The Princess’s Unwavering Gaze

Before the words could fully escape her lips, the scorching white light of the teleportation array had already transformed the fleeting crimson figure, glimpsed for but a moment, into a searing, fiery silhouette within its dazzling radiance, vanishing from its spot.

Liu Ruyan’s questioning words abruptly ceased, this sudden, powerful spectacle of transformation catching in her throat and choking her.

She could only watch, wide-eyed, as the light dispersed.

Arena, Yi-Domain, Zone One.

White light flared, then receded.

Ji Xue, clad in crimson, stood poised in the center of the arena, her scarlet hair blazing like fire, her posture as upright and graceful as a winter plum blossom unfurling.

Simultaneously, a figure in azure descended like a gust of wind, landing steadily several yards opposite Ji Xue.

Hu Lan stood firm, one hand casually resting on the slender curved blade at her waist, her gaze sharp and piercing.

Her eyes brazenly swept back and forth across Ji Xue’s striking crimson hair and her luxurious gown.

“Heh,” Hu Lan sneered, her voice laced with mockery and condescension. “What an unexpected guest! I never imagined my first opponent in Group B, Section Seven, would be none other than the esteemed Princess Ji Xue.”

She drew out the words ‘Princess Ji Xue’ with deliberate emphasis, her lips twisting into a myriad of malicious curves.

Lowering her voice conspiratorially, she murmured, “Princess Ji Xue, while this incense stick hasn’t fully burned out yet…”

She lifted a finger, pointing towards the timer incense burner that had just been lit at the edge of the arena.

“…How about Princess Ji Xue concedes now? To save yourself the trouble…”

Hu Lan paused deliberately, her gaze, sharp as a blade, raking over Ji Xue from head to toe once more, her contempt reaching its zenith.

Without powerful backing, Hu Lan would never dare to be so arrogant. A princess was still a princess; no matter how out of favor she might be, she was still of royal blood. Insulting her was tantamount to slandering the imperial family, and her own kin would certainly not be spared. Fortunately, she was Nangong Xuan’s person, and Nangong Xuan also had a royal family member standing behind her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t dare court death like this.

However, even setting aside that connection, Hu Lan’s disdain would not lessen, for in her eyes, Ji Xue was merely a lucky soul born into a good family. After all, having consumed so many expensive and precious medicinal ingredients, her cultivation had only just barely reached Foundation Establishment, clearly showing how poor Ji Xue’s aptitude truly was. If it were another prince or princess, they might have already achieved the youngest Golden Core in history! If it were herself… she certainly wouldn’t be at the mere Foundation Establishment stage by now!

To be so ostentatious and arrogant immediately upon reaching Foundation Establishment, she must truly believe that reaching this stage solves all problems, mustn’t she? Hu Lan almost pitied this self-important Princess Ji Xue. Today, let this ‘inferior’ person she looked down upon teach her what it truly meant to build up strength and then unleash it!

“Blades have no eyes,” she continued, “and what if, by chance, I were to knock off a few strands of your ‘phoenix hair’—each worth a thousand pieces of silver—or scratch that beautiful face of yours, shattering your meager courage and scattering your soul? That would be truly unsightly, wouldn’t it, Princess?”

She deliberately slowed her speech, her tone dripping with ridicule.

“After all, Princess, your patchy, fragile foundation probably couldn’t even withstand a gentle breeze. The dignity I’m offering you, you must reach out and grasp it yourself, wouldn’t you say?”

With such blatant mockery, she didn’t believe Ji Xue could remain calm. Her counter-strategy was already set: she merely awaited Ji Xue’s enraged outburst and reckless charge, which would lead her directly into the trap. Although she had brought a blade into the arena, this was merely a ploy by Hu Lan, to mislead others into thinking she specialized in saber techniques. In reality, saber techniques were far from her true specialty.

Yet, a flicker of surprise crossed Hu Lan’s mind: Ji Xue did not erupt as expected. She merely stood still, her gaze coolly assessing Hu Lan, without the slightest ripple of the anger Hu Lan had anticipated in her eyes.

‘Hmph… remarkably composed!’ Hu Lan sneered inwardly. ‘If my opponent won’t willingly walk into the snare, then I will be the one to dictate the game!’

Hu Lan’s lips curved into a chilling arc, and beneath her feet, a thick, ink-like purple aura suddenly surged forth!

Initially, the swirling energy coiled around her ankles like spiritual serpents, but in the blink of an eye, it violently spread, rising in tumultuous, wave-like layers!

In mere moments, a dense, eerie purple mist shroud had begun to take shape, making it impossible to see one’s own hand, and even the opponent’s figure became hazy and distorted.

Even the disciples in the spectator stands found themselves unable to discern anything within.

This sudden and bizarre sight instantly ignited gasps of astonishment from the stands.

“What is that? A poisonous miasma? A hallucinatory fog?”

“It’s definitely not an ordinary illusion! The spiritual energy fluctuations feel incredibly strange!”

“Hu Lan hid this well; we’ve never seen her use this move during regular sparring!”

As the crowd discussed, some seemed to recognize the peculiar mist and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Could it be the Bewildering Heart Barrier?!”

The woman’s gasp immediately drew glances from those around her, who eagerly awaited her to continue.

“If I’m not mistaken, what Hu Lan cultivates… is it actually the Demonic Path?! Could it be… that kind of evil art that refines living people?”

“No, no! The Way of Warfare emphasizes deception and illusion. The core of such techniques isn’t about devouring souls or seizing spirits, but rather about ‘confusion’—disordering the five senses, befuddling the mind, and even directly distorting spiritual perception. It creates a city of illusions, blurring reality and falsehood, capable of shattering an enemy’s will with a mere flick of the wrist, causing them to collapse without a fight.”

“From what I see, Hu Lan is likely using the renowned and rather challenging ‘Rakshasa Bewildering Heart Art’ from the Way of Deception!”

“This cultivation method allows the practitioner’s spiritual energy to act as a barrier, shielding others’ senses, even causing them to lose all five senses! Forget about discerning directions, they wouldn’t even be able to tell where their own limbs were!”

“Furthermore, if this art is cultivated to perfection, it can even block spiritual energy, or even obstruct its flow through the meridians! It can completely transform someone into a mere mortal with only a physical body!”

These words instantly silenced everyone around!

Could this Way of Deception truly be so formidable?

Did Princess Ji Xue have no chance of winning at all?

“Then Princess Ji Xue doesn’t stand a chance?”

“Not necessarily. Although the Way of Deception is strange, it’s not without its counters, and Hu Lan hasn’t cultivated it to that level either. While the Way of Deception is formidable, its difficulty in cultivation is precisely why it hasn’t flourished. Many aren’t even aware such a path exists. Moreover, if not cultivated to Great Perfection, its power is inferior to even an ordinary cultivation method. Once one’s cultivation realm is high enough, sensory shielding can be completely suppressed by divine sense, which is why most people don’t bother cultivating it. However, in a Qi Condensation stage battle like this… it will likely be the most formidable opponent for any of us.”

The gaze returned to the arena, yet it remained shrouded in dense fog, revealing nothing.

Hu Lan, hidden within the mist, had already swaggered brazenly before Ji Xue.

Currently, two of Ji Xue’s senses—hearing and sight—had been completely blocked, which was why Hu Lan could so brazenly approach her. Ji Xue neither saw nor heard her. Ji Xue remained utterly still.

‘She must have been frozen stiff with fear,’ Hu Lan thought. ‘My apologies, Princess, but it seems I must humiliate you.’

‘Lord Nangong, please watch closely. I shall bring you a magnificent victory!’

A triumphant smile spread across Hu Lan’s face. She raised her palm, preparing to push Ji Xue out of the arena.

The next instant!

The malicious grin on Hu Lan’s face abruptly froze!

Her wrist was precisely grasped by a slender, jade-like hand!

‘?!’

‘How could this be?!’

‘This “Rakshasa Bewildering Heart Miasma” enveloped the entire arena, obscuring all senses. How could Ji Xue possibly have seen through her movements?!’

‘It must be… a coincidence!’

“Swish—!”

In a flash of thought, Hu Lan instinctively twisted her body, her scimitar at her waist emerging like a venomous snake from its lair, transforming into a chilling streak of light that slashed directly at Ji Xue’s neck!

She intended to use speed and ruthlessness to break free from this unbelievable restraint!

Boom!

A dull explosion suddenly erupted!

Before the blade could even make contact, it was firmly blocked by a cluster of crimson-gold flames that had materialized out of thin air!

The flames pulsed with an unsettling peculiarity; the outer edges shimmered with scorching heat, warping the air, yet from their core emanated a chilling, bone-piercing icy blue light.

Wisps of cold air actually escaped from the blazing fireball!

Ice and fire, at this moment, achieved a terrifying symbiosis!

“Heh…” Ji Xue’s crimson lips parted slightly, a soft scoff, like scattered jade falling to the ground, carrying a disappointment so profound it was almost tangible.

“I had thought you were hiding some earth-shattering technique…”

She lifted her gaze slightly.

Before her deep, phoenix-like eyes, the pervasive purple mist seemed to lose all efficacy.

Her vision pierced through the miasma, and her sudden, superior gaze precisely impaled Hu Lan’s face, which was now filled with utter horror.

“So, it turns out you only know these… crude parlor tricks?”

At this moment!

A phoenix reborn from fire!

Yet, her eyes held no emotion, only a chilling indifference that pierced to the nine netherworlds, utterly disregardful of everything.

Hu Lan’s blood surged backward, her scalp prickling!

An unprecedented wave of absurdity and furious shock instantly drowned her!

‘She… was being utterly dismissed and looked down upon by this princess, who was once considered a good-for-nothing?!’