The sensation of being the focus of so many eyes only intensified her panic. Her limbs felt useless, her right hand gripping the sword hilt tightly. Only holding the seventh-rank 'Five-Color Sword'—a gift from Zong Shou—did she feel any anchor, the courage to keep moving forward.
Ahead, the numerous disciples of the Cangsheng Dao parted ways, their expressions strange. The murmur of surrounding discussions constantly reached Chu Xue's ears. For a moment, she forgot to shield herself with True Force, but the more she listened, the more flustered and tangled her thoughts became.
“Is the sect truly joking? Is it really her? Isn’t this destined to be a huge embarrassment?”
“After today, I fear no Cangsheng Dao disciple will be able to hold their head up, or ever speak loudly in front of members of other sects again—”
“What is the meaning of Palace Master Fang Wen’s actions? Do the few esteemed elders in the sect not intend to intervene?”
“Hmph. We were all defeated in a single sword strike. What good will this foolish girl do up there? If she can hold her ground against Jue Yu without being crushed, then I, Yuan Fei, will write my name backward—”
That voice was entirely too familiar. Chu Xue whirled around in anger and, sure enough, it was Yuan Fei, muttering away with Xuan Ye and Han Jian. Her almond eyes shot wide open: “You’re the foolish one, you blockhead! Remember this: from now on, your name is Fei Yuan!”
After speaking, Chu Xue bothered no more with that annoying fellow. Suppressing the frustration boiling inside her, she ignored everything else and strode forward resolutely. Her mind cleared.
Thanks to this outburst, all distracting thoughts vanished. The sounds of surrounding discussions faded away.
There was only one thought: she must be stronger than those six people! Even holding out for one more sword strike than Guo Yu would count as a victory.
Then she remembered; she had forgotten to ask Zong Shou why he pushed her forward. Wasn’t the Young Master making things difficult for her?
Without dwelling on it, Chu Xue walked until she stopped forty zhang from Jue Yu. All her intentions dissolved without a trace. Where she had been pondering how to survive one more strike than Guo Yu, her mind was now utterly blank. She had certainly felt a rush of satisfaction chastising Yuan Fei, but standing before Jue Yu, she realized holding steady against this person would be profoundly difficult.
From afar, it hadn't seemed so overwhelming, but now she felt torrents of violent, surging power—a vast, boundless, imposing spiritual will—pressing down on the area, making it hard for her to even breathe.
At this moment, the observing cultivators from various sects paused, their faces etched with surprise.
“Sixth-rank? What trickery is the Cangsheng Dao pulling now?”
“Are they using an illusionary technique? Or perhaps a breath-concealment method? No! This girl is truly Sixth-rank—”
“What kind of game are they playing? With so many Seventh and Eighth-rank Martial Cultivators and Spirit Masters available, why send out a mere Sixth-rank girl to fight? Has Fang Wen already decided to forfeit?”
“Is the Cangsheng Dao preparing to make itself a laughingstock before all the sects of the Cloud Realm today?”
Su Chen and Lei Dong exchanged glances, their eyes full of bewilderment.
Lei Dong seemed even more taken aback. He felt he might have seen this girl before. Could she be the little maidservant who followed Zong Shou—the little girl from the Tiger Cat Clan?
He had looked at Chu Xue closely before and hadn't sensed anything particularly outstanding about her.
Being both Spirit and Martial cultivator, and having forged her Tiger Bones, placed her among the absolute geniuses on the Eastern Lin Cloud Continent. But in the Cangsheng Academy, a place overflowing with such talents, it really amounted to nothing.
What was the Cangsheng Dao’s intention in putting this girl forward? It truly muddled the mind.
Jue Yu, on the other side, also appeared deeply puzzled. He scrutinized Chu Xue from head to toe, then knitted his brows into the character ‘’ (Chuan).
“Who are you? Where is Tan Qiu?”
Chu Xue was already feeling an immense, heavy pressure. Seeing Jue Yu’s frown instantly made her more anxious. Without thinking, she stammered, “My name is Xue Chu! The Young Master... he just flew up there!”
She even pointed upward with her finger to illustrate. Only moments later did Chu Xue realize what she had said. Hearing the soft chuckles erupting around her, her fair face flushed purple, wishing desperately she could instantly dig a hole and bury herself.
Jue Yu’s expression turned gloomier than still water.
“Young Master? Are you Tan Qiu’s guardian attendant?”
Without waiting for Chu Xue to confirm, Jue Yu abruptly stepped forward several paces. His eyes, sharp as blades, fixed on Fang Wen, who hovered in mid-air.
“Fang Wen! Tan Qiu! Is your Cangsheng Dao attempting to humiliate me, Jue Yu? Have you forgotten that those who insult others will surely be insulted in return—”
Chu Xue, meanwhile, paid no attention to what Jue Yu was saying. Seeing his body move, she assumed he was about to attack.
In a flurry, she slapped her Spirit Beast Pouch. Instantly, five streams of spiritual light shot out, blossoming into radiance and hovering behind her.
Within the Qilin’s dwelling, the other four spirit beasts positioned themselves around her—left, right, above, and below. Immediately, countless five-element spiritual energies surged toward her, and Chu Xue felt the heavy pressure abruptly lessen.
Jue Yu let out a sharp cry of surprise, halting his speech. For the first time, he regarded the girl before him seriously, a slight astonishment in his eyes.
The surrounding space fell silent for several breaths. Whether Cangsheng Dao disciples or powerful experts from other sects, everyone looked somewhat taken aback. Their expressions resembled those who see a girl of entirely average bust size, only to discover upon her undressing that she is surprisingly well-endowed.
“Five Sixth-rank beasts—”
“The Frost Gold Tiger, Scarlet Fire Gold Phoenix, Black Scale Beast, Dark Nether Turtle, and Azure Chi. They are all Subspecies of Divine Beasts!”
“Who found these for her? This is a reckless waste of heaven’s bounty!”
In an instant, almost everyone’s expression shifted to envy, jealousy, and resentment. The majority of Spirit Masters—ninety-nine percent—would never possess even a single Subspecies of Divine Beast as a guardian in their lifetime.
And this little girl, unremarkable in everyone’s eyes, possessed five! How could that not incite intense jealousy?
A realization dawned on them: possessing five Subspecies of Divine Beasts as guardians did indeed give her some qualification to step forward.
Only a moment later did some notice an abnormality in the situation.
“Strange! With five Divine Beast-level guardians, how can her Soul Power sustain them?”
The Soul Pact, while allowing Spirit Masters to control various spirit and fierce beasts, still required constant feeding with the Master’s own Soul Power to nourish the guardians’ growth!
“They don’t seem like innate guardians, yet they aren’t ordinary either—”
The five spirit beasts—it was unclear what secret art had been used—were in perfect harmony with the girl at the center of the array. Existing somewhere between innate guardians and ordinary ones, it was clear these five Subspecies of Divine Beasts could unleash nearly 120% of their combat strength under the girl’s command.
High in the sky, two hundred zhang up, within the Immortal Mansion structure concealed in the void, Han Fang was also startled, then fell into deep thought. “Five Subspecies of Divine Beasts. Junior Brother, you truly spared no expense. Does that mean the spiritual medicine for body reconstruction was also requested for this girl?”
Zong Shou smiled and did not answer, continuing to rock gently back and forth on his rocking chair. Unable to drink wine, he had brewed himself a pot of tea. The topmost grade of 'Snow Leaf Tips'—after ten thousand years, one gram was equivalent to a drop of Ninth-rank Dragon Blood.
It was not only intoxicatingly fragrant, but a sip seemed to cleanse his body and spirit, leaving his mind exceptionally clear. It would surely prove greatly beneficial when he entered seclusion later to attempt the breakthrough to the Sun Roamer realm.
“Senior Brother Han, the wager is set; you cannot go back on your word! Though you are free to add to the stakes—”
Han Fang’s lips twitched, and he let out a heavy ‘Hmph,’ turning his head away from the young man.
In truth, if this situation unfolded favorably, he would gladly see it. But seeing Zong Shou’s expression inexplicably irritated him.
After pondering for a moment, Han Fang nodded again.
“Why not? I will add another million merit points in exchange for you extending your term as the Academy Master by another five years—”
Zong Shou brightened, watching the scene below with genuine anticipation.
Three million merit points—that meant he could redeem nearly half of the Ninth-rank sword technique monographs and secret spirit arts stored in the second floor dedicated to transmitting techniques and skills.
Come on, Xue’er, it’s up to you this time, he thought. Managing the academy is such bothersome work. It’s best to let someone else worry about it.
At this point, a nearly imperceptible glint flickered in Han Fang’s eyes. He vaguely sensed that the girl’s aura seemed to be undergoing a subtle transformation.
Indeed, Chu Xue’s state of mind was shifting. Her spiritual sense merged seamlessly with the five spirit beasts. Comforted by them, her mind gradually calmed.
Divine Beasts, by nature, scorned heaven and earth, dominating all with unrestrained arrogance. Those like the Blazing Gold Phoenix and Frost Gold Tiger were especially belligerent, incapable of tolerating the slightest provocation.
Now, suppressed by Jue Yu’s vast Sword Intent of Annihilation, they were extremely displeased. Their fierce nature erupted, teeth bared. Even if they couldn't win, they intended to tear a piece of flesh from Jue Yu.
Chu Xue also felt the will to fight swelling within her, her heart pounding like a war drum—stronger and more fierce each time. The battle-eager bloodline inherited from the Tiger Cat Clan was beginning to ignite!
She steeled her resolve: she had already thrown caution to the wind; things couldn't possibly turn out worse than with Yuan Fei and the others. All she needed to do was try her best!
However, the oppressive mental and soul pressure exerted by Jue Yu was agonizing. It was more painful than having ten Earth Sinking Talismans and six Spirit Sealing Talismans stuck to her body. The sensation of her limbs being bound erased the lightness she had felt earlier.
Her wandering thoughts ceased, and a scene inexplicably materialized before Chu Xue’s eyes: Zong Shou, rising into the air during that grand battle with Hu Qianqiu.
A thought suddenly struck her: she, too, could fly, unshackled from this constraint.
“Five Spirit Divine Beasts? Interesting! You are indeed worthy of me taking action for you—”
Jue Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, then let out a cold laugh. He disdained reaching for his sword, controlling the weapon beside him merely with his intent.
But in the next moment, he saw the girl opposite him seemed to be staring blankly, her eyes vacant.
The surrounding spectators also noticed the change, exchanging puzzled glances.
“Spacing out at a moment like this? Has she been scared witless?”
“Hmph. A Sixth-rank, even with Divine Beast guardians, what can she do?”
Jue Yu’s expression sharpened. He suddenly sensed that the aura of the girl opposite him was becoming unstable, completely slipping out of his control. His divine sense could no longer lock onto her.