Li Zhenyu's expression twisted with scorn, his arms crossed as he looked down at Divya like she was the biggest joke he'd encountered all year. "Wrong? You dare to lie?" His voice dripped with disdain. "That beast was killed by my little junior sister, not you."
Divya met his gaze, unfazed, before a slow smirk stretched across her lips. "Oh? Is that so?" Her tone was almost playful. "Then how about this? Just prove it. That your little junior sister actually landed the killing blow."
Li Zhenyu scoffed, tilting his head slightly as if assessing her intelligence. "Prove it? You?" His voice carried an air of mockery, like he was entertaining the delusions of a fool.
"Yeah, me," Divya responded, her smirk widening.
He let out a short, incredulous laugh, shaking his head. "Alright then, tell me—how exactly do you plan to prove it?"
Divya's eyes glinted mischievously. "Oh, it's simple." She cracked her knuckles, stepping forward lazily. "I beat you up, and you hand over that demon core."
Li Zhenyu blinked. "…What?"
"And if I lose," Divya continued, completely ignoring his disbelief, "I'll get on my knees, apologize to your precious junior sister, and even lick her shoes. Fair enough?"
For a moment, there was silence. Then, Li Zhenyu's lips curled into a slow, predatory grin. "Interesting." He uncrossed his arms, rolling his shoulders. "Fine. But don't cry when you lose."
Divya grinned back, shifting into a stance. "Oh, don't worry. You'll be the one crying soon."
Li Zhenyu almost burst out laughing. Did he hear that right? A mere waste at the early stage of Qi Training actually dared to spout such nonsense in front of him—someone already in the early stage of Jindan? Was she out of her mind, or had she let today's lucky kill inflate her ego beyond reason?
He sneered. Ah, this was actually a good opportunity. If he humiliated her here, it would be a good lesson, not just for her, but for anyone else foolish enough to challenge someone above their station. And when Junior Sister Xiaoyu heard about this, she would definitely be pleased.
"Alright," he said, cracking his knuckles, his tone condescending. "Since you're only at the initial stage of Qi Training, I'll be generous and use just 30% of my strength. Remember what you just said."
Thirty percent. More than enough to send her flying, maybe crack a few ribs while he was at it. If she was lucky, she'd be able to walk away.
But before he could bask in his own smugness, Divya merely sighed, as if bored. "So much nonsense," she muttered.
With her hands behind her back, she casually fiddled with the bracelets on her wrists, slipping them off one by one. A seemingly insignificant action, but if Li Zhenyu had been paying closer attention, he might have noticed the faint flicker of energy dispersing around her.
Too bad he was too busy looking down on her to see it.
Even though it was never explicitly mentioned in the novel, after Divya was transmitted into this pang-pang body, she stumbled upon a little secret in its memories. Contrary to what everyone believed, this body wasn't born powerless. In fact, it had more raw potential than even the so-called female elite.
But, of course, there was always some family drama involved. Her oh-so-selfish, brainless father, terrified of her potential, had no intention of letting her outshine his precious, beloved daughter. So what did he do? He shackled her.
Two simple-looking bracelets—one on each wrist. To the outside world, they were mere accessories. But in reality? They were a restriction. The moment she wore them, her power would be sealed, making her appear utterly talentless. A waste.
But the thing about restrictions? They could always be removed.
And as Divya casually slipped them off behind her back, her lips curled into a slow, dangerous smirk.
You're done for, Li Zhenyu.
Divya was curious-really curious. If she had been so strong while wearing those ridiculous bracelets, then what could she do without them?
This was a perfect opportunity to test it out. If she won, she'd make a lot of money. If she lost...
Well, apologizing was out of the question. But hanging herself in front of Li Zhenyu? Now that would be amusing.
The moment the two bracelets clattered onto the ground, Divya lunged at Li Zhenyu.
"Here I come!"
Before the words even fully left her lips, her small frame shot forward, her fist already aiming straight for his face.
For just a split second, she saw a flash of doubt in his eyes. Oh? Did he just underestimate me?
Divya smirked inwardly. These bracelets had sealed more than just her strength-they had sealed her entire potential.
And now? The moment they were off, she could feel it. Her body surged with power, a wild, untamed energy roaring through her veins. Every fiber of her being told her one undeniable fact-
She was not going to lose.
Her tiny fist cut through the air like a blade, tearing apart the atmosphere as it slammed into Li Zhenyu's unprepared face.
And Li Zhenyu?
He was careless.
No dodge.
No block.
No chance.
The big, imposing early Jindan-stage cultivator was sent flying. No screams, no resistance-just a blur of robes as he crashed into two trees, breaking them in half before finally coming to a stop.
"...You-"
Li Zhenyu barely managed to choke out a single syllable before a violent nausea overwhelmed him. Blood spilled from his lips.
His entire body screamed in pain, and his mind struggled to process what just happened. What... what was that terrifying force? It had crashed over him like a tidal wave, suffocating and absolute.
He forced himself to look up, his vision spinning.
And there she was.
The same small girl who had just sent him flying like a ragdoll-calmly picking up the bracelets from the ground and slipping them back onto her wrists.
Then, as if she hadn't just single-handedly wrecked him, she smiled.
A provocative smile.
A mocking smile.
A you-got-beaten-up-by-a-tiny-girl kind of smile.
Li Zhenyu felt his chest tighten-not just from the pain but from sheer disbelief.
This brat...
Divya, meanwhile, was busy observing him with mild interest. Huh. That was easier than I thought. Her strength had been far greater than she expected.