Chapter 102: Life or Death Duel – Forging Forgetfulness in the Void

“Where do you live now?” asked the Great Sword King to Shi Jieyi.
Shi Jieyi took a sip of wine and replied, “We built a few thatched huts in the flower sea behind Lotus Town. It’s not bad there—at least we can see Big Brother every day.”
The Great Sword King nodded. “Good. Then Shui’er and I will move there too. I wonder if the houses are big enough, hehe.”
Shi Jieyi smiled. “Of course they are. If not, we’ll build more. The Eleven have plenty of strength.”
A Jiu looked at Shi Jieyi and said with a smile, “Look at you, here again. But it’s nice for the four of us to live in the flower sea. The scenery there is beautiful, and it’s quiet—truly a paradise away from the world.”
Shui’er nodded. “Yes, that way we can take care of each other. It should be very happy.”
The Great Sword King nodded. “It’s settled then. We’ll move there in a few days.”
A Jiu nodded happily. “Great! I love hustle and bustle. Oh, by the way, I saw that July on the arena today.”
Shi Jieyi took another sip of wine. “That demon woman. It’s she who pestered Big Brother, causing Jili’er to run away. That’s when all those things happened…”
Shui’er shook her head. “What do you men know? She’s just a woman trying to achieve her own happiness. What’s wrong with that? Can’t you put yourself in her shoes? Sometimes she really seems pitiful.”
A Jiu nodded. “Over the past few years, while living in the flower sea, we’ve seen July go to see the scholar every year. She cries in front of his grave all night—it breaks my heart.”
Sigh…
Liu Yi didn’t want to listen any longer. He turned, rode his sword down, and returned to his room. That night, he still had the same dream—the dream of longing for his beloved yet being unable to be together, a dream both real and elusive.
The next day, as usual, the sun hung in the sky, the true guardian of all things on earth. Liu Yi, along with the Wolf King, Qi, and Lin, walked toward the arena once again—same arena, same place. Today, Liu Yi’s opponent in the martial arts contest was Bo Cangqiong, an elder of the Divine Gate. They were fighting in the second match.
Bo Cangqiong had always been a legendary figure in the Divine Gate. Although Yang Yunfeng’s sword ranked among the top six in the three realms, Bo Cangqiong’s “Centrifugal Spear” represented a different kind of dominance. Ten years ago, Liu Yi had also heard from Shui’er that Bo Cangqiong’s “Centrifugal Spear” was extremely powerful. He had wanted to see it back then, never expecting it to be his opponent today.
Arriving early, Liu Yi stepped forward under everyone’s astonished gazes. They knew this mysterious man with black hair and white clothes was the Eternal City Lord who had severed one arm of the Divine Gate’s Wind God the day before. And his opponent today was even stronger—Bo Cangqiong, an elder of the Divine Gate. It seemed there would be a great show today.
At that moment, the white-bearded judge on the arena shouted loudly, “Today’s qualifying rounds begin! Now, let’s welcome the first contestant!” As the old man shouted his best, thunderous applause erupted from the crowd.

When the two competitors entered, the crowd below momentarily forgot to breathe. The first match of the day was actually between two women. Liu Yi, sitting in the audience, watched the two women on stage and felt a stir in his heart. He didn’t know what it was, only that it felt uncomfortable. On the left was Tianjiao—the woman in white with Gilly’s beautiful face, the face that had appeared countless times in his dreams. But compared to Gilly, Tianjiao seemed to possess no trace of mundanity, as if she were from another world, exuding elegance and grace…

Looking at the woman on the right, she had a slender body and tall stature, dressed in a tight white outfit. Her right arm was wrapped in white silk serving as a brace, while her left arm was uncovered, wearing only a black armband. Her dark, healthy skin was fully exposed. Her top ended at her waist, revealing her flat, slender waist. She wore a white short skirt, and her long, beautiful legs were clad in black calf-high leather boots. A white shoulder cape fluttered in the wind, revealing glimpses of her legs…

July remained unchanged, still dressed in that alluring outfit, though the colors had changed. Compared to Tianjiao, the two resembled a fairy from the heavens and a sprite from the earth, each emitting a distinct charm.

July’s weapon was the “Dancing Moon” sword given to her by Liu Yi. Ever since July stepped onto the arena, the two red gems on the sword had emitted a pink glow, surrounding her as if to support her or highlight her beauty.

Tianjiao’s weapon, on the other hand, was a white silk ribbon that hung vertically from her arms. From afar, Tianjiao truly resembled a fairy descending from the heavens, free from any trace of the mundane world.

What was Liu Yi’s mood as he watched the two on stage? No one knew, not even Liu Yi himself. Seeing Tianjiao reminded him of Gilly—Gilly, who was now far away from him, in another world…

The old man with a white beard shouted, “The competitors in this match are the ruler of the Demon Sect, July, and… Miss Tianjiao.” After introducing them, he continued, “I now declare the match to begin.”

With the old man’s announcement, everyone in the arena fell silent.

The two women moved at the same time…

Watching the two fighting on stage, Liu Yi’s mind grew blurred. It seemed as though Tianjiao had turned into Gilly, into the Gilly he longed for day and night. The promises from the past echoed in his mind: “To go to the ends of the earth, watch the moon and stars together, and enjoy the breeze among the flowers…” All those memories had become mere clouds in the sky, incapable of stirring change or becoming reality—only remaining deep in memory.

He remembered climbing the moon together with Gilly, drinking her mushroom soup greedily, their happiness among the flowers, and those unworthy promises. Had she really disappeared from this world? Behind that figure in black clothes and white hair, when the wind blew, was it really just that lonely silhouette?

At that moment, Liu Yi was awakened by a clear ringing sound in the area—it was the love bell sold by that foreigner at the Flowing Splendor Villa. It was that same sound, but it had later been bought by Tianjiao. Liu Yi looked around, unsure where the purple bell was hanging on Tianjiao’s body, but now it had been flung away by the long sword energy emitted from the blade of July’s “Dancing Moon” sword.

Looking at Tianjiao, it seemed she no longer wanted to win this battle; it seemed she had given up something and was striving for something else. Had she forgotten that this was a life-or-death fight? She flew up recklessly, reaching for the love bell…

Just then, July swung her hand and unleashed “Dancing Moon” sword, aiming straight at Tianjiao, who was desperate to grab the bell…

Everyone was shocked—was this woman crazy? Why risk her life to catch that bell?

Perhaps no one could understand, perhaps no one would ever know that at the moment the bell rang, Tianjiao saw a figure—clothed in black with white hair, eyes filled with an indelible sorrow, carrying the cruelest kind of loneliness. Tianjiao’s only wish was to grasp that figure and never let go…