Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 92: Life and Death Duel (Part-1)

The next morning, when Zora woke up, she found her body covered in dark impurities. Without hesitation, she took a thorough bath. Only after washing herself clean did she feel refreshed from head to toe and sit down for breakfast.

"Master," Black asked from the table, "how effective was the Bone Cleansing Potion?"

Zora smiled lightly. "Very effective. I think I squeezed out its full potential."

Having gone through the process before, she knew exactly how to endure it this time. There were no mistakes.

After cleansing the marrow, her body felt lighter than ever, and even circulating mana felt smoother. Although her cultivation level itself had not leapt forward dramatically, she knew the true benefits would reveal themselves gradually over time.

"It’s almost time for the life-and-death duel," Black then said, worry flickering in his eyes. "Master... are you fully prepared?"

After all, this was no sparring match. It was a fight where life and death were decided in a single moment.

Zora reached out and gently rubbed Black’s head, the soft fur warming her palm. "Don’t worry. Serestia is not my opponent."

Shihtzu, the new demon pet, busy devouring food nearby, suddenly lifted its head and cried out in a clear, childish voice, "Master, you can do it!"

Zora laughed softly. These three little fellows were truly endearing.

She couldn’t help but notice that Shihtzu’s appetite was astonishing. Whether it was because it had been sealed inside the beast egg for too long or simply because of its nature, it ate far more than expected.

More importantly, she sensed that its body had grown slightly larger overnight. The change was subtle, but she was certain of it.

The growth rate of demonic beasts varied greatly. She only hoped that Shihtzu would mature quickly. A powerful demonic companion would become her strongest right hand in the future.

* 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

At noon, the sun blazed overhead, filling the air with heat and restlessness.

Near the life-and-death stage, crowds had already gathered. Nearly the entire imperial city had come to watch.

The surrounding restaurants were packed to capacity. People sat by windows with tea in hand, chatting excitedly as they waited for the duel to begin.

When Zora arrived at the martial arena and saw the sea of people, a playful smile curved her lips. Humans truly loved spectacle.

"Zora, you’re here!"

Nigel and Rose spotted her at once and hurried over. Seeing her standing there calmly made their emotions tangled and heavy.

Zora nodded slightly. "You came early."

"MissZora..." Rose said anxiously, "the duel hasn’t started yet. If you regret it, you can still withdraw from the challenge. Don’t gamble your life over a moment of anger!"

To her, pride was nothing compared to survival.

Seeing the genuine concern in Rose’s eyes, Zora gently patted her hand. "Trust me. I’m not an impulsive person."

Nigel frowned slightly. "Are you truly confident?"

Zora smiled, her eyes calm and unwavering. "Of course. I never fight a battle I’m not prepared for."

Seeing how resolute Zora was, Nigel finally felt a little at ease. He had personally witnessed her strength before and knew that her combat power was anything but weak.

Since she had already made her choice, then as a friend, all he could do was stand firmly behind her.

"Zora, I really didn’t expect you to still dare show up!"

A sharp, mocking voice rang out from the crowd, dripping with disdain.

Under countless gazes, Zora stepped onto the life-and-death stage. Her calm eyes lifted and settled on Serestia standing opposite her.

Serestia was dressed in red once more, flamboyant and dazzling like a peony in full bloom. Her posture was proud, her bearing noble, arrogance written openly between her brows without the slightest attempt at concealment.

"Do you think everyone is as cowardly as you?" Zora replied lightly.

Her voice was soft and clear, lacking neither fury nor sharpness, yet every word struck far more painfully than any shout.

"You’re truly stubborn to the end!" Serestia snapped angrily. "Even now, you still won’t admit you’re wrong!"

She had thought that after a night of reflection, Zora would realize how foolish it was to challenge her to a life-and-death duel. Instead, the woman before her hadn’t changed at all.

"If we haven’t even fought yet, and you’re already certain I’ll lose," Zora said coolly, "isn’t that a little premature?"

Her eyes were clear and steady, her posture relaxed. Compared to Serestia’s aggressive hostility, Zora appeared composed and elegant, yet her presence was even more overwhelming.

From the crowd, General Ronald watched the scene with a deep frown.

After hearing about yesterday’s conflict between his daughter and Zora, he had already sensed that the situation was troublesome.

Disputes between juniors were not something he wished to interfere in. Once elders stepped in, matters inevitably became complicated.

But this was no ordinary quarrel.

This was a life-and-death duel.

And Zora’s identity was far from simple.

Princess Consort. Divine physician of Elysia. A genius personally invited by academy tutors. And the daughter of General Helius.

Any one of these titles alone carried weight. Combined, they made her someone no one could easily dismiss.

Although General Helius’s relationship with Zora had long been strained, with Luna now dead, Zora was undeniably the most outstanding junior of House Phoenix.

General Ronald knew well how families like theirs operated. Strength determined everything.

If Zora truly displayed overwhelming talent, her status would inevitably rise.

"Zora," General Ronald finally spoke, his tone steady but cold, "yesterday, wasn’t it because of you that Serestia failed to obtain the Bone Cleansing Potion?"

This was the point that angered him the most.

How precious was a Bone Cleansing Potion?

Had Serestia obtained it, her talent would have improved significantly, and her future at the academy would have been even brighter. Yet all of it had been ruined.

Hearing this, Zora’s lips curved into a faint smile. "General Ronald, it was an auction. The highest bidder wins. She couldn’t outbid me, so she lost. How is that my fault?"

She tilted her head slightly. "Your logic... is truly hard to understand."

"Even so," General Ronald said grimly, "you raised the price one gold coin at a time. Wasn’t that deliberate humiliation?"

His voice sank, carrying a faint but unmistakable threat.

Zora met his gaze calmly, her expression unchanging.

Zora raised her brows slightly, as if she hadn’t sensed the threat hidden in General Ronald’s words at all. Her voice was calm, even leisurely.

"If you want to ask why," she said lightly, "perhaps you should ask your precious daughter first."

As those words fell, many people in the crowd nodded instinctively.

Yesterday at the auction, it had been Serestia who provoked Zora’s friend first. Zora had merely returned the favor in kind.

Of course, that one-gold-coin price increase had been infuriatingly precise. Anyone who experienced it would probably grind their teeth in hatred.

"In any case," General Ronald said coldly, "what you did was wrong. I want you to apologize to my daughter immediately."

"Dream on."

Two crisp words, clean and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

"Your daughter made the mistake, yet you want me to apologize?" Zora looked at him as if amused. "General Ronald, are you still asleep?"