Chapter Thirty-Six: Breakthrough

Turning to Su Xue'er's side, Yushi had already arranged for the best physicians from the Spirit Master Academy to treat Su Xue'er. Soon, Su Xue'er woke up.

"General, although Miss Su's injuries are not severe, she must rest more and avoid moving too much for faster recovery."

"Okay, you may leave."

"Yes, General."

After the physician left, Yushi helped Su Xue'er sit up, placing a pillow behind her back and another one on her lap for support. Holding Su Xue'er's hand, he spoke gently, "Next time, don't push yourself so hard."

Su Xue'er smiled coyly. "Look, I'm fine, aren't I?"

"Don't do it next time."

"Mm-hmm."

"It will take some time to recast the Purple Nurturing Jade Sword, but this time, I will definitely turn it into a supreme divine weapon."

"A supreme divine weapon?" Su Xue'er was surprised, her eyes filled more with excitement than worry.

"Thank you, Yushi."

After a while, Su Xue'er bit her lip and asked, "Yushi, we were engaged three years ago, right? And then people outside will surely wonder why we haven't gotten married yet. How did you handle this?"

"I said you were unwell and we would discuss marriage later. Then I had all the gifts they sent returned."

"Um..." Su Xue'er was speechless. Could such a thing really happen in this world? Probably only Yushi could pull it off.

"By the way, Xue'er, the move you just used is called the Frantic Bloodshed, right?"

"How did you know?"

"Only Yun Chuxue would know about it, but very few people have seen it. However, someone has seen it after all. You're really careless; this might make them think you're Yun Chuxue."

"I really didn't know it was Yun Chuxue's move," Su Xue'er defended herself vigorously.

"I know, but even if you say you're not, they won't believe you."

"What... What should we do then?" Su Xue'er was at a loss. She only wanted to win at that moment, without considering the consequences.

"Leave it to me. With me here, they won't harm you in the slightest."

Su Xue'er knew that with Yushi by her side, she would be safe. But in doing so, the Spirit Master Academy would become enemies with the entire continent. It's easy to imagine how many people Yun Chuxue had offended. She couldn't help but worry for him.

"If one day he really becomes an enemy of the entire continent, when the war breaks out, I will definitely stand in front of him first," Su Xue'er whispered to herself.

Due to the competition mechanism, there was a seven-day break before the finals. During these seven days, Su Xue'er's injuries had completely healed.

The number of people coming to watch the finals was still as high as ever, even more than during the semi-finals.

"Please send one member from each of the Spirit Master Academy Team and the Southern Yue Empire Team for the final duel."

For the Spirit Master Academy Team, it was still Su Xue'er, while the Southern Yue Empire Team sent a delicate and elegant girl. But don't underestimate this girl. Despite her fragile appearance, she had reached the pinnacle of Spirit Emperor Realm at the age of 19, a rare talent indeed.

Nangong Luo held a long sword and said to Su Xue'er, "I wasn't supposed to participate because my father was worried about my safety. He said your strength is too strong and might hurt me, so..."

Nangong Luo didn't continue.

"You are Nangong Luo, right? His Majesty Mu praised you. It's just luck," Su Xue'er said.

"You're so powerful that you even injured Shen Wujue severely. Shen Wujue is the number one genius of the Southern Yue Empire. I have no chance against him. How about this, you demonstrate the technique you used earlier, and I'll use my strongest attack. Regardless of the outcome, you'll be the winner. What do you think?"

Su Xue'er felt something was fishy, but she also felt that even Shen Wujue wasn't her match, let alone her.

"Okay, I agree."

Then she cut her palm with the blade tip and smeared the Moon-Supporting Heaven-Breaking Halberd with her blood. Gradually, the halberd changed from blue to blood-red, enveloping the arena in a mist of blood.

When Su Xue'er used the Frantic Bloodshed, Yushi already understood; they were setting a trap.

"Okay, it's my turn. Sword of the Star Whale."

Clang!

After hearing the clash of the halberd and the sword, the blood mist on the field dissipated. Nangong Luo held her chest and said, "Well, you win."

With that, she turned to the referee and said, "Referee, announce the result."

"The champion of this year's continental competition is Su Xue'er."

There was confusion in the audience.

"What? Is it over already?"

"It seems that Su Xue'er's momentum is unstoppable this year. Did she make the opponent surrender in the final?"

"Haha, it seems that Su Xue'er is already the first among her peers on the continent."

"Let's go. It's over."

"Let's go, my wife is still waiting for me to buy groceries."

"..."

Su Xue'er dispelled the state of bloodshed and looked at Nangong Luo in front of her, saying softly, "Thank you, Princess Nangong."

"No need to thank me. It's my honor to be friends with someone as powerful as Miss Su."

"Me too."

"Goodbye, Miss Su. See you later."

With that, Nangong Luo left. Su Xue'er was about to step down but was stopped by Shen Yueru.

"Stop, don't leave."

"What do you want?" Shen Yueru snorted and said, "Of course, there's something important."

In no time, except for the teams participating in the competition, everyone else who had come to watch had already departed from the square.

At this moment, the Prime Minister of the Northern Xun Empire, Wang Kai, the Prime Minister of the Southern Yue Empire, Wang Zhe, the Prime Minister of the Eastern Yue Empire, Li Shujie, the Prime Minister of the Western Yun Empire, Yuxun, along with the leaders of various major sects and the chiefs of prominent families, all encircled the competition stage with their respective spirit masters.

Shen Yueru gazed at the surrounding spirit masters and muttered, "Su Xue'er, I refuse to believe you can escape this time."

"Yun Chuxue, surrender quietly. There's no way you can escape this time."

"That's right, you have to pay for what you've done before."

As the crowd attempted to ascend the stage to seize Su Xue'er, Yushi appeared before her in an instant.

Wang Kai interrogated, "Lord Commander, what is the meaning of this? Are you protecting Yun Chuxue? Don't forget how your master died."

Yuxun also urged, "Big brother, come down. The culprit is right before us; we can't let them get away."

"Gentlemen, you may be mistaken. Su Xue'er is my fiancée; she is not Yun Chuxue. Moreover, Yun Chuxue is a strong practitioner of the Spirit God Realm, while Su Xue'er is only in the later stage of the Spirit Emperor Realm. The disparity between them is significant, not to mention their appearance. Clearly, they are not the same person."

"Hahaha~" Wang Zhe laughed a few times and said, "Lord Commander, it seems you are intentionally shielding her. How many benefits has she given you for you to be so biased in her favor? Now that the evidence is as solid as a mountain, you still dare to argue."

Li Shujie echoed, "Indeed, the Moon-Supporting Heaven-Breaking Halberd is Yun Chuxue's most formidable weapon, and the Frantic Bloodshed is a skill unique to her. No one else in the world could possess such a technique. Therefore, Lord Commander, please step aside."

Yushi knew he couldn't say much. Su Xue'er tugged at his sleeve and whispered softly, "Yushi, let them pass."

"Don't worry, if they dare to harm you, I'll make sure they regret it."

Yushi chuckled and said, "You all make valid points. Indeed, the Moon-Supporting Heaven-Breaking Halberd and the Frantic Bloodshed are Yun Chuxue's weapons and techniques. But is it impossible for both Yun Chuxue and Su Xue'er to coincidentally possess this technique? You can come up and arrest her, but think carefully. If this is a misunderstanding, you must provide an explanation. Understand that if you provoke me, you won't be able to handle the consequences."

Wang Kai intended to take action first but then heard the resounding voice of Elder Tang.

"I want to see who dares to touch her."

Elder Tang descended from the sky and stood beside Su Xue'er, disdainfully saying, "Anyone who dares to touch her will be my enemy."

Wang Kai, filled with rage, said, "Tang Mingyuan, what do you mean by this?"

"Today, I won't let you lay a hand on her. Touching her means going against the Tang family."

No one spoke. Wang Kai's gaze was sharp as he muttered, "It's possible that Yushi has set us up. The Tang family is protected by the Spirit Master Academy. Touching the Tang family means going against the Spirit Master Academy."

As everyone hesitated, Li Shujie said, "Elder Tang, I advise you not to meddle in this mess. Today, Yun Chuxue must die."

Yun Chuhao's words shook Elder Tang's confidence.

"Elder Tang, you should know that Yun Chuxue is a disciple of my Yun Chup Palace. Others may not know, but we are well aware. You should understand that Yun Chuxue is also an enemy of the Spirit Master Academy. The Spirit Master Academy cannot protect her because of this incident. I don't believe that even though you have broken through to the Spirit God Realm, you can withstand the siege of the four empires and the seven major sects."

Tang Mingyuan hesitated and said slowly, "Even if it costs me my life, I am willing."

These words deeply moved Su Xue'er. Suddenly, a profound voice resounded, "Hahaha, Tang Mingyuan, well said."

Everyone looked over to see a burly, white-haired old man appearing beside Tang Mingyuan. He patted Tang Mingyuan on the shoulder and said, "Ah, Tang Mingyuan, well said. It's fortunate I carried you when you were young."

Tang Mingyuan understood; this was the renowned Yue Zhengpo, the third uncle of Yushi.

Wang Kai, seeing this, muttered, "This old fellow hasn't died yet. This complicates things." Except for Yuxun, the other prime ministers and sect masters thought the same.

"Nephew pays respects to Uncle," Yuxun also greeted, "Grandson pays respects to Third Uncle."

Seeing this, Yushi, along with Su Xue'er, greeted, "Grandson pays respects to Third Uncle."

"The young lady greets the elder," Su Xue'er said respectfully.

Yue Zhengpo directly flicked Yushi's nose and scolded, "Yushi, is this how you protect your woman? I'll deal with you when we get back."

Then he addressed the crowd, "From what I hear, my future granddaughter-in-law is Yun Chuxue? Any evidence?"

When Su Xue'er heard the words "future granddaughter-in-law," her cheeks flushed slightly, but Yushi remained composed. In truth, he was overjoyed, as Yue Zhengpo had previously disapproved of Su Xue'er.

Wang Kai replied, "The Moon-Supporting Heaven-Breaking Halberd, the Frantic Bloodshed, Yun Chuxue's exclusive weapons and techniques, don't they count?"

Yue Zhengpo stroked his beard and calmly said, "According to your logic, if using one's ancestor's weapons and techniques makes one their ancestor, then by your reasoning, you would become your ancestor by using their weapons and techniques, wouldn't you?"

Su Xue'er couldn't help but chuckle. Yue Zhengpo's words left the crowd speechless.

"I was too impulsive; I apologize," Wang Kai hurriedly said, and the others echoed his sentiment.

At this moment, Wang Kai spoke up, "Please, seniors, allow us to interrogate her. We won't harm her in the slightest."

"Yes, please grant us permission," the others chimed in. Su Xue'er thought to herself, "Trouble. Once I'm taken away, they'll surely kill me."

Of course, Yue Zhengpo was aware of this. He then asked Su Xue'er softly, "Do you have enough time in eight years to advance to the Spiritual Saint Realm?"

"This..." Su Xue'er hesitated.

Yushi interjected, "She can. She can advance."

"Good." Yue Zhengpo turned to the crowd and said, "Let's settle it this way: both sides refrain from causing trouble. Eight years from now, you set a location. If I'm still alive then, I'll bring her over. If she turns out to be Yun Chuxue at that time, you can do as you wish. Agreed?"

After some deliberation, the confident response came, "Agreed, eight years later."

Their confidence stemmed from the fact that even the most talented spirit masters, after practicing for eight years at the later stage of the Spirit Emperor Realm, could at most reach the peak of the Spirit Emperor Realm.

Su Xue'er finally breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, Shen Yueru added, "Since the General has become engaged, and now Su Xue'er is also the champion of the mainland competition, why not celebrate both occasions by choosing an auspicious day for the wedding?"

Yue Zhengpo glared fiercely at Shen Yueru and said, "Who do you think you are to speak here?"

"I am the General's junior sister."

"Hmph, the Spirit Master Pavilion has no need for someone like you. Leave."

"Did I say something wrong?"

Shen Yueru put on a pitiful expression, trying to elicit sympathy.

At this point, Ye Dinglin spoke up, "Elder, I think she's right. It's a double celebration. Choosing an auspicious day for the wedding would allow you to hold your grandchild sooner."

Everyone echoed, "Yes, Master Ye is right."

"It's a way to fill the position of the Junior General," someone added.

Su Xue'er was infuriated to the extreme. Just as one wave subsided, another rose. How could they bring up marriage when Yushi's revenge hadn't been settled?

Yue Zhengpo turned and asked, "What are your thoughts?"

"I..."

Before Su Xue'er could speak, Yushi interrupted, "Both the child and Xue'er have no objections."

"Very well."

Then, he turned to the others and said, "Alright, I'll select an auspicious day immediately. Invitations will be sent to you in due course."

"Understood. We'll take our leave."

The others slowly departed, leaving only Tang Mingyuan, Yushi, Su Xue'er, Yue Zhengpo, Shen Zixuan, Tang Ruoyu, and Shen Yueru.

Shen Yueru glared fiercely at Su Xue'er, wishing she could kill her on the spot.

Smack!

Yushi's hand landed on Shen Yueru's face, knocking her to the ground. Then, with apologies to Yue Zhengpo, he said, "Forgive my inadequacy in handling this matter, Third Uncle."

Shen Yueru, lying on the ground, looked resentful. "Why? Why hit me?"

Yue Zhengpo nonchalantly said, "This isn't my affair. Forget it. Let's just set the wedding three months from now; it's the only solution."

With that, he left, followed by Tang Mingyuan. Shen Yueru looked pitiful, and with a tone of grievance, she asked, "Why?"

Yushi squatted down slowly, looking at her like a pitiful creature, and whispered in her ear, "You should focus on your own affairs instead of meddling in others'. I haven't mentioned that I'm unaware of what you did to Xue'er. That day, was it you who drugged her? Rest assured, I won't tell, considering you're my junior sister. Go home."

Shen Yueru froze. She understood now. Yushi knew about her actions. She smiled faintly and said, "Thank you, Senior Brother."

Then, she stumbled down from the platform and left alone, feeling desolate.

Yun Ziqi said to Yushi, "Junior Brother, I'll go check on her."

Yushi nodded, and Yun Ziqi went after her.