She Dominates the Immortal Realm with Her HP Bar-Chapter 80

"......"

Slightly taken aback, Wu Manshuang turned his gaze to the household medical kit beside him.

He opened each bottle in the small chest one by one and found that nearly every pill, regardless of type, was wrapped in a delicate sugar shell.

Sugar coatings obscured the color and scent of the pills, making it impossible to judge their quality—something no reputable medicine shop would do.

Which meant there was only one person who could have secretly sugared his pills.

Truthfully, Wu Manshuang wasn’t afraid of bitterness, just as he was never afraid of pain.

But someone had thought of his discomfort before he even tasted the bitterness or felt the sting of a blade.

It was like an ordinary stone—nothing special in itself, its jagged edges only serving to cut the feet of passersby.

Yet if someone picked it up, washed it clean, wrapped it in silk and soft cotton, and placed it in a box adorned with pearls and tiny gemstones, even the stone itself would feel treasured.

Holding the sugar-coated blood-restoring pill, Wu Manshuang could almost picture Yan Luoyue lighting a fire, performing a series of elegant hand seals, and evenly rolling each pill in molten sugar.

It was as if he had stumbled upon a fragment of overlooked time, or unlocked a hidden treasure chest from the past.

At this moment, the sweetness he tasted was far richer than the sugar on the pill’s surface.

He stole a glance in Yan Luoyue’s direction and saw her crouched nearby, wholly absorbed in repairing Senior Brother Kang’s manta ray artifact.

The large manta ray had a graceful, flowing form, and Yan Luoyue adored it.

But it had taken a direct hit from the energy attack of a rolling demon, damaging a critical internal component.

After inspecting it, Yan Luoyue found she had all the materials needed for repairs and decided to fix it in one go, restoring the manta ray to full health.

At the same time, she was waiting for the rolling demon to weaken and die so she could harvest its materials.

Junior Brother Wu and Junior Sister Yan—one resting, one working.

Kang Bashui looked around, realizing there was nothing he could assist with, so he stepped away.

While keeping watch, he opened his communication stone to send a message to Yuan Feiyu.

Yuan Feiyu answered promptly, though his tone was more hurried than usual.

"I’m in the middle of sword meditation. What’s the matter, Senior Brother Kang?" After a pause, he added, "Ah, right—Junior Sister Yan and Junior Brother Wu are with you. Did something happen?"

...He reacted quickly enough, and his tone suggested a good relationship with Junior Sister Yan and Junior Brother Wu.

So then, how could he have described Junior Brother Wu in such a misleading way?!

Kang Bashui took a deep breath and pressed Yuan Feiyu again:

"You told me before that Junior Brother Wu is a bit delicate and can’t stand the sight of blood, right?"

"Correct." Yuan Feiyu answered with absolute certainty.

His voice was firm, like a swordsman declaring his monthly savings—boldly announcing a resounding "zero."

Kang Bashui: "......"

Yuan Feiyu pressed further, "What, did Junior Brother Wu upset you?"

He even earnestly defended Wu Manshuang:

"Aside from that, he’s actually a great person. The sword array he made, 'Firefly Forest Light,' is both beautiful and stable. They say it even attracts real fireflies at night..."

Kang Bashui: "......"

Kang Bashui hinted, "Junior Brother Yuan, have you ever considered that Junior Brother Wu’s 'can’t stand the sight of blood' might not mean what you think it means?"

Yuan Feiyu was baffled. "Huh?"

Kang Bashui closed his eyes, speaking with deep solemnity:

"Is it possible that Junior Brother Wu isn’t afraid of blood for his own sake, but for yours?"

Yuan Feiyu was utterly lost. "Huh??"

Kang Bashui delivered the final blow, his voice tinged with indignation:

"In other words, Junior Brother Yuan—have you never once realized that Junior Brother Wu’s concern is less about himself seeing blood and more about you ending up in a bad way if he does?"

Yuan Feiyu shot to his feet, stunned. "HUH???"

He instinctively widened his eyes, about to demand an explanation—when the connection suddenly cut off.

Looking down, Yuan Feiyu realized that Senior Brother Kang, like a deceitful boss dangling a carrot, had dropped this tantalizing hint and then ruthlessly ended the call!

Yuan Feiyu: "......"

Senior Brother Kang’s manta ray wasn’t difficult to repair, and Yan Luoyue finished the job before long.

After calling Kang Bashui over to test-fly the restored manta ray, Yan Luoyue nodded confidently, certain it would last another two centuries.

With that done, she finally turned her attention to the rolling demon.

A dead rolling demon no longer secreted its disgusting mucus, making the dissection much easier.

But the creature’s body was still enormous.

Even after being shrunk by Wu Manshuang’s corrosive blood to less than a meter in diameter, the objects it had swallowed remained just as numerous.

Frowning, Yan Luoyue carefully peeled back layer after layer of the rolling demon’s flesh.

She pushed aside rusted, half-digested artifacts and set aside the fresher remains of other demonic creatures it had consumed.

Her goal was the rolling demon’s core, buried deep within.

But then, the black flame at her waist—the "Lone Swan’s Shadow"—suddenly leaped out.

"Mo Mo?" Yan Luoyue called in surprise.

The ink-colored flame flickered once, then, like an elegant bird, alighted on a patch of the rolling demon’s flesh and began burning persistently inward.

That piece of flesh had just been sliced open by Yan Luoyue and casually tossed aside.

"...Mo Mo?" Yan Luoyue called out again, puzzled.

The enormous, bloated demon was murky and filthy in color. After being poisoned by Wu Manshuang's blood, its flesh looked as if it had been charred by smoke and fire, making it nearly impossible to discern what lay inside.

For instance, the chunk of flesh that Gu Hongying persistently poked at—like a little bird pecking with its head—was filled with shadowy, indistinct figures lurking within.

Yan Luoyue thought for a moment, then suddenly opened another woven grass pouch at her waist and released Fen Fen.

Fen Fen was clearly not as sharp as Mo Mo. The moment it hopped out and realized the neighboring pouch was empty, it was overjoyed. Without hesitation, it lowered its head and tried to burrow into Mo Mo's pouch, intent on usurping its nest.

Yan Luoyue: "..."

Noticing Fen Fen's antics, Mo Mo twitched slightly but maintained its aloof composure, continuing to burn away diligently.

Left with no choice, Yan Luoyue manually placed Fen Fen near Mo Mo. This time, Fen Fen also seemed to sense something unusual.

The tiny peach-blossom flame, as if injected with adrenaline, began hopping excitedly. Together with Mo Mo, they focused their efforts on the same spot, one on the left and the other on the right.

Hmm...

Now, Yan Luoyue seemed to understand.

Perhaps to avoid damaging whatever lay inside, Fen Fen and Mo Mo burned with extreme caution, their progress painstakingly slow—akin to simmering a delicate broth over a gentle flame.

Yan Luoyue moved the two flames aside and began cutting into the flesh layer by layer with a small knife, observing their reactions as she worked.

At one point, Mo Mo leaped unusually high, as if flapping its fiery little wings in excitement. Yan Luoyue knew then—this must be it.

After extracting the slender stick, no more than two inches long, and separating it from the demon's tainted flesh, Yan Luoyue finally saw its true form.

It was a short, unremarkable-looking twig, yet it inexplicably filled her with a sense of familiarity.

Mo Mo and Fen Fen became wildly excited, fluttering around Yan Luoyue and the slender twig in a frenzy.

But Yan Luoyue found herself staring at it in a daze.

The material of this twig... if she wasn’t mistaken, she had seen one exactly like it before.

Years ago, in the Lu family’s secret chamber, Jiang Tingbai had also extracted such a twig from the flesh of a Yimu demon.

This was no ordinary twig—its true identity was the Wood of the Falling Moon!

......

Due to this shocking discovery, the exchange between the disciples was temporarily suspended.

Wu Manshuang and Senior Brother Kang remained stationed at the second seal, not venturing further, only guarding it to prevent the emergence of another colossal demon of this kind.

Meanwhile, Yan Luoyue piloted her small flying disc, turning it around and heading straight back to the Guiyuan Sect, maintaining contact with Wu Manshuang throughout the journey.

After circling the peaks, the flying disc finally landed at the foot of Radish Peak.

Ji Qinghong, dressed in green robes with his long silver hair tied back, his crimson eyes gleaming with amusement, was directing disciples to replace the old peak monument with a new one.

A quick glance revealed that Radish Peak had now been renamed "Four Pits Peak."

Yan Luoyue: "..."

One radish, one pit. Since Ji Qinghong had four disciples, naturally, there were four pits.

As for Ji Qinghong himself—well, he clearly didn’t count himself among the radishes.

Though Yan Luoyue could follow her master’s naming logic, she had a feeling others might interpret this new peak name quite differently.

Seeing Yan Luoyue return abruptly in the middle of her mission, Ji Qinghong’s smile didn’t waver as he beckoned her over.

"Why are you back?"

Yan Luoyue got straight to the point. "Master, I’ve made an important discovery."

Ji Qinghong’s smile faded slightly, and instead of answering, he asked, "Xiao Wu didn’t come back with you?"

"No, he stayed behind to keep watch—"

Before she could finish, Ji Qinghong nodded. "I see. If even the two of you separated, the matter must indeed be urgent."

Yan Luoyue: "?"

Ji Qinghong took her hand and led her aside, casually setting up a soundproof barrier before saying,

"Alright, tell me now."

Yan Luoyue recounted everything that had happened in detail and handed the Wood of the Falling Moon twig to Ji Qinghong.

...For some reason, as she passed the twig over, a faint reluctance welled up in her heart, as if she didn’t want to let it go.

Fortunately, the hesitation was fleeting and didn’t manifest in her physically refusing to release it.

Ji Qinghong, however, seemed to notice, giving her an extra glance.

After accepting the Wood of the Falling Moon, Ji Qinghong gave Yan Luoyue a few more instructions before turning to leave.

Judging by his direction, he seemed to be heading toward the sect leader’s peak.

With the matter reported, a weight lifted from Yan Luoyue’s chest, and she exhaled slowly.

She strolled over to the newly installed monument.

Earlier, she had been too preoccupied with reporting to Ji Qinghong to examine it closely.

Now, up close, she noticed that at the very bottom of the stone tablet, there were a few simple engraved images:

A sword, a brush, a small turtle, and a little snake.

Yan Luoyue paused, then fell silent for a long moment.

—Truly, Jiang Tingbai, the only human in their entire sect, had it rough.

Master, you can’t just remember Senior Brother Jiang as a swordsman!

At least draw a person next to the sword!

With a sigh, Yan Luoyue unsheathed her dagger, intending to add a stick figure beside the sword to depict someone holding it.

Just as she finished the last stroke, someone descended on a flying sword behind her.

Turning, she saw Jiang Tingbai—the most reliable senior brother in their sect—standing there.

Jiang Tingbai smiled at her, then followed the line of her dagger to the series of images at the base of the monument.

In an instant, his expression became one of speechless dismay.

Yan Luoyue: "...Wait, this was actually Master’s doing!"

The moment she said it, Jiang Tingbai believed her without question.

Thus, his expression shifted from speechless dismay to profound resignation.

"...Never mind. If that’s how Master wants it, so be it."

Jiang Tingbai stepped closer and patted her shoulder.

"Master just sent me a message, telling me to come find you—what’s the matter, Junior Sister? Why did you suddenly return to the peak? Did something happen?"

"Yes."

Yan Luoyue nodded without hesitation and repeated everything she had told Ji Qinghong.

When she finished, she looked up and pressed, "Senior Brother, what does the appearance of the Wood of the Falling Moon signify?"

Back when the Wood of the Falling Moon had been discovered inside the Yimu demon, Jiang Tingbai had recognized it instantly, and his expression had turned grave.

This proved that Senior Brother Jiang was undoubtedly privy to the truth.

Sure enough, after a brief moment of contemplation, Jiang Tingbai began to explain.

He first asked, "Do you know the rules governing the demonic seals?"

Yan Luoyue nodded. "There are three layers of seals in total. The stronger a demonic creature is, the less likely it can break through."

"Correct." Jiang Tingbai sighed. "But this rule no longer applies once the demons assimilate the Moonfall Wood into their bodies."

After absorbing the Moonfall Wood, the demonic energy within these creatures becomes concealed.

The seals, after all, are not intelligent—they only judge whether to block a creature based on the strength of its demonic energy.

To the seals, these demons carrying Moonfall Wood have effectively disguised themselves, making it effortless for them to slip through.

So, if Yan Luoyue and her companions hadn’t stopped that massive Rolling Demon, it could have easily barged through the seals and reached the human realm, just like that Half-Mother Demon hidden in the Lu family’s underground chamber years ago.

At this point, Jiang Tingbai softened his tone, bent slightly, and gave Yan Luoyue’s shoulder a firm, approving pat.

He looked into her eyes, his gaze full of encouragement and recognition. "You all did very well."

Yan Luoyue couldn’t help but smile.

Honestly, just thinking about it now filled her with pride.

After all, that energy blast from the Rolling Demon had shaved off a staggering 950,000 HP from her.

Even someone like her—an anomaly with a million HP—had been left in such a sorry state. What would have happened if that attack had landed on anyone else?

Thankfully, they had intercepted and slain that Rolling Demon in time. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

But beyond that, the information Jiang Tingbai revealed was deeply unsettling.

Yan Luoyue remembered Shen Jingxuan once mentioning that the Moonfall Wood grew in the demon realm.

Didn’t that mean the sealed demons could simply chop down the Moonfall Wood, divide it into segments, and each carry a small piece to bypass the seals in an orderly queue, flooding into the human realm?

The thought was so chilling—perhaps because Yan Luoyue shared the same name as the Moonfall Wood—that just imagining the demons carving up the sacred tree made her shudder, goosebumps rising on her neck.

Hearing her question, Jiang Tingbai patiently shook his head. "It’s not that simple."

The Moonfall Wood was, after all, a divine creation, nearly indestructible.

So far, the only known method to refine it was using the Crow’s Cry Flame.

If the Moonfall Wood could be so easily broken apart like firewood, why would the demons bother carrying whole segments through the seals? Why not just grind it into sawdust and sprinkle a pinch on each of themselves?

Jiang Tingbai’s gaze grew distant as he looked toward the direction of the seals.

"Before the demon realm was sealed, someone once infiltrated deep into demon territory. Before dying, they desperately sent a message—claiming that the Moonfall Wood had intercepted part of the demonic onslaught for us…"

Perhaps due to the messenger’s dying state, the message was vague and abruptly cut off.

In the human realm, no one could fathom how a stationary tree like the Moonfall Wood could have intercepted the demons’ attacks.

Had it woven its branches into nets, forming protective hedges for humans and demons alike?

But as an impartial divine entity, why would the Moonfall Wood show such favoritism toward humans and demons in the first place?

To this day, the cultivation world had no answers.

Jiang Tingbai frowned worriedly and continued, "Now that demons are obtaining fragments of the Moonfall Wood, it may be a sign that the sacred tree is weakening, beginning to wither."

This was a grave and terrifying possibility.

If, over the past three thousand years, the peace enjoyed by humans and demons wasn’t solely due to the seals but also the Moonfall Wood buying them time…

Then once the Moonfall Wood fell, how powerful would the united demonic forces assaulting the seals become?

For some reason, a strange thought crossed Yan Luoyue’s mind.

—Back then, Sister Yu had named her "Luoyue" after the Moonfall Wood, hoping to borrow some of the sacred tree’s longevity as a blessing.

But what if the Moonfall Wood didn’t even outlive her? How ironic would that be?

She quickly shook her head, dispelling the thought.

Recalling the branch she had extracted from the Rolling Demon’s body, Yan Luoyue noted that it was longer than the one she had seen inside the Half-Mother Demon.

Speaking of which…

She asked, "Senior Brother Jiang, the two Moonfall Wood fragments we found—they aren’t isolated cases, are they?"

Jiang Tingbai studied her for a moment before nodding slowly and solemnly.

"Starting about ten years ago, people have occasionally discovered remnants of Moonfall Wood inside the corpses of exceptionally powerful demons."

That was why Jiang Tingbai had recognized the situation immediately upon seeing the Moonfall Wood.

In fact, similar incidents had occurred over a dozen times in recent years.

……

Even if the world were to end tomorrow, people still had to complete their tasks today.

So after reporting this discovery, Yan Luoyue was sent back to the demonic seals—alongside a group of senior disciples from the Sword Peak, Talisman Peak, and other peaks.

Working together, they spent the next two months sweeping through the second and third layers of the seals.

Fortunately, the results were reassuring.

Not only did they encounter no more overpowered Rolling Demons, but none of the demons they purged possessed the ability to absorb and store attacks.

It seemed the Rolling Demon they had faced that day truly was a rare anomaly.

With the three-month teaching exchange concluded and the seals thoroughly cleansed, Yan Luoyue and her companions returned to the Guiyuan Sect to prepare for the upcoming sparring matches.

That’s right—every teaching exchange ended with a friendly competition between the visiting and host disciples.

Perhaps ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‍because talismanic arts lacked the sheer lethality of sword techniques, the Talisman Peak did not disqualify Wu Manshuang from the matches.

This was both an acknowledgment of his strength and a testament to their trust in him.

—They recognized his ability to protect himself and trusted him to exercise restraint during the matches.

It wasn’t until she returned to the Guiyuan Sect that Yan Luoyue realized just how thoroughly the Talisman Peak had prepared.

Compared to the Sword Peak, the Talisman Peak’s financial strategy was downright ingenious. Good heavens—they had even started selling tickets for the matches between Yan Luoyue, Wu Manshuang, and Kang Bashui!

Yan Luoyue: "…"

How did she find out about this?

Naturally, because a Talisman Peak steward came knocking, asking Yan Luoyue and Wu Manshuang each to sign a contract.

They would receive a ten percent cut of the ticket sales.

Yan Luoyue: Well then, I have no objections. May the tickets sell like hotcakes—the more, the better.

Before Fu Peak’s steward left, Yan Luoyue deliberately called out to ask him, "Whose brilliant idea was it to sell tickets for this?"

The steward replied humbly, "We were inspired by the Great Dao Azure Sky Stele. As far as I know, the person who first suggested selling tickets for the Sword Peak’s Sword Stele was your esteemed master..."

Thanks to the geographical advantage of Fu Peak’s disciples, Kang Bashui’s minor fame within the peak, and the 20% discount for Fu Peak members...

Under these combined factors, nearly every Fu Peak disciple had bought a ticket, filling half the spectator seats in an orderly fashion.

Fu Peak’s attitude toward this was remarkably nonchalant.

As for the practice of producing and selling their own tickets, they called it "keeping the fertilizer in their own field."

As Yan Luoyue and Wu Manshuang approached the arena entrance, they overheard a group of disciples chatting and laughing.

"Senior Brother Bashui is competing against the teaching disciples from 'that peak,' huh?"

"Yeah, it’s bound to be a spectacular show."

"Pfft—do those two teaching disciples even know? Our Senior Brother Bashui isn’t an easy opponent!"

Someone seemed to punch the speaker lightly. "No kidding! That rebound talisman he invented? Even immortals would get a headache from it!"

Hearing this, Yan Luoyue and Wu Manshuang exchanged a knowing smile, their expressions carrying a subtlety only they understood.

Yan Luoyue touched the moon-white robe she had recently changed into, thinking to herself: Actually, I’m the harder one to beat.

The chatting disciples passed by without recognizing them as Kang Bashui’s opponents for the match.

Walking further in, Yan Luoyue even ran into Jiang Tingbai.

Overjoyed, she asked, "Senior Brother, are you here to watch our match?"

"Mn." Jiang Tingbai nodded gently. "You two go ahead. I’ll join you shortly."

Wu Manshuang noticed something. "Senior Brother, are you waiting for someone?"

"Ah, yes." Jiang Tingbai smiled candidly. "I was hoping to bump into a familiar face and borrow a spirit stone for the ticket."

Wu Manshuang: "..."

Yan Luoyue: "..."

At this moment, Yan Luoyue was utterly speechless.

Every time she thought Jiang Tingbai’s poverty had reached rock bottom, he somehow managed to dig even deeper.

Covering her eyes weakly, Yan Luoyue groaned, "Senior Brother, forget borrowing. I’ll just buy your ticket."

Jiang Tingbai hesitated. "This... I’m here to watch your match. Wouldn’t it be improper to borrow from you?"

"Senior Brother, don’t stand on ceremony." Yan Luoyue waved her hands dismissively. "You still have dividends from selling storage pouches stored with me. You’re spending your own money!"

Jiang Tingbai chuckled. "Alright, then I’ll trouble you, Junior Sister."

After this brief interlude, Yan Luoyue and Wu Manshuang finally entered the arena hand in hand.

The first to take the stage was Wu Manshuang.

On the platform, Wu Manshuang and Kang Bashui stood at opposite ends. Behind the white blindfold, Wu Manshuang’s face was tense—clearly nervous about the situation.

After three months of daily interaction, Kang Bashui had grown adept at reading his junior brother’s expressions.

Right now, he could tell Wu Manshuang was taking this match very seriously and likely wouldn’t hold back.

After a moment’s thought, Kang Bashui posed a question first.

"Junior Brother Wu, what kind of poison effects are you planning to use for this match?"

Wu Manshuang considered it, then gave a completely unhelpful answer: "I can’t say."

Kang Bashui fired off his most pressing concerns in rapid succession: "Will you use that toxin that turns people green? Does it work on octopuses too? Is there an antidote?"

He was rather fond of his natural dark purplish-red hue.

Wu Manshuang answered honestly, "Not necessarily. Yes. I haven’t researched an antidote—I’ve only used it to dye hair before. The effect should fade on its own after two or three years."

Kang Bashui: "..."

The next second, Kang Bashui raised all eight of his hands in surrender. "I forfeit!"

A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd at this abrupt surrender.

Spectators whispered among themselves, unsure what had just happened.

Behind the blindfold, Wu Manshuang’s eyes widened in surprise.

Kang Bashui grinned sheepishly, flashing his pearly whites.

"Senior Brother just thought about it—turning completely green is bad enough, but if only my head turned green? That’d be even worse."

Wu Manshuang murmured, "If Senior Brother really dislikes it..."

This was just a teaching disciple sparring match. If Kang Bashui objected strongly, he could simply refrain from using it.

Kang Bashui scratched the back of his head. "Ah, I was just teasing you! You actually took it seriously—well, the real reason I forfeit is because I already know I can’t win. Why bother fighting?"

After all, if Wu Manshuang so much as nicked his skin and scattered his blood like celestial blossoms, even a single drop landing on Kang Bashui would seal his defeat.

Yet for this match, Wu Manshuang would have to restrict his deadliest technique.

"Strength and weakness lie in the heart." Kang Bashui laughed heartily. "Senior Brother may have forfeited the match, but I’ve won in grace—see? Your Kang Senior Brother isn’t a sore loser."

......

The second match featured Yan Luoyue.

The moment she appeared, the stands erupted—clearly, her entrance had been highly anticipated.

Within earshot, Yan Luoyue caught snippets of hushed discussions.

"That’s her! That’s her!"

"The one who fought Sword Peak for ten days and nights?"

"Or was it got fought by Sword Peak for ten days and nights?"

"Surviving ten days and nights of that is impressive enough!"

Yan Luoyue: "..."

Glancing toward the elevated seating reserved for peak masters, she noticed more than half the seats were empty.

Evidently, after the last earth-shaking, history-making duel that had gone down in Sword Peak’s annals, the peak masters had wisely found excuses to skip this one.

Only the Fu Peak master and Ji Qinghong remained, seated opposite each other.

The Fu Peak master, a white-haired elder, caught sight of Ji Qinghong’s delighted smile from the corner of his eye.

"..."

In that instant, for some reason, he was abruptly reminded of the new name Ji Qinghong had recently bestowed upon their peak.

The referee announced the match’s commencement.

For the first incense stick’s worth of time, Yan Luoyue and Kang Bashui simply circled each other, shifting positions like a slow-motion taichi exercise.

Yan Luoyue brushed a hand over her moon-white robe.

This was her newly forged armor—crafted just days ago from her own turtle shell and the core of a colossal rolling demon. Though lightweight and elegant, its reflective properties surpassed her previous armor a hundredfold.

With utmost courtesy, Yan Luoyue offered, "Senior Brother Kang, why don’t you hit me first?"

Equally gracious, Kang Bashui declined. "No, no, Junior Sister Yan, you should hit me instead."

Two scheming opponents exchanged a knowing smile—some things were better left unsaid.

As the audience erupted into murmurs, Yan Luoyue cleared her throat to remind Kang Bashui:

"Senior Brother, you should at least make the ticket price worth it."

Kang Bashui scratched the back of his head. "Fine."

With a flourish, all eight of his hands simultaneously drew out talismans, each pinched between his fingers.

Muttering to himself in mild frustration, Kang Bashui said, "For some reason, I feel like making the first move means losing..."

Despite his words, his movements were anything but hesitant as he hurled the talismans forward.

Eight talismans shot toward Yan Luoyue like a storm. At the same time, Kang Bashui spat out a stream of ink, his eight tentacles swiftly painting eight rebound talismans, which he slapped onto himself from all directions.

"Nice!"

A knowledgeable junior from the Talisman Peak immediately cheered from the stands.

Everyone knew this was Kang Bashui’s signature rebound talisman—capable of reflecting an opponent’s attacks, trapping them in a vicious cycle of hitting themselves!

Instead of dodging, Yan Luoyue’s eyes lit up with delight.

She even took two eager steps forward, happily catching the attack with her shoulder.

The audience exchanged bewildered glances at her seemingly amateurish move.

"Junior Sister… doesn’t have much combat experience, does she?"

"Why would she walk right into an attack?"

"Hey, dodge it already!"

Before the words faded, eight razor-sharp wind blades struck Yan Luoyue’s shoulder, chest, and abdomen—only to bounce off harmlessly, instantly reversing direction and charging back at Kang Bashui with renewed ferocity!

The entire arena erupted in shock.

"They rebounded?"

"Wait, is this the legendary ‘provocation counterattack’?!"

The Talisman Peak disciples were even more stunned. "Did Junior Sister also prepare rebound talismans?"

"I heard rebound talismans are incredibly hard to master—they require the natural patterns of tentacles to work. Apart from Senior Brother Kang, no one’s ever succeeded!"

"I get it—it’s her robe! That must be a self-forged artifact, right?"

Kang Bashui remained composed, swiftly intercepting the reflected attacks with his own rebound talismans.

Watching the wind blades ping-pong between them, he sighed.

"Junior Sister Yan, it seems this match has become the ultimate showdown of rebounds."

Yan Luoyue chirped in agreement.

Still replying, she pulled out a stack of offensive talismans and began tearing them like a true talisman cultivator.

Kang Bashui: "..."

Truly, the shoemaker’s child goes barefoot. Who had more endurance in this battle of rebounds? Only they knew.

But…

Kang Bashui grinned. "I won’t concede like Junior Brother Wu did in his match."

The next second, he too whipped out a stack of talismans, flicking them open with the speed and precision of a card dealer, matching Yan Luoyue’s pace effortlessly!

At first, the audience was thrilled, believing they were witnessing a high-stakes, action-packed duel.

But soon, they realized: the action was real—yet the two combatants weren’t actually fighting each other.

They stood like statues, letting the attacks bounce off them, redirecting the damage back and forth!

—What kind of battle was this?!

—No one could say they weren’t trying, or that the fight wasn’t intense. Yet, for some reason, the spectators felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion creeping in.

—Why? Just why? This was supposed to be a clash between talisman and artifact techniques, yet the real losers seemed to be the audience who’d paid for tickets!

Somehow, an echoing chant seemed to reverberate in everyone’s ears, looping endlessly—

"Rebound!"

"Rebound your rebound!"

"Rebound your rebound’s rebound!"

"..."

Compared to the audience’s mixed emotions, the reactions of the peak masters on the high platform were far simpler.

The Peak Master of the Alchemy Peak took a deep breath at the sight before her.

She was instantly reminded of the infamous ten-day battle from three months ago and couldn’t help leaning back slightly—

Someone, please explain: What was this if not a classic reenactment? A recurring nightmare? Or worse—a never-ending nightmare loop?

As the blindingly fast exchange of rebounds continued, Kang Bashui’s talismans finally neared their limit.

The peak masters perked up, eyes gleaming.

Then, in the next moment, Kang Bashui’s tentacles danced, ink splattered, and eight fresh rebound talismans were slapped onto his body.

…Oh.

The peak masters slumped back into their seats.

Watching the minutes drag by, the Alchemy Peak Master leaned toward Peak Master Wei with a whisper.

"Peak Master Wei… does your Talisman Peak, like the Sword Peak, have no time limit for sparring sessions?"

The old man paused subtly before nodding.

What could he do? This wasn’t about rules—it was about pride!

If Ji Qinghong’s disciple had just forced the Sword Peak to amend its rules, and now the Talisman Peak followed suit immediately after welcoming a new disciple, wouldn’t it look like they were admitting inferiority?

Had it been a disciple from the Alchemy Peak or the Sword Peak, it wouldn’t have mattered.

But… this was Ji Qinghong’s disciple!

How could they afford to lose face before Ji Qinghong?!

The Alchemy Peak Master inhaled softly. "Our peak… quietly changed the rules after witnessing that last battle."

Peak Master Wei: "..."

What? Why didn’t you say so earlier?!

Had he known, he’d have done the same!

Doing it alone was embarrassing, but doing it together? That was just sensible policy!

Now, though…

Peak Master Wei cast a mournful glance at the never-ending match below, certain it wouldn’t conclude anytime soon.

Noticing his despair, a Talisman Peak elder quickly offered comfort:

"Don’t worry, Peak Master. Given Zhu Zhu’s talisman-drawing speed, he’ll run out of steam eventually."

Peak Master Wei froze.

"…Who’s Zhu Zhu?"

The elder gaped. "…That’s your own disciple! You didn’t actually think his real name was Kang Bashui all this time, did you?"

Peak Master Wei: "…Now I remember."

After decades of the entire peak calling his beloved disciple "Bashui," Peak Master Wei fell into profound silence.

The match dragged on from dawn till dusk—a full eight hours—before a victor finally emerged.

By then, half the audience had dozed off in their seats.

So, when the announcer declared, "Four Pits Peak—Yan Luoyue wins!", many jolted awake in confusion.

—What pits?

—Four Pits!

—Perfect name! This match was truly a pit!

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Objectively speaking, the match was worth every coin—its sheer duration alone guaranteed that.

In terms of talisman variety, it was undeniably spectacular.

Even by the metric of lethal techniques unleashed, this duel ranked among the top in the sect’s fifty-year tournament history.

For some reason, everyone couldn’t shake the feeling that they’d been tricked…

Ah, this wasn’t how it was supposed to be!

What they had eagerly anticipated was an intense, action-packed match against the disciples of Uncle Ji Qinghong’s faction—two joys combined, so why did it end up so frustrating?

Later, some idle disciples took the time to analyze the match and concluded that it shouldn’t have dragged on for so long.

In fact, given both sides’ deflection abilities, it should have ended just an hour after it began, with Yan Luoyue as the victor.

So why did the match last a full eight hours?

One disciple solemnly explained: The reason was that Kang Bashui had eight arms, allowing him to draw talismans eight times faster than anyone else.

Under the same overwhelming barrage of attacks, a single deflection talisman should have failed the moment it reached its threshold.

But Kang Bashui carried eight deflection talismans on him!

Thus, he could endure eight times the usual limit!

Whether others believed this analysis or not, Kang Bashui’s buddies certainly did.

That very day, as Kang Bashui returned to his courtyard in high spirits, humming a tune with a jug of wine in hand, his so-called friends ambushed him and pounded him into octopus balls.

“We went to watch your match to cheer you on, and you made us fall asleep!”

“No more talking—brothers, beat him up!”

And so, from that day onward, the entire Talisman Peak came to know Yan Luoyue.

Since she had defeated Kang Bashui, she was even more formidable than him.

She had even crushed Kang Bashui in his proudest skill—deflection.

Moreover, "earth overcomes water" was one of the fundamental principles of the Five Elements cycle.

Thus, the disciples of Talisman Peak respectfully dubbed her "Yan Eight-Earth."

Yan Luoyue: "…"

She had every reason to suspect that Talisman Peak was taking revenge on her through wordplay!