Venerable Qinglan said that the matters of the younger generation should be resolved by the younger generation. Therefore, out of so many people, Venerable Qinglan alone spared Yun Youyue.
Bai Shengyi understood Venerable Qinglan's intention, so she did not waste his kindness and stepped forward.
In the great hall, before everyone's eyes.
Bai Shengyi transformed the Samsara Brush in her hand into a long sword, tilting its tip upwards and pointing it at Yun Youyue, saying again, "You dare not make a Dao oath, you dare not step onto the Battle Stage, yet you dare to fabricate stories? Do you think I, Bai Shengyi, am easy to bully?"
Her eyes still held a hint of tears, yet her gaze was sharp and piercing.
As if a flame, wanting to burn Yun Youyue.
Yun Youyue could no longer stand it and looked up abruptly.
"Who says I dare not!"
She glared fiercely at Bai Shengyi, her eyes filled with unwillingness.
She was so close, she could have obtained the Starfall Imperial Ring in Bai Shengyi's hand just now.
She didn't understand, why did Vice Dean Qin, Venerable Qianying, and even Venerable Qinglan, whom she had never met, all side with Bai Shengyi, who only came from a small family?
Yun Youyue took a deep breath, lifted her chin, and said proudly, "The Battle Stage it is, I agree!"
"Yue'er?" Yun Kai, hearing his daughter's impulsive response, was jolted from his half-dead state and hurriedly said, "The two Grand Venerables are present, do not be willful."
In his opinion, Yun Youyue had no need to compete with Bai Shengyi. If she won, she would surely incur the resentment of the protective Thousand Peaks, and if she lost, both her and Yun Kai's reputation would be ruined. It was a loss that outweighed any gain.
Yun Youyue ignored her father and did not dare to look at the others in the hall, especially the two Grand Venerables. She was still afraid.
She feared losing, and she also feared that Grand Venerable Qinglan would unreservedly defend Bai Shengyi like he dealt with her father and others.
So her fingers trembled, but her gaze remained fixed on Bai Shengyi, "Do you want to compete now or later?"
Having received Yun Youyue's answer, Bai Shengyi's momentary arrogance and sharpness faded, and she became calm and composed.
She curved her lips, her gaze clear and sharp, "Naturally, it is now."
There were several Battle Stages on the main peak, one of which was not far from the great hall. Venerable Song Sheng and Xi Xilou had no interest in watching two juniors spar and left early. Many elders also followed suit, and in a short while, only a handful of people remained.
As soon as Venerable Song Sheng left, Venerable Qinglan's figure became exceptionally prominent.
Yun Youyue caught a glimpse of him from the corner of her eye, and her sword-wielding hand faltered.
"Clang!"
Bai Shengyi's sword pressed close, directly knocking Yun Youyue's sword away.
"You are nothing more than this, Yun Youyue," Bai Shengyi said.
Yun Youyue's heart trembled, and then a deep sense of dissatisfaction and anger surged within her. She shouted, "What do you know? Bai Shengyi, you, a mere cultivator, would you have your current status without the Starfall Imperial Ring?"
"You stole my opportunity, and you still have the nerve to laugh at me? I am truly ashamed for you!" Yun Youyue raised her neck and said disdainfully.
"Your opportunity?"
Bai Shengyi's sword bloomed like a flower, her sharp movements forcing Yun Youyue to retreat step by step. Her figure moved rapidly, she closed in, and with a raised hand, slapped at her.
"Such thick skin!" Bai Shengyi sneered, "Have you been lying so much that you've started believing yourself? Even if we don't mention that the Heavenly Dao has already determined I didn't steal your opportunity, this opportunity was born of heaven and earth, ownerless. When did it become yours?"
"Such shamelessness, such thick skin, you truly broaden my horizons!"
"Slap!"
Bai Shengyi swung again, and the flying blossoms from her sword "whoosh"ed, leaving a sword mark on Yun Youyue's face.
"Ah!"
Yun Youyue never expected that she, a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, a quasi-Golden Core cultivator, would be suppressed and beaten by Bai Shengyi, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator!
She had already used all her strength to dodge and block, yet Bai Shengyi still managed to touch her face!
Yun Youyue's eyes no longer held anger, but hatred.
Bai Shengyi saw the change in Yun Youyue's expression and her gaze grew colder, and her annoyance towards Yun Youyue increased.
At first, she tried to understand why Yun Youyue harbored such great malice towards her, but now, Bai Shengyi no longer wanted to know the reason.
A proud daughter of heaven, who had always been self-centered, would consider others at fault when things didn't go her way. She would not look for reasons within herself.
As Bai Shengyi thought this, her sword movements became even faster. The Qingsheng Vine assisted from the side, and the sword light and vines seemed to be everywhere, temporarily forcing Yun Youyue into a state of frantic defense.
"Did you teach Junior Sister's sword techniques?" With Qianying's keen eyesight, she could tell that the sword in Bai Shengyi's hand had its own unique style, and she thought Qin Si had secretly taught her.
Qin Si shook his head silently.
Qianying gave him a suspicious look, feeling that he seemed to be a bit down today.
Down?
Qianying quickly dismissed the thought. This was Qin Si, could this little pervert ever feel down? Impossible! She must have been mistaken.
"Master, isn't Junior Sister doing well?"
Qianying quickly shifted her attention and spoke to Venerable Qinglan about Bai Shengyi's situation.
"Don't look at her young age, she not only has high talent but also a very firm character. She has only been a disciple for half a year, yet she is already a fourth-tier alchemist, at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and she has even created new pill formulas..."
As Qianying was speaking, she saw a scorching heat emanating from the Battle Stage.
"Divine Fire?" Venerable Qinglan's clear and cold eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Qin Si said in a deep voice, "It's divine fire that has developed sentience."
"Ah? Then should we help Junior Sister? This is too dangerous," Qianying said.
Qin Si and Venerable Qinglan both shook their heads.
Bai Shengyi did not need it.
"Bai Shengyi, you forced my hand."
Yun Youyue spat out a small ball of flame from her mouth. As the deep red firelight appeared, the surrounding space instantly became scorching hot.
Yun Youyue: "Go! Earth Tilting Crimson Fire, kill her vines and destroy her sword!"
"Yes, Master!" The Earth Tilting Crimson Fire suddenly unfurled into a fiery sash, like a ribbon whipping towards Bai Shengyi!
In Bai Shengyi's mind, the Samsara Brush, which had been deliberately minimizing its presence since Venerable Qinglan appeared, could no longer contain itself and was jumping with excitement.
"It's the Earth Tilting Crimson Fire! Another Divine Fire! Although it's only a wisp, it has sentience! It's even rarer than Ten Directions Netherfire and Dragon Pursuing Starfire!"
As soon as the Samsara Brush spoke, the two wisps of flame in Bai Shengyi's dantian exploded with dissatisfaction.
"Ten Directions, Dragon Pursuing, you two only have a tiny bit of consciousness. To achieve sentience, without heavenly opportunities, you'll still need a few thousand more years. You truly can't compare to them. Pen-pen is just speaking the truth!"
The Samsara Brush did not care if its words were too direct or if they would hurt the small hearts of the two divine fires. After speaking, it jumped around in her sea of consciousness, repeatedly urging Bai Shengyi.
"Quick, quick, Master, dear Master, take this opportunity to snatch her fire! Didn't she say you stole her opportunity? Now show her what it's like to snatch it! Master, hurry up! Snatch it..."