"We’ve been friends for many years, so I should have held back a little. But you were right—there are no friends on the battlefield. If I had gone easy on you, that would have been a true insult."

"Don’t you agree?"

Song Wanning threw the words she predicted Liu Yiyi would say right back at her.

If she had lost, Liu Yiyi would have surely offered a pile of insincere, sanctimonious words to build up her own noble image.

"You—didn’t you say... that your Cultivation wasn’t advanced through conventional means?"

Liu Yiyi was half-lying on the ground, her Spiritual Energy draining away at an alarming rate. Panic seized her.

The fight, from start to finish, was over faster than it would take her to drink a cup of water.

Although her injuries weren’t severe, she had lost all face.

Most importantly, she felt she had been deceived.

Song Wanning had clearly said her Cultivation wasn’t stable, but the strength she displayed was completely inconsistent with that claim. ’She must have been lying.’

"That’s right. I encountered some special opportunities for my last two advancements. Otherwise, how could I have broken through multiple times in such a short period?"

Song Wanning tilted her head. "What a strange thing to say!"

She had never said her Cultivation was boosted by consuming pills. If Liu Yiyi wanted to assume that, what could she do about it?

"You—"

Liu Yiyi was rendered speechless, rage boiling within her.

She glared at Song Wanning, suddenly understanding everything.

’Song Wanning deliberately set me up to be humiliated!’

’She’s getting revenge on me!’

’Could it be because I was the one who suggested challenging her?’

Liu Yiyi’s heart sank. After so many years, Song Wanning had changed!

’To think she would be so duplicitous, deliberately deceiving me.’

Liu Yiyi couldn’t stand it.

"Hiss... This True Monarch Liu is really something else. With such a huge gap between her and Grandmaster Song, what was she thinking, challenging her? Isn’t she just asking to be humiliated?"

"I was wondering the same thing. Who else do you see just showing up and begging for a beating like that?"

"It’s a good thing our Grandmaster Song remembered their old friendship. Otherwise, her fate would have been far worse. She could have crippled her easily!"

"Grandmaster Song is truly a role model for our generation! So incredible! No matter how weak she is, Liu Yiyi is still a Nascent Soul Cultivator! And she was taken down in just a couple of moves?"

The disciples below the arena were ecstatic.

It was the first match, after all, and everyone had been hoping for the Heavenly Inquiry Sect to get off to a triumphant start.

In contrast to the joy of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect, the expressions on the faces of the other sects and factions were quite strange.

"Your sect’s Liu Yiyi didn’t do that on purpose, did she? I heard she and Song Wanning are old friends. Was this all a setup to trick us?"

"I think so too. Otherwise, why would Liu Yiyi insist on challenging Song Wanning despite the huge gap in their strength? She must have done it for Song Wanning’s sake."

Everyone started looking at the Mountain Gazing Sect with suspicion.

’We all agreed to come here and cause trouble, but someone from your sect is betraying us? What’s the meaning of this?’

"What are you talking about? You must have all misunderstood!"

The Mountain Gazing Sect’s Sect Master was more speechless than anyone.

The suspicious gazes made his face burn with embarrassment.

He recalled how Liu Yiyi had confidently sworn she would win, and his face burned even hotter.

Clearing his throat, he said to Liu Yao, who was standing beside him, "Your sister was just testing the waters for you. Now that she has lost, it’s your time to go up!"

The most urgent task now was to dispel any notion that Liu Yiyi and Song Wanning were colluding. Otherwise, when it came time to divide the spoils, the others would surely use this as an excuse to shortchange the Mountain Gazing Sect.

He cursed Liu Yiyi under his breath and turned his attention to Liu Yao.

Liu Yao, suddenly called upon, was taken aback.

His sister had lost to the woman he admired. He didn’t feel much about it; in fact, he even thought it was normal.

But now the Sect Master was suddenly pushing him forward.

Liu Yao frowned. "I don’t want to face Song Dao You on the Martial Arts Arena."

He liked Song Wanning, so of course he didn’t want to draw his sword against her.

He even fantasized about winning her hand and tying the knot with her.

As soon as he said this, everyone recalled that Liu Yao admired Song Wanning, and their expressions grew even stranger.

’So the Mountain Gazing Sect really has struck a deal with the Heavenly Inquiry Sect?’

’If Liu Yao goes up there, he’ll definitely go easy on her!’

Facing the many suspicious glares, the Mountain Gazing Sect Master’s expression remained unchanged, but he secretly sent a voice transmission to Liu Yao.

"If you don’t go, people will assume your sister is colluding with the Heavenly Inquiry Sect, and they will surely settle the score with her later."

"Can you bear to let that happen?"

Liu Yiyi was Liu Yao’s only living relative. The Sect Master knew exactly how to manipulate him.

"Things have come to this. You have no choice but to go up."

The Mountain Gazing Sect Master’s expression was stern, leaving no room for argument.

Hearing this, Liu Yao’s face darkened. After a moment of internal conflict, he stood up and flew toward the Martial Arts Arena.

The two siblings had no power or influence of their own. Their only backing was the Mountain Gazing Sect. Even as Nascent Soul Cultivators, they still had to bend to the Sect Master’s will.

He hated it, but he was helpless to do anything about it.

’But if I can win over Song Wanning, everything will be different.’

’She has the Song Family behind her, she’s an Alchemy Grandmaster herself, not to mention her outstanding temperament and looks... plenty of men covet her!’

’Before, with that stumbling block Gu Qingyuan in the way, Song Wanning never even looked at me.’

’Now an opportunity has finally come, but the Sect Master just has to send me up there...’

With a heavy heart, Liu Yao reluctantly flew onto the Martial Arts Arena.

By this time, Liu Yiyi had gotten to her feet. Her body felt as if it had been pierced by a thousand swords—there wasn’t a spot that didn’t ache.

The Spiritual Energy in her body was still continuously draining. She had clearly taken an Elixir Pill, but she wasn’t getting any better.

’What a sinister technique!’

Liu Yiyi’s heart filled with even more hatred. Seeing her brother take the stage, a vicious glint flashed in her eyes.

She quickly sent him a voice transmission: "Brother, you have to teach Song Wanning a lesson and avenge me!"

’My brother is at Nascent Soul Peak with impressive combat strength. Song Wanning is just an Alchemy Cultivator. She won’t have an advantage in Cultivation, so she definitely can’t win.’

But Liu Yao just frowned, glancing at Song Wanning with a troubled expression, torn between whether to win or lose...

Liu Yiyi saw right through him and grew even angrier. ’This pathetic fool!’

"Brother, you have to win! Song Wanning loves men who are stronger than her. If you lose, she’ll definitely look down on you!"

She continued her voice transmission, "This is the perfect opportunity to win her over! As long as you display your strength, you’ll surely make her fall in love with your prowess!"

The lies came so easily that even Liu Yiyi found them ridiculous, but Liu Yao’s eyes suddenly lit up.

’My sister is right. Women are attracted to the strong. If I lose, Song Wanning will only look down on me more!’

’It’s better to conquer her with my strength and show her what a real man is!’

’Lest she thinks every man is like that pretty boy Gu Qingyuan...’

"You can go down. Let your brother take over."

Liu Yao adopted the air of a superior expert and stood in the center of the Martial Arts Arena.

Meeting Song Wanning’s faintly mocking gaze, his heart skipped a beat, but he quickly composed himself.

"It’s been a long time, Song Dao You. I trust you’ve been well?"

"I heard that you and Gu Qingyuan have broken off your engagement. That’s truly wonderful news!"

A hint of adoration flickered in his eyes, but it was overshadowed by calculation.

And that was precisely what Song Wanning despised about him.