After My Rebirth, I Ended Up Happily Ever After with the Saintess - Chapter 15

On the arena, the poison needle that had dropped to the ground, flickering with an ominous black light, was like ice water thrown into boiling oil, instantly igniting an uproar and widespread questioning throughout the venue!

“A hidden weapon! It’s a poison needle!”

“Young Master Yè Fēng actually… actually resorted to such a tactic?”

“How despicable! This is the Grand Competition!”

“No wonder Young Miss Yè Lí almost fell for it just now! So that’s what happened!”

Gasps, accusations, and voices of disbelief and discussion swept through the arena like a tsunami. All the eyes that had previously looked upon Yè Fēng with reverence and adoration now turned to contempt, anger, and disappointment.

On the high platform, Third Elder Yè Lǎng’s face was ashen, his body trembling slightly. He wanted to open his mouth to offer a defense but was glared back into silence by an icy, cold look from the Patriarch, Yè Tiān, as if his throat had been choked.

Great Elder Yè Xiāo was even more furious, slamming the armrest of his seat. His voice boomed like thunder: “Outrageous! To dare use such a venomous object in the Family Grand Competition! Enforcement Team! Take Yè Fēng down, strictly guard him, and await sentencing!”

Several cold-tempered family enforcement team members immediately stepped forward, roughly grabbed Yè Fēng, who was covered in blood and still struggling and roaring, “It wasn’t me! It was…” and dragged him off the platform. The poison needle was also carefully collected by the team as evidence.

A duel that should have been a magnificent clash of dragons and tigers ended abruptly in such a shameful manner.

But the result was clear.

The referee took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and announced loudly, his voice carrying a slight tremor: “The first match of the final round, due to Yè Fēng’s violation using a forbidden item, he is disqualified! The victor—Yè Lí!”

There were no cheers, only a complex silence.

Everyone’s gaze once again focused on the lone figure in the center of the arena.

Yè Lí slowly regulated her breathing. The red swelling on her forehead and the churning blood and qi in her body reminded her of the terrifying moment just now. She looked coldly in the direction where Yè Fēng was dragged, feeling no particular satisfaction, only a chilling clarity. She had witnessed too much of the family’s darkness already.

This victory was less about a complete crushing by strength and more about the triumph of wisdom, experience, and insight into danger. Of course, the timely assistance of the Reincarnation Mirror was paramount.

She had successfully advanced to the final championship match!

Her opponent would be the victor of the other semi-final. That match had already concluded during Yè Lí’s and Yè Fēng’s duel. The winner was a collateral branch disciple named Yè Shí.

Yè Shí, true to his name (Stone), was tall and muscular, with dark skin and an honest, quiet face. Before this, he was not well-known in the family, far less dazzling than direct lineage geniuses like Yè Fēng. However, in this competition, he had progressed steadily, relying on an extremely solid foundation and a mule-like tenacity to defeat several powerful direct lineage opponents and reach the final, becoming a dark horse no one had expected.

His cultivation had also reached the High-Stage of the Spirit Awakening Realm. Although he wasn’t at the Half-Step Pulse Condensation like Yè Fēng, his foundation was extremely solid, his spiritual energy was profound, and he followed a powerful, brute-force path.

Due to Yè Fēng’s unexpected elimination, the planned third-place match was canceled, and the other semi-final loser was automatically awarded third place. The final championship match would be held between Yè Lí and Yè Shí!

The newly emerged dark horse versus the biggest dark horse!

This dramatic turn of events once again captivated everyone.

A brief rest period was given for Yè Lí to recover.

She swallowed the rewarded Qi Recovery Pill and quickly adjusted her state. The powerful effects of the Emperor’s Sutra of the Deep Universe, combined with the stability provided by the Reincarnation Mirror fragment, allowed her to recover at an astonishing speed.

On the other side, Yè Shí silently sat in a corner, polishing a seemingly heavy, black, thick-backed saber. His gaze occasionally shifted toward Yè Lí, filled with solemnity and strong fighting intent, devoid of any contempt or the arrogance shown by previous direct lineage disciples. He was a pure warrior who respected his opponent.

The atmosphere on the high platform remained tense. Yè Fēng’s scandal had caused the direct lineage to lose face, and the Third Elder’s faction was utterly humiliated. Now, the final was to be fought between two collateral branch disciples—a situation unprecedented in the Yè Family.

Patriarch Yè Tiān’s eyes scanned Yè Lí and Yè Shí, his thoughts unfathomable.

Great Elder Yè Xiāo’s face was still grim, but his gaze towards the arena held a new element of scrutiny.

Fourth Elder Yè Yún’s eyes shone brighter, seemingly full of anticipation for this clash between the collateral branches.

The bell rang again, signaling the arrival of the final showdown!

“Family Grand Competition, Championship Match! Yè Lí versus Yè Shí! Both contestants, please ascend the platform!”

The entire venue instantly fell silent, all eyes filled with expectation. This time, it would be a pure collision of strength against strength!

Yè Shí carried the heavy black saber, striding onto the platform. With every step, the arena seemed to tremble slightly, his aura solid as a mountain.

Yè Lí also ascended the platform, still dressed in her washed-out, old clothes. Her slender figure contrasted sharply with Yè Shí’s massive frame.

“Please enlighten me!” Yè Shí’s voice was low, like muffled thunder. He cupped his fist and bowed to Yè Lí, his eyes serious. He did not slight her because she was a woman or because of her former reputation as a “cripple”—reaching this stage had already proven her power.

“Please.” Yè Lí nodded slightly, returning the courtesy. His attitude earned a hint of her respect.

“The Final—Begin!” the referee announced loudly!

“Roar!” Yè Shí let out a low growl, but did not attack immediately. Instead, a dull, earthy-yellow spiritual energy erupted around him, as if he had donned a stone armor! He clearly cultivated an art focused on defense and power. His aura was immensely dense, giving the impression of unshakeable sturdiness.

Immediately, he gripped the saber with both hands. Ominous black light blossomed on the heavy black saber, and a heavy blade-intent spread out, locking onto Yè Lí!

“Heavy Mountain Blade Technique!” someone in the audience exclaimed, “A Human-Rank High-Grade martial skill! They say that when mastered, every strike carries the weight of a mountain!”

Yè Lí’s eyes narrowed slightly. Her opponent had adopted an utterly defensive and steady strategy, using stillness to counter movement and relying on his formidable defense and strength to force her to attack first, thereby exposing a flaw. This was the most effective tactic against a flexible fighter like her.

She no longer hesitated. Executing the Ghostly Shadow Steps, her figure instantly became blurred, like a phantom circling Yè Shí, searching for an opportunity.

However, Yè Shí’s defense was impenetrable. His saber-intent was not fast, but it enveloped his entire body. The profound power seemed to form an invisible force field, making it difficult for Yè Lí to approach easily. The occasional saber qi he cleaved out was mighty and heavy, forcing Yè Lí to dodge and retreat.

“Clang!”

Yè Lí attempted to tap the back of his saber with a single finger, but it resulted in a metallic clang, and her fingertip was numb from the counter-shock! Her opponent’s spiritual energy and physical strength both far surpassed her previous opponents!

“What powerful defense! What profound strength!” Yè Lí praised inwardly. This was the result of a truly solid foundation.

The battle fell into a deadlock for a while. Yè Lí’s footwork was strange, making it hard for Yè Shí to pinpoint her true body. But Yè Shí’s defense was too thick and his strength too fierce, leaving Yè Lí with no good opening to breach.

The audience held its breath.

“Senior Brother Yè Shí’s defense is too strong! She can’t break it!”

“Senior Sister Yè Lí’s footwork is too fast! He can’t even touch her!”

“Now this is an evenly matched duel!”

On the high platform, the elders nodded slightly. Compared to the match with Yè Fēng, this duel was clearly purer and more thrilling.

Unable to find a breakthrough, Yè Lí’s mind raced. Direct strong attacks were a bad idea; she had to rely on wit.

She began to change her strategy. No longer seeking a decisive strike, she used the extreme flexibility of the Ghostly Shadow Steps to continuously harass and probe. Finger-winds, palm-shadows, and even kicks assaulted Yè Shí from all angles like a violent storm, but most were blocked by his heavy saber-intent and defense.

Her attacks seemed futile, but with each clash, she was meticulously sensing the rhythm of his spiritual energy circulation, the gaps in his power transition, and the subtle fluctuations in the heavy saber-intent.

Yè Shí was steady as a rock, yet his heart grew increasingly shocked. While the force of her attacks could not truly threaten him, the strike points were incredibly tricky, causing his blood and qi to fluctuate slightly. Even more terrifyingly, her footwork was ghostly; his blade-intent simply couldn’t lock onto her, and his own spiritual energy consumption was constantly increasing.

He realized he couldn’t let this continue! He had to force her into a head-on clash!

He suddenly took a deep breath, and his spiritual energy crazily surged into the black saber. The heavy black saber burst with a brilliant black glow and let out a buzzing sound!

“Heavy Mountain—CLEAVE!”

He roared, abandoning his defense. He violently stepped forward, held the saber with both hands, and brought it down with the momentum of one-force-breaking-all-arts, cleaving fiercely toward one of Yè Lí’s afterimages!

This one slash condensed all his power and will! The saber qi surged, as if an invisible mountain was genuinely crushing down with the blade’s momentum! The floor of the ring cracked under this immense, heavy pressure!

This was the decisive strike! It would either force her to meet it head-on or completely drive her off the ring!

However, just as his old strength was spent, his new strength was yet to arise, and all his power was channeled into this one strike—

Yè Lí, who had been moving like a phantom, suddenly erupted with a brilliant light in her eyes!

She had been waiting for this opportunity! When her opponent unleashed his full power, a fleeting, extremely brief moment of stagnation would inevitably appear in his heavy defense due to the power transition!

The cool current from the Reincarnation Mirror fragment moved slightly again, heightening her perception to the extreme, allowing her to precisely capture the fleeting flaw—it was not in the strongest front of the saber-intent, but in a meridian node somewhere behind his right shoulder, slightly exposed due to the full-power cleave!

Now!

Yè Lí’s figure didn’t retreat but advanced! Instead of charging into the terrifying saber qi, she appeared like a teleportation flash behind Yè Shí’s side! Her timing was perfect!

She condensed all her icy-cold spiritual energy without reservation onto the tip of her right index finger! The fingertip even glowed with a crystalline jade color, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze!

“Break!”

She let out a clear, cold shout and pointed her finger! Not at the saber, nor at a vital body point, but with incredible precision at the power transition node behind Yè Shí’s right shoulder!

This one finger strike condensed all her understanding of power, her perfect grasp of the timing, and the extreme sharpness of the Emperor’s Sutra of the Deep Universe’s spiritual energy!

“Pfft!”

A slight, muffled sound.

Yè Shí’s violent and peerless saber-intent suddenly stalled! It was as if a rushing river had its source instantly cut off! He only felt a numbness in his right shoulder, and a sharp, cold force penetrated his body, instantly disrupting the smooth flow of his spiritual energy!

The Heavy Mountain Cleave, which had condensed his entire body’s strength, lost its subsequent support, and the saber qi instantly dissipated by more than half! The heavy black saber became uncontrollable, causing him to stagger forward!

His guard was wide open!

How could Yè Lí miss this chance? She unleashed the Ghostly Shadow Steps again, instantly closing the distance! Her left palm, containing a soft, flexible force, gently slapped Yè Shí’s chest, which was left undefended by his stagger!

“Bang!”

Yè Shí let out a muffled groan. His sturdy body could no longer maintain balance. He stumbled back seven or eight steps, finally missed his footing, and fell off the arena!

He stood steady, his face showing no anger, only a hint of astonishment and sudden realization, which soon turned into a wry smile. He cupped his fist and said, “I concede. Junior Sister Yè Lí, your finger technique is exquisite, and your insight is formidable. Yè Shí admires you.” He was genuinely convinced of his defeat.

The entire venue once again fell into a dead silence.

It was over?

The final champion was actually… Yè Lí?

The collateral branch ‘cripple’ who was once easily bullied by everyone?

The next moment, deafening gasps and cheers, like a volcanic eruption, roared throughout the entire training ground!

“She won! Yè Lí won!”

“The Champion! She is the champion!”

“Incredible! She even defeated Senior Brother Yè Shí, who had the strongest defense!”

“Our collateral branch… has finally risen!”

Countless collateral branch disciples were so excited they had tears in their eyes, cheering loudly! The servants also looked on with awe and admiration!

Yè Lí stood on the arena, slightly panting, sweat dripping from her temple. The continuous high-intensity fighting had consumed a great deal of her energy. But her eyes shone like stars.

She had done it. As a collateral branch member, she had reached the pinnacle of the Yè Family’s younger generation!

The referee took a deep breath and announced in an excited voice: “Family Grand Competition, the ultimate Champion—Yè Lí!”

The voice echoed far and wide.

On the high platform, Patriarch Yè Tiān slowly stood up. All the elders had no choice but to follow suit.

Their gazes, incredibly complex, landed on the young girl.

From this day forward, no one in the Yè Family would dare regard her as a cripple again.

She had won respect, won status, and won… the qualification to reach a broader world!