An onlooker sees clearly, while the one embroiled in the fight remains blind.
At first, Su Yutong did not understand what had happened. It was only after she caught the whispers rippling through the crowd that the truth struck her.
"You actually have another high-grade artifact!"
Her gaze fell upon Wang Yuyao's right hand, upon the flawless Xuan Shui Ring. Her face darkened to the extreme.
That old bastard… he was far too generous!
To lavish not one, but four high-grade artifacts on this lowly woman?
Especially this blue ring—capable of amplifying the power of all other artifacts. Such a wondrous ability made it countless times more valuable than its peers.
Wang Yuyao said nothing.
Power surged from the flawless Xuan Shui Ring, merging into the flawless Cloudwater Coldlight Sword.
The sword trembled.
Bone-piercing frost spilled out, shrouding the blade in a dense mist. Then, all at once, the cold withdrew, condensing into a solid sheath of ice around the sword.
In the blink of an eye, the Cloudwater Coldlight Sword became an ice blade, clear and crystalline.
From its body radiated a chilling aura so intense the temperature on the arena plummeted.
Whoosh!
The ice blade tore through the air, reaching Su Yutong in an instant.
As it neared, the biting chill soared to a terrifying peak.
Su Yutong's body stiffened as though she might be frozen solid at any moment. Her expression shifted, panic flickering.
She forced her spiritual energy to surge through her meridians. Her stiffness eased slightly.
Hands pressed together, her fingers interlocked into a seal.
Golden Light Seal!
A radiant glow burst between her palms, merging with her flying sword. In a flash, the blade transformed into a golden sword.
The next moment, sword met sword.
A freezing storm swept across the platform, devouring the golden sword qi. The glittering energy shattered, frozen mid-air before breaking apart like brittle glass.
When the mist finally dispersed, a battered figure was revealed.
Su Yutong knelt on one knee, her hair disheveled, her breath ragged. A bloody hole marred her shoulder, raw and ghastly.
Frost clung to her hair, her skin, even the wound itself. Blood barely had time to seep out before it froze into crimson crystals that shattered as they fell.
"You've lost."
Wang Yuyao's hair whipped about her face, her flawless Cloudwater Coldlight Sword hovering above, aimed straight at Su Yutong's chest, spewing icy sword aura.
"No… impossible!"
"I cannot—will not—lose to the likes of you, you wretched slut!"
Su Yutong's voice cracked into hysteria.
"You, a lowborn woman, dare to stand against me? Impossible!"
Wang Yuyao's brows furrowed. She flicked a finger.
The Coldlight Sword shot forward.
Su Yutong, her strength nearly spent, could not withstand another strike. This sword would cripple her, if not kill her outright.
Whoosh!
At that very instant, a blazing beam of light shot across the sky like a falling star, streaking straight toward Arena Nine.
A nearby inner sect elder frowned and was about to intervene.
But Yun Zhongque lifted a hand, stopping him.
The elder froze, hesitant. In that moment of hesitation, the beam crashed into the Coldlight Sword.
A blast of heat erupted, dissolving the icy aura in a single breath and knocking the sword away.
Boom!
The beam struck the arena floor.
A wave of scorching force rolled outward, crashing into Wang Yuyao before she could brace. Blood spurted from her lips as she staggered back, step after step.
When the storm of heat cleared, a shallow crater half a foot deep was visible.
Embedded within it was a golden jade talisman, sharp as a blade.
"Yutong, you forgot this."
A calm voice echoed across the square.
Wang Jianqiang narrowed his eyes, following the sound toward Arena One.
That golden talisman—thrown by none other than Ye Lingyun.
Arena One was hundreds of feet away from Arena Nine. Though Wang Yuyao's strike hadn't been her full strength, to intercept it from such a distance revealed much of Ye Lingyun's terrifying power.
"It's Ye Lingyun!"
"He intervened!"
"To block Wang Yuyao's attack from so far away… his strength has grown again!"
The crowd erupted, all eyes swinging toward Arena One.
Su Yutong, too, regained her wits.
The instant her gaze landed on the jade talisman, joy lit her face.
With a wave, she summoned it into her hand.
"Die, you wretched woman!"
Her roar cracked the air as she poured every last drop of her spiritual power into the talisman.
In an instant, the jade flared with golden light, breaking apart into a myriad of motes that swirled above her head.
The motes converged into a colossal golden blade, its aura swelling with terrifying might.
Gasps filled the plaza as the blade solidified.
"My heavens—it's a Talisman Treasure!"
"That golden jade talisman is a Talisman Treasure?"
"Wang Yuyao is finished!"
…
A Talisman Treasure.
Wang Jianqiang frowned as he gazed at the growing blade.
These were rare constructs—spiritual talismans forged using the essence of powerful artifacts or treasures, combined with talismanic arts.
But because a Talisman Treasure could never wield more than thirty percent of its original item's strength—and because the damage to the original source was nearly impossible to repair—the process was considered highly wasteful.
Only the most doting elders would create one to protect a beloved junior.
Which made them exceedingly rare.
"Talisman Treasures can only be used a limited number of times. Once that limit is reached, they shatter completely."
Wang Jianqiang's eyes flicked from Su Yutong to Ye Lingyun.
What is their relationship, that he would entrust such a treasure to her?
He rose, turning his gaze toward the three figures hovering in the air.
"Elders," he called, his voice amplified by spiritual power, ringing across the square. "Surely this violates the rules of the competition?"
The plaza fell silent.
All eyes turned in shock toward Wang Jianqiang.
The infamous outer sect good-for-nothing—daring to question the inner sect elders?
"This item was Su Yutong's to begin with. I merely returned it to her."
Before the elders could speak, Ye Lingyun's voice cut coldly across the arena. His gaze locked on Wang Jianqiang, sharp as an arrow.
"Yes, returning a lost belonging. What's unreasonable about that?"
"That's right! If Wang Yuyao can use four high-grade artifacts, why shouldn't Su Yutong be allowed her treasure?"
Off to the side, Bu Yueban and Xiong Zhuang—moments ago resigned to despair—now looked as though a miracle had descended from the heavens.
For this was no ordinary item.
Even the weakest Talisman Treasure was forged from the essence of a spiritual artifact. No mere artifact could compare.
No matter how many high-grade artifacts Wang Yuyao possessed, she could not hope to overcome one holding such a treasure.
But Wang Jianqiang ignored them. His eyes remained on the elders above.
Feeling his disregard, Bu Yueban and Xiong Zhuang both snorted coldly.
Ye Lingyun's eyes narrowed, a flash of murderous cold sparking within.
Yun Zhongque, expressionless, finally turned his gaze upon Wang Jianqiang. Then, almost lazily, he shifted to Ye Lingyun.
His faint voice carried across the silence.
"This will not be allowed a second time."
"Yes, Elder," Ye Lingyun said smoothly, cupping his hands. He turned his head back toward Wang Jianqiang, a mocking smile curling his lips.
Wang Jianqiang stood silent.
The elder's words sounded like rebuke, but in truth, they condoned Ye Lingyun's actions.
So it was, in every world—strength reigned supreme.
Rules… were nothing more than shackles for the weak.
A faint smile tugged Wang Jianqiang's lips.
He turned back to the arena.
The battle was not yet over.
Victory still hung in the balance.