163 - Douluo: Martial Spirit Blue Silver Grass

Chapter 163: The Day-to-Day Life of Rebirth as the Malicious Elder Sister Jiu Ying had consented to Fu Ling's participation in the tournament mainly to help her make a name for herself through these contests. However, these intentions had never been shared with Fu Ling. Jiu Ying hadn't realized that her counterpart was already aware of all her thoughts. Just as she once understood Fu Ling, Fu Ling now understood her. It reached a point where, no matter what she did, Fu Ling was able to offer her full understanding and support. In that moment, she was at a loss for words. Before she could speak again, a sharp chime rang out from the front. Instantly, all whispers around her vanished, and the hand that had quietly been holding her right hand released its grip. The ringing of the bell marked the beginning of the match. Stars dotted the night sky above. Bathed in moonlight, she saw the young woman smile silently at her before leaping gracefully onto the high stage. Silence enveloped the surroundings, quickly replaced by noise once more. At some point, the fox had returned to the embrace of Ning Wan Qiu. All eyes were fixed on the air above. In this moment, regardless of whether they were human, demon, or magical creatures, there was only one focal point: Fu Ling. Among the crowd, members of the Eight Clans instantly recognized her. In no time, murmurs filled the air— "..." "Isn't that Fu Ling?" "I remember Si Xiao died at her hands!" "Yes, yes, it was her! The battle where she killed Si Xiao was spectacular!" "Is it true she possesses both water and fire spiritual roots?" "..." To the demons and magical creatures, the name Fu Ling was unfamiliar until the words ‘Fu Xi’ were spoken, reminding them that the girl on stage was the daughter of the woman who once sealed the demon dragon. The demons secretly chuckled, as if savoring a spectacle. Among the demon kin, expressions varied. Once, Ping Tian wasn't just the demon clan leader; he was also the strongest being in existence. Their feelings towards Fu Xi were mixed with fear and hatred. As for Fu Ling, resentment was all they had. After all, such a profound grudge meant that not only did the Five Elders of the demon clan seek revenge, but many other demon creatures also channeled their anger at being oppressed by the human race towards Fu Xi. In tonight's contest, they hoped to see Fu Ling face defeat. On the high platform, corners were shrouded in darkness. Fu Ling stood not far from the youth, her expression turning more serious. A celestial practitioner is naturally sensitive to the fluctuations of spiritual energy, yet since she stepped onto the stage, she hadn't sensed any spiritual energy movement. Without doubt, the youth's cultivation level was at least mid-perfection stage. This meant that this puppet—matched Lin Yu Miao in strength. Recalling Jiu Ying's earlier words, she quietly retreated a step, formulating a plan. Soulless beings were neither human, demon, nor magical creatures, making it most appropriate to categorize them as wicked entities. The Miao Zhen Spirit Pearl was a bane to wicked entities, yet it had been given to Yuan Xi Shuang. Gazing at the white-robed youth opposite, Fu Ling released a thin strand of spiritual energy from her fingertips, which was carried by a gust of wind around him. Though just a wisp of spiritual energy, the youth noticed it instantly. To him, this signaled the start of the match. He lifted his head abruptly, revealing a pair of lifeless, dark eyes. He appeared vacant and befuddled, yet moved with decisive swiftness. Before Fu Ling could react, he soared into the air before crashing down heavily, a palm striking the ground, unleashing hundreds of green vines from the sky, closing in on her from all sides. Their speed was astonishing. Those on the ground couldn’t discern much, only seeing Fu Ling leaping to evade. As the green vines pursued Fu Ling through the air, gasps of amazement arose. To summon so many vines in such a short time clearly indicated the puppet was a formidable wood spirit user. The people below were not the only ones amazed; Fu Ling, too, was astonished. However, it wasn't the green vines that surprised her, but rather the youth’s complete disregard for her celestial spiritual energy. Being a wicked entity implied he should be restrained by her spiritual energy. Yet the puppet was unaffected by celestial spiritual energy, suggesting a potential flaw. Amidst her evasive maneuvers, she drew a wooden hairpin from her storage stone. It was none other than a jade bone hairpin forged from a Vermillion Bird's tailbone. Her slight delay allowed several vines to close in. She swiftly retreated, the wooden hairpin tracing a line along the vines, swiftly severing two of them. Ordinarily, the jade bone hairpin should have deterred wicked entities, yet curiously, the severed vines were unaffected, rejoining in mere moments! The puppet, unaffected by celestial spiritual energy and unrestrained by the jade bone hairpin, shocked Fu Ling into realizing the truth— The youth before her wasn’t entirely soul-less. He retained a part of his own soul. As for which part, only Dai Yuan Xi knew for sure. The high platform was quickly overrun by green vines. At the edge, Fu Ling teetered on the brink of falling. Ning Wan Qiu frowned deeply, while the fox in her arms widened its eyes. Jiu Ying appeared to remain composed, though her tightly pressed lips betrayed her own concern. Seeing no escape, Fu Ling ceased to dodge. Retrieving her wooden hairpin, she made no further attempt to resist, lightly descending to balance on a thick vine with the grace of the wind. Soon, the vine climbed her legs, coiling around her from feet to head, leaving no gap, intending to suffocate her to death. One vine after another completed their task, continuing until they encased her in a large green cocoon. Those below watched intently, speculating on the fate of the person within the vines. Even Jiu Ying found it difficult to maintain her composure, feeling her heart tighten. Ning Wan Qiu took a step forward, instinctively squeezing the fox's tail in her hand. Just as she was about to call out to halt the contest, dramatic changes occurred on stage. Whispering sounds emanated from above, as if something were compressing the vines, attempting to shatter them. Those below couldn't fathom what was happening, plunging into fervent discussion. The youth on the platform sensed something amiss, darting to the cocoon's side, noticing then the thin layer of water covering each vine. He reached to tear at the water membrane, yet just as his fingers touched, a layer of ice bound his hand to the vines. In the next moment, countless drops of purified water seeped from the core of the cocoon. Before he could withdraw, a loud explosion reverberated as all the vines disintegrated into fragments, burst by the water membrane. His hand, too, was left bloodied by the rupture. The girl who should have been trapped regained her freedom. Fu Ling dusted her hands, untainted by any filth, while the youth’s white robe had turned green from vine sap. Lacking a complete soul, his senses were impaired, leaving him unaffected by his injured hand. The faint scent of blood lingered in the air. Seeing he was about to attack again, Fu Ling unavoidably furrowed her brows. As Jiu Ying had mentioned, puppets understand neither exhaustion nor retreat; once battle ensues, there must be a victor. In tonight's duel, the outcome was singular— The puppet would kill her; or she would utterly destroy him. Reaching behind, she retrieved a large scimitar seemingly out of nowhere. Though not of either the demon or magical races, the blade remained a supreme treasure. Unwilling to prolong the matter, Fu Ling swung the blade toward the youth. Her spiritual energy enhanced its power, making it deadly, certain to cleave a normal person in two. Unfeeling and fearless, the youth raised his hand, intending to catch the blow barehanded. For some unexpected reason, looking at that expressionless face, Fu Ling hesitated, retracting the blade at the last moment. Only then did she grasp a more crucial understanding— From the very start, she had mistaken who her true opponent was in this tournament. Everyone, including Jiu Ying, believed that Fu Ling's opponent was the puppet. However, in reality, the true adversary she needed to defeat was Dai Yuan Xi. Yet up to this moment, she had no clue about who Dai Yuan Xi was or where he could be found. Destroying one puppet would only lead to facing a second or a third. Only by eliminating Dai Yuan Xi could this contest truly end. Realizing this, she raised her hand in a swift motion, and the blade turned in an instant, the sharp edge immediately aimed at the youth’s neck. The puppet, with a fragmented soul, remained vacant, showing no sign of fear. He reached out with his blood-soaked left hand, grabbing for the blade without feeling the pain. Frowning at this, Fu Ling’s countenance shifted ever so slightly, despite knowing that the figure before her was a mindless being. In her past life, Jiu Ying, driven mad by two evil spells and a dangerous fixation on Si Qi, had been no different from this youth. She loosened her lips, softly uttering a question, "Where is Dai Yuan Xi?" As she spoke, her gaze was unwavering, her tone sincere, treating the youth as though he were a normal person. The puppet had only become soulless at eighteen, and this youth appeared barely over twenty, so he hadn’t been a puppet for long. Perhaps because of his short time as a puppet, or because of the soul fragments he retained, he blinked at the girl speaking seriously to him. He didn’t understand the meaning of her question but recognized the name 'Dai Yuan Xi'. Driven by an instinctual fear of his master, he pushed the blade away from his neck, and his expression contorted fiercely. He launched another attack on Fu Ling. This time, the attacks were fiercer, each move intended to be lethal. Fu Ling did not counterattack but simply evaded. No one understood her intentions, not even Jiu Ying. In the midst of the high stage, the scene abruptly shifted. The youth, commanded by his master, was singularly focused on killing his opponent. He summoned a greenwood sword, the blade covered in fine, living barbs, capable of extracting all of a person’s organs upon penetrating the body. As the girl in front of him retreated step by step, stopping only when she reached the corner, he noted the large blade aimed at him but did not fear it. His sole purpose in life was to fulfill his master’s wishes. Even in death, he sought to kill the person before him. He thrust forward with the greenwood sword; as it pierced the girl's abdomen, a massive gash opened on his own neck from the blade. The barbs on the wooden sword, upon entering and absorbing blood, grew wildly, tearing her organs out in moments. Ignoring the wound on his neck, allowing the blood to soak his clothes, he picked up the bloody, unrecognizable red masses from the ground and leapt off the stage. With the kill, the mission was accomplished. The crowd below was puzzled, not understanding why the puppet suddenly left the stage. Normally, such an action would signify a voluntary admission of defeat. However, being only a puppet—not Dai Yuan Xi himself—even the judges of the contest were unsure how to proceed. In the crowd, a hunched old woman held the hands of four children, hiding at the back. The youth walked toward her step by step, drawing the eyes of the crowd, who began to notice this seemingly ordinary old woman. Standing on the platform, Fu Ling was taken aback— The infamous, evil puppet master was actually an elderly woman with a head full of white hair! And those four children... were likely future puppets! Author's Note: I'm catching up on the chapters I owe. Slowly but surely! Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or fed me nutrient solution from 2021-01-2222:20:48 to 2021-01-2301:54:44~ Thank you to the little angels who fed nutrient solutions: Lin Yan Ci 17 bottles; Huang Ting Ting's Official Girlfriend 10 bottles; Liuming 4 bottles; Zeng Keni herself 1 bottle; Thank you all for your support, I will continue to work hard!