She took a deep breath as she stepped through the entrance. Jian Li heard Jian Chen mutter her name but she ignored him, focusing instead on keeping herself calm as she moved through the small crowd of people outside to get back to the stage.
Jian Li had seen the look in Zhang Yan's eyes as he approached Jian Chen during their battle. It was as if he wanted to destroy Jian Chen, not just defeat him.
Her eyes seemed to sharpen as she walked to the fighting stage.
"Almost as if the heavens have planned it, the very first match of the top 16 is a grudge match!
After previously defeating Jian Chen, Zhang Yan has the chance to now fight against Jian Li!
But, will she fall as her elder brother did, or rise to the occasion and take her revenge?", Meng Liang announced as he looked towards Jian Chen's tent with a smirk.
The entire arena seemed to have frozen, waiting with bated breath to see how things would play out. The tension was so thick it was almost palpable.
Zhang Yan had already arrived on stage as he stared into space with a blank expression, completely uninterested in anything around him.
Then suddenly, he looked directly towards Jian Li, as if he was surprised that someone else was on stage with him.
Jian Li glared back at him. There was a fire burning within her chest that was making her muscles ache and burn.
A few moments went by as they stood there facing one another, neither one of them willing to move yet.
At last, Zhang Yan took a step forward, his hands clenching into fists at his sides as he stared down at her with a chilling look in his eyes.
"Good luck.", he said, his voice low and emotionless as he looked at her as if she wasn't worth his time.
Jian Li's eyes narrowed in response, her body tensed in preparation for battle.
Meng Liang's next words caused her to freeze in place once again. "But before the two begin their contest, let us give our condolences to Jian Chen who lost to Zhang Yan in the previous round. Our condolences go out to you for having wasted all your effort!"
Jian Li stood there in a daze, barely able to believe what she had just heard. It was just too odd for Meng Liang to talk down on Jian Chen to that degree in public. After all, no matter how much he disliked Jian Ye or Jian Chen, they were still part of the same sect.
Quickly recalling what Jian Chen and He Yu had told her to prepare for, she felt like Zhang Yan had already begun his illusionary tricks. As far as Jian Li knew, the battle had already started.
Meng Liang's announcement of Jian Chen's defeat only seemed to make Zhang Yan more confident as he started walking slowly toward her. His body language screamed arrogance and contempt.
His every movement seemed to be filled with scorn, making him look even more formidable than he probably was.
Jian Li stood motionless as he approached her, staring at him in defiance as her eyes never wavered from his.
"Well then, let us see who will emerge victorious to-." Meng Liang announced as he raised his arm into the air.
As he did so, the rest of his words became muted and a large shadow suddenly rose up from behind Zhang Yan's back.
The shadow was huge, as tall as it was wide and its presence was overwhelming.
"What...?", Jian Li gasped as she laid eyes on the new challenger.
A massive beast stood between them, its head covered in white fur and its body was covered in grey scales. Its eyes were dark and cold, its mouth full of teeth that looked sharp enough to bite through steel. It was clearly larger than the lion-like spirit beasts she and her companions had fought before.
"This has to be one of his tricks again, it just feels too odd.", Jian Li thought to herself.
The main thing that He Yu told her to be cautious against, was the fact that every single mental attack and illusion was just as potent as a physical one, if not more. She had to use her all no matter how odd it felt.
As long she stood her ground for long enough, anything was possible. She had no choice besides forcefully struggling till victory was at hand.
Zhang Yan's grey beast snarled viciously and its powerful legs began to tremble as it charged toward her at incredible speed.
Jian Li's heart pounded loudly inside her chest. The pressure in her mind was getting unbearable as the beast closed in on her with each passing second.
She could feel herself start to panic, but that fear was soon drowned out by the rush of adrenaline that flooded her veins.
Jian Li focused on the feeling as she held her breath, channelling her Family Art of Refinement and the True Sword Art at the same time.
Her eyes remained fixed on Zhang Yan's hulking beast as it bolted closer and closer to her.
As soon as the beast had closed to an acceptable distance, Jian Li took a step forward, her hand reaching out to the empty air behind her.
With a sudden movement, Jian Li summoned her sword and slashed at where the beast was. The blade was swift and silent, leaving only a thin trail of light as it travelled through the air.