Chapter 99

The quarterfinals of the Luoxian Tournament officially began, and the scene erupted in thunderous excitement.

Chi Xiao stood tall as always, clad in her blazing crimson battle armor that shimmered like molten lava. Her long red hair danced wildly in the wind, her presence radiating overwhelming confidence and martial spirit. In stark contrast, Shen Xian’er looked cheerful and innocent, more like she was attending a banquet than stepping into battle.

As the match was declared open, Shen Xian’er raised her hand.

“Big sister Talon, let’s play a game!” she chirped brightly.

For Shen Xian’er, getting into character was essential. Without that immersion, she couldn’t fully unleash her potential. Perhaps this was the unique quirk of a true prodigy.

Chi Xiao, who adored her, smiled and nodded. “Alright. What do you want to play?”

“I’ll be the knight, you’ll be the evil dragon, and the princess is locked away. Whoever wins gets to keep the princess!”

Despite the absurdity, Chi Xiao indulged her. “Okay, you’re on.”

Her acceptance drew laughter from the audience. No one had ever seen a battle begin with such an adorable premise.

With a sharp nod, Shen Xian’er jumped into action. A suit of candy-colored armor shimmered into existence on her body, looking sweet and bizarrely appetizing. She then summoned a massive lollipop-shaped warhammer—appropriately dubbed “Candy Hammer.”

“Let the princess go, foul dragon!” she shouted with playful seriousness.

Her act caused another wave of laughter to roll through the crowd. Only Shen Xian’er could turn a battlefield into a fairy tale playground.

But the moment she charged forward, everything changed.

Shen Xian’er lifted her Candy Hammer and swung it with all her might.

Chi Xiao raised her shield, but—

Boom!

With a deafening thud, Chi Xiao was launched over a hundred meters into the air and crashed against the arena's barrier, her landing sending shockwaves rippling across the ground.

The entire arena went dead silent.

People stared at the petite girl holding her oversized candy hammer as if they’d seen a ghost. The girl who just moments ago was everyone’s favorite little angel had suddenly revealed a terrifying side. One swing, and she nearly made Chi Xiao spit out her breakfast from three days ago.

This… this was "cute but deadly" in its purest form.

Even the elders on the high platform were stunned—especially Hongniang, who had always doted on Shen Xian’er but never imagined she possessed such raw, explosive power.

Chi Xiao coughed up a bit of blood and steadied herself. Her arm throbbed, and her organs felt like they had been scrambled. If not for her shield absorbing most of the impact, that one blow might have ended the match right then and there.

“The princess is mine, evil dragon!” Shen Xian’er called out, still completely immersed in her role.

Chi Xiao wiped the blood from her lips and narrowed her eyes, now taking Shen Xian’er completely seriously.

“So be it. Let’s see what you’re truly capable of.”

She discarded her shield and drew her flaming spear. With a flicker of movement, she darted toward Shen Xian’er like a fiery comet.

The two clashed once more.

Their weapons collided with a series of intense clangs—sparks flew, wind howled, and neither side backed down.

What shocked everyone wasn’t Chi Xiao’s dominance—she was always known as Luoxian Sect’s fiercest female warrior. It was Shen Xian’er’s resilience and strength that stunned the crowd. She matched Chi Xiao blow for blow, never faltering.

She had a rhythm: charge in, land a flurry of strikes, then retreat to heal herself with glowing green energy. Then, rejuvenated, she’d rush back in. It was a brutal cycle—an unrelenting combination of healing and brawling.

On the high platform, the elders observed the battle with furrowed brows.

“That… is a domain, isn't it?” Yunyangzi muttered, confused and amused.

Shen Xian’er’s field was strange—a domain filled with floating food and sweets. Bizarre, but undeniably effective.

“The more unusual a domain, the harder it is to predict. I think it’s quite clever,” Yun Ding offered.

But Yun Qianren, a battle-hardened elder, frowned. “Her fighting style is too inconsistent. Last match, she looked clueless and fearful. Now she fights like a seasoned warrior. It makes no sense.”

“Geniuses don’t have to make sense,” Lei Xing said flatly. “If we could all understand them, we’d already be standing at the peak.”

Indeed, true prodigies always walked a path others couldn’t comprehend.

Down below, Shen Xian’er and Chi Xiao were locked in ferocious melee. Their weapons sang through the air—one a spinning candy hammer, the other a blazing spear.

And while Chi Xiao held back at first, unwilling to harm her junior sister, she now fought in earnest. Even so, Shen Xian’er’s wild, unorthodox style kept her off-balance.

Every time Shen Xian’er got hurt, she healed herself and came back harder. Her sheer relentlessness made even veteran cultivators flinch.

From the audience:

“Don’t stop!”
“Harder!”
“Go on, more of that!”
“Keep going! Don’t stop, please!”

The absurdity of the chants made even the serious spectators chuckle. Shen Xian’er had turned the battlefield into both a warzone and a circus act.

After more than two hundred exchanges, Chi Xiao finally leapt back, putting distance between them.

“Xian’er… I won’t hold back anymore,” she warned.

Across from her, Shen Xian’er stood proud, green light dancing over her armor, twirling her candy hammer with unwavering resolve.

“Too late! The princess is mine, evil dragon!”

And with another battle cry, she lunged forward once more.