Chapter 1692: Destined Duel

Noticing that masters from various sects had subtly surrounded her and her apprentice, Yun Jianyue showed no fear. "Very well. Since you self-proclaimed righteous sects disregard the rules, if anything happens to my apprentice, don't blame me if I bring disaster upon your families."

"Whether it's your wives, children, or elderly parents, or your beloved disciples within your sects, if even one of them escapes, you can write my name Yun Jianyue backward!"

As the Demonic Sect Master, her words carried a terrifying aura of power, causing the faces of those around her to change dramatically.

People knew her by reputation; they knew Yun Jianyue was a person of her word.

If they failed to kill Yun Jianyue today and she managed to escape, chaos would certainly plague all sects afterward.

Who could stop a Grandmaster from secretly attacking those close to you? Moreover, as the Demonic Sect Master, the power she could wield was beyond imagination.

The only solution was to eliminate her on this Golden Summit today. With the Demonic Sect leaderless, its various factions would likely fall into disarray, fighting for the leadership position, and have no time to seek revenge for her.

But killing Yun Jianyue was easier said than done.

However, if they allowed her to leave simply because of a few threats, with so many Daoist masters gathered here, how could they maintain their dignity? How could they establish themselves in the martial world thereafter?

Just as they were in a difficult predicament, Master Jianhuang said, "Amitabha. Conflicts in the martial world should have limits and should not involve families. Why must you all escalate things to such a state?"

As a Buddhist and being highly respected, he was qualified to mediate between the two sides at this moment.

Yun Jianyue sneered, "You old monk who eats vegetarian food and chants sutras, what do you have to fear, having no family? Don't tell me that little fat novice monk over there is your illegitimate son."

The young monk Jiese instantly looked resentful. A young monk is just a young monk, why add 'fat'? It's not like I ate your rice.

"Amitabha. Wuyou Temple has always had strict monastic rules. How many people do you think would believe such nonsense from Sect Master Yun?" Master Jianhuang remained calm, clearly not taking her words seriously.

"I can't be bothered gossiping with you here. You won't fight, and you won't let us go. What exactly do you intend to do?" Yun Jianyue swept her sleeve, her sharp gaze circling the crowd. Everyone's eyes darted away; not a single person dared to meet her gaze.

Zu An secretly admired her. He was accustomed to her amiable side and rarely saw her as the Demonic Sect Master.

Now, despite being at an absolute disadvantage, she had unexpectedly seized complete control. Such presence truly commanded respect.

However, it was truly difficult to connect the softly pleading woman from last night with the domineering figure before him.

At this point, Master Jianhuang spoke, "According to this old monk, why not make a gentleman's agreement? Each side sends one person to compete in a match. If the Daoist sects win, Sect Master Yun and her apprentice will remain as guests on Purple Mountain to cultivate themselves. If the Daoist sects lose, Sect Master Yun will be allowed to leave. That seems fair. What do you all think?"

Yun Jianyue laughed heartily, "Very well. Which of you will fight me? If I lose, you can kill me or dismember me as you please!"

The expressions of those around her changed. This woman, Yun, was far too confident. Although she was powerful, there were several individuals on the Golden Summit who were her equals. Was she really so sure she wouldn't lose?

Especially Wang Wuxie, who had been the top Daoist master for so many years. Theoretically, he should be slightly superior to her.

Only Yan Xuehen knew. Having experienced so many miraculous things with Zu An in the demon race's secret realm, and even sensed the aura of a true immortal, her strength had long since broken through. If these people judged her with their old perceptions, they would likely suffer a great loss.

At this moment, Guan Chouhai exclaimed, "No! We have the absolute advantage now. We finally managed to surround this demonic woman. A one-on-one fight would be too easy for her."

At the same time, he secretly grumbled about Master Jianhuang, thinking, 'Has this monk gone senile? Wang Wuxie was clearly injured and also under the control of witchcraft. His current strength was definitely not at its peak. How could he possibly guarantee a victory against her?'

Master Jianhuang frowned slightly upon hearing this. This Guan Chouhai was also muddled. With a major event imminent, having a volatile element like Yun Jianyue on the mountain was disadvantageous. It would be better to find an excuse to send her away. Did he really intend to suffer losses and force Yun Jianyue to stay here?

Yun Jianyue sneered at Guan Chouhai, "Guan, why don't we have a match first? This one's on the house; even if I win, it won't count."

Guan Chouhai's expression changed. "Demoness, do you think I'm afraid of you!"

Yet, inwardly, he felt a flicker of doubt and apprehension. Why did he feel, from the very beginning, that she seemed to have absolute certainty of victory? And it clearly wasn't a bluff.

At this moment, Li Changsheng stepped forward to smooth things over. "Brother Guan, there's no need to be impulsive. In my opinion, how about making it a best-of-three series? That way, our Daoist sects' advantage won't be wasted."

Yun Jianyue retorted angrily, "There are only two of us, master and apprentice. Where am I supposed to find a third person?"

Zu An was indeed a suitable candidate, and his match would certainly be fine. However, he didn't want to put her in a difficult position.

At this point, Elder Peng from Kongming Island sneered, "You can perfectly well fight two matches yourself, with your apprentice buying you time in between. You should have enough time to recover. Of course, since you're so confident, you could even fight all three matches yourself."

"Your mind is indeed as malicious as your appearance." Yun Jianyue glared coldly at him.

Though confident, she wasn't arrogant. Her cultivation had indeed advanced significantly recently, but the Daoist sects had numerous talented individuals. Fighting three matches by herself would still be too difficult.

Elder Peng was almost driven mad with anger. Just as he was about to retort, Yun Jianyue didn't even bother to look at him.

"Either we have a single decisive match, or we fight to the death. Wang Wuxie, as the top Daoist master, why haven't you spoken up all this time? Are you perhaps afraid to fight me?" Yun Jianyue directly challenged Wang Wuxie.

Yan Xuehen gave Wang Wuxie a strange look. He had indeed been too quiet today. Under these circumstances, he should have expressed his stance much earlier.

The entire Golden Summit immediately buzzed with commotion. Many people even felt a surge of admiration for Yun Jianyue. Though a woman, her heroic spirit was no less than any man's.

Wang Wuxie, as the acknowledged top master of the Daoist sects, she had openly challenged him. Clearly, there was no pretense involved.

Just then, Wang Wuxie spoke, "The Emperor will soon arrive at Purple Mountain for the Heaven Worship Ceremony. At that time, I will need to assist His Majesty. It's inconvenient for me to act now. I hope Sect Master Yun understands."

Everyone on the Golden Summit was stunned. They had never expected Wang Wuxie to evade the fight.

However, his reason was reasonable. No one really doubted him. Instead, they began to wonder what important matter required the Emperor and Wang Wuxie to cooperate on.

Just then, a clear, cold voice rang out, "It so happens that Miss Qiu and I have an agreed-upon decisive battle. Why don't we two have a match to decide her fate?"

Her long hair flowed, and she wore an ice-blue long dress. She seemed like a snow maiden emerged from a great snowy mountain.

Lou Wucheng and Zhiyin became excited, "Fairy Chu!"

Zu An's heart rate also quickened a few beats. Who else could the newcomer be but Chu Chuyan?

He had previously heard Yun Jianyue's plan that their agreed battle was just a ruse. He had thought the fight between the two women could be avoided. He never expected that a decisive battle would ultimately still arise, as if it were a destined arrangement.