The young prince of the lion faction tumbled to the ground like a sack of meat. He was supposed to be a lion amongst men, a person who looked down on everyone. Instead, he was clutching his sore cheeks and glaring up at the source of his humiliation.
"You bitch!" He said as he coughed up blood, "Get her!"
"Yes, lion prince!"
The two female cultivators who had come up with He Yuankang leaped into action. They surrounded Zhou Ziyun on two sides and prepared to avenge their young master.
"Stay still!"
"Take this!"
With surging spiritual energies, their hands became like claws and shot towards Zhou Ziyun's body.
Zhou Ziyun twirled around, avoiding both opening moves and rapidly retreating. Her two opponents followed close behind. They were both at the 9th Level of the Spirit Initiate Realm. Only one level below meant that they could keep up with her speed. It was not her specialty in any case.
Claw hands swiped at her face, her arms, and anything they could reach. Their movements were quick and deadly, like a hunter toying with their prey. She ducked and rolled away.
A stray claw caught the end of her skirt, tearing an opening that hinted at what was hidden beneath. A hint of bare flesh and a tease of what looked like undergarments... the crowd went wild although it wasn't clear what exactly they were cheering for.
Zhou Ziyun looked down at her dress and then at her opponents. "Not bad."
By this time, He Yuankang had recovered and joined his team. He was at the 10th Level of the Spirit Initiate Realm and together, it seemed like an overwhelmingly unfair fight. In fact, the elder in charge should have stopped them already because this was not in line with the rules of the event. However, that person was nowhere to be seen. Even the people on the eagle clan's side were not speaking up for her.
He Yuankang seemed to sense this and smiled menacingly, "Girl, I am going to strip you naked and parade you around the city for three days and three nights. Then everyone will know about the great Dao Genius of Ten Thousand Flower Valley, every… single… detail."
Zhou Ziyun chuckled, "Big words. Don't regret them."
With a flash of spiritual energy, the Insightful Swallow Saber appeared in her hand.
Shing!
The blade came out of the scabbard in one smooth motion, following her figure clad in white which had already turned into a blur.
"Roar!" He Yuankang bellowed as he transformed.
His head turned into one of a lion. His hands became large lion paws with deadly claws.
Clang! Clang!
He managed to block the first two saber strikes but the force behind them sent him retreating for his life. Never in his life had he faced such power. He felt as if he was sparring against his senior brother.
"Young master!"
"Prince He!"
The two women also transformed, their features becoming feline. Their nails which were abnormally long to begin with turned into wicked claws that were like small swords. They were like a pair of vicious alley cats that had jumped out to attack an innocent passerby.
Zhou Ziyun wasn't fazed. Facing multiple attacks from all directions, she relied on the specialty of the Flying Dragon Saber Art. And that was speed… not speed of movement but speed of attack!
Sha! Sha! Sha!
Her saber carved brilliant silver arcs in the air. Along the way, it sliced through transformed claws and ripped through clothes. By the time the two women knew to retreat, their outfits had been turned into shreds, revealing far more than they ever wanted.
The crowd roared in excitement. Although the people of Beast God Sanctum were not as modest as other people of the subcontinent due to their cultivation path, it was still considered customary for women to cover their chest and waist.
"Aiya!" One of the women shouted and covered her chest which had been laid bare.
With just a few accurate slices, Zhou Ziyun had completely destroyed her top.
"You bitch!" The other woman spat, crossing her legs together.
She could hide her front but her bare buttocks could be seen and enjoyed by all.
Zhou Ziyun wasn't done yet. Taking half of a breath, she leaped over the bashful pair and attacked He Yuankang. The useless lion prince stood frozen in shock as he was overwhelmed by saber energy falling all around him. He almost wanted to close his eyes and beg for mercy.
By the time he realized it was over, the first thing he noticed was the thunderous laughter that echoed through the arena. He looked down in fright but found to his relief that his clothes were still intact. Then he felt it, strands of hair that had fallen on his shoulders and on across his front.
"No!" He shouted and felt his head. "My hair!"
Male lions prided themselves in their magnificent mane. The men of the He family were the same and treasured their long, thick hair. But with just a few saber cuts, he was left with a misshapen buzzcut.
"Hahaha!"
"Look at this lion prince, more like a lion baby!"
"Hahaha!"
"I never knew he was so ugly without his hair!"
The mocking was vicious and endless. Those from the eagle faction were particularly loud. At the start of the fight, they had little respect for Zhou Ziyun, an outsider and the disciple of an immortal who was begging their lord for protection. Now, she had given their enemy a huge slap across the face, literally and figuratively. It was really refreshing!
"You… you…" He Yuankang muttered, still clutching at his bare head.
It was hard to understand how he had lost three against one. When he heard about a Dao Genius, he had expected a bookworm who was good at the theoretical aspects of cultivation. He didn't expect her to be so strong.
Just then, the elder finally reappeared and landed on the stage beside them. The old man cleared his throat and said, "Let's end this here. Today is supposed to be an auspicious day. This is the Fox Volant of Beast Mountain, not a place for a senseless street brawl. Miss Zhou, you may go. This round will not count and will have no victor. We will continue with the event with new participants."
"No." Zhou Ziyun cut in.
"What?" The elder's face morphed into one of supreme disapproval.
Zhou Ziyun laughed. "I won. It doesn't matter what you say. These three idiots lost."
She exuded arrogance with every word. In front of these shameless beast lovers, she didn't hold back one bit.
She walked towards the pillar and the prize fox. The elder moved swiftly to block her way.
"Little girl, you dare? You had better obediently sit back down or else."
She smiled. She recognized that this elder was a member of the lion faction. All the better.
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