“Give me a kiss.”
As soon as Ming Xi uttered those earth-shattering words, time along the mountain path seemed to hit the pause button.
“This woman—!”
Dazzling blue electric arcs suddenly erupted around Gongsun Lin, crackling wildly. Slight scorch marks even appeared on the bluestone beneath her feet.
Her round almond eyes flared so wide they seemed ready to spit fire, and her fists were tightly clenched. If Qiu Ning hadn't acted fast and held her shoulder, she probably would have charged onto the stage already.
Below the stage, the Ancient Sword Mountain disciples all stood with their mouths agape, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
They looked back and forth between Ming Xi—who was breathtakingly beautiful yet appallingly bold—and Su Yi, who stood before her with a helpless expression. Their minds were buzzing.
The Young Pavilion Master of Perching Phoenix Pavilion... was this bold?! In broad daylight, right under everyone's eyes, she was directly asking for a kiss?!
Even Murong Yue's cold, pristine demeanor showed clear signs of cracking. She knew Ming Xi acted in an unconventional manner, but she hadn't expected her to go this far! Where were her manners?!
Qiu Ning slapped a hand over her forehead, unable to watch any longer.
She couldn't even imagine what would happen if Su Yi's mother, Gongsun Rou, found out about what happened here.
Meanwhile, Zhuge Hong, who had been completely left out on the side, turned alternating shades of green and pale white, as if someone had slapped him brutally across the face in public.
Just moments ago, he had been spellbound by Ming Xi's beauty and poise, even indulging in wild fantasies. Yet in the blink of an eye, right in front of his face, she acted so intimately toward Su Yi—the man he viewed as his enemy! This level of disregard and humiliation hurt worse than being directly defeated!
For a time, the only sound left on the mountain path was the rustling of wind through the leaves and the occasional soft crackle of electricity from Gongsun Lin.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the pair on the sword platform, who presented a striking contrast. The atmosphere grew bizarre to the extreme.
Su Yi felt Gongsun Lin's furious gaze behind him—practically glaring holes through his back—alongside the countless surrounding looks of shock, envy, disdain, or curiosity, making his scalp go numb.
He looked at Ming Xi, who stood before him brimming with smiles and still pointing a finger at her cheek. Squeezing words out from between his teeth, he said, “I'd like to, but you're utterly shameless!”
Hearing this, the smile on Ming Xi's face faded slightly. Her golden eyes flicked over him, carrying a touch of boredom and disappointment.
“Fine, no kiss then. No need for personal attacks.”
With that, she stepped down from the platform. “Whatever, I'll remember this. When we get married in the future, I'm definitely making you make up for it.”
Seeing this biggest “trouble” temporarily step aside, Su Yi turned around, his gaze falling back onto Zhuge Hong.
He casually drew an ordinary longsword from the sword rack beside the platform, pointing the tip diagonally toward the ground, his tone calm and unruffled: “Young Master Zhuge, draw your sword.”
Everyone's attention was instantly pulled back to the upcoming match.
Their eyes darted back and forth between the two men. On one hand, they were curious about what reliance Zhuge Hong had to dare provoke Su Yi like this; on the other hand, they urgently wanted to see just how strong this Young Manor Lord of Divine Might Manor—who had once crushed his peers at Ancient Sword Mountain and whose fame was now even greater—had become.
However, just as Zhuge Hong was awed by Su Yi's sword intent—which was solid as a mountain and sharp as cold ice—and instinctively wanted to take a step back, he gritted his teeth abruptly and shouted aloud, “Wait a moment!”
Su Yi raised an eyebrow, revealing a hint of confusion. Back when he set up the sword platform, it was always a direct fight—where did any rules come from?
Opposite him, seeing Su Yi stop, Zhuge Hong forced himself to remain calm, a subtle trace of cunning appearing on his face: “Since it's a match, there naturally ought to be a stake. How about... we play a game of chess first?”
“Play chess? This is a sword platform, not a chessboard,” Su Yi said with a frown.
“No, no, no, it can be both,” Zhuge Hong wagged his finger, the smile on his face growing wider.
'He took the bait...'
Before his voice completely fell, the bluestone sword platform beneath their feet suddenly vibrated violently!
Mystic patterns emerged from the stone platform, rapidly spreading and intertwining. In the blink of an eye, they formed an extraordinarily vast Yin-Yang Taiji chessboard that enveloped the entire sword platform!
Black and white squares flickered with light, enclosing both Su Yi and Zhuge Hong within.
“It's the Liangyi Chessboard!” a knowledgeable disciple below the stage cried out in shock. “That's a treasure of the sect! If a party loses the chess game, their spiritual energy will be temporarily suppressed by fifty percent! Meanwhile, the victor gains a thirty percent boost to their spiritual energy!”
Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately erupted into an uproar.
“This Zhuge Hong is completely shameless! Senior Brother Su is competing in swordplay fair and square, yet he plays these cheap tricks!” For a moment, some Divine Might Manor disciples felt indignantly aggrieved.
He could have stated openly that they were competing in chess, or that they were competing in both, but tying the chess game directly to the outcome of the sword fight was no longer a pure duel of swords.
How was this a stake? This was blatantly unfair suppression!
Seeing Su Yi being set up, Gongsun Lin's willow brows arched in anger as well. Just as she was about to lash out at Zhuge Hong's shamelessness, a clear, crisp, and majestic phoenix cry suddenly rang out!
Ming Xi, who had just stepped off the platform, looked cold as frost. With a wave of her delicate hand, platinum Phoenix Flame poured forth like a burst celestial river, surging toward the barrier formed by the Liangyi Chessboard with a terrifying momentum capable of incinerating all eight directions!
The scorching heat forced the surrounding disciples to retreat in horror.
Startled by this sudden attack, Zhuge Hong's eyelids twitched wildly. He instinctively took a few steps back, forgetting that he was currently under the protection of the chessboard.
“Boom—!”
The Phoenix Flame slammed heavily against the transparent barrier emitted by the chessboard. However, the barrier merely rippled with intense water-like waves, completely absorbing and dissolving the violent Phoenix Flame, standing firm as a rock.
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