73: He likes your fiancée

Su Yan froze on the spot.

The scene of their earlier battle replayed in his mind.

His confident move had been effortlessly broken.

In fact, Cao Qingrou hadn't even used her full strength.

Outside the training square.

Han Bingbing and Qin Rourou's mouths hung wide open.

Their faces were filled with disbelief.

Han Bingbing quickly checked Cao Qingrou's cultivation.

Po Wang Realm fifth layer!

Su Yan was only at the Penetrating Void Realm eighth layer.

Even those who dominated their era couldn't fight across six minor realms.

She remembered Su Yan telling her before.

Three years ago, Cao Qingrou was only at the Penetrating Void Realm third layer.

In just three short years, she had crossed an entire major realm and two minor realms beyond that.

Such talent was simply unparalleled.

"Mother, did Su Yan Gege lose?" Qin Rourou asked, finding it hard to believe.

The peerless genius in her eyes, a monstrous talent capable of fighting across two minor realms, had been utterly defeated.

Han Bingbing sighed, "There's a huge gap in their realms; they're not on the same level. Su Yan had no chance of winning."

Three years had passed.

Cao Qingrou must have obtained some treasure capable of changing her destiny.

Otherwise, such an enormous leap would be impossible.

Qin Rourou looked at Su Yan's gradually contorted face, a pang of pain twisting in her heart. She could feel what Su Yan was facing at this moment.

He had worked hard for three years, thinking victory was within his grasp.

Who would have thought he would ultimately be defeated by reality.

On the training square.

Su Yan's face gradually contorted.

He suddenly leaped high into the air.

A blinding crimson light abruptly flared on his heavy sword.

His eyes were bloodshot, and spiritual energy surged wildly around him.

"Nine Dragons Blazing Heaven Slash."

The moment his heavy sword swung, nine fiery dragons roared forth from the blade, each carrying terrifying high temperatures.

The bluestone slabs on the training ground cracked and shattered under this terrifying heat. The shattered stones melted in the air before they could even hit the ground.

Cao Qingrou lightly raised her delicate hand, and a wisp of red sword light bloomed from her fingertip.

"Break."

She uttered a single word, and the sword light instantly shot out.

"Clang."

A sword cry echoed through the clouds, carrying a fierce sword intent that seemed to cut through everything as it pierced the air.

Wherever the sword light passed, space trembled, leaving a red light trail in the void.

The nine roaring fiery dragons met the sword light head-on, their scales shattering in an instant.

Amidst the crisscrossing sword qi, the crimson dragon bodies disintegrated inch by inch, turning into scattered streams of fire that illuminated the entire training ground, making it flicker between bright and dim.

The red sword light's momentum remained unchecked, instantly piercing through Su Yan's Dantian.

His body shook violently, and he fell from above the training ground.

"Su Yan Gege!"

Qin Rourou cried out, rushing onto the training square and catching him steadily before he hit the ground.

"Su Yan Gege, are you alright?"

Tears welled in Qin Rourou's eyes, and her gaze, full of tenderness, fell upon the wound on Su Yan's abdomen.

The light in Su Yan's eyes gradually faded.

He stared blankly at the sky.

He murmured to himself, "I'm crippled."

Scenes from the past three years replayed in his mind; the high spirits he had before coming here were still vivid.

Every moment of their battle just now appeared clearly.

A bitter smile touched his lips.

He didn't even have the strength to fight back.

In this battle, he had lost utterly and completely.

Qin Rourou comforted him with a pained heart, "Su Yan Gege, this wasn't fair to begin with. There's a six-minor-realm difference between you two. If you were to fight, it should have been at the same realm."

Su Yan chuckled and shook his head, the light already gone from his eyes.

"That's no excuse for failure. We agreed back then, regardless of cultivation level, one battle would decide the winner."

Cao Qingrou slowly walked closer, looking down at him from above, "Back then, I saved your family and compensated you a hundredfold. Not only did you not appreciate it, but you also thought my coming to annul the engagement was an insult to you."

Her eyes shifted, "Now it seems, that wasn't an insult then, but this is."

Su Yan's scattered gaze suddenly focused, and he burst into wild laughter.

"What's the point of saying all this now? Annul the engagement, right?"

His laughter stopped abruptly, and he said, word by word, "I agree."

The next moment.

His gaze fell upon Cao Qingrou's face, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes.

He had thought this battle could salvage everything.

Ultimately, he had been too arrogant.

If only he had set a thirty-year agreement back then.

This woman would surely have been his.

Indeed, he deeply loved this woman in his heart.

This was the fundamental reason he didn't want to annul the engagement.

Cao Qingrou had saved his entire family and compensated him a hundredfold; how could he not know she had already done her utmost?

But he couldn't bear to sever this connection.

That's why he found an excuse to set a three-year agreement.

It was merely to give himself a chance to salvage this one-sided love.

Cao Qingrou gently shook her head, "I'm not annulling this engagement."

Hearing this, Su Yan and Qin Rourou both froze simultaneously.

A hint of joy had just appeared in Su Yan's eyes.

But in an instant, he frowned.

If Cao Qingrou truly had feelings for him, she wouldn't have crippled him.

"Why?" he asked, puzzled.

A faint blush appeared on Cao Qingrou's calm face, and her gaze unconsciously drifted towards Cao Nie on the high platform.

"Because," she paused, "he likes me having your 'fiancée' title."

Su Yan followed her gaze, meeting Cao Nie's meaningful smile.

These words were like a sharp sword, piercing him so deeply that his throat sweetened, and he violently spat out fresh blood.

This was too damn insulting.

He rolled his eyes and fainted on the spot.

"Su Yan Gege!" Qin Rourou was about to stabilize his injuries.

A clear, cold female voice came, "Qing Rou, let me."

Han Bingbing lightly raised her delicate hand, and pure spiritual energy brushed over Su Yan's wound. His injuries healed rapidly at a visible rate.

Qin Rourou suddenly stood up, her sword point aimed directly at Cao Qingrou's retreating back, "Cao Qingrou, this was merely an agreed-upon battle, why did you resort to such vicious means, crippling my Su Yan Gege's Dantian?"

The sword tip pulsed with a chilling cold light, indicating her determination to act.

Cao Qingrou seemed not to hear, her steps unbroken.

This battle had ended.

What happens next will happen.

Seeing the other party treat her with such disdain, Qin Rourou was furious and thrust her sword forward.

Cao Qingrou's figure paused, and as she turned back, she lightly raised her jade hand, and a red spiritual energy shot through the air.

Qin Rourou flew back to Su Yan's side, the blood spilling from her mouth staining her clothes.

This... was the chasm of strength?

Only by facing Cao Qingrou directly did she realize how powerful the other party was.

No wonder even someone as strong as Su Yan Gege was defeated so utterly.

Han Bingbing had just stabilized Su Yan's injuries.

Seeing Qin Rourou hurt, she was enraged, "Hurting my daughter, you're seeking death."

"Slap."

A loud slap echoed throughout the entire venue.

Han Bingbing was sent flying, the blood spilling from her mouth tracing a tragic arc in the air.

Cao Nie appeared before her, looking down at her alluring yet defiant figure.

"Who's seeking death, Cao Family Head asks you."

Han Bingbing struggled to support herself, a flame of anger flashing in her eyes, "Clan Leader Cao, my husband is also an Asking Dao Realm expert, are you really going to..."

"Slap."

Another slap interrupted her words.

Cao Nie's voice was as cold as frost, "That's not an answer. Cao Family Head asks again, who's seeking death?"

"Clan Leader Cao, my husband is at the peak of Asking Dao first layer, are you sure..."

"Slap."

Cao Nie delivered another slap.

Qin Rourou, watching from afar, was terrified.

In just three slaps, her mother's face was already swollen high.

It continued until eighteen slaps later.

Han Bingbing cried out in despair, "Stop hitting me! Fine, I'm seeking death!"