Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Summoner

The summoner blinked out of habit, much like Wang Yingying, then drew her magic wand and declared, “Priest, summon!” The ground surged, swirling into a great vortex, and a strange spiritual light flickered. Suddenly, a creature resembling a small bird materialized before them. The audience was stunned. “What is this? A little bird? How ridiculous!”

The Li family father and son were equally bewildered, unable to fathom what the summoner was up to. She should have summoned something sinister, like an evil dragon, yet all she produced was a useless little bird.

Meanwhile, the master of the Wang family and Wang Yingying herself clutched their chests in anxiety. This bird was no ordinary creature—it was the divine beast that always accompanied Jiang Feng. The woman must have had a deeper purpose for summoning it now. As the saying goes, strike at one's weakness, and she had done just that. Jiang Feng’s mind nearly fractured; he was accustomed to Wang Yingying’s closeness with the divine beast, but now, facing another version of Wang Yingying paired with a divine beast, he could barely hold himself together.

But after a few seconds, Jiang Feng regained his composure. He must not fall into this woman’s trap. Closing his eyes, he executed his twenty-fifth move. The woman did not evade, yet Jiang Feng's attacks never struck her vital points. He realized that simply dodging wouldn’t suffice. If he couldn’t overcome this now, how would he ever compete for supremacy in the world? Jiang Feng cleared his soul energy, completed his twenty-five moves, and once again stood on the arena.

He recalled the pills given to him by Old Dust that he hadn’t yet taken. Perhaps they would prove useful. He fetched them from his pouch and swallowed them all at once. The spectators were baffled by Jiang Feng’s mid-fight consumption of the pills.

“Taking medicine now? Isn’t it too late...”

“What do you know? Masters always have their own strategies...”

After ingesting the pills, Jiang Feng felt his mind clear, the fog finally lifting. He organized his thoughts and stared intently at the woman on stage. She was not Wang Yingying, nor was her summoned beast the divine creature. It was all his own illusion, and his gaze grew sharp, almost radiant.

The woman saw that Jiang Feng had awakened from her spell. Realizing her strategy had failed, she grew furious. She had assumed she could easily consign Jiang Feng to oblivion, seize the Wang family’s secret techniques, and cultivate even more advanced skills. Now, her plans had come to nothing.

In her anger, her once charming face twisted into a terrifying visage, sending shivers through the crowd. Jiang Feng, seeing her true colors revealed, adjusted his breath, preparing to unleash the Xuantian Divine Palm alongside his twenty-five moves to finish her once and for all.

“Grow, grow!” the woman chanted. Soon, the little bird before her transformed, swelling to the size of a divine beast. Yet this creature was not like Jiang Feng’s divine beast—it was pitch black, the product of dark summoning. A sacred beast, now turned grotesque by the woman, stirred Jiang Feng’s righteous indignation.

Jiang Feng waited until the bird was distracted in slumber, then thrust his spear at it. The bird was no ordinary being; with a flick of its wings, it knocked Jiang Feng’s spear aside. He retrieved his weapon, soul energy surging. Thanks to the pills, his power had multiplied many times over. The audience watched with bated breath. Calmly, Jiang Feng charged at the woman, deliberately avoiding the bird and striking her with a palm. She hadn’t anticipated this move and stumbled back a few steps, only to steady herself again. Though a summoner, her defensive abilities rivaled those of a necromancer, proof of her formidable strength.

“Is that all you’ve got? You want to defeat me?” she sneered.

At that moment, Jiang Feng’s divine beast could no longer contain its excitement and soared toward him. Jiang Feng understood its intentions and recited an incantation. Instantly, his divine beast grew to match the size of its opponent, astonishing the crowd even further.

“Look! Two divine birds—could there be two summoners?”

“Don’t say a word—both are incredibly strong.”

Jiang Feng stroked the divine bird’s head. “Now it’s fair—two against two.”

The woman looked disdainfully at the pair, and then the battle resumed. Jiang Feng and the woman exchanged blows, while the divine beast and the dark creature fought as well. What had begun as a duel between individuals had now become a contest of two pairs. The arena was ablaze with excitement; even the elders stood up to watch. Some hoped for the summoner’s victory, others rooted for Jiang Feng to claim the championship. Cheers and the sounds of combat thundered throughout the hall.

After dozens more exchanges, the woman’s stamina finally waned. Jiang Feng seized the moment, raised his aura, and hurled his spear with all his might. The audience held their breath, unsure whether this throw would succeed. The woman tried to dodge, but she was too exhausted to evade. Jiang Feng’s weapon struck her, sending her crashing heavily onto the stage. Everyone expected her to rise, but five minutes passed with no movement. The judge rushed forward—Jiang Feng had won.

Upon hearing of his victory, Jiang Feng collapsed from exhaustion.

When he awoke, three days had passed. He learned that the woman, wounded in the heart by his attack, had been expelled by the Li family. Jiang Feng reflected on the fickleness of fate—had he lost, he wondered what the Wang family would have done to him.

Upon awakening, he found his divine beast and Wang Yingying at his side, moved by their loyalty. Yet his mind kept returning to that familiar face, feeling their story was far from over—this was only the beginning.

“Yingying, do you have a twin sister? Why did that woman look so much like you?” Wang Yingying shook her head. “My mother only had one daughter—me. She died from hemorrhage after giving birth. It’s impossible I have a twin. Besides, didn’t she summon your divine beast? The world is full of wonders. Maybe we should ask Master Dust for answers. How about we pay him a visit?”

Jiang Feng could only agree to Wang Yingying’s suggestion. After a hurried lunch, they took the divine beast and went to Master Dust’s residence.

Master Dust’s home matched his name—a simple temple, as spotless as if untouched by dust. Its battered doors stood wide open, as if welcoming Jiang Feng and Wang Yingying.

“Master Dust, we’re here...” Wang Yingying pushed the door open directly. Master Dust had anticipated their arrival and prepared tea and snacks early.

Wang Yingying helped herself to the refreshments, while Jiang Feng, knowing he had a favor to ask, adopted a respectful demeanor. Master Dust pulled some fruit from his robe, offering it to the little creature in Jiang Feng’s arms, who, perhaps missing the island’s fruit, eagerly rushed forward. Jiang Feng wondered who Master Dust truly was, to possess fruit beloved by the divine beast—a mystery indeed.

“Master Dust, we’ve come to ask you something,” Wang Yingying said, not waiting for Jiang Feng to speak.

Master Dust gazed solemnly at her. “Girl, you spend your days avoiding cultivation, coming to pester this old man. If you’re not careful, no one will dare marry you, and you’ll end up a nun.”

Wang Yingying blushed. Unbeknownst to Jiang Feng, when he won the championship, Old Wang had already promised Wang Yingying to him. The entire Wang Manor knew, except Jiang Feng himself. Thus, Wang Yingying’s strong reaction to Master Dust’s words about becoming a nun.

Master Dust then looked at Jiang Feng. “You must want to know about the summoner. I’ve already investigated her. She has no background—no one knows where she came from or where she’s going. The Li family said she descended from nowhere, helping them without accepting a single coin. Her goal was the Wang family’s secret techniques. Now the summoner has vanished, likely to heal her wounds somewhere. I will continue my investigation.”