A branch of begonia flowers?

The Second Sect Leader was bewildered, unable to comprehend.

Bai Cang also glanced at his junior brother, somewhat puzzled.

When he had said Wu Sheng had lost before, he was referring to its loss to its scabbard breaking its intent, not to any begonia flowers.

But Yue Liangze recalled once being at East Island’s Tianji, where Ling Luo had held a branch of begonia flowers to compare swords, and he had suffered repeated defeats.

He felt that he had lost before, and thus had not been undefeated.

The Second Sect Leader regained his composure and continued with deliberate calmness: “Is this some divine weapon I’ve never heard of?”

“It’s not a divine weapon, just an ordinary flower branch,” Yue Liangze said, watching Ling Luo’s every move below. “For some people, a divine weapon is merely icing on the cake. The sword in one’s heart is also a sword, comparable to divine weapons.”

“Even if they wield a wooden sword, they can unleash the power of divine weapons.”

Powerful sword energy stirred up gusts of wind on the stage. Ling Luo struck back her opponent with a single sword strike, causing their weapon to fall to the ground with a crisp sound.

This person, unwilling to accept defeat, immediately turned around to pick up their sword again, biting down on something between their teeth. The spiritual energy in their swords energy suddenly erupted as they attacked Ling Luo again.

Ling Luo still stood in place, with a hint of mockery in her eyes. She merely raised her hand with the sword horizontally in front of her. When the two swords collided, her opponent was once again sent flying by the domineering sword energy, directly falling off the stage.

She hadn’t displayed any fancy sword techniques, winning this match solely with her overwhelming sword energy.

The judge announced: “East Island Tianji’s Ling Luo wins. The second challenger, Xiaoyao Sect, Jing Zifan.”

Yue Liangze, who was about to leave with Bai Cang, stopped when he heard this name and looked back at the stage.

Jing Zifan came onto the stage with a grave face, his long sword trailing spots of fireflies, his fingertips’ spiritual energy enveloping the blade. He didn’t underestimate her, immediately giving it his all.

“I’ve long wanted to face you in battle. Today I finally have the chance,” Jing Zifan said coldly. “Back then, you killed Jinyuan and caused my senior brother to commit suicide for this matter. I told myself then that I would never let you go!”

Ling Luo showed no anger upon hearing this, but instead asked with a smile: “So are you here today to compete, or to kill me?”

“If we were away from Taichu, you’d better be careful,” Jing Zifan raised his sword, pointing at her.

Ling Luo only curved her lips in a smile, saying nothing. As she flourished her sword, her form instantly teleported forward, appearing before Jing Zifan in the blink of an eye.

So fast!

Jing Zifan was surprised inwardly, forced to defend against the attack from the opposite side.

Ling Luo no longer relied solely on sword energy. Her sword techniques were tricky, sealing off all of Jing Zifan’s possible movements, pressing him step by step, each sword strike more difficult to deal with than the last.

Her combat experience was far richer than Jing Zifan’s.

Jing Zifan concentrated on defense, unable to find an opportunity to counterattack amidst Ling Luo’s offensive. Each time, she perfectly restricted his sword techniques.

To observers, Jing Zifan was simply being passively beaten. Although he could still resist to some extent, he was gradually falling into a disadvantageous position, becoming increasingly disheveled and strained.

“Your skills are inadequate, far worse than Senior Brother Chen,” Ling Luo struck his hand with her sword, controlling the distance between their blades. When she was nearby, she gave Jing Zifan under overwhelming pressure. Just as he desperately wanted to create distance, she punched him in the abdomen, sending him flying.

Ling Luo stood on the stage, looking down at Jing Zifan who had fallen off and couldn’t get up, saying: “If we were away from Taichu, you’d better be careful.”

Jing Zifan heard this and was furious, his face turning bright red.

People from the Xiaoyao Sect ran over: “Senior Brother!”

“Senior Brother, are you alright?”

“Su Shang, quickly help Senior Brother up!”

Chang Fei pulled back Su Shang who was about to go over, saying with a smile: “Oh my, it’s dangerous for a girl like you to go over!”

“I’ll go, I’ll go. After all, we’re responsible since we caused the injury,” Song Yuanyuan pretended to rise, flicking her sleeves. “Brothers from Xiaoyao Sect, wait a moment! I’ll come after I finish my tea!”

Jing Zifan clutched his abdomen painfully as he got up, unwillingly looking up at Ling Luo on the stage.

Ling Luo merely gave a contemptuous smile.

The judge, not caring about their grievances, began to announce the next challenger.

“Junior Brother,” Bai Cang, who had already walked some distance, called back to him.

Yue Liangze strode to catch up.

The Second Sect Leader smiled and said: “Immortal Master Sanxi’s disciple cannot be underestimated even with a wooden sword.”

“Last time’s champion was also a disciple from Tianji,” Bai Cang put his arm around Yue Liangze’s shoulders, still maintaining that brotherly appearance. “This year it seems it might still be Tianji.”

“I have a different view,” the Second Sect Leader shook his head as he walked away with them.

The grudge between Ling Luo and the Xiaoyao Sect ran too deep.

In her previous life, she had also mercilessly knocked Jing Zifan off the stage, earning his lasting resentment. The Xiaoyao Sect continuously gave her trouble, only to be repeatedly humiliated by her.

Su Shang was right.

They were irreconcilable.

After winning five consecutive matches, Ling Luo came down from the stage, glanced at Song Yuanyuan, and raised an eyebrow to ask: “Where’s Xu Shen?”

“Haven’t seen him since last night, and he’s not responding to jade communicator messages,” Chang Fei said, rubbing his head. “Chang Fei has already gone to West Sea City to look for him.”

His matches weren’t over yet, so he couldn’t leave.

“He didn’t show up for today’s matches either?” she asked.

Song Yuanyuan said puzzledly: “I just checked at the adjacent competition stage. He didn’t appear at the scheduled time and has been considered to have forfeited.”

“I’ll go look for him too,” Ling Luo said in a low voice. “Someone is using forbidden drugs in the competition. Be careful yourself.”

Song Yuanyuan’s eyes widened instantly.

What kind of person would use forbidden drugs in such a sacred competition?

Ling Luo left the competition stage and went to West Sea City.

She kept in contact with Chang Fei through messages, recalling the calamity at West Sea’s Taichu in her previous life, praying that Xu Shen hadn’t been caught up in it.

“Didn’t you say yesterday that Xu Shen followed his opponent away? I asked Senior Brother Zhan Rong from Taichu about yesterday’s competition list and learned that person’s name is Fang Can.”

Chang Fei’s message read: “Fang Can is a disciple of Nanshan Xuehe, staying at Changping Inn in the West Market. I’m on my way there now.”

Ling Luo also headed for Changping Inn.

This inn was located in a relatively secluded area, not on the busy main street. The surrounding atmosphere was light and breezy, permeated with a laid-back, take-it-or-leave-it vibe.

As soon as Ling Luo entered the inn, she sensed something was wrong.

The waiter and the innkeeper were both deeply asleep, one slumped over the counter, the other over a table, showing no reaction to the noises coming from upstairs.

“Damn you, murderer, stop right there for this young master!”

Chang Fei’s voice came from above. A black-clothed, masked person who had just jumped down from the corner of the stairs encountered Ling Luo who was entering.

Chang Fei, choking someone by the neck, looked down from the stairway entrance and shouted to Ling Luo: “He’s a drug dealer!”

As soon as the words fell, the masked person drew his sword and attacked Ling Luo. He moved quickly, reaching her in the blink of an eye. Ling Luo blocked with Yingxi, but then saw the masked person suddenly split into three!

Myriad Flower Shadow!

While Ling Luo was surprised, all three individuals decisively abandoned their attack and rushed outside in different directions.

Chang Fei, watching from upstairs, cursed at their shamelessness and cowardice!

Ling Luo didn’t give up, however. Yingxi’s spirit planting specifically countered the Myriad Flower Shadow—no matter how many illusory bodies there were, it would only target the true body, sprouting branches, buds, and flowers. The scattered cherry blossoms transformed into a surging tide of flowers, stopping the person who had flown up to the eaves.

The opponent continued to flee, well-versed in illusions. By the time Ling Luo reached the eaves, he had already created three new illusions to block her, but she saw through them all.

As they battled with their techniques, it became clear that neither was a novice who could be dismissed with mere basic skills.

The flower tide, like a roaring waterfall, descended from the sky, raising four or five flower walls to block the path ahead. The masked person nearly got hit by the suddenly falling flower wall, and in his hasty retreat, lost his balance and fell from the eaves.

Ling Luo landed and closed in for close combat. The masked person quickly drew his sword. Ling Luo fought with Yingxi, no longer in the mood to toy with a wooden sword.

Yingxi was fully opened, its fan face a dazzling cherry forest scene. The falling fireflies landed on the masked person’s clothes, instantly transforming into sharp sword light, but were dodged and cut off.

Both moved quickly in their exchanges, with multiple sword flashes appearing before them in the blink of an eye.

Ling Luo’s recent battles had all been quite easy, not requiring her to fight seriously. The masked person before her unexpectedly aroused her fighting spirit.

The opponent, however, had no intention of prolonged entanglement, so he sought any opportunity to retreat and create distance.

The masked person blocked the sword with one hand while making a seal with the other. Fierce winds curled at his feet, and in the howling moment, he pulled away from Ling Luo, retreating far into mid-air.

Wind Riding Spell.

Ling Luo looked up and smiled: “Who doesn’t know that one.”

She made a seal with one hand, also using the Wind Riding Spell to instantly chase to the masked person’s side. Seeing the surprise in his eyes, Yingxi instantly closed and reopened, its fan face now showing a falling flower scene.

Countless petals transformed into sword blades, stabbing fiercely at close range. Although the masked person quickly raised a barrier, it was pierced by thousands of sword blades in an instant, pinning him from mid-air to the ground.

The masked person groaned. Yingxi’s sword blades pierced his arms and shoulders, avoiding only vital points. Blood instantly flowed all over the ground.

“Try running again.”

Just as Ling Luo was about to walk toward the masked person, she saw a long black line appear out of nowhere behind him. The black line suddenly opened, revealing a huge black shadow.

It seemed like a thick black fog, or like a deep black water surface slowly flowing, with a cold aura hitting her face.

Like gazing into the abyss.

Ling Luo stopped, her expression slightly stunned.

Before she was the Death Fog Gate of the Twenty-Six Demons.

A white bone hand reached out from the black fog, grabbing the masked person and pulling him into the Death Fog Gate. The sword blades pinning the masked person all cracked and broke.

Ling Luo frowned. The white bone pulled the masked person into the gate, then pushed out a demon to her from inside.

The Death Fog Gate closed, and the thin black line instantly annihilated.

Only one person remained in the quiet alley, along with a burning fire demon.

Ling Luo and the round fire demon on the ground exchanged a glance. Just as she showed a mocking look, the small sphere jumped, dazzling flames flickering. With an angry roar, a giant demon taller than the eaves appeared in the flames.

The huge fire demon resembled a monkey, its entire body burning with flames. Its long tail swept, bringing waves of fireballs flying toward Ling Luo.

Yingxi’s flower tide raised walls to block. The giant fire demon charged at Ling Luo, the fierce wind from its punch hot as it flew past her ear. Ling Luo seemed to smell her hair burning.

Dare to burn my hair!

Ling Luo was furious. Just as she was about to open a sword formation to let it taste what it meant to have thousands of swords pierce its heart, two sword lights—one gold, one black—flew from behind her, simultaneously and precisely cutting the giant fire demon that was running toward her into two halves, causing it to fall.

The raging flames disappeared, followed only by sizzling sounds and billowing white smoke.

Ling Luo looked back to see Yue Liangze standing on a high wall, holding his sword in one hand, backlit, his clothes gently swaying.

Chu Yi stood at the entrance of the alley below the wall, his sword drawn.

Behind him stood a masked young woman in a pink dress with a cloak.

The young woman was putting back on her cloak hood that had been blown off by the sword’s energy.

Ling Luo’s gaze was drawn to this young woman, and with a strange expression, she asked: “Senior Brother, why are you here?”

Yue Liangze, who was about to ask if Ling Luo was alright, closed his mouth.

Fortunately, he was slow to speak.