The Dragon

A Duel to the Death

After the two sides signed the life-and-death agreement, the sound of golden bells rang, ringing twelve times in succession. The sound was clear, heard both inside and outside.

Outside the gambling house, a viewing platform stood. A woman in red clothes announced from the platform, “Place your bets for the duel on the fighting stage. All bets are final, and no late entries will be accepted.”

Shortly after the golden bell rang, people started to arrive gradually, and the multi-story building soon became bustling with activity.

The gambling house had a rule: for any duel, the house would act as the banker and open the betting.

This first match between Gu Fuyou and Yu Dongsheng was the first of the day, so it was relatively quiet. During the busiest times in the market, the opening of a betting round would see the viewing platform packed shoulder to shoulder, without an inch of space to spare.

After signing the life-and-death agreement, both sides began their preparations.

Gu Fuyou gazed at Zhong Michu’s long hair, resting her chin on her hand, deep in thought.

Zhong Michu asked, “What’s the matter?”

“Senior Sister Zhong, for the upcoming duel, it would be better if you tie up your hair and sleeves,” suggested Gu Fuyou.

Zhong Michu touched the strands of hair flowing down her shoulder, “I can manage my hair, but how should I tie up the sleeves?”

Gu Fuyou rummaged through her storage bag and pulled out an arm strap. Realizing from Zhong Michu’s question that she didn’t know how to use it, Gu Fuyou stepped forward to help her.

Unaware of Gu Fuyou’s intentions, Zhong Michu stepped back when she approached.

Gu Fuyou laughed, “Senior Sister, don’t shy away. I’m just helping you tie your sleeves.”

Realizing her intention, Zhong Michu no longer retreated. Gu Fuyou said, “Stretch out your arm.”

Zhong Michu hesitated momentarily before extending her arm. Gu Fuyou pushed up the sleeves, revealing a portion of her forearm. They were not entirely delicate like most women’s; years of sword practice had made the skin firm, with beautifully defined muscle lines.

Gu Fuyou stole a glance and silently admired, “Beautiful, as expected of Senior Sister Zhong, flawless as white jade; she’s beautiful everywhere.”

After tying her sleeves, Gu Fuyou went to check the odds. Against Yu Dongsheng, he had 1-to-1 odds, while hers were 1-to-10.

By the time she returned, Yu Dongsheng had already entered the arena, and the golden bells rang again.

Gu Fuyou took a deep breath and produced two talismans. She gave one to Zhong Michu and used her sword to prick her fingertip, dropping a bead of blood onto the talisman she held.

Watching Zhong Michu, she saw her make a similar cut on her finger, smearing her blood onto her talisman.

They then exchanged the talismans. Gu Fuyou took the one with Zhong Michu’s blood and placed it against her chest, while Zhong Michu tucked the one with Gu Fuyou’s blood into her waistband.

Zhong Michu softly called out, “Gengchen.”

With a flash of the sword’s light, Zhong Michu grasped the sword hilt and handed it to Gu Fuyou, who accepted it.

The one meter long sword, how heavy can it be?

The sword felt incredibly heavy, as if she were holding a mountain, weighing over a thousand pounds.

She gripped the hilt, using all her strength, her face turning red, but she couldn’t lift Gengchen.

Weapons of external cultivators possess spirits. Apart from their owners, others can only wield them if their cultivation level surpasses that of the owner.

Gu Fuyou pleaded, “Good Gengchen, dear Gengchen, we need to get along well from now on. Don’t! Be! So! Stubborn!”

Gu Fuyou emphasized each word with a tug, but the sword didn’t budge at all.

Zhong Michu coldly called out, “Gengchen.”

As soon as Zhong Michu called out, the long sword suddenly seemed to come alive. It shot up into the air, surrounded by a spiritual glow that made it appear several times larger. The blade turned, lifting Gu Fuyou and flying down from the viewing platform.

Zhong Michu followed closely behind, her toes barely touching the ground as she rode the wind down. The two of them, along with the sword, landed on the dueling stage.

The golden bell rang three times. Spectators gathered at the railings of all four floors, with the woman in red standing on the highest viewing platform. She announced in a clear voice, “The duel will continue until one side surrenders or is unable to continue fighting. Only then will the winner be determined.”

As soon as she finished speaking, cheers and shouts of encouragement erupted from the audience.

Yu Dongsheng tapped his withered wooden staff on the ground, causing spiritual light to flood the dueling stage.

Gu Fuyou held the sword at the ready, looking every bit the part of a skilled swordswoman. She said to Zhong Michu, “Once the fight starts, I won’t be able to protect you. To avoid getting caught in the crossfire, please stand at the edge of the stage.”

Zhong Michu did as she was told, retreating to the edge of the dueling platform.

Yu Dongsheng’s gaze swept over the two of them, his eyes slightly clouded. Finally, his gaze settled on Gu Fuyou, and he snorted coldly, “A sword cultivator? If you can’t get close to me, what use is your sword cultivation?”

As he spoke, tree vines as thick as barrels erupted from the spiritual light. The vines moved with lifelike agility, each one resembling a giant python ready to swallow the sky.

The Wanyao Pavilion cultivated various spiritual plants for refining medicinal pills, so naturally, most of its members had water, wood, or fire spiritual roots. Yu Dongsheng possessed both water and wood spiritual roots.

Facing Gu Fuyou, he didn’t immediately use his spiritual power to suppress her. Instead, he cautiously kept his distance, protecting himself and preparing for battle. Strangely, he paid little attention to Zhong Michu.

Gu Fuyou wielded Gengchen, cutting down the incoming vines one by one with continuous and crisp sword strikes.

To onlookers, she appeared to be a skilled sword cultivator with no small amount of power.

Little did they know, it wasn’t the person controlling the sword, but the sword controlling the person.

Gu Fuyou was merely maintaining a stance. The real control of Gengchen and the contribution of spiritual power came from Zhong Michu.

Gu Fuyou’s legs were already weakening under the unconsciously emitted spiritual pressure of the two Golden Core cultivators. She felt nauseous and on the verge of vomiting.

But Yu Dongsheng had taken the bait, so no matter how uncomfortable she felt, Gu Fuyou had to persevere. She couldn’t reveal any weakness before Zhong Michu made her move.

Although Yu Dongsheng was at the late stage of Golden Core and proud of his abilities, he wasn’t overly arrogant. At first, he was merely testing the waters cautiously.

External cultivation was more difficult than internal cultivation. There was a saying in the world about the principle of slow accumulation leading to sudden breakthroughs. At the same level of cultivation, external cultivators were generally more powerful than internal cultivators.

If the cultivation levels were similar, internal cultivators typically avoided close combat with external cultivators.

Therefore, Yu Dongsheng held back and didn’t want to go all out from the start. But this was precisely what Gu Fuyou had anticipated.

Zhong Michu had already moved from Gu Fuyou’s side to the edge of the dueling platform where Yu Dongsheng was.

Yu Dongsheng noticed but remained indifferent, not considering her a threat. He summoned his spirit beast with a tap of his wooden staff.

It was a colorful venomous snake, its tongue flickering as it slithered out from the summoning circle. Slightly lifting its head, it was as tall as Zhong Michu.

This venomous snake was in the early Body Tempering Stage, more than enough to deal with Gu Fuyou. However, it was up against Zhong Michu.

When the snake first emerged, it bared its fangs, its eyes sharp and its head held high. But as soon as it approached Zhong Michu, it immediately flattened itself against the ground submissively.

The spectators on the highest level of the viewing platform found this strange. Someone asked, “Why is Master Yu being so cautious against a Qi Practicing cultivator, while completely ignoring the Golden Core cultivator behind him? What’s the logic in this?”

Another added, “And that spirit beast must be at least at the Body Tempering stage. Why isn’t it resisting at all, allowing that Golden Core cultivator to approach its master’s back?”

“Are they fixing the match?”

Boss Biao, fanning himself, chuckled, “I don’t think so. From what I see… hmm… it looks more like they’ve fallen for the ‘one leaf blinds the eye’ trick.”

The woman in red commented, “Boss Biao, you have a keen eye.”

Boss Biao stroked his chin, “I just don’t understand why Master Yu’s spirit beast isn’t putting up any resistance.”

The woman in red gazed at the figures on the dueling platform, smiled slightly, but remained silent.

On the dueling platform, Yu Dongsheng kept probing, but Gu Fuyou only defended and didn’t attack. As the battle progressed, she looked increasingly panicked, her breathing erratic and her footwork disorganized.

Yu Dongsheng finally sensed something amiss. He used half of his spiritual power to control the vines, lashing out with great force. Gu Fuyou felt a sharp pain in her wrists and lost her grip on Gengchen, which flew to the side.

The vines wrapped around Gu Fuyou’s waist, making it difficult for her to breathe.

Yu Dongsheng, as if waking from a dream, exclaimed with a change of expression, “One Leaf Blinds The Eye!”

He had been deceived by such a simple trick.

The so-called One Leaf Blinds The Eye technique makes it hard for the opponent to think clearly.

Yu Dongsheng could see the cultivation levels of both Zhong Michu and Gu Fuyou, but under the influence of this technique, his perception became confused. His mind only remembered that one was at the Golden Core stage and the other at Qi Practicing, but he couldn’t clearly discern which was which.

At the beginning of the duel, Gu Fuyou’s statement seemed to be directed at Zhong Michu, but in reality, it was meant for Yu Dongsheng’s ears.

By having Zhong Michu stand behind her in a protective stance, Gu Fuyou further reinforced the illusion.

Already affected by the technique, Yu Dongsheng’s thinking became rigid. The information he gleaned from Gu Fuyou’s words led him to believe that Gu Fuyou was stronger than Zhong Michu. This deliberate misdirection naturally made him assume Gu Fuyou was at the Golden Core stage and Zhong Michu at Qi Practicing.

This One Leaf Blinds The Eye spell was hidden in the talismans that Gu Fuyou and Zhong Michu had exchanged before entering the arena, each infused with their own aura.

The strength of a talisman depends on the cultivation level of its creator. Given Gu Fuyou’s cultivation level, her “One Leaf Blinds The Eye” talisman was certainly not as convincing as those made by great masters.

The gap in cultivation between her and Yu Dongsheng was too large; this talisman would not have withstood any real scrutiny.

If Yu Dongsheng had approached Gu Fuyou closely or exerted his spiritual pressure from the start, her ruse would have been immediately exposed.

However, Gu Fuyou knew that people in the Wanyao Pavilion were divided into five classes, distinguished by the inlays on their blood vine bracelets. From highest to lowest: jade, gold, silver, bronze, and those without bracelets who were apprentices or subordinates.

Yu Dongsheng wore a silver-inlaid blood vine bracelet, indicating he had dozens of apprentices and subordinates under him. His status was not low, and with his dual water and wood spiritual roots at the late Golden Core stage, he was at the peak of his confidence.

Given his pride in his status, he wouldn’t seriously consider or pay much attention to a Qi Practicing cultivator joining the duel.

Moreover, working at the Wanyao Pavilion, tending to spirit plants that required precise amounts of water and sunlight, and refining pills that needed exact fire control and ingredient measurements, Yu Dongsheng was bound to be a meticulous and cautious person.

Such a cautious individual would likely choose a step-by-step approach in a duel rather than rushing in aggressively.

Indeed, it played out as Gu Fuyou had anticipated. Upon realizing one of them was a sword cultivator, Yu Dongsheng immediately distanced himself, set up barriers, and probed cautiously.

By neither approaching the two nor using his full power from the start, he missed the best opportunity to break through Gu Fuyou’s fragile illusion. Despite its weakness, he allowed himself to be deceived.

Had Yu Dongsheng deviated from his usual behavior in any way, Gu Fuyou’s plan would have fallen apart.

But he didn’t.

Gu Fuyou’s “One Leaf Blinds the Eye” technique lasted barely the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Given her limited skills, Yu Dongsheng eventually noticed something was amiss, but by then, it had served its purpose.

Zhong Michu had already circled behind Yu Dongsheng, and his spirit beast dared not move. With a flicker of Zhong Michu’s spiritual power, the vines instantly lost their moisture and withered rapidly.

When Gengchen was knocked from Gu Fuyou’s hands, the sword spun in the air and returned to Zhong Michu’s grasp.

As soon as Zhong Michu gripped the sword hilt, she attacked with lightning speed.

Yu Dongsheng swung his withered staff, unleashing a burst of spiritual power throughout his body.

Unable to withstand such overwhelming pressure, Gu Fuyou coughed up blood, which also flowed from her ears. Even with her body covered in defensive talismans, she felt as if her internal organs were being crushed to a bloody pulp.

Noticing this from the corner of her eye, Zhong Michu immediately used her left hand to summon a protective wind barrier around Gu Fuyou. This was to prevent Gu Fuyou from sustaining severe injuries before the duel’s outcome was decided.

Holding her sword in her right hand, Zhong Michu took a step forward. Ice crystals blossomed beneath her feet, instantly spreading and freezing the oncoming wave of vines solid.

With a single slash of her sword, the ice shattered, and she charged through.

Originally just a few steps away from Yu Dongsheng, Zhong Michu now found herself right in front of him after breaking through the layer of vines.

While Golden Core cultivators can cast spells almost instantly, their sword techniques are even faster.

Even though Zhong Michu’s cultivation was slightly lower than Yu Dongsheng’s, now that she was in close proximity, their chances in combat were about even.

Moreover, Yu Dongsheng had lost the initiative and was still mentally disoriented from the “One Leaf Blinds The Eye” technique, unable to fully recover his composure.

He couldn’t avoid Zhong Michu’s sword strike.

Zhong Michu held her sword to Yu Dongsheng’s throat, slightly out of breath from her all-out attack.

Yu Dongsheng looked intently at Zhong Michu and asked, “Are you both an internal and external cultivator?”

Before Zhong Michu could answer, he shook his head and chuckled ruefully, “I admit defeat. I’ve lost.”

The golden bell on the viewing platform rang once more, and the woman in red announced, “The match is decided.”

A wave of boos and sighs of disappointment swept through the audience.

Gu Fuyou’s unexpected victory had caused many to lose their bets.

Zhong Michu stepped back, bowed respectfully to Yu Dongsheng, then ran over to Gu Fuyou.

Gu Fuyou, dazed from the pressure of both cultivators’ spiritual power, had just regained consciousness to find Zhong Michu shaking her.

Upon seeing Gu Fuyou wake up, Zhong Michu’s eyes sparkled, her face lighting up with a radiant smile, “Gu Fuyou, we won.”

She had never engaged in such a life-or-death duel before. Winning against someone of equal cultivation would have been exhilarating, but defeating someone a level above her was not only thrilling but deeply satisfying.

She had believed her heart to be as still and deep as an ancient well, immune to life’s ripples. Yet in this moment, she felt her pulse quicken, her breath catch, and a surge of exhilaration course through her entire being.

Gu Fuyou saw her smile again, but this time it was different. Before, it had been quiet and gentle, but now it was full of energy and confidence. It was bright and dazzling.

Believing she must still be dreaming, Gu Fuyou lay back down and mumbled, “I don’t think I’m fully awake yet.”

Gu Fuyou thought she might still be in a daze and laid back down, saying, “I might not have woken up yet.”