Demoness's Art of Vengeance

Hey guys, great news!  Two more top-performing sneak peek Chinese novels licensed from Zongheng have left VIP-only and are available for you to read, each with fifty chapters and a 2/day schedule!  These novels are Yama Rising, translated by Minotauruz (who did the great translation of Demoness' Art of Vengeance) and Star Odyssey, translated by OMA who did Warlock of the Magus World and City of Sin!  Both are veteran and highly capable translators, and I'm excited to bring this to y'all.

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Dai Yue brandished her whip and lashed it at the floor from time to time as she walked slowly towards Jun Xiaomo, one step at a time.

“Jun Xiaomo, weren’t you so arrogant just a while back? Weren’t you extremely confident that you would be able to defeat me? Look at me. Who’s the winner now, huh?” Dai Yue chuckled contemptuously as she looked at Jun Xiaomo with disgust as though she were looking at vermin, “Oh, I’m so sorry. I’ll bet you can’t even lift your head now, huh? Tsk tsk, pitiful. You look just like a dog that’s just lost its master.”

Dai Yue’s voice was picked up and projected into the audience by the Voice Amplification Array. Many people in the audience frowned when they heard her spiel.

After all, nobody liked a savage person who took pleasure in trampling on the pride of others. Even if her opponent had lost the battle, she should still accord her with some respect.

Dai Yue walked over to Jun Xiaomo’s side and bend over, whispering, “I see that you’re suffering a lot. Shall I send you on your way then? It’ll be quick and easy. Just one whip would do.”

Whilst Jun Xiaomo remained taciturn, her body quivered slightly. However, since Jun Xiaomo had fallen face forward, Dai Yue was unable to clearly see the expression on Jun Xiaomo’s face at this moment.

Thus, Dai Yue interpreted her taciturn quivering response as “Jun Xiaomo’s fear”, and her face was plastered with a wicked, delighted smile.

Jun Xiaomo’s present appearance was finally one and the same as that female disciple that her mother had murdered years ago.

That’s right. That’s how it should be! They should quiver as they remain on the floor. This is their penance for what they have done!

Dai Yue viciously exclaimed in her heart. Then, she straightened her back and raised the whip in her hand –

She was going to use the strongest ability available to her as a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Mastery and send Jun Xiaomo straight to the depths of hell!

In the Heavenly Peak’s seating area, Wei Gaolang had all along been sweating profusely on Jun Xiaomo’s behalf. Then, when he saw Dai Yue mustering her strength for the final blow, he finally grew anxious. He leapt to his feet and yelled out at the top of his voice, “Martial sister Xiaomo, don’t force the issue anymore! Hurry up and admit defeat! The battle will end once you admit defeat…”

He was immensely afraid of the consequences of this final strike from Dai Yue. He was afraid of losing his martial sister.

Yet outside of Dai Yue’s line of sight, Jun Xiaomo grimaced slightly, and the depths of her eyes revealed an unrelenting fighting spirit.

She had heard Wei Gaolang’s cry, but she was not going to give up that easily. There was still some fight left in her.

The true reason why her body had quivered slightly earlier was not because she was afraid of Dai Yue. Rather, under the effects of the superior quality fifth-grade recovery pill she had earlier consumed, her body was experiencing immense pain that accompanied the closing of her wounds and the recovery of her injuries. This kind of pain was far more unbearable than the pain from her wounds and injuries.

At the same time, Jun Xiaomo had also detected an increasing sense of danger emanating from Dai Yue’s body. She knew that Dai Yue was now storing and mustering her energy for one final strike against her.

Jun Xiaomo slowly clenched her fist and stared at the floor in front of her eyes. After heaving a few breaths, she closed her eyes and began to intensify the divine sense that she had released.

As she did so, she began to see with more clarity Dai Yue’s exact movements. Through the minutest of Dai Yue’s movements, the expressions she made and her line of sight, Jun Xiaomo made slight adjustments to her prediction of where Dai Yue’s strike would exactly land at.

Jun Xiaomo’s vigilance was now at its very peak.

Shk!

A whip sliced through the tension in the air. A fiery-red whip surrounded by intense flames shot straight towards Jun Xiaomo’s body. The flames darted through the air like a hurricane that was surrounded by several sawtooth peeking out of it. It was evident that such a strike to a person’s body would be incredibly devastating.

Off the stage, tension filled the audience as several people gasped at Dai Yue’s attack. Everyone’s eyes were trained on the whip that was clutched tightly in Dai Yue’s hands right now. The Heavenly Peak disciples were even more anxious, as most of them leapt to their feet and clenched their fists worriedly.

Bang! An earsplitting crackle rang out. Debris scattered about, and dust billowed and filled the air. At that moment, nobody could see what became of Jun Xiaomo after that one intense strike by Dai Yue.

That said, there were several people who had also adjudged that the odds of Jun Xiaomo surviving such a strike were slim to none.

“Wuu—wuu…martial sister…” Wei Gaolang began to bawl uncontrollably, as streaks of tears fell from his eyes. Seated just beside him, martial brother Chen found himself completely dumbfounded as well, and he simply handed Wei Gaolang his own handkerchief.

A few moments later, the dust on stage began to settle, and the consequences of Dai Yue’s strike was revealed for all to see – Jun Xiaomo clutched at her injured shoulders and stood squarely across from Dai Yue. Even though she presented herself in a sorry state, her eyes were filled with determination and immense fighting spirit as she gazed straight into Dai Yue’s eyes.

She managed to avoid that attack?! Several audience members gasped with widened eyes. Moments later, everyone began to start cheering once more.

Under the effects of the fifth-grade recovery pill, the wound on Jun Xiaomo’s shoulder was closing up at a rate that was visible to the naked eye. Furthermore, all of the other wounds and injuries that Dai Yue had earlier inflicted on Jun Xiaomo’s body had completely vanished – they had all healed completely.

“Ah, you’re really able to take a beating, huh? You didn’t even die to that strike. Let me guess, you must have used a high-grade recovery pill, right? Look at the rate of your recovery…tsk tsk, you’re really willing to go all out just for this battle, huh?” Dai Yue mocked Jun Xiaomo with a nauseating smirk on her face, “That’s fine with me. I wouldn’t be satisfied if you died so early either. I mean, you haven’t even kneeled before me and begged me for mercy. How can I let you die before all of this, right?”

A frigid intent flickered across the depths of Jun Xiaomo’s eyes, before a smile crept up the corner of her lips, “If you’d intended to force me to my knees and make me beg for mercy, then I’m afraid that I must disappoint you.”

“Don’t speak too soon.” Dai Yue continued to disparage Jun Xiaomo, “The situation’s not going to turn around for the better just because you’ve consumed a recovery pill. You should know your limits. I might even spare your life if you kneel before me and beg for mercy.”

Jun Xiaomo could feel the Bedeviled Grass stimulating the energy in her body, and the true energy in her body began to flow faster throughout her body. Jun Xiaomo squinted her eyes, and she nodded her head calmly as she remarked, “That’s right. But if I don’t give it a shot, who knows what the outcome would be?”

As soon as she finished speaking, a trace of frigid intent flickered across the depths of Jun Xiaomo’s eyes and she immediately charged towards Dai Yue!

Dai Yue hardly expected Jun Xiaomo to launch a surprise attack at her while her guard was still down. She hurriedly attempted to block Jun Xiaomo’s strike but to no avail – Jun Xiaomo’s attack landed squarely on her body.

That said, Dai Yue was still at the ninth level of Qi Mastery, and there was an abundance of spiritual energy protecting her body. Thus, Jun Xiaomo’s surprise attack barely did any damage to Dai Yue.

Dai Yue gritted her teeth as she barked, “Jun Xiaomo, do you expect such a feeble surprise attack to succeed? You’re far too naïve!”

Dai Yue quickly adjusted herself and began to retaliate.

Just like that, this battle finally evolved from its earlier one-sided battle to an equal exchange of blows. It was incredibly intense, and the nail-biting tension in the air made several audience members watch on with bated breaths and transfixed eyes. Their hearts pulsed ferociously as the battle unfurled.

Ever since Dai Yue pointed out the fact that Jun Xiaomo had consumed a high-grade recovery pill, He Zhang’s gaze had been transfixed on Jun Xiaomo’s body.

He had reason to believe that the recovery pill that Jun Xiaomo had consumed was the one that he had earlier tampered with. Otherwise, there was no way Jun Xiaomo’s injuries and wounds would have recovered so quickly.

After all, the difference between high-grade recovery pills and normal recovery pills was the speed at which the recovery took place.

Furthermore, Jun Xiaomo’s speed and explosiveness had increased several folds after having consumed her recovery pill. This was an effect that could not be achieved had the pill been an ordinary recovery pill. The only rationale for such a development was the fact that the demonic energy within Jun Xiaomo’s body had been thoroughly stimulated.

He Zhang’s expressions tensed up as he estimated the time taken for the demonic energy to burst out of Jun Xiaomo’s body.

One incense stick of time…two incense sticks of time…three incense sticks of time…

Time flowed by quickly as the intense battle developed, yet apart from the increase in Jun Xiaomo’s explosiveness, there was hardly any signs of a demonic outburst from Jun Xiaomo’s body.

Not only that, Dai Yue was even beginning to lose her advantage under Jun Xiaomo’s relentless attacks.

How can this be?! He Zhang gritted his teeth and clenched his fists so hard that his fingers dug into his palms.

At this moment, He Zhang was not the only one who wanted to ask that question. Even Dai Yue began to cry out with disbelief, “How can this be?!!!”

She had never expected a single medicinal pill to change anything apart from healing the injuries and wounds on Jun Xiaomo’s body, much less turn the tides of battle.

Yet, Dai Yue’s calculations proved to be wrong. After consuming the medicinal pill, Jun Xiaomo’s disposition was akin to a gleaming sword that had just been unsheathed as it launched wave after wave of relentless and unavoidable attacks at its target.

On the other hand, it was no longer possible for Dai Yue to resort to the large area of effect spells as she had earlier done in order to weaken Jun Xiaomo.

This was because she had in the earlier battle expended most of her spiritual energy. In particular, that “final strike” that she had launched against Jun Xiaomo had depleted almost one-tenth of the total spiritual energy stored within her body.

And the worst part of it all was that despite depleting one-tenth of the total spiritual energy within her body, she had achieved nothing more than grazing Jun Xiaomo’s shoulder.

To her mind, her final strike should have shattered all of Jun Xiaomo’s bones and left her as nothing more than a mangled corpse on the stage. At that time, not only would she have killed Jun Xiaomo, she would even be able to display Jun Xiaomo at her ugliest and most horrific state for all to see.

Unfortunately, Jun Xiaomo had “coincidentally” consumed the recovery pill and “by a stroke of luck” avoided her attack.

This absolutely infuriated Dai Yue.

Regardless, Dai Yue had expended far too much spiritual energy earlier, and she could no longer use any area of effect spells against Jun Xiaomo to restrain her movements and weaken her body. She could only resort to her single attack spells and her technique with the whip to fend off Jun Xiaomo’s attacks. That said, how could she possibly match up against Jun Xiaomo given Jun Xiaomo’s incredible combat intuition?

No matter how strong her spells or attacks were, these strikes were absolutely useless if she could not land a single one of them.

Furthermore, under the stimulating effects of the Bedeviled Grass, Jun Xiaomo’s explosiveness had increased several folds as well.

In the eyes of the audience, Jun Xiaomo was now so proficient with the whip that it had almost become as though an extension of her own body. Together with her fluttering garments, the flickering shadows and afterimages of her whip flourished gracefully. At the same time, Jun Xiaomo also interspersed the lashes of her whips with a dazzling display of fire spells, each of which had without fail found their way to Dai Yue’s body.

Jun Xiaomo was sometimes active and sometimes languid, sometimes powerful and sometimes flexible…

The abilities executed by Jun Xiaomo were incisive and designed to destroy, yet the manner in which she used it was simply so graceful and enthralling that it magnetically drew the audience’s attention to her display of skills.

Yet on the other hand, Dai Yue whose disposition throughout the entire battle had been ruthless and vulgar had begun to show signs that her spirit was willing, but her flesh was weak. Her vicious attacks dwindled, and she was increasingly on the defensive and pushed onto her backfoot.

Finally, Dai Yue fell fiercely onto the ground, and her body was covered with dirt.

“Do you admit defeat?” Jun Xiaomo walked over to her side. She looked down on Dai Yue who lay pitifully on the ground as she asked dispassionately.

It was almost as though she were exchanging a casual greeting with a mere acquaintance.

Dai Yue’s heart was filled with humiliation. She had never expected Jun Xiaomo to be able to stand on her high horse and deride her like this.

This was completely different from Dai Yue’s expectations!

“Do you admit defeat?” Jun Xiaomo lashed firmly at the floor with her whip.

“I don’t!” Dai Yue shook her head with indignation, “You must have used a prohibited medicinal pill! Otherwise, how could you possibly have defeated me?!”

“Oh? Is that right? I didn’t realize that I’d defeated you with the use of a prohibited medicinal pill. Then, tell me, what kind of prohibited medicinal pill did I use?”

“That medicinal pill!” Dai Yue’s eyes blazed with rage as she barked, “That medicinal pill is the problem. It must be a medicinal pill that allows you to increase your cultivation level!”

A smile crept up the corner of Jun Xiaomo’s lips as she remarked nonchalantly, “Dai Yue, not everyone’s the same as you.”

Dai Yue’s face turned pale, and her expression turned even uglier, “You, you…Jun Xiaomo! What do you mean?!”

“You understand, don’t you?” Jun Xiaomo tilted her head slowly as she placidly responded, “Do you really think you can conceal from everyone the fact that you’ve taken a cultivation suppressing medicinal pill? How about it – a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Mastery losing to a measly cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Mastery. Do you feel satisfied by your performance?”

“You! You just wait! I haven’t lost yet!” Dai Yue’s veins began to bulge as she bemoaned in anger and infuriation. She struggled to stand up to no avail as she almost instantly fell back down onto the ground.

Her injuries were simply too severe.

Jun Xiaomo coiled up her whip and tapped them in her hands. She stood tall with an erect back as she looked down on Dai Yue and suggested, “If you admit defeat, I’ll let you off the hook. Do you admit defeat?”

“Never!” Dai Yue understood that her chances of turning the tides of battle were slim to none, but that did not change the fact that she was infuriated by Jun Xiaomo’s provocations. In the heat of the moment, she refused to give in.

Jun Xiaomo’s eyes gleamed brightly, before she coldly stated, “That’s fine. Remember, you’ve brought this upon yourself.”

Dai Yue’s heart constricted with anxiety as a sense of unease swept over her. Yet there was no longer a chance for her to capitulate – in the blink of an eye, Jun Xiaomo’s whip lashed out straight towards Dai Yue’s face!

“Ahh--!” Dai Yue let out a shrill shriek. Jun Xiaomo’s whip had directly struck Dai Yue’s mouth, grinding up the flesh around her lips and causing her face to swell up.

“Wu-wu-wu…” Dai Yue clutched tightly at her lips. Jun Xiaomo’s earlier whiplash had struck her tongue and her teeth as well. Not only had Dai Yue lost several teeth, she had almost even bitten off her tongue as a result of the fierce strike.

She stared back at Jun Xiaomo in fear. Her earlier unwillingness and vicious attitude had all been instantly dissipated by this single lash from Jun Xiaomo.

“Do you admit defeat?” Jun Xiaomo placidly questioned again.

Dai Yue wanted to say that she admitted defeat, but she had already lost the use of her lips and tongue, and there was nothing more she could say right now. Thus, she could only clutch at her mouth as she continued to sob tragically.

Jun Xiaomo had noticed that Dai Yue intended to admit defeat as well, but she pretended not to notice this.

Her whip lashed out again. This time, it struck Dai Yue on her body, causing her to roll across the arena like a ragdoll.

“Do you admit defeat?” Jun Xiaomo asked again.

Dai Yue wanted so much to say that she admitted defeat, but her mouth was filled with blood and no sound came out of it. She wanted to gesture her admission of defeat, but Jun Xiaomo’s earlier strike had disoriented her so much that she could no longer even do so. In her confusion, she anxiously nodded her head, before shaking her head, and nobody could tell what exactly she meant by all of this.

Pak! Another whiplash.

“Do you admit defeat?”

Pak! A second whiplash.

“Do you admit defeat?”

…

Just like that, Jun Xiaomo alternated between a whiplash and a question; a whiplash and a question. This went on until Dai Yue was reduced to a pile of tears and blood in her final breath as she finally managed to clamber to Jun Xiaomo’s feet and tug gently at her clothes, begging Jun Xiaomo to let her off the hook.

After such a long time, Jun Xiaomo had finally ventilated the frustrations and exasperations that she had bottled up in her heart since the start of the match.

Jun Xiaomo curled up her whip as she glanced back at Dai Yue and left her with a few parting words, “Remember, others will treat you in the same way you treat others. I’m just returning you the favor right now.”

As Jun Xiaomo finished speaking, she lifted her head and declared to the referee, “The opponent has admitted defeat. Contestant Jun Xiaomo requests an end to this battle.”

The audience below were still dazed with astonishment by the fact that Jun Xiaomo had managed to turn the tides of battle, and it was only at this moment that they came back to their senses – Jun Xiaomo has won?! Jun Xiaomo, who’s only at the sixth level of Qi Mastery, has won?! Jun Xiaomo, who had earlier been reduced to no more than her final breaths by Dai Yue, has – actually – won?!?!

In that moment, the entire audience erupted into a thunderous applause.

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