The two waited for a while, but Su Shang never came.

Xu Shen won all five matches, and next was Chang Fei’s turn.

Chang Fei sighed with relief: “Fortunately he won that last match, otherwise I would have had to fight him.”

Ling Luo sat in place, raising an eyebrow in surprise when she saw Xu Shen chasing after his opponent as they left the arena.

She took out her jade listener to send a message to Xu Shen when suddenly a sword dropped into her lap.

Chu Yi sat down beside her and said flatly: “Just bought it randomly from Taichu’s Sword Pavilion.”

Ling Luo picked it up and examined it briefly, thinking to herself that he had bought it carelessly—the lowest-grade of the sword.

She mocked: “Senior Brother, with this quality, you might as well have bought me a wooden sword.”

“If you want a wooden sword, that’s fine too. Buy it yourself.” Chu Yi tossed his money pouch to her.

Chu Yi wasn’t at all worried that Ling Luo would lose on the first day.

This junior sister of his might be somewhat arrogant, but she always delivered on her words.

So Ling Luo got up to buy a wooden sword.

Chu Yi: “…”

Are you going to get a wooden sword?

She should have just been talking!

Ling Luo went to Taichu’s Sword Pavilion and found quite a few people there buying swords.

She wandered around for a while, but seeing no wooden swords for sale, she felt bored and was about to leave when she turned and bumped into someone.

Both of them stepped back at the moment of contact, stabilizing their postures.

Ling Luo looked up to see a person slightly taller than her, dressed in simple dark clothes, with black hair tied high, accentuating his excessively pale complexion.

His aura was gloomy, with long, narrow eyes carrying a coldness.

His features already appeared harsh, and with such a somber presence, he made people want to stay far away.

In Ling Luo’s words, he was born with a villain’s face.

It was Mu Xujing, the illegitimate son who had been brought back to the Northern Court Moon Palace last year.

After a silent exchange of glances, Mu Xujing walked past her with an indifferent expression.

Ling Luo didn’t linger either, folding her hands in her sleeves as she left.

Just as she exited the Sword Pavilion, she saw a large cat hugging a sword jump down from a high wall, and landing right beside her.

After a silent moment of mutual staring, the big cat turned to run but was pinned to the ground by a flying sword array, crying loudly.

“Wh-why do you use a sword array to trap a cat again!” the big cat cried.

Ling Luo walked over and said: “Running a shady business to scam money is one thing, now you’re stealing swords too?”

“But I paid for this!” the big cat said pitifully. “My Junior Uncle bought the wooden sword mold!”

Ling Luo examined the wooden sword in its arms, then crouched down to pat the big cat’s head, smiling: “Tell your Junior Uncle I’ll take this sword. Whatever it costs, get it from my Senior Brother.”

“Wait—”

The big cat watched helplessly as Ling Luo snatched away the sword, unable to resist. It ran off whimpering to find Yue Liangze and complain.

At that moment, Yue Liangze was strolling through the Western Sea City with Bai Cang.

Bai Cang was looking for someone who sold medicine.

He had his arm around Yue Liangze’s shoulders, looking like noble young masters from the royal city out for a stroll—relaxed and regarding everything around them with disdain and indolence.

Meanwhile, Yue Liangze maintained a serious, composed demeanor, calm and elegant.

One active, one still.

“Yesterday the Chief Elder told me that demonic energy had appeared in Taichu’s Inner Court, and he suspects a demon is hiding inside,” Bai Cang said casually. “With the Golden Luan Pool Banquet and the hundred-day celebration happening simultaneously, we need to ensure everyone’s safety, so he asked me to investigate.”

Yue Liangze asked: “What does this have to do with the medicine seller?”

“A disciple died in Taichu’s Inner Court the night before last.” Bai Cang narrowed his eyes at this point and handed him a spirit jade orb.

Yue Liangze infused it with spiritual energy to access the images stored inside.

The dead disciple’s forehead had turned black, his flesh shriveled, drained of vitality, and transformed into a dried corpse.

Yue Liangze said: “He took the Qian Zhuan Pill?”

“When we arrived at Taichu, I heard that some people were taking forbidden drugs to enhance their cultivation for the Golden Luan Pool Banquet, hoping to become the champion and draw the Zhenxian Jade,” Bai Cang said. “The Qian Zhuan Pill injects demonic breath into the spiritual veins, stimulating them to protect themselves, achieving a significant boost in ability for a short time.”

“But if not controlled properly, one ends up like what’s recorded in the spirit jade—consumed by demonic breath, losing all vitality and dying.”

“The Qian Zhuan Pill is a forbidden drug. Immortal sects don’t refine it, and ordinary cultivators can’t either,” Yue Liangze pondered. “Is someone targeting this Golden Luan Pool Banquet, selling forbidden drugs to cause trouble?”

“The purpose isn’t clear yet, but we can confirm that quite a few people have taken the Qian Zhuan Pill to participate in the duels,” Bai Cang narrowed his eyes, surveying the passing crowd. “Selling forbidden drugs to cause trouble—even if Taichu hadn’t asked us, the Sacred Sword Sect would have to intervene.”

“The Qian Zhuan Pill requires demonic breath to refine, and there might be a demon hiding in Taichu’s Inner Court.”

Yue Liangze handed the spirit jade orb back to Bai Cang and said softly: “Why did Taichu’s Chief Elder and Second Elder tell us different information separately?”

Bai Cang smiled lazily, “One of them must be hiding something.”

Just as he finished speaking, they saw a large cat on the eaves gesticulating wildly toward them, running and wiping tears at the same time.

After a wordless moment, Bai Cang sighed: “I don’t know what I saw in it back then.”

The big cat jumped down and ran beside Yue Liangze, saying: “Junior Uncle, that Tianji female disciple stole the sword you asked me to get!”

Bai Cang rubbed his chin and asked: “What does she want with a wooden sword?”

Yue Liangze replied impassively: “To participate in the duels.”

Bai Cang was momentarily stunned, then said: “That’s pretty bold.”

Ling Luo returned with a wooden sword.

Chu Yi covered his face, and as others looked over in shock, he couldn’t help but pinch the bridge of his nose, almost grinding his teeth as he said: “You dared.”

“What’s there to dare about?” Ling Luo used the small knife Chu Yi had given her to carve patterns on the sword. “A wooden sword is still a sword. There’s no high or low, noble or base—you said so yourself, Senior Brother.”

Chu Yi wiped his face and laughed coldly: “And everything I say must be right?”

“No,” Ling Luo calmly denied. “But I can choose whether to believe it or not.”

“If you’re being arrogant and get humiliated, don’t say you’re my junior sister then,” Chu Yi said indifferently. “I can’t bear that shame.”

Ling Luo: “Ha! If they can’t even defeat a wooden sword, shouldn’t their senior brothers commit suicide to apologize?”

Chu Yi: “Of course.”

Ling Luo glanced at the Carefree Sect members entering the arena and curved her lips: “That’s what you said, Senior Brother.”

She went down with the wooden sword in hand.

The judge announced: “Next match, Carefree Sect, Su Shang, versus Eastern Isle Tianji, Ling Luo.”

Su Shang, who was below the platform, froze upon hearing this, her grip tightening on her sword.

Ling Luo had already mounted the stage, holding a wooden sword.

The Carefree Sect people were quite angry when they saw this.

“What does this mean!”

“A wooden sword? Who does she think she’s looking down on!”

“Is the mighty Eastern Isle Tianji so poor they can’t afford a proper sword?”

“Su Shang! If you lose to a wooden sword, don’t bother coming back down!”

“…”

Su Shang felt very troubled hearing this. She gritted her teeth and went up to the platform, but her hand holding the sword was trembling.

Seeing this, the Carefree Sect members below were exasperated: “It’s over, she’s hopeless, she’s trembling!”

“What’s there to fear about a wooden sword? No backbone!”

“Enough,” the Senior Brother Jing Zifan frowned with displeasure. “We brought her out this time just to broaden her horizons, not to achieve any particular ranking. There’s no need to say things that put so much pressure on her.”

The others finally restrained themselves somewhat, though they still muttered other comments.

Su Shang took a deep breath, mustering her courage to look at Ling Luo.

Although Ling Luo held only a wooden sword, just standing there gave Su Shang an indescribable sense of pressure.

“If you’re so afraid that you can’t even hold your sword, you’d better leave on your own,” Ling Luo said calmly.

Su Shang tried hard to calm herself, gripping her sword with both hands, finally stopping the trembling.

She gathered her concentration and said softly: “Please guide me.”

Ling Luo held one hand behind her back, raising her sword to point forward.

Su Shang attacked first. Her stance and sword technique were correct but too formulaic. Ling Luo didn’t need much thought to predict where her next attack would land.

Ling Luo didn’t use any harsh moves but instead used the duel to help Su Shang discover and improve her mistakes.

Watching from the stands, Chu Yi’s eyes showed suspicion.

Since when was my junior sister so kind-hearted?

At this level, she could eliminate her opponent in one move, yet she was patiently sparring with her.

Meanwhile, one or two people from the Carefree Sect exclaimed in surprise: “What? Su Shang can fight for this long?!”

Jing Zifan’s expression darkened.

With his biased perspective, he believed Ling Luo was toying with Su Shang, slapping the Carefree Sect in the face.

Although nervous, Su Shang gradually discerned Ling Luo’s intention, showing surprise and bewilderment, causing her sword momentum to slow.

Ling Luo said: “Focus.”

That cool voice instantly awoke Su Shang.

As their swords clashed, Ling Luo said: “Your sword technique may be correct, but you haven’t mobilized the same sword intent.”

“When the sword’s momentum isn’t aligned with your will, the technique has form but no power.”

“It looks pretty but is useless. You shouldn’t continue practicing techniques but learn how to channel spiritual energy into your sword momentum.”

As Ling Luo’s words fell, her previously gentle sword style suddenly reversed and pressed forward—fierce—forcing Su Shang to retreat step by step, disrupting her technique.

“Unfortunately, despite years of cultivation, you haven’t grasped the essentials. Your master has truly failed his student.”

The wooden sword cut horizontally downward, striking Su Shang’s back, and causing the long sword in her hand to fall.

Ling Luo stood on the platform, looking down in the direction of the Carefree Sect.

Jing Zifan and others were glaring at her with anger.

How dare you speak of our master like that!

Their gaze silently conveyed such words.

But Ling Luo curved her lips and said with malice: “My Senior Brother said, if someone loses to a wooden sword, their senior brothers should all commit suicide to apologize.”

Chu Yi: “…”

The people around who knew him all looked over with horrified expressions: “Damn, Brother Chu, I didn’t expect you to be so arrogant!”

“Junior Brother, did you hear that? Everyone, be on your guard! Don’t let me lose face like this!”

“But Senior Brother, that’s Tianji’s sword genius. Even if she uses a wooden sword, I still can’t defeat her!”

Chu Yi’s temple twitched violently, and he desperately wanted to personally go up to the platform and give this so-called sword genius from Tianji a thorough beating.

Su Shang looked at Ling Luo, wanting to speak but hesitating, but Ling Luo had already turned around, waiting for the next challenger.

Unlike the first match, in the next four matches, Ling Luo finished cleanly and decisively, determining victory with just one sword strike.

Those who had previously thought her arrogant for going on stage with a wooden sword had changed their views.

She might be arrogant, but they truly couldn’t defeat her.

As Ling Luo came down, she heard the judge announce: “Next match, South Mountain Snow River, Dong Can, versus Western Sea Taichu, Zong Xiu.”

A young man emerging from the passage had a white emblem on his left shoulder—the mark of a direct disciple of Western Sea Taichu.

The two met in the passage, one going up, one coming down, each sizing up the other.

Both were people referred to as sword geniuses.

Ling Luo’s gaze fell on the sword in Zong Xiu’s hand.

It was a slightly curved Divine Martial weapon called Jingye.

Western Sea Taichu’s sword genius Zong Xiu, after being defeated by Eastern Isle Tianji’s sword genius Ling Luo at the Golden Luan Pool Banquet, was greatly discouraged. Subsequently, he also lost the sect’s treasure, the Zhenxian Jade.

From then on, he was obsessed with the Zhenxian Jade, relentlessly pursuing Yue Liangze, losing every time he challenged him to a duel.

Anyone could see that Zong Xiu would never defeat Yue Liangze in this lifetime.

But once, he won.

After a night of revelry in Nanjiang City, she didn’t wake until the following afternoon.

With drowsy eyes, she saw a man sitting at the bedside getting dressed, sword wounds visible on his bare back—distinctive injuries that could only have been inflicted by the sword named Jingye.

Ling Luo blinked, becoming somewhat more alert, and asked: “Was it Taichu’s Zong Xiu who wounded you yesterday?”

Yue Liangze’s dressing motion paused slightly. He remained silent but closed his garment, concealing the wounds.

Ling Luo laughed mockingly: “I just saw it. That’s a mark from being wounded by the Jingye sword. With his level of cultivation, he managed to wound you, and on your back too. It seems he’s made rapid progress.”

Yue Liangze turned sideways, reaching out to cover her eyes, his long black eyelashes lightly brushing against his palm.

“The first thing you say when you wake up is to talk about someone else?” he said in a low, husky voice.

“What do you mean someone else? I’m talking about your wounds,” Ling Luo tried to push his hand away, dissatisfied but was held by Yue Liangze. “I just want to know who injured you like that. Was it him?”

After a moment of silence, Yue Liangze answered lightly: “Yes.”

That time, Zong Xiu finally defeated Yue Liangze.

But Ling Luo never quite believed it.

Even though Jingye had indeed wounded Yue Liangze.

Ling Luo looked at the sword in Zong Xiu’s hand, half-narrowing her eyes. As they approached each other, she infused spiritual energy into her sword, bursting forth with powerful sword momentum.

This sword momentum was domineering, directed straight at Zong Xiu.

Though surprised, he reacted immediately.

The two sword momentums collided, stirring up fierce gusts of wind.