Chapter 10

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Chapter 10: Smooth Advancement

"Number seven."

Ming He tightened her grip on the lot and gazed at the one hundred imposing arenas in the central square—her battleground for the upcoming matches.

"Good, now proceed to the arena corresponding to your number," Ma He instructed, watching with satisfaction as the disciples found their respective positions.

The inner sect disciple in white glanced at the aloof woman seated high above. Upon her nod, he lit a stick of spiritual incense, observing as the fragrant smoke spiraled upward, casting a golden light. He then declared loudly, "Time begins!"

Time begins!

The instant the announcement echoed, some outer sect disciples seized the opportunity, kicking an unprepared competitor off the arena, securing an early victory while eliminating a rival.

As for the one who was kicked off, his journey in this outer sect grand competition ended there.

However, if he felt aggrieved and believed in his abilities, he could challenge any of the top one hundred disciples in the third round’s arena. A victory would earn him their spot, while a defeat would demote him to a servant disciple, a step down in status.

This was a path the Liu Yun Sect provided for the less fortunate disciples; after all, the arena matches were grouped by ten, relying on both strength and a touch of luck.

In the original tale, Su Yu was schemed against during the chaotic arena matches, losing his qualification. Yet, he later challenged the top-ranked disciple in the third round, making a name for himself and forcefully entering the inner sect.

Ming He cast a sympathetic glance at the unfortunate disciple who had tumbled from the arena. She then sidestepped a kick aimed at her and swiftly retaliated, raising her right foot to deliver a decisive kick in return.

With a resounding "thud," the assailant was sent flying, courtesy of Ming He’s justified and open retaliation.

The girl in blue brushed off imaginary dust from her attire, her eyes alight with anticipation as she surveyed the remaining competitors on the arena.

The others, sensing the shift, took a collective step back.

The one Ming He had just dispatched was at the eighth level of Qi Refinement, the strongest in the group, yet he was eliminated without completing a single round. The others were left wondering how they could possibly compete.

Unconcerned with their plight, Ming He faced the crowd, her voice ringing with confidence, "In sixty seconds, anyone still here will be personally escorted off by me."

Now, she had every reason to be bold.

After sixty seconds, Ming He scanned the arena. It wasn’t empty; aside from those who had been kicked off earlier, six others had voluntarily stepped down, their reluctance palpable yet their options limited.

However, one person remained on the arena.

It was a girl in blue, her features striking, her attire immaculate. Though nervous, she held her sword firmly.

"Senior Sister," she addressed Ming He, unaware of her name, "I know I’m no match for you, but I wish to try."

She was aware of her likely defeat, yet the thought of retreating without a fight was unbearable, especially after the effort she had invested in this outer sect grand competition.

"Very well," Ming He agreed without hesitation, drawing her sword with her right hand, a gesture of respect.

Cultivation was but one aspect of strength; beyond it, the girl’s determination to learn was enough to move Ming He.

"Clang——"

With Ming He’s consent, the girl opposite her held nothing back. She unleashed her most potent attack, her long sword slicing through the air toward Ming He’s heart, exuding a formidable aura.

It was a commendable strike—swift and fierce, devoid of hesitation.

Ming He acknowledged the skill but noted its limitations.

Though impressive, the strike fell short of true swordsmanship. The sword energy was rudimentary, barely manifesting, and the technique remained unrefined.

Ming He raised her sword to meet the attack, the sword energy coalescing at the blade’s tip. With a single, fluid motion, she deflected the girl’s long sword, the residual force sweeping toward her opponent.

"Clang!"

The girl felt a sharp pain in her tiger’s mouth, and her right hand lost its strength, unable to hold onto the long sword as it slipped from her grasp. Her body was thrown off balance by the residual force, and she tumbled straight towards the edge of the arena.

"Be careful!"

Ming He shouted, seeing the girl’s unstable stance. She quickly activated the Rotating Cloud Steps, her toes lightly touching the ground as she shot towards the girl like an arrow from a bow. With her right arm, she wrapped around the girl’s slender waist, pulling her into her arms and, at the last moment before they would have fallen off the arena, she changed direction and landed safely.

"Are you okay?" Ming He asked softly as she set the girl down in the center of the arena.

"I’m fine," the girl replied, her face slightly red from their close proximity, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s hum. "I lost."

"You may have lost the match, but on the path of cultivation, you’ve already surpassed many," Ming He said with a smile, looking at her earnestly. "So, keep pushing forward."

The girl lifted her head again, seeing her own clear reflection in Ming He’s eyes. For some reason, her ears felt a bit warm. "Yes, Senior Sister, I will keep working hard!"

The girl clenched her fist with determination. "I will take you as my role model. One day, I will be as strong as you, Senior Sister. Thank you for saving me, and congratulations on your victories. So, can you tell me your name?"

"Of course," Ming He replied, her heart light as she met the girl’s clear gaze. "My name is Ming He, with ‘Ming’ meaning bright like the sun and moon, and ‘He’ meaning victorious. I am Ming He."

Under the sunlight on the arena, the two girls in blue clothes exchanged smiles: one filled with ambition and the other with fervor.

At the chief position of the outer sect grand competition, the Woman in White observed this scene, her expression calm and unruffled, but inside, she felt a bit more recognition for Ming He.

Perhaps her spontaneous idea could actually help her?

Qin Chu Yi looked at the girl in blue standing in the center of the arena after half an hour, and her gaze reflected a slight change. Perhaps she could still earn a little?

"Young Master, I don’t understand. Why did you make me bet a thousand lower-grade spirit stones on Su Ming He?" The Young Man, Dong Wu, who had been quietly standing nearby, couldn’t help but speak up, noticing the rare emotional shift in his Young Master’s eyes.

He genuinely didn’t understand why such a low-level and seemingly insignificant outer sect disciple would capture his Young Master’s attention so much.

Betting spirit stones was one thing; a thousand lower-grade spirit stones were trivial for both the Young Master and himself.

What confused him was, why Su Ming He?

Last time, they didn’t find what they were looking for in the valley, and the Young Master couldn’t waste too much time at Liu Yun Sect. The urgent task should be to find another place to search, not to preside over this chaotic outer sect grand competition.

Yet, when Yun Zhao Feng asked, the Young Master immediately agreed without a second thought. It had to be because of Su Ming He.

But why? He looked around and really couldn’t see anything special about Su Ming He.

"Maybe it’s just intuition!" Qin Chu Yi replied, not addressing her bodyguard’s confusion. She continued to focus on Ming He without saying more.

Dong Wu: "…" You replied, but it still feels like you didn’t answer.

"Half an hour is up. This match is over," the inner sect disciple Ma He announced loudly, and the air was filled with alternating cries of despair and excitement.

"Whew—"

Ming He took a breath and jumped down from the arena. From early morning until now, it was gradually becoming dusk, and she had won over ten matches in a row, successfully advancing from the first round to the second round.

Now, she just needed to win one more match to enter the third round and compete for the top ranking.

The last match!

Ming He smiled as she stepped forward to draw a wooden stick, her palm open to reveal a clear "nine" written on it.

Ninth arena!