Chapter 3881 — Defeat

With that, Murong Zhen let out a soft, honeyed little cry, and her figure shot swiftly toward Xiao Che.

The instant she moved, everyone below the stage—Meng Jueming and Wei Zhao included—opened their eyes wide and watched closely to gauge the depth of her strength.

Though she had been at the Welcome Newcomer Pavilion for a full month and had taken the stage first in every round of the newcomer challenge, the gap in strength had been too vast: against her, a peak expert of the early Foundation Establishment stage, every newcomer she named simply conceded with great tact, so in all that month no one had ever seen her make a move.

But now the man she faced was Xiao Che, no ordinary newcomer. As an expert of the early Foundation Establishment stage, he felt the same pressure facing Murong Zhen, yet not to the point of not daring to fight at all.

Given Xiao Che's foundations, unless Murong Zhen was an invincible existence even among peak early Foundation Establishment cultivators, then even with victory all but assured, beating Xiao Che would not be so easy.

The moment Murong Zhen moved, Xiao Che moved with her. Possessed of so exquisite a movement art as the Lost Trace Step, Xiao Che had never been one to relish clashing head-on; using the Lost Trace Step to circle with his opponent, advancing and retreating in search of an opening to strike—that was Xiao Che's style of battle.

And it was precisely this style that gave him the confidence to fight above his level against Murong Zhen, a peak expert of the early Foundation Establishment stage. Had it been someone like Qiao Hongcai, who knew only how to trade blows head-on, challenging above one's level would have been little short of seeking death.

"Oh, Brother Xiao Che has such fine footwork!" Murong Zhen's eyes lit up again.

Owing to her advantage in cultivation level, her speed was plainly a notch above Xiao Che's; in theory he should never have escaped her grasp, and yet within the limited space of the arena Xiao Che somehow left her with no opening at all.

This was thanks entirely to the Lost Trace Step. Its straight-line speed might not be so great, but for darting and weaving within a small space, it stood absolutely second to none among all movement arts.

Even so, Xiao Che dared not be careless in the least, for he had already pushed the Lost Trace Step to its limit and could at best keep circling with Murong Zhen—enough to stay unbeaten, but not to find an opening to strike.

After all, a peak expert of the early Foundation Establishment stage was not so easily dealt with. And the reason Murong Zhen had been summoned to the Soaring Heaven Pavilion was not merely that distant kinship with Elder Murong—it was chiefly her own strength. This woman was no mere vase, pretty but useless.

Xiao Che had foreseen this situation. If the Lost Trace Step alone could seize the initiative, his opponent would have been far too feeble; but if things went on this way, the situation was hardly favorable to him either.

The Lost Trace Step's effects were astonishing, but it also consumed a great deal of true qi. If this kept up, Xiao Che reckoned he certainly could not outlast Murong Zhen.

And just as Xiao Che was about to take a risk and wait for his chance, Murong Zhen, close on his heels, suddenly giggled: "Brother Xiao Che, they say a mountain stands between a man chasing a woman, but only a veil between a woman chasing a man. This beauty has chased you so long—you might at least give some response!"

Teasing! Teasing again!

Though Xiao Che did not want to pay her any mind, his Lost Trace Step involuntarily slowed a fraction. Then his heart went cold—killing intent had bloomed behind him!

Xiao Che had been extremely careful, watching her position and movements at every moment even as he circled with the Lost Trace Step. Yet in that single instant of distraction, a dazzling flash traced from Murong Zhen's fingertips: one moment she was clearly five zhang away, and the next instant, in the blink of an eye, she was behind him.

Bang! Amid the stunned silence of the entire crowd, Xiao Che went down straight off the edge of the arena.

Wei Zhao and the others came to their senses and hurried forward, helping him up and checking his injuries. "Are you all right? How badly are you hurt?" they asked with concern.

Before Xiao Che could speak, Murong Zhen answered for him from the stage, half astonished and half regretful: "Of course he's fine. To dodge this beauty's Phantom Finger at the early Foundation Establishment stage—Brother Xiao Che, you are the first. You may well be proud!"

Supported by his long-suffering senior brother and Qiao Hongcai, Xiao Che slowly rose to his feet, his face somewhat grim: "Thank you for your instruction, Miss Murong. If the chance comes again, I shall be sure to repay it!"

That strike just now—he could be certain Murong Zhen had held nothing back. She had truly meant to kill him. Sweet as honey with her words, yet the instant she lured him into distraction she struck with lethal ruthlessness. This woman was indeed, as Leader Wei Zhao had said, viper-hearted!

Had he not been vigilant by nature and constantly on his guard, that strike would likely have caught him even with the Lost Trace Step—and he had also made use of the arena's edge, diving straight off it to concede of his own accord. Otherwise, even if he had侥幸 dodged it, Murong Zhen surely had a follow-up killing move.

"Brother Xiao Che, what you said frightens this beauty so. How about we do it another way—next time come play at this beauty's little wooden hut, hmm? I'm so looking forward to it!" Murong Zhen's pair of captivating eyes kept casting amorous glances, her admiration written all over her face, as though she had not just tried to kill Xiao Che at all.

She turned her face faster than flipping a page—this woman was truly the very best at it!

Wei Zhao and the others shook their heads speechlessly, their understanding of Murong Zhen deepening another layer. This woman was indeed no simple lamp; she was not one whit easier to deal with than Meng Jueming, the steward senior brother.

Seeing Xiao Che ignore her, Murong Zhen had no choice but to give up her notion of further teasing with a bored air, and cooed: "Brother Xiao Che, though this beauty won, Cave Dwelling No. 3 at the foot of the mountain is still yours to keep living in. Don't forget to come play at the little wooden hut—I'll be waiting for you."

With that, Murong Zhen finally swayed her alluring waist and, under the greedy gazes of the whole crowd, walked gracefully down off the arena.

"Hongcai, barring accidents this woman will surely challenge you next round. When the time comes, don't try to play the hero—just concede outright," Wei Zhao warned Qiao Hongcai with a stern face.

"Quite right. This woman is truly dangerous. Though I saw that move just now, I simply couldn't react in time. I only got lucky today that I happened to be at the arena's edge—otherwise I'd be a corpse by now," Xiao Che said, still shaken.

In fact, before he went up, Wei Zhao had told him he could concede of his own accord, but to test just what his strength amounted to now, Xiao Che had decided to circle a while with so rare an opponent as Murong Zhen. And so the scene just now had unfolded—one slip, and it would have been death on the spot. (To be continued..)

(.)RU