Zi Jinling's gaze slowly dimmed, her heart growing cold.
"Heh! Heh! Hehehe..."
She laughed until tears streamed down her face.
Her laughter, laced with self-mockery and a hint of desperation, made the people in the training grounds shiver.
Then, she slowly raised the sword in her hand, its tip pointed directly at Zi Linling.
"Trash, you have such a tenacious life. Twelve years, you've been tormented for twelve years, how could you not die?"
"Trash, do you know? How many people wish you dead, how many people wish you turned into dust, yet you, you just linger on, surviving for twelve whole years."
"Oh right, not only are you alive, you've gotten even more beautiful, so beautiful it sparks jealousy, so beautiful it makes people want to scar your face."
"Fine, I'll fulfill their wishes for them now!"
"Trash, I challenge you!"
Zi Jinling stood on the stage, radiating malevolence.
Zi Linling was taken aback.
She truly couldn't fathom where Zi Jinling found the courage to challenge her.
She asked with a half-smile, "You want to challenge me?"
Zi Jinling sneered, "What, are you scared? That's right, a trash like you, how could you dare accept my challenge?"
Her words dripped with disdain and contempt. She seemed to have forgotten how, just three days ago, a dozen of them had been stacked into a small mountain by Zi Linling, their appearances utterly pathetic.
No, she hadn't forgotten.
The reason she dared to provoke Zi Linling was her guess that Zi Linling was at most at the Qi Gathering realm.
And three days ago, Zi Linling's ability to defeat more than ten of them single-handedly was likely due to her surprise martial arts techniques.
Of course, even so, she wouldn't dare challenge Zi Linling if she were only at the third level of Body Tempering.
What truly gave her the confidence to challenge Zi Linling was a scene that suddenly flashed through her mind:
"Little girl, I can grant you peak Qi Gathering realm cultivation in a short time, but you must do one thing for me."
It was an ancient voice, yet it carried an eerie chill.
"What is it?"
Zi Jinling was at her wit's end. Having finally found an opportunity, how could she let it slip away?
"That remains to be seen. We'll discuss it after you've placed in the top three."
The voice held a hint of lechery and foulness.
Zi Jinling asked with disgust, "Why should I believe you?"
"Heh heh!"
The voice sneered, "Whether you believe me is your choice, but... without my help, you'll only be shamefully driven off the stage."
"You..."
Zi Jinling pondered for a moment and said, "Alright, I agree, but first, I must kill that bitch!"
The voice readily replied, "Agreed! However, I can only maintain your peak Qi Gathering realm cultivation for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. You must make haste."
Zi Jinling asked, "Then what do I need to do?"
The voice said, "When your opponent steps onto the stage, open your mind. I will send a wisp of my divine sense into your body and control it."
Zi Jinling expressed some concern, "Will I be alright if I do this?"
The voice said, "After I leave, you will have a two-day period of weakness. But there's also a benefit. As long as you can comprehend the Qi Gathering realm aura I leave within your body, you can quickly break through to the Qi Gathering realm."
"Deal!"
Zi Jinling agreed. This was why she had the confidence to provoke Zi Linling.
Zi Linling scoffed, "You think I'm afraid? Hmph! It's not that I'm afraid, it's that you're not worthy! However, since you're so eager to embarrass yourself, I'll reluctantly make a move."
Saying so, she slowly walked onto the stage.
In the training grounds, aside from Zi Wenchang and Ye Lingyuan, a flicker of pity and sympathy crossed the eyes of everyone else.
After all, Zi Linling's reputation as a trash was well-known.
Even if Zi Jinling was only at the third level of Body Tempering, she was still not someone a non-cultivator could defeat.
Therefore, in the eyes of most, Zi Linling stepping onto the stage was akin to seeking torment.
As for Xiong Tai, Li Luo, and Fu Liuyun, their sympathy shifted to Zi Jinling.
Zi Linling, who could make them, cultivators at the Yuan Transformation realm, flee in disarray, could crush Zi Jinling as easily as crushing an ant.
Of course, if they knew that Zi Linling could contend against the Saint King realm, who knew what their reactions would be.
As for Zi Wenchang, he never cared about Zi Linling's life or death, so naturally, he wouldn't pity her.
Ye Lingyuan, on the other hand, appeared calm and composed.
Since his Lin'er wanted to play, he would simply watch.
A clown like Zi Jinling could be blown away by his Lin'er with a single breath.
Regardless of the crowd's reactions, Zi Linling stood calmly on the stage.
Zi Jinling sarcastically said, "You actually dare to come up?"
Zi Linling was too lazy to even lift her eyelids and replied, "If someone offers their face for me to step on, how can I not come up?"
Disdainful, arrogant!
Zi Jinling's anger surged, "I hope you can continue to be so arrogant later!"
"Crack, crack, crack!"
Zi Linling nonchalantly munched on melon seeds and said, "You probably... won't see that."
Zi Jinling's rage began to churn, "Trash, don't always act so high and mighty. Today, I'll teach you how to respect people!"
Zi Linling rolled her eyes and said, "One sentence for you..."
"Begging for mercy? Too late!"
Zi Jinling sneered.
"Which eye of yours saw me begging for mercy?" Zi Linling said somewhat speechlessly, "I just wanted to tell you, villains die from talking too much!"
"You court death!"
Zi Jinling was furious.
She opened her mind, welcoming the arrival of that voice.
Soon, she felt something enter her body. It was likely the divine sense the voice had mentioned.
As that wisp of divine sense entered, Zi Jinling felt her mind become muddled, and her body lost control.
Her aura began to rise, Body Tempering fourth level, fifth level, sixth level... ninth level, early Qi Gathering realm... peak Qi Gathering realm!
Small blood spots, like pinpricks, appeared on Zi Jinling's body, and two streams of blood flowed from the corners of her eyes. She looked somewhat ferocious.
Of course, this was because her body was too weak to withstand such powerful spiritual energy.
The voice hadn't lied to her; it had indeed raised her spiritual power to the peak Qi Gathering realm.
However, it failed to mention that without the tempering of the ninth level of Body Tempering, her body would struggle to bear such a large amount of spiritual energy.
The result of forcibly enduring it was that her body would be damaged due to overexertion.
But at this moment, it was too late for Zi Jinling to regret it, for the arrow was already nocked.
She looked at Zi Linling like a vengeful spirit, gritting her teeth, "Trash, take your life!"