The waves of noise had yet to settle when the overseeing elder's sharp voice cut cleanly through the chaos.
"Yuan Jie!"
The elder's gaze was cold and heavy.
"You made a wager before this duel began. You will need to keep it!"
Still half-propped against the shattered edge of the platform, his expression stiffened.
The bet.
If he lost, he would kneel before Bai Zihan and apologize publicly for his earlier provocation.
At the ti, he had been certain of victory. The wager had been nothing more than a display of confidence.
Now-
It was a blade hanging over his neck.
Yuan Jie slowly pushed himself upright. His body trembled-not from injury, but from humiliation.
"I... understand. I will do it when I see Bai Zihan."
He nodded stiffly.
Outwardly compliant.
Inwardly-
(Keep my words? Fine!)
(After today, I'll simply enter closed-door cultivation. I'll stay hidden for months -years if I must. People will forget quickly.)
By the ti he reappeared, this incident would be an old story.
Who would still care?
Yes!
That was the best solution.
A flicker of calculation returned to his eyes.
But before he could move-
A calm, faintly amused voice drifted across the arena.
"No need to wait. You can do that right now!"
The crowd stirred.
Bai Zihan stepped forward.
The mont he appeared, the atmosphere shifted subtly.
"It can be done now."
His tone was gentle.
Yet it left no room for evasion.
Lin Xuan froze for a split second.
Then his face lit up with unmistakable excitent.
"Young Master!"
He imdiately sheathed his sword and hurried over, completely forgetting the solemn atmosphere from monts ago.
"When did you co?"
His voice carried genuine joy, like a disciple eager to show his achievents.
Bai Zihan smiled faintly.
"I've been watching. You have grown stronger."
Bai Zihan's complint filled Lin Xuan with excitent-and a bit of embarrassnt, since he hadn't known he was being watched.
If so, he thought that he wouldn't have wasted young master's ti and ended
the match without giving Yuan Jie any chance from the start.
So disciples thought the praise was lacking compared to what Lin Xuan had accomplished.
Others understood it differently.
To Bai Zihan, who had already achieved far more, comprehending Sword Intent might not seem like such a great achievent.
Bai Zihan's gaze lingered on Lin Xuan for a brief mont-approval clear within it-before shifting past him.
And settling on Yuan Jie.
The arena filled with anticipation.
Everyone understood.
The wager.
This was it.
Yuan Jie stiffened under countless gazes.
Sweat gathered at his temples.
His pride scread in defiance.
(Why is he here?)
He absolutely didn't want to. Not before so many people. If he did, wouldn't his
reputation be completely ruined?
Seconds passed.
Then more.
The silence began to grow uncomfortable.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"What is he waiting for?"
"He said he'd do it."
"A wager is a wager." "Keep your word!"
One voice shouted-
"Do it!"
Another followed-
"Do it!"
Soon the chant spread, echoing across the arena in growing waves.
"Do it!"
"Do it!"
"Keep your word!"
The pressure mounted visibly on Yuan Jie's face.
His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Before him stood Bai Zihan-calm, composed, hands loosely folded behind his
back.
Ti stretched unbearably.
The chanting continued.
"Do it!"
"Bow!"
"Keep your word!"
Yuan Jie's breathing grew uneven.
His pride.
His status.
His face.
All of it trembled on the edge of collapse.
And before the entire Heaven Sword Sect-
He had no escape.
Yuan Jie swallowed.
His throat felt dry.
The chanting pressed in from all directions.
His gaze flickered toward Bai Zihan.
Perhaps... perhaps there was still room to salvage this.
He forced a stiff smile, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Young Master Bai," Yuan Jie began, his voice hoarse but trying to remain steady, "about earlier... It was rely a mont of heated words between disciples. We are of the sa sect. There's no need to escalate matters to such an extent."
A pause.
"Keep your word!"
The pressure mounted visibly on Yuan Jie's face.
His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Before him stood Bai Zihan-calm, composed, hands loosely folded behind his
back.
Ti stretched unbearably.
The chanting continued.
"Do it!"
"Bow!" "Keep your word!"
Yuan Jie's breathing grew uneven.
His pride.
His status.
His face.
All of it trembled on the edge of collapse.
And before the entire Heaven Sword Sect-
He had no escape.
Yuan Jie swallowed.
His throat felt dry.
The chanting pressed in from all directions.
His gaze flickered toward Bai Zihan. Perhaps... perhaps there was still room to salvage this.
He forced a stiff smile, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Young Master Bai," Yuan Jie began, his voice hoarse but trying to remain steady, "about earlier... It was rely a mont of heated words between disciples. We are of the sa sect. There's no need to escalate matters to such an extent."
A pause.
"If Young Master is willing, I can compensate for the offense. Gold, pills, rare materials-"
He forced himself to continue.
"I recently returned from a mission. I obtained a Thousand-Year Frost Crystal. I
can offer it as an apology"
A faint murmur ran through the crowd.
A Thousand-Year Frost Crystal was no small treasure.
A Grade-5 treasure that could be refined into a Grade-6 pill with the help of a
Grade-6 alchemist.
But Bai Zihan did not react.
He did not look tempted.
He didn't even look interested.
Instead, he tilted his head slightly.
"Finished?" Two simple words.
Yuan Jie's heart sank.
Bai Zihan's gaze was calm-almost indifferent.
"When," Bai Zihan asked gently, "will you begin?"
No anger. No sarcasm.
Just a simple question.
As if discussing sothing trivial.
Yuan Jie's fingers trembled.
Negotiate with Bai Zihan?
Impossible!
If it were anyone else, perhaps wealth would work. Perhaps resources.
Perhaps favors.
But this was Bai Zihan.
The man who is rumored to be the richest cultivator in the entire Desolate
Heaven Empire.
The one whose personal wealth surpassed that of many sects and clan leaders.
What could he possibly offer?
Treasures?
Connections?
Bai Zihan had everything.
And more.
The worst part-
Bai Zihan seed hell-bent on seeing this through.
Yuan Jie understood then. Delaying would only make this uglier.
The longer he resisted, the more pitiful he would look.
The chanting had not stopped.
"Bow!" "Do it!"
"Keep your word!"
His jaw tightened.
His teeth ground together.
His pride scread.
But under the weight of thousands of eyes-
He moved.
Slowly.
Stiffly.
Yuan Jie stepped forward.
Then-
His knees bent.
The sound of fabric brushing against stone seed thunderous in the silence.
He knelt before Bai Zihan.
His head lowered, fists clenched against the platform so tightly that fresh blood
seeped from his palms.
"...I was wrong."
The words scraped out of him like broken glass.
"I spoke arrogantly and disrespected Young Master Bai."
A tremor ran through his shoulders.
"I apologize!"
Silence fell over the entire arena.
Even the wind seed to pause.
For a Soul Formation cultivator-
A core disciple-
Soone who used his status as Han Shewu's lackey-the son of the new Sect
Leader-to throw his weight around-
To kneel publicly like this-
It was unforgettable!
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