Mystique Soul: A Cultivator's Flame
Chapter 49

Chapter 49: Chapter 49

The sun hung high, casting a brilliant golden hue over the arena as the crowd roared in anticipation of the next match. The atmosphere was charged, the excitement palpable. Feng Jiao Xue stood near the center of the stage, her dark robes flowing gently in the breeze. She had faced numerous adversaries already, each one underestimating her abilities, and she had made it her goal to shatter their perceptions one by one. But today, the stakes were different.

"Is this a joke?" Feng haotian frowned glaring at his fourth brother. "What are you playing at Haoyang?" He asked since Feng Haoyang was the one to request this duel.

"No. Terminate the match, immediately!" Feng Haoran ordered to the announcer. "Jiao Xue will not be entering this match."

"You can’t, once the battle starts the only way out of the duel is through defeat." Feng Haoyang smirked. This is why he didn’t tell them the real reason behind the match. Simply telling them he wanted to see how strong the younger member are now and is looking for a possible disciple.

The rules was put in place so that no contestants will be coerced to drop out by anyone and porpusely losing a match, infront of veteran cultivators and magicians would be hard to do, and such victories would never count. Hard, but not impossible yet it serves as enough detriment for most.

"Feng... Jiao... Xue? I think there’s something wrong with my hearing"

"Your a cultivator, your senses is better than most idiot"

"Is there another miss from the Feng Clan with the name Feng Jiao Xue?"

"They can’t be talking about that trash... right?"

"The burned face is distinctive enough..."

"THAT’s Feng Jiao Xue?"

"The daughter of the empire’s number 1 genius and number 1 beauty... how could they give birth to That"

"Maybe this is why the clan held another Clan Clash. To have a reason to throw that trash away"

"I wish, such a shame souldn’t be in the same clan as us!"

Huang Jin De held Mo Tianze back as they sat amongst the crowed before the puffing and huffing fox could argue with everyone. Covering his mouth with one hand as Mo Tianze wildly trash in his hold.

Various commentaries rose from the crowd.

Feng Jiao Xue remained expression less at the varios jeers and insults.Her opponent was a man, a cultivator who carried himself with an air of arrogance. His name was Lin Shao, a member of one of the secondary branches of the Feng Clan. Tall and broad-shouldered, Lin Shao had a rugged, imposing presence, his expression locked in a sneer as he gazed at her.

"Feng Jiao Xue," he said, his voice dripping with disdain. "You? You’re the one I’m supposed to fight?" His words were laced with incredulity, as if the idea of battling someone like her who has been labeled as trash was beneath him despite their status being different. Even if Feng Jiao Xue could not cultivate, she still belongs to the main branch.

The crowd fell into a tense silence, eager to see how Feng Jiao Xue would end up crawling in defeat.

"Lin Shao, be a man and just don’t be too hard on the lady hahaha"

"An ugly duckling like her shouldn’t be considered a lady"

"Lin Shao show that trash that a trash should just stay in the garbage instead of making disgusted just looking at her."

As the crowed laughed those near Huang Jin De and Mo Tianze gulped and made a wide spacearound them as the two leaks killing intent that sent shivers down their very bone.

The same could be said with Feng Haoyang, noting the faces of everyone that is insulting his niece.

Lin Shao stepped forward, the ground beneath him cracking as his Qi pulsed with arrogance. "I’ve heard all the stories," he sneered. "A trash cultivator pretending to be part of the Feng Clan’s elite. Don’t you dare waste my time, Feng Jiao Xue. I’m only fighting you because I’m obligated to but..."

Lin Shao looked at the arbitrator "I just wonder whether I’m allowed to actually hurt one of the main branch’s precious misses. Is that even permitted?"

The host nodded. "Since this is an official match, the injuries of both parties will be held responsible by the participant for knowingly joining such contest."

The crowd murmured, some shaking their heads, others giving Jiao Xue pitying looks. Lin Shao was strong, a peak Rank 2 cultivator, a force to be reckoned with among the secondary branches. His words cut through the tension like a blade, but Feng Jiao Xue stood unmoved, the coldness in her eyes like the calm before a storm.

A heavy silence descended before she spoke, her voice cutting through the murmurs of the onlookers. "You think I’m trash, but you’ve misjudged me." She lifted her head, her gaze meeting his, unflinching. "And you’ll regret that soon enough."

With a flick of her wrist, she drew her weapon, a plain but sharp blade that shimmered with an unspoken promise of devastation. She wasn’t here to prove herself to the crowd. She was here to show the truth of her strength to those who thought they could trample her beneath their feet.

She had made it step by step at this point and now... It’s time for her to take a leap. Whether she rise or falls, that’s for her strength to decide. And decide it shall, because she will not fall.

Lin Shao’s smirk deepened, and he stepped forward, raising his hand as though summoning his Qi to crush her. "We’ll see if you can keep up with me, littlemiss."

!Doooong! The sound of the gong signals that the battle has began.

Lin Shao was the first to strike, his Qi flaring in a wild surge as he thrust his hand forward. The ground beneath him cracked, the air vibrating with the power of his attack. His fist shot toward Feng Jiao Xue’s chest with the speed of a thunderbolt.

Feng Jiao Xue was followed the flash of lighting as she dodged to the side, her movements swift as she danced around the strike. In one fluid motion, she closed the distance between them, her blade flashing out.

The edge of her sword met his guard with a sharp, ringing clash, the force of it sending vibrations through her wrist.

"Qi... you can cultivate!!!" Lin Shao’s eyes narrowed as he immediately countered, launching a flurry of punches that crackled with his Qi. Each blow came faster than the last, the air growing thick with his energy. Jiao Xue’s eyes sharpened, her body moving with fluid precision as she deflected and dodged, her sword dancing in her hands.

"Not bad," Lin Shao muttered, a sneer still on his lips. "But you’re still nothing more than an ant."

He pushed forward, his fists weaving a deadly pattern, forcing her to retreat with each blow. His energy was overwhelming, and for a moment, Feng Jiao Xue stumbled slightly. The crowd gasped, thinking it might be her downfall.

But just as the pressure seemed too much, Jiao Xue steadied herself. With a sudden burst of speed, she lunged forward, her blade aimed at his side. Lin Shao’s eyes widened as he barely managed to raise his arm in time, the blade slicing across his sleeve, leaving a shallow cut.

"You’re quicker than I thought," Lin Shao growled, his arrogance faltering for the briefest of moments. "But I won’t be bested by someone like you."

His Qi surged again, and he pressed on, his movements more brutal, more determined to overpower her. But Jiao Xue wasn’t intimidated. She saw the way he moved, saw the slight openings in his attacks. She knew that even though he was powerful, his technique was lacking, relying too much on raw strength rather than finesse.

She waited. And then, she struck.

Lin Shao attempted to block, but he underestimated the speed and precision of her blade. She darted around his defenses, slashing at his chest. The impact made him stagger back, a thin line of blood tracing down his tunic. He roared in frustration.

"No, I refuse to be defeated by the shame of our clan!" Lin Shao bellowed. "I’ll show you the difference between us."

His hands blazed with fiery energy, and he unleashed a devastating shockwave of Qi that tore through the air. The ground shook, and the arena floor cracked beneath the sheer force of his attack. It was the signature move of a Rank 2 cultivator, an explosion of power that could crush any enemy in its path.

Jiao Xue’s eyes widened. She had no choice but to retreat, her body pushed back by the shockwave. The energy crashed around her, sending her spinning to the edge of the arena. For a moment, it seemed like Lin Shao had won.

But Jiao Xue was no ordinary ’trash.’

She gritted her teeth, steadying herself as the last of the shockwave faded. Her hand gripped the hilt of her sword tighter, her breathing steadying. She could feel the power in her core, the Qi that had been dormant for so long, now ready to be unleashed.

With a deep breath, Jiao Xue straightened, the air around her rippling. Her Qi flared, an intense yellow light spiraled out from her body like a swirling vortex.

"Yellow Qi!!!" One of the elders exclaimed in shock her voice. Everyone leaned forwad from their seats in disbelief while Feng Haoyang tilted his head up in pride and arrogance.

The crowed gasped. Some even rubbing their eyes. Silence and then uproar!

"Ye-yellow!"

"Holy heavens! Rank 3!"

"No way!"

"This! This has to be an illusion!"

"Am I dreaming?"

"If you are where shring the same fever dream!"

Lin Shao froze. The crowd gasped. He had been so confident that he failed to notice the shift in the air, the subtle yet unmistakable surge of power that emanated from her. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"You...! Rank 3?" Lin Shao stammered, disbelief etched into every feature of his face.

Jiao Xue didn’t wait for him to recover. With a sharp cry of her qi piercing the air, she surged forward, her sword flashing through the air with the speed of a lightning bolt. The force of her attack was unstoppable, each movement perfectly timed, each slash cutting through the wind like a razor.

Lin Shao tried to block, but the power behind her strikes shattered his defenses. His body was forced back, step after step, until he was backed into a corner. His energy was waning, his confidence shattered by the overwhelming pressure of her Qi.

With a final, decisive strike, Jiao Xue’s blade slashed down, breaking his guard and sending him tumbling to the ground, his Qi dispersed and his breath shallow.

The arena fell silent.

Feng Jiao Xue stood still, her expression cold, her Qi still swirling around her like an untamed storm. Lin Shao lay on the ground, struggling to catch his breath, utterly defeated.

"Do you admit defeat?" She asked coldly.

"How? How could this be?" Lin Shao asked in utter disbelief that he just got beaten up by the very existance he had always look down upon with others.

"You could cultivate all along..." He murmured dazed. "Then why didn’t you dispute the rumors!?"

Feng Jiao Xue just coldly looked at him, pointing the blunt side of her sword on his neck. "Do you admit defeat?" she asked makiing.

Closing his eyes in dissapointment, Lin Shao nodded. "You won. I-" He gritted his teeth. "I admit defeat."

Feng Jiao Xue withdrew her sword before looking at the announcer. "Aren’t you going to call it?" She raised a brow.

"Win-Winner! Feng Jiao Xue!"

She turned her back on him, walking away with measured steps, her head held high. The crowd remained still for a moment, the weight of her victory settling in the air like a heavy fog.

And as Jiao Xue walked off the stage, the next duel began to take shape, but the crowd would never forget the crushing defeat Lin Shao had suffered at her hands. The waste of the Feng clan... defeated a rank two cultivator and is actually rank three....