Chapter 91: Unbending and Determined

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Deep in the palace courts, only the sky was visible with high walls surrounding it.

The third prince sat in the pavilion with a steaming teacup in his hand.

The little eunuch dressed in blue scurried across the courtyard to reach the pavilion.

The eunuch kneeled down onto the floor with a pale face and his forehead covered in sweat.

He had received the latest news from the square but he did not know how to convey the message. The outcome was just too shocking. As a eunuch who served these princes, he knew what the consequences would be after he revealed the news.

“Your highness, the outcome of the battle between Fang Lang and Li Yuanzhen… is out,” the eunuch said as he wiped away cold sweat.

“Go on.”

Inside the pavilion, the third prince gently blew the steam rising from the tea.

“Young Master Li Yuanzhen… lost against… Fang Lang,” the eunuch announced.

The atmosphere thickened instantly. The autumn leaves fell from the tree, covering the floor in gold.

“I don’t condone withholding information. Tell me exactly what happened,” the third prince sipped on his tea and said calmly.

The eunuch dropped onto his knees with a loud thump.

“Fang Lang used a flight sword technique and defeated Young Master Li Yuanzhen.” The eunuch revealed everything.

Crack!

The little eunuch’s entire body shook violently when he heard the shattering of the teacup.

Accompanying the Emperor was like accompanying a tiger, these princes who might become the future emperor were equivalent to young cubs.

“Li Yuanzhen failed again… Useless garbage.”

…

In the preparation area, the setting sun lit the horizon. Fang Lang, Liu Bubai and Jiang Linglong were standing together. Luo Yang came over as well. He decided to stick around since he saw Fang Lang’s ingenious flight sword technique.

He kept asking Fang Lang about the maneuvering techniques and runes.

After answering a few questions, Fang Lang pointed at the battle that was about to begin in the ring. Only then did Luo Yang unwillingly stop.

“Will Ni Wen win the battle? Ximen Xianxian’s ranking on the honor roll seems average,” Liu Bubai said with a frown.

Liu Bubai really hoped Ni Wen would win the battle as they were both students from Luojiang Academy.

“Win? It’s impossible. Even though Ximen Xianxian didn’t have a good rank, his true combat skills and strength are no less than geniuses like Li Yuanzhen. Ximen Xianxian cultivates Ruism. It’s different from the sword, martial arts and spell mastery, but he’s definitely not weak. In addition, with the background and support he’s got, it’s impossible for this girl to beat him,” Luo Yang said.

Fang Lang was quiet. The odds of Ni Wen winning were rather small, but…

He was probably the only one in Changan who knew about the transformation in Ni Wen.

Core mutations, bloodline awakening…

Ni Wen might surprise them all with her performance.

…

Inside the ring, the paper fan in Ximen Xianxian’s hand remained folded.

When the bell rang, Ximen Xianxian bowed at Ni Wen with a smile. “Girl, why don’t you consider surrendering for this battle. I don’t want to see you hurt, nor do I want to hurt you.”

Ni Wen’s green robe hung loose on her thin frame—the color had faded after so many washes, but it was still neat and proper. She looked at him with a focused and serious expression.

She retrieved a cheap staff made out of dried wood from her sleeve.

A powerful spell master like Li Yuanzhen did not need a staff when he cast a spell or rune.

Ni Wen still relied on the staff.

Ximen Xianxian toned down his arrogance after seeing Ni Wen’s sincerity.

In fact, both of them were not that different—they were normal civilians who were naturally gifted. However, Ni Wen did not have a sponsor like Ximen Xianxian.

Ximen Xianxian was able to achieve his status with the eldest prince’s support.

This battle was a match between geniuses from peasantry stock.

Ximen Xianxian held the paper fan in his hand and tilted it toward the sky.

Ni Wen started to make a move, exuding waves of spiritual sense. She motioned her staff and dipped it gently in front of her.

The waves of spiritual sense started constructing walls made of spiritual energy.

They were like layers after layers of palace walls defending her. The formation was extremely fast yet orderly.

This was a prime example of how a spell master casts a spell.

After that, Ni Wen used her spiritual sense and started drawing in the empty space with the tip of her staff. She moved fluidly in a perfect rhythm and constructed a rune.

She cast the rune forward and it split into four brilliant runes.

“Wind, Rain, Thunder, Fire.”

These are the four basic runes.

The four runes were like dazzling flowers blossoming above the ring.

Ximen Xianxian grinned. He stood out from the crowd in his white billowing robe.

He walked toward her slowly.

“Let me recite you a poem as I send you down the ring. Who cares if I stand alone in the autumn winds, with withered leaves struggling in the bleak autumn’s day…” Ximen Xianxian recited as he walked.

Suddenly, white spiritual energy formed around him like a white python wrapping around his body.

Ni Wen clenched her jaws and aimed the runes at him. Wind blades, rain needles, thunder arc, flaming rocks…

These were basic runes but together, their effects and power were not to be underestimated.

It was a technique that could inflict damage without consuming too much energy.

However, Ni Wen’s cultivation was still far from powerful. A first-class spell master could only cause average damage with these runes.

Ximen Xianxian continued walking, his sleeves swaying in the air.

The white python around him kept destroying the runes cast by Ni Wen.

He was still reciting the poem enthusiastically.

The colorful clouds started moving in the sky— his righteous energy seemed to have inspired an auspicious landscape.

“What a wild girl she is.”

Suddenly, Ximen Xianxian closed in on Ni Wen. He raised his paper fan and knocked gently. Ni wen’s spirit energy walls vanished in an instant.

Ximen Xianxian’s fan slithered like a snake.

“Smack!”

He gently tapped on Ni Wen’s staff and the staff exploded instantly. Ni Wen’s face went pale from the pain of the spiritual sense backlash.

“Lady, surrender,” Ximen Xianxian said after he finished reciting the poem.

Ni Wen endured the stabbing pain in her head and tried to cast another rune, but Ximen Xianxian tapped her between the eyebrows with his fan and sent her flying across the ring.

Ni Wen stood up and gathered her spiritual sense.

Ximen Xianxian flew toward her and attacked with his fan. Ni Wen’s spiritual sense dispersed immediately, escaping from her mouth and nose. Her pale face turned even more sickly.

“Give up. It’s not my preference to hit a woman.,” Ximen Xianxian shook his head and sighed in regret as he gently hurled his paper fan once more.

The righteous energy shot up into the sky.

Ni Wen’s body was tossed upwards, the rune that she tried so hard to cast shattered again.

The surrounding was silent.

It was an unbalanced match.

The difference between the two candidates was just too large. Ximen Xianxin was obviously much more powerful than Ni Wen, why did she refuse to surrender?

No one understood why a civilian student like her was so determined to go on even though she was at her limits. Her achievements had already brought so much glory to her family.

…

In the preparation area, Liu Bubai clenched his fists as he watched Ni Wen being attacked again and again. He seethed. “I really want to hit him but I know that I can’t beat him.”

“Lang’zi!”

Fang Lang just nodded without saying anything.

Fang Lang let out a sigh when he saw blood flowing down Ni Wen’s mouth and nose.

The scene of the mother-daughter pair under the sunset flashed in his mind.

Perhaps Ni Wen wanted to prove something.

…

Boom!

Ximen Xianxian flung the paper fan in his hand and Ni Wen was sent flying in the air once more. The power of a spell master would be significantly weakened if their enemy got too close.

Ximen Xianxian stopped reciting the poem and frowned.

“May I ask you why won’t you surrender?”

“I don’t want to lose.”

“Sometimes it’s not up to us. Persistence… can be meaningless sometimes.”

“I don’t want to lose.”

“You need an opportunity to change your fate. Unfortunately, you don’t have it.”

“I don’t want to lose.”

Ni Wen answered stubbornly whenever Ximen Xianxian asked a question.

Ximen Xianxian was baffled by the girl’s determination. He was lost in his memories for a moment—the sight reminded him of his past as a beggar.

He desperately wanted to end the battle.

He shook the paper fan in his hand and created a tornado in the battle ring.

Ni Wen was swept into the air by the tornado, then slammed onto the floor. Her blood splattered onto the floor.

Blood sloshed everywhere, yet the girl remained unbending but tragic.

The girl kept getting back on her feet, trying to form a rune with her trembling hands.

Although she was afraid, she would never surrender. She had her reason—she wanted to give her mother hope.

Every attempt she made ended with her being flung around by Ximen Xianxian.

“Surrender!”

Ximen Xianxian gripped his paper fan with a complicated expression. He called out to the girl who was barely able to stand.

However, Ni Wen did not utter a word. She gathered her spiritual sense and continued to draw the rune despite nearing exhaustion.

Was she going down this time?

No!

A glint of gold flashed beneath Ni Wen’s eyes. Then, it grew into a stream of gold that fused with her drained spiritual sense.

Buzz…

A faint glow shone along Ni Wen’s body and she started casting runes at an extreme speed.

Four runes of wind, rain, thunder and fire were thrown at Ximen Xianxian at once.

Everybody gasped in shock at this sudden twist!

Although the golden aura was faint, it exuded a familiar royal pressure.

When the runes were almost approaching Ximen Xianxian, he tried to dispel them with his paper fan. The fan exploded into pieces the moment it touched the rune.

Ximen Xianxian spat out a breath of stale air as he stared at the stubborn girl with respect.

The righteous energy he had been suppressing for all these years burst out from him like a broken dam.

He gave his all as a sign of respect for his opponent.

He raised his hand, stepped forward with his right foot and bent his left knee.

Then, he extended both his arms outwards, one palm pushing forward and the other in reverse.

Moving Kunlun Hands!

All of a sudden, the clouds turned into a brightly colored tornado that came crashing to the ground. Blood splatters could be seen.

The sky darkened instantly. An earth-shattering sound started to build up but it was soon suppressed by a wisp of willpower from the Taiji Palace.

The storm loomed above the ring for a long time before it dispersed.

Ximen Xianxian was breathing heavily, slightly astounded by what he had just witnessed.

This girl… had bloodline abilities?

It was pin-drop silence around them. The atmosphere before the Taiji Palace was tense. The first prince stood up from his seat. He tried to remain calm but his eyes sparkled.

“Royal bloodline? It’s faint… could it be a lost child from a vassal?”

The first prince turned back to look to the deep end of Taiji Palace. Abandoning royal blood among the commoners was against the Tang Code!

Suddenly, a solemn voice erupted from the palace. “Investigate!”

The first prince lowered his head and bowed. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Then, the Taiji Palace quieted down again.

The sand and dust slowly faded from the ring.

Ximen Xianxian looked at the figure standing in front of him with a confused and lost expression. ‘Why… How are you still standing?’

He had spent all the righteous energy collected over the years.

“Aren’t you surrendering?” Ximen Xianxian asked hoarsely.

This time, there was no reply from the girl.

Ximen Xianxian was stunned, his robe swayed in the wind as he watched the blurry figure in the dust storm.

“The winner of this round, Ximen Xianxian,” the court eunuch drifted into the ring and announced calmly.

Below the ring, Liu Bubai, Fang Lang and Jiang Linglong rushed to Ni Wen’s side.

The girl’s worn-out green robe was covered in dirt and blood. There was not a single drop of blood on her face and the flash of gold was gone. She stayed in the position of maintaining the rune, motionless as if she had lost her consciousness.

The only thing keeping her from collapsing to the ground was her unbending willpower.

Fang Lang, Lui Bubai and Jiang Linglong were speechless.