After Changing to the Ruthless Way, the Brothers Cried and Begged for Forgiveness-Chapter 481: You Lost to Her, So It Isn’t Exactly Unjust
People murmured: who actually won this round?
Another voice judged: Yu Zhao, of course, since Lu Jiu Yuan is trapped; clearly she has the upper hand.
A dissenting onlooker argued: but Yu Zhao didn’t defeat Lu Jiu Yuan outright, so calling it her win feels forced.
Someone countered: she’s only at Divine Transformation and still managed to imprison a Void Refinement cultivator, how is that not a win?
Outside the Four Voids Domain, the crowd broke into another quarrel over Yu Zhao and Lu Jiu Yuan. Some called it a draw, others said Yu Zhao won. Either way, her performance had already won everyone over.
The Lingyin Sect contingent was the happiest of all. Up to now, every last one of their disciples had been eliminated; only Yu Zhao still remained within the Four Voids Domain. Thanks to her, they could finally keep a top-ten spot in this sect debate.
A watcher cried out, drawing every gaze back to Yu Zhao’s image on the scrying screen: look, Yu Zhao has appeared!
After her exchange with Lu Jiu Yuan, Yu Zhao had vanished from sight; only once Lu Jiu Yuan was caged did she show herself before him again.
Lu Jiu Yuan, the moment he saw her, could not help asking urgently: Yu Zhao, how many kinds of Dao intent have you cultivated?
Yu Zhao answered calmly: four.
When he pressed her with: which four, she had no intention of telling him. For the moment she still could not finish him; the best she could do was keep him locked away so he could not team up with others against her.
She said as she turned to leave: Lu Jiu Yuan, stay here at ease; once the tournament ends you can come out.
For her, there was no further point in lingering inside the Four Voids Domain. Her goal was already clear: end this debate as soon as possible, enter the Eye of Bifang, and unbind the Jade Ruyi. As for Lu Jiu Yuan, there was no mortal enmity between them; trapping him for now was enough.
Lu Jiu Yuan called to her back, his voice tight with anger: Yu Zhao!
A heavy frustration pressed on his chest. Being caged was humiliation enough, but what he feared more was being seen in this state. If word spread that he, Lu Jiu Yuan, had been penned up like a trapped beast, would that not draw endless mockery?
As fate would have it, the very thing he feared arrived. Not long after, a familiar laugh drifted over from nearby, openly teasing. When he looked up, he saw Du Wu Xiang walking shoulder to shoulder with Su Qing Wan. Their eyes fell on him, and neither could hide a smile.
Su Qing Wan said in a soft, lilting tone as she idly plucked a few bright notes from her zither: Senior Brother Lu, it really is you; I thought I was mistaken. To meet here of all places, perhaps this is what people call a destined reunion.
Lu Jiu Yuan gave her a long, heavy look.
She followed with honeyed concern: don’t be angry, Senior Brother Lu. I was only playing. Do you need our help? I may be weak, but I’m willing to do what little I can for you.
Their hearts, however, understood each other perfectly: she had no intention of helping. She would be delighted to see him eliminated early, and helping him out of this cage was out of the question. She even weighed the chances of killing him then and there. One glance at the cage made her abandon the idea. If a botched attempt freed him instead, she would be in real trouble. Better he stay put; as long as he did, she would not need to worry about being knocked out prematurely.
Du Wu Xiang, for his part, cared nothing for their personal grievances. Staring at the black-and-white aura flowing over the bars of the cage, he could not hide his amazement.
Catching that look, Lu Jiu Yuan asked: can you tell what this is?
Du Wu Xiang replied slowly: if I’m not mistaken, this is Dao intent of the Path of Reincarnation.
Shock flashed through both Lu Jiu Yuan and Su Qing Wan. Among the Three Thousand Daos, none is inherently noble or base, but a few are famed for their unfathomable depth and difficulty. The Path of Reincarnation is one of them. It is said that the Realm Lord of the Bei Ming Realm, the Great Ascension stage Tai Wei Dao Lord, attained her unsurpassed cultivation on that very path. Her mastery has reached a transformative realm, able to reverse yin and yang and overturn life and death, a power that touches heaven and earth.
To encounter, here in the Bifang Realm, a cultivator cultivating the Path of Reincarnation?
Du Wu Xiang and Su Qing Wan exchanged a long look.
Then Du Wu Xiang asked: Daoist Friend Lu, just who is this person who trapped you?
Lu Jiu Yuan stared at him, then suddenly smiled, a meaningful light flickering in his eyes. Du Wu Xiang, unsettled by the unexpected smile, frowned and asked: what do you mean by that, Daoist Friend Lu?
Lu Jiu Yuan said unhurriedly: Fellow Daoist Du, as it happens, you know the one who trapped me; in fact, you know her quite well.
Du Wu Xiang’s confusion deepened. He was not native to the Bifang Realm and could count the people he knew on one hand: aside from those of Burning Heaven Valley, there was only the Lingyin Sect. In a heartbeat his pupils tightened; disbelief colored his voice as he ventured: do you mean Yu Zhao?
Lu Jiu Yuan nodded with a smile: the very same. Surprised? Besides illusions, she is proficient in formation arts and the Path of Reincarnation. You lost to her; it isn’t exactly unjust.
Du Wu Xiang’s expression turned instantly complicated, a tangle of shock, sudden clarity, wariness, and even a faint bitterness. He had already taken Yu Zhao as an archrival, and still he had underestimated her. He was renowned from youth for his talent in illusion, yet Yu Zhao, with lower cultivation, bested him on his own path. He had thought that was her limit. Illusion, formation arts, the Path of Reincarnation: each is notoriously difficult, and she excelled at all three.
He murmured under his breath, unable to hide his awe: is she even human?
Beside him, Su Qing Wan was shaken to the core. She had only recently heard Yu Zhao’s name from Du Wu Xiang and had not taken it to heart. However strong, could Yu Zhao surpass the monster that was Lu Jiu Yuan? Reality said she could. If even Lu Jiu Yuan had been caged by her, how could Su Qing Wan hope to be a match? Even adding Du Wu Xiang into the balance, the result would be uncertain.
Her gaze flickered. She shot Du Wu Xiang a glance, fingertips stealing back toward her strings. Just as she was about to pluck, Du Wu Xiang cut her off: do not provoke Yu Zhao; deal with the others first.
He who knows the times is a true hero. Having recognized the gulf between them, Du Wu Xiang let it go. His goal this time was the Eye of Bifang; there was no need to force a decision against Yu Zhao. Once he left the Bifang Realm, he would likely never see her again; better to act as if they were strangers.
Su Qing Wan, more than willing, nodded her agreement.
Chapter 481: You Lost to Her, So It Isn’t Exactly Unjust
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