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Chapter 215: The Cause and Effect of the Red Dust

It was supposed to be a fierce competition, a battle of wits between two young girls, Miss Baihong and Hong Yan, who had repeatedly performed astonishing feats. Some eager spectators even snuck in a betting pool to guess which of the two would ultimately claim victory…

After all, they had faced each other once during the preliminary rounds, with an unclear outcome. Most onlookers felt that both had held back, too wary of each other to go all out. Yet, as it appears now, the outcome was already decided—they just didn’t realize it. How could the normally melee adept Miss Baihong suddenly wield such force akin to “Momentum,” overwhelming her opponent to the point of drawing blood?

And why couldn’t Hong Yan, disguised as “Red Sleeve Hidden Sword,” draw her sword or concede defeat?

People’s empathy often leans towards the underdog, and today was no different.

“Cut her! Draw your sword!”

Suddenly, someone shouted, like a spark hitting a haystack, igniting a frenzy!

“Exactly! Regardless of whether you can win, you have to swing your sword at least!”

“I bet on you to win, Red Sleeve Hidden Sword! Show some spirit!!!”

“Draw your sword! Aren’t you a swordsman?!”

“Show Baihong a thing or two! Is that all you’ve got against the one who beat me!?”

Encouraged by the crowd, the gray-haired girl, barely holding herself together, felt her dilated pupils narrow slightly. A glimmer of spirit resurfaced in her eyes, and Miss Vilyric tilted her head, casting a strange glance at the almost one-sided audience.

“What’s going on… making me look like the villain here. Where did my fans go?”

She turned back and smiled at the pale-faced girl.

“Well, can you do it?”

…

“I’m sorry, I can’t.”

Before her, in a daze, a blurred figure appeared, along with a voice Hong Yan was close to forgetting.

It was the scene from ten years ago when her brother, after arguing with their father, decided to leave the Ancient Spirit Realm with the team to explore another world, bidding her farewell.

At that time, ten-year-old Hong Yan understood nothing and could only cry, pleading for him not to leave. Her brother responded with:

“I’m sorry, but I have to go. The Holy Ruler has passed, and the new ruler has just ascended; it’s a period of great chaos. There’s a faction in the country led by our father that keeps trying to push me to take his place.”

“I don’t understand why father is so certain of success, but whoever ends up as the Holy Ruler, the struggle for the throne will surely lead the nation into turmoil, causing widespread suffering and bloodshed.”

“As of now, aside from His Majesty Yuanfeng, I’m the only male direct descendant qualified for the throne. As long as I’m here, father won’t give up his ambition for power, so I have to disappear to prevent the impending civil war.”

“Yan, today Yuanxing is dead, left with just a wandering soul. I know you can’t understand or accept this; I don’t ask for your forgiveness. This sword… consider it the last gift from your brother.”

“We may never see each other again in this life, but one day you’ll understand my plight. If you can forgive me then, please raise a monument on the mountain outside Kaiyuan City and bury this sword there for me… I’m an unworthy brother, I’m sorry.”

“What are you… sorry for…”

The girl trembled as blood and tears obscured the sun, falling unevenly as she neared death. Suddenly, she recalled her initial resolve to pursue the way of the sword; just six short words, heavy as if they were the cause of all her unwillingness.

That will absorbed in blood and tears burst forth, transforming into a new bud to resist the heart demon and the pressure of divinity.

“No need for your pity!!!”

She drew her sword, striking out; the sword’s light was cleansing.

That chilling radiance seemed capable of splitting heaven and earth!

“Zheng!!!!!!!”

With one slash, the battlefield’s barrier, said to withstand a full-force strike from a seasoned strongman, shattered within the reach of her sword, like tofu sliced by a blade.

The sword light shot up towards the sky, disappearing in a silence that enveloped the arena.

“….”

As the gust subsided, her long black hair fell back down. The Priestess, who had received the full impact of that strike with her body intact, touched her cheek, feeling the fleeting trace of blood. Stunned, she soon wore a smile of greater delight.

“Interesting, truly interesting. With that strike, you’ve surpassed 99% of swordsmen in the world, even that less-than-stellar brother of yours. Congratulations.”

After all, souls can’t reach the level of sp, the so-called “Virtual Profound,” through mere self-realization and talent. But Hong Yan achieved not only that but also overcame her heart demon, inflicting damage beyond the threshold of artifact immunity upon Miss Vilyric.

Though in the next moment, her hp was restored automatically, the ability to deal damage arose from Miss Vilyric deliberately neglecting defense, coupled with Hong Yan’s extraordinary performance driven by pressure, but regardless, to unleash an attack rivaling that of level 70 while still under level 40 was no exaggeration. Saying she surpassed over 99% of swordsmen in the Ancient Spirit Realm is no bragging.

After all, the essence of swordsmanship is truly about cultivating the heart.

The moment the pressure dissipated, the gray-haired girl slumped down, cradled by the Priestess.

“Thank you… for the generous gift.”

“It’s your own achievement; I just… uh, passed out? That’s not surprising.”

“Rest well; this benefit you gained won’t be less than reaching Lingyin Fairy Island.”

It was only at this moment that the announcer’s voice, mixed with awe, declared, “Vilyric wins!” followed by an even louder cheer from the audience along with some bitter curses.

People will sympathize with the weak, but for the strong, they give more respect and admiration.

Whether it was the visually striking sword strike from Red Sleeve Hidden Sword that even breached the barrier, or Baihong’s more terrifying feat of taking the sword light head-on without injury, it was enough to send those who worship strong figures into a frenzy.

Not to mention, Miss Vilyric had already amassed a loyal fanbase in Xingyuan City, and riding on this unstoppable wave, she would likely land on the front page of some magazines by tonight.

This was still with her having restrained her pressure and not dispersing it around the arena.

Handing over the fainted Hong Yan to the hastily arriving medical staff, Miss Vilyric turned to leave the arena amidst the cheers, contemplatively pondering the recent occurrences.

Hong Yan using a power akin to “Virtual Profound” had caught her off guard. Although she only touched the surface, sp is still sp. This essence, a soul-level power originating from primal forces, she could not be mistaken.

Perhaps it related to the pressure she had just exerted…

What Vilyric had used on Hong Yan wasn’t some special skill from a game, but a new ability she had developed herself.

Ever since acquiring that “gift” from the Spiritual Fox Priestess at the Open Heaven Gate ruins, she had noticed some subtle changes in her ability to invoke the Divine Light.

To put it simply, if her original calling of divine authority was at 0, after this it was probably around 10%. Although that aloof thing usually doesn’t give face, she began to release some divine-specific aura, creating a control effect similar to the Little Dragon Daughter’s “Dragon Might” skill.

Its might was just proven; even a strong individual like Hong Yan, resilient and focused on honing her sword heart, was brought to bloodflow from just one-tenth of the aura’s pressure, and it was perhaps from sensing that super-level aura that she managed to break through and tap into a hint of Virtual Profound power.

Without a doubt, this is a true authority that only real gods possess, a capability completely unrelated to the game system.

The black-haired girl looked up at the clear sky outside the arena, feeling a hint of melancholy.

Unknowingly, she had already been through so much…

Just as she planned to enter the inner area to meet up with her waiting companions in the break room…

A sudden, violent explosion erupted from afar, accompanied by a thunderous roar that shot into the sky!

“Boom!!!”

The once orderly arena fell into chaos as people looked around, instinctively trying to locate the source of the massive noise.

However, Vilyric, with a broader perspective, quickly realized that it didn’t come from within the arena.

Somewhere in the city…

“What’s going on…?”

“I don’t know; it sounds like it’s from the western district. Something can’t be wrong, right?”

“Who dares to stir up trouble during the Four Saints Selection Tournament? Are they looking for death…?”

Audience members chattered continuously, and the next match, originally scheduled to start shortly, was temporarily halted. The Eastern Yuan Guards moved through discreet corners and walkways, seemingly responding promptly to investigate the situation.

The Priestess quickened her steps back to the break room where Miss Xiao Kong and others were located.

“Vilyric, sounds like something’s happened outside?”

Upon meeting, the Cat Daughter, who had also heard the enormous sound, rushed over. The black-haired girl wasted no words, simply nodding.

“The situation is still unclear, but such an explosion at a crucial moment cannot be coincidental… well, since Xiao Kong, your match just ended, let’s go take a look together. Let’s move out immediately.”

“Do you mean… let me teleport you there directly?”

“Yes, it should be in the western direction.”

Vilyric glanced over at Princess Ling and a certain Mr. Murong who had also come nearby, their expressions varied.

“Hen, have you found out anything?”

The silver-haired girl once again silently shook her head.

“Alright then, you two stay here for now. If something happens, be ready to adapt. We should return soon if all goes well.”

“Okay.”

“Miss Vilyric, could this be…?”

Shaking her head, the black-haired girl approached the Cat Daughter, who was tearing open a space portal and making precise adjustments.

“It’s hard to say, but it’s best to be prepared. Please be careful.”

“Let’s clear a path! We’re going to join the fun!”

“Oh!”