Cultivation Nerd

Peng Zixin was a sharp figure—short and thin, like a dagger—his eyes and confident smirk spoke of a dangerous demeanor. He was cut from the same cloth as Song Song. However, judging by the injuries on his body, his talent wasn't.

He would participate in the next fight as Ye An's opponent. Those guys and gals from the Void Piercing Sect were always strange and had strange techniques. I hoped one of those unorthodox techniques would finish off Ye An.

But knowing her, that was highly unlikely. Despite being someone with an Extreme Physique and a metaphorical timer over her head, she clung to life like a cockroach.

Ye An stood opposite her opponent in her regal blue uniform, clean of debris or blood from when she was fighting us.

I had no idea how she had healed so fast. There was a good chance Song Song's ex-teacher could be involved. They undoubtedly had many strange alchemical pills or artifacts that could quickly heal someone.

However, I knew that even Alchemy couldn't heal someone without some drawback unless it was a High Tier Alchemist. At least she would have lost some stamina or something like that. So, while Ye An had the appearance of someone uninjured, she was likely at a significant disadvantage, and her opponent was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

How was she going to handle this?

I never wished harm on anyone, not even Ye An. While she had tried to take my life, I never wasted my time on old grudges. Sure, I would never like her either, but I wasn't going to lose my head to revenge or waste time on it. I was willing to let bygones be bygones. But Ye An was constantly a thorn in our side.

Peng Zixin crouched down, took out a trident-like weapon, and aimed it at Ye An. Within an instant, instead of having the weapon teleport, Peng Zixin's body shifted and twisted like a reflection in water.

Her eyes widened as the trident went directly for her throat. But in a desperate effort, Ye An raised her arm, letting the trident pierce through it. Blood splattered on her uniform and the lower part of her face. Using that as leverage to try and stab him with an ice sword.

Oh? She used similar tactics to mine when I was fighting against Song Song's assassins when she broke through.

Of course, she was just copying my moves, and this was not a stage where such desperate tactics would work. Her opponent leaned back and ripped the trident off her arm, with blood splattering on the ground. Ye An's arm hung uselessly by her side, likely crippled for the rest of the fight.

But despite the pain, Ye An stared at her opponent with an obsessed look.

"I'm sorry for hurting you," he apologized. "A woman like you isn't for hurting. You are made to make love."

Oh, so he was a pervert also. Usually, I wasn't lenient toward people like that. But this was Ye An he was leering at. Hopefully, he made her as uncomfortable as possible.

But the only thing that would make Ye An uncomfortable was spending a day without skewering someone with her ice spears. She didn't seem bothered by the guy's words but nodded.

"If you defeat me, then I will marry you," she said out of nowhere. "Just make sure not to harm your future wife too much. You wouldn't want someone scarred as a wife, would you?"

Heh, who would have thought? Ye An could also be ruthless toward herself, it seemed. She would not lose this fight and would do anything to achieve that. Even promising marriage to random guys.

Some people in the stands laughed at her behavior, while others whispered insulting slurs and called her a whore.

They were all fools. Ye An was using any advantage she could get, however slight. Even her appearance was nothing more than a tool for her.

Ye An's opponent seemed enchanted when he saw her reddening face, glowing skin, and full lips. She was mesmerizing. Ye An shot a sharpened ice disc at her "beloved's" face without hesitation. Peng Zixin leaned his head to the side, barely dodging out of the way.

That minor distraction almost cost him his life. However, despite the dangerous situation, he kept smiling.

Ye An's opponent was foolish. Though it should be expected at that age, he appeared in his late teens or early twenties. The Void Piercing Sect had invested a lot of resources in him to reach the Foundation Establishment at such a young age.

Peng Zixin smirked while jumping around and dodging Ye An's ice spears, swords, discs, and any other projectiles she threw at him with the intent to maim and kill.

"You shouldn't act so bashful, Lady Ye An-"

"You should say that only if I were to become your wife," Ye An stated as her attacks grew more precise and deadlier as she adjusted to his dodging pattern. "My father always said that what is meant for you will always arrive at the right time, so there is no need to rush."

Ultimately, her icy spear was knocked aside and out of her hand. She winced, and the guy pointed his trident at her throat.

"Do you give up?" he asked, amused by Ye An's behavior. He had played a dangerous game by letting her get used to his fighting style. If Ye An wasn't injured, she could have defeated him in a fair fight, too; I knew how crafty that bitch was.

"No one will marry me at this rate," Ye An said in a cutesy manner. Her charm was irresistible, and her beauty hypnotizing.

"Heh, then I will take you. Did you already forget our deal?" said Peng Zixin with a confident strut. He took the weapon away from her throat. "Now, I can't be pointing my weapons at my future wife, can I?"

"True," Ye An nodded and offered her hand.

Some of the people in the arena were excited, some were whispering to each other, and some were jealous of the guy's fortune. It was strange to see people so lost in their stories and emotions.

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Peng Zixin grabbed her hand. But just then, Ye An formed an ice sword and swung it at her new supposed fiancé's throat.

Despite this being a surprise attack, Peng Zixin didn't seem to have let his guard down. He blocked her sword with the shaft of his trident, and his brows curled into a deep frown.

Of course, in that split second, he had blocked her sword; he had forgotten he was holding onto her hand.

His hand froze instantly, and he couldn't pull away as the ice spread and formed into spikes aiming for his head. Peng Zixin leaned his head to the side, but it was useless as the ice spike dug into his cheek and pierced his eye. The attack left behind only muscle and bone on the left side of his face, as it had taken even his lips with it.

"Ahhhh!" he screeched in pain, drawing his arm away from Ye An but leaving his frozen hand behind. But that perhaps saved his life from being skewered by an ice spike.

What a dumb fuck...

Though I couldn't blame the guy too much. I had seen people do stupider things for beautiful women. Ye An might not have much going for her, but she was undeniably pretty.

However, Ye An's use of her beauty in this manner was a complete surprise. She had always exuded a sense of pride that seemed to preclude such tactics. Yet, perhaps the pressure of her impending demise had driven her to desperate measures.

There was also a chance someone was impersonating Ye An. That would explain her brand-new tactics and rigid movements. Still, I decided to let sleeping dogs lie. Also, this theory had a low chance of being true. Sometimes, people change.

Ye An was ruthless as always despite her previous acts. She used ice spears to skewer her opponent like a porcupine. While the guy was still alive, the vitality of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was quite tenacious. But even if he survived, with those kinds of injuries, he was definitely crippled.

She tried to go for the kill, but before she could finish her opponent, a Core Elder intervened.

For someone whose life was spared, Ye An never bothered extending that same luxury to others.

I noted she was slower than usual and moved a bit too rigidly. Despite having no visible wounds, she was undoubtedly not in her best condition. The theory that she might be some temporary replacement was still strong, as Ye An wouldn't usually act like that, and she was heavily injured before the fight. But who knew? It was about time she began acting desperately as her metaphorical ticking clock got closer to her death.

"The next fight will be Song San and Song Song, both from the Blazing Sun Sect."

The final three contenders all hailed from the Blazing Sun Sect, setting the stage for a display of dominance by the younger generation. However, while the outcome was far from predictable, the victories of those who had reached this stage were often more... complex. Song San and Ye An's presence in the final rounds was a testament to that. Even Song Song, who had been relatively fortunate in her opponents, could have been eliminated much earlier if she had faced someone of the previous tournament winner's caliber.

As Song San and Song Song stood opposite each other in the arena, they looked at each other coldly—the same look someone would send to an opponent they wouldn't mind killing.

"Begin!" yelled the announcer.

As soon as he said that, the siblings charged at each other. Song Song somehow had the advantage and landed the first hit, a devastating palm strike to her brother's chest.

However, that resulted in Song San's chest caving in, and he popped like a balloon in an exploding green mist surrounding the arena. There were a couple more clashes within the arena that I couldn't see due to the thick green mist, but I could sense them.

But the fight was not as I expected, as Song San jumped out of the green mist and outside the arena.

"Song Song wins by forcing her opponent out of bounds," declared the announcer.

When the mist cleared, the so-called victor was a pitiful sight. Song Song was bleeding from her nose, her face unusually pale, and her eyes bloodshot.

On the other hand, the loser was fine, with only a tiny cut on his cheek.

"This is it for today, honorable cultivators. The finalists will prepare for tomorrow's next and last fight," said the announcer.

Burst eardrums and now poison—Song Song was injured badly. How the hell were we going to deal with this?

I immediately stood up and walked out of the stands before the announcer declared the next fight for tomorrow. As I hurriedly wandered through the underground hallways, I found Song Song sitting down, leaning against the wall while bleeding from all her orifices.

Quickly, I went through hand seals and chants, taking some spirit stones and other ingredients from my storage ring. I skipped none of the ritual steps for creating an Array and ensured I could use it at full power.

"Qi Strengthening Array!"

A small translucent white dome formed around the two of us. I laid down Song Song on the cold stone floor and placed one hand on her abdomen and the other on her forehead. Without hesitation, I poured my Qi inside of her. We were pretty familiar with each other's bodies, and doing this, even if I wanted to, I couldn't hurt her since she was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. This was very good for me.

I did a deep body scan of her whole physical form. Then, I created a translucent jade soldier and slowly began morphing it into what I sensed from Song Song's body.

"Keep an eye on the jade soldier," I told her, perfectly showing her what parts were injured in a 3D model.

Song Song's regeneration was manually done by her, so she needed a visualization of her injuries to have a chance at healing them.

The blood from Song Song's nose slowly turned from crimson red to dark. But I wasn't worried, as it just meant that she was expelling the poison from her body.

The bloodshot veins in her eyes also slowly receded, and Song Song's face regained some color.

I continued to channel my Qi into her, feeling the subtle shifts in her body as the energy worked to cleanse and mend her. Her breathing became steadier, and the trembling in her limbs subsided. The dark blood began to ooze from her nose and mouth, pooling on the floor before evaporating within the confines of the Qi Strengthening Array.

Song Song's face twisted in concentration as she focused on the jade soldier. Her eyes darted over the translucent figure, pinpointing the damaged areas and willing her body to heal. I could feel her Qi responding, surging towards the injuries, knitting together torn tissues and neutralizing the remnants of the poison.

Minutes felt like hours as we worked together in silence. The white dome of the array pulsed gently, a protective cocoon isolating us from the outside world. I watched the color return to her cheeks, her skin losing its sickly pallor. The blood vessels in her eyes cleared, and her irises regained their sharp, focused gleam.

"Almost there," I murmured, sensing the last traces of the poison being eradicated. Song Song nodded slightly, her focus unbroken. Her body convulsed one final time, expelling the last of the dark, corrupted blood. She took a deep, shuddering breath, and I felt the tension in her muscles ease.

Song Song lay on the ground, staring at the ceiling. Before her gaze anchored on me.

"I have everything handled now. We got rid of the poison by using my blood manipulation. From now on, I have a rough idea of how to deal with poisons in my bloodstream, as I have some experience with that," Song Song said as she took a wet towel from her storage ring and wiped the blood off her face before standing up. "What a nasty bastard; he didn't even care about winning the fight but still went through the effort to poison me."

"Do you think he was perhaps trying to please the faction of your granny teacher?" I asked. "After all, they might be looking into having her win this tournament now that Ye An is the star in their eyes. We know Ye An wouldn't be able to win under normal circumstances, and your brother helped them a bit."

"Or he was just being a bastard as usual," Song Song offered.

"That is also a very solid argument," I chuckled.

Still, after this ordeal, I finally felt like I got a read on Song Song's brother.