Chapter 56: Secrets Beneath Silvermoon City

"Master, what have you discovered?"

The big black horse also peered into the depths of the earth, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Ye Yun raised his head to glance at the full moon in the night sky once more, then smiled gently. "You'll find out soon enough. Who would have thought there would be such a fascinating spectacle in store?"

"Understood, Master."

A strong surge of curiosity burned within the big black horse, but since its master chose to remain silent, it dared not press further, keeping its questions firmly locked in its heart.

Up on the arena.

The battle between Ouyang Xiu and Su Wanyi was growing increasingly fierce.

Throughout the match, Su Wanyi had been firmly suppressed by Ouyang Xiu, leaving her with very few opportunities to launch a counterattack.

After all, there was a gap of five minor realms between them.

To outside observers, the fact that Su Wanyi had managed to hold on this long without suffering defeat was already nothing short of a miracle.

"Who would have thought! This young lady is remarkably tenacious; there is still no sign of her admitting defeat."

Elder Luo stroked his beard and smiled with profound gratification.

His appreciation for Su Wanyi continued to grow. She possessed an indomitable will and extraordinary talent; with proper cultivation, she was bound to become an astonishing genius.

Xiong Yinghao also nodded with a smile.

He harbored no particular thoughts regarding Su Wanyi.

After all, it was evident to him that if Su Wanyi found it this arduous just to face Ouyang Xiu, she would undoubtedly stand no chance against his own son, Xiong Chumo.

Therefore, he had nothing to worry about.

The position of Earth Supremacy remained his son's exclusive domain.

The battle dragged on for nearly another half-hour.

Su Wanyi still showed no signs of fatigue, whereas Ouyang Xiu's forehead was now slick with a fine layer of sweat.

He could not help but curse his bad luck inwardly.

The tenacity of this delicate young beauty was a rare sight in his lifetime.

If the fight continued any longer, both his spiritual energy and physical stamina would be depleted, causing the power of his sword techniques to plummet drastically.

Ouyang Zhentian had also noticed this shift.

He took a casual sip of tea and remarked indifferently, "Young girl, you are no match for my son. Why persist so bitterly? You might as well just concede."

Concede?

How could that possibly happen?

Su Wanyi had no breath to spare for words, but a cold sneer formed in her heart.

With the Ancestral Dragon bloodline flowing through her veins, her physical body was immensely powerful. Having fought for so long, she felt not the slightest trace of exhaustion.

Even if she had to fight for another five hours, it would pose no problem for her at all.

Being constantly suppressed by Ouyang Xiu also had its advantages; Su Wanyi could sense that her cultivation was on the verge of a breakthrough.

"Hmph!" Seeing that his words had produced no effect,

and that the young girl continued to press her lips together, stubbornly battling his son Ouyang Xiu, Ouyang Zhentian let out a muffled snort.

However, with Elder Luo of the Heaven-Vault Sword Sect present, he found it inconvenient to utter any further aggressive remarks.

In the blink of an eye, the time it took to burn a stick of incense passed.

Ouyang Xiu's physical strength was beginning to wane, and his spiritual energy was running dangerously low.

Flaws began to appear in his sword light.

"A prime opportunity."

A flash of icy light abruptly crossed Su Wanyi's pupils. With a thrust of her sword, she pierced straight through the vulnerability in Ouyang Xiu's stance.

Ouyang Xiu's expression changed drastically.

He scrambled to dodge, but Su Wanyi's sword light clung to him like a shadow, following close behind.

Ouyang Xiu had no choice but to block in a hurried scramble.

Thud!

The sword struck him squarely in the shoulder.

A stream of fresh blood suddenly erupted from Ouyang Xiu's shoulder. With a miserable scream, he collapsed to the ground.

Between physical exhaustion and a shoulder injury, his mental fortitude shattered; he simply could not hold on any longer.

"I concede!"

Ouyang Xiu raised his head and uttered the words with crisp finality.

"Very well."

Su Wanyi sheathed the Seven Stars Dragon-Abyss Sword and leaped down from the arena.

"Magnificent!"

The surrounding spectators burst into enthusiastic applause.

"Wow, Sister Su won again! Defeating Ouyang Xiu, who was five minor realms ahead of her—the Earth Supremacy spot is securely hers!"

Chang Lvdie clapped her hands and cheered.

Seeing that his son had been defeated by Su Wanyi, Ouyang Zhentian trembled with rage.

Clearly, his son had been the one dominating the fight all along; he had never expected that the girl would emerge victorious in the end.

He genuinely suspected whether Su Wanyi had cheated.

How could a delicate woman possess such enduring combat stamina?

He initially felt an urge to step forward and demand an explanation.

However, casting a glance at Elder Luo of the Heaven-Vault Sword Sect beside him and seeing the latter's appreciative smile, he forcefully restrained himself.

It seemed this young girl was destined to become an inner disciple of the Heaven-Vault Sword Sect, just like Xiong Chumo.

She was someone he could not afford to offend.

When Su Wanyi returned to the viewing pavilion, only Xiong Chumo remained inside.

"I must admit, you are a formidable opponent!"

Xiong Chumo stared intently at Su Wanyi, saying with a solemn expression, "If we were both at the seventh tier of the Yuanhai Realm, I would be no match for you."

"What is your point?"

Su Wanyi asked with an indifferent expression.

"You've already fought for so long. If you fight me now, you are bound to lose. Why don't we reach an agreement beforehand? Once we're in the arena later, you can simply concede directly!"

Xiong Chumo said with a smile.

As he spoke, he wore an expression of absolute confidence.

"That's hardly certain. We'll see each other in the arena!"

After dropping these icy words, Su Wanyi turned on her heel.

Xiong Chumo's expression froze instantly.

This little girl truly had a stubborn temperament!

It seemed that once they reached the arena, he could afford to hold nothing back. He would have to end the fight swiftly and use his most powerful sword technique to force her submission.

A fraction of an hour later.

The referee announced the start of the final match.

Su Wanyi and Xiong Chumo stepped onto the arena once more.

The surrounding spectators broke into enthusiastic applause.

This magnificent clash between dragon and phoenix was about to commence.

Regarding the biggest dark horse of this Three-Origins Martial Gathering, many held high hopes for Su Wanyi.

After all, starting from the first tier of the Yuanhai Realm, she had defeated various formidable enemies all the way to the final showdown.

The crowd favored her even more.

Just as the two combatants began their exchange, the large black cat perched on Su Wanyi's shoulder suddenly furrowed its brow.

Drifting in the surrounding air,

it seemed to detect an indescribable, bizarre aura.

It raised its head to glance at the full moon hanging in the night sky.

Abruptly, its feline eyes widened slightly. A faint reddish halo had appeared around the full moon, though it was unclear when it had formed.

Having lived for a very long time, the large black cat was well-traveled and knowledgeable.

At that moment,

it seemed to have thought of a certain possibility.

"Silver Moon City... It is said to have been the former royal capital of the Silver Moon Wolf clan. Ten thousand years ago, however, the Silver Moon Wolf clan suffered defeat, and Silver Moon City was ceded to the human race..."

The large black cat murmured internally.

Although a sense of unease stirred in its heart, the thought that its master was right outside,

along with Grandpa Horse, with whom it shared a deep bond of friendship,

instantly cleared the big black cat's mood.

Down in the arena,

Xiong Chumo unleashed his most powerful Nine-Revolution Tyrant Sword right from the start, launching a frantic assault on Su Wanyi in an attempt to defeat her within a short timeframe.

The sword light surged like a tidal wave, one swell stronger than the next. Su Wanyi resembled a tiny skiff, struggling bitterly amidst the towering waves.

Bang!

Some sort of barrier or shackle within her body seemed to shatter.

Su Wanyi's petite frame trembled slightly.

At that very moment, she broke through to the second tier of the Yuanhai Realm!

Feeling the surge of spiritual energy flooding her entire body and her combat power skyrocketing, Su Wanyi's spirits soared. With a roar like a divine dragon, she unleashed a boundless torrent of sword light, launching a fierce counterattack against Xiong Chumo.