"Everyone, my Tian Clan and the Shui Clan have been close friends for generations. I have also long admired Miss Bing'er. I hope you gentlemen will grant me this favor!"
A blue-clad man seated in the very center of the waiting area suddenly spoke.
His words were courteous, but his tone was exceedingly arrogant.
Tuoba Xuan glanced sidelong at the speaker.
Judging by his aura and what he had said, this man was Tian Bingyun, as expected.
"Of course. Young Master Bingyun is a genius who broke through to Soul Ancestor at just eighteen. Only a peerless talent like him is worthy of Miss Bing'er."
Someone immediately chimed in with praise—a well-fed-looking fat man.
The others quickly echoed him.
In the vast side hall, not a single word of dissent could be heard.
Tuoba Xuan said nothing.
He had more or less guessed the real purpose of this competition.
He also knew he had nearly been used as a blade.
Tuoba Xuan did not believe Shui Bing'er was unaware of the true nature of this competition.
They called it a competition, but it was really an unconventional tournament to select a husband.
In other words, Shui Bing'er had been asking him for help earlier.
Perhaps the winner of this contest had already been decided.
It was even possible the Shui Clan was being pushed along by others through this entire competition.
Besides, the arrival of people from Spirit Hall was highly suspicious.
The Shui Clan was firmly aligned with the Tiandou Faction.
How could they possibly have anything to do with Spirit Hall?
More likely, the Tian Clan had latched onto Spirit Hall, a towering tree with deep roots.
They wanted to swallow Skywater Academy in one fell swoop.
That was why they had forced the Shui Clan to hold this competition.
"Friend, you look unfamiliar. You're not from Skywater City, are you?"
Though Tuoba Xuan had looked away,
Tian Bingyun had still noticed him.
Tuoba Xuan was simply too handsome.
Compared with Tian Bingyun, a withered sort who spent his days frequenting brothels, he was incomparably superior.
That gave Tian Bingyun a sense of crisis.
Moreover, Tian Bingyun sensed a faint air of authority about Tuoba Xuan.
His expression darkened at once.
"I'm from the south."
Tuoba Xuan took a sip of the tea beside him and replied calmly.
Tian Bingyun's eyes were as cold as a sharp blade of ice.
"Friend, you look quite young. I assume you've come for Miss Bing'er, too."
Tuoba Xuan swirled his teacup, a smile lifting the corners of his mouth.
"Indeed. Am I not allowed to come? This is Skywater City, after all."
"You..."
Tian Bingyun sprang to his feet at those words.
A powerful aura erupted in an instant, sending the chairs around him flying.
In the distance, Shui Yue'er furrowed her brows. This was the City Lord's Mansion in her Skywater City.
Tian Bingyun was arrogant enough to think he could hurt someone here.
"Tian Bingyun, don't get carried away. This isn't your Tian Clan's territory," Shui Yue'er snapped.
"Hmph!"
Tian Bingyun gave a cold laugh, reined in his aura, and sat back down.
"Fine. You're Bing'er's sister, so I'll give you this courtesy. But understand this: no one can stop me from claiming your sister and the entire Shui Clan. Don't think some green kid can help you."
"You!"
Shui Yue'er clenched her fists.
Tian Bingyun was far too arrogant, but she had little strength to argue back.
The Shui Clan and the Tian Clan had once been evenly matched.
But a year ago, the Tian Clan had latched onto Spirit Hall, and its strength had immediately surpassed the Shui Clan's.
Tian Bingyun had coveted her sister for a long time.
With Spirit Hall's support, he had become even more brazen.
Whenever someone pursued Shui Bing'er,
they would receive a warning the next day, or even suffer a savage beating.
At best, they were left with torn muscles and broken bones; at worst, their Soul Power was damaged.
"Oh?"
Tuoba Xuan drained the tea in his cup.
"Your words are rather premature, don't you think? With your strength, I doubt you can claim the title of champion."
"When we get on the arena, you'll find out whether I have the strength to say it!"
Tian Bingyun flicked his sleeve, a cold smile already playing on his lips.
"Dong! Dong! Dong!"
The deafening toll of a bell rang out.
"Everyone, get ready to head to the competition arena,"
Shui Yue'er said through clenched teeth.
"Hmph, kid. Pray you don't run into me."
Tian Bingyun rose and threw Tuoba Xuan a threat.
Tuoba Xuan did not even spare Tian Bingyun another glance.
He simply followed Shui Yue'er's directions toward the competition arena.
The arena was right beside the side hall. It was a proper Soul Fighting Arena.
By then, quite a crowd had gathered around it, but the mood was tense.
It seemed that all the prominent figures from Skywater City and Tianbing City had arrived, along with a few people of especially high standing.
One example was the golden-haired young woman currently eyeing Tuoba Xuan with curiosity.
The young woman had the most distinguished air of all.
Many people did not even dare let their eyes linger on her.
They were afraid of offending her.
An old man in a white uniform sat beside her.
He fixed his gaze on the contestants as they filed in.
"Deacon Di, who is that man?"
The young woman asked softly, naturally referring to Tuoba Xuan.
The old man raised an eyebrow.
"Holy Maiden, this subordinate doesn't recognize him either. I imagine he's a nobody."
The young woman nodded.
But she did not agree with the old man.
She simply committed Tuoba Xuan's appearance to memory.
The two were representatives of Spirit Hall.
They were the Holy Maiden, Hu Liena, and the Deacon Soul Douluo, Lor Diarra.
"Everyone has arrived. I hereby declare that the competition is about to begin."
A pale-faced noblewoman stepped onto the arena.
She spoke with a helpless air.
She was the mother of Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er.
She was also the head of Skywater Academy, Shui Qing'er.
If she had not been forced into this,
how could she have borne to sacrifice her own daughter?
But in little more than half a year, the Tian Clan, together with Spirit Hall, had swallowed up most of the Shui Clan's holdings.
If things continued, the Shui Clan would be finished.
"City Lord Shen, it seems Miss Shui Bing'er is ready. Let's begin."
A man beside Lor Diarra spoke mockingly.
His two beady eyes stayed fixed on Shui Qing'er's thighs.
He was the City Lord of Tianbing City and the head of the Tian Clan, Tian Henglei.
Like Shui Qing'er, he was a Soul Douluo.
As the competition began, contestants went up one after another to fight.
But most of them merely went through the motions.
They used a few Soul Skills, then admitted defeat, as if they had arranged it all beforehand.
Shui Qing'er gritted her teeth, but there was nothing she could do.
"Miss, someone else has surrendered. They must all be people sent by the Tian Clan. We can't admit defeat!"
Deep inside the City Lord's Mansion,
Shui Bing'er sat quietly before her dressing table.
She listened as the maid beside her spoke indignantly.
Shui Bing'er slowly shook her head, as if she had accepted her fate.
"It's no use. The Tian Clan has too much power now. I'm afraid everything is already settled."
"Miss, but you're the one who has to sacrifice yourself. What about the person you mentioned before? Didn't he say he would come?"
The maid looked close to tears.
Tuoba Xuan's face appeared in Shui Bing'er's mind, and she gave a soft laugh.
"I already sent Yue'er to stop him. It's better for me to sacrifice myself than for the whole clan to be sacrificed."
In her heart, Shui Bing'er hoped Tuoba Xuan would come.
The situation had reached a point where there was no way to turn it around.
Shui Bing'er did not know what kind of humiliation and torment Tian Bingyun would subject her to after she married him.
After her, it would likely be her mother, then her sister.
They would also be dragged into the Tian Clan and made into playthings.
Shui Bing'er had even made up her mind to take them all down with her.
At the most helpless moment,
how could Shui Bing'er not long for the person in her heart to appear before her, to pull her out of the abyss?
But at the same time, Shui Bing'er did not want Tuoba Xuan to come.
The City Lord's Mansion was surrounded by enemies. She feared he would be hurt if he came.
"Maybe he was just a passerby..."
Shui Bing'er parted her red lips...