Just as her foot was one step away from the edge of the arena, Chi Hu roared and lunged with its gaping maw…
The onlookers’ faces contorted with fear, their breaths caught in their throats!
The outcome seemed inevitable! Jin Baoer was destined to lose!
At that moment, everyone shared this thought!
However, the moment Chi Hu landed, the blue figure was nowhere beneath it. Even Chi Hu itself was bewildered.
“Look! Look! She’s over there!”
As a Nascent Soul cultivator exclaimed, everyone followed his gaze, revealing expressions of astonishment.
The young girl, who should have been hurled out of the arena with Chi Hu, was now standing behind Qiao Qianshan at the other side of the stage, her ice sword at his throat, exuding an icy aura.
“You lost!”
The smile on Qiao Qianshan’s lips had barely faded before it froze!
“What… what just happened?”
“What’s going on? Can anyone explain?”
“Damn, is this really a battle between Golden Core cultivators? It feels more like a fight between Nascent Soul cultivators!”
“Where did this Jin Baoer monster come from? So terrifying at just over ten years old!”
Amidst the murmuring crowd, the Law Elder conferred with the Sect Master behind him before speaking.
“Everyone might not have seen clearly. Just as Chi Hu charged, fellow Daoist Jin used her small stature to slip beneath its legs and leaped behind fellow Daoist Qiao.”
A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd, their gazes fixed on Jin Baoer with fervent curiosity…
Qiao Qianshan’s expression changed, and he spoke with disbelief.
“You… you did that on purpose!”
He intentionally let Chi Hu force her back, only to ambush him at the last moment!
Jin Baoer did not respond, merely repeating,
“You lost!”
Qiao Qianshan froze upon hearing this, then burst into hearty laughter!
“Lost? Are you sure?”
Her arrogant and confident demeanor instantly put Jin Baoer on alert. Chi Hu appeared beside her in an instant, ready to swat her off the stage at any moment!
Jin Baoer’s expression trembled. It was too late to dodge, and she could only brace herself against the beast’s formidable strength. This round! She had lost…
This time, not just the audience, but even she herself, believed she had lost, as did the Sect Masters and Elders on the stage…
However, no one noticed the little white cat on her shoulder, which had long since awakened. It glanced disdainfully to the side, an invisible pressure swiftly locking onto Chi Hu!
In an instant, the robust and powerful body shuddered, its advance halted dead in its tracks. It crashed heavily to the ground, its beastly eyes reflecting the image of the little white cat, followed by boundless fear and nervousness.
Jin Baoer, who was closest, was the first to sense the anomaly. Hearing the sound, she quickly looked over, witnessing Chi Hu’s every strange reaction. Following its gaze, she looked at her shoulder, where the sleepy little white cat was half-closing its eyes, appearing as if it hadn’t fully woken up, looking weak and adorable…
As if sensing her gaze, the little white cat tilted its head, looking utterly innocent and cute!
“Meow~”
At the same time, the crowd looked at the stage with confusion, all wondering what had just happened.
Jin Baoer didn’t hesitate, kicking Qiao Qianshan off the stage…
Although he didn’t know what had happened, the Law Elder stammered in a daze.
“Out… out of bounds?!”
Upon regaining his senses, he quickly shouted excitedly!
“Out of bounds… Jin Baoer wins! With three consecutive victories, Jin Baoer of the Misty Sect has claimed the championship!”
His voice echoed in the surroundings, leaving the audience stunned into silence!
After a few seconds, an uproar of enthusiasm erupted, everyone incredibly excited!
“So strong! This little girl has a boundless future!”
“I don’t know what happened just now, but this match… was truly thrilling!”
“Roar! My goddess!”
“Ah! Goddess, I want to have your babies!”
Yun Mo Linglong felt an inexplicable sense of pride!
“Hmph! That woman couldn’t even beat me, how could she lose to that brat from the Hundred Beasts Sect! But next time, I will definitely win it back!”
Qiao Qianshan, jolted from his shock, realized he had lost. He looked at Jin Baoer with complex emotions. She was nearly ten years younger than him, yet had achieved such a feat…
Chi Hu slowly walked to his side, its massive head nudging him. It seemed to want to say something but hesitated, its gaze repeatedly flicking towards Jin Baoer’s shoulder before it averted its eyes and let out a low, aggrieved growl.
This strange behavior was interpreted by Qiao Qianshan as unwillingness to accept defeat. He smiled, his arrogance undiminished!
“Chi Hu, don’t be discouraged! We’ll participate in the next competition, and we’ll reclaim the first place!”
Just as Jin Baoer was about to descend the stage, she overheard their conversation. She turned slightly, the blood and grime on her body not diminishing her calm composure.
“Is that so! Then I shall await your challenge!”
With that, she turned and left. Li Qingjiu ran over, brimming with excitement, and immediately showered her with admiration! A stunned Qiao Qianshan watched her retreating back…
“Brother Jin! You were amazing! When that Chi Hu lunged, I was almost scared to tears! I didn’t expect you had planned for it all along…”
Jin Baoer glanced at him and pointed towards Li Bailuo, who was cashing in his bets.
“Aren’t you going to check on your wager?”
Hearing this, Li Qingjiu saw his father’s figure and suddenly came to his senses, rushing over!
At this moment, Hua Qingsu approached, followed by Luo Nanshan, their faces filled with relief and a hint of worry.
“Good disciple, you truly did not disappoint us!”
After a moment of hesitation, she spoke!
“That night…”
Before she could finish, Jin Baoer interrupted, a cold glint flashing in her clear, bright eyes.
“Master, please don’t worry about me! It was merely my own lack of strength!”
Luo Nanshan listened, utterly confused.
“Master, what are you talking about?”
Jin Baoer smiled.
“We’re talking about when Third Senior Brother will prepare to break through to the late Golden Core stage. You’ve been holding back for so long; if you don’t breakthrough soon, you’ll be surpassed by your own junior sister!”
Luo Nanshan chuckled and patted his chest.
“What’s there to fear? Old Man isn’t also only at the late Golden Core stage? If I break through, how self-conscious will he be!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he was stuffed with a辟谷丹 (bigu dan - abstinence from grain pill) by the old man. He swallowed it before he could spit it out, meaning he wouldn’t need to eat for a month! For Luo Nanshan, a connoisseur of food, this was a nightmare!
Watching the master and disciple bicker, Jin Baoer lowered her gaze slightly.
“Master, I need to continue my trials! I am… still not strong enough.”
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so humiliated and still had to pretend nothing had happened.
The old man paused, deeply understanding that the humiliation she suffered that day still weighed on her. He nodded helplessly.
That evening, after taking her pill, Jin Baoer changed her clothes and set off again, without notifying anyone.