Chapter Sixty-Nine: Breaking Free from Shackles

This was the brilliance of Ge Qian—without expending the slightest bit of spiritual power, with nothing more than a few glances and gestures, he had sown a heart demon within Lü Xin. This was simply because Ge Qian’s cultivation was still low; had he reached the Foundation Establishment stage, Lü Xin would have instantly fallen into demonic ways.

Ge Qian, of course, had his own reasons for this. Lü Xin had schemed against him more than once or twice, but then again, had he not also been scheming against Lü Xin? They were equally matched in intrigue.

As time passed, the top ten of the grand competition were finally revealed: Bai Ruyu, Wang Yudong, Ying Xue, Lü Xin, Niu Meng, Xi Shui, Kang Yu, Mark, Yu Qi, and Dou Wenchong.

Each one of these ten was an extraordinary talent, formidable in strength, and, without exception, backed by powerful influence.

With the top ten determined, the contest for the top three began. Lots were drawn to decide the matchups, ensuring fairness.

In this round, Ying Xue drew Lü Xin as her opponent. The two soared onto the arena. Lü Xin’s brows were furrowed, his eyes fierce; he had invested much effort in Ying Xue, but in the end, it had been all for nothing. Frustration and resentment filled his heart. Today, fate had brought opponents together on a narrow road.

Lü Xin’s eyes brimmed with venom as he spoke, “Junior Sister, I have never treated you unkindly, yet you repay me with indifference and perfunctory words. In what way am I unworthy of you? I have family background, I have strength—tell me, what is it?”

Ying Xue, clad in a pink palace gown that accentuated her graceful curves and with delicate features, smiled slightly and replied, “Feelings cannot be forced. I have always regarded you as a good senior brother, nothing more. Perhaps it is simply not our fate.”

Hearing this, Lü Xin was enraged, his anger almost bursting forth. He snarled, “So, no fate, is it? Then today I’ll keep fighting until fate appears!”

With a wave of his hand, he hurled two top-grade magic swords, which grew seven feet long with a gust of wind, their blue light flashing as they shot straight for Ying Xue.

Ying Xue frowned, exclaiming, “The ‘Azure Gleam Mandarin Swords’—the finest of top-grade magical artifacts, just a hair’s breadth from becoming spirit tools!”

Without delay, she summoned her own top-grade artifact, the “Flame Lance.” Waves of fire surged forth to meet the ‘Azure Gleam Mandarin Swords.’

Lü Xin’s veins bulged, his eyes shining with cruelty. “So you recognize them! To deal with you, to make you submit, I paid a great price to acquire these swords. But if you regret it now, it’s too late—break!”

The ‘Azure Gleam Mandarin Swords’ suddenly blazed with blue light, slicing outward with lethal force.

The flames quaked, barely holding back the swords. Ying Xue’s willow brows arched fiercely; she was not one to take a loss. Lü Xin’s words disgusted her. She immediately poured her full spiritual power into the “Flame Lance” and stabbed forward.

The fire surged, forming a wall of flames that pushed outward. The ‘Azure Gleam Mandarin Swords’ were crushed, emitting pitiful wails.

Lü Xin’s eyes nearly popped from their sockets—how could her strength have advanced to such a degree? He was so shocked he could not speak.

Ying Xue wasted no time. She tossed out an explosive talisman. With a muffled bang, Lü Xin was sent flying to the ground, flat on his back, overwhelmed by grief and rage. His anger surged, and he fainted on the spot.

Cheers erupted from below the stage—“Bravo!” “Senior Sister is mighty!” The disciples of Fire Wave Peak shouted the loudest.

Ge Qian nodded silently to himself. Ying Xue was indeed a paragon among those with fire spirit roots, wielding the “Flame Lance” to perfection.

The head of the Lü family’s face was ashen. In his eyes, his son should have at least made it into the top five, never imagining he would be defeated in the top ten, and so utterly—collapsing unconscious before the crowd. He would become the laughingstock of the other families. Ying Xue was truly hateful.

He would find a way to humble her eventually, but for now, he could only bide his time. The master of Fire Wave Peak was a late-stage Core Formation cultivator—not someone he could afford to offend.

The top five had now emerged: Bai Ruyu, Wang Yudong, Ying Xue, Xi Shui, and Dou Wenchong.

Bai Ruyu and Wang Yudong both dispatched their opponents with ease, their strength overwhelming. Xi Shui and Dou Wenchong, however, only advanced after fierce battles, barely making it through.

Unexpectedly, Xi Shui and Dou Wenchong both announced their withdrawal from the competition. They knew, injured as they were, they could not hope to challenge the three whose strength was unfathomable; better to accept their current ranking.

Before the three remaining stood an elder in white robes named Miao Mu, the Elder of Transmission, responsible for instructing disciples in the Dao. He was known for his uprightness. In a hoarse voice, he announced, “According to the rules, the three of you will draw lots to determine the matchups. Whoever draws the blank lot will have a bye and rest for a round. This, too, is a matter of fortune—one could say it is a form of strength. Draw your lots.”

The elder presented three bamboo sticks.

All three responded in unison, “Understood, Elder.”

Each took a stick. Ying Xue raised hers with a smile, “Elder, I’ve drawn the blank lot.”

Elder Miao nodded, “You may rest this round. Bai Ruyu and Wang Yudong, your match begins now.”

Wang Yudong stepped forward respectfully, “Elder, I know I am no match for Senior Sister Bai. I choose to forfeit.”

His words fell like thunder, and the spectators erupted in debate.

“What? Forfeit? I don’t believe Senior Brother Wang would lose for sure!”

“How disappointing—two powerhouses, and we miss out on their clash?”

“I think Wang Yudong was bought off by the Bai family. Otherwise, with his strength, he would have reached the Foundation Establishment stage long ago!”

Ge Qian’s heart stirred. Wang Yudong had previously claimed to be in seclusion, but he had emerged only to serve as Bai Ruyu’s shield, clearing obstacles in her path. Clearly, he had gained great benefit from the Bai family. For the sake of the Spiritfruit King, the Bai family had indeed gone to great lengths.

The elder’s expression shifted slightly before returning to normal. He gave Wang Yudong a meaningful glance, “Very well, you are third. Now, Bai Ruyu and Ying Xue, begin your match for first place.”

Ying Xue smiled at Bai Ruyu and soared onto the arena, sword beneath her feet.

Bai Ruyu followed, her white robe like snow, long hair billowing behind her. Her aura was cold and proud, her beauty even surpassing Ying Xue’s by several degrees.

Bai Ruyu alighted gently on the stage, studying the junior sister who, in her eyes, had never truly grown up.

Ying Xue met her gaze, calm and emotionless, revealing nothing of her inner thoughts. She had changed—her temperament entirely different. From what Bai Ruyu knew, Ying Xue’s temper had always been fiery and outspoken, yet now she was transformed.

Bai Ruyu was startled by this change. She had grown stronger. Smiling, she spoke earnestly, “Junior Sister, you’ve made great progress lately—enough to make your senior take notice. I know I have always been your heart’s demon. Today, you wish to defeat me, break your shackles, and advance your cultivation to the Foundation Establishment stage. But let me advise you—do not think this way. Today, I am determined to take first place in the competition; I will not yield. I fear you will only deepen your heart’s shadow and find it even harder to break through in the future.”

Ying Xue nodded, “Senior Sister, you are mistaken. I have already cast off my shackles. Today, I share your ambition—to win first place, enter the Minor Dao Field, and obtain the Spiritfruit King. I want to see if I might, by chance, build a Heavenly-grade Foundation.”

In truth, Ying Xue knew that among the three foundations—Heaven, Earth, and Mortal—the Heavenly-grade was the hardest to attain. It required not only exceptional talent but also extraordinary luck. Even with the Spiritfruit King, she was not confident of success. If she won and entered the Minor Dao Field, she could help Ge Qian obtain the Spiritfruit King to improve his constitution. Even if she lost, it mattered little. Though she had broken free of her shackles, she was still a step away from truly leaving the past behind. Today would be her moment of closure.