Ye Tian didn't make things difficult for his opponent. "Your Martial Skill is quite good! It can produce powerful flames. The reason you lost is very simple. First, you don't have enough Spiritual Power, and second, you have very little combat experience. You can't flexibly adapt to the changes during a fight."
"Thank you, Ye Tian. You're the only person I, Marshal Ye, have ever truly admired. If you ever need anything in the future, just say the word. I'd go through fire and water for you!" Marshal Ye said respectfully, then left the arena.
Now, only Ye Shixue and Ye Tian were left on the arena stage. "Brother Tian, if I asked you to concede, would you?" Ye Shixue asked Ye Tian softly.
Her voice wasn't loud, but quite a few people still heard her. Everyone's gaze turned to Ye Tian. A beautiful woman was asking him to forfeit directly; they wondered if he would agree, or if he would choose to fight her.
"Do you really want to be number one? You should know you're definitely not Feifei's match! Are you just trying to get the prize?" Ye Tian asked.
"That's none of your business. You just need to tell me whether you're willing to give up this match for me!" Ye Shixue said.
Ye Tian was stunned for a moment. 'This is a really difficult question to answer. If I refuse her directly, I'm afraid I'll hurt her feelings. But if I don't refuse, I'm afraid I'll hurt Ye Feifei and make her think there's still something between us.'
"Sister Xue! Let's just fight. I'll use fifty percent of my strength against you. Otherwise, even if you get first place, people will look down on you! You should understand that!" Ye Tian said helplessly.
"Alright! Thank you, Brother Tian. But I won't be holding back!" Ye Shixue said with a faint smile.
The moment she finished speaking, her figure flashed. She brandished her Fine Steel Sword in a flourish and attacked Ye Tian. Her speed was incredible, and the powerful Sword Qi from her attack made the surrounding space tremble slightly.
Ye Shixue held nothing back in this strike, as if she intended to take Ye Tian's life in a single blow. She showed absolutely no mercy.
Ye Tian didn't want to clash with her head-on, so he executed Flowing Cloud Step to dodge quickly. Ye Shixue's attack hit nothing but air, leaving her looking a bit awkward.
"Brother Tian, you're so mean! All you do is dodge. Sister Xue doesn't want you to go easy on her!" Ye Shixue's voice was a little loud, and many people heard her.
At this, many of the family disciples below the arena began to gossip again. Many of them knew that Ye Shixue was now Ye Hu's woman, yet here she was, acting extremely flirtatious with Ye Tian.
And since Ye Tian had a complicated relationship with Ye Feifei, everyone was a bit baffled. They all thought Ye Tian was still hung up on his old flame, Ye Shixue.
Only Ye Feifei didn't let her thoughts run wild. She believed in Ye Tian's feelings for her. The scene she had witnessed outside the window that night was proof enough: Ye Tian was actively avoiding Ye Shixue and had no intention of rekindling their old romance.
Ye Tian turned a deaf ear to the discussions below the stage, but he still glanced down at Ye Feifei. He wasn't afraid of anything except Ye Feifei misunderstanding the situation.
As he looked toward Ye Feifei, she happened to look back at him. Their gazes met, and faint smiles appeared on both their faces. In that one smile, there was a tacit understanding; everything was clear.
"Then you'd better be careful!" 'I've already made up my mind,' Ye Tian thought. 'When you love someone, you have to see it through. A future with Ye Shixue is impossible, so I can't let Ye Feifei down. Even if it means hurting Ye Shixue, I won't hesitate. After all, she's the one who hurt me so deeply in the past.'
With a single thought, he swiftly executed the Fourth Form of the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique. His figure flashed, and he appeared before Ye Shixue, just as she unleashed a quick slash of her own at him.
Just as Ye Tian's sword was about to reach Ye Shixue, her own sword suddenly pulled back. In other words, at that very moment, she abandoned her attack, leaving herself completely defenseless as if waiting for death.
Ye Tian was instantly alarmed. 'Even if this strike doesn't kill her, it will heavily injure her!' But it was too late to retract the move. The only thing he could do was to rapidly withdraw the Dragon Spiritual Power he had channeled into his Fine Steel Sword.
However, doing so would inevitably cause his Spiritual Power to flow in reverse, causing immense damage to his Heart Vein. This was all because he had only used fifty percent of his strength; had he used his full power, his Heart Vein might have been completely shattered. The danger was unimaginable.
At the critical moment, Ye Tian withdrew his Dragon Spiritual Power. The backlash of the reverse-flowing Dragon Spiritual Power sent a sharp pain through his chest, and he couldn't stop himself from spitting out a mouthful of blood. His face became deathly pale.
His Fine Steel Sword stopped just as it reached Ye Shixue's body, not harming her in the slightest.
Ye Tian's sudden change alarmed everyone. Ye Feifei nearly rushed onto the arena stage to check on him. She knew he must have forcefully reversed the flow of Spiritual Power in his body; it went without saying that he had suffered severe internal injuries.
In that instant, her hatred for Ye Shixue soared. 'She's so insincere toward my man, toying with his feelings. I can't tolerate it. If I get the chance to fight her, I'll make her pay the price.'
Seeing Ye Tian spit up blood, Ye Shixue showed no signs of surprise or concern. Instead, the corners of her lips curled into a faint smile. This was exactly the effect she had been hoping for.
At that moment, she swung her Longsword, thrusting it toward Ye Tian's chest at top speed. If the blow landed now, his life would most likely be in danger.
No one had expected Ye Shixue to be so ruthless toward Ye Tian at a moment like this. Ye Feifei and Ye Weitian's hearts were in their throats. It was too late to save Ye Tian; all they could do was worry.
Although his Heart Vein was damaged, Ye Tian's mind was perfectly clear. He hadn't expected Ye Shixue to strike so viciously at this moment either. Enduring the pain, he circulated his Dragon Spiritual Power and swiftly threw a Thunderbolt Fist.
His fist struck the blade directly, knocking it aside. He also retreated rapidly, narrowly and perilously avoiding the attack.
However, after dodging, he spat out another mouthful of fresh blood. This time, his Heart Vein was truly and severely damaged. It was too late for regrets.
Ye Shixue was also knocked back several dozen steps by Ye Tian's blow before she could regain her footing. Her face was a little pale, but she still wore a smile, though now it looked rather ugly.
"Brother Tian!" Ye Feifei could no longer hold back. Her figure flashed as she flew onto the arena stage and supported Ye Tian. Seeing her beloved man injured, her heart was breaking.
"Feifei, I'm alright! I was just careless! Don't worry about me!" Ye Tian said, forcing a smile for Ye Feifei despite the pain. At that moment, Ye Tian's heart ached terribly.
It wasn't the physical injury that hurt, but the betrayal. 'To be so viciously attacked by someone you trust... it's hard for anyone to bear. To think we were once so inseparable, that our bond was so deep. Even though she has changed, in my heart, I still saw her as a little sister.'
'Otherwise, I never would have forcefully reversed my Dragon Spiritual Power and damaged my Heart Vein. This just proved one thing: when a woman's heart changes, she can be a terrifying thing.'
Worried sick about Ye Tian, an angry expression appeared on Ye Feifei's exquisitely beautiful face. She glared at Ye Shixue and raged, "You shameless woman! What's the point of winning against Brother Tian like this? If you've got the guts, fight me instead!"