11: The Mysterious Beauty & The Sect Mistress's Growing Distraction

Chapter 11: The Mysterious Beauty & The Sect Mistress's Growing Distraction

The Tournament Continues: A New Challenger Appears

Lin Tian stood casually in the arena, his arms crossed, as Ren Haoyu's unconscious body was dragged off by a pair of sect disciples.

Another effortless victory.

Another wave of shocked whispers.

💬 "This is insane! He keeps winning in a single move!"

💬 "How is he this strong? He was a cripple just days ago!"

💬 "Is he even human?!"

Lin Tian smirked, basking in the attention.

💭 "Feels good to be the center of the world."

But before he could enjoy the moment too much, the next challenger's name was called.

"The next match—Lin Tian versus… Ye Lingxue!"

The entire sect fell silent.

Then—

💬 "Ye Lingxue?! The Hidden Ice Flower?!"

💬 "She rarely fights in public!"

💬 "They say her beauty is unrivaled, but her heart is colder than frost!"

Lin Tian raised an eyebrow.

💭 "Another cold beauty, huh? This day keeps getting better."

Then—she arrived.

Ye Lingxue: The Hidden Ice Flower

A gentle breeze swept across the arena as a woman stepped forward, her graceful presence freezing the very air around her.

Ye Lingxue was ethereal, her long, silver-blue hair cascading like flowing ice, her skin pale and flawless like freshly fallen snow.

She wore a snow-white battle robe, embroidered with delicate ice lotus patterns, the fabric hugging her curves in all the right places.

But what caught Lin Tian's attention the most—

Her eyes.

Cold, crystal-blue eyes, sharp and distant, like an untouched winter landscape.

She was elegant. Reserved. Untouched.

And incredibly, incredibly dangerous.

She studied Lin Tian with a calm, unreadable gaze.

"You're quite arrogant," she finally said, her voice soft but laced with frost.

Lin Tian grinned. "Not arrogant. Just confident."

Ye Lingxue's expression didn't change.

"We'll see about that."

A Private Conversation in the VIP Stands

Meanwhile, up in the Sect Mistress's private viewing area, Yue Qingyan's violet eyes flickered as she observed the match.

Su Meiyu, seated beside her, lazily swirled a cup of spirit wine, her nine tails flicking playfully.

"My, my…" Su Meiyu purred. "It seems Lin Tian attracts every cold beauty in the sect, doesn't he?"

Yue Qingyan's gaze remained fixed on the arena.

"He's reckless."

Su Meiyu smirked knowingly.

"But entertaining."

Yue Qingyan didn't respond.

She wasn't sure why she was so focused on this match.

But as Lin Tian and Ye Lingxue faced off, she felt an unfamiliar tension in her chest.

💭 "Why do I care?"

She didn't have an answer.

The Duel Begins: Ice vs. Confidence

The arena fell silent.

The referee raised his hand.

"Begin!"

WHOOSH!

Ye Lingxue vanished.

Lin Tian's eyes sharpened—but before he could react, an icy gust of wind wrapped around him, chilling his body.

💬 "Fast!"

💬 "She's already using her Ice Dao!"

Lin Tian grinned.

💭 "She's fast, but I've seen faster."

CRACK!

The air exploded with ice shards as Ye Lingxue appeared directly behind him, her palm glowing with frozen Qi.

"Freeze."

She thrust her palm forward—but—

Lin Tian vanished.

Her eyes widened slightly.

Before she could react—

A warm breath grazed her ear.

"Too slow."

Ye Lingxue's entire body tensed.

Lin Tian stood directly behind her, his lips nearly touching her ear, his presence unnervingly close.

[Ding! Silver Tongue Effect Activated!]

For the first time, a visible pink blush spread across her pale cheeks.

The crowd gasped.

💬 "W-Wait, what just happened?!"

💬 "Lin Tian… dodged her attack and got that close?!"

💬 "Is he… flirting with her mid-battle?!"

Ye Lingxue's breathing hitched—but she quickly shoved him away, her expression shaken but composed.

"You…" she muttered, voice slightly uneven.

Lin Tian chuckled. "What? Surprised?"

Ye Lingxue's gaze sharpened, her posture stiff.

She had fought countless battles. She had been praised as untouchable.

Yet this man…

He wasn't just fighting her.

He was toying with her.

And worse—

She could feel her heartbeat quicken.

💭 "No… this is ridiculous. I must focus."

Watching from Above: The Sect Mistress's Growing Frustration

Up in the VIP stands, Yue Qingyan's grip tightened slightly around her chair's armrest.

💭 "Again… he's doing it again."

First her, then Luo Qingcheng, then Su Meiyu—and now Ye Lingxue?!

What was it about this man?

Why did he have this effect on powerful women?

Su Meiyu, of course, was loving every second of it.

She smirked, her golden fox eyes gleaming.

"Your little disciple is quite impressive, Sect Mistress~"

Yue Qingyan ignored her, but she couldn't deny—

Something about this was unsettling.

And… annoying.

The Final Exchange: Lin Tian's Victory

Back in the arena, Ye Lingxue took a deep breath, her cold expression returning.

"This time, I won't hold back."

She raised her hands, summoning a powerful storm of ice and snow, the arena floor freezing over instantly.

Lin Tian smirked.

💭 "Nice trick, but let's end this."

As she released her strongest attack—

Lin Tian moved.

Faster than lightning.

BOOM!

Before anyone could react, he appeared behind her again, his palm lightly pressing against the small of her back.

Ye Lingxue's entire body stiffened.

Her eyes widened in pure shock.

"You're open."

BOOM!

A controlled burst of Qi sent her flying backward, her attack shattering mid-air.

She landed gracefully, her breath uneven, her crystal-blue eyes locked onto him.

Then—

She exhaled softly.

"You win."

💬 "HE WON AGAIN?!"

💬 "EVEN YE LINGXUE COULDN'T BEAT HIM?!"

Lin Tian smirked and stepped forward until he was just inches away from her.

"Not bad," he murmured. "But next time, try to last longer."

[Ding! Ye Lingxue is flustered! Favorability +5!]

Her cheeks darkened again—but this time, she didn't reply.

She simply turned away, walking off without another word.

Lin Tian chuckled to himself.

💭 "Another one down. Who's next?"

End of Chapter 11