Chapter 46 Fighting While Wounded
On the day of the semifinals, the martial arena was a seething sea of voices, the atmosphere blazing with anticipation. Every disciple craned their necks, waiting eagerly. Yet, when Bai Yue’ning appeared beneath the stage, the surrounding clamor dulled noticeably.
Countless gazes landed on her, each laced with complex emotions.
Her face was pale to the point of translucence, devoid of the slightest flush; even her lips were tinged with blue. Her steps seemed steady, but a closer look revealed a subtle, barely perceptible weakness. The aura surrounding her was far feebler than the day before, unmistakably bearing the mark of a sickly fragility.
This was a stark contrast to the image everyone had of a warrior growing stronger through the crucible of battle.
“What’s wrong with Senior Sister Bai?”
“She looks terrible, like she’s not yet recovered from a serious illness.”
“Was she really injured so badly yesterday? How can she possibly fight like this?”
Whispers rippled through the crowd, most filled with worry and regret.
Bai Yue’ning ignored the mutterings around her and climbed onto the stage, step by step. Only she knew that this was not the aftermath of yesterday’s wounds, but the lingering effects of a vicious attack and the desperate expulsion of poison that morning. Though the toxins had been purged, the toll on her body was immense—her meridians felt as though scraped by ice, throbbing with pain, and her spiritual power flowed sluggishly.
The longsword on her back was dim, its spirit’s light nearly extinguished. Ye Ming’s presence was so faint as to be nearly imperceptible, clearly drained far beyond its limits in aiding her struggle against the poison.
Her opponent, Yao Feng, was already waiting at the other end of the arena. He stood tall and straight, his energy deep and powerful, the pressure of his tenth-level Qi Refinement cultivation rolling off him in waves, an invisible force weighing on all around.
Catching sight of Bai Yue’ning’s condition, a flicker of surprise flashed across his eyes, quickly replaced by a touch of disdain.
He spoke, his tone steady but carrying an air of superiority: “Junior Sister Bai, if you are unwell, you needn’t force yourself. The path of cultivation is long; there’s no need to insist on victory here and now.”
His words sounded considerate, but the undertone was pure condescension—pity from the victor, contempt for the weak.
He did not regard the weakened Bai Yue’ning as an equal opponent.
She merely glanced up at him, offering no reply. Slowly, she drew her longsword. Its blade was dull, the keen edge of the previous days completely vanished.
She had to endure.
Taking a deep breath, she forced down the discomfort in her body, focusing every ounce of her will on the battle to come.
The referee’s gaze swept over the two, lingering briefly on Bai Yue’ning’s pallid face, before he finally gave the signal.
Begin!
Yao Feng did not attack at once. Confident in his status and strength, he stepped forward casually, his fingers forming the shape of a sword. A condensed streak of crimson sword energy shot through the air, aimed directly at Bai Yue’ning.
The strike was not fast, but it carried a searing heat and solid force—a test, with a hint of mockery.
On a normal day, Bai Yue’ning could easily have dodged or deflected it with skill. But now, her reflexes lagged a half-beat behind. She barely managed to raise her sword to block.
The sword energy crashed into her blade with a dull thud. Her body shuddered violently, forcing her to stumble back three steps before she could dissipate the force. Her hand was numb from the impact, her blood roiling within, and her face grew even paler.
Even a casual blow from her opponent took such effort to withstand.
“Damn it… this bastard… taking advantage of your weakness…” Ye Ming’s voice was faint, broken by exhaustion and anger. “Careful… his spiritual power is deep… don’t take him head-on…”
Seeing her condition, Yao Feng’s lips curled in satisfaction.
He stopped holding back. In an instant, his figure blurred, speeding up as his hands whipped through the air. Waves of crimson palm shadows surged toward Bai Yue’ning, fierce and relentless, covering the sky.
Scorching heat swept over the arena, distorting the very air. The duel became one-sided in a heartbeat.
Gritting her teeth, Bai Yue’ning pushed her movement technique to its limit, barely managing to dodge and parry within the onslaught. Her movements were sluggish compared to before. Each clash sent tremors through her arms, pain wrenching her organs as if they’d been shifted from their places. Cold sweat streamed down her temples, her breathing growing erratic.
She was entirely on the defensive, battered by blow after blow.
Many in the audience could not bear to watch.
“As expected, she can’t do it…”
“The gap is too great, and she’s still injured.”
“Holding out this long is already impressive.”
On the high platform, Li Qifeng’s brow was tightly furrowed. Zhou Qingwan and Liu Lingyun looked on with concern, while Zhu Yu watched with leisurely interest, amusement flickering in his eyes.
On the stage, Bai Yue’ning’s plight grew more dire. Yao Feng’s attacks intensified, as though he no longer wished to delay. A searing palm wind grazed her shoulder, her robe charring instantly, skin burning beneath. She let out a muffled groan, her steps faltering as she nearly fell.
Was this the end?
The thought crept in unbidden. Fatigue and pain threatened to drown her.
“Stand up… don’t surrender so easily…” Though Ye Ming’s voice was barely more than a whisper, it carried a stubborn force.
“His palm technique… sounds impressive, but in truth, his spiritual power is all flash and little substance…”
“Each time he strikes with full force, there’s a fleeting gap beneath his right ribs… incredibly brief…”
With the last of his strength, Ye Ming relayed the subtle flaw he had sensed.
“Hold on, find the chance… give him one good blow…”
That faint but unwavering will pierced the despair rising in Bai Yue’ning’s heart.
She could not give up!
Biting her tongue hard, she jolted herself awake with a fresh spike of pain.
Ye Ming was still fighting—how could she collapse first?
Drawing on willpower alone, Bai Yue’ning lifted her sword once more. Her body still ached, her movements were still slow, but now there was persistence in her every dodge and block—a steadiness where there had been panic.
Her gaze locked onto Yao Feng, searching for the fleeting opening Ye Ming had described.
Yao Feng sensed her change, a flash of impatience in his eyes. So long without a decisive victory, with his opponent barely standing yet somehow holding out, left him feeling slighted.
He resolved to end it, spiritual power surging as both palms burned crimson, gathering an even more formidable force.
He was about to unleash his deadliest move.
At that instant, just as his spiritual power rotated beneath his right ribs, there was indeed a subtle, momentary stagnation.
A glint of cold light flashed in Bai Yue’ning’s eyes. She summoned the last of her strength and lunged straight for that split-second opening.
Yao Feng never expected her to advance at the very moment he unleashed his killing blow, nor to seize that fleeting flaw with such unerring precision.
He tried to defend, but he was half a beat too late!
Her sword tip grazed his robe beneath the right ribs, slicing through the fabric and leaving a shallow cut on his skin.
Though it was only a superficial wound, the precision of the strike sent a cold sweat down Yao Feng’s back. His attack was forcibly interrupted, his breath caught.
He staggered two steps back, staring at the blood on his side, all trace of disdain vanished—replaced by shock, anger, and disbelief.
Bai Yue’ning’s strike had spent the last of her strength. Her body gave way and she dropped to one knee, using her sword to prop herself up, gasping for breath as her vision swam with darkness.
The arena was silent.
Everyone was stunned by the suddenness of her counterattack.
How could one, clearly at the end of her strength, still unleash such a precise and fierce retaliation?