Zanxing

Chapter 28 - The Original Author's Malice (2)

The beauty stood in the wind, peachy cheeks and almond-shaped face, her clothes fluttering as she held a glowing blue whip, as beautiful as a painting.

In comparison, the gray-robed woman holding a staff on the opposite side looked somewhat plain and coarse. Watching from the side of the stage, Zi Luo remembered Zanxing and worriedly said, "That snakebone whip could be dangerous for Junior Sister Yang."

The younger disciple next to her asked, "What's the danger of the snakebone whip?"

Zi Luo shook her head. "The Taiyan Sect doesn't restrict disciples in their choice of cultivation techniques as long as they're not evil arts. The snakebone whip technique is well-suited for women, as the whip is light and flexible. But underestimating it would be a grave mistake."

"Also, if I recall correctly, Junior Sister Yang is only at the first stage of Foundation Establishment."

Meanwhile, Duan Xiangrao had already reached the middle stage when she joined.

On the stage, Duan Xiangrao had already lashed out at Zanxing with her whip. The seemingly slender whip whipped through the air with a powerful gust. Zanxing dodged, and the whip hit the ground, cracking it open.

The crowd gasped.

"Why are you dodging?" Duan Xiangrao laughed. "Didn't you say you were going to earn your spot as an inner disciple through your own skill?"

Zanxing stopped in her tracks, turned around, and readied her staff. "You talk too much."

Her staff was made of iron, yet she wielded it effortlessly. She aimed a sweep at Duan Xiangrao's legs, who leaped to avoid it, only to find the staff coming up behind her in a feint. Duan Xiangrao dodged again and cracked her whip in retaliation, only for it to get entangled with Zanxing's staff. Duan Xiangrao didn't seem flustered, merely smiled, and yanked back hard, causing the whip to wrap tighter. Zanxing's pupils shrank as she sensed danger and quickly sidestepped, pulling her staff back and retreating a few steps.

In just a few moments, the two had already exchanged several blows. Their fight, unlike the brutish clashes between men, was elegant and graceful, almost like a dance, which only made the audience more excited.

"Good! That was amazing!"

"Duan Xiangrao looks so beautiful with her whip! Hit her again!"

"Your staff work is better than I expected," Duan Xiangrao glanced at Zanxing. "But it's a pity your staff is so inferior."

"Your whip is good too," Zanxing replied. "But your technique doesn't do it justice."

Duan Xiangrao's eyebrows furrowed. "Are you mocking me?"

Zanxing replied calmly, "Yes."

The weapons distributed to new disciples of the Taiyan Sect were standard beginner-level equipment. However, Duan Xiangrao's whip was different. Zanxing knew she had sought out Wang Shao because she was short on spirit stones, and it was obvious that the beautiful whip in her hand was a gift from Hua Yue meant to win her favor.

This match was clearly unfair. The snakebone whip in Duan Xiangrao's hand boosted her strength by at least a full level.

"You think you can mock me?" Duan Xiangrao's smile vanished, her eyes turning cold. "This match is over."

Her whip suddenly lengthened, snaking towards Zanxing like a living serpent. Zanxing channeled her energy and swung her staff against the oncoming whip.

In her mind, she faintly heard the clear voice of the woman in white: "Step forward with confidence, thrust forward three times, strike the body and turn, brace with a bow, transition with balance, push forward with the staff."

It might have been her imagination, but Zanxing could suddenly sense every movement in her body with precise clarity, more so than she ever had during training. She blocked the whip aimed at her face with her staff, stepped forward smoothly, and counterattacked with a thrust towards Duan Xiangrao's chest.

Watching from afar, Xuan Ling clenched his fists excitedly. "Her staff technique is impressive. She might actually win."

Master Yueguang remained silent, eyes lowered.

Suddenly, Xuan Lingz gasped. "What?"

The staff aimed at Duan Xiangrao had stopped.

Duan Xiangrao looked at Zanxing with a mocking gaze. "I told you, you're not capable."

From the tip of Zan Xing's staff, the whip had twisted itself tightly. The glowing blue whip coiled like a snake, wrapping around the staff and tightening with incredible force. Sensing the dire situation, Zanxing tried to pull her staff back, but the whip was as stubborn as a python. When she applied more force, a sharp crack echoed—the whip had snapped in half. As the broken whip and staff hurtled towards Zanxing's face, the whip's tail suddenly transformed into a dark snake's head, baring its fangs as it lunged at her chest.

With a heavy thud, Zanxing fell, her staff broken in two.

"Zanxing!" Tian Fangfang shouted anxiously.

Zan Xing coughed up a mouthful of blood, feeling as though her entire body had been crushed. The pain was so intense, tears welled up in her eyes.

Duan Xiangrao raised her hand, and the broken whip flew back into her grasp, reforming into a single piece. After all, snakebones were naturally flexible.

"How about now?" Duan Xiangrao stood over Zanxing with a condescending smile. "Do you finally admit defeat?"

The gray-robed woman lying on the stage wiped the blood from her lips and calmly said, "No, I don't."

The crowd fell silent.

Zanxing slowly forced herself up, standing shakily but resolutely as she met Duan Xiangrao's gaze.

Duan Xiangrao was nothing more than a tool character. Her emotions, her hostility—they all seemed so pointless, so unreal. What Zanxing refused to accept was the way the original story erased her existence.

Being trapped in the world of the novel was never her choice. She simply didn't want to be a pawn, a disposable character destined to serve the strong. She wanted to change her fate, but whenever the story noticed her attempts, it would retaliate with unfair challenges like this one.

The uneven cultivation levels. The biased match.

The gray-robed woman repeated slowly, "I don't accept it."

Duan Xiangrao's face twisted in anger. "You refuse? Then I'll beat you until you do!" She lashed out again, striking Zanxing hard. A bloody mark appeared instantly, the pain cold and bone-deep. Yet Zanxing seemed unfazed as she crouched down to grab the broken staff.

"Why is she picking up the staff?" a disciple in the crowd wondered aloud. "She should just give up."

"It's just a futile struggle," Duan Xiangrao sneered and struck again, this time using her full strength. Even if Zanxing survived, she would be severely injured.

"Junior Sister!" Tian Fangfang cried out. "Just surrender!"

But Zanxing didn't seem to hear him. She stood, her back turned to her opponent.

The whip was about to strike her once more. The stage felt vast and empty, and Zanxing's small figure seemed like it would vanish into thin air with that final blow.

Then, suddenly, the gray-robed woman turned around and swung her staff.

The swing appeared weak and feeble, like an ant trying to shake a tree. It was almost laughable.

But the whip didn't move forward.

Under everyone's gaze, the tip of the staff bloomed into a flower.