WHAT! I Have To Kill Heaven's Son To Live!-Chapter 127: Xue Taiyang vs Yi Ran (2)

Yi Ran met the strike effortlessly, her blade intercepting his with fluid grace. The clash rang out sharp and clear, quickly swallowed by the thickening mist around them.

And then—she smiled.

"His name is Long Ming," she said, her voice calm, almost teasing. "Crown Prince of the Great Longxia Kingdom—one of the Four Great Kingdoms of the Eastern Province."

Long Ming? Reon blinked. Why does that name sound so familiar?

She continued.

"He visited me in the Outer Sect a little over two months ago, right after finishing some of his duties. That's when he first mentioned you."

"From that moment on, my curiosity was piqued. I couldn't wait to meet you."

"And not long after, my closest friend—and cousin—entrusted me with a task of her own. A task I had no choice but to accept." She thought to herself, the weight of it lingering in her mind.

She lunged again, steel flashing in the mist.

Clang!

Reon parried, sliding back slightly from the force. A memory clicked into place.

"Wait... two months ago? Could it be—Brother Long? From the Disciplinary Hall?"

Yi Ran nodded, stepping lightly across the stone tiles. "As expected, you know him. Yes, he's the Chief Disciple of the Disciplinary Hall, and also the sole Direct Disciple of Great Elder Lu Zhen—Head of the Hall."

Reon's thoughts spiraled.

What?! I thought he was just a vice squad leader—or at most, a squad leader of the Disciplinary Hall—and an ordinary Inner Disciple.

After all, only Inner Disciples are even eligible to join a Hall, Peak, Pavilion, or Temple within the sect...

But now?

A Chief Disciple. A True Disciple. The Direct Disciple of a Great Elder. And to top it all off—a Crown Prince?!

Damn... Who would've thought he held such a lofty status—not just within the sect, but in the mortal world as well?

He's the kind of man neighborhood aunties brag about, and any father would gladly hand his daughter to!

Good thing I didn't provoke him and followed him willingly to the punishment site... If I had resisted, who knows where my bones would be buried?

Reon surged forward, blade glinting, as he asked, "Why would someone like him bother escorting me—a mere Outer Disciple—to the punishment site?"

Yi Ran parried the strike effortlessly, her blade meeting his with graceful precision. Her counter sent him stumbling back a step—

Then—

A sudden blur of movement shot from behind.

Shoosh!

Claws glinted as Cloudia lunged, her paw slicing through the air toward Yi Ran.

But Yi Ran didn't flinch. With practiced ease, she spun and blocked the attack, her expression calm and composed—almost bored.

"He's... peculiar," she said, voice steady. "Takes pleasure in strange things now and then. But I suspect the real reason he came was to extend an invitation—for me to join the Disciplinary Hall."

Cloudia launched into a flurry of strikes, each one sharper and faster than the last—but Yi Ran met them all, her movements fluid, unshaken.

Still, the assault proved futile.

With a growl, Cloudia leapt back, widening the distance.

Reon's eyes never left Yi Ran.

"Even before you became an Inner Disciple?" he asked, breath shallow with disbelief.

"Yes," Yi Ran replied with a soft nod, a faint, proud smile gracing her lips.

"He said it would be his last visit to the Outer Sect. Brought me gifts too. A proper farewell—for his dear little sister."

Reon's eyes narrowed. "Dear little sister? But I thought you were the only heir of the Yi Family?"

"I am," she replied, lowering her blade slightly. "But we're cousins, in a way. My mother is the younger sister of the current king of Longxia."

"And as the most powerful family after the Royal Clan, our families are... closely tied. I've known him since childhood—he's like a real brother to me... someone I've always looked up to."

"What the hell?!" Reon thought, stunned. "This guy is such an important character... and yet, not a single mention of him in the novel. Was he some hidden boss or what?!"

"I don't know what happened between you two," Yi Ran said, "but he spoke about you endlessly. My ears almost fell off. And then there's the utterly ridiculous decision he made regarding his sister."

Then, with a flicker of visible anger crossing her face, she stepped forward and asked, her voice tight and demanding—

"So tell me, Xue Taiyang... what exactly did you do to earn such high praise—and such an important place—in his eyes?"

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Senior Brother Long never offers praise lightly, she thought. Even when I surpassed every expectation, the most he ever gave me was a lukewarm 'Not bad.'

So how...?

How could an ordinary Outer Disciple earn such favor—enough for Senior Brother to consider betrothing his own sister, a once-in-a-millennium genius, to him?

Reon got back to his feet, breathing steady.

"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything extraordinary. I just refused to lighten my punishment—despite becoming an Outer Disciple. Nothing more."

"That's it?" Yi Ran frowned. "I don't buy it. You're lying. Tell me the truth."

She attacked again, but this time her movements shifted—graceful and unpredictable.

"Dancing Mirage Saber Technique...

First Form—Mirage Scale Thrust!"

The blade thrust forward, sharp with Saber Aura—but at the last moment, it twisted, changing direction.

Damn. Those deceptive feints again, Reon cursed silently.

"But... not this time."

He whispered under his breath:

"Bladesong of the Silver Moon Technique...

Second Style—Silver... Crescent Slash!"

His sword arced like a crescent moon, trailing black Sword Aura that shimmered in the mist.

The two attacks collided—Saber and Sword, light and shadow.

The clash threw him back a few paces.

Yi Ran held her stance firmly, sweat beading at her brow.

"I've reached the Grandmaster stage of this Saber technique. It may be a Low-Tier Rare-Grade, but the power of mastery can't be ignored. Your technique might be of a higher tier... but your mastery is still lacking."

Reon steadied his breath.

"True. But you're nearly out of spiritual energy, aren't you? After all, the higher your mastery over a technique, the more powerful it becomes—and the more spiritual energy it consumes."

Yi Ran's grip tightened. He's right. After fighting Yang Lie and now him... my spiritual energy is nearly drained. But if I time it right—I can still end this with my final move.

Then, a realization struck her.

"Now that I think about it... I can't sense his cultivation level at all."

She stared at him across the mist-veiled courtyard.

"Could he be at... a higher realm than me?"

Nah... no way. She quickly dismissed the thought.

Meanwhile, Reon's gaze sharpened, searching her expression as thoughts stirred behind his eyes.

"Even after everything she's said... the system task still isn't complete. There must be more to this. Something I'm missing."

His voice cut through the silence like a blade.

"Yi Ran, drop the act. Enough with the cold courtesy. Tell me—why did you really challenge me to a duel, when there are countless higher-ranked disciples you could've chosen?"

His tone was direct, unwavering.

"You pretends to be composed, polite... even familiar. But I see through it—you clearly despise me."

"There's malice behind that smile on your face."