Everyone watching the battle fell silent for a moment, then cries of astonishment erupted one after another.
"Junior Sister Ran hid her strength far too well."
Liu Yuling's eyes were filled with shock, and her brows knitted tightly:
"She was truly ruthless, too... The Northern Emperor Demon-Subduing Sect and the Divine Owl Sect have always been on bad terms, but did she really have to go that far?"
"In a fight to the death, softhearted mercy is the greatest taboo."
Gu Tan said gravely:
"The competition's rules have always been clear. Once you step onto the stage, you must be ready to fight to the death. If you lack even that much courage, why come here at all?"
Everyone around him nodded in agreement.
Ye Qian spoke slowly:
"I know what Song Lie was like. If their strengths had been reversed, he would never have shown mercy. If I were Junior Sister Ran, I would have gone all out against him, too! Cut off all future trouble at the root!"
"That may be true..."
Ma Chengguo sighed and said quietly:
"But now Junior Sister Ran's feud with the Divine Owl Sect is set in stone... The Vast Righteousness Alliance's rules mean they won't dare retaliate openly, but how could there be any shortage of hidden arrows beneath the table?"
"...Let's stop talking about such gloomy things. Junior Sister Ran is back."
Liu Yuling reminded them, then smiled and took the initiative to congratulate Ran Shuang.
Everyone around her offered their congratulations as well.
But Ran Shuang was cold and aloof by nature. She merely gave them a slight nod in acknowledgment, then returned to her seat, closed her eyes, and began regulating her breathing.
No one took offense.
Chen Cheng, however, felt a faint stir in his heart. Compared with