"I'm sorry, master." Xu Lanyi said once she returned to the stands.
She avoided her master's eyes and stared at the ground between them. She knew she had blundered. If she hadn't given in to Peng Xifan's insults, if she hadn't fought for real, she could have won the duel by default like her sisters.
"Losing is also a good lesson. It's important to accurately judge your opponent before you fully commit to a battle. It is important to always keep a clear head and know when to retreat. But I'm sure you've already realized these points." Chen Wentian shrugged and beckoned her to sit down, "Come here, Yuechan was just called down to face a challenge before you came back. Let's watch together."
Xu Lanyi sat down reluctantly next to him. She looked around them, worried that other sects and cultivators would see her inappropriately close proximity to her master. He purposefully ignored her silent protests and snaked a hand around her waist, pulling her close until there was no distance separating them. From a distance, she looked like a little wife of a playboy instead of a disciple.
"Master…" She whined.
"Shh. Yuechan's duel is starting." Chen Wentian admonished. His hand reached down and gave her ass a good squeeze. "So just sit by me for one round. This is your punishment."
She squirmed at his touch but remained silent, staring ahead at the next round of duels.
Below them, atop one of the nine dueling platforms, Li Yuechan stood serenely, attracting far more attention than any of the other competitors.
She wore light pink robes that hung loosely all the way to the ground. Despite this, they fit well in just the right places, accentuating her feminine curves with a perfect balance that was not overly sensual but also not conservative either. She was tall and slender but, unlike Xu Lanyi, had an undeniably alluring figure.
Her black hair flowed down her back where it was braided together with silver thread. A jeweled crown adorned the top knot of her head, giving her a regal aura. There wasn't a single strand of hair out of place except for two long bangs that framed her face.
Her features were perfectly proportioned. From her straight and narrow nose to eyes like those of a phoenix, from smooth rosy cheeks to a pair of kissable red lips, there wasn't a single flaw.
The audience was stunned by her appearance. It wasn't hard to argue that she was the most beautiful woman who had taken the stage thus far.
Li Yuechan soaked in all the attention. She didn't think of herself as a vain person but she always knew she was pretty. However, she was never at the level of Long Yifei or some of the other core disciples of Glacier Palace. She was far from a devastating beauty like Jasmine or other immortal women. She turned heads in the streets but she never attracted crowds and mayhem, never like this. She hadn't expected such a reception and her heart was beating a little fast.
Perhaps… had she grown more beautiful in the past year under her master's care? She had never considered it since she was around Long Yifei and Jasmine all the time. But her master had so many mysterious abilities. In her eyes, he could do everything so anything was possible.
"Duelists, are you ready? You each have five minutes to defeat your opponent!" Yang Kaitian's voice interrupted her musings.
She looked over at her opponent who was another disciple from the Tower of Swords. His name was Peng Yucheng. His age was difficult to tell due to a stocky build and a messy beard that covered half of his face. She also couldn't gauge his cultivation but she knew that he wouldn't have challenged her if he was weak.
"Lady Li," Peng Yucheng said, staring at her unblinkingly, "I didn't think you would come to a sword competition dressed like that. You truly disappoint me."
Li Yuechan didn't react but she was quietly trying to figure out what he was trying to do.
Peng Yucheng continued, "Your master, Immortal Chen, has also been a great disappointment. This is the Convocation of Swords, a noble contest for sword cultivators devoted to the path of the sword, not a playdate for him and a bunch of mistresses."
She now understood. He was trying to goad her as the previous guy had done to Xu Lanyi. But while Xu Lanyi was simple-minded, such cheap tricks weren't going to work on her.
"If gentleman Peng has complaints, you can make them directly to my master." Li Yuechan said as she formed a slender ice sword in her right hand.
"Heh, what's the matter? Did I speak wrongly?" Peng Yucheng retorted, drawing his own sword which was almost as big as he was tall, "Is it not true that Immortal Chen enjoys plucking all the flowers that reside in his valley? His appetite is so big that swindling five disciples from Glacier Palace wasn't enough. He even managed to swallow the entirety of Glacier Palace for himself."
"Begin!" Yang Kaitian's command cut through the tension between them.
Li Yuechan didn't hesitate and rapidly retreated, putting distance between them. She wasn't going to fight properly. She wasn't going to give her opponent the satisfaction.
Peng Yuchang shook his head, "Or are you in denial just because you have a pretty face? Does he dote on you? Does he treat you better than others? Don't be stupid!"
With a shout, he charged after her. As he swung his heavy sword, his sword intent boiled over, covering the whole of the dueling platform in an instant.
Li Yuechan sensed danger and instantly activated the 4th Stage of Winter's Snow Dance, Icy Marrow. Her speed increased by more than one-fold as she darted to the side to avoid the incoming attack. But against her expectations, the incoming sword swing transformed into pure sword energy and greatly expanded in width.
Peng Yuchang wasn't simple. He was over thirty paces away but his attack had already reached her. For a sword cultivator to rely purely on sword intent and sword energy to attack from such a distance, it meant that his foundation was tremendous and that his sword art was truly fearsome.
Li Yuechan summoned all of her spiritual energy to resist the incoming sword slash. Her ice sword increased in size by several fold as she held it out with both hands.
Shua!
The wave of sword energy swept over her, pushing her backward. Her feet slid on the stone tiles until she was almost to the edge. She was finally able to block her opponent's sword energy but her ice sword had turned into an ice dagger. Her spiritual sea was also left shaken from the encounter with a force that was clearly stronger than her by a substantial amount.
"Yuechan." Chen Wentian's voice drifted into her ear. "Are you alright?"
His voice gave her encouragement. She nodded and stood back up.
"Yuechan, this fat little man is quite strong. He is at the lesser realm of Spiritual Growth. From what I can sense, he has already been that that lesser realm for many years…" There was a slight pause before he spoke again, "I heard the stuff he was saying about me and I don't really care. I just wanted you to know that. Whether you want to keep fighting or give up is up to you. I will support you, whatever decision you make."
"Thank you, master." Li Yuechan whispered.
Her eyes flashed with resolve as she faced Peng Yuchang's second attack that was already coming toward her.
She leaped backward, performed an arching backflip, and landed outside of the dueling area. As the judge declared her loss, she pointed a finger towards Peng Yuchang's astonished face.
"Surnamed Peng, just you wait. Your disgraceful, disgusting words against my master won't go unpunished for long!"
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