Chapter 1660: Questioning

"It somewhat resembles the Demonic Sect Leader Yun Jianyue's Crescent Wheel," Guan Chouhai mused.

"It really does look similar, especially the overwhelming murderous aura emanating from it," Wan Tongtian said, frowning. The intense killing intent was clearly making people uncomfortable.

Others discussed it, while Wang Wuxie remained thoughtful, not interjecting.

Hearing them mention her name, Yun Jianyue frowned slightly but wasn't overly concerned. Qiu Honglei had never used this blade in the martial world before, so she wasn't afraid they would discover any weaknesses.

Just then, Zu An's voice suddenly rang out, "This is far inferior to Sect Leader Yun's Crescent Wheel."

Yun Jianyue raised an eyebrow, looking at him with an enigmatic smile.

"Oh, I heard that Lord Zu fought with Sect Leader Yun years ago. You must have a deep understanding," Wang Wuxie said, looking at Zu An. As the Imperial Advisor, he naturally understood court affairs better than his fellow Daoists who focused solely on cultivation. During the battle in the imperial palace, Zu An's reputation soared, and he subsequently rose quickly in the Eastern Palace.

However, previously, seeing no vital energy fluctuations around him, they had only assumed he had lost his cultivation due to severe injuries sustained among the demon race. Little did they know, he was actually even more formidable than rumored.

The leaders of the other sects all looked towards Zu An, surprised that this young man had actually fought with Yun Jianyue.

"The exchange was indeed very deep..." Zu An's face seemed to show a hint of nostalgia.

Yun Jianyue's face flushed. *What was that brat thinking?*

Yan Xuehen, meanwhile, stared at him suspiciously, wondering why his words sounded a bit strange.

"That devil woman always kills without batting an eye. For Lord Zu to survive at her hands is truly rare," Li Changsheng of Bai Yujing remarked with emotion.

Yun Jianyue narrowed her eyes. *Are all those from Bai Yujing intent on opposing me? One day, I'll pay a visit to Bai Yujing and show you what 'killing without batting an eye' truly means.*

Wan Tongtian laughed heartily, "Having witnessed Lord Zu's moves before, it's not surprising he could escape unscathed from that devil woman."

As the other party had helped him earlier, he had a rather good impression of Zu An.

"Devil woman?" Yun Jianyue's gaze became somewhat dangerous. However, seeing that the other person was also praising Zu An, her lips curled slightly upwards, and she found it hard to be angry.

"Actually, she's not as terrible as you describe her," Zu An countered, defending her. "On the surface, she's very formidable and fierce, but deep down, she's actually very gentle." Hearing these people badmouth Sister Yun made him feel a bit uncomfortable.

Yan Xuehen glanced at him, then shifted her gaze elsewhere. Given that they had all gone through life-and-death situations together, his words weren't surprising.

However, the others didn't see it that way. Their expressions changed, and they advised, "Lord Zu, please be careful with your words. This kind of devil woman kills without batting an eye. She's a wanted criminal by the court, and you absolutely must not associate with her."

Wan Tongtian, who held good will towards him, earnestly cautioned, "Yes, Lord Zu, those demonic women are adept at deceiving hearts. Don't be fooled by her facade."

Zu An frowned and ultimately said nothing more. His experience from frequenting forums in his previous life had taught him how difficult it was to persuade someone. These people were already prejudiced and had long been irreconcilable with the Demonic Sect; anything he said would indeed be meaningless.

Yun Jianyue, however, was overjoyed, thinking, *This brat is indeed loyal and righteous. My... disciple didn't misjudge him.*

At this point, the situation in the arena changed. As Qiu Honglei drew her curved blade, not only the blade itself but her entire figure began to appear as multiple shadows.

Wu Xiaofan was startled. *What kind of skill is this? Which one is her real body?*

Qiu Honglei swung her blade, and the entire arena began to explode along a straight line. Wu Xiaofan dared not meet it head-on and quickly dodged. Almost instantly, a large crack appeared on the ground where he had just been. The entire arena was almost cleaved in half.

Feng Wuchang, on one hand, was pained by the thought of the repair costs, while on the other, he worried for Wu Xiaofan. The blade in his opponent's hand was so powerful—at least a Heaven-grade divine weapon. Could Wu Xiaofan withstand it?

Seeing Wu Xiaofan awkwardly dodging in the arena, the disciples from various sects immediately erupted in excited chatter. Although he was injured, his Green Scale Armor provided protection, which should have somewhat leveled the playing field. Yet, he was still being suppressed. This Peng Wuyan was simply too strong.

On the Li Hentian side, Zhao Xiaodie frowned deeply and couldn't help but ask Zhiyin, who was beside her, "Senior Brother, a Grandmaster with a divine soul can anticipate attacks. Shouldn't anyone below Grandmaster be completely overwhelmed when facing one? Why is the situation reversed now?"

Zhiyin sneered, "Do you still believe this Peng Wuyan is a ninth-rank mid-stage cultivator?"

Zhao Xiaodie was startled. "But the stone previously measured..."

Zhiyin shook his head. "Clearly, she used some skill to suppress her cultivation. It must have been to catch us off guard." Thinking about his early elimination, his mood worsened. To avoid being looked down upon by his beautiful junior sister, he added, "Actually, a Grandmaster's crushing superiority over lower realms only applies to ordinary ninth-rank cultivators. For chief disciples of major sects like us, there are special methods to weaken the Grandmaster's divine soul advantage. I believe the other few individuals also possess this ability."

"Senior Brother is truly amazing!" Zhao Xiaodie was genuinely impressed. Being from Li Hentian together, she knew how strong Zhiyin was. These individuals were inherently favored by heaven, constantly encountering fortuitous circumstances since childhood, which was how they possessed the ability to challenge those above their rank. For others, it would be unthinkable.

Wu Xiaofan was forced into a corner. He could only activate the rod in his hand, making it enlarge. Each swing then felt like a mountain pressing down. He knew that continuing like this would deplete his energy too quickly, and he wouldn't be able to sustain himself due to his injuries. But he didn't dare hesitate. With his opponent's relentless slashes, her momentum had reached its peak. If he didn't face her in his strongest state, he even suspected he would be cleaved in half by a single strike. Despite having the Green Scale Armor for protection, feeling the surging murderous aura, he still felt uneasy. *Is this woman truly from a righteous sect? How can she possess such an unholy weapon?*

The enormous rod shadow swung over. This time, Qiu Honglei didn't dodge; instead, she directly swung her curved blade and cleaved through it. The murderous blade light was almost tangible; it actually forcefully cut through the enormous rod shadow.

"What!" Wan Guiyi instantly stood up. He had fought with Wu Xiaofan before and naturally knew that the large rod was a vital energy projection, exceptionally powerful and almost solid. Back then, his own sword qi couldn't break through his opponent's large rod at all, yet this woman had done it! *Truly the woman I admire! Her entire being radiates a powerful beauty!*

Wu Xiaofan was also shocked to see his rod shadow cut open and had to retreat repeatedly. He retreated all the way to the edge of the arena, with nowhere left to go.

"This Wu Xiaofan isn't so great. He's usually hyped up so much, yet he's been beaten like this by a woman." Although true masters understood the prowess of the two on stage, the majority were ordinary disciples. Not being on stage, it was hard for them to understand Wu Xiaofan's current predicament. Just seeing him being steadily pushed back, and remembering all the rumors they usually heard about his power, they suddenly felt he was nothing special, and that they too could achieve the same.

Wu Xiaofan paid no attention to the noisy remarks. His eyes were resolute, and a purple aura suddenly rose from his entire body.

"Misty Purple Qi!" The sect leaders on the high platform looked at Wang Wuxie in surprise. They hadn't expected him to pass on his unique skill to his disciple, and that Wu Xiaofan, with his extraordinary talent, had actually learned it.

Wang Wuxie looked at the situation in the arena with an impassive expression.

With the empowerment of the purple qi, the vital energy unleashed by the large rod glowed with a purple hue, scattering Qiu Honglei's blade qi one by one.

"I knew it! How could Wu Xiaofan possibly be undeserving of his reputation!" Many of Wu Xiaofan's supporters immediately found their point of excitement and started shouting loudly.

Qiu Honglei touched the bruise on her arm. She had just been grazed by the rod shadow, and half her body had gone numb. Her expression was indifferent. She suddenly raised her hand, and a brilliant light radiated from her curved blade.

"Does she still have some hidden trick?" The disciples from various sects craned their necks. This woman, who was unknown before the competition, was actually so powerful; she was truly unfathomable.

"Huh, her blade disappeared?" Zhao Xiaodie, who had been staring at the stage, suddenly exclaimed. Only then did everyone realize that after the light faded, Peng Wuyan's blade was no longer in her hand.

Wu Xiaofan on the arena, however, felt an abrupt surge of alarm. A powerful purple aura suddenly erupted around him, as if he was guarding against something. The next second, a spatial rift suddenly appeared in front of him. Only he, being close, could see clearly: inside the rift, a myriad of stars seemed to appear, and the entire fissure was like the Milky Way in the sky.

In an instant, a terrifying blade light slashed out from the fissure. It almost instantly cut through the misty purple qi around him and then directly struck his Green Scale Armor. With a deafening sound, a cloud of blood mist erupted from his body. The Green Scale Armor, famous for its defense, developed a clear crack and instantly turned dull and lusterless.

Wu Xiaofan himself was sent flying off the arena by the powerful impact and fell heavily to the ground. He tried to lift his head but eventually fainted.

The entire audience was instantly silenced. They all looked at the woman on the stage. *What kind of monster is this?* She defeated Wu Xiaofan, yet she herself was hardly injured, at most a little out of breath. Even if Wu Xiaofan was injured, her performance was still too outlandish. *Why was such a woman previously unknown among the Nine Daoist Sects?*

The people from Zhengyang Sect rushed over to check. Seeing that Wu Xiaofan was severely injured and unconscious but not in any life-threatening danger, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Wang Wuxie remained standing on the high platform, not descending.

The people around congratulated Yun Jianyue, saying that with such a talented disciple emerging from Kongming Island, its future was bound to be bright. It might even surpass others to become the top sect among the Nine Daoist Sects.

"Oh, not at all, it's just good luck, haha~" Yun Jianyue "humbly" replied, yet couldn't suppress her laughter. Watching these righteous path leaders who usually called for her death now flatter her felt truly satisfying. She wondered how spectacular their expressions would be when they learned the truth one day.

Just then, Wang Wuxie suddenly spoke, "If I'm not mistaken, the blade in her hand is the Crescent Demonic Blade of Ding Tianle, the great Demonic Cult leader from a hundred years ago. This is a major treasure of the Demonic Sect; how could it be in Miss Peng's hands?" As he spoke, a pair of sharp eyes fixed intently on her.