Chapter 18

As the ice flower spell condensed into a massive block of ice, freezing Heng Yi inside, Hu Baijie let out a low cry, and the huge ice block instantly shattered into pieces, turning into fragments of ice!

The explosive force made Heng Yi, who was frozen inside, feel as if his entire body was being pulled by countless forces. The intense pain he experienced throughout his body made him feel as if he was being torn apart.

The countless ice fragments quickly disappeared, and Heng Yi, still alive in the void, remained conscious despite the severe injuries he had never experienced before. He felt unusually clear-headed.

The natural energy he had lost quickly gathered again due to his innate power, reaching the limit of what he could absorb in a short moment.

As the ice flower spell was completed, Hu Baijie had already rushed over, one hand holding a shield and the other a sword.

Heng Yi's figure instantly disappeared, and he flew away in the void, narrowly avoiding Hu Baijie's extended light sword.

The two of them flew in the sky above the arena, one fleeing and the other pursuing.

Hu Baijie, equipped with magic shoes, flew faster than Heng Yi, and it didn't take long for the distance between them to close.

Hu Baijie thrust her light sword, which suddenly extended, aiming directly at Heng Yi.

Now familiar with Hu Baijie's spell techniques, Heng Yi calmly flew to the side, timely avoiding the attack. He then abruptly changed his retreat and rushed toward Hu Baijie, throwing the two Infinite Swords in his hands.

Hu Baijie swung her light shield and slightly moved her light sword, blocking the two swift light swords once again.

Heng Yi suddenly accelerated and charged straight toward Hu Baijie, passing between her arms!

Heng Yi's unexpected reaction left many spectators speculating.

However, Hu Baijie remained calm. The golden headgear on her head suddenly lit up, and a small golden gem in the center shot out a beam of golden light, which exploded into a covering light shield!

Heng Yi, caught inside, immediately felt his movements slow down, pulled by the continuous golden energy within the shield.

At the same time, Hu Baijie's left arm moved, and her tilted golden light shield struck Heng Yi's back of the head!

Heng Yi bent his head as much as possible, almost touching Hu Baijie's chest, but under the influence of the golden shield, his movements slowed, and it seemed he wouldn't be able to avoid the impact.

At this moment, the Instant Slash was activated!

Heng Yi suddenly appeared behind Hu Baijie, and the red lightning-encircled light sword in his hand swiftly stabbed out.

Hu Baijie endured the hit, her eyes showing a helpless expression. As her body rapidly spun, she swung her golden light shield backward—

Heng Yi's Instant Slash, as before, made Hu Baijie's divine armor temporarily lose its protective golden light. The Limit Blade in his left hand followed closely, striking Hu Baijie's back!

The golden light shield was about to hit Heng Yi's face—

A burst of white light suddenly erupted!

Heng Yi activated the energy burst, the powerful impact force sent Hu Baijie flying, and the Limit Blade's white light column simultaneously enveloped her.

Hu Baijie flew uncontrollably in the void.

Heng Yi's hands generated Infinite Swords, which flew out in quick succession, following closely behind.

Hu Baijie passively raised her shield and swung her sword, blocking repeatedly, but with her true qi heavily depleted, each block was accompanied by the impact and shock of the Infinite Swords.

Everyone could see that she was seriously injured; the light shield's color was rapidly fading, and the light sword was quickly shortening and dimming.

"I lost," Hu Baijie put away her golden light shield and sword, landed on the arena floor, picked up her robe, and put it on as she turned.

Heng Yi flew down and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "A lucky win."

He recalled the feeling of being inside the ice flower spell, feeling a lingering fear. At that time, he didn't know if he could survive, and Hu Baijie's tactics were indeed impressive. Although he won, the victory was indeed lucky.

"It's your skill. If you could withstand the ice flower spell without falling, I already had little chance of winning. Congratulations!" Hu Baijie smiled and extended her hand, which Heng Yi shook in return.

"Heng Yi wins!" The elder responsible for the judgment smiled broadly. This match was very exciting, and even though Hu Baijie lost, she still earned respect. Without her, today's examination would have been unremarkable, with Heng Yi defeating his opponents with overwhelming power.

Applause echoed around the arena.

The head of the Lake Sea Sect, Hu San, stood up with a broad smile, and the elders on either side also rose. Only the chief elder looked grim, unable to force a smile.

"Excellent! All the rewards for the top ten cultivation examination will be yours. Additionally, I, Hu San, will keep my word; you can choose from eight of my unmarried great-granddaughters!"

The elders led the way, and the Lake Sea Sect disciples all echoed, "The head is wise! The Lake Sea Sect has gained a genius, and it will surely rise to greater heights and glory in the future!"

Amidst the enthusiastic congratulations, Hu Baijie suddenly swept her robe and knelt down gracefully.

This action immediately drew everyone's attention.

"Oh? What is it, Baijie?" Hu San feigned surprise, looking at her under everyone's puzzled gaze. Hu Baijie's sweet voice then said something shocking and bold.

"Baijie doesn't want to wait for Heng Yi to choose. I humbly request the head to grant my wish!"

The first 'chest' beauty of the sect openly declared her love for Heng Yi, causing a stir and shock among the Lake Sea Sect disciples.

Heng Yi was taken aback, completely unprepared for this. He was still considering how to refuse Hu San when Baijie said such words.

Hu San laughed heartily, pointing at the two and looking around. "A perfect match! A perfect match! No acquaintance without conflict, no marriage without a bond! How can I, Hu San, not approve of such a joyous event? Fine, today is a significant day for our sect. The top ten examination will be held tomorrow, and today, the Lake Sea Sect will celebrate!"

Heng Yi had no chance to speak, feeling troubled. Beside him, Hu Baijie looked up, her voice gentle. "Aren't you going to help me up? Let me kneel like this?"

"Ah... Senior Sister, please rise!" Heng Yi quickly helped her up. Hu Baijie smiled and said, "We don't know who is older, so let's call each other by our names."

Heng Yi was slightly taken aback and asked, "Do you know me?"

"Chen Shao's wife is my elder sister from the same mother."

Heng Yi suddenly understood.

A group of San Yuan Sect disciples ran over, surrounding Heng Yi and talking excitedly. Da Yuan placed his hand on Heng Yi's shoulder, carefully examining him and asking, "Are you seriously injured?"

"Master, don't worry, it's not serious."

Hu Baijie bowed to Da Yuan. "Greetings, Master." Then she turned to the stunned Heng Yi and said, "Talk to your master, I'll wait for you at the banquet hall."

"Yes..." Heng Yi didn't want to call her Senior Sister anymore, nor did he want to call her Baijie, so he mechanically agreed.

Da Yuan, with a broad smile, patted Heng Yi's shoulder and said to the noisy San Yuan Sect disciples, "We'll talk later. Heng Yi is injured, and I need to help him recover."

The disciples immediately stopped and watched as Da Yuan and Heng Yi moved aside.

"Put on a smile," Da Yuan instructed, then turned to face the Lake Sea Sect people in the distance, his face beaming with pride and satisfaction. Anyone who saw him would think he was praising Heng Yi's brilliance. "You must be wary of Hu Baijie. She is not easy to deal with. The Lake Sea Sect's most common tactic is to use marriage to bind talented disciples. Hu Baijie's feelings for you are insincere. Throughout history, heroes have found it hard to resist the allure of beauty. You must not fall into the trap and forget the great cause of the San Yuan Sect's revival!"

Heng Yi nodded quickly. "Master, don't worry. I plan to find an opportunity to decline this matter."

"Listen, don't speak, to prevent anyone from eavesdropping. Do not reveal any details about your dreams, the incantations in your dreams, the divine book, or the treasure sword to anyone! The Lake Sea Sect now views you as a treasure, but you are not one of their disciples. Hu San, that shameless old fox, is most concerned about whether you are loyal to the Lake Sea Sect. If he suspects you have no loyalty to the Lake Sea Sect, he would rather kill you than let you benefit others or become a threat! Hu Baijie is the old fox's tactic. If you still reject her, the old fox will surely think you hate the Lake Sea Sect. The lives of your master and others depend on your decision, so you must not act rashly. Just deal with it for now. As long as your actions do not exceed bounds, there is no need to worry."

Heng Yi wanted to say he didn't want to do this, though he couldn't explain why. But Da Yuan's warning made him unable to speak, and he could only nod with a forced smile, not understanding why his master suddenly saw everything around him as so dangerous and terrifying.

Da Yuan lightly patted Heng Yi's shoulder and led him to the banquet hall with the crowd.

On the way, the disciples excitedly described their feelings and impressions of Heng Yi during the match, all filled with pride.

Heng Yi, recalling his master's instructions, asked hopefully, "Master, was I bright enough today?"

Seeing the eager look on Heng Yi's face, Da Yuan was filled with satisfaction. "Bright! Almost blinded me!"

Heng Yi was very happy that he had not disappointed his master. The joy of his fellow disciples made him feel he had fulfilled his responsibilities as the senior brother.

"Big Brother, we won't be afraid of others looking down on us anymore!" An eight-year-old junior sister, with a bright and innocent smile, hugged Heng Yi's hand, just as she used to in the San Yuan Sect.

"Who bullied you?" Heng Yi laughed.

"Bullying other senior brothers is bullying me!" Her answer made everyone laugh, and Heng Yi patted her head. "In the future, you will protect us."

"Sure! I will work hard and become as strong as Big Brother!"

Heng Yi said, "Good," and picked her up, placing her on his back. Two other juniors, not much older, ran over, shouting, "Big Brother, carry me!"

"Me too, Big Brother!"

Upon entering the banquet hall, a Lake Sea Sect disciple at the door said, "Senior Sister Baijie is waiting for you, Junior Brother."

Under Da Yuan's gaze, Heng Yi put down the junior sister and went over.

Hu Baijie poured a cup of wine for Heng Yi. Seeing him sit down with a restrained manner and still looking at the group of San Yuan Sect disciples, she silently drank cup after cup.

As the page turns, the AD begins.

As the page turns, the AD ends.