NOVEL NEXT Chapter 28 - Defeat
Su Yu had mortal eyes, but the cultivators present saw it all crystal clear.
Lin Fengyao’s dirty sneak attack was a disgrace to cultivators, while Gu Yanran’s striking looks stirred a flicker of sympathy in some.
They’d meant to lend a small hand, but who’d have thought this girl hid power beyond imagination?
“She’s a cultivator too? No way!”
“Spirit Gathering—she’s gotta be Spirit Gathering!”
The crowd erupted at that.
…
Su Yu was floored—shocked to the point of—
Ahem!
Anyway, he blinked hard, at a loss for words.
Incredible. Too incredible.
Big Sis conjuring stone spikes, Gu Yanran moving like a superhero—it beat movie effects hands down!
Gu Yanran, his childhood sweetheart, packing such insane strength.
He didn’t know her exact level, but glancing at the ceiling hole from that stone spike?
Terrifying~!
…
Lin Qingyue’s calm facade cracked.
Knowing Gu Yanran’s background, she’d never taken her seriously at first.
Lin Qingyue had dug into everything around Su Yu long ago—naturally, she knew about this eyesore.
But as the latecomer stealing someone’s man, she’d been willing to let Gu Yanran bow out gracefully.
The gap between them was vast—she wasn’t a match. Lin Qingyue hoped she’d back off.
“I overlooked you as Su Yu’s friend, sparing you for years of care. But this? You’ve gone too far.”
Lin Qingyue’s voice was ice.
Gu Yanran gritted her teeth. “I’m driven by love. Give me back Su Yu, and I’ll leave right now.”
She’d wanted to sound tougher, but even this borrowed power felt puny here.
That swollen-faced fool aside, the faint auras around her?
Suffocating, helpless, like a leaf in the wind…
Even without those hidden powerhouses stepping in, just this woman aiming to marry Su Yu…
Gu Yanran exhaled shakily, pressure mounting.
Lin Qingyue’s face frosted over. She was cool-headed by nature, unruffled by most things.
But someone pointing at her, demanding her husband? If she stayed calm now, she might as well ditch cultivation and bash her head in.
“You’re courting death!”
A breeze swirled around Lin Qingyue as she struck at Gu Yanran with a palm.
—So fast!
Gu Yanran’s heart jolted. She twisted aside, barely dodging.
But Lin Qingyue’s onslaught came like a storm. Outmatched in spiritual purity and agility—plus wielding power not her own—Gu Yanran soon bore cuts galore.
“I overestimated you. Whatever trick this is, with such shaky power…”
Lin Qingyue flicked her left hand. Blue ice crystals shot toward Gu Yanran’s limbs and thighs.
At her displayed strength, dodging was impossible. Normally, her hands and feet would’ve been pierced, frozen stiff, resistance gone.
But as escape vanished, a red glow flared. Gu Yanran’s aura spiked, dodging the crystals at an unreal angle. They blasted past, freezing the floor blue.
“A potential-boosting spell?”
Lin Qingyue’s detached gaze sharpened slightly.
…
No way, no way—she’s that good!?
Su Yu blinked furiously, losing count of today’s shocks.
If memory served, Gu Yanran was an Innate martial artist—nothing this wild.
But watching this fierce showdown?
His heart was exhausted. Could people just be straight with him? If he’d known she was this strong, maybe he’d…
Uh, wait!!
Su Yu reconsidered. Even knowing her power, he wouldn’t have run off with her.
Sure, a cultivator’s status promised luxury, but compared to Lin Qingyue…
Yeah, she was still prettier!
As established, Su Yu was a looks guy. Given two girls, he’d pick the hotter one.
No question—beauty was justice. Who didn’t love a stunner? He wasn’t about to shortchange himself.
While Su Yu’s mind wandered, the fight shifted again.
Gu Yanran had been no match, but some secret trick kept pumping her spiritual energy.
Moments ago, Lin Qingyue dominated. Now, they were neck and neck.
But…
Ice crystals, frost, wind blades…
Gu Yanran’s tears and snot froze as she grit her teeth, hanging on.
“Didn’t expect this girl to be so tough—I misjudged her.”
“Still no match for Miss Lin, though. She’s all fists, no spells—zero chance.”
“Even so, she’s impressive…”
The sharp-eyed crowd saw it: Gu Yanran’s loss was inevitable unless she could keep boosting forever—which she couldn’t.
“Why are you so strong!?”
Gu Yanran was breaking. No matter how she struck, Lin Qingyue brushed it off. Yet one casual counter left her scrambling, teetering on the edge.
“If cheap tricks are all you’ve got, you’ll never beat me. More power, sure—but you can’t control it.”
Lin Qingyue’s tone was flat.
After this long, she’d revised her take on Gu Yanran.
Who was she? Muxian Sect’s true disciple, a famed genius.
Gu Yanran? A nobody who’d stumbled onto the immortal path.
Even with a secret boosting her to this level, it was a feat.
“Don’t give me that lofty look!”
Gu Yanran glared, stung by the pity seeping from Lin Qingyue. Furious, she raised her sword.
“Cloudstrike—”
Before she finished, a chill hit. A blizzard roared in, slamming her full-on.
Gu Yanran flew back, smashing the hall’s front door to splinters. She soared ten meters, crashing down—out cold.