Two Women Fighting for Their Lives

The fight between Jiang Yao and Yang Lu escalated once more.
Once Jiang Yao unleashed her physique secret technique, her terrifying energy gradually froze the energy Yang Lu had released.

‘What?
Is this woman trying to fight me to the death?
Is it really necessary?
Isn’t she making it impossible for me to back down?
No, I can’t lose, at least not like this.’

Yang Lu’s heart hardened again; she bit her tongue and spat a mouthful of fresh blood onto her weapon.

“Break!” Yang Lu roared.
The azure luan she had condensed from her power let out a loud wail before abruptly exploding.

The explosive energy engulfed Jiang Yao’s ice dragon, causing cracks to spiderweb across its form.

‘Energy self-detonation?
Damn it, doesn’t she fear the backlash?’ Jiang Yao’s face paled immediately.
Without hesitation, she summoned the Divine Mark Realm puppet Yan Yun had bought her, placing it in front of herself.

Yang Lu’s self-detonation of her magical power violently shattered Jiang Yao’s magical power as well, causing it to explode.

The two tumultuous energies intertwined, generating an even more ferocious surge.

The spreading energy blasted both women.
Although Yang Lu had conjured a defensive artifact at the last moment to shield herself, the combined power they had maintained for so long, upon its detonation, was potent enough to rival the Divine Soul Realm.

Both were simultaneously hurled from the sky by this immense force.

“Boom!” As the power fully detonated, in the eyes of the cultivators watching the battle, it was as if a second sun had appeared in the sky, its brilliant energy blinding them.

“This… is this still the power of the Cavern Heaven Realm?” Many were utterly stunned.

The energy lingered in the sky for a moment, like fireworks, before slowly dissipating.

“Who won?” The grand figures outside the arena eagerly awaited the outcome.

However, judging by the recent turn of events, Jiang Yao’s victory seemed assured, especially since Yang Lu’s final move was clearly an act of desperation.

Eventually, the energy completely vanished, and two figures plummeted from the sky in quick succession.

The first to fall was naturally Yang Lu; her injuries were visibly more severe, and her face was utterly pale.
Yet, she remained conscious, her gaze fixed intently on Jiang Yao, who was still descending from above.

Jiang Yao appeared to be in better condition, cradled by a puppet identical to Yan Yun as she descended.

Nevertheless, blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.

A puppet, after all, was not a living being; it could not release magical power, and while it could offer defense and strength, it had only managed to block a portion of the explosion’s aftermath for Jiang Yao.

The full impact of the magical power was something she couldn’t entirely avoid.

Jiang Yao was smiling at Yang Lu, a smile that deeply irritated Yang Lu.

Yang Lu understood the meaning behind that smile: ‘I won.’

‘I’ve lost this time, never expected to encounter such a formidable opponent.
It’s over; Ancestor Master will definitely scold me when I get out.
I gave it my all, yet I couldn’t even leave a scratch on her, and now I’m left with these injuries.
It’ll take three months to fully recover, so the subsequent matches are out of the question.’ Yang Lu slowly closed her eyes, then fainted outright.

Just as Yang Lu was about to smash headfirst onto the ground from a hundred meters in the air, a figure swiftly flew from a distance and caught her.

“Junior Sister, Junior Sister, are you alright?
Don’t scare me.” This was a handsome young man with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes.

Jiang Yao, safely held by her puppet, landed steadily on the ground.

The powerful figures observing from outside were startled by Jiang Yao’s puppet.

“This?
Is this a puppet?
How can it look exactly like that white-haired girl from earlier?
What’s their relationship?” Many wondered about the connection between Jiang Yao and Yan Yun.

After Jiang Yao landed, the Yunhua Pavilion disciples immediately flew over to her.

“Junior Sister, you are alright?” they asked, their voices filled with concern.

Jiang Yao shook her head, having already returned to her original state, indicating that the power of her physique could not be maintained indefinitely.

She immediately sat cross-legged on the spot and consumed a pill to heal her injuries.

Such a spectacular battle, one that should have been reserved for the finals, had unfolded prematurely.

“Hahahaha… Interesting!
I never imagined that such a formidable cultivator would emerge among Jiang Country’s new generation of cultivators.
This is truly a blessing for our Dao Alliance!
May I inquire which sect this disciple belongs to?” Chen Yingtian asked, looking towards Yunshuang and the others.

Fairy Yunshuang immediately replied with a cheerful laugh.

“It’s nothing, Brother Chen.
This child, Jiang Yao, is my grand-disciple.”

This remark surprised Chen Yingtian and also made him frown.
If she had been a disciple from another sect, he would have been confident in recruiting her to their cultivation world.

However, she was a disciple of the Yunhua Sect, which complicated matters.

“Oh, she is your grand-disciple, Fairy.
Has this outstanding Fairy considered having her cultivate in the Dao Alliance?
If not, I can help the Alliance secure a spot for her.” Chen Yingtian quickly inquired.

Just as Fairy Yunshuang was about to respond, a figure suddenly appeared out of thin air beside her.

“Alliance Master Chen need not trouble himself with this.
This child’s spot has already been secured.” Dou Ke materialized.

He had not intended to meet Chen Yingtian, but now he had no choice but to step forward and support Jiang Country.

Chen Yingtian’s expression subtly shifted.
“Elder Dou, I didn’t expect you to be here.
Did you come specifically for Jiang Country’s Immortal Dao Assembly?
Why didn’t I see you earlier?”

He had heard of the Dao Alliance Elder Council.
He knew Dou Ke hailed from Qin Country.
Upon seeing him appear, Chen Yingtian knew that he no longer had any chance to poach the talent.

Dou Ke let out a hearty laugh.

“Oh, I was just discussing this child with Alliance Master Lin.
Alliance Master Lin has already agreed to grant this old man ten spots.
After this assembly concludes, this old man can take ten people to cultivate in the Dao Alliance,” Dou Ke explained.

Chen Yingtian’s face stiffened.

‘This old ghost is ruining my plans,’ Chen Yingtian muttered to himself.

Meanwhile, with Yan Kun and his group.

Yan Kun’s younger sister, Yan Shi, along with two other Yan family members and one Jiang family member, were assigned to a single arena.

However, as soon as they entered, they were ambushed by disciples from Lieyang Gate.

The group immediately fled.

Their strength, compared to the Lieyang Gate disciples, was sorely lacking.

“Yan family and Jiang family members, where else can you run?
Surrender!
Surrender and withdraw, and you’ll live.
If you don’t, and you die later, don’t blame us,” a Spirit Transformation Realm minor completion cultivator from Lieyang Gate sneered coldly.

The three Yan family members reacted a step too slowly; they were immediately hit by the energy blast, spitting blood as they were sent flying backward, losing their ability to fight.

Losing the ability to fight in here meant that if they weren’t treated, the referee would send them out based on the severity of their injuries.

“Who exactly are you people?
Why are you attacking us?” Seeing their family companions and the Jiang family disciple injured and unconscious, Yan Kun and Yan Shi could no longer continue to flee.

“Heh heh, I am a disciple of Lieyang Gate.
As for why we’re attacking you, let’s just say you’ve provoked someone you shouldn’t have.
Alright, you two can also leave the arena now.” The group wasted no more words, preparing to continue their assault on Yan Kun and Yan Shi after speaking.

Yan Shi and Yan Kun exchanged glances as they saw the attackers closing in.

“Second Brother, there’s no other way,” Yan Shi stated.

Yan Kun understood Yan Shi’s meaning.
Both of them simultaneously produced the Silver Armored Puppets Yan Yun had given them.

Although these Silver Armored Puppets were only Cavern Heaven Realm puppets, when fully activated, they were powerful enough to contend with Spirit Transformation Realm minor completion cultivators.

The Lieyang Gate cultivators pursuing them included one Spirit Transformation Realm minor completion cultivator, with the rest being in the Cavern Heaven Realm.
One puppet could entangle their leader, while Yan Kun and Yan Shi, alongside the other Silver Armored Puppet, could attack the rest.

As the two puppets were summoned, the Lieyang Gate members were startled.

“Heavenly Puppet Gate’s Silver Armored Puppets?
Be careful, they’re Silver Armored Puppets!” The leading Lieyang Gate disciple was shocked and quickly retreated.

However, one of the Silver Armored Puppets immediately lunged at him.

The other Silver Armored Puppet, meanwhile, dashed towards the other Lieyang Gate members.

Yan Kun and Yan Shi looked at them.

‘You forced our hand.
Kill!’

Yan Kun and Yan Shi followed the other Silver Armored Puppet, attacking another Cavern Heaven Realm major completion cultivator.

This Cavern Heaven Realm major completion cultivator’s face instantly paled as he saw the three of them charging at him.
But the Silver Armored Puppet’s speed was truly too swift; just as he tried to dodge, the puppet was already before him.
Before he could react, a heavy punch landed on his abdomen.

“Pfft!” The man immediately spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward.

Yan Kun and Yan Shi seized the opportunity to attack the other two.

“Hahaha, did you see that?
These are our Heavenly Puppet Gate’s puppets!
Although they are expensive, their combat power and utility are immense.
Everyone, did you notice?
All the puppets appearing today were crafted by our Heavenly Puppet Gate!” The Heavenly Puppet Gate’s Sect Master, Lu Fan, rose, laughing heartily.

Indeed, their Heavenly Puppet Gate’s puppets were truly shining brightly today.

It was certainly true that Yan Yun and her group were essentially advertising for the Heavenly Puppet Gate.

“Indeed, these puppets are genuinely useful.
As for the price, ah, if only it were a little lower.” However, the vast majority of cultivators still found the price to be too high.

Soon, with the coordinated efforts of the two Silver Armored Puppets, all the Lieyang Gate members were defeated by Yan Kun and Yan Shi.

“Damn it, how do you have Silver Armored Puppets?
These… these things are worth hundreds of thousands of spirit stones!
Even we Spirit Transformation cultivators can’t afford them!” The leading Lieyang Gate disciple was pinned to the ground by one of the puppets, unable to move.

He was utterly taken aback.
Without these two puppets, sending away the Yan family and Jiang family members would have been no problem at all.

One could only say they had miscalculated; if a Spirit Transformation Realm major completion cultivator had been sent, the mission would not have failed.

“Hmph!
You don’t need to know that.” Yan Kun raised his foot and kicked the man squarely in the head, knocking him unconscious.

After dealing with these individuals, the two quickly went to check on their companions.
Unfortunately, all three of them had also fainted.

According to the rules, once someone fainted or suffered injuries too severe to be treated, they had to withdraw from the competition.

Sure enough, before either of them could say anything, the Lieyang Gate members and the three Jiang family members vanished from their spots, reappearing outside the arena.

Outside, cultivators skilled in healing were tending to the eliminated participants.

Regrettably, Yang Lu, defeated by Jiang Yao, was not among the eliminated.
Her senior brother carried a highly effective healing medicine and had administered it to her immediately.

At the very least, she wouldn’t be directly eliminated just like that.

However, given her condition, even if she continued to participate in subsequent events, it would be extremely difficult for her to display any combat prowess.