Chapter 64: The Heirs' Duel

Unknowingly, the semifinals had arrived. The audience seats were steadily filling as streams of people flowed in, and Xiaoxue tirelessly explained the rules. The ceremonies were swiftly completed, and both teams made their way onto the stage.

On one side stood four people, on the other three. YOYO stepped forward and declared, “At last, we've reached our showdown. I propose that the team leaders decide victory and defeat in a single match.”

“I object,” Ye Lan countered, stepping forth.

After deliberation behind the scenes, the tournament officials issued their ruling: “Objection overruled. Will the team leaders please face off in a single deciding match.”

“Damn it, these bastards are always cheating,” Hu Guozheng muttered discontentedly.

“It seems Wu Qiwei is pulling strings behind the scenes,” Ye Lan said, her gaze fixed on Wu Qiwei standing in the audience. He smiled and greeted her in return.

“Aunt Lan, this tournament was never fair to begin with. If they're insisting on a single match to settle things, it might not be a bad thing for us,” Ye Tang said resolutely.

“All right, but you must be careful.”

Both sides took their places on the stage. YOYO, brimming with excitement, said, “I've been looking forward to this battle. I hope you won't disappoint me.”

“As you wish,” Ye Tang replied, drawing her Crimson Blade. Her injuries had been healing rapidly each day under Le’er’s holy light, though Du Bin and the others also yearned for such treatment. Because Le’er’s power consumed tremendous mental energy, they opted for natural recovery to spare her from the harm of negative energies.

YOYO drew her Phantom Blade as well. The two swords emitted a resonance only their wielders could perceive, and as the blades clashed, a powerful wave radiated outward.

Though Ye Tang’s strength had waned, her swordsmanship was still evenly matched with YOYO’s. With each strike, a surge of sword energy was born; the fierce exchange of blades and swords rivaled the famous battle with the Little Leopard. The gamblers in the crowd shrieked the names of both contestants in frenzy.

Ye Tang attacked YOYO’s lower body with rapid slashes from left and right, but YOYO deftly dodged. She spun and delivered a sweeping strike, which Ye Tang blocked with her sword, retreating step by step before YOYO’s overwhelming force. YOYO angled her blade upward in a swift, diagonal cut, and Ye Tang, unable to evade, lost a small portion of her bangs.

YOYO swung again, and Ye Tang blocked once more. Both delivered a kick at each other, and as they retreated, their swords fell to the ground.

Now weaponless, Ye Tang concentrated her powers, launching fireballs at her opponent. YOYO was unhurried, raising a thick wall of ice before her to block the barrage.

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“These little tricks can’t hurt me,” YOYO said.

Ye Tang didn’t relent. She transformed the fireballs into flames that engulfed the entire stage. Instantly, flames surrounded the arena, but for YOYO, this was a trivial matter. With a few graceful gestures, ice spread from her center, rapidly claiming half the stage from the flames. Each held sway over their domain—ice and fire locked in a fateful duel, casting red and blue across the stadium.

The two forces were evenly matched at first, but when YOYO increased her power, the flames were smothered by cold, and the tide turned decisively. Only a small area, less than two meters around Ye Tang, remained ablaze.

“Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance to turn the tables. If you don’t go all out, you’ll lose soon enough.” Cold surrounded YOYO as she advanced step by step, the tension growing with every stride.

Ye Tang knew herself well: in combat, she couldn’t defeat YOYO; in powers, she was not her equal. Now she had to conserve her energy, waiting for the opening for a decisive strike.

She ceased producing flames and instead manipulated the distant Crimson Blade. She unleashed the Eight Sword Formation, sending eight blades from different directions toward YOYO.

YOYO picked up her Phantom Blade, lips curling into a smile. She too deployed the Eight Sword Formation. Sixteen blades spiraled and collided in midair. That YOYO could use this technique didn’t surprise Ye Tang much—if Wu Qiwei could, so could his apprentice.

Ye Tang’s powers weren’t enough to sustain eight Crimson Blades, and many were pierced by the Phantom Blade. At last, only the real sword returned to her hand, as YOYO’s eight swords returned to her. For YOYO, close combat was her forte.

YOYO leapt at Ye Tang after barely a few seconds. Knowing she’d be at a disadvantage up close, Ye Tang dodged continuously, but still couldn’t escape YOYO’s pursuit. Their swords collided; Ye Tang retreated in large strides. She noticed the blade had suffered many dents—her Crimson Blade, which had never been damaged, now bore notches from clashing with the Phantom Blade.

She glanced at YOYO’s flawless Phantom Blade. Both were made of diamond, so why was only hers damaged? YOYO noticed her reaction.

“The sword in your hand is not the true Crimson Blade,” YOYO said.

“What? Impossible,” Ye Tang replied, surprised but unconvinced.

YOYO shook her head with a sigh. “If you won’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do.”

Her expression turned serious; with a sudden burst of speed, she was upon Ye Tang, sword raised. Ye Tang instinctively blocked.

A sharp crack echoed through the arena—the Crimson Blade split in two. Ye Tang froze. Before she could react, the Phantom Blade was silently pressed against her throat. Sweat rolled down her cheek, dripped from her chin, and finally landed on the Phantom Blade.

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In that moment, everyone was still, waiting for what would happen next. Du Bin was drenched in cold sweat, knowing full well that defeat was inevitable; everything he’d said before was meaningless.

“Now you must believe me. If you were truly the heir they personally trained, your sword would not be a fake Crimson Blade,” YOYO said.

Ye Tang looked at Aunt Lan, whose face showed the same astonishment. Her spirits sank, powerless to resist, left at the mercy of others. “They don’t believe in me—why?”

“Because you’re that person’s daughter. They raised you only to make you a loyal hound, but you have been deceived by everyone since childhood, including your aunt,” Wu Qiwei emerged from behind the scenes, his plan flawless.

“Enough, Wu Qiwei. Don’t distort her perception and her world,” Ye Lan interrupted sharply.

“Distort? Are you planning to never tell her who her father is? She has the right to know the truth, and by hiding it, you’re depriving her of that right,” Wu Qiwei said, having achieved his intended effect.

Ye Lan still wanted to keep it hidden; to her, Ye Tang didn’t need to know the truth of the past. “Have you considered the consequences if she finds out?”

“Just undo the curse, and I won’t say a word.”

“You… Undoing the curse and telling her—it’s the same thing!” Ye Lan snapped, glaring at him, unable to fathom what Wu Qiwei’s elaborate scheme was.

Wu Qiwei circled the stage and approached her, whispering, “Even if you don’t tell me, I can guess. The necklace she wears seems tied to the curse. Heh.”

Ye Lan was taken aback; Wu Qiwei caught every nuance of her reaction. Du Bin and Hu Guozheng, sensing the tense atmosphere, were left utterly confused.

“I’m only speculating, but your reaction has betrayed you,” Wu Qiwei laughed heartily, then turned to YOYO and said, “YOYO, you know what to do next.”

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