Volume 3 - Chapter 402: Then I Shall Pluck It for You (Part 3)
A frigid sword light surged forward, stopping just shy of Jiang Yingtong’s throat as she reeled in pain.
Clutching the bloody divine eye at her forehead, Jiang Yingtong glared hatefully at Su Wanqing. “Undo it! Now!”
Su Wanqing gave her a calm glance, then raised her hand. A crimson light laced with a metallic stench withdrew from Jiang Yingtong’s forehead and returned into Su Wanqing’s body.
“You lost,” she said softly.
Jiang Yingtong's face twisted in fury. She shot Su Wanqing one last glare, then vanished from the stage with a flash of teleportation.
“Well done, Sister Wanqing!”
Su Qiyu and the others cheered with bright smiles.
Su Wanxue let out a sigh of relief. “Sister Wanqing’s Netherblood Constitution has grown stronger again!”
Su Muqing’s expression remained indifferent, but her gaze suddenly shifted toward Li Hao. Seeing him watching Su Wanqing with a thoughtful look, her lips curled into a cold sneer, a trace of barely restrained fury flashing in her eyes.
“Regretful now, are you? Father gave you the chance to choose back then, yet you just had to obsessively cling to me. Sister Wanqing was already the greatest blessing you could ask for in a hundred lifetimes. And you rejected her? Ridiculous.”
Su Wanxue blinked, suddenly remembering that day in the grand hall when their father had summoned them and allowed the boy to choose.
Had he not stubbornly insisted on the True Phoenix, and simply chosen either her or Su Wanqing, their father might have approved on the spot.
Thinking of this, Su Wanxue felt a chill. Somehow, Li Hao’s infatuated gaze toward Su Muqing didn’t seem so annoying anymore. In fact, it was… oddly endearing.
Li Hao withdrew his gaze and glanced at Su Muqing, saying nothing.
The blood-tinged aura Su Wanqing had released just now stirred a sense of familiarity in him—something akin to ancient fiendish blood.
But clearly, she couldn’t be a disguised Ancient Fiend. If the Su Clan couldn't detect one hiding in plain sight, they wouldn’t have survived in the Northern Domain for a hundred thousand years.
“Could she be half-human, half-fiend?” the thought flashed through Li Hao’s mind.
At that moment, the battle stage fell into silence. Many cheered for Su Wanqing, but no one dared step forward.
Even Jiang Yingtong had lost. Few among them could match Su Wanqing now.
Those who went up would merely be adding to her tally. Yet though Su Wanqing seemed gentle and lovely, her Netherblood Constitution made her attacks terrifying. A single strike could leave wounds beyond healing.
After a long lull, a few more hopefuls ascended one by one, but all fell to a single sword strike from Su Wanqing.
Just as the crowd was growing quiet again, someone stirred in the Lin Clan's area—Lin Jinrou rose to her feet.
She too was at the fifth stage of the Immortal Lord Realm. If she let Su Wanqing achieve an undefeated record, there would be no Immortal Aura Purple Osmanthus left for her.
“Looks like it comes down to the two of us,” she said with a smile as she stepped onto the stage.
Su Wanqing had anticipated this. After all, everyone was here for the same reason—to vie for the blossom.
“It’s been a while. Our last spar was at the Northern Domain Summit,” Su Wanqing said, her voice soft and sweet.
Lin Jinrou nodded with a laugh. “Yes, about a hundred years ago. We never settled that one. Let’s see how it goes this time.”
The two exchanged a glance and said no more.
As the barrier sealed around them, both unleashed their sword intent. Their full strength erupted—each wielding the complete Nine-Sequence Nine-Flower Immortal Seal. In moments, the platform was engulfed in a storm of Immortal energy, sword auras crisscrossing in a deadly dance.
As top human prodigies of the Northern Domain, both were qualified to be disciples under an Immortal Emperor. Within their realm, they were nearly unmatched.
Unfortunately, in this era, three or four such "unmatched" geniuses had appeared. To be truly unrivaled, one had to defeat all others.
As the battle grew fiercer, the audience below stopped talking entirely. Everyone held their breath, eyes locked on the stage.
Boom!
Suddenly, a wave of crimson Immortal force burst forth—Su Wanqing had activated her Netherblood Physique, using her true power.
Lin Jinrou’s body was surrounded by multicolored radiance, transforming into countless silk-like threads that danced around her like a celestial maiden. They blocked the crimson force at its edges.
Their clash intensified. The barrier array trembled violently, as if on the verge of shattering.
Far above, King Tan Immortal watched with a solemn gaze, though his eyes gleamed with joy. Geniuses like these were the fortune of the Northern Domain’s human race.
Boom!
A sudden explosion of rainbow light burst across the platform, dispersing the blood aura. Lin Jinrou’s figure blurred like a phantom, her sword pressing against Su Wanqing’s brow.
Su Wanqing’s expression stiffened. After a moment, she slowly stopped channeling Immortal energy and murmured bitterly, “I’ve lost.”
“Apologies. Just recently, I merged my Profound Veins into a Dao Vein. I’ve stepped into a new tier,” Lin Jinrou said softly, smiling as she withdrew her sword.
This “Profound Vein” was not something typical Immortal Lords cultivated—it came from a rare physique that followed a unique path of growth.
Su Wanqing offered a faint, bitter smile. “Then I congratulate you.”
She sheathed her sword and descended from the platform.
Had she chosen to fight to the end, she might not have lost—but that would’ve meant unleashing the forbidden core of her Netherblood Physique. Once used, it couldn’t be undone.
It wasn’t worth sacrificing such power over a single blossom.
But still… the Immortal Aura Purple Osmanthus would now forever be out of her reach.
She returned to her seat beside Li Hao, gazing up at the highest branch behind the Sword Pool, where that violet bloom swayed gently. Her eyes were filled with regret.
Li Hao noticed the look on her face—the sorrow of losing something dearly cherished. His eyes softened. He leaned closer and asked quietly:
“You really like that blossom?”
Su Wanqing gazed toward the cascading waterfall flowing in front of the blossom and said, “Of course I do. What woman wouldn’t?”
Li Hao looked at her for a long moment, then murmured:
“If you truly like it… then I’ll pluck it for you.”
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