Even so, the Violet Venom Toad remained a grave threat. That emerald mist—its origin unknown—had somehow reacted with the venom it secreted, greatly enhancing the beast's power.
The monstrous creature now emanated an overwhelming aura. Its previously damaged eyes gleamed with a ghostly green light, and viscous poison trickled down its grotesque, warty skin.
"Kill her!" Li Ke'er shrieked, madness distorting her face.
Gu Qingli's poisoned needles had struck Li Ke'er's thigh and shoulder, contorting her features in agony. Had she not ingested a rare antidote to survive within the poisonous fog, she would've long succumbed to the toxins coursing through her veins—Gu Qingli had not used some weakening agent, but true, fatal poison.
The Violet Venom Toad obeyed. Its long, green tongue lashed out from its maw, nearly indistinguishable from the toxic haze, surging toward Gu Qingli like a slick, venomous serpent.
With a flicker of movement, Gu Qingli activated the Fenghuo Scripture, evading swiftly. A foul gust trailed the toad's strike, thick with the stench of rot and death. Drops of its green saliva splattered onto the arena floor, instantly corroding the stone into deep, jagged craters.
With a sudden motion, the silk ribbons around Gu Qingli's wrists vanished, replaced by a slender, mid-length sword. The blade shimmered like a silver arc, adorned with four radiant magical beast cores—each one pulsing with potent energy.
Though the arena was shrouded in poisonous mist, its audience was riveted. No one dared blink, terrified they might miss a single moment.
Then, a thin crimson glow pierced through the green murk.
"Look!"
"What is that?!"
Gu Qingli's blade surged with chilling force, its energy condensing into a fierce sword aura that struck the toad's tongue.
Splurt!
A torrent of emerald blood erupted from the severed flesh. Had she not moved swiftly, Gu Qingli would've been drenched in venom. The blade's strike left a massive, steaming pit in the arena floor.
She pressed forward, sword in hand, her speed a blur—closing in on Li Ke'er and the toad with deadly intent. Her gaze was frigid, a storm of killing intent gathered in her eyes.
Li Ke'er's expression twisted in disbelief. Why—how had Gu Qingli not succumbed to the poison? Wasn't she supposed to be writhing on the ground, gasping her last like a crushed insect?
Gu Qingli's pale fingers slid along her blade, coating it in a shimmering hue of jade and black.
"A taste of your own poison," she whispered, her voice laced with mockery.
With a swift slash, a geyser of virulent blood burst from the toad's body, drenching the arena in noxious gore. The beast howled in agony, its screams sending shivers through the crowd.
"Ke'er!"
The Li family patriarch could no longer remain seated. From the cries alone, it was clear who now held the upper hand.
It made no sense. The plan had been flawless—how could it have failed?
"Patriarch Li, stay your hand. Miss Li has not yet yielded," Sikong Aofeng interjected with stern impartiality, blocking any attempt to interfere.
Joy flickered across the Gu family's faces—Sixth Miss seemed to be unharmed!
"This is the end," Gu Qingli's crystalline voice rang out across the arena, cold and resolute. "May you be reborn with kindness in your next life."
"No!"
Patriarch Li roared in anguish. But before he could act, a thunderous explosion echoed across the stage.
A brilliant scarlet light burst forth from the heart of the poisonous fog. And from its center, a slender silhouette leapt into the air—hair like flowing ink, garments tinged with corroded green, yet her presence remained untainted.
In her hand flashed a long, narrow sword—too quick for any to glimpse clearly before it vanished.
Her face, cold and resplendent, bore phoenix eyes that gleamed like starlight. A devilish smile curled on her crimson lips.
Deadly beauty, unrestrained and wild.
The vast coliseum fell utterly silent. All eyes locked onto the girl standing alone.
With this battle, Gu Qingli had cemented her place as the unrivaled prodigy of Loulan City's younger generation.
As the green mist slowly dissipated, the once-pristine arena—said to withstand even a high-rank Martial King—lay in ruins. Craters pocked its surface, and in the largest of them were two charred corpses.
One was the Violet Venom Toad, twisted in death. The other, headless and blackened from poison, was Li Ke'er—no trace of her once-delicate beauty remained.
The Li family patriarch stormed onto the stage, heedless of lingering toxins, clutching Li Ke'er's corpse.
"No… Ke'er! How could this be?!"
His cry tore through the silence—grief-stricken, uncomprehending.
Though the crowd was still reeling from the breathtaking finale, many couldn't help sneering. After all, the Li family had plotted with poison—should Gu Qingli not be allowed to strike back?
"You dared kill Ke'er—I'll take your life, Gu Qingli!"
Li Ke'er had been the Li family's one shining star, his beloved granddaughter, their future.
Her death shattered his reason. He charged, eyes bloodshot, murderous intent surging.
"You dare!"
"Enough!"
Gu Yifeng and Shao Yan rose in unison, unleashing their Martial King auras to suppress the field.
Even Sikong Aofeng, his face clouded, stood slowly—though a step too far to act directly.
Gu Qingli had not been reckless. The moment she slew Li Ke'er, she had moved swiftly toward the Gu family's seats, anticipating this exact frenzy. A high-rank Martial King was not an opponent she could take lightly.
Gu Yifeng and Shao Yan struck in tandem, blue energy erupting in a fierce wave that sent the deranged Li patriarch flying.
"Patriarch Li," Shao Yan said coldly, "in the youth tournament of Loulan City, one wagers with honor. Win or lose—you abide by the result. I doubt even if the Gu family had lost a daughter, they would behave with such disgrace."
The Loulan City Youth Tournament was, after all, hosted by the City Lord's Manor. Though Sikong Aofeng could not intervene directly, he had no qualms delivering sharp rebukes.
Gu Qingli had won. That was irrefutable.
And for the Li family… the price of treachery had just been paid in full.