"Life or death battle it is. Just make sure your friends don't accuse me of bullying later!"

Yuan Yong suddenly felt a bad premonition, yet he couldn't resist the greed he had for the bronze fragment.

He quickly agreed to Zhang Yiyi's challenge, figuring he could fight without holding back now.

Truthfully, Yuan Yong found Zhang Yiyi's eagerness for a death match strange. None of her companions tried to stop her, seemingly unconcerned.

Did this female cultivator have some hidden trick or a trump card unknown to others?

It wasn't until this moment that Yuan Yong began to take Zhang Yiyi, a mere cultivator at the peak of Qi Refining, seriously. But serious or not, it was still just a matter of taking her seriously.

The crowd quickly made space for the two to fight. Mo Yan stood silently by, coldly watching, unconcerned with who would live or die.

His reputation had already been thoroughly crushed by Yuan Ying and Zhang Yiyi's group. None of these people here were worth his attention anymore.

As for the bronze fragment on Zhang Yiyi, it would eventually be his!

"Brother Mo, why don't you act as a witness? This life or death battle was your junior sister's idea, so whatever happens can't be blamed on me!"

Just before the fight began, Yuan Yong instinctively glanced at Mo Yan, as if to ensure he wouldn't intervene on behalf of his fellow sect member at a critical moment.

"In a life or death battle, life and death are determined by fate."

Mo Yan responded emotionlessly, "I have no right to interfere in your matters."

This statement reassured those eyeing the bronze fragment. Sect mates? That meant nothing when faced with personal gain.

Zhang Yiyi wasn't surprised by Mo Yan's attitude. This man likely wanted her to die in this mystic realm, but unfortunately, he was destined to be disappointed.

"This junior sister, for the sake of your Senior Brother Mo of the Yunxian Sect, I'll give you one last chance to hand over the bronze fragment. Otherwise, losing your life over it won't be worth it..."

Yuan Yong glanced at Zhang Yiyi, feigning concern as if trying to persuade her.

"Enough with the nonsense!"

Zhang Yiyi threw a punch at him, uninterested in hearing such hypocritical talk. She attacked directly.

Yuan Yong snorted coldly when Zhang Yiyi launched her strike without warning.

How dare a mere Qi Refining stage female cultivator act so disrespectfully toward him? He wouldn't hold back.

"You're asking for death!"

He raised his hand, summoning a staff-like magical weapon, and hurled it at Zhang Yiyi, fully intending to crush her.

But just as he launched his weapon, Yuan Yong felt an overwhelming suppressive force. Shocked, he couldn't react in time to adjust his tactics.

With a resounding crash, many onlookers were left stunned.

Their minds struggled to process what their eyes had just witnessed. In that brief moment, the female cultivator from Yunxian Sect had shattered Yuan Yong's magical weapon with a single punch!

Shattered!

And that wasn't all. Before Yuan Yong could recover, Zhang Yiyi struck again. This time, with no weapon to block, her punch landed directly on Yuan Yong.

The immense pressure left Yuan Yong with no way to escape. The force, clearly beyond the Qi Refining stage, overwhelmed him. Like a mountain crushing him, her punch left his body mangled, his muscles and bones severely injured.

"You... you..."

Collapsing on the ground in utter disbelief, Yuan Yong stared at Zhang Yiyi, whose innocent expression now seemed terrifying. He stammered in fear, "You're not in the Qi Refining stage."

"Huh? When did I ever tell you I was in the Qi Refining stage?"

Zhang Yiyi no longer saw any need to hide her strength. She released her true aura of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. "Sorry about that, I just recently advanced to Foundation Establishment a few days ago. But since we don't know each other, I didn't feel the need to tell you, right?"

"Urgh!"

Yuan Yong couldn't hold back any longer, spitting out a mouthful of blood in fury.

What kind of monster had he encountered? Not only had she just advanced to Foundation Establishment, but she had already reached mid-stage and injured him with a single punch?

He had thought he'd been smart by picking an easy target, but instead, he'd kicked a steel wall and turned into a stepping stone for her to make a name for herself.

The area fell into an eerie silence. Everyone stared at Zhang Yiyi in shock, their minds filled with complicated emotions.

Could someone tell them if there was a mistake? How could a cultivator who was at the peak of Qi Refining just a few days ago now be at mid-Foundation Establishment?

It was one thing for her to have advanced quickly, but how could Yuan Yong, a cultivator at the late Foundation Establishment stage, be so easily defeated by this newly advanced female cultivator? Was he made of paper?

With such terrifying strength, how were they supposed to fight for the bronze fragment?

No wonder this group had been so bold, claiming they could handle one-on-one or group battles. It wasn't just a bluff.

Even Mo Yan's gaze toward Zhang Yiyi grew more serious. As Jiang Heng's disciple, it seemed he had underestimated her before.

Hmph, she was even more of an eyesore than expected.

"I concede! I won't go after the bronze fragment anymore!"

Yuan Yong struggled to get up, abandoning all pretense of pride. In front of everyone, he begged for mercy, "I was arrogant and blind. Please, mighty cultivator, spare me. Let's forget about this life or death battle."

"Uh... You're giving up already? That's no fun."

Zhang Yiyi looked at him, visibly disappointed. "You really don't want the bronze fragment anymore? How about you try again? I can hold back a bit this time."

Why was he chickening out so quickly? They had barely started the fight, and now he was backing down?

She had just begun enjoying the newfound power of her mid-Foundation Establishment stage. It felt anticlimactic to stop now.

Although Yuan Yong was going back on his word, Zhang Yiyi couldn't just ignore his pleas. After all, she represented Yunxian Sect's honor. If she killed him despite his clear surrender, it could damage her sect's reputation.

"No, no! I swear I don't want it anymore! I won't even think about it!"

Yuan Yong waved his hands frantically, terrified that Zhang Yiyi might change her mind. "If you spare me, I will forever be indebted to you!"

Hearing him say that, Zhang Yiyi reluctantly backed off. There were still plenty of others here who wanted the bronze fragment, giving her more chances to practice.

"Fine, you really know when to let go."

Seeing his overwhelming desire to survive, Zhang Yiyi couldn't be too ruthless.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you..."

Yuan Yong breathed a heavy sigh of relief and repeatedly thanked Zhang Yiyi. But just as he was about to give his final thanks, he suddenly hurled a bone-melting poison pill straight at her...