“Then let’s have a fight.”
Lu Qiancha suddenly placed her small hands on her waist and puffed out her chest, announcing her declaration with an aggressive, upturned face.
“… Huh?”
Shangguan Yunzhu was caught completely off guard by this unexpected turn of events, and she was visibly stunned for a moment.
She had imagined Lu Qiancha might make excuses, try to negotiate, or perhaps even go crying to her elders.
The only thing she hadn’t expected was for the girl to be so straightforward, cutting right to the core — speaking with her fists.
“Why should we fight?”
Shangguan Yunzhu suppressed the surprise in her heart. Her face remained cold and calm, but a hint of curiosity flickered in the depths of her eyes.
“You’ve come to my door,” Lu Qiancha said, her chin tilted up with surprisingly clear logic, “because you think my strength doesn’t match the title of Champion. You think I used tricks and that my victory was undeserved.”
Her deep blue eyes sparkled with a stubborn light. “Then let’s just fight. I’ll let you see for yourself whether this Champion title of mine is a sham or not.”
Lu Qiancha’s voice was crisp, carrying an unquestionable firmness.
Shangguan Yunzhu looked at the Little Wolf Cub before her. The girl looked like a kitten with its fur standing on end, ready to pounce and bite a large tiger — terrifyingly adorable.
She thought pensively, ‘Indeed, that earlier sense of maturity was entirely thanks to that Ink Cloud Pattern Robe. At her core, she is still just a straightforward child.’
Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but feel amused.
Soon, a faint smile finally melted into those cold eyes, and the corners of Shangguan Yunzhu’s lips curved into a graceful arc.
“Very well,” she said, her voice clear and carrying a trace of imperceptible interest. “Since that is the case, we shall have a spar. However…”
“However…?” Lu Qiancha immediately perked up her ears in caution, tilting her small head to the side. Her blue eyes were full of suspicion as if asking, ‘What are you trying to pull now?’
“Since it’s a spar, there should naturally be a prize,” Shangguan Yunzhu said slowly with a faint smile.
“Between winning and losing, there should be some incentive to make it more interesting, shouldn’t there?”
“… Hmm.” Lu Qiancha sucked on her finger, thinking hard for two seconds before revealing an ‘I get it’ expression. she waved her small hand generously.
“You want that Heaven-rank Spirit Gathering Array Disk, right? Fine. If you win, I’ll give it to you.”
“No.” Shangguan Yunzhu shook her head gently. Her gaze fell upon Lu Qiancha’s youthful face. As the girl’s eyes grew more confused, she spoke slowly, “If I win… Little Qiancha will accompany me for a walk down the mountain. How does that sound?”
Her voice was calm, yet it carried an indescribable warmth.
“…?” A giant question mark appeared in Lu Qiancha’s little head.
‘What a strange request. Why didn’t she just ask me? I wouldn’t have said no.’
She grumbled to herself, feeling that this bet wasn’t even a bet at all; it felt more like a favor.
But one could lose a fight, but never their dignity. The Little Wolf Cub immediately struck her most ‘fierce’ pose again, chest out and hands on her hips as she raised her voice. “Fine! But — “
She dragged out the tone, trying her best to seem more imposing. “I will absolutely, absolutely not lose.”
“Mhm.” Watching the little thing’s adorable attempt to maintain her dignity, Shangguan Yunzhu finally couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. The sound was like the first melting of an ice spring, pleasant to the ear.
She nodded in agreement without hesitation. “Little Qiancha will not lose.”
Then, Shangguan Yunzhu paused. With a rare warmth in her eyes, she asked softly, “Then… if Little Qiancha wins, what prize would you like?”
“Hmm…” Lu Qiancha blinked her large eyes, her small face full of seriousness. She thought and thought, but ultimately shook her head honestly. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Shangguan Yunzhu’s brow relaxed, and her smile deepened. “Then think about it as we go.”
Before her voice had even faded, she naturally reached out and gently took hold of Lu Qiancha’s small hand, which was still resting on her waist.
Immediately, a Lingguang flickered beneath their feet. The two figures rose lightly off the ground, drifting toward the Yanwuchang on Tianquan Peak.
“Eh — ?! Wait for me!”
Gantang, who had been completely out of the loop the entire time, finally snapped back to her senses when she saw the two of them flying away hand-in-hand.
Anxious, she hurriedly performed a hand seal to conjure a weak Evasion Light and stumbled after them, her worried cries echoing in the wind.
The three of them arrived at the empty Yanwuchang.
Gantang nervously retreated to a corner of the field, her small hands clenched tight and her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the center.
In the middle of the Yanwuchang, the large and small figures stood facing each other.
The tiny Lu Qiancha had a solemn expression, her blue eyes locked onto her opponent. Her entire body was tense as if facing a formidable enemy.
The taller Shangguan Yunzhu stood at ease with her hands behind her back. A faint, almost leisurely smile played on her lips as if she were merely here to play with a child.
“Ready — start!”
Gantang took a deep breath and shouted with all her might.
The moment the words left her mouth, the two in the field moved simultaneously.
Lu Qiancha’s small hands were fast as lightning as she instantly grabbed two strangely colored potion bottles from her Storage Bag.
One was a Slowness Potion as thick as ink, and the other was a Weakness Potion churning with grey, decaying mist. The Little Wolf Cub threw them toward Shangguan Yunzhu without hesitation.
“Little Qiancha, tricks like these won’t work on me.” Shangguan Yunzhu shook her head with a chuckle, her tone laced with a hint of indulgence. She didn’t even move her feet; she simply pointed two fingers like a sword and gestured forward.
*Clang.*
The Black Iron Sword sheathed at her side flew out in response, turning into a swift streak of light.
*Crash!*
The sword tip accurately shattered the potion bottles. Two clouds of poisonous mist of different colors instantly exploded, mixing into a heart-stopping miasma.
The miasma spread, but it was easily kept at bay by Shangguan Yunzhu’s Protective Spiritual Light.
“Hmph, this is just the beginning.” Lu Qiancha pouted, but her movements didn’t stop for even a second. She quickly pulled out a Speed Potion, popped the cork, and poured it down her throat.
As the liquid hit her throat, the effect was immediate.
An invisible breeze seemed to pass over Lu Qiancha, and her movements suddenly accelerated.
At the same time, her left hand reached into her Storage Bag and pulled out that ever-changing Demon Cube.
Her fingers flew. As the Demon Cube rapidly rotated and shifted, it made a subtle mechanical clicking sound. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a gleaming Red-Yellow Long Spear.
Her right hand wasn’t idle either, reaching out once more to grab a bottle of orange-red Strength Potion.
*Gulp, gulp, gulp!* The sound of swallowing rang out.
Shangguan Yunzhu’s elegant brows knit slightly. She knew she couldn’t let her opponent stack all her buffs. A sharp glint flashed in her eyes, and her figure closed in like a ghost.
*Clang — *
Amidst the sharp cry of the sword, the Black Iron Sword tore through the air with a shrill whistle, hacking down toward Lu Qiancha’s head with no frills.
Before the sword even reached her, the fierce wind from the blade blew the Little Wolf Cub’s hair wild.
“Sneak attacks aren’t going to work!” Lu Qiancha’s reaction was staggeringly fast. She tossed the empty potion bottle aside and gripped the long spear with both hands.
The Ling Power in her body was like a boiling river, surging into the spear’s body.
*Hum — *
The spear vibrated, emitting a low drone.
*Clang!*
A massive sound of metal clashing shook the Yanwuchang.
Sparks flew where the spear and sword met.
To everyone’s shock, Lu Qiancha’s seemingly slender arms actually held steady against Shangguan Yunzhu’s heavy, powerful strike.
Immediately following that, her wrist flicked. The long spear followed the momentum and curved, the tail of the spear whipping around like a spiritual snake to strike precisely against Shangguan Yunzhu’s wrist holding the sword.
*Clink.*
The iron sword slipped from her hand, spinning as it fell to the ground.
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