As the referee's nearly voice-breaking announcement echoed through the mountains, the entire martial arena seemed to be forcibly cleaved down the middle by an invisible giant axe, instantly falling into an extreme, bipolar state of ice and fire.
On the west side, the Medicine Hall disciples—who had always considered themselves support and logistics, and were usually suppressed by the combat halls—erupted into hysterical revelry after a brief moment of stunned silence.
"We won! Senior Sister Lin Xue actually won!"
"Incredible! Who said our Medicine Hall only knows how to hide in the back and save people?!"
Countless Medicine Hall disciples wept tears of joy in embraces. Some even tore their throats roaring madly, venting the stifled frustration of being looked down upon year-round.
In contrast, on the east side, Lin Feng's massive cheering group was dead silent, not a single sound to be heard.
Those lackeys who usually followed behind Lin Feng waving flags and shouting were now mourning as if they had lost their parents. Mouths wide open, they fundamentally couldn't accept this cruel reality before their eyes.
In their hearts, the invincible, flawless Young Master Feng was actually defeated by a woman, who used the most direct, most assassin-like method to place a cold blade against his neck?
"How could this happen... Young Master... he was careless." Someone muttered to himself, attempting to find a reasonable excuse.
Lin Mu, mixed in the crowd, was also slightly stunned by this sudden sure-kill.
He stood in place, looking at the black-clad woman on the stage kneeling on one knee, trembling all over from the backlash. In his heart, he truly felt a shred of amazement and awe.
"What fierce methods, what decisive talent."
Lin Mu praised secretly. "For that momentary flaw, she dared to gamble her own life. It seems in this Gu world, one truly cannot underestimate any young talent. This woman's ruthlessness is not beneath mine."
On the arena, several high-rank medical Gu Masters who had long been waiting in strict array rushed up as if facing a formidable enemy.
They quickly surrounded Lin Xue in the center. Several high-rank healing Gu activated simultaneously.
Various jade-green lights of vitality surged madly into Lin Xue's body, forcibly helping her suppress the terrifying muscle spasms and meridian tearing brought by the Flash Step Gu.
Surrounded like the moon by stars, although Lin Xue was exhausted and pale-faced, she rightfully enjoyed the supreme treatment belonging to a king.
And contrasted with this revelry and busyness, the other side of the arena appeared exceptionally desolate.
Lin Feng stood alone, isolated in place.
He hadn't suffered any heavy injuries, and even had quite a bit of Primeval Essence left. But at this moment, he wished he had been heavily injured and knocked unconscious.
That massive sense of disparity from falling from the clouds into the mortal dust, that loneliness of being stared at by thousands of pairs of eyes filled with shock, sympathy, or secret joy, made him feel the surrounding air had turned into bone-piercing steel needles.
And compared to the joys and sorrows on the arena, the clash on the high platform turned into a bloodless crossing of swords.
Patriarch Lin Cang, sitting in the main seat, also had a trace of immense surprise flash through his eyes.
He originally thought Lin Feng held the winning ticket, but didn't expect Lin Xue to actually hide a killing weapon like the Flash Step Gu.
But after the surprise, he quickly returned to calm.
Whether Lin Feng or Lin Xue, both were the bloodline of Black Blood Stockade, the clan's future foundation. As the head of a clan, he was happy to see this kind of healthy competition capable of forcing out each other's limits, holding no partiality.
As for the other elders, their expressions were somewhat strange and awkward for a time.
Everyone thought Lin Feng would definitely win before coming. Even the prepared congratulatory words and colored rewards were stuck in their throats, unable to be spoken.
Especially the Medicine Hall Great Elder—Lin Xue's uncle—who was currently pinching the flesh on his thigh dead tight, his old face flushed red from holding back.
He was terrified he wouldn't be able to hold back and would laugh out loud like a pig in this supposedly solemn occasion; that would offend Supreme Elder Lin Zhen to death.
Just in this subtle atmosphere, White Bone Stockade Patriarch Li Mang, sitting in the guest seat, keenly caught this excellent opportunity to deal a blow to Black Blood Stockade's morale and sow discord.
This old fox stroked his withered beard, deliberately raising his pitch, letting out a burst of weird, sarcastic laughter:
"Hehehe... Brother Lin, your noble stockade is indeed a place where the land is outstanding and produces great people, full of talents!"
He picked up his teacup, looking playfully at the despondent Lin Feng on the arena, and said loudly:
"This old man truly never expected that even the biological son of your noble stockade's Supreme Elder—such an amazingly talented young master placed with high hopes—could actually be defeated by a delicate little girl today! Tsk tsk tsk, it truly is that every generation produces its talents. This old man admires, admires!"
Killing the heart!
This heavy accent bit dead onto the words "biological son of the Supreme Elder."
Li Mang's words praised Lin Xue on the surface, but secretly rubbed Lin Feng's dignity into the dirt, mocking him for having an undeserved reputation.
Even more insidiously, he was covertly sowing discord in the factional relationship between Lin Cang and the Supreme Elder—look, the heir your Patriarch faction poured resources into is nothing more than this.
Facing this mockery carrying a big stick and hiding needles in cotton, Lin Cang surprisingly didn't get angry.
Not only did he not lose his temper, but he laughed heartily instead. His laughter revealed a tolerance and broad-mindedness belonging to a victor.
"Hahaha, Brother Li praises absurdly."
Lin Cang waved his hand, appearing in an excellent mood. "Feng-er and Xue-er are both clan elites I watched grow up. In sparring between them, victory and defeat are common in military affairs."
"I have my own grasp on propriety. Jade cannot be shaped without carving, right? Enduring more setbacks is a good thing for young people."
Immediately after, Lin Cang changed the subject.
He picked up his teacup. His gaze landed intentionally or unintentionally on the gloomy-faced White Bone Young Master, Li Huang, beside Li Mang. With a half-smile, he said:
"However... I suddenly remembered something. Last time in the Blood Forest, your noble son seemed to have had some 'intersection' with Feng-er?"
Lin Cang dragged out his voice, his tone taking on a trace of mockery: "If Brother Li truly has the elegant interest to observe juniors spar, why not let your noble son and Feng-er also spar on this arena in a few days?"
"So we can see if the Young Master of White Bone Stockade is a tiny bit stronger than this disappointing nephew of mine?"
A precise slap to the face, ruthlessly turning the tables!
As soon as these words came out, Li Mang's weird, sarcastic smile instantly froze dead on his face, as if he had swallowed a live fly whole.
And Li Huang, standing behind him, turned livid with anger. Eyes spewing fire, he nearly went berserk on the spot.
Who didn't know the inside story of the Blood Forest battle last time?
Li Huang led two elite squads to ambush, only to be scared by Lin Feng's "Empty Fort Strategy" into rolling and crawling, fleeing with his tail between his legs, even losing several good hands.
Although neither family spoke of this openly, privately it had long been Black Blood Stockade's laughingstock to mock White Bone Stockade.
This soft nail from Lin Cang directly tore open White Bone Stockade's most humiliating scar.
The subtext was clear: No matter how my nephew loses, he loses to our own genius; your son is a piece of trash scared into pissing his pants and fleeing by my nephew. What qualifications do you have to bark here?
The clash on the high platform ended with White Bone Stockade swallowing a bitter pill and Lin Cang's absolute protection of his own.
And at this time, on the highly anticipated arena.
Lin Feng slowly bent down, picking up the long sword that had fallen onto the blue-steel rock.
His movements were very slow, so slow it seemed every joint was resisting.
On his fair neck, that extremely shallow blood mark drawn by the Iron Leaf Gu wasn't fatal, but in his eyes at this moment, it was like a branding iron branding him with humiliation, hurting burningly.
He took a deep breath, expelling all the turbid air from his lungs.
Lin Feng knew clearly that at this moment, the eyes of the entire stockade, and even outsiders, were staring at him.
Losing the match was fine, but if he lost his demeanor as well, then his title would truly become a joke.
He forcibly suppressed the humiliation, anger, and jealousy that nearly gnawed away his reason. He forcefully squeezed out a smile on his face—a smile uglier than crying, but still maintaining politeness and demeanor.
He turned around, sheathed his long sword, and deeply cupped his hands in a bow toward Lin Xue, who was supported by medical Gu Masters not far away.
His voice was so calm not a single ripple could be heard:
"Junior Sister Lin Xue's methods are fierce, her mind meticulous. Today, you are superior in skill. Feng, has learned. This title of number one is well-deserved."
A perfect response, a perfect curtain call.
Applause rang out again off-stage. Many people sighed at Lin Feng's magnanimity and capacity, even feeling he was glorious even in defeat.
Courtesy finished, Lin Feng turned around, walking down the arena step by step along the stairs.
However.
Right in the instant he turned his back, completely breaking away from the focus of the public's line of sight.
That flawless, humble smile maintained on his face vanished without a trace instantly, as if it had never existed.
Replaced by an extremely suppressed, twisted, and even somewhat crazy sinister gloom!
He lowered his head, clutching the sword hilt in his hand dead tight.
His knuckles completely lost blood color due to excessive force, revealing a ghastly pale white. His fingernails dug deep into his palm, seeping traces of fresh blood, but he remained completely oblivious.
This public, humiliating defeat was like a ruthless blade, utterly shredding his "gentle, flawless, banished immortal" disguise!
"Lin Xue... what a Flash Step Gu..."
He let out a beast-like hoarse roar from the bottom of his heart.
He didn't expect that three months of forbearance would bring about such a humiliating end.
"Today's humiliation will be repaid a hundredfold!"