Chapter 1693: Sisters

Chu Chuyan had been cultivating in seclusion in her separate residence, awaiting the fated battle with Qiu Honglei.

Today, hearing a commotion from the direction of Golden Summit, she wondered what was happening. Soon, eager disciples rushed to inform her that Elder Peng of Kongming Island was actually an imposter, Elder Peng from the Demonic Sect.

Chu Chuyan was exceptionally beautiful, and her frosty, ethereal demeanor made her very popular within the Daoist sects. Therefore, several groups of disciples went to her, seizing the opportunity to strike up a conversation.

Upon learning the full story, she was astonished. She had never imagined that Qiu Honglei had already arrived and had even triumphed through the previous Daoist Grand Competition.

Recalling the situation on Golden Summit, she could no longer remain in seclusion. She hurried over, arriving just in time to hear the recent exchange, and promptly volunteered to fight.

Seeing her arrive, Qiu Honglei's eyebrows rose, and a competitive spirit immediately flared within her. She stepped forward, about to accept the challenge.

At that moment, Yun Jianyue subtly blocked her path, then addressed Chu Chuyan, "These past few days, Honglei has been advancing triumphantly, defeating masters from various Daoist sects. If not for today's incident, she likely would have won the championship. If you wish to compete, first defeat your fellow Daoist disciples and claim the top spot."

Although she didn't get along with the 'Ice Stone Woman' (Yan Xuehen), Yun Jianyue was well aware of Yan Xuehen's capabilities. Her carefully nurtured disciple's cultivation would certainly not be weak. Moreover, Chu Chuyan herself was exceptionally talented; her cultivation was likely on par with Honglei's. If they truly fought, either could win or lose.

She wasn't willing to gamble on such a fifty-fifty chance, especially since Honglei had been burdened by mundane affairs recently. Additionally, her techniques from the previous rounds had already been exposed. Chu Chuyan, meanwhile, had been in seclusion, preparing for this battle. Given these differing circumstances, if any mishap occurred, both master and disciple would be in serious trouble.

Chu Chuyan frowned slightly, unsure how to respond for a moment.

Then Guan Chouhai spoke, "Niece Chu, we appreciate your goodwill. However, expelling demons and defending justice should be handled by our generation. You may simply observe from the side."

He and Yun Jianyue were in agreement on this matter. He had witnessed Qiu Honglei defeat the chief disciples of various sects, including Wu Xiaofan, previously recognized as the top young talent in the Daoist sects. Although Chu Chuyan's cultivation was good, she hadn't previously demonstrated a level higher than Wu Xiaofan's. If they truly fought, she would likely lose more than she won, so they naturally couldn't take this risk.

At this point, Yan Xuehen spoke, "Demoness, the battle between Chuyan and your disciple was already agreed upon by the Daoist and Demonic sects. Are you procrastinating because you're afraid?"

Hearing his dream lover speak thus, Guan Chouhai immediately became conflicted. If he continued to insist, wouldn't he displease her?

Yun Jianyue's phoenix eyes narrowed, "Ice Stone Woman, how could this venerable one be afraid?"

Although she knew it was a provocation, she couldn't help but feel a little angry.

Then Grandmaster Jianhuang said, "This old monk actually thinks this is quite good. It was originally an agreed-upon match, and a victory or defeat between the younger generation won't harm harmony."

He secretly sent a qi message, telling Guan Chouhai not to create further complications.

Guan Chouhai understood this logic, but having just been publicly mocked by Yun Jianyue, he found it hard to swallow his pride.

Li Changsheng then said, "This humble Daoist also agrees to this match. Niece Chu's cultivation is not weak; I believe she is no weaker than the demonic enchantress."

After all, he was also from White Jade Capital. Since he spoke thus, others quickly chimed in with their agreement.

The younger disciples, in particular, looked excited and eager. If it were a fight among the older generation, the level would be too high for them to discern anything. However, with younger generation disciples, even if their cultivation was higher, it was still within a discernible range. Witnessing such young masters fight would greatly benefit their cultivation.

Moreover, putting everything else aside, a fight between a popular star like Chu Chuyan and an enchanting demoness like Qiu Honglei would be a visual feast just to watch.

Wan Tongtian, however, snorted coldly, "I don't care who fights whom. All I care about is the safety of our Biliu Palace disciple. Demoness, if you hand over Niece Pei, I can refrain from making trouble for you today."

Pei Mianman was Junior Sister Huoling's precious disciple and also represented the future of Biliu Palace; nothing could happen to her.

Yun Jianyue chuckled, "Don't worry, someone who cares about her more than you do will rescue her. You don't need to trouble yourself."

Everyone thought she was referring to Master Huoling, but only a few insiders knew she meant Zu An.

As Yun Jianyue was about to say more, Qiu Honglei spoke up, "Master, let me fight. This is a fated battle for me, and I won't disappoint you."

Seeing the determination in her eyes, Yun Jianyue understood what she was striving for. After a moment of hesitation, she finally did not refuse her. "Alright, your master believes you will win back what you desire!"

Qiu Honglei's face flushed. Her master was truly outspoken; what would Chu Chuyan think upon hearing that?

Across from them, Yan Xuehen's expression was strange. These young women seemed to have more courage when it came to love... it was truly enviable.

In contrast, Chu Chuyan remained calm. She slowly walked into the arena. "Sister Qiu, please!"

Qiu Honglei gave a charming smile. "Miss Chu, you might not be older than me. Perhaps you should call me 'elder sister'."

"We'll know after a fight," Chu Chuyan replied, her face like frost, as she slowly raised the longsword in her hand.

The onlookers were bewildered. What was wrong with these two women? In such an important match, why were they arguing over who was older or younger?

Xie Daoyun, however, had a vague understanding. She couldn't help but glance at Zu An beside her. Seeing his grave expression, she thought, 'Brother Zu must be very troubled right now. After all, one is his former wife, and the other is a close confidante. Just thinking about it gives me a headache for him.'

At that moment, with a phoenix-like cry, Qiu Honglei's twin blades were unsheathed. The two stood facing each other, and a great battle was about to erupt.

There was no arena this time, nor had anyone set up restrictions. So, disciples from each sect led their members to retreat far back, avoiding being caught in the crossfire.

Qiu Honglei said with a smile, "After all, this is your Daoist territory, and I am merely a guest. How about I make the first move?"

Many secretly cursed the demonic enchantress for her shamelessness, trying to gain an advantage through words. At the same time, they understood, as this battle was truly significant. They worried that Chu Chuyan, valuing her reputation, might be taken advantage of. Fortunately, Chu Chuyan spoke up, "The guest follows the host's convenience. Demonic fiends are to be slain by all. Excuse me!"

As soon as her words fell, she lightly stepped forward. Her graceful figure already appeared before Qiu Honglei, snowflakes swirling around her. The temperature on Golden Summit seemed to drop by several degrees. The longsword in her hand seemed to transform into an icicle, directly thrusting towards Qiu Honglei's glabella.

"A hypocritical woman," Qiu Honglei sneered. With a twist of her waist, her entire body seemed to transform into a crescent arc of light, evading the opponent's fatal blow. At the same time, the two short blades in her hands emitted a chilling moonlight, drawing two strange arcs: one aimed directly at the opponent's throat, the other at her lower back.

The disciples watching the battle gasped. In the previous Daoist Grand Competition, although the fights were intense, everyone aimed to stop before causing serious harm, and their moves were generally quite courteous. It was rare to see such a dangerous situation right from the start. Crucially, the two combatants were delicate, stunning beauties. As they moved and dodged, they appeared like celestial maidens descending to the mortal world or goddesses manifesting, so beautiful that people couldn't take their eyes off them, even overlooking the hidden killing intent behind each move.

Seeing the two exchange blows, each move a life-threatening strike aimed at the other's vital points, Xie Daoyun's eyes widened. She wondered, 'Are the struggles between the women around Brother Zu truly this terrifying?'

For some reason, she suddenly felt a chill throughout her body. She instinctively hugged her arms, her brows etched with worry and bewilderment.