"Besides, those words all came from your own mouth. I didn’t threaten you, nor did I force you. How can you say I set you up?"

Song Wanning suddenly clutched her chest and said sorrowfully, "If we’re talking about being set up, I’m the one who feels like you two siblings set me up..."

Her grief-stricken appearance made Liu Yiyi’s heart clench.

"Pfft—"

She was so angry she spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Yiyi!"

Liu Yao was startled. He rushed forward to support her, his tone a mixture of worry and accusation. "What... what kind of absurd thing have you done?!"

Liu Yiyi’s eyes were like those of a bloodthirsty beast. She looked up, her face twisted, and grabbed his arm fiercely. "Brother, help me cripple her... Cripple her..."

She couldn’t even be bothered to maintain her usual cute and delicate facade. There was only one thought in her mind.

Ruin Song Wanning!

Ruin her!

Liu Yao’s expression darkened. Noticing something was wrong with his sister, he quickly transferred Spiritual Energy to her and tried to calm her down.

’It’s just a challenge match. I can’t let her reputation be ruined because of this.’

While Liu Yiyi was seething with uncontrollable rage on the stage, the crowd on the high platform was silent.

But the atmosphere was terrifyingly grim.

Liu Yiyi actually asked to put on an act with Song Wanning?

How dare she?

Song Wanning was currently the person in the Heavenly Inquiry Sect most likely to advance to the Divinity Transformation stage. She was also everyone’s number one target.

Not only did Liu Yiyi take the challenge spot, but she also resorted to such schemes... Did she take them all for fools?

The people from the Mountain Gazing Sect didn’t even dare to breathe. The gazes from the other sects were terrifying.

The more silent they were, the more unsettling it became.

...

Under Liu Yao’s soothing influence, Liu Yiyi finally began to calm down, but hatred still coursed through her heart. The murderous look in her eyes was impossible to hide.

Worried that something would happen to his sister, Liu Yao quickly told her to get off the stage.

"Don’t worry. Big Brother will defeat her. When the time comes, I’ll explain to everyone that you had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure to get Song Wanning to accept the challenge."

Although it would damage his sister’s image, it was better than gaining a reputation for betraying her own side.

"...Alright. Brother, you have to teach her a harsh lesson!"

Liu Yiyi gritted her teeth, squeezed Liu Yao’s arm, and leaped off the Martial Arts Arena.

In the crowd, Bai Yang and Li Rao both wore solemn expressions, unable to understand what their master was planning.

If one were to say she cared about Liu Yiyi, the two of them truly couldn’t see it.

But if one were to say she detested Liu Yiyi, she had also been lenient with her...

She even exposed the "cooperation" herself.

It left the two of them full of questions, completely unable to fathom her intentions.

It wasn’t just the two of them; no one else could figure out what Song Wanning was thinking either.

But with Liu Yao taking the stage, everyone grew uneasy.

The Sect Master of the Beast Taming Sect said with some dissatisfaction, "I don’t think we should let Liu Yao go up. If Liu Yiyi could cooperate with Song Wanning, won’t Liu Yao be biased to the heavens?"

She glanced at Liu Yao, a cold glint in her eyes.

’If these two siblings really think they can treat us like idiots, then when it’s time to divvy up the benefits later, the Mountain Gazing Sect can just forget about getting a share!’

"Yes, I agree. Everyone knows about Liu Yao’s feelings for Song Wanning. We can’t trust him to be the one to fight..."

The Sect Master of the Seven Stars Sect nodded in agreement.

Several others also spoke up, all disapproving of Liu Yao fighting.

If Liu Yao "lost," and Song Wanning then refused further challenges on the grounds of exhaustion, they wouldn’t be able to force her to stay.

’The Heavenly Inquiry Sect really knows how to play its cards!’

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense. The Sect Master of the Mountain Gazing Sect clenched his fists and said, steeling himself, "Everyone, please rest assured. I dare to stake my own honor on it: Liu Yao knew nothing about this, and it’s even more impossible that he would team up with Song Wanning to put on a show!"

At this point, there was no other way. Liu Yao had to fight, and he had to win! 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Otherwise, their Mountain Gazing Sect wouldn’t even get a scrap of the meat...

As the only Peak Nascent Soul Cultivator in the Mountain Gazing Sect, Liu Yao was the only one they could be confident in sending out to fight!

The Mountain Gazing Sect’s Master patted his chest, promising with confidence, "Liu Yao will definitely go all out and defeat Song Wanning!"

Liu Yao wasn’t a fool; he immediately understood the situation.

If he didn’t want to become a traitor to the Mountain Gazing Sect, he could only win. He could not lose!

He cupped his hands towards the crowd on the high platform. "Fellow Daoists, please rest assured. I will absolutely not let personal feelings get in the way!"

After this declaration from the two of them, the others couldn’t really say much more.

Liu Yao finally stood opposite Song Wanning, just as he had wished.

"My apologies, Song Dao You. I can only go all out now. I hope you won’t take offense!"

Worried she would misunderstand, he couldn’t help but add in a low voice, "After the challenge match is over, I will come and apologize to you!"

Liu Yao had never considered the possibility of losing.

His hypocritical display made Song Wanning laugh.

’When a person is shameless, they are invincible.’

’Liu Yao’s skin is thick enough to rival a city wall!’

’But the more smug he is now, the more pathetic he’ll look later.’

Song Wanning’s smile was brilliant, her demeanor calm and unhurried. "Alright. Let’s both go all out later, so no one can say you’re intentionally throwing the match..."

She didn’t care if her reputation was good or bad, nor did she care if others acknowledged her strength.

Without such worries, she could act more freely and easily.

The two of them cupped their hands at each other, and the battle was about to erupt.

Everyone watched with intense focus, wanting to see if Liu Yao would truly go all out.

Under immense pressure, Liu Yao made the first move.

Like Song Wanning, he also had a Fire Spirit Root, and his first attack was a ball of blue-black flame.

"Is that the Nine Nether Sacred Fire?"

"Hiss! Liu Yao actually possesses the Nine Nether Sacred Fire? That’s a flame ranked in the top twenty on the List of Abnormal Fires!"

"Heavens, as far as I know, Grandmaster Song doesn’t have an Abnormal Fire, does she..."

"Then how can she even compete? I heard the Nine Nether Sacred Fire can burn through anything. Though it’s a flame, it’s bone-chillingly cold and can even control the Spiritual Energy in one’s meridians!"

"..."

The appearance of the Nine Nether Sacred Fire shocked everyone.

Abnormal Fires are Spiritual Objects of heaven and earth, rarely seen in the world.

Not to mention an Abnormal Fire like the Nine Nether Sacred Fire, which was ranked in the top twenty and possessed extraordinary combat power!

Even the Nascent Soul Cultivators’ expressions shifted slightly upon seeing it.

No wonder Liu Yao had advanced to Nascent Soul Peak; it turns out he had formed a contract with the Nine Nether Sacred Fire!

It seemed he was getting serious this time!

The sacred fire glowed with a dark, holy light, releasing twinkling sparks.

Before it even got close, Song Wanning felt a chill seep out from her very marrow, making her shiver involuntarily.

Her expression remained unchanged, as if she had expected this all along.

’The Nine Nether Sacred Fire. In my past life, this was Liu Yao’s greatest trump card.’

’Its power is indeed impressive.’

’But so what?’

The corners of Song Wanning’s lips curled up slightly as she swiftly swung her sword.

An invisible ripple spread out like a wave, sweeping toward Liu Yao.

A strange sensation washed over him. ’Not good,’ Liu Yao thought, and immediately swung the broadsword in his hand.

One slash of the sword, a hundred fires appeared.

Vortexes of flame whined and roared, detonating across the entire Martial Arts Arena.

BOOM—

Flames filled the sky, engulfing the entire Martial Arts Arena.

The disciples’ eyes widened in shock as they stared, unblinking, at the stage.

The dense flames seemed so powerful that not even the Array could contain them!