Chapter 111
"The first match of the Foundation Establishment Arena—Ling Yunxiao wins!"
The disciples of Wendao Sect erupted into cheers.
Two Foundation Establishment matches had been taking place simultaneously, and theirs was the first to claim victory. It was an excellent start—an auspicious omen for the battles yet to come.
The disciples from the other sects could only watch with a mixture of envy and helpless resignation.
Why did it always seem as though all the good fortune belonged to Wendao Sect?
This time, Sect Leader Qingxuzi was noticeably more restrained, making no attempt to show off. Even so, the faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips spoke volumes.
Wendao Sect's position as the foremost of the Seven Great Sects remained as immovable as a mountain. The others could only look on in envy, never daring to dream of surpassing it.
Lou Yuqing turned her attention back to the arena.
The Cloud Soaring Sect disciple was still kneeling on the platform, one hand gripping his sword for support as a thin line of blood traced the corner of his lips.
When the referee announced the result, he slowly raised his head, glaring at the young man before him with undisguised resentment.
"Next time... I'll definitely defeat you."
Ling Yunxiao merely glanced at him, his voice as calm as ever.
"Is that so?"
Without waiting for another word, he turned and leaped off the arena.
The Cloud Soaring Sect disciple felt his chest tighten with fresh frustration.
That indifferent response made one thing painfully clear, Ling Yunxiao hadn't even considered him a worthy opponent.
Yet no matter how unwilling he was to admit it, the gap between them was real. His skills simply weren't enough.
Lou Yuqing waited until Ling Yunxiao returned before leaning over curiously.
"Did he just challenge you to a rematch?"
The entire fight had ended in less time than it took to drink a cup of tea. Ling Yunxiao's strength was even greater than she'd imagined.
Catching the unmistakable admiration in her eyes, Ling Yunxiao instinctively straightened his back and cleared his throat.
"He did," he admitted. "But I doubt he'll ever get another chance. He may be getting stronger, but so am I-and I'm improving even faster."
There wasn't the slightest hint of conceit in his voice. It was simply the quiet confidence of someone who knew exactly what he was capable of, carrying the effortless brilliance unique to youth.
Lou Yuqing found herself looking at him a moment longer than she intended.
Ling Yunxiao met her gaze without the slightest sign of discomfort, remaining perfectly still as though he didn't mind her studying him at all.
For a brief instant, the world around them seemed to fade away.
An invisible thread stretched silently between them, so delicate it almost felt as though they could hear each other's heartbeat through it.
Just as warmth began creeping onto Lou Yuqing's cheeks and she was about to look away, a chorus of startled gasps suddenly erupted from the Golden Core spectators' stands.
The strange atmosphere shattered in an instant.
The faint blush vanished from her face as quickly as it had appeared, and that inexplicable feeling ebbed away like the receding tide. She immediately turned toward the source of the commotion, unaware that Ling Yunxiao's gaze lingered on her for a moment before following her line of sight.
The cause of the uproar soon became clear.
The first two competitors drawn for the Golden Core Arena were both disciples of Wendao Sect—Wei Houming and Meng Shuangya. Their master and father were fellow disciples and had shared a close friendship for many years.
Battles between Golden Core cultivators were far more intricate than those at the Foundation Establishment stage. Their spells and divine arts were vastly more profound, and unless one side possessed an overwhelmingly powerful trump card, it was rare for a match to end in just a few exchanges.
Neither Elder Wei Tu nor Meng Zonghan looked particularly surprised to see their disciple and daughter matched against one another. With so many Wendao Sect disciples advancing through the preliminary trials, they had anticipated this possibility from the very beginning.
What they hadn't anticipated... was that the match would take such an unexpected turn.
Only moments earlier, at the height of their clash, Meng Shuangya had realized she couldn't withstand the incoming strike.
Without hesitation, she poured spiritual power into the small bowl-shaped artifact hanging at her waist. A thick curtain of shimmering light instantly unfolded before her, forming a sturdy defensive barrier.
She intended to use that brief respite to prepare a higher-tier spell and launch a counterattack.
The disciples watching below had been captivated by the evenly matched battle, convinced it would continue for quite some time.
Instead, the outcome changed in the blink of an eye.
The instant Wei Houming's attack collided with the barrier, the shield didn't merely crack—it exploded.
The bowl-shaped artifact shattered into countless fragments, collapsing without offering even a moment of resistance.
Caught completely off guard, Meng Shuangya had no chance to summon another defense. She coughed up a mouthful of blood before collapsing unconscious where she stood.
The collective gasp Lou Yuqing had heard came from that very moment.
"Shuangya!"
Ignoring all etiquette and ceremony, Meng Zonghan flashed onto the arena in an instant. He caught his daughter before she struck the ground and immediately fed her a healing pill.
Only after her breathing gradually steadied and some color returned to her face did he finally shift his attention to the shattered artifact scattered across the arena floor.
Wei Houming hurried over, his expression filled with guilt.
"Uncle-Master, how is Junior Sister? I didn't mean to injure her."
Meng Zonghan shook his head, showing no intention of blaming him.
"This wasn't your fault. The problem lies with the artifact." He glanced at the broken fragments beside Meng Shuangya and continued, "She suffered some internal injuries, but nothing too serious. A day or two of secluded recuperation will be enough for her to make a full recovery."
Wei Houming frowned as he looked at the shattered fragments scattered across the arena.
"That artifact... something was wrong with it." He shook his head slightly. "When I launched that attack, I never expected it to break so easily. I was already preparing for Junior Sister's counterattack, but..."
He trailed off.
One question refused to leave his mind.
Meng Shuangya was Uncle-Master Meng's only daughter. With her status, she had no shortage of spirit stones or high-grade treasures. So why had she been carrying a defensive artifact that crumbled under a single strike?
Meng Zonghan was equally perplexed.
Had he been so preoccupied with sect affairs that he'd neglected his own daughter?
Otherwise, how could an artifact of such poor quality have ended up in her hands?
An uneasy silence settled over the arena before whispers gradually spread through the crowd.
Among the spectators, He Wenjing's expression changed the instant he saw Meng Shuangya collapse.
He instinctively took a step forward, ready to rush onto the arena.
But the moment Meng Zonghan appeared beside her, he forced himself to stop.
His identity had yet to be revealed. Drawing Meng Zonghan's attention now would only create unnecessary complications.
Still, watching Meng Shuangya lying unconscious, his heart clenched with anxiety.
The bowl-shaped artifact he had given her, had been completely useless.
That so-called Master Du was a fraud!
And the black-hearted cultivator who had sold it to him was even worse!
If he ever ran into either of them again, he would make them pay for this.
Not far away, Du Fengyao suddenly sneezed.
Completely unaware that someone was cursing her name, she rubbed the tip of her nose and watched the shattered artifact on the arena with a sympathetic shake of her head.
"What kind of weapon refiner made that thing?" she muttered. "Whoever it was is going to be in serious trouble once word gets out."
Nearby, Su Zhile felt a cold bead of sweat slide down his back.
He recognized it immediately.
The bowl-shaped artifact Meng Shuangya had just used... was the very same one he had bought not long ago.
Master Du's creations had always been known for their impeccable craftsmanship. How could one of her artifacts possibly fail like this?
Almost instinctively, Su Zhile reached for the two remaining artifacts inside his storage pouch.
For the first time, doubt crept into his mind.
What if, they weren't genuine either?
The cultivator who had sold them to him had offered an astonishingly low price. At the time, he had thought he'd stumbled upon an incredible bargain.
Now, it felt almost too good to be true.
The more he thought about it, the more unsettled he became. An inexplicable sense of unease gnawed at him, as though he had overlooked something crucial.
Just then, a weak voice broke the silence.
"...Father?"
Meng Shuangya slowly opened her eyes.
Color had already returned to her cheeks, and aside from looking slightly pale, she appeared to be recovering well.
Seeing his daughter awake, Meng Zonghan finally let out the breath he'd been holding.
"You're awake."
After confirming she was no longer in danger, his attention immediately returned to the matter weighing on his mind.
"What happened to your artifact?"
Meng Shuangya fell silent.
She knew exactly where it had come from.
It had been a gift from He Wenjing.
She trusted him completely. There was no way he would intentionally give her something capable of harming her.
But if she revealed that now... her father would almost certainly develop a poor impression of him.
Just as she was struggling to find the right words, a clear, melodious voice suddenly echoed across the square.
[That artifact was a gift from Meng Shuangya's beloved.]
The voice wasn't loud.
Yet it rang distinctly in every person's ears.
The entire square fell into stunned silence.
Everyone instinctively looked around.
Where had that voice come from?
The powerful cultivators seated high above the arena wore expressions of complete bewilderment.
The disciples below were even more confused.
Soon, however, they discovered something even stranger.
Several disciples instinctively tried to speak, only to realize they couldn't open their mouths at all.
An invisible force seemed to suppress the entire square.
The higher one's cultivation, the stronger the suppression became.
Only Sect Leader Qingxuzi and the few who already knew the truth remained relatively composed.
Even so, faint worry flickered across their faces.
Until now, only a small circle had known about the mysterious "voice," making the situation manageable.
But now... every person present had heard it.
The scope of its influence had just expanded dramatically.
Meng Zonghan frowned at his daughter.
"Your beloved?"
A series of memories suddenly surfaced in his mind.
Lately, she had often drifted off into thought for no apparent reason, and every now and then, an unconscious smile would bloom on her face.
They were all the unmistakable signs of a young woman in love.
He also remembered her joking with him once that she would one day bring home a live-in son-in-law.
Could it be... she had already found him?
Meanwhile, Lou Yuqing's attention was fixed on the translucent system panel floating before her.
Moments earlier, the system had unexpectedly completed an upgrade.
Most of the interface remained unchanged.
Only one thing had improved dramatically.
The range of her Gossip Domain had expanded from a single mile to ten.
Lou Yuqing's spirits immediately soared.
Without the slightest hesitation, she spent a portion of her hard-earned Gossip Points to uncover the full story behind Meng Shuangya's artifact.
The moment she saw the result, her eyes widened.
[That artifact was forged under someone else's name. Not only is it counterfeit, but it also changed hands twice before finally reaching its current owner. Whoever orchestrated this scheme hid their tracks remarkably well.]
Among the spectators, He Wenjing's expression froze.
The cultivator who had sold him the artifact... had he been deceived too?
Not far away, Su Zhile felt all the color drain from his face.
In an instant, every lingering doubt clicked into place.
If the artifacts the middleman had sold him had been counterfeit from the very beginning...
Then everything made perfect sense.
He'd been scammed.
He'd thought he'd stumbled upon an incredible bargain, only to discover he'd walked straight into a carefully laid trap.
The worst part was that he'd never even seen the middleman's true face, let alone learned his real identity.
Du Fengyao shook her head with a sigh.
Passing off counterfeit artifacts under another weapon refiner's name was utterly disgraceful.
She couldn't help wondering which unfortunate soul had become the scapegoat this time.
The mysterious voice spoke again, as calm and unhurried as before.
[Poor Master Du Fengyao. I wonder how she'd react if she found out someone has been selling counterfeit artifacts under her name, claiming they were surplus pieces from her workshop.]
[They've lured unsuspecting disciples with "special discounted prices," completing more than a dozen transactions and pocketing tens of thousands of spirit stones in the process.]
Du Fengyao's smile instantly froze.
So she was the unfortunate victim.
Her fingers slowly curled into fists.
Which shameless bastard had the audacity to tarnish my reputation like this?
The voice continued without pause.
[One of the disciples who fell for the scam was Su Zhile. He even invited my senior sister and me to bid on one of the artifacts not long ago.]
[Good thing we declined. At the time, he had no idea he was trying to sell nothing more than a counterfeit.]
Su Zhile stood rooted to the spot.
His face burned so fiercely it felt as though it might burst into flames.
Now he knew.
He knew everything.
If he ever crossed paths with that middleman again...
Someone was going to die.
The voice remained blissfully oblivious to his murderous thoughts.
[Su Zhile spent nearly all his savings buying what he believed were genuine artifacts crafted by Master Du.]
[Planning to make back his investment, he resold one of them. It eventually ended up in the hands of Meng Shuangya's beloved, He Wenjing.]
[Completely unaware it was counterfeit, He Wenjing gave it to Meng Shuangya as a gift... and that's how today's accident happened.]
He Wenjing's face darkened immediately.
That black-hearted swindler...
He absolutely would not let him get away with this.
By now, everyone present had pieced together the entire chain of events.
Someone had been forging counterfeit artifacts under Du Fengyao's name.
Su Zhile had unknowingly bought one of the fakes before reselling it.
He Wenjing had then purchased it as a gift for Meng Shuangya.
And in the end, that counterfeit artifact had nearly cost Meng Shuangya her life.
If they could only uncover the person behind the counterfeits, the entire matter would be resolved.
A disciple beside Su Zhile nudged him with his elbow.
"Junior Brother Su, do you know who the middleman was?"
Su Zhile simply shook his head.
There was nothing to say.
He had never seen the man's real face, much less learned his identity.
Beside him, Ling Yunxiao's attention wasn't on the arena at all.
Instead, his gaze rested quietly on Lou Yuqing.
Her eyes sparkled with unconcealed excitement as she happily browsed through the latest gossip, the smile tugging at her lips making her seem even more radiant than before.
Without realizing it, he had spent far longer watching her than the match itself.
Meanwhile, the disciples throughout the square were still looking around in every direction, trying to locate the source of the mysterious voice.
Lou Yuqing blinked at the motionless crowd.
One eyebrow slowly rose.
[...Why isn't anyone starting the next match?]
Logically speaking, once the first two bouts had concluded, the next competitors should have taken the stage by now.
Yet the entire arena remained strangely still.
Watching from the sidelines, Si Nidie instinctively held her breath.
Was her junior sister about to uncover another secret?
A moment later, Lou Yuqing suddenly looked enlightened.
[Oh, I get it.]
[Palace Master Meng is still standing on the arena worrying about his daughter.]
[No wonder nobody dares go up and rush him.]
Si Nidie: "..."
She silently let out the breath she'd been holding.
It turned out...
She had worried for nothing yet again.