CHAPTER 29

— A Gentle Rub —

"In this match, spiritual beasts are forbidden, talismans are forbidden. The focus is on mutual learning, camaraderie comes first, and the fight must end at the appropriate moment. No lives may be harmed. The one who first steps out of the arena loses..."

Standing at the corner of the arena, which measured about fifty square meters and was paved with dark green granite, Tong Tong stared blankly as the brown-robed elder arbiter opened and closed his mouth, droning on and repeating the competition rules she had already heard several times—all while the "Granny Rong" across from her continuously bombarded her with seemingly gentle yet eerie smiles, a form of psychological warfare that drained her courage like air leaking from a balloon. Bit by bit, her resolve crumbled, as if she were under the influence of a slow-acting poison. Her limbs gradually grew numb, and even her mind became muddled...

"Dang—" The arbiter struck a small golden bell, signaling the start of the match.

The sound snapped Tong Tong back to her senses. Instinctively, she summoned Biling Sword and held it across her chest, nervously watching Rong Miaoyin's movements, afraid she might launch a sudden attack.

Clearly, this Miss Miaoyin had inherited Granny Rong's true essence, reveling in the thrilling sensation of slowly driving fine silver needles into Ziwei's tender, fair skin—for Miss Miaoyin, what could be more exhilarating than leisurely tormenting the person who had once humiliated her in public, crushing her spirit, defeating her physically, and, in the process, drawing the attention focused on her back to herself?

Sensing Tong Tong's fear, Rong Miaoyin offered a reassuring smile, summoned her lifebound sword, and first gave a courteous, amiable bow, greeting gently, "Greetings, Senior Sister Tong. It has been many days. I have missed you dearly."

—Unlike the other peaks of Chonghua, Qiuye Peak had always ranked its disciples based on cultivation and status.

Just like how Tong Tong, despite not having particularly high cultivation, was addressed as "Senior Sister" by other junior disciples because she was a direct-line true disciple, and how Su Yan, though much younger than Mo Ziming and the others, firmly held the position of senior brother—if it weren't for Ding Ding catching up quickly, she might now have to call Tong Tong, who was younger than her, "Senior Sister"!

"Y-You're welcome, I missed you too..." Not at all! Tong Tong thought, her face stiff as she forced the pleasantries.

This petty woman was probably thinking about how to deal with her! Wasn't it just shaving off half her hair? Hadn't it already grown back? Was it really worth holding a grudge like this? It was as if she had carved an indelible tattoo on her body... Hadn't she heard the saying? Why must women make things difficult for each other?

Unfortunately, in front of so many people, she couldn't bring herself to voice her thoughts. She could only try to keep her expression as calm as possible, though her eyes, constantly darting around to scout the best escape route, betrayed a hint of her emotions—when outmatched, retreat is the best strategy! If she couldn't win, she'd just run! Losing to someone from her own peak wouldn't tarnish her beautiful master's reputation. Surely the big iceberg wouldn't blame her... right?

Her gaze swept over a corner several yards away, where there were noticeably fewer people. It was Su Yan, standing straight with his sword, along with Ding Ding and He Gu.

His deep, beautiful eyes were fixed unwaveringly on her, carrying an indescribable meaning. His face remained expressionless, yet Tong Tong could sense a hint of trust and encouragement—definitely a trick of the eyes! That iceberg's eyes were clearly filled with k!lling intent! Combined, they spelled out the five bl0ody words: "Victory is the only option!"

With a sigh of despair, Tong Tong swallowed hard and turned her attention back to "Granny Rong," who had just finished her lengthy speech.

"This sword is named Jingji [Thorns]—Senior Sister Tong, you'd better be careful. I won't hold back!" As soon as the last word fell, Rong Miaoyin stepped forward with her jade-like foot, charging toward her at full speed.

Tong Tong's eyes widened instantly, as if she had seen a ghost—

What was with that terrifying-looking greatsword covered in countless barbs in Granny Rong's hand? Was that even a sword? That was a spiked mace! If she got hit by that thing, she'd immediately have ten or eight bl0ody holes in her body! This effect was far more powerful than the little silver needles used in the palace!

Although her brain was running at high speed, spitting out complaints ten times faster, her body's reaction wasn't much quicker. As Rong Miaoyin's "Thorn" swept toward her, she hurriedly raised her sword to block, only to feel an immense force transmitted through the blade, causing a heart-wrenching pain in the tiger's mouth of her hand.

Taking advantage of this block, Tong Tong crouched low, slipping out from under Rong Miaoyin's encirclement, and thrust her sword backward, aiming directly at her opponent's exposed, undefended back.

In the blink of an eye, two thick green vines, as thick as a child's arm, emerged from the ground, intertwining to form a shield that barely blocked the attack—on these two vines grew densely packed brown-black barbs, maintaining the same sharp style as her lifebound sword, making Tong Tong's eyes twitch uncontrollably.

—Unlike Tong Tong, Rong Miaoyin possessed a single wood spiritual root, making her one of the best talents among the junior disciples.

Manipulating plants was one of the wood-element arts, and the canine-tooth vine was her favorite plant to use—low intelligence made it easy to control, requiring minimal true essence consumption, yet its attack power was immense. When used unexpectedly, it could often trap opponents, leaving them unable to fight back.

—And it hurt like hell.

Staring wide-eyed at the sudden appearance of the unknown plant, Tong Tong couldn't help but scream inwardly: Holy crap! A jungle tree demon just popped up! Granny Rong, you're actually an Amazon warrior, aren't you?!

The Biling Sword plunged deep into the green vine, oozing a yellowish-green sap that resembled its bl0od—utterly nauseating.

Gritting her teeth, Tong Tong poured all her spiritual energy into the sword. The green light blazed brightly, and with a deafening explosion, the green vine burst into a shower of splinters. The disgusting yet unexpectedly fragrant sap splattered everywhere, most of it landing on Miaoyin—while Tong Tong, for once surprisingly agile, managed to dodge it!

Clutching the thorn-covered sword, whose barbs now seemed twice as sharp, Miaoyin's face turned ashen. Her jet-black hair and pristine white robe were stained with the yellowish-green sap, her eyes reddened as she glared fiercely at Tong Tong, who stood innocently holding the Biling Sword. No longer able to maintain her hypocritical smile, she swung her massive sword wildly, commanding the green vines that kept erupting from the ground, and charged forward with a near-roar: "I'll k!ll you—I swear I'll k!ll you—!"

—For the second time, she had lost her composure in front of everyone. And both times, it was because of this plain-looking, low-skilled girl! How could she not hate her? How could she not rage?

"Ah! Ah! Yamete—!" Tong Tong tearfully recalled the miserable days in school when her P.E. teacher forced her to play dodgeball—her underdeveloped cerebellum made her the prime target. Even now, her reflexes were far from outstanding, still slightly sluggish.

Although her agility had improved a lot after three months of training, Rong Miaoyin's thorn-covered sword swung with such ferocity—clearly not comparable to the soft beach volleyballs thrown by the gentle girls at school!

Despite doing her utmost to dodge, she was still struck several times on the arms, legs, and grazed along her waist and back. Her neat clothes were torn to shreds, revealing the light pink undergarment beneath. While other women might consider this a great humiliation, for Tong Tong, who was used to wearing tank tops and shorts in the modern world, it meant nothing. Yet, in the eyes of the spectators around the arena, who watched with either pity or disdain, her indifferent expression only fueled more whispers and pointing behind her back.

"Silence." Su Yan said coldly, his icy gaze sweeping over the murmuring disciples, who instantly fell silent. His dark eyes returned to the arena.

Flustered and dodging frantically, Tong Tong twisted and turned within the fifty-square-meter arena. Who would have thought that the luxurious apartment she could only afford with a hefty sum in downtown Shanghai would now feel more cramped than a tiny room, severely limiting her movements and leaving her with nowhere to hide?

A moment of carelessness, a split-second delay, and she suddenly felt a searing pain on her cheek. Tong Tong's mind raced, and a small makeup mirror appeared in her left hand. Looking closely, she saw a two-to-three-centimeter-long bl0ody gash on her smooth cheek.

"Ahhh! What if my face gets scarred?!" Tong Tong's heart trembled, and she couldn't help but cry out.

A wave of jeers erupted from the crowd.

What girl doesn't care about her appearance? Even a usually carefree girl like Tong Tong—her glare at Rong Miaoyin finally held a trace of anger.

Knowing that if this dragged on, she would eventually be struck hard, she decided it was better to take a risk rather than remain passive and trapped. In a flash of inspiration, before her opponent could swing her sword again, she whipped out the small mirror in her left hand and shouted at Rong Miaoyin, "Look at my demon-revealing mirror!"

Rong Miaoyin was taken aback, instinctively turning her gaze toward the dazzling silver light—the silver mirror reflected a disheveled woman in white robes: her long hair covered her face, her clothes were tattered, and yellowish-green tree sap stained her garments and strands of hair, making her appear utterly wretched. How could this still be the dignified female cultivator from a prestigious sect? She looked more like a female ghost crawling out of the demon realm!

The longer she looked, the more familiar the reflection seemed. Suddenly, Rong Miaoyin let out a low gasp, covering her face as she screamed uncontrollably—the woman in the mirror was none other than herself!

Heavens! How had she ended up in such a state? And in front of everyone, no less! She couldn't bear to face anyone...

—If even Tong Tong couldn't escape this fate, how could someone as proud and arrogant as Rong Miaoyin avoid it?

Suddenly confronted with her own disheveled appearance, how could she not be utterly devastated? Where would she find the will to fight?

Just as Rong Miaoyin was wallowing in despair, Tong Tong seized the opportunity, lunging forward like an octopus and firmly pinning her opponent to the ground—her left "claw" coincidentally landing right on the ample chest of Miss Miaoyin!

For a moment, the entire audience was stunned into silence, shocked by her bold move.

"Huh? Even more impressive than Miss Qianyao from Nichang Valley... not bad!" Tong Tong mischievously gave a playful squeeze, avenging the earlier sword strike. The sensation prompted her to tease without a second thought, only to see the pale face of the woman beneath her instantly turn from white to green, then from green to a deep, bl0od-red flush.

"You... you scoundrel! Lecher! Let go of me!" The strange sensation on her chest left Rong Miaoyin flustered and humiliated, wishing she could tear the little thief on top of her to pieces! Yet, she also felt a tingling weakness, her vital points restrained, leaving her kicking and flailing helplessly, only able to vent her anger with words.

"Miss Miaoyin, I have a fire spiritual root. What if I accidentally let a spark fly from my fingertips and set your robes ablaze? What would we do then?" Having spent so much time with Su Yan, Tong Tong hadn't learned much genuine skill, but she had mastered the art of threats effortlessly—though the sweet, polite smile on her face was entirely her own creation, something she certainly hadn't learned from that expressionless mentor!

"Hmph!" Knowing she was at a disadvantage, Rong Miaoyin pushed Tong Tong off her and rolled to the side, crossing the boundary of the arena.

"Rogue!" she snapped indignantly, striking a delicate pose as she stormed off the stage.

—Oh my, that shy, maidenly demeanor of hers seemed to carry a hint of... springtime allure?

No wonder Tong Tong calmly brushed the dust off her robes, showing no fear at all, and even found the time to flash a grin at Su Yan and the others outside the arena—only to receive an inexplicable cold glare in return, leaving her utterly baffled.

"The winner is Tong Tong of Qiuye Peak." the arbiter announced after a moment's pause, his voice booming.

The crowd erupted in murmurs, still processing the sudden, unexpected turn of events—the least favored girl had actually won!

How strange, how bizarre!

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