"What is that menial disciple doing? She's been dodging the whole time. Why hasn't she made a move yet?"
"Could she be scared?"
"Looks like it. Her opponent is an inner sect disciple, after all, with cultivation above hers. A menial disciple against an inner sect disciple—there was never any suspense to begin with."
"She looked so confident earlier that I thought she had some real ability. And this is it?"
"Boring. What a waste of time."
"No, that girl's footwork is strange. When she dodges the other side's attacks, I can't even see her shadow at all!"
The surrounding spectators discussed among themselves. Most laughed and shook their heads, not optimistic about Bai Lan.
Only the Law Enforcement Hall disciple seated above watched with growing interest.
Others could not tell, but he could.
The gray-robed girl on the fighting platform was not dodging. She was observing her opponent's moves—or rather, she seemed to be secretly learning them.
"Is dodging all you know how to do?!"
The veins on Long Aotian's hand, clenched around his sword hilt, bulged ever more prominently. He realized that he could not hit Bai Lan at all. She seemed to have predicted nearly every one of his attacks.
It felt like punching cotton. None of his moves could reach her, and all the frustration he had built up had nowhere to vent, making him furious.
It was exactly like when Bai Lan whiffed her ultimate while gaming. She understood Long Aotian's feelings very well right now.
But sorry—damage that needed dodging still had to be dodged.
"If you're bad, practice more. What kind of skill is raging impotently? Why are you talking so much nonsense?"
Long Aotian: "...Aaaah! I'll kill you!!!"
Anger made people lose their minds. Bai Lan had repeatedly struck Long Aotian's sore spots, and even his once-flowing swordsmanship began to reveal faint openings.
After dodging another downward slash from Long Aotian, Bai Lan formed a ball of water in her hand and hurled it straight at his face. "I said I'd give you three moves earlier. Now it's my turn."
Long Aotian reacted quickly and twisted aside to evade it, but when he came back to his senses, his pupils abruptly contracted.
Bai Lan's figure had vanished from where she stood in an instant. Long Aotian panicked for a moment, then felt scorching heat rise behind him.
Using the Lesser Maze Steps, Bai Lan circled behind Long Aotian. The Fireball Technique in her hand smashed directly into his back, and as he turned to evade, several Golden Sword Techniques followed close behind.
Once an opening appeared, one had to seize the initiative, drive the enemy into a dead end, and wipe them out completely.
Just as Long Aotian thought he had avoided that entire chain of attacks, rings of vines swiftly wound around his feet, binding both legs firmly in place.
The Entanglement Technique lasted only a few breaths, but that was enough for Bai Lan to knock the longsword from his hand.
The longsword clattered to the ground. The outcome of this battle had already been decided.
The spectators outside the arena were all stunned.
Hadn't that menial disciple been dodging the whole time? Why had she suddenly counterattacked?
After several dazzling, multicolored Mystical Techniques, why had Long Aotian's longsword fallen to the ground?
The change came too quickly, catching everyone completely off guard.
Long Aotian wanted to retrieve the longsword from the ground, but Bai Lan simply lifted her foot and stepped on it. She looked at him with a light smile.
Long Aotian looked up at her and gritted out, "You! How can you possibly know so many Mystical Techniques?!"
How could an outer sect menial disciple possibly have enough Contribution Points to exchange for so many Mystical Techniques, much less master their use in just three months?
"You tell me." Bai Lan smiled faintly. With a light tap of her toe, she kicked up the longsword beneath her foot and caught it in her hand. After examining it carefully, she said, "Mm~ This sword isn't bad. How about lending it to me for now?"
Long Aotian: "?"
If you think this book is good, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you won't have trouble finding it next time.
With that, Bai Lan gripped the sword hilt and charged at Long Aotian.
The situation reversed in an instant. The one who had been wielding a sword and chasing Bai Lan down moments ago had now become the one being chased and slashed at.
Long Aotian's evasive movements were rather bedraggled. Having suddenly lost his trusty weapon, he panicked for a moment, and several wounds quickly appeared on his body in his haste.
The Law Enforcement Hall disciple watching from afar had a sharp glint flash through his eyes.
The swordsmanship Bai Lan used looked remarkably like the swordsmanship Long Aotian had used earlier.
This little girl was interesting.
"You! You!!!" Long Aotian gritted his teeth in fury, but he could only dodge and shift away, repeatedly trying to reclaim his sword.
Of course, he could tell that Bai Lan was using his moves. Though she performed them with a few slight errors, it was enough to drive Long Aotian mad.
Every one of his moves had been dodged cleanly by his opponent. He had not dealt a single bit of damage.
And now he discovered that his skills had even been stolen by his opponent, though not copied entirely correctly.
The damage was negligible, but the humiliation was immense.
"I told you long ago. Opposing me is not a wise choice." Bai Lan smiled and shook her head.
"Just you wait! Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river..."
"Don't bully a poor youth?" Bai Lan finished his next line for him. "You keep saying that to me over and over. Can't you come up with something new? My ears are practically growing calluses from hearing it."
"Damn it!!!"
Long Aotian flew into a rage, clenched his fist, gathered crackling lightning around it, and punched at Bai Lan.
"Your temperament is far too poor. I only said a few things to you—is there any need to get this worked up?" Bai Lan's figure vanished from the spot, and in the blink of an eye, she appeared behind Long Aotian again.
The longsword in her hand lay across Long Aotian's neck. Looking at his disbelieving expression, Bai Lan shook her head lightly. "With your current strength, you can't even make me enjoy myself."
In truth, she had gained quite a lot from this battle. But watching Long Aotian become enraged and crazed by her provocation while being utterly helpless really did brighten her mood.
"You've already lost."
Bai Lan tossed the longsword onto the fighting platform and turned to leave, her departing figure still graceful and light.
"Three months from now! I'll fight you to the death again!" Long Aotian said through gritted teeth.
Bai Lan did not turn around, merely saying coldly, "Losers have no right to make demands."
"You! I can wager Spirit Stones with you!" Long Aotian said in a deep voice.
Bai Lan stopped in her tracks.
Very good. After suffering setback after setback, although Long Aotian had not found Bai Lan's weakness, he had already figured out her preferences fairly well.
He knew that she liked Spirit Stones.
"You want me to beat you up that badly?" Bai Lan gave a derisive snort. "Fine. You're the one asking for a beating, so don't blame me. Next time you come looking to get beaten, remember to bring enough Spirit Stones. I don't like wasting time on irrelevant people and matters, but Spirit Stones are another matter entirely."
In truth, the spiritual energy in her body was nearly depleted as well.
Fortunately, Long Aotian had already lost his will to fight. Otherwise, she would not have been able to keep up the act.
The system broke out in a cold sweat. While sighing in relief, it increasingly felt that the entire tone of this plot was becoming more and more wrong.
It seemed that its host had stolen Long Aotian's moment in the spotlight?
Strange. Very strange.
"Junior Niece, wait. If you have time, you may come to the Law Enforcement Hall for a chat."
An ethereal, magnetic voice suddenly rang out in her mind. Bai Lan raised her head and swept her gaze over the chattering crowd before finally fixing it on the person seated above.
Before you continue