Chapter 1697: Fateful Duel

Noticing that experts from various sects had subtly surrounded her and her apprentice, Yun Jianyue showed not the slightest fear. “Very well then,” she declared. “Since you self-proclaimed righteous sects choose to disregard the rules, if anything happens to my apprentice, don't blame me when I bring disaster upon your families.”

“When that time comes, whether it's your wives, children, elderly parents, or even your most beloved disciples in your sects—if a single one of them escapes, I’ll write my name, Yun Jianyue, backward!”

As the Demonic Cult Master, her words carried a naturally intimidating aura, causing the expressions of those around her to change dramatically. Her reputation preceded her; they knew well that Yun Jianyue was a person who always made good on her word. If they failed to kill Yun Jianyue today and she managed to escape, then afterwards, every sect was guaranteed to be in utter turmoil. Who could possibly stop a Grandmaster who sincerely sought to launch a sneak attack against those around them? And what’s more, she was the Demonic Cult Master; the power she could wield was beyond imagination.

The only solution was to eliminate her on this Golden Summit today. With the Demonic Cult leaderless, its various factions would most likely fall into disunity, squabbling over the leadership position, and have no time to seek revenge for her. But how easy would it be to kill Yun Jianyue?

Yet, if they allowed her to leave merely due to a few threats, with so many Daoist experts gathered here, where would their dignity lie? How could they establish themselves in the jianghu afterwards?

At this impasse, Grandmaster Jianhuang spoke, “Amitabha. Conflicts in the jianghu should be kept within limits, and misfortune should not extend to family. Why must everyone escalate to such a state?” As he hailed from the Buddhist school and was highly respected, he was indeed qualified to mediate between the two sides at this moment.

Yun Jianyue sneered, “What do you, an old vegetarian, chanting monk, have to fear, since you have no family? Could it be that little chubby novice monk over there is your illegitimate son?”

The young monk Jiese immediately looked resentful. *I'm just a young monk,* he thought, *why add the word "chubby"? I haven't eaten your rice.*

“Amitabha,” Grandmaster Jianhuang replied, his expression calm. “Wuyou Temple has always had strict rules and precepts. I doubt many would believe such nonsense from Cult Master Yun.” He clearly did not take her words seriously.

“I'm too lazy to gossip with you here,” Yun Jianyue said, flicking her sleeve. “You won't fight, and you won't let us go. What exactly do you intend to do?” Her sharp gaze swept around the circle; everyone's eyes darted away, not a single person daring to meet her gaze.

Zu An watched, secretly admiring her. He was accustomed to her friendly side and rarely saw her as the Demonic Cult Master. Now, despite being at an absolute disadvantage, she had actually seized the initiative, and this bearing was truly captivating. However, it was truly difficult to reconcile the image of the woman who had meekly begged for mercy beneath him last night with the domineering figure before him now.

At this moment, Grandmaster Jianhuang spoke, “According to this old monk, why not make a gentleman's agreement? Each of your sides will send one person to compete in a match. If the Daoist sects win, Cult Master Yun and her apprentice will stay as guests on Purple Mountain to cultivate and improve themselves. If the Daoist sects lose, Cult Master Yun will be allowed to leave. This would be fair; what do you all think?”

Yun Jianyue laughed heartily. “Very well,” she said. “Who among you will fight a match with this Cult Master? If I lose, you may kill or dismember me as you please!”

The expressions of those around them changed. *This Yun woman is surely too confident,* they thought. *Although she is powerful, there are several individuals of her caliber on this Golden Summit. Is she truly so confident she won't lose?* Especially Wang Wuxie, who had been the number one Daoist for so many years and, theoretically, should still be half a step above her. Only Yan Xuehen knew clearly that after experiencing so many miraculous things with Zu An in the demon race’s secret realm, and even sensing the aura of a true immortal, Yun Jianyue’s strength had long since broken through. If these people judged her with their old perspectives, they would likely suffer greatly.

At this moment, Guan Chouhai exclaimed, “No! We now hold the absolute advantage, and we've finally managed to surround this devilish woman. A one-on-one match would be too easy for her!” At the same time, he secretly grumbled about Grandmaster Jianhuang in his heart, thinking, *Has this monk become senile? Wang Wuxie is clearly injured and also under the control of sorcery. His current strength is certainly not at its peak, so how could he possibly secure a victory against her?*

Grandmaster Jianhuang heard this and slightly furrowed his brow. *This Guan Chouhai is also muddle-headed,* he thought. *A great matter is imminent, and leaving a variable like Yun Jianyue on the mountain would be disadvantageous. It would be better to find an excuse to send her away. Does he really want to suffer casualties just to forcibly keep Yun Jianyue here?*

Yun Jianyue sneered at Guan Chouhai. “Hey, Guan, why don't we fight a match first? This one will be on the house; even if I win, it won't count.”

Guan Chouhai's expression changed. “Demoness, do you think I'm afraid of you?!” Yet, at the same time, a certain unease and uncertainty gnawed at him. Why did he feel from the very beginning that the other party seemed to have an absolute certainty of victory, and it was clear that it was not just a bluff?

At this moment, Li Changsheng stepped forward to smooth things over. “Brother Guan,” he said, “there's no need to be impulsive. In my opinion, why don't we change it to a best-of-three series? This way, our Daoist sects' advantage won't be wasted.”

Yun Jianyue said angrily, “There are only two of us, master and apprentice. Where do you expect me to find a third person?”

Zu An would indeed be a suitable candidate, and his match would definitely be fine, but he didn't want her to be put in a difficult position.

At this moment, Elder Peng of Kongming Island sneered, “You can perfectly well fight two matches yourself, can't you? Let your apprentice buy you some time in between; you should also have enough time to recover. Of course, since you're so confident, you could even fight all three matches yourself.”

“Your thoughts are indeed as malicious as your appearance,” Yun Jianyue said, staring at him coldly. Although she was confident, it didn't mean she was arrogant. She had indeed made great progress in her cultivation recently, but the Daoist sects had no shortage of talent, and fighting three matches alone would still be too difficult.

Elder Peng was almost driven mad with anger. Just as he was about to retort, Yun Jianyue didn't even bother to look at him.

“Either one match decides the victor, or we fight to the death,” Yun Jianyue declared, directly challenging Wang Wuxie. “Wang Wuxie, as the number one Daoist, why have you remained silent for so long? Could it be that you don't dare to fight me?”

Yan Xuehen gave Wang Wuxie a strange look. He was indeed too silent today; in this situation, he should have expressed his stance much earlier. The entire Golden Summit immediately buzzed with commotion. Many people even felt admiration for Yun Jianyue; though a woman, the heroic spirit in her heart was no less than any man's. Wang Wuxie was the recognized number one Daoist, yet she openly challenged him, clearly without any intention of faking it.

Just then, Wang Wuxie spoke, “Recently, the Emperor is about to arrive at Purple Mountain for the Heaven-Worshipping Ceremony. At that time, I will need to assist the Emperor, so it is not convenient for me to act now. I hope Cult Master Yun will understand.”

Everyone on the Golden Summit was stunned, having never expected Wang Wuxie to avoid a fight. However, his reason was indeed reasonable, and no one really doubted it. Instead, they began to speculate what important matter required the cooperation of both the Emperor and Wang Wuxie.

Just then, a clear, cold voice rang out: “Coincidentally, I have a pre-arranged decisive battle with Miss Qiu. Why don't the two of us have a match to decide whether she stays or leaves?”

Long hair flowed, and she wore a long ice-blue dress, as if a snow maiden who had emerged from the great snowy mountains. Lou Wucheng and Zhiyin both became excited, exclaiming, “Fairy Chu!”

Zu An's heart also quickened. Who else could the newcomer be but Chu Chuyan? Having heard Yun Jianyue's previous plans, he knew the two women's pre-arranged match was just a cover. He had originally thought this battle could be avoided, but he never expected that they would ultimately face a decisive battle, as if by fate.