Chapter 404: Lolis Have Three Good Points

"Domination of the Nine Heavens ()" Find the latest chapters!

Fantasy's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets at the sidelines, while Kola stood dumbfounded. The entire Demon-Subduing Battle Arena fell into stunned silence, disbelief written across every face as they stared at the scene unfolding before them.

Holy hell, just like that?! When had Mortrel even cast the curse? Not a single pair of eyes among the tens of thousands present had caught it!

Only now did a faint smirk finally appear on Mortrel's gloomy face.

Slowly, he reached into his robes and pulled out a palm-sized doll, its face carved into a spitting image of Winnie—identical in every way.

Zhao Ziyue's expression remained unreadable on the sidelines. The Xifeng Holy Sanctuary wasn't some pushovers like the fools Rose had steamrolled before. This battle had begun the moment Rose set foot in Xifeng Town yesterday.

Hospitality? Did they really think Zhao Ziyue cared about keeping up appearances of generosity? Xifeng Holy Sanctuary needed none of that, and neither did he. In this world, only the victors got to define the truth.

Having the best curse master in the Sanctuary and not using him would be a criminal waste. Liu Yishou's painstaking hospitality had all been for this—to obtain key items from them, like hair or other personal belongings. The more intimate the item, the stronger the curse's potency, serving as the perfect medium for Mortrel's spells.

And as fate would have it, during yesterday's drinking session, Winnie had cut her hand on a broken glass, leaving behind the curse master's favorite ingredient—blood!

This was a foregone conclusion. Xifeng Holy Sanctuary wasn't just aiming for a win—they wanted a dominating 3-0 shutout.

"The Worm Curse originates from Xifeng and is the strongest of all curses."

Mortrel's face creased with a faint smile. Liu Yishou had executed his role perfectly—every conflicted expression had been to lull Rose into complacency. The funniest part? Rose actually thought they'd gotten the better end of the deal. His fingers idly toyed with the doll as he said with a smirk, "So, you see, curse masters are actually a fusion of exorcists and Spirit Beastmasters. The only difference is that the 'spirit beasts' we tame are... special."

The precision-crafted doll in his hand contained a fat grub inside, now connected to Winnie after feeding on her blood. Under the curse master's control, Winnie couldn't even use her witchcraft or summon her Spirit Beast—every movement of her body was entirely at his mercy.

Mortrel's smile didn't waver, though a hint of fervor flashed in his eyes. As a curse master, manipulating an opponent like Winnie Lee was pure bliss. He gave the doll a casual tweak and chuckled, "Watch."

Winnie, trembling slightly, suddenly arched her back. Though petite and far from voluptuous, her willowy curves were now on full display.

Mortrel didn't stop there. His rapt gaze locked onto Winnie as he continued to manipulate the doll like a precision-crafted plaything.

Her hands slid down to her ankles, then slowly traced up her supple form—hips, chest—Winnie's face flamed scarlet, her spirit energy flickering violently as if struggling fiercely against the control. But this only made her movements slower, adding an unwitting sensuality to the display.

The previously hushed stands erupted into cacophony. Some women cursed and jeered, but far more male Sanctuary disciples goggled, riveted to the scene, excitement blazing across their faces.

Not everyone had a thing for lolis, but this was the infamous Ninth Princess of the Lee Family, Winnie Lee! A noble young lady reduced to such a lewd spectacle in public! Being a curse master sounded like a hell of a profession. If they were curse masters, if they could control Winnie like this—just the thought alone was enough to set their pulses racing.

A warrior could be killed but never humiliated. Though Winnie usually postured as the big sister of the Old Wang Squad, the team all saw her as their little sister. Fantasy and Kola were both frozen in shock, fury twisting their faces.

"To hell with this match! I'm gonna kill that bastard!" Fantasy seethed, ready to charge, but Old Wang yanked him back.

"Calm down. Stay put and watch," Old Wang said coolly.

This was Winnie Lee, after all. Anyone who mistook her for some naive little girl was a damn fool.

"Not bad."

Mortrel's voice dripped with malice. Not everyone in the League of Blades feared the Lee Family. In terms of influence, there were plenty who surpassed them—more than could be counted on two hands. And as for terror? The curse masters of Xifeng were the ones who truly made the League tremble. Compared to the ancient Curse Master Alliance, the Lee Family's assassin arts were child's play—who the hell were they trying to scare?

"But I'd rather see you without clothes." Mortrel laughed, intensifying his manipulation of the doll.

Winnie looked utterly pitiful across the arena, her face mottled with exertion as she fought the parasitic worm's control with every ounce of spirit energy. Yet her hands still trembled as they inched toward the buttons of her blouse—was she really about to...?

"Strip! Strip! Strip!"

The male audience was in full riot now. Up in the stands, Fu Changsheng merely smiled, a hint of appreciation in his gaze.

To destroy both body and soul! No matter what purpose this cursemaster had in orchestrating this scene, it left Fu Changsheng feeling utterly satisfied.

What did defeating Rose signify? For elders of the Holy Sanctuary like Fu Changsheng, they had never truly believed Rose could stand before the Heavenly Summit Holy Sanctuary, let alone prevail. Rose's defeat was inevitable, and securing more advantages for the Fu family before that collapse held real significance. This very spectacle was precisely what the Fu clan most desired to witness.

The Lee family wielded the Alliance's shadow oversight authority—their influence was formidable enough that even Fu Changsheng dared not disregard them. Though meant to remain neutral, their recent coziness with both Rose and the Lei family had greatly displeased the Fu faction.

Now misfortune had found the Lee family. Consider their most fearsome aspect: not their strength nor their shadow-dwelling assassins, but the dread they instilled in hearts! Should their young princess strip naked before twenty thousand spectators and assume obscene postures, the scandal would engulf the Alliance by dawn. Thereafter, any mention of the Lee name would evoke images of their debauched daughter, becoming smirking gossip fodder. Who would fear them then?

With their fearful reputation shattered, the Lee family's power would plummet overnight—this was undeniable. When that day came, the Fu family's designs against them would meet far less resistance.

A perfect opportunity... Fu Changsheng's smile deepened. The Lei family's runes and the Lee clan's shadow oversight—long-coveted prizes previously beyond the Fu brothers' reach—now seemed attainable.

Winnie's fingers trembled as her top button came undone, exposing pale neckline.

The ravenous beasts in the stands grew more feverish, bellowing: "Faster! Mortrel, make her strip faster! Let's see the princess's chest!"

"Flat as a budding flower, hahaha!"

"A bud's still a chest! I'm dying to see!"

Crude, howling laughter erupted chiefly from Xifeng Holy Sanctuary's Demon-Quelling Division members—clearly planted to orchestrate the frenzy.

Mortrel's patience frayed. Abandoning gradual unbuttoning, he seized the doll's wrists to rip its garments forcibly—

*Thud!*

His chest burst violently, gouting blood.

Not merely fabric tore—ribs and flesh sundered as if his thorax had been surgically wrenched open. Yet it wasn't Winnie's chest ravaged, but Mortrel's!

"Ah—!"

Female disciples' shrieks cut through the roaring stands. Instant silence fell as all gaped at the grotesque transformation.

Backlash?

Impossible!

All curses were reciprocal—what afflicted another rebounded tenfold upon the caster. This was the curse backlash's defining trait.

Mortrel's eyes bulged. The ghastly chest wound drained his vitality rapidly, while Winnie's flushed complexion normalized instantly.

Understanding struck.

The blood—it had been tainted!

Liu Yishou couldn't have betrayed them—hosting Rose was part of their counter-scheme. They'd anticipated Xifeng would employ curses as insurance on home terrain, where concealing all traces proved impossible. Thus they'd turned the trap against its makers.

The Lee family had been gravely underestimated. Winnie's willful, troublesome reputation masked her shadow training since childhood—Liu Yishou's theatrics were amateur hour to her.

She'd deliberately bled on shattered glass—prime curse medium, fatal to the target. Xifeng would never resist such bait, though now clearly doctored. Certain impurities drastically increased backlash odds—against unprepared foes, such stratagems succeeded easily.

After Wu Di's initial loss, regardless of Xifeng's next combatant, Winnie would be second. Possessing her blood guaranteed Mortrel would curse her, on or off-stage—sealing his death warrant upon activation...

Mortrel had been cautious—the blood's ease of acquisition aroused doubts. Hence he'd avoided powerful curses, adhering to the cardinal rule: against soul-strong foes, restraint prevented multiplied backlashes.

His intent was merely to strip Winnie, humiliate the Lees, and drive her to surrender. But her performance—playing the helpless victim, her petite figure tantalizing—lulled his vigilance. In his fervor's climax, he overreached slightly. Normally, backlash wouldn't cause instant death.

Unknown to him, Winnie had planned his demise from inception. The Lee creed held mercy to enemies as self-cruelty. She'd calculated further—how to legitimately dispatch opponents without reproach. Insulting her insulted the Lee family; his death was warranted.

This was a battle that spanned time... Long before Rose Academy had even set foot in Xifeng Town, the scheming between both sides had already begun. From the initial mutual assessments and speculations, to Liu Yishou's banquet, and now to this moment of backlash, the outcome had been predetermined from the start.

The Demonbane Arena was eerily silent. On the high platform, Fu Changsheng's expression was cold, while Zhao Feiyuan's face was ashen. Yet, no one stepped forward to intervene.

What was there to save? It was already too late.

Death came in an instant. The tenfold curse backlash was enough to turn the power meant to tear clothes into something that tore apart a person entirely. Mortrel's crimson chest cavity was now a mess of blood and flesh, his once strong and vigorous heart pierced clean through by broken ribs. Not even the gods could save him now.

Mortrel's eyes were wide open as he slowly toppled backward. He had realized where he had lost, but there was no chance for redemption anymore.

The surroundings remained deathly quiet. Winnie slowly scanned the stands. "The Lee family has shed blood and sweat for the League of Blades. To insult the Lees is to insult the warriors who sacrificed themselves for the League. He got what he deserved—this matter won't end here!"

Winnie's voice rang clearly across the arena, the gruesome sight of Mortrel amplifying its impact. When it came to winning the narrative, the Lees were peerless experts. A match was just a match—losing due to inferior skill was one thing, but Mortrel's insulting behavior had crossed a line. It wasn't just about Winnie Lee; even an ordinary female Holy Sanctuary disciple would find such actions despicable. The Lees were one of the League's most prominent noble families. Though they kept a low profile now, that didn't mean they could be insulted at will—especially when the other side handed them the perfect excuse.

Justification was crucial.

The expressions of the influential figures present darkened. They never imagined a young girl could be so "devious." They held the power to twist the truth, and Rose was still in grave danger, but under such public scrutiny...

Wang Feng maintained a stern face but secretly gave a thumbs-up. This move was brilliant—Winnie was truly Winnie. He had guessed she had a plan but never expected something so ruthless yet flawless. Masterful!

Now it was his turn to perform. "Principal Zhao Feiyuan, before coming to Xifeng, I held Xifeng Holy Sanctuary in the highest regard—a model for Rose to learn from. But now, it seems undeserving of its reputation. What makes Holy Sanctuary disciples isn't just strength but also virtue. Rose may lose to others, but never to you. Let's continue!"

He punctuated his words with a fierce fist pump, declaring himself the representative of justice.

Zhao Feiyuan's face darkened further, as if he were about to spit blood. This insolent whelp had to add insult to injury—he was the most unscrupulous of them all. But now wasn't the time for debate.

With Wang Feng's provocation, the crowd snapped back to attention. The Frost Spirits faction, Fire God Mountain, Dragon Moon Holy Sanctuary, and Kui Di Holy Sanctuary erupted in wild applause and whistles. Earlier, their voices had been drowned out by the roar of over twenty thousand spectators, but now the entire arena fell silent as they cheered and reveled in their defiance. What a rush!

Only then did Zhao Feiyuan rise and coldly announce, "...The second match goes to Rose!"

'A fatality'—this seemed to have exceeded the bounds of a friendly match. But first, this was a backlash from a curse, meaning the cursemaster had killed himself. Regardless of what means Winnie had used, it was perfectly justified. Second, hadn't Zhao Feiyuan himself said it earlier? Once you stepped onto this arena, life and death were in fate's hands. Those who feared death weren't Holy Sanctuary disciples... They could only eat crow.

Reporters from Sacred Light and Sacred Path were thrilled—this was undoubtedly the story of the year. They had thought Rose, with its handful of members venturing deep into enemy territory, would be toyed with and utterly defeated. But instead, heroes emerged from the young.

The Holy Sanctuary was all about results.

The score was now tied at one to one.

This was a scenario Xifeng Holy Sanctuary had never anticipated. After all, they had even dared to send Mortrel himself onto the stage, believing they already had the match point firmly in hand. But now, not only had Rose pulled them back to square one, but Xifeng had also lost their most crucial trump card.

Mortrel's body was quickly removed, and the bloodstains on the arena floor were swiftly cleaned. All eyes turned to Old Wang's Squad—the third match would be the challenger's turn to send someone.

Ah Xi was still excitedly asking Winnie how she had pulled off the counter-kill when Old Wang called out, "Ah Xi, didn't you say you were itching for a fight? Your turn."

"Damn it, I'm always the sacrificial pawn. Can't I pick my opponent for once?" Ah Xi grumbled.