178: Chapter 178 Liu Ruyan's Strength

Before long, Liu Ruyan stepped onto the stage!

"Ruyan, be careful!" Baili Yunche reminded her via voice transmission.

Liu Ruyan turned back and gave him a sweet smile, then leaped up like a graceful bluebird, floating down onto Stage Seven.

Her light green long dress danced gently in the wind, her black hair cascading like a waterfall, her eyebrows and eyes as beautiful as a painting, surrounded by an ethereal Immortal Qi, instantly capturing the attention of everyone present.

"So beautiful!"

"Who is she? To think there's such a beautiful woman! She's simply a fairy descended to Earth!"

"She seems to be Saintess Yanchen of Xuanyang Sect! Who would have thought she's not only beautiful, but also strong!"

Opposite her, a wretched-looking man also leaped onto the arena stage.

His name was He Yan, a Cultivator of Wanshou Sect at the Ninth Layer of Golden Core.

This man had a gaunt face, triangular eyes, an aquiline nose, and thin, blackened lips, exuding a sinister air.

Most eye-catching was a jet-black giant wolf following beside him. The giant wolf was nearly ten feet tall, its eyes crimson as blood, fangs exposed, limbs athletic and strong, with claw blades flashing with a cold, eerie light.

It was precisely his natal Spirit Beast, the Netherworld Wolf!

The Netherworld Wolf was a Yao Beast known for its speed, coming and going like the wind, and adept at concealing its tracks, often pouncing to kill before its opponent could even react.

Their fangs and claws carried a frigid poison; once scratched, the wound would rot rapidly and be extremely difficult to heal.

For Cultivators of Beast Taming Sect, the Netherworld Wolf was an extremely troublesome support Spirit Beast; when combined with its master in a joint attack, it was almost unmatched among peers of the same rank.

Seeing that his opponent was a stunning beauty and merely a Disciple of Xuanyang Sect, He Yan immediately revealed a lewd smile, his gaze scanning uninhibitedly over Liu Ruyan:

"Little wench of Xuanyang Sect, I advise you to just admit defeat!"

"Lest my Spirit Beast fails to show tenderness to a maiden later—it wouldn't be good if it ruins your pretty face!"

"With such a beautiful face, how pitiful would it be if a few scars were left behind, hahaha!"

He paused, licked his lips, and continued, "However, if you are willing to be my woman, obediently crawl onto my bed tonight, and serve this lord comfortably, I can spare your life and even consider letting you advance. How about it? Quite a bargain, right? It would be such a pity for a beauty like you to die; why not follow this lord, and I guarantee you'll feel..."

"So much nonsense!"

A cold light flashed in Liu Ruyan's beautiful eyes; she didn't bother listening to his foul words at all.

With a flip of her delicate hand, a crystal-clear green long sword appeared in her palm—it was none other than the High Grade Magic Treasure, the bingli sword!

"Qinglian Twelve Swords—Sword Qi Like Lotus!"

She gave a soft shout, her figure moving like lightning as her sword tip quivered, shooting out a streak of green Sword Qi.

That Sword Qi suddenly bloomed in midair, transforming into a green lotus nearly ten feet in diameter. Its petals were composed of countless fine, dense streaks of Sword Qi, spinning as it engulfed toward He Yan.

Wherever the sword lotus passed, even the air was sliced, emitting sharp screeches.

He Yan's expression changed slightly, and he quickly urged the Netherworld Wolf: "Blackie, attack!"

Fierce light exploded in the Netherworld Wolf's crimson eyes, its body lunging violently with astonishing speed, turning into almost a black afterimage.

It circled around to Liu Ruyan's side, its sharp claw blades viciously raking toward her waist.

At the same time, it spat a stream of dark, frigid cold current from its mouth, freezing even the ground into a thin layer of ice wherever it passed.

He Yan also summoned a blood-colored short sabre and launched a joint attack from the flank, the sabre light darting like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, tricky and ruthless.

Liu Ruyan turned her sword lotus to block He Yan's sabre light while shifting her body sideways, narrowly dodging the Netherworld Wolf's sharp claws.

But the Netherworld Wolf was simply too fast; a second claw struck immediately after, leaving a faint bloodstain on her arm. Frigid Qi instantly invaded, causing her entire arm to go slightly numb.

"Ah! This Liu Ruyan's attainment in the Dao of the sword is very impressive, but it's a pity she encountered He Yan!"

"This man is at the Ninth Layer of Golden Core, and also has a Netherworld Wolf at the Ninth Layer of Golden Core in hand. With human and beast cooperating seamlessly, even an ordinary Nascent Soul Cultivator would have to spend quite some effort against them!"

"Indeed, the Netherworld Wolf is known for its speed, coming and going like the wind. That woman is merely at the Seventh Layer of Golden Core; I'm afraid she won't last long."

"What a pity! If that woman's cultivation were at the Ninth Layer of Golden Core, she might still stand a chance. Now... it's looking grim."

The crowd below the stage shook their heads one after another, not feeling optimistic about Liu Ruyan.

After all, with the gap in Realm plus the assistance of a Spirit Beast, He Yan clearly had the advantage no matter how one looked at it.

Seeing this, He Yan became even more pleased with himself, laughing lewdly: "Little beauty, why struggle? Just give in to me obediently, and I promise to let you suffer less physical pain!"

"That little bit of sword technique of yours is simply not enough in front of me and Blackie!"

"If you know what's good for you, strip naked now and crawl over, and I might consider letting you lose with some dignity!"

Liu Ruyan's pretty face was ice-cold, rage burning in her beautiful eyes: "In your dreams! A piece of trash like you thinks he's worthy of making me surrender?"

She took a deep breath as the spiritual energy of the Qinglian Twelve Swords surged wildly within her body, her Sword Intent climbing to the peak at this moment.

Tapping her toes lightly, her figure actually left behind green afterimages on the stage. With every step she took, a green lotus bloomed beneath her feet.

"Qinglian Twelve Swords—Lotus with Every Step!"

She let out a soft shout, her figure moving like a phantom across the stage.

With every step forward, the Sword Qi grew stronger. After nine steps, nine sword lotuses surrounded her, forming a Domain of Sword Qi.

Her speed reached the extreme, actually overtaking the Netherworld Wolf known for its speed!

"What?!" He Yan's pupils shrank sharply.

Liu Ruyan's bingli sword struck out fiercely. All nine sword lotuses exploded simultaneously, turning into countless sharp streaks of Sword Qi that swept toward He Yan and the Netherworld Wolf overwhelmingly.

The Sword Qi crisscrossed tightly without a gap, completely sealing off all routes of retreat for the Netherworld Wolf!

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

The Netherworld Wolf let out a tragic, shrill howl as its huge body was pierced with dozens of bloody holes by the Sword Qi. Blood sprayed wildly as it crashed heavily onto the edge of the stage, twitching a few times before completely losing its breath.

"No... My Blackie!"

He Yan let out a heart-wrenching scream, filled with anguish, and directly spat out a mouthful of essence blood.

As a beast tamer, a natal Spirit Beast is mentally connected with its master. Once the Spirit Beast dies, the master suffers a severe backlash as well.

He Yan's aura instantly withered by more than half, his face as pale as paper.

Liu Ruyan seized the opportunity, pointing the bingli sword straight at He Yan's brow, the tip only a foot away from his forehead, the Sword Qi stinging his skin.

"I admit defeat! I admit defeat!"

He Yan was terrified out of his wits, cold sweat soaking his back in an instant.

He didn't doubt for a second that if he were half a moment slower, that sword would pierce right through his skull!

Liu Ruyan snorted coldly, withdrew her sword, and turned around, floating gracefully toward the spectator stand.

"What? Wanshou Sect's He Yan actually lost?! Even the Netherworld Wolf was killed!"

"Heavens! What kind of sword technique is that? That's terrifying! At the Seventh Layer of Golden Core, she defeated a Ninth Layer Golden Core plus a same-rank Spirit Beast!"

"Xuanyang Sect actually has such a Prodigy?! Wasn't that woman a Saintess before? How did her strength explode so much?"

"Brilliant! Beat Wanshou Sect's bastards to death! Xuanyang Sect is mighty!"

The Disciples of Xuanyang Sect erupted into deafening cheers, every one of them flushed with excitement.

Liu Ruyan returned to Baili Yunche's arms, panting slightly, fine drops of fragrant sweat seeping from her forehead.

Baili Yunche smiled, wrapped his arm around her slender waist, and kissed her cheek:

"Well done! My Ruyan is indeed amazing, not wasting the Qinglian Twelve Swords I taught you."

Liu Ruyan's face flushed slightly, and she chided softly, "So many people are watching... But that He Yan had such a foul mouth; I couldn't wait to slice off his tongue with my sword."

"It's fine. Next time we encounter someone from Wanshou Sect, I'll slice it off for you."

Baili Yunche smiled.