Reon didn't glance at anything else, his mind clouded with rage — determined to teach Yi Ran a harsh lesson.
She hung limp in his grasp, half-unconscious, cradled in his arms like a fallen princess—her face just few inches from his own.
He could hear her faint, hollow breathing.
"She's so light... and she slls so delicate," Reon thought distractedly.
Slowly, he turned his head.
The arena — utterly silent.
Not a single whisper, not even a breath.
"Shit... I think I've caused sothing even more shocking than defeating the Protagonist," Reon thought grimly, a bead of sweat running down his temple.
Then, like a stone thrown into a frozen lake, a loud, gleeful voice shattered the stillness.
"Yahoo! You're the best, Big Brother!"
It was Xu Yang — yelling at the top of his lungs.
And just like that, a storm of voices erupted across the arena.
"Impossible...! This can't be!"
"For Goddess Yi Ran to be defeated so badly... it's unthinkable!"
"Xue Taiyang, you fucking bastard! How dare you touch my Goddess? I'll kill you!"
"Did you see? His move... it was just like Yi Ran's attack!"
"But how? How could Xue Taiyang pull that off?"
"Maybe... so kind of artifact? A powerful one that can copy an opponent's technique!"
"Yeah, has to be! Otherwise, how could he have defeated Goddess Yi Ran?"
"Exactly! He must have used tricks! We refuse to accept this duel's result!"
"Yes! We don't acknowledge his victory! Goddess Yi Ran is still the true winner!"
But not everyone agreed.
"So what if you don't accept it? No one cares. He won, didn't he?" a sharp female voice rang out.
"Yes, on a battlefield, victory is everything — whether by trickery or strength," another added.
"I suddenly think Brother Xue is... kinda handso," another girl giggled.
"Hehe, too."
And so the crowd split — so defending Yi Ran, others newly converted into Xue Taiyang's admirers...
anwhile, another group sat mourning their shattered fortunes.
"My Sect Points... Sob... Sob..."
"Yeah, too... I bet everything on Yi Ran. Now I'm ruined."
" three... I'm finished..."
Among the neutral, whispers continued:
"A newcor... beating the second-ranked disciple. It's insane."
"Maybe he really was a hidden prodigy all along..."
"You think he could even defeat the top disciple?"
"Possibly. I heard rumors he used to be an Inner Disciple... maybe it's true."
"Yeah, I'm starting to believe it too."
Amidst the chaos, Xu Yang proudly shouted,
"Hey, Baldy Senior! Did you see it with your dog eyes? My Big Brother crushed your so-called second-ranked disciple!"
"Shut up, you chibi bastard! Wawawa... Mommy, I lost all my points..."
"Go all-in next ti too, Senior~" Xu Yang teased wickedly.
...
"How did... he do that?" the Dean mused from high above, sipping her wine thoughtfully.
"Was it truly an artifact? But I don't recall any artifact capable of copying attacks like that."
"There are Epic- or even Higher-Grade artifacts that can replicate an opponent's attack," she continued inwardly, "but they can only return a fraction—perhaps one-fifth to half—of the original power."
"I even possess a Saint-Grade artifact that can rebound nearly two-thirds of an opponent's attack... but never the full force."
"Yet the strike Xue Taiyang returned to Yi Ran looked even stronger than her own. How is... that possible?"
"It's almost as if it enhanced the attack. Could such an artifact truly exist...? Unless... it's a Divine artifact, one surpassing even the Immortal Grade, sothing even I have never heard of."
A flicker of urgency passed through her eyes.
"I need to investigate this imdiately," she said, before swiftly flying away.
anwhile, the veiled girl observed quietly from the stands.
"My cousin lost... and this brutally, to that man?" she thought, her eyes narrowing.
"He seems to possess only average talent, but it appears he has far more ability than I anticipated. I'll need to co up with a new plan."
At the sa ti, another veiled girl stood silently in the corner of the stands, her blue, crystal-like hair fluttering gracefully in the breeze.
"Hehehe, Senpai, you truly are the best," she murmured, her voice laced with an eerie amusent.
"It seems you've already recovered. This won't do. I had hoped that, for once, I could be the one to look after you... but..."
Her expression was hidden behind the veil, but the twist in her voice revealed a darker intent as her gaze lingered on Reon, still holding Yi Ran.
"Should I... erase that girl from this world?" she whispered, her voice tinged with a dangerous lilt.
"No, no! I can't. I must control myself. I've already caused Senpai enough trouble. Perhaps all those vile rumors about him... they're all because of ."
A dark, twisted smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "But... I'm happy. The more people hate you, the more ti I'll have you all to myself."
...
Down below, Reon stood awkwardly in the center of the arena, the wild cheers and furious curses weighing heavily on him.
"I need to leave. Fast."
In an instant, Cloudia shrank into her adorable, miniaturized form and delicately perched on his shoulder.
Reon took out a Grade-1 Healing Pill, intending to feed it to Yi Ran — but when he looked at her face, he froze.
The blood had vanished.
Her injuries... healing at an alarming speed, even without the pill.
"Is this... another ability of her Physique? Truly deserving of being one of the Strongest Destined Daughters of Heaven," he thought in amazent.
Still, he carefully carried Yi Ran to the arena's edge, handing her over to the waiting helpers who would escort her to the dicine Hall.
Without wasting another second, Reon left the Dueling Arena, exhaling deeply as the noise faded behind him.
A little later, he t up with Xu Yang and the two began walking toward their living quarters.
"Big Brother, you were aweso today!" Xu Yang bead, eyes shining with admiration.
Reon chuckled warmly.
"Thank you, Xu Yang. But you must work hard too. Next ti, I want us to stand side-by-side — both victorious."
"Yes! I'll catch up to you, Big Brother!" Xu Yang said, full of determination.
"Good," Reon replied with a smile, though a flicker of hesitation crossed his face, as if sothing was tugging at the back of his mind.
He glanced at Xu Yang and asked, "Say, Xu Yang... there's sothing I've been curious about."
"Ask anything, Big Brother!"
"You said... Xu Liang is your elder sister."
"Yeah," Xu Yang nodded.
"Then... that ans you're a prince of the Great Xuhan Kingdom?"
Xu Yang scratched his head sheepishly. "Well... technically, yes."
Reon blinked.
He rembered all too well — in the novels, princes and princesses of Great Kingdoms were often arrogant, easily offended.
And they take it very personally if soone speaks to them rudely—so even go as far as to kill anyone who disrespects them, whether openly or in secret, especially when they visit the mortal world.
"Have I been... rude to him?" he wondered with alarm.
"Am I being disrespectful by speaking to you so casually?" he asked hesitantly.
But Xu Yang waved his hands frantically.
"No, no, Big Brother! You're not rude at all! I consider you like a ntor — you can speak to however you like!"
Relieved, Reon nodded. "He's really humble..."
Xu Yang then added, a bit more softly,
"Actually... I wasn't born a prince. I was adopted from an orphanage by the late First Wife of the King of Xuhan Kingdom, because she couldn't have children."
"She treated like her own... she loved dearly. I called her my mother."
"But after she died... I beca a nobody in the royal family. The others... even the maids... looked down on ."
"But my Big Sister Xu Liang... she never did. She always treated like her real brother. She even recomnded to this sect, and by so luck, I managed to pass the entrance test."
"And... that's how I t you, Big Brother," Xu Yang finished with a small, trembling smile.
Reon's heart ached hearing the loneliness hidden behind Xu Yang's cheerful face.
More than anyone, he understood — the pain of loneliness could cut deeper than any physical wound.
Without thinking, he stopped in his tracks and, without saying a word, pulled the smaller boy into a tight embrace.
"Don't worry, Little Xu. I'm here, and I'll always be by your side," Reon said firmly. "No matter what happens, you can rely on ."
Xu Yang froze — then suddenly, tears stread down his cheeks as he clung to Reon.
"Thank you... thank you very much, Big Brother... You're just like my Big Sister... I love you both so much!"
Reon smiled gently, warmth blossoming in his chest.
"He's just like a child..." he thought.
And so the two walked on, side by side, a bond of brotherhood forged more stronger in fire and sincerity.
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