Chapter 120 : I Don’t Want to Die
Chapter 120: I Don’t Want to Die
“What a fierce little beauty—let me test your strength!”
“Hahaha… if you lose, don’t blame me for not showing mercy!”
“But if you beg, I’ll make sure to dote on you thoroughly!”
Amid unrestrained laughter, a figure shot onto the arena like a flame.
It was a man in black robes, his entire body seemingly shrouded in dark mist, exuding a strange and sinister aura.
The moment he stepped onto the stage, countless people gasped in shock.
“A demonic cultivator from Huozhou?”
“Hiss… those demonic cultivators are not easy to deal with!”
Huozhou was a vast region near the Immortal God Forbidden Zone.
It was plagued year-round by the emergence of Evil Gods, often ravaged by them. As a result, its people were ruthless.
Not only ruthless toward others, but even more so toward themselves. They openly called themselves demonic cultivators or heretical cultivators, using cruel and violent methods, never concealing their desires.
Murder, arson, extermination of families, and plundering were common occurrences—enough to silence crying children.
“This little beauty has quite the figure… tsk tsk!”
The black-robed man stared at Li Yunqing, his eyes filled with undisguised lust.
“Clang!”
Li Yunqing swung her sword, unleashing One Sword Pacifies the World once more.
In that instant, frost and snow danced, cold surged, and Yin Spirit Power gathered.
Facing such a person, she had no interest in wasting even a single word—she attacked with full force immediately.
“Buzz!”
Sword light burst forth. With the enhancement of Yin Spirit Power, it reached the black-robed man’s face in an instant.
“You… such speed!”
The black-robed man exclaimed. His blood-red sword had just begun to rise before he suddenly felt a chill at his neck.
“Slash!”
Blood sprayed, dazzling under the sunlight.
The black-robed man was flung backward, crashing into the city wall.
“Boom!”
Blood stained the wall instantly before his body fell to the ground—lifeless.
Li Yunqing lowered her sword toward the ground. No matter how gentle her tone, a chill now lingered within it.
“Next!”
Seeing this, everyone’s hearts trembled.
That sword light had been too fast—so fast it felt as though time and space had frozen for an instant.
By the time they reacted, it had already struck.
Even a demonic cultivator from Huozhou had been slain in a single strike.
At this moment, no one dared underestimate Li Yunqing anymore.
Even peak Qi Realm experts were killed with one sword—her strength was infinitely close to that of a Profound Realm Grandmaster.
For a time, the entire area before the palace gates fell into silence.
“I’ll give it a try!”
Breaking the silence, a figure streaked through the air and landed on the arena.
He was a refined-looking man in his twenties or thirties, dressed in green robes. From a distance, he cupped his fists politely toward Li Yunqing.
“Miss, your swordsmanship is extraordinary. I am eager to test myself—please grant me this battle!”
“Alright.”
Li Yunqing nodded slightly. Her sword hummed as another streak of sword light tore through the air.
Fast!
In the blink of an eye, it had already reached him.
With Yin Spirit Power, One Sword Pacifies the World emphasized speed.
Not true speed—but the ability to freeze space for an instant.
That instant was the difference between heaven and earth.
“Clang!”
The green-robed man’s expression changed in shock as he raised his sword defensively.
He watched helplessly as the sword light passed through his own blade and struck his chest.
“It’s over!”
His heart sank—but in the next moment, he froze.
There was no pain.
Instead, he was blasted backward, only regaining awareness when he hit the palace wall.
“Thank you, Fairy, for showing mercy!”
Realization dawned upon him, and he quickly bowed in gratitude.
With his strength—peak Qi Realm—he could not survive even one move from her.
Yet he was fortunate to be alive.
Likely because he had not spoken crudely and had shown proper respect.
“Rude men may not care about etiquette…”
“But this young lady is clearly of noble upbringing… courtesy saved my life!”
Thinking this, he glanced at the two corpses below the wall, cold sweat covering his forehead.
Had he spoken disrespectfully, he would likely be the third corpse.
At that moment, some elders secretly transmitted messages to their disciples.
“You may go up and test yourselves—but remember, be respectful. It may save your lives!”
Hearing this, many sect disciples became eager.
“Miss Li, please enlighten me!”
Some had already grasped the pattern. They leapt onto the arena, cupping their fists politely, no longer speaking recklessly.
The two who had spoken rudely were dead.
The polite one had survived.
Clearly, this young woman was not bloodthirsty—she retained kindness toward those who upheld proper conduct and etiquette.
Even on a stage that concerned her entire future.
“This girl is quite remarkable.”
In the Bamboo Courtyard, Feng Lao looked toward the palace gates from afar, speaking with a hint of admiration.
He finally understood why his incompetent disciple had been so severely injured.
“Yes… if no one forced her, she would be even better.”
Ghost Granny responded, her tone tinged with a sigh.
Too many in this world were driven into desperation by circumstances.
Some, even at death’s door, retained kindness.
Others released the demons within, becoming utterly wicked.
Such was the difference in human nature.
Ghost Granny clearly remembered Li Yunqing in the small courtyard of the Mingyu Martial Hall—training and studying every day, detached from worldly strife.
If no one had forced her, she would undoubtedly have been one of the best women in the world.
She would have preserved that gentleness and kindness.
But now—forced out into the open—what her future would become was uncertain.
On the arena, the battles continued. Below, the noise grew louder.
“One sword! Another one sword!”
“Is there no one who can make her use a second strike?”
“Hiss… even that genius from Jingzhou couldn’t block one sword!”
“My heavens—the talented swordsman from Chenzhou, said to have the potential of a Little Sword Saint, was killed in a single strike!”
“Hahaha… serves him right! Acting arrogant and wanting her as a concubine—he deserved to die!”
“Is this the thirtieth challenger? Not one forced her to use a second move?”
“Is she going to overturn all the geniuses of the twenty-two provinces of Great Yu?”
The crowd buzzed with endless discussion.
Even the older generation of peak Qi Realm experts fell silent.
Li Yunqing was too strong.
No matter the opponent—one sword was enough.
Yet even so, driven by the Emperor’s reward, challengers continued to step forward.
Some maintained proper etiquette. Though defeated and injured, they were not severely harmed.
But those who spoke crudely upon seeing her alluring figure and peerless beauty almost all died by her blade.
From morning until evening, twenty had died.
Yet nearly forty who remained respectful survived.
Despite so many challengers, not one forced her to use a second strike.
Whether Jianghu geniuses or sect prodigies, none could last a single exchange.
Even those hoping to exploit her with a war of attrition found no opportunity.
As a result, an aura of invincibility gradually gathered around Li Yunqing.
Seeing this, many distant Profound Realm Grandmasters sighed inwardly.
“Such strength—this woman is truly extraordinary!”
“Among the twenty-two provinces of Great Yu, no Jianghu genius can match her!”
“Her temperament is also remarkable—no matter the situation, she retains her original heart!”
“With such a mindset and persistence, it’s no wonder both the Sword Saint and Sword God value her!”
“Do you think the Emperor will yield?”
“Very unlikely. Unless driven to desperation, he will never bow.”
“Indeed. He is the heaven of Great Yu—if he bows so easily, imperial authority will collapse!”
“Especially at a time like this—once authority is lost, the entire realm may fall into chaos!”
It wasn’t only the Profound Realm Grandmasters observing.
Even several Divine Realm experts watched in secret.
Seeing this, they too felt a subtle sense of relief.
“A Pure Yin Body, Innate Sword Bones, and a flawless physique… such talent. She is truly a daughter of heaven.”
“She has condensed a Sword Heart, and now both the Sword Saint and Sword God favor her. She may truly take that final step in the future.”
“Yes… that step is incredibly difficult. Even that old man Feng nearly died forcing a breakthrough!”
“Should we support her?”
Their divine senses crossed through the void, communicating freely.
A woman with kindness in her heart—so long as she did not take an extreme path—if she reached that final step, she would not cut off their own path.
Such a person was worth investing in.
“A flower raised in a greenhouse cannot grow strong. I think we should give her more trials.”
“She doesn’t want to marry? Then let’s pressure her—help her grow faster?”
At those words, Feng Lao, who had been silent, suddenly transmitted his voice:
“If you’re saying that, don’t include me.”
“And let me advise you—if you don’t want her to learn the truth and come at you with a sword, you’d better restrain yourselves.”
“That little girl isn’t without a temper. Once she gets angry, she’s impossible to calm down!”
“I don’t want to die!”
At this, the Divine Realm experts fell silent, glancing at those slain by Li Yunqing’s sword, feeling a trace of unease.
“Let things take their course. I don’t want to die either.”
“Agreed. She shows no mercy to enemies.”
“If we become her enemies… once she reaches the Divine Realm, she really might come and cut us all down!”
“Mm. Let’s continue observing.”
“I want to see how likely she is to carve out a new path!”
“Also, keep an eye on that old man Yu—don’t let him play tricks!”
“With such talent—rare in tens of thousands of years—she might be our future path!”
Two days later, at dawn, on the arena—
Li Yunqing stood with her sword, upright and steady. Her garments fluttered, her hair danced in the wind, her pale cloak billowing.
Over the past two days, she had defeated one hundred and forty Jianghu geniuses from the twenty-two provinces of Great Yu.
An aura of invincibility had gathered around her.
Her eyes remained gentle and soft, yet now carried a faint trace of dominance as they swept over the crowd below.
Her voice, soft and flowing like spring water, echoed across the capital once more.
“Next!”
Three simple words, repeated over a hundred times.
Yet they plunged the entire palace square into deathly silence!