Chapter 14: Do You Dare to Compete With Me?

As soon as Shen Yue spoke these words, let alone the people from Wucheng Peak, even the surrounding disciples were stunned!

When Li Shuang was at Lingxu Peak, she lived a reclusive life. Aside from the disciples of Lingxu Peak, she basically had no dealings with others.

However, those disciples from Lingxu Peak frequently spread rumors about her.

They said she was jealous of Ye Zhaozhao.

They said she loved taking credit for others' work.

They said she meddled in everything, from top to bottom.

They said she was as cold as ice, lacking Ye Zhaozhao's gentleness and kindness.

They said she was selfish and never considered others.

In short.

In the mouths of those few people from Lingxu Peak, Li Shuang was nothing less than a loathsome female demon.

But.

If Li Shuang were truly as detestable as they claimed, how could what Shen Yue said—that "this Frost Flower is given to Ye Zhaozhao every month"—be true?

A selfish, ice-cold Eldest Senior Sister, yet one of her monthly cultivation resources was, by default, belonging to Ye Zhaozhao?

This wasn't selfishness; this was practically being a sucker!

Seeing everyone's reaction, Ye Zhaozhao felt a slight surge of panic in her heart.

The people of Lingxu Peak were accustomed to treating Li Shuang's belongings as their own, and Li Shuang never spoke of these matters to outsiders, which led Shen Yue to never think anything was wrong with it.

Ye Zhaozhao didn't think anything was wrong with it either!

However.

She was a bit more worldly than Shen Yue; she at least understood social graces and knew that continuing this way would be detrimental to her reputation.

Ye Zhaozhao hurriedly said, "No, it's not like that. I only mentioned it in passing; Eldest Senior Sister gave it to me of her own accord."

Ye Zhaozhao looked at Li Shuang with a pitiful, aggrieved expression: "Eldest Senior Sister, you must help explain this to them! Otherwise, I really won't be able to clear my name."

She knew Li Shuang's personality!

Li Shuang had lost her father at birth and her mother when she was young. Later, she wandered the world alone until, by a stroke of fate, she arrived at the Sword Sect to take the entrance test.

On her way to the Sword Sect, it was Perfected Master Lingxu who saw her traveling alone, felt pity for her, and conveniently escorted her to the mountain gate.

Later.

Li Shuang was tested to have a top-grade Ice Spiritual Root, causing the entire sect to scramble for her. But the moment Perfected Master Lingxu spoke, she chose Lingxu Peak without hesitation, accepting the responsibility of managing the peak and teaching her junior brothers and sisters without a single word of regret.

A person like Li Shuang had suffered too much in her youth; therefore, as long as someone showed even a shred of kindness, she would repay them a thousandfold!

Ye Zhaozhao believed.

For the sake of Lingxu Peak's reputation, Li Shuang would, just as she had countless times before, help her smooth things over!

Li Shuang looked at Ye Zhaozhao calmly and said indifferently, "Not to make anyone laugh, but in my twenty years in the sect, except for the first few years when the resources were still in my hands, in recent years, I haven't even known what exactly is included in the cultivation resources the sect provides me. Looking at it now, it seems you all know much better than I do. Also, Ye Zhaozhao, stop calling me Eldest Senior Sister. I don't want to hear it."

Li Shuang's tone was flat. There was no accusation, no reproach; she was merely stating a fact.

Everyone listening was dumbfounded.

Something was wrong.

The people from Lingxu Peak spoke as if Li Shuang were a female demon who pulled all the strings.

What kind of female demon cannot even possess her own cultivation resources!

The people from Lingxu Peak seemed to be toxic!

For a moment, the expressions with which everyone looked at Shen Yue and Ye Zhaozhao became even stranger.

Ye Zhaozhao's expression shifted slightly.

*Li Shuang!*

Couldn't she just silently admit to it following her lead? Why did she have to say that!

Ye Zhaozhao glanced at the system panel. She had been calling Li Shuang "Eldest Senior Sister" to provoke her emotions, hoping to make her recall life at Lingxu Peak and trigger emotional points.

But!

Li Shuang's negative emotions were still at zero! It was clear that this title no longer had any effect on her.

She bit her lip slightly. Li Shuang's emotions were indeed very stable; Ye Zhaozhao felt that if her own negative emotions could be quantified, they would probably be exploding right now!

With reddened eyes, Ye Zhaozhao looked at Shen Yue aggrievedly: "Second Senior Brother, let's go. We didn't blame Senior Sister Li for what happened on the snowy mountain that day, but Senior Sister Li still holds a grudge against us. Now that she has said this, we are truly unable to defend ourselves."

Ye Zhaozhao acted as if she had nowhere to voice her grievances.

Shen Yue was a hot-tempered person. He gritted his teeth and looked coldly at Li Shuang: "Li Shuang! You don't need to play the victim here. I admit I have used your resources. But wasn't it all of your own free will? My swordsmanship has reached a high level, and it is rumored outside that I could only reach this level thanks to your help! Didn't you spread those words yourself? Just because I took a few of your sword stones, my achievements are all credited to you! You take the credit, and I take the stones—that was the result you wanted all along! Now, what do you mean by saying all this!"

Shen Yue's expression was venomous.

He was a genius of the sword in his own right; with or without Li Shuang, he was a genius!

At first.

He was very grateful for Li Shuang's guidance.

But later.

All his achievements were branded as being due to Li Shuang's instruction!

Only then did he see the Eldest Senior Sister's true intentions.

She craved fame and fortune, so she didn't hesitate to use this method of belittling her fellow disciples to solidify her own status.

How could such a calculating person be compared to the Junior Sister!

Li Shuang said calmly, "Everyone knows that I am either performing tasks or staying at Lingxu Peak. Where would I get the connections to spread such words? Shen Yue, I will say this one last time: I did not spread those words."

She considered the help she had given Shen Yue as having been fed to the dogs.

But she would not admit to things she had not done.

"If it wasn't you, then who was it! These rumors built your reputation, Li Shuang, while making people think I am just someone who relies on my Senior Sister!" Shen Yue sneered, "If your cultivation hadn't regressed over the last ten years, perhaps fewer people would believe that I actually rely on myself!"

Ye Zhaozhao's eyes flickered, and she said softly, "Actually, Second Senior Brother, you were originally a genius of the sword. In terms of pure sword talent alone, Senior Sister Li is likely far inferior to you."

Ye Zhaozhao's voice was filled with admiration.

Shen Yue instinctively straightened his chest. He looked at Li Shuang with a sharp gaze: "You are always saying my swordsmanship is wrong here and there, putting on airs as Eldest Senior Sister in front of me! Li Shuang, you are no longer a disciple of Lingxu Peak, yet you are still slandering the reputation of our sect in front of so many people. Today, I formally challenge you! I will prove that my swordsmanship has never been inferior to yours!"

Shen Yue stared fixedly at Li Shuang: "Without using cultivation levels, judging solely on swordsmanship—do you dare to compete with me!"

He didn't believe that what Li Shuang said benefited him in any way.

He was a genius; why would he need her guidance?

Today.

In front of everyone, he would clear his name!