Chapter 3427: A Cute And Innocent Opponent

Even the appearance was a clever illusion.

The air around him filled with swirling flower petals. Some looked harmless, but Lin Mu could sense it clearly.

Every one of them could strike like a hammer.

The juniors who fought him were flung about violently, unaware of which petals were illusions and which were Qi constructs. The dangerous harmony of force and deception made him one of the strongest junior competitors so far.

"He is holding back," Lin Mu murmured.

Meng Bai blinked. "You can tell?"

Lin Mu nodded. "He is suppressing a breakthrough. He has been at the threshold for a long time."

Elyon leaned forward. "He will definitely reach the immortal realm before the year ends."

Lin Mu agreed silently. Someone with dual Dao Embryos and the skill to harmonize Hammer Dao and illusion Dao would rise rapidly. If Meng Bai continued advancing at his current pace, he would face this man in the higher rounds.

But in the end, even that prodigy was forced to stop three matches before Meng Bai’s turn. His Qi had run dry, even though his body still wanted to fight.

"That was close," Cattaleya said. "Meng Bai might have had to work for his win if they fought."

Meng Bai scratched his cheek and nodded. "He is strong."

Lin Mu smiled. "You would still defeat him."

Meng Bai brightened a little.

Then the announcer called the next match.

"Next contender, Meng Bai, guest of the Dongxu Clan!"

Meng Bai stood up with a deep breath.

But his expression froze when his opponent stepped onto the ring.

A tiny girl who barely reached his waist.

She looked around twelve or thirteen years old, with large watery eyes and a small spear in her hand. Her robes were bright blue and decorated with lotus patterns. She looked timid, almost ready to cry.

Many spectators gasped in shock.

"A little girl?"

"She looks like she wandered away from her mother."

"Why is she in the ring?"

Lin Mu narrowed his eyes. Her appearance was misleading. She was absolutely a Nascent Soul realm cultivator, and he could tell from the spiritual energy around her that she had broken through too early.

She was far older than she appeared. Likely around a hundred years or more.

She had simply locked herself into this form by ascending too fast.

Cattaleya leaned over the railing and whispered loudly, "Meng Bai, do not go easy on her just because she is small."

Meng Bai shook his head. "I know she is older than she looks."

The referee motioned them forward.

Meng Bai stepped into the ring with calm confidence, though inwardly he braced himself for anything. He never underestimated an opponent. At least he never used to underestimate anyone. But as soon as he saw who was standing across from him, his stance faltered.

A tiny girl no taller than his chest stood in the opposite corner, holding a dainty little spear carved from pale blue wood and edged with silver. Her long hair was tied into two puffy buns and she wore a petite blue dress decorated with lotus petals. Her large sparkling eyes stared up at him with innocent wonder.

The announcer called out, "Xiao Ling of... no affiliation!"

The vague announcement made many spectators blink in confusion.

"No affiliation?"

"Is she from some minor family?"

"No clan name, no sect name... maybe she wandered here by accident."

They were all wrong, but none of them knew it yet.

Xiao Ling gave a bright smile and performed a tiny bow that almost made the audience coo.

"Big brother, please go easy on me," she said sweetly, her voice soft enough to melt iron hearts.

Meng Bai felt something in his chest twist. Cattaleya’s warning echoed in his head, but when he looked at the adorable childlike face, his focus wavered. How was he supposed to fight someone who looked like she should be playing with wooden toys and eating candied fruits?

Meng Bai cleared his throat. "If you feel troubled, you can ask me to stop. I will not harm you."

"Mmn." Xiao Ling nodded with exaggerated cuteness, her eyes turning crescent shaped with her smile.

Somewhere in the seating area, Lin Mu pinched the bridge of his nose.

’This is bad.’

The referee declared the start of the fight and stepped back.

Meng Bai nodded for her to make the first move. Xiao Ling beamed, bouncing slightly on her toes.

"Thank you, big brother," she chimed.

Several women in the audience squealed from the sheer adorableness.

But Lin Mu’s sword heart trembled faintly.

Something was wrong with this girl. Terribly wrong.

Xiao Ling moved.

At first she skipped forward with childlike energy. But then, in the span of a breath, her body blurred. Her movements sharpened. Her aura transformed. What had seemed like the innocent skipping of a child instantly shifted into the precise gait of a trained killer.

In less than a heartbeat, she appeared behind Meng Bai.

Her tiny spear shot at his neck with murderous intention.

CLANG

Meng Bai barely managed to block it with the shaft of his own spear, stumbling backward with wide eyes. The clash rang out across the ring like metal on metal.

The audience froze.

"What was that?"

"How did she move so fast?"

"She is only at the Nascent Soul realm!"

Xiao Ling pouted at Meng Bai, puffing her cheeks. "Big brother promised to let me have the first hit. You lied."

Her voice was once again syrup sweet.

Meng Bai stared at her, utterly stunned.

She tilted her head, smiling in an unsettlingly innocent manner. "I will try again."

Her eyes sharpened instantly. That childish sweetness evaporated into something cold and predatory. Her face twisted into a fierce little snarl, like a small beast baring fangs.

She vanished.

Meng Bai felt danger approaching from his side and raised a shield of water Qi just in time. The spear struck hard, splashing the water shield like a rock dropped in a lake. Meng Bai retaliated by thrusting his spear, forcing her to retreat a few steps.

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