Chapter 13
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Chapter 13: Comprehending Sword Intent
“What is this…?”
Has someone truly tapped into sword intent? But if it were merely about understanding sword intent, how could there be such a tremendous commotion?
In a secret chamber of the Liu Yun Sect’s main hall, a middle-aged man dressed in wide-sleeved robes felt the very essence of the heavens and earth being drawn toward one person, leaving him both puzzled and astonished.
Could it be…?
The man’s brow twitched; in the next moment, he dismissed the thought. If what he suspected were true, then the person invoking such a force of nature would have to possess extraordinary talent—surely on par with the Sword Master of old!
But how could that be? A figure like the Sword Master had only appeared once in thousands of years.
Could the Liu Yun Sect be fortunate enough to give birth to a prodigy rivaling the Sword Master? He found it hard to believe; it was simply too astonishing.
The middle-aged man smiled wryly, feeling a bittersweetness in his heart as he thought of the current state of the world: if only the Sword Master were still here, how different things would be for the human race!
Sword Master!
As he whispered those two words, his eyes reflected deep reverence and awe. The Sword Master had done much for this world, and it was time for the human race to stand on its own.
“Is today the outer sect grand competition?” the middle-aged man asked as he pushed open the chamber door to a disciple guarding nearby.
“Yes, Sect Master. Today is indeed the final day of the outer sect grand competition; they should be competing for first place now,” the disciple replied, a bit surprised that the Sect Master had emerged early.
Competing for first place?
As the Sect Master of the Liu Yun Sect smiled lightly, he said, “Let’s go see the excitement.”
He was very interested to see who had broken through during the match and directly tapped into sword intent.
In the Liu Yun Square arena, as the mist cleared, the observing disciples saw a hint of blue standing in the center of the stage, her garments covered in dust but still maintaining her grace, standing tall like a sword.
That blue figure was—Su Ming He!
Su Ming He won?
Some disciples murmured in disbelief; her opponent was Liu Rui after all.
Liu Rui, who had ranked third in the last outer sect grand competition, was at the ninth level of Qi Refinement with Half-step Sword Intent. Any one of those achievements could easily sweep all the outer sect disciples present, and now her strength was likely far superior to that of Song Yuan, who had won first place last time!
How could she lose to an originally unremarkable Su Ming He?
But where was Liu Rui?
The disciples looked at the stage where only one person remained, slowly shifting their gaze. They soon found a familiar figure lying on the ground of Liu Yun Square, unconscious in a pit she had created herself.
“Senior Brother Ma He, did I win?” Ming He stood with her sword, her posture a bit disheveled but her spirit soaring. She knew that before the match began, no one believed she would win, but their beliefs did not affect the outcome.
Ming He raised her eyebrows, her voice ringing with vigor, her delicate features shining particularly bright under her spirited demeanor, leaving an indelible mark in some hearts.
“You won,” Ma He said, looking at the radiant girl in blue, his face turning slightly flushed as he stammered, his heart racing for her.
Not only him, but the outer sect disciples in Liu Yun Square also gazed at the girl on the stage, realizing that from this day forward, the outer sect had gained another legend.
Qin Chu Yi was also watching her, Ming He.
This once seemingly small and humble girl had once again exceeded her expectations. She knew Ming He would not lose easily, but how she could win was beyond her imagination; yet in the end, Ming He gave herself a grand surprise, winning so beautifully!
Breaking through in a dire situation, tapping directly into sword intent, advancing to the Spirit Guiding stage, she had leaped over the ninth level of Qi Refinement, seamlessly and naturally achieving it, even causing the heavens and earth to take notice.
The Liu Yun Sect seemed poised to produce an extraordinary prodigy. Throughout history, many talented individuals had fallen, and no one knew how far she could go.
“Su Ming He, don’t be too full of yourself. Just because you defeated Liu Rui doesn’t mean you can defeat me,” Wang Feilong said, watching her restrained sword light, knowing she had reached the Spirit Guiding stage he had long dreamed of. Jealousy consumed him.
How did she deserve this? She was merely an utterly mediocre waste, how could she stand in the center of the stage, commanding everyone’s attention?
“Is that so? I am indeed very happy,” Ming He smiled, her lips curved in a provocative way. “But it seems you no longer have the qualifications to duel with me.”
Ming He’s eyes sparkled with delight; she was genuinely happy.
Indeed, in a life-and-death moment, one’s greatest potential is unleashed. The sword intent that had always been just out of reach was now comprehended effortlessly at the brink of death, not to mention her cultivation.
Ming He narrowed her eyes, feeling the abundant spiritual energy within her. The injuries she had just sustained faded into nothingness under the infusion of spiritual energy—was this the power of the Spirit Guiding stage?
Ming He clenched her fist; she had indeed lived up to her expectations. The difference between this stage and the Qi Refining stage was truly world-changing.
“You…” Wang Feilong was speechless, clenching his fists. She had now advanced to the Spirit Guiding stage, and according to Liu Yun Sect’s rules, she could no longer participate in matches.
Because there was a gap between the Spirit Guiding stage and the Qi Refining stage, continuing to fight would be unfair to disciples at the Qi Refining stage. Thus, anyone who broke through mid-fight would automatically be regarded as an inner sect disciple and could not continue competing.
Yet, he was unwilling to back down.
“Sister Qin, Senior Brother Ma,” Wang Feilong looked at them, “I want to challenge Su Ming He.”
Just recently promoted, her foundation was unstable, and her spiritual energy was depleted. He didn’t think he would lose to her in this moment, so he wanted to take a gamble.
“That’s ridiculous; the Liu Yun Sect has never had a precedent for this,” Ma He reprimanded him loudly.
“Just because it’s never happened doesn’t mean it can’t happen!” Wang Feilong’s gaze was persistent and unwilling to give up.
He intended to confront Su Ming He on his own terms; it had to be now while she was still unfamiliar with her new stage and still nursing her injuries.
After today, he feared he would no longer be able to match Su Ming He, so he had to seize the opportunity.
“Why do you think she would agree to your challenge?” Qin Chu Yi, having seen too many people like Wang Feilong, was accustomed to such behavior.
“I… I’ll put up the reward for being the top outer sect disciple as a stake,” Wang Feilong stated with a fierce glint in his eyes.
“Then you should ask her and see if she is willing to accept your challenge,” Qin Chu Yi nodded, passing the decision to Ming He.
The reward for being the top outer sect disciple?
Ming He touched her nose, feeling somewhat tempted.
“Su Ming He, if you are not afraid of death, then let us duel!” Wang Feilong stared at her, using provocation as a tactic.
“It’s quite lively here!” Before Ming He could respond, a warm voice floated down from above.
Ming He, like the others, turned to see a middle-aged man in wide-sleeved robes, intricately embroidered with cloud patterns, descending leisurely from the clouds, radiating ease and grace.
“Sect Master.” Qin Chu Yi stood, lightly nodding without further action.
“Hmm.” The Sect Master of Liu Yun Sect returned the greeting with a faint nod, his demeanor friendly and lacking the aloofness typical of a leader.
“Greetings, Sect Master.” Ma He respectfully bowed.
“Is that really the Sect Master?”
“He seems very powerful!”
The outer sect disciples stirred restlessly. Once they realized who had arrived, they all bowed in respect, yearning for strength.
The cultivation world did not engage in the elaborate formalities of mundane dynasties, so simplicity was always the preferred approach.
Ming He stood on the arena, sensing the faint yet formidable aura of the middle-aged man, which seemed even more potent than that of Qin Chu Yi. She bowed respectfully, her heart brimming with aspirations for the future.
To float in the air and tread upon clouds—she yearned for such abilities.
"No need for formalities, everyone. Please rise!" The Sect Master gestured for them to stand upright before continuing, "Today, I came on a whim to witness the new talents of our Liu Yun Sect. Carry on with your activities."
He steadied himself mid-air and descended to the ground, positioning himself beside Qin Chu Yi as an equal. The young disciples trailing behind him stood at attention, reminiscent of the Duanwu Festival.
An equal standing? The onlookers watched as Sister Qin calmly resumed her seat, their astonishment at her status as the chief disciple evident, before turning their attention back to Ming He for her response.
"Very well, I accept your challenge," Ming He declared, her financial woes persisting despite her hopes of profiting from the outer sect grand competition. Instead, she had broken through directly, gaining nothing and losing five hundred spirit stones.
Though her expression remained composed, her heart ached. Who would have thought Wang Feilong, with his audacity, would challenge her with the reward for being the top outer sect disciple? Naturally, she had to agree!
That was all money!
Ming He narrowed her eyes, savoring the substantial reward that was soon to be hers. "By the way, if I win, besides the reward, does the title of champion for the grand competition also belong to me?"
She aimed to reclaim her five hundred spirit stones.
"Yes," Wang Feilong replied, somewhat perplexed, feeling as though she was mocking him. He leapt onto the arena, drew his sword, and charged at her with clear murderous intent, aiming to strike her down with a single blow.
Ming He deftly sidestepped, "You intend to kill me?"
"Hmph, having second thoughts?" Wang Feilong sneered. "Too late, Su Ming He. Prepare to meet your end!"
The young man’s eyes gleamed with malice as he channeled all his inner spiritual energy, his long sword reflecting a cold light, thrusting forward with an unstoppable force.
He wanted to kill her?
Ming He observed the approaching sword light, her expression turning icy. If he sought her death, she saw no reason to hold back.
Under the vast blue sky and white clouds, Ming He executed her signature move, the sword tip weaving a dance of blossoms and slicing through the air with a decisive thrust—her most potent attack, the ninth form of the Basic Liu Yun Sword Technique: Liu Yun!
"Clang—"
The sound of the sword returning to its sheath shattered the stillness of the air.
Ming He gracefully descended from the arena, her gaze shifting to the high platform, "Sister Qin, Sect Master, I have won, so this reward…"
She glanced at Ma He, her eyes alight with desire and anticipation.
Behind her, Wang Feilong, eyes wide with disbelief, collapsed in defeat, his fate mirroring that of Li Si.
The Liu Yun Sect had no strict prohibitions against life-and-death battles during arena matches. After all, controlling spiritual energy was a challenge, and since Wang Feilong had initiated the lethal intent, Ming He felt no remorse in delivering her strike.
An eye for an eye; Ming He was never one to conform to adversity.
If the survival of the fittest was the unspoken rule of this world, she would position herself at the pinnacle rather than attempt to alter the rules. She knew her limits.
Considering the greater good with her current strength was a jest, so she would focus on self-improvement first!
