She had never imagined that she would lose.
And to Su Lianxin, the "senior sister" she had never once taken seriously from beginning to end.
And in just one strike?
She found it impossible to accept.
What was more, when Su Lianxin unleashed that strike, the spiritual power fluctuations that erupted in that instant had even surpassed hers...
The Earth Profound Realm!
And at least the Earth Mysterious Fifth Layer...
Qu Youmeng's mind went blank.
The fifth level of the Earth Profound Realm? How was that possible?
A few months ago, she clearly remembered that this nominal senior sister of hers had only been at the ninth level of Body Refining, not even at Qi Gathering yet. Barely half a year had passed, so how had she reached the fifth level of the Earth Profound Realm?
She simply could not understand. How exactly had she done it?
Half a year, from the ninth level of Body Refining to the fourth level of the Earth Profound Realm? How many cultivation levels lay between them?
What on earth was going on? This speed of advancement was far too inconceivable.
More laughably still, she had just been planning to end the battle with one strike.
The battle had indeed ended with one strike, but the victor had not been her, Qu Youmeng...
"Junior sister, thank you for yielding."
Looking at Qu Youmeng, whom she had blasted off the arena with one strike and whose face was filled with disbelief, Su Lianxin shook her head.
"If you had cultivated the Azure Emperor Scripture back then too, junior sister, I certainly wouldn't be your match."
Indeed, just a few months ago, this junior sister of hers had been far above her in cultivation. Now she had actually surpassed her. It truly was unbelievable.
At this thought, Su Lianxin looked toward her master, Lin Xuan, again. Everything had been given to her by her master!
"The Azure Emperor Scripture?"
Qu Youmeng was no fool. Su Lianxin's words were clearly telling her why she had improved so much over the past half year.
But... what was the Azure Emperor Scripture?
No, wait...
Qu Youmeng suddenly remembered something.
Half a year ago, Lin Xuan... that nominal master of hers, had bestowed a cultivation method on the three of them...
And back then, having just received a Heavenly Venerable Realm cultivation method from her master, Heavenly Venerable Yunli, she had not
paid any mind to the cultivation method Lin Xuan had bestowed on her. She had not even bothered to glance at it before tossing it into a corner of her storage ring like garbage.
After all, as she had seen it then, Lin Xuan was merely a Peak Master of the Azure Yang Sword Sect, and one of its lowest-ranking Peak Masters at that. How could the cultivation method he gave her be anything good?
It probably was not even a king-grade cultivation method. Compared to the venerable-grade cultivation method her master, Heavenly Venerable Yunli, had bestowed on her, wasn't it just garbage?
At this thought, Qu Youmeng abruptly sent her Divine Sense into her storage ring. Soon, in one corner, she found the cultivation method Lin Xuan had bestowed on her back then.
The three characters for "Azure Emperor Scripture" were clearly visible on it, making Qu Youmeng's eyes fly wide open.
Opening the cultivation method, Qu Youmeng grew more alarmed the more she read.
Ever since becoming Heavenly Venerable Yunli's disciple, her horizons had naturally broadened considerably. Ordinary cultivation methods could not catch her eye at all, but the further she read into the Azure Emperor Scripture, the more alarmed she became... no, she could even be described as shaken.
For she discovered that this cultivation method's grade far exceeded her imagination. Even the Profound Ice Instruction bestowed on her by her master, Heavenly Venerable Yunli, fell far short of it!
The Profound Ice Instruction was already a top-tier venerable-grade cultivation method. Above that was... Thearch Grade!
Thearch Grade?
This Azure Emperor Scripture was a Thearch Grade cultivation method?
Qu Youmeng's breath caught, her eyes filled with shock.
The cultivation method Lin Xuan had bestowed on the three of them half a year ago was a Thearch Grade cultivation method?
This cultivation method was the reason Junior Sister Su Lianxin had improved so much over the past half year?
But... Lin Xuan, Peak Master Lin, was merely an insignificant Peak Master of the Azure Yang Sword Sect. Where had he gotten a Thearch Grade cultivation method?
But however much she refused to believe it, the truth lay before her.
The Azure Emperor Scripture, a Thearch Grade cultivation method...
Qu Youmeng suddenly felt some regret. Why hadn't she leafed through this cultivation method when she first received it?
Just a few glances, and she would surely have discovered how extraordinary it was...
Just as Junior Sister Su Lianxin had said, if she had cultivated this Azure Emperor Scripture back then too, then now...
An immense wave of regret swept through her body and mind.
Apart from Lin Xuan and a handful of others, few people paid attention to the outcome on Arena One. Disciples, Peak Masters, and elders alike were almost all focused on Shi Hao's battle with Jiang Lan on Arena Five.
By then, Shi Hao and Jiang Lan's battle was also nearing its end.
After both sides played all their trump cards, Jiang Lan ultimately proved a little stronger and blasted Shi Hao out of the arena!
"Sixth Peak, Jiang Lan wins!"
And the Sixth Peak, to which Jiang Lan belonged, was part of the Holy Son's faction!
"Amazing!"
"Jiang Lan! Jiang Lan!"
"Well done, Senior Brother Jiang Lan!"
Morale soared on the Holy Son's side, and countless people cheered.
The most powerful clash between the two factions so far had ultimately ended in a victory for the Holy Son's side.
In contrast, morale on the Holy Maiden's side sank terribly low. Even Li Fufeng herself showed traces of unwillingness in her beautiful eyes.
This battle had been exceptionally crucial, both for her and for her faction. Shi Hao had had several chances to defeat Jiang Lan, but in the end, he had failed to seize them and lost...
Closing her eyes, Li Fufeng tried her best not to let it affect her. Things had not reached the point of despair yet. If she could defeat Lu Tianxing, there was still a chance to salvage everything.
When she opened her eyes, however, she found Lu Tianxing looking at her, a cold smile on his lips and a hint of mockery in his gaze, as though saying that this was only the beginning!
Sparks seemed to fly as their gazes collided.
Just then, the elder on the raised platform called out another two numbers.
"Arena One, Number Thirteen versus... Number Seventy-Nine?"
As he read out the two numbers, the hesitation creeping into the elder's voice was clearly audible.
The spectator stands suddenly fell silent as well, so quiet that a falling pin could be heard. The silence was rather frightening.
Everyone looked toward Li Fufeng and Lu Tianxing in shock.
They might not remember anyone else's number, but they remembered Li Fufeng's and Lu Tianxing's perfectly clearly!
That was right. Li Fufeng was Number Thirteen.
And Lu Tianxing was Number Seventy-Nine!
What was going on?
Such a coincidence?
Li Fufeng versus Lu Tianxing?
Was the final battle happening ahead of time?