What's wrong with a snake that just wants to cultivate and transform?

The crowd seemed to have been silenced, sweat beading on their foreheads under the intense pressure of the powerful Golden Core stage. No one dared to make a sound.

Only Pang Tianlong mustered the courage to speak: “Junior Sister Ji, this is quite the show of strength! You’re really showcasing your power here. Even in front of your fellow disciples, you’re using this pressure. They were just trying to give you friendly advice.”

Xu Nian felt uncomfortable, realizing her presence was causing problems for Ji Yuebai and inwardly criticized the man’s hypocrisy. With his cultivation inferior to Ji Yuebai’s, he was stirring up conflicts over status instead.

Ji Yuebai’s gaze swept indifferently over the crowd causing a stir.

The crowd shivered under her stare, regretting their actions. Ji Shishu’s fearsome reputation as a relentless killer wasn’t unknown, and their boldness was largely due to Pang Shishu leading them, coupled with the self-righteous belief that they wouldn’t be held accountable among the crowd.

Pang Tianlong inwardly cursed their lack of courage but kept up an appearance of moral outrage, saying, “If junior sister continues to be stubborn, don’t blame us for setting aside our connections as members of the same sect.”

Pang Tianlong’s gathering of these lower-ranked disciples had an ulterior motive – he intended to use them as pawns. Unable to confront Ji Shishu alone, he rallied most of the sect behind him, his years of effort now bearing fruit. In contrast Ji Yuebai had always been solitary and proud, and over the years had left her isolated, with no one daring to support her now for fear of being branded traitors to righteousness.

Pang Tianlong was hoping this move would force her to kill the snake demon herself, ideally causing her cultivation to stall due to the psychological trauma.

Ji Yuebai’s gaze finally settled on Pang Tianlong. Her expression remained indifferent: “In our Tian Yuan Sect, strength is highly respected. If any of you have objections, we can settle them on the Life and Death Stage. I’m willing to accept challenges from anyone, no matter how many there are.”

Her words plunged the surroundings into a deathly silence. The crowd, now quiet as mice, wished they could shrink away.

“Pang Shishu, how can you be so unfair? While claiming to stand for justice, you’re essentially sending us to our doom. It’s common knowledge that Ji Shishu has been a regular on the Life and Death Stage over the past years. Anyone who has dared to challenge her there has not lasted long.”

The Life and Death Stage was self-explanatory. Once you stepped onto it, it wasn’t just a sparring match. Both parties signed a life and death agreement, with the freedom to kill the opponent.

Tian Yuan Sect, as the foremost sect of the righteous path, did not prohibit duels to the death. As part of their cultivation philosophy, life and death were predestined, and untimely death on the stage simply indicated a lack of fate in cultivation.

Pang Tianlong’s face turned ashen. For years, no one had dared to accept Ji Yuebai’s life and death challenges, nor had anyone willingly faced her in deathly combat. How could he have forgotten this tactic of hers?

Although he had long wished for her demise, he never dared to dream of killing Ji Yuebai on the Life and Death Stage. To ensure fairness, the stage employed a formation that equalized the combatants’ cultivation levels.

However, this hardly guaranteed his victory. Even during her Foundation Establishment days, Ji Shishu had slain Golden Core cultivators who underestimated her. Now, as a Golden Core cultivator herself, her strength was even more formidable. Facing her was tantamount to seeking death.

Grinding his teeth in frustration and seeking an excuse to avoid this deadly duel, Pang Tianlong’s eyes accidentally caught a glimpse of Ji Shishu’s pale, trembling fingertips hidden within her wide sleeves.

He understood that her condition was a result of spending time in the icy pond at the cold cliff. Despite being shielded by spiritual energy, the intense cold could penetrate into one’s meridians, obstruct the movement of spiritual energy, and extended exposure might even harm one’s cultivation base. Typically, disciples punished to stay in the pond barely lasted three days, yet she managed fifteen. Although her strong foundation shielded her from severe damage, her power would have certainly decreased.

As a fellow sword cultivator, Pang Tianlong knew this all too well. Seeing Ji Yuebai’s trembling fingers, he doubted if she could even wield her sword, let alone summon spiritual energy to form sword formations. He figured her current demeanor was nothing but a bluff.

With this in mind, Pang Tianlong sneered, “As long as it serves to exterminate the evil and uphold Tian Yuan Sect’s thousands of years of reputation, why fear death?”

He felt a surge of pride as he noticed the admiring gazes of the surrounding disciples.

However, catching a glimpse of Ji Yuebai’s calm, untroubled expression, he felt a wave of annoyance and anger. He vowed to himself to show her up on the Life and Death Stage, to prove who was the true leader of Tian Yuan Sect.

Thus, Pang Tianlong, surrounded by followers, joined Ji Yuebai in signing the life and death agreement at the Life and Death Stage.

Duels on the Life and Death Stage were rare. The disciple on duty in the hall was idly dozing off when a large group suddenly surged in, startling him awake. When he saw who it was — the two top-ranked powerhouses among the new Tian Yuan Sect disciples — he was shocked. This duel was an unprecedented spectacle.

The moment they signed the life and death agreement, shocking news exploded like a bombshell within the sect. Messages were transmitted over long distances, and letters delivered by spirit cranes shot out in all directions. An unusual spectacle of congested flying swords appeared in the sky above Tian Yuan Sect. In no time, the previously deserted stands were packed, with nearly half of the Tian Yuan Sect disciples and even many Golden Core cultivators coming specifically to watch the excitement.

A slower-to-update disciple curiously inquired, “Hey, what’s going on? Why are these two big shots fighting to the death?”

An eager disciple nearby replied, “I heard that after her training journey, Ji Shishu took in a snake demon as a pet. Pang Shishu couldn’t stand it and gathered a group to coerce Ji Shishu into killing the snake to maintain the order of the sect.”

Hearing this, the person gasped in disbelief, “What? Are you saying Ji Shishu is actually raising a snake demon? How is that possible? Doesn’t she hate those chaotic evil demons the most?”

“Look, that’s the one,” someone pointed out.

Following the direction indicated by the helpful disciple, the onlooker saw, at the very front of the spectator stand, a vibrant green snake demon lying down. Apparently, to protect her from harm, a golden protective shield enveloped her. This was the top-grade magical artifact Ji Yuebai had won in the last great sect competition, now casually used for the snake demon.

“Damn, I can’t believe it’s true,” the onlooker muttered, astonished. “I’ve always admired Ji Shishu, but regarding this matter of the snake demon, I have to side with Pang Shishu.”

“Exactly,” another chimed in. “We cannot tolerate a demon within Tian Yuan Sect. It would be a laughingstock if we couldn’t handle a single snake demon. Go Pang Shishu, kill that snake demon!”

Although the protective shield could block attacks, it couldn’t block sound. Xu Nian, fearing a sudden outburst of vigilante justice from the cultivators, lay low in the front row. Her snake form, along with her bright color, made her an exceptionally conspicuous presence in the crowded stands. If looks could kill, she would have been sliced into pieces by now.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Ji Yuebai and Pang Tianlong ascended the Life and Death Stage with their swords.

Pang Tianlong was brimming with pride, relishing the thought of so many witnesses to his imminent triumph. He believed this battle would establish him as the undisputed number one disciple of Tian Yuan Sect.

As the horn signaling the start of the deathmatch sounded, he charged with his sword at Ji Yuebai, who was still standing in place. In that moment, Pang Tianlong sneered inwardly, thinking, “Has she been frozen stupid by the cold pond water? Why isn’t she drawing her sword at such a time?” Seeing this, he was determined to win beautifully, perhaps even kill this troublesome woman right there.

Xu Nian, watching from the stands, tensed up at his fierce onslaught. Ji Yuebai was already at a disadvantage.

Everyone on stage held their breath, watching intently. Pang Tianlong had always been overshadowed by Ji Yuebai, but his strength was top-tier among his peers. His initial attack was skillful, swift, and executed with a tricky angle. Many Golden Core cultivators in the audience pondered whether they could have parried such a strike if they, too, were restricted to the peak of the Foundation Building stage.

Just as Pang Tianlong neared, Ji Yuebai drew her sword. Her movements, graceful and light as drifting clouds, effortlessly blocked his fierce attack, drawing gasps from the spectators.

“Good job,” Xu Nian silently cheered, admiring Ji Yuebai’s strength and grace.

To the onlookers, Ji Yuebai’s movements seemed effortless, but for Pang Tianlong in the midst of battle, they were overwhelmingly powerful. His attack halted, unable to advance an inch. He was shocked; she was supposed to be weakened, so how could she block his attack so easily?

Before he could comprehend, Ji Yuebai’s sword, heavy with killing intent, rained down upon him. He was forced to defend desperately, finding himself in an increasingly difficult situation.

To the audience, Ji Yuebai’s every strike was a deadly dance, beautiful yet lethal, a flawless display of martial prowess.

Xu Nian watched, utterly captivated, dreaming of the day she, too, could be as powerful and beautiful after her transformation.

But for Pang Tianlong, facing her relentless assault, the situation was grim. Within moments, he struggled more and more against her attacks, feeling for the first time the full extent of the gap between them.

He was like a blade, forged from dull iron, that became complacent because it was sharp enough. In contrast, she was a natural-born divine weapon, shining brilliantly without any need for polishing.

His master, Elder Xuanjun of Shanjun Peak, had once advised him not to challenge Ji Yuebai, believing he might not necessarily lose to her if they sparred. Pang Tianlong had even harbored some resentment towards his master for this, confident in his belief that the gap in their cultivation levels did not equate to a difference in their actual strength. As sword cultivators, they were known for being able to challenge those of higher levels.

However, this battle shattered his confidence completely. Even with Ji Yuebai’s cultivation suppressed to his level, her overwhelming swordsmanship filled him with a deep sense of awe and fear, causing his faith and determination to crumble.

How could this be? It shouldn’t be like this.

Pang Tianlong’s fighting spirit was slowly replaced by regret. Perhaps only he knew that he had chosen to challenge Ji Yuebai at her weakest, right after she emerged from the cold cliff. He regretted not waiting for her to regain her full strength for a fair fight. Even if he had been killed then, it would have been more acceptable than being continuously defeated by a weakened Ji Yuebai.

The audience was speechless, witnessing the one-sided battle. They had assumed that although Ji Shishu was the top disciple of this generation, the gap between her and the second-ranked Pang Shishu couldn’t be that wide. No one expected such a lopsided victory. Before they could process the shock, a scream rang out, and they saw a blood-stained arm, still clutching a sword, flying through the air.

Ji Yuebai’s sword mercilessly aimed for Pang Tianlong’s neck.

“I surrender, I surrender! Junior Sister, don’t kill me!” Pang Tianlong, abandoning all semblance of dignity, clutched his severed arm and shouted his surrender, fearing that a moment’s delay would make him another soul fallen to Ji Yuebai’s sword.

The crowd was stunned, followed by a wave of murmurs.

Within the protective barrier, Xu Nian jumped up excitedly, cheering, “Amazing, Yuebai is so incredible!”

But the next second, she cowered under the collective gaze of the surrounding cultivators.

On the Life and Death Stage, Ji Yuebai stood tall and imposing, shaking the fresh blood off her sword, her voice cold as ice: “Anyone else who objects, speak now on the Life and Death Stage.”

Having witnessed the formidable Pang Shishu being thoroughly defeated and nearly losing his life, no one dared to challenge her. Her sword was still stained with warm blood, and they knew they were no match for her. Even uttering a surrender would be too late before meeting their ancestors.

The disciples who initially followed Pang Tianlong in condemning Xu Nian now exchanged glances, thinking to themselves: Let it be, as long as the snake demon doesn’t cause trouble in the sect… Even if it bites, there are antidotes. It’s better than having a scar as big as a bowl on the neck. They quietly reassured themselves.

In the face of absolute power, no one dared to speak of exorcising demons or upholding justice anymore.

Mini-theater:

From then on, antidotes were sold out in Tian Yuan Sect, and the demand exceeded supply.