Chương 87: Chapter 88: Battle of the Sects, Reversing Heaven and Earth Alone (6)

"And if I should lose? What then?" Ji Yueli's beautiful eyes flickered with a cautious, calculating light as she spoke, her voice steady despite the gravity of the stakes.

"Should you fall, Junior Sister, the Xuanxiao Sect may send any other disciple to challenge me in your stead. If they prevail, it shall be counted as your victory, and every condition I have promised shall remain honored," Ming Diao Zhanchen replied, a predatory yet admiring glint dancing in his gaze. He paused, his voice dropping to a low, resonant tone that carried across the terrace.

"However, should I emerge as the final victor, the Qingyan Sect shall arrive at your gates in half a month's time with a formal proposal of marriage. You and I shall be bound as Dao Companions, merging our paths in dual cultivation. I trust you will not refuse me when that day comes?" The declaration hit the crowd like a physical blow. A deafening roar of outrage erupted, particularly from the younger generation of the Xuanxiao Sect.

Their eyes turned a feral, bloodshot crimson, their faces contorted with a collective fury so intense it seemed they might leap onto the platform to tear Ming Diao Zhanchen limb from limb.

"You arrogant brat! Say that again, and I'll fight you to the death, even if I have to drag you to the grave with me!" one disciple screamed, his knuckles white as he gripped his sword hilt.

"Qingyan Sect dog, crawl back to your own mountains if you're so desperate for a woman! The greatest beauty of our Xuanxiao Sect will never be yours!" another bellowed, spittle flying in his rage.

"Sister Ji, do not agree! It is but a single Mid-tier Earth-grade technique! In the future, I would climb mountains of blades and swim through seas of fire to find such a manual for you, just to see it in your hands!"

"Has our Xuanxiao Sect truly fallen so low? Must Sister Ji stand alone against this upstart? Where are the senior brothers? Step forth and crush him!" The flames of indignation burned hot in the hearts of the young cultivators. If their pride—the most ethereal and talented woman in their sect—was taken as a trophy of war, they would never again be able to hold their heads high in the North Yue State. To many, death seemed a cleaner fate than such humiliation.

High on the dais, Qingxiaozi's eyes burned with a different kind of fire—the fire of ambition. A Mid-tier Earth-grade technique... he mused, his fingers twitching. If the sect could secure such a legacy, a generation of elite disciples would surely rise within a few short years. His own cultivation was rooted in the Qingyun Scripture, which was merely a Low-tier Earth-grade manual; he, better than anyone, understood the transformative power of a superior technique.

"A Mid-tier Earth-grade technique is indeed a rare treasure," Dan Chenzi whispered, his brow furrowed with deep-seated anxiety.

"But for Ming Diao Zhanchen to offer it so freely suggests a terrifying level of confidence. If Yueli wins, all is well. But if she fails, we lose a disciple who is all but guaranteed to reach the Golden Core within a century. We would be handing our future to the Qingyan Sect."

"This... let us leave the choice to Yueli herself," Qingxiaozi replied, his voice strained.

"She is not one to act on impulse. If she does not believe she can win, she will not take the bait." The two Golden Core masters exchanged a heavy look before turning their gaze toward the Qingyan Sect's delegation.

"Preposterous! How can Zhanchen make such a wager without consultation? If he loses, how can he possibly answer for the loss of the manual?" Ancestor Ming Diao's expression shifted violently. Seeing the unreadable, shifting shadows in Tiandaozi's eyes, he felt a genuine flicker of anger at his descendant's recklessness. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

The Iron-Lock Across the River was a technique the sect had obtained by chance from a powerful rogue cultivator. It had been granted to Ming Diao Zhanchen only because of his peerless talent and the fact that Ancestor Ming Diao was on the cusp of his own breakthrough. It was a sect legacy, not a gambling chip. Even with his ancestor's protection, the punishment for losing it would be catastrophic.

"Sect Leader, should we intervene? The boy has been too impetuous. Please, do not take offense at his boldness," Ancestor Ming Diao urged. Tiandaozi's lips curled into a faint, enigmatic smile. He shook his head slowly.

"No. Since Zhanchen has made the challenge, we cannot retreat; it would shame the sect. Besides, that girl from the Xuanxiao Sect is a rare gem. Her chances of reaching the Golden Core are over fifty percent, and she is already a Grade 3 Alchemist at such a tender age. Such a prize is well worth the risk of the Iron-Lock Across the River." He leaned back, his eyes narrowing.

"Furthermore, you and I know the true extent of the boy's strength. I have full confidence in him." Ancestor Ming Diao felt a wave of relief wash over him, replaced quickly by a cold, calculating sneer as he looked back at the stage. Upon the Ascension Terrace, Ji Yueli showed no surprise at the terms. She had likely anticipated this move the moment the manual was revealed. Her brow creased slightly, and a frost-like coldness settled in her eyes, yet she did not immediately voice a refusal.

"Senior Tiandaozi," she called out, her voice clear and ringing.

"May I ask if Fellow Daoist Ming Diao's words truly represent the will of the entire Qingyan Sect?" Tiandaozi's gaze swept over her, appraising her like a master jeweler examining a diamond. He gave a light, affirmative nod.

"They do." Ji Yueli took a deep, steadying breath. A resolute light sparked in her eyes, and her moon-colored robes began to flutter as if stirred by an invisible gale. She turned toward the dais and bowed deeply.

"Sect Leader, Master... your disciple wishes to accept this wager. I ask for your blessing." Qingxiaozi nodded solemnly, his voice booming with forced confidence.

"Go then, Yueli. Strike with all your might. When you return victorious, I shall personally oversee a grand celebration in your honor!" Ji Yueli bowed once more. Her gaze lingered for a fleeting second on a certain figure in a green robe among the crowd, a momentary pause in her icy composure, before she turned back to her opponent.

"Fellow Daoist Ming Diao, the wager is accepted. Let us begin."

"Excellent!" Ming Diao Zhanchen's eyes blazed with predatory heat. He cupped his fists in a mock gesture of respect.

"If my hand should prove too heavy and I injure you, I pray you do not hold a grudge. I promise that by the time of our wedding ceremony in a fortnight, I shall ensure you are perfectly healed and ready to enter the Qingyan Sect in glory."

"Your words are premature. You have yet to best me," Ji Yueli retorted, her voice like cracking ice. With a fluid motion of her sleeves, she unleashed a massive wind blade, a crescent of shimmering azure energy a full zhang in length that hissed through the air toward her foe.

"If you will not strike, then I shall take the initiative!"

"Haha! Splendid! Today, I shall show you that being mine is an honor, not a disgrace!" Ming Diao Zhanchen's arrogance flared. His robes snapped violently in the wind as a monstrous spiritual pressure erupted from his body. The aura swept across the terrace like a physical wave, doubling in intensity until it neared the threshold of the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment.

"This is my true cultivation! Do you still believe victory is within your reach, Sister? Why not surrender now and preserve the harmony between us?" As he spoke, he reached out and made a grasping motion in the air. A spectral, giant hand coalesced from raw spiritual energy, seizing the incoming wind blade in its translucent palm. With a casual squeeze, the azure energy shattered into harmless sparks.

"How is this possible? He was hiding his true strength!"

"He is but a hair's breadth from the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment... with such power, he could sweep through the entire younger generation of the Xuanxiao Sect alone. This bet... the Xuanxiao Sect is going to lose their most promising disciple."

"The Qingyan Sect's depth is terrifying. Two Golden Core masters and a disciple of this caliber? He will surely reach the Golden Core within a century."

"The disciple the Xuanxiao Sect spent decades nurturing is about to be handed over on a silver platter. Ming Diao Zhanchen will not only win fame across the North Yue State today, but he will also claim a peerless beauty. What an enviable destiny." Inside the Great Hall, the visiting cultivators exchanged looks of profound shock. As they turned their eyes toward the Qingyan Sect, the previous curiosity had vanished, replaced by a deep, lingering sense of awe and dread.