Bai Xiruo and the Mysterious Girl

Arena Number 9.

Boom!

A terrifying explosion erupted like a storm, its destructive force spreading wildly.

The sturdy arena crumbled like tofu, shattered piece by piece.

The violent shockwaves surged beyond the arena, wreaking havoc in all directions.

Spectators near the platform paled in fear, scrambling to flee in panic.

The devastating force raged for several minutes before finally subsiding.

As the dust settled, the crowd turned their uneasy gazes toward Arena Number 9—only to be stunned by the sight before them.

The once-tall and solid arena had been reduced to ruins.

Above the wreckage, a figure hovered mid-air, her robes fluttering gracefully, bathed in a serene, cold moonlight.

It was Wang Yuyao.

About a hundred zhang away from her, on the ground, stood Ye Lingyun.

His body was now clad in crimson armor, radiating waves of scorching heat. His face was slightly pale, his expression dark with fury.

The audience erupted in gasps and murmurs.

"Damn! Wang Yuyao actually detonated two high-grade magic artifacts at once!"

"If I had even one high-grade artifact, I’d sleep hugging it—who would dare destroy it? She’s insane!"

"Still, Ye Lingyun is a monster. Two high-grade artifacts exploded in his face, and he’s not even heavily injured!"

"...And another talisman treasure? This guy’s loaded!"

Among the crowd, Wang Jianqiang stared at Ye Lingyun’s crimson armor, his expression tinged with regret.

This guy had every right to be arrogant.

His reflexes were inhuman.

The moment Wang Yuyao detonated the artifacts, he had reacted instantly.

Hearing the murmurs around him, Ye Lingyun’s face darkened further.

His glare fixed on Wang Yuyao.

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined she would sacrifice two high-grade artifacts in one go!

If not for his lightning-fast reaction—activating a defensive talisman treasure in the nick of time—he would’ve been crippled, if not dead.

A top-tier elite of the outer sect, humiliated by an unknown woman?

Unforgivable.

"You bitch, I’ll kill you!"

His eyes burned red as he shot toward Wang Yuyao like a streak of light.

"Ye Lingyun, you’ve already lost."

A calm voice suddenly rang out from the spectator stands.

Ye Lingyun halted mid-air, his face twisting as he turned toward Wang Jianqiang.

"She forfeited first. I didn’t lose."

"Forfeit?" Wang Jianqiang scoffed. "Who heard her say that?"

"She jumped off the arena. Leaving the platform counts as surrender."

At this, Wang Jianqiang smirked, a mocking glint in his eyes.

"Didn’t Elder Yun Zhongque just clarify the rules? A contestant hasn’t lost until they touch the ground."

"Wang Yuyao may have left the arena, but she hasn’t landed yet."

"You, on the other hand, have."

"Therefore… you lose."

Ye Lingyun stiffened, his gaze involuntarily flicking toward Yun Zhongque.

The elder met his eyes, then sighed inwardly.

Others might not know, but with his cultivation, how could he miss Wang Jianqiang’s earlier secret message?

Wang Yuyao was merely the executor—the true mastermind was this man!

To silence him and prevent further bias toward Ye Lingyun, Wang Jianqiang had used Yun Zhongque’s own words against him.

If he openly favored Ye Lingyun now, wouldn’t that make him a laughingstock before the entire outer sect?

This disciple’s schemes ran deep.

He had outplayed not just Ye Lingyun, but even an elder like him.

Still, Ye Lingyun had talent and strength—but he was far too inexperienced.

Shaking his head, Yun Zhongque declared, "Ye Lingyun, you are defeated."

The verdict struck like a hammer.

Ye Lingyun’s face paled, his heart filled with resentment.

He shot Wang Yuyao one last icy glare.

"Wang Yuyao, was it? Fine. We’ll meet again."

Before she could respond, another voice cut in.

"Since you’re already eliminated, stop wasting everyone’s time."

Ye Lingyun’s expression froze.

His murderous gaze locked onto Wang Jianqiang for a split second before he snorted and vanished in a streak of light.

As the tournament’s most favored champion, being eliminated before even reaching the top ten by an unknown woman?

He couldn’t bear to stay another moment.

After Ye Lingyun’s departure, Wang Yuyao glanced at Wang Jianqiang.

He understood her silent question and gave a slight shake of his head.

With Ye Lingyun gone, the biggest obstacle to the championship had disappeared—but the title wasn’t so easily claimed.

Wang Jianqiang’s gaze subtly swept over the remaining challengers, lingering briefly on two figures.

Both were women.

One wore a pale-yellow dress, her features delicate, her figure slender and graceful.

The other appeared much younger, petite, yet her youthful face already bore the makings of a peerless beauty.

Neither had made a single move since the tournament began—yet they exuded a pressure even more dangerous than Ye Lingyun.

Even if Wang Yuyao hadn’t sacrificed her artifacts, she stood no chance against them.

Wang Yuyao didn’t know his thoughts, but she trusted him completely.

Seeing his refusal, she abandoned any thought of competing for the top spot.

However, not everyone could resist the allure of the championship.

Confident challengers surged forward, and the matches accelerated.

Within half an hour, only two contenders remained.

The very two women Wang Jianqiang had noted earlier.

The girl in the pale-yellow dress glanced at the petite girl, then moved first.

Her leap was effortless, her posture elegant.

"It’s Bai Xiruo!"

"She’s finally making her move!"

"The number one beauty of the outer sect!"

Amidst the cheers, Bai Xiruo landed on Arena Number 1.

The battle began—and ended in a single strike.

The defending champion was sent flying off the platform, utterly overwhelmed.

The crowd gasped.

Bai Xiruo was famed as the outer sect’s top beauty, but her talent had always been considered merely above average—nowhere near geniuses like Su Yutong.

She rarely fought publicly, so few knew her true strength.

Her performance in earlier rounds had been decent but unremarkable—making the top fifty was already a surprise.

No one expected her combat prowess to be this terrifying!

Even Wang Jianqiang’s heart skipped a beat.

Anyone daring to challenge Arena Number 1 was no weakling.

The previous defender, though inferior to Ye Lingyun, was a renowned figure in the outer sect, having defeated multiple challengers in a row.

His strength surpassed even Su Yutong’s.

Yet Bai Xiruo had crushed him with a casual strike?

Just how strong was she?

After her, the petite girl finally moved.

She didn’t challenge Bai Xiruo.

Instead, she stepped onto Arena Number 2.

Another effortless strike followed.

The No. 2 challenger, who had stubbornly held on through six rounds of combat, spat out a mouthful of blood and conceded in shock.

Such a staggering performance once again drew gasps of astonishment from the crowd.

From the murmurs around him, Wang Jianqiang unexpectedly learned that no one recognized this petite young girl.

It was as if she had appeared out of thin air among the outer sect disciples.

This left Wang Jianqiang momentarily stunned, and he focused his gaze intently on her.

The next moment, the girl's status panel materialized in his mind.