediately started shouting even louder, and even Jiang Yi couldn’t help but relax.

’As long as they could make their Junior Sister smile, a little more embarrassment didn’t matter at all.’

Sheng Yuan pressed his lips together tightly!

Once!

Li Shuang’s exclusive tenderness.

Li Shuang’s rare smiles.

Were all for them.

But now.

She gave them to others without a shred of hesitation.

’What were they to her, really? Were they that easy to cast aside?’

’Senior Sister!’

He repeated the words in his heart but could no longer truly say them out loud.

"Senior Brother." Ye Zhaozhao seemed to have noticed something. She said in a gentle voice, "Senior Sister Li doesn’t want us anymore, but don’t worry, I will always be here with you, and with everyone."

Sheng Yuan forced a smile. "Zhaozhao, do your best."

Yes.

’Zhaozhao is still here.’

’Zhaozhao is young and naturally kindhearted. Even if I was a little biased back then, it was only human.’

’It was a matter that could have been resolved with a simple conversation, yet Senior Sister insisted on making such a scene.’

Sheng Yuan felt a pang of sorrow, but also a surge of petulance.

’He would just have to wait and see if Senior Sister was really better off after leaving Lingxu Peak!’

"Zhaozhao, you must give it your all. You have to win this fight," Sheng Yuan said, straightening Ye Zhaozhao’s collar.

Lately, the voices mocking Lingxu Peak had been growing more and more numerous.

Even some disciples from Lingxu Peak itself were beginning to doubt whether expelling Li Shuang had been the right choice.

Setting aside his personal feelings, as the Senior Brother, he had to stabilize morale and change public opinion!

The best way to do that was for Ye Zhaozhao to achieve a grand victory.

As long as Ye Zhaozhao won, more than half of those doubtful voices would instantly disappear.

"Zhaozhao will work hard," Ye Zhaozhao said with an obedient smile.

"Zhaozhao, don’t be careless," Shen Yue said with a complicated expression.

Ye Zhaozhao was full of confidence. "With Long Yan here, I won’t lose."

Ye Zhaozhao stroked the scabbard, instantly establishing a connection with Long Yan in the Sword Spirit Space.

Ye Zhaozhao also walked up to the arena, step by step.

She communicated with Long Yan in her mind.

"Long Yan, you will win, right?"

Long Yan replied decisively, "Don’t worry, Zhaozhao!"

Long Yan was quite confident about defeating Li Shuang.

He had followed Li Shuang for over a decade. Her sword habits, her sword moves, her swordsmanship techniques—he knew them all like the back of his hand.

On top of that, Ye Zhaozhao’s Cultivation was currently at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, while Li Shuang’s Cultivation was still at the Qi Cultivation Stage.

In terms of Cultivation, they were a whole Great Rank above Li Shuang. Even if she had comprehended that so-called Sword Domain, this enormous gap in Spiritual Power was more than enough to overcome it.

He had watched Li Shuang’s match against Duan Ziyu afterward. That Duan Ziyu’s Sword Dao level was even a bit worse than his own, yet Li Shuang had still struggled for a long time before she could win.

After more than a decade together.

He was the one who understood Li Shuang’s swordsmanship best!

This time, he would win!

For Zhaozhao’s sake, he would secure a satisfying, resounding victory.

Long Yan couldn’t wait to see the look of regret in Li Shuang’s eyes and the joyous expression on Zhaozhao’s face after his victory.

「Central Arena.」

"Second round of the selection tournament: Li Shuang versus Ye Zhaozhao."

The referee’s voice fell: "Match! Begin!"

The moment the referee left the arena, the battle began.

Ye Zhaozhao showed no intention of fighting immediately. She stared at Li Shuang. "Senior Sister Li, I should be competing with you properly in swordsmanship, but Long Yan said he wants you to know that giving him up was the wrong decision. So, I’ve decided to fulfill his wish. This time, he will be the one to control Dragon Roar."

Ye Zhaozhao made it sound very noble.

Anyone with discerning eyes would surely be able to tell that in today’s match, the Dragon Roar Sword would be controlled mainly by Long Yan.

She figured she might as well say it upfront to prevent others from questioning her.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to fight Li Shuang herself; she was just fulfilling Long Yan’s wish.

Li Shuang saw right through Ye Zhaozhao’s petty scheming.

She said calmly, "Assistance from a Sword Spirit is permitted by the rules. You don’t need to say so much."

Li Shuang paused, then said slowly, "Besides... without Long Yan’s control, you are utterly clueless about the Sword Dao."

Li Shuang’s voice was serene.

Ye Zhaozhao’s expression changed slightly.

A commotion immediately erupted below the stage.

’A disciple of the Sword Sect for ten years, yet she doesn’t understand the Sword Dao?’

’That can’t be right, can it?’

’Is she even a disciple of the Sword Sect?!’

Ye Zhaozhao stared daggers at Li Shuang. ’Li Shuang, how dare she say that!’

"Senior Sister Li must be joking. As a disciple of the Sword Sect, how could I not understand the Sword Dao?" Ye Zhaozhao tried her best to appear composed.

She couldn’t stand the hardship of practicing with the sword.

In truth, she was completely clueless about the Sword Dao. Her method of hiding this was, on the one hand, to claim she wasn’t skilled in the Sword Dao, and on the other, to frequently hint that it wasn’t that she wasn’t skilled, but that she simply disliked conflict.

Over the years, the senior brothers of Lingxu Peak had all come to believe her anyway.

She didn’t know if Master Lingxu believed her or not, but as long as she was sufficiently deferential, he wouldn’t hold it against her.

Today, however, Li Shuang had exposed this in public, and Ye Zhaozhao couldn’t help but grind her teeth in hatred.

"Is that so?" Li Shuang smiled. "Then when Long Yan finds himself unable to hold on his own, I imagine Junior Sister Ye will have to reveal her true abilities in order to win. At that time, we can let everyone know that you, Ye Zhaozhao, are actually the real Sword Dao genius. How about it?"

Ye Zhaozhao’s face darkened, her expression growing uglier by the second.

’True abilities? What true abilities could she possibly have?!’

’But Li Shuang had backed her into a corner. If Long Yan couldn’t win, she would have no choice but to take action herself...’

’But what Sword Dao Cultivation did she even have!’

’The fact that she was ignorant of swordsmanship was about to be completely exposed!’

"Zhaozhao, don’t be afraid. I won’t lose," Long Yan soothed Ye Zhaozhao through their Contractual Power.

’He knew that Ye Zhaozhao was completely clueless when it came to the Sword Dao, but so what?’

’He was more than strong enough!’

’He could protect Zhaozhao!’

’Why should a delicate little girl like her have to suffer the hardship of practicing with a sword?’

’With Ye Zhaozhao, he could feel that he was needed.’

Ye Zhaozhao suppressed the panic in her heart and said, "Then... as you wish, Senior Sister!"

Dragon Roar was unsheathed.

The intricate patterns on the body of the Dragon Roar Sword flickered with light. The Sword Spirit Long Yan was secretly controlling the Dragon Roar Sword from within.