Chapter 12: The Invincible Dragon’s Triumph (11)

The audience below was utterly silent.

Only when the elder announced Su Bai as the victor did the countless disciples of the Wuji Sect, who had been pressed shoulder to shoulder, manage to stammer out a few words.

“Is this really ice? Am I seeing this right? That’s ice?”

“So, inside the ice, is that lightning? It must be lightning, right?”

“How is it possible for a water-elemental spirit root to split into an ice spirit root?”

“Qin Yang, the peak of heart-motion cultivation, actually lost?”

Amidst the rising clamor below, Su Bai cleared her throat on the stage. “Everyone, please be quiet.”

In the past, the thousands of disciples standing under the arena would never have listened to a single word from her.

But times had changed. The figure on the stage was no longer the daughter of the Lord of Luowa City, the fiancée with the mutated lightning spirit root, Qin Yang, nor the beautiful and gentle junior sister Su.

For the first time, she had a name in the minds of the disciples, no longer just a label tied to a particular attribute.

Qin Yang, shrouded in frost, was trying to sit up when Su Bai smoothly drew out the Lone Goose Sword pinned to his collar.

Half of his garment was slashed, and with a startled look, Qin Yang watched as Su Bai hooked the torn collar with the sword and drove it deep into the ground.

“Since childhood, Qin Senior Brother and I were betrothed—this is something many of you know.”

Su Bai scanned the crowd.

The disciples under her gaze all shrank back, not daring to breathe loudly.

[Here it comes! The classic ‘Dragon Proud Sky breaks off engagement’ plot!]

[Laughing so hard! This streamer is definitely walking the path of the villainous female supporting role!]

[Help! This is too thrilling. I have to immediately post on the forum! I could talk about this live stream all day and night!]

[Suggestion to the nearby Dragon Proud Sky system: learn from this, don’t always rely on cheating; it’s boring.]

A sudden bad feeling arose in Qin Yang’s heart.

“We grew up as childhood friends, and though there was old affection, there was never any romantic feeling. In the past, I considered myself Qin Senior Brother’s fiancée only out of respect for our betrothal, unwilling to be disloyal.”

Su Bai paused, noticing the confusion on everyone’s faces, then continued, “However, today, Qin Senior Brother has taken another woman as his partner. They share mutual affection, trust, and have privately pledged their lives to each other. How could I, then, barge in and tear apart this loving couple over a childhood betrothal that was once but a playful promise?”

She spoke with a calm countenance, “From beginning to end, I have only wished that all lovers in the world find their destined match.”

At these words, faces in the crowd changed drastically.

Su Bai did not specify who this woman was, but none present were fools.

Rumors had circulated briefly of Qin Yang’s close relationship with a disciple from the Spring Renewal Valley, but with the backing of the valley and Su Bai’s identity as Qin Yang’s fiancée and the city lord’s daughter, no one dared to touch on these matters.

The girl’s face bore a few bloodstains, her clothes tattered by sword energy, but her clear phoenix-like eyes shone like a frosted moon in the night, making others afraid to meet her gaze.

Yue Nianxin looked up at her, seeing her confidently wielding a long sword, speaking freely before everyone. Even when she mentioned the betrothal with Qin Yang and his affair with Yun Zhu, no trace of grievance or hatred crossed her expression.

She said she bore the title of Qin Yang’s fiancée only to honor the promise.

She said the youthful betrothal had no romantic feelings, and she never blamed Qin Yang for his outside affair.

She said that since they were partners and close friends, she would not break apart such a beautiful union.

As someone betrayed by her fiancé, as someone whom all the Wuji Sect outer disciples believed to be deeply infatuated with Qin Yang, she spoke of this betrothal with such composure, as if—

She had never truly regarded this betrothal seriously, nor been shackled by these empty titles.

And now, she was strong enough.

Though her spirit root was water-based, before all eyes she condensed water into ice.

With the initial stage of heart-motion cultivation, she defeated Qin Yang, who was already at his peak.

When one is strong enough, who truly dares to regard you as weak?

Yue Nianxin’s mind suddenly brightened; even the long-stagnant level of her cultivation seemed to shift subtly.

Qin Yang struggled to stand. “Jiao Jiao, what are you saying...”

His fingers clenched tightly; the fear of losing control overwhelmed him again.

Yun Zhu looked at the calm and composed girl on stage with complicated feelings.

Her beloved lover stood opposite Su Bai, disheveled and panicked, eyes filled with helplessness, no longer the spirited youth she had first met.

Did she love Qin Yang?

Of course she did.

Yun Zhu had always looked down on Su Bai. Having spent two years with Qin Yang, often hearing about this “younger sister,” she thought Su Bai was just a pampered and delicate flower.

Without any strong will or true pursuit.

Coming from similarly distinguished backgrounds, Yun Zhu had become famous young, devoted to refining alchemy, and believed she was different from those dreamy, naive girls.

Someone like Qin Yang, destined for greatness, should have looked down on a fragile parasite like Su Bai.

Yet when Su Bai severed ties with Qin Yang so decisively, at that moment, Yun Zhu realized how petty and ridiculous her previous provocations against Su Bai had been.

The man on stage was disheveled but still handsome and imposing like a green pine or bamboo—panicking as he reached out to grasp the hand of the unattainable, moonlit girl.

But the sword wind came faster.

Qin Yang instinctively pulled back, and when he looked up, he saw the Lone Goose Sword had already cut through part of his robe.

The girl stared at him and spoke word by word: “Though I wish all lovers to find their match, Qin Senior Brother has enjoyed my family’s grace for so many years—heavenly-grade sword, top-tier elixirs, the finest masters’ teachings—yet he betrayed me first, making me the laughingstock of all.”

“Today, Qin Yang and I sever all ties, break the betrothal. From now on, we owe each other nothing, no matter north or south.”

[Clever! The Dragon Proud Sky power-up story has instantly turned into the Dragon Proud Sky broken engagement story!]

[The last broken engagement... sigh... Nangong Yiran didn’t really do anything wrong either. She thought of her family’s interests, and Lin Yan wasn’t exactly a devoted match.]

[Unfortunately, Nangong Yiran was deceived in the end, suffered a crushing defeat, and fell into despair.]

[I bet a pack of spicy strips Qin Yang will turn dark later. How could a Dragon Proud Sky endure such humiliation?]

[So satisfying! Qin Yang was fickle and unfaithful, so why shouldn’t he accept the broken engagement?]

The crowd below erupted.

Qin Yang panicked, “Jiao Jiao, after decades of friendship, even if I erred, why must you bring this matter up here?”

“Would Uncle Su not be heartbroken seeing us at swords’ points?”

Invoking the city lord at this moment was simply laughable.

Since she dared to break the engagement, she had clearly prepared for all consequences.

Su Bai sneered coldly, unmoved. “If I don’t speak, everyone will think I am the one who broke faith, that I preyed on your family’s decline. Some even think I’m your fiancée and accuse me of secretly sparring with you at midnight.”

She retracted her sword. “Qin Senior Brother, I have said all I need to say. Take care of yourself!”

Su Bai stepped down, leaving Qin Yang standing dazed.

He looked around in confusion.

With his peak heart-motion cultivation, his hearing was naturally excellent; he could clearly hear what people were saying.

They called him heartless and unfaithful, saying he first coveted the city lord’s wealth, then the power of Spring Renewal Valley, wanting both but losing them. Unexpectedly, Su Bai saw through it all, was wise and just, and supported the “ill-fated lovers,” refusing to fall for his tricks.

Some even said Su Bai only bullied this fallen youth because of her powerful family background.

Qin Yang clenched his fists.

Yes, what had he really done wrong?

The little girl who had followed him around called him Brother Qin, after only two short years, had been swayed by others’ sweet words, disregarding his reputation, leaving him no room to negotiate, openly declaring she would break their engagement.

Qin Yang laughed bitterly.

His affair with Yun Zhu was true, but after so many years of connection, she wouldn’t even sit down and talk with him properly.

She even thought he owed her family and should obey her fully.

“Junior Sister Su, wait!”

Qin Yang suddenly called out.

Su Bai turned, eyes deep and steady.

Blood trickled from the corner of Qin Yang’s mouth as he smiled bitterly. “Junior Sister Su, are you satisfied with this outcome?”

He didn’t call her Jiao Jiao.

Su Bai said nothing. Her dark pupils seemed bottomless; no matter how Qin Yang tried to peer within, there was only calm—no ripple could be stirred.

Qin Yang grinned wider. “But in my dictionary, there is only ‘divorce,’ never ‘broken engagement’!”

“After today’s battle, I, Qin Yang, admit defeat. How about we make a six-year pact? At that time, the Immortal Alliance will hold a Three Thousand Debates Conference for the entire cultivation world. Then, in front of all cultivators, we’ll see who truly prevails!”

[Here it comes! The classic Dragon Proud Sky broken engagement script!]

[Wow, the streamer’s cultivation is two minor realms below him, and with a water spirit root, still defeated him. How can he have the face to say ‘we shall see who wins’?]

[Male-oriented novels are like this; many old stories really feel very male-centric.]

[Right, right, the men are wild and cool, the women kind and pure. So it’s normal Qin Yang has male novel traits.]

“Six years it is,” someone said. “Maybe by then our streamer will have chopped down Zhu Long for him!”

Su Bai was momentarily stunned by this, then smiled.

She rarely smiled these days, but this smile was unlike the affectionate ones Qin Yang once knew. It was faint, her phoenix eyes gently curved like a pear blossom freshly blooming—pure, brilliant, and aloof, inspiring awe and hesitation in those who dared approach.

“I’ll wait,” she said seriously, wiping the smile from her lips. “But oddly enough, in my dictionary, there is no such word as ‘broken engagement.’ There is only ‘divorce.’”

Behind the octagonal prism, Elder Qian Ying, who had always been friendly with Qin Yang, looked grim and angrily scolded, “This female disciple is shameless! The arena is no place for her reckless behavior!”

“To break an engagement publicly—does she really treat the inner sect evaluation as a joke?”

Elder Yaoguang was the leader of Ruofeng Peak, and Elder Qian Ying was one of Ruofeng’s elders.

Thanks to Elder Yaoguang, Elder Qian Ying had some private dealings with Qin Yang. Qin Yang was smooth-talking, handsome, diligent, and adept at flattering the elders. Thus, Qian Ying was biased in his favor.

Elder Xianyun chuckled as he stroked his beard, “I find this disciple’s words reasonable. What she did is justified and in line with cultivation—accumulating merit without betraying her principles.”

“Qian Ying, do you know how many cultivators lose their true selves just to save face?”

He sighed deeply. “If your heart is like a clear mirror, why care about the world’s gaze?”

Unexpectedly, Elder Yaoguang, who had supported Qin Yang, remained silent, his expression inscrutable, lost in thought.