The Endless Promise

77. Flames And Shields

.

The sun was high in the sky by now, and iced-watermelon and cold beverage hawkers were using the opportunity well, flitting through the arena to tempt spectators.

Meanwhile, the next duel was between Xu Weiyan and Xu Lian, and as they walked onto the platform, Xu Lin nervously bit at his thumbnail.

"Aiya, we always let Lian Mei have her way, so she's a bit spoiled! But now she wants 2nd Disciple Zhang... She won't try anything serious would she?!" He wondered aloud, and a worried furrow crossed Xu Wen's face.

"A-Lian IS spoiled, but in this case it might not be what you think." Xu Wen said, turning to face the platform. "Sister Weiyan was the reason she began cultivating seriously in the past, and recently, she has been even more focused than ever.

"She likes Zhang Shixiong, but I don't think that's why she's pissed...."

On the platform, Lian smiled at Weiyan.

"Sister Weiyan! Why don't we have a bet?" Her fan appeared, spinning above her hand, and she grasped it, swept it open, then leisurely fanned herself. "The winner gets a certain someone... hmm?"

Weiyan's brows dipped in a mild scowl. "I don't bet. Let's fight." She said, swinging out an arm, and her white sword appeared surrounded with her white aura.

Lian glared at her. "Didn't you bet in the duel with Zhang Cheng?! I've never seen you fight so seriously..."

Weiyan merely raised a brow. "Someone was in danger at the time." She had only agreed to that bet because Zhang Cheng had threatened to challenge Luoyin instead.

"Tch!" Xu Lian instantly lunged forward with her fan, and Weiyan blocked it with her sword. It wasn't a powerful hit, but both remained locked, staring at each other, Xu Lian's face, an annoyed glare, but Weiyan's face calm and focused.

Xu Lian gritted her teeth and lowered her voice so only Weiyan could hear her. "I've always hated your undisturbed expression!" She attempted to attack Weiyan with a hidden talisman, but Weiyan leapt away.

Xu Lian followed swinging her fan, and the two clashed around the platform for a while, Xu Lian punctuating each hit with her words.

"In the past I looked up to you! How could I not? You are the strongest female disciple of our generation, and you made me start focusing on my cultivation!" *Clang!*

"But not once did you take me seriously!" *clang!* "You even deliberately lost to me twice in the past!" *clang!*

"You never acknowledged my growth, always showing that same unbothered look!" *Clang!* "As if I wasn't even the slightest threat! *Clang!* "And after I kept my distance, you never even looked back... Were you letting me know how irrelevant I was?!" *Clang!*

"Since you returned from Caoyang, I've seen you show expressions you never did before... Yet the way you look at me hasn't change, and you're not being serious even now!"

The two broke apart, each landing a short distance away.

"Your expression only falters when I bring up Zhang Luoyin... True. I like him. I don't know why." She sighed. "But more than that, I hoped approaching him would force some sort of rivalry out of you, and I can tell it annoys you, yet you keep up that annoyingly calm facade!"

Her deep blue aura suddenly spiked, sending shockwaves around, and the platform mildly rumbled.

"Profound Tier Five, stage eight!" Xu Lin's eyes were twice their size. They didn't hear the exchange, but Xu Lian's level was impressive!

It wasn't as monumental a climb as Xu Min's or Xu Haoyuan's, but she was at least four years younger than them, and had now surpassed her twin, Xu Wen, who was at Profound Tier Five, stage six.