Ling Luo rested her chin on one hand, watching as Yue Liangze walked farther and farther away through the crowd, her gaze lingering for a long time.
Chu Yi found this irritating and said with disdain: “Seeing you stare for so long, why not just invite him up to eat with us and have him pay?”
Song Yuan Yuan shook his head: “My Little Father only eats what he makes himself.”
Chu Yi found this even more annoying: “Being so picky, who does he think he is looking down on?”
These words stabbed Ling Luo, reminding her of unpleasant memories. She turned her head and glared fiercely at Chu Yi: “How is eating only what he makes himself look down on others? He can eat however he wants!”
Chu Yi raised an eyebrow: “I said he’s picky, why are you getting angry?”
Ling Luo: “I’m not angry!”
Chu Yi: “Are you getting fiercer?”
Ling Luo bit her chopsticks, fuming.
Song Yuan Yuan mediated by offering meat to both of them.
Eventually, Song Yuan Yuan packed some of the meat to take back for Chang Fei and Xu Shen. Ling Luo also went to see the injured Xu Shen, returning to Tai Chu with Chu Yi late at night.
The next day, more and more people came to watch the competition.
But the number of competitors was dwindling.
Each upcoming match was exciting and intense, with no instantaneous victories. The skill levels were all top-tier, and the clashing of blades and swords made everyone’s blood boil with excitement.
Ling Luo sat in the stands early in the morning to watch the action.
Today’s competition rule required winning three consecutive matches, but since the competitors were evenly matched, there had been a pattern of winning one match and losing the next, with no one yet achieving a streak of victories.
Until Feng Tian Yao took the stage.
“If he wins this round too, I’ll be up next,” Song Yuan Yuan said, touching his token. “I don’t think I can beat him.”
Ling Luo said: “Be more confident. Remove the ‘I don’t think’ part.”
“…I met Little Father this morning, and he said the same thing.” Song Yuan Yuan rolled his eyes, clenching his fist to punch the air. “At least I made it to the top thirty. No regrets!”
Ling Luo nodded: “Go on then. I’ll take the champion title for you!”
Song Yuan Yuan stood up and said: “Charge!”
Chu Yi beside them: “…”
Behind them, their friend Zi Xiu was holding his stomach, laughing uproariously: “You’ve trained your junior brother and sister well!”
Feng Tian Yao’s final opponent was Song Yuan Yuan.
Today, he no longer sought the excitement of using a wooden sword but instead brought out his divine weapon, Shuo Fang.
The Shuo Fang sword was broad, a sword suited for men. Inside the blade was a ring of golden grooves, so fine they were difficult to distinguish.
Legend had it that the sound of Shuo Fang was like a tiger’s roar. As a tiger’s roar could shake the forest and command all beasts, Shuo Fang could command a hundred swords.
For Feng Tian Yao to possess such a divine sword at such a young age showed how much the Sect Master of Feng doted on his youngest son.
Chang Fei was caring for the injured Xu Shen and couldn’t come. Ling Luo leaned against the chair back, using her jade communicator to relay the scene to them.
Although Song Yuan Yuan had grown somewhat plump, his talent was not low, and he was diligent in his daily cultivation. Moreover, his master was Hall Master Fan, who strictly supervised his training according to the rules every day.
Hall Master Fan’s attentiveness spurred Song Yuan Yuan’s progress.
Song Yuan Yuan took being a sword cultivator seriously, pursuing the Great Way to ascension.
He was also very serious in his match against Feng Tian Yao.
Such an opponent and such an all-out match were rare opportunities.
“Not bad at all!” Feng Tian Yao on the stage raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Seeing how round and solid you are, I thought you’d be out of breath after a few steps, let alone wasting spiritual energy on sword techniques.”
Song Yuan Yuan asked suspiciously: “Are you discriminating against fat people?”
Feng Tian Yao flourished his sword, tracing a circular formation with the tip. He was rather puzzled: “What discrimination? Aren’t all fat people like this?”
Song Yuan Yuan blocked the blade that flew out from the formation with his sword, saying irritably: “That’s exactly discrimination!”
The two fought back and forth, seemingly evenly matched, but insiders knew that Song Yuan Yuan was being suppressed. His moves gradually became more labored, while Feng Tian Yao fought more fiercely as the battle continued.
“The divine weapon Shuo Fang truly lives up to its reputation,” Zi Xiu behind them remarked, leaning on the chair. “Even without issuing a sword roar, it affects the opponent’s weapon, making them increasingly fearful as the battle continues.”
Song Yuan Yuan’s sword was named Chun Xiu. Although it couldn’t compare to a divine weapon, it was a high-grade weapon that suited him perfectly.
But Shuo Fang naturally possessed an intimidating power that suppressed other swords.
“A contest between swords,” Chu Yi said with double meaning.
Weapon against a weapon.
The person against the person.
Ling Luo said lazily: “Now you understand how smart I am for using a wooden sword, right?”
Zi Xiu rubbed his nose, and Chu Yi mocked without restraint: “With your wooden sword, Shuo Fang wouldn’t even need to use its sword roar to suppress it; it would just cut it in half.”
Ling Luo snorted coldly, ignoring him.
In the later stages, Song Yuan Yuan was being chased around by Feng Tian Yao, panting heavily but unable to escape the sword edges flying rapidly from all directions. Finally, he was struck by a sword and sent flying off the stage.
Feng Tian Yao stood on the stage, proudly accepting the cheers from all sides, then turned and pointed at Song Yuan Yuan, saying: “Hey, lose some weight! Next time you’ll be able to run faster.”
Song Yuan Yuan rolled his eyes.
Ling Luo lowered her head to send the match results to Chang Fei.
Zi Xiu shook his head and said: “This young master doesn’t understand the art of speaking.”
Chu Yi: “Just physically developed but mentally simple, with low emotional intelligence.”
Ling Luo said lazily: “Don’t you think that was sincere mockery?”
“The young master of the Feng family from Snowy River is extremely fond of his image and likes being praised. If you offend him, saying a few nice words to flatter him will usually resolve things. He doesn’t seem to have bad intentions; he’s just genuinely straightforward in his speech.”
Zi Xiu spoke while stroking his chin. Recently, he had often been drinking, chatting, and appreciating cherry blossoms with disciples from various immortal sects staying at Tai Chu, and had thoroughly understood their temperaments and personalities.
Chu Yi evaluated: “Like a dog.”
When it barks at you, you can sense what it means but can never truly understand its real intention.
Zi Xiu covered his mouth with his hand, making faces: “Hey! He’s still the son of the Sect Master. It’s not good to talk about him like that!”
Ling Luo praised: “Senior Brother’s observation is so accurate.”
Chu Yi raised an eyebrow.
Zi Xiu found this pair of master and disciple headache-inducing.
When Ling Luo’s turn to compete came, she still wielded a wooden sword.
The previous matches had already shown everyone her unfathomable strength. No one would underestimate her because of a wooden sword anymore; rather, they were secretly excited to see how far this wooden sword could go.
If she could win against Shuo Fang and Jing Ye with just a wooden sword, it would be unimaginable.
Now, whenever Ling Luo competed, the stands were almost full.
People outside who heard that Ling Luo was about to compete would run to watch.
“Junior Sister is popular,” Zi Xiu said, looking at the people continuously entering the arena. “Should we take this opportunity to cheer for Junior Sister and liven up the atmosphere, like the people from Snowy River?”
Chu Yi said with disdain: “If you want to cheer, go ahead, but don’t say you know me.”
He would never do such an embarrassing thing!
Seeing his resistance, Zi Xiu could only shrug and give up.
Yue Liangze, returning to Tai Chu, saw many people hurriedly rushing toward the competition arena. On the way, he heard Ling Luo’s name, which made him look up.
At this glance, he saw not only the competition stage but also a man walking toward him.
Dressed in a simple dark outfit with an ordinary sword at his waist, his head slightly lowered, and all the skin exposed outside his clothes was unusually pale, almost transparent in the sunlight.
As he approached, Yue Liangze happened to be blocking his path, so he lifted his eyelids slightly.
This person was shrouded in gloom.
Very much to Wu Sheng’s taste.
Wu Sheng trembled slightly, its additional roll of Broken Intent gently swaying. It sent signals of wanting to cut this person down and feel his flesh and blood.
Yue Liangze pressed down on Wu Sheng at his waist, and the trembling immediately stopped. He stepped aside to make way.
Mu Xu Jing lowered his gaze to look at Wu Sheng, and the two passed each other.
Some were muttering behind them. With his good hearing, Yue Liangze couldn’t avoid hearing it all.
“The illegitimate son of the Northern Pavilion Moon Palace… always with a gloomy face, as if everyone owes him something…”
“…He’s not well-liked in the Moon Palace either, no one dares to talk to him. Look at his arrogant manner.”
“Seems like he doesn’t get along with the Palace Mistress either…”
“His cultivation isn’t even as good as Senior Brother Tan’s. I don’t know how he was allowed to participate this time.”
“What do you know? His aunt is the Young Mistress of Tai Chu!”
Yue Liangze withdrew his attention and entered the competition arena.
Sharp-eyed Song Yuan Yuan immediately spotted him and waved him over.
The stands were full, making it difficult for him to find a seat.
Yue Liangze sat down beside him, somewhat surprised: “So many people?”
“Ling Luo is popular,” Song Yuan Yuan chuckled. “Everyone wants to see how her wooden sword crushes other divine weapons!”
Ling Luo had always been at ease, composed, and consistently maintained the upper hand, winning three consecutive matches.
At this point, only four people remained in the competition.
Ling Luo from East Island’s Tian Ji.
Feng Tian Yao from South Mountain’s Snowy River.
Cong Xiu from West Sea’s Tai Chu.
Mu Xu Jing from Northern Pavilion’s Moon Palace.
The judge drew lots on the spot. Today’s matches would determine the two finalists, and tomorrow would be the battle for the championship.
The draw results:
Ling Luo versus Mu Xu Jing.
Feng Tian Yao versus Cong Xiu.
This surprised Ling Luo.
In her previous life, her opponent at this stage had been Cong Xiu, and Feng Tian Yao had fought against Mu Xu Jing.
How had the draw results changed in this lifetime?
She puzzledly glanced in the direction of the judge.
“This is going to be interesting,” Zi Xiu excitedly nudged Chu Yi’s arm. “A wooden sword against an ordinary sword, amazing!”
Chu Yi watched with an unchanged expression.
Unlike the other two, Mu Xu Jing had fought his way here not with a divine weapon or an extraordinary high-grade weapon, but with an ordinary sword.
Chu Yi felt that this person wasn’t very interested in the competition.
His attitude seemed somewhat perfunctory.
The competition quickly began, and the already sparse stands became full.
“Speaking of the Northern Pavilion Moon Palace, do you know about the matter?” Zi Xiu asked mysteriously. “It’s related to this illegitimate son.”
Chu Yi: “Not interested.”
If Chu Yi disliked meddling in others’ family affairs, then Ling Luo was lazy about matters of love and romance.
So when Chu Yi said it was worth it back then, Ling Luo didn’t care about the entanglements involved, only lending a hand when Chu Yi needed help.
Song Yuan Yuan, looking at Ling Luo and Mu Xu Jing on the stage, excitedly asked Yue Liangze: “Little Father, how do you see this match?”
Yue Liangze said: “The wooden sword will win.”
“You have confidence in Ling Luo! I think it’s uncertain. Mu Xu Jing is not like the previous competitors. If Ling Luo wins, she’ll next face either Feng Tian Yao or Cong Xiu, and that wooden sword won’t fare well against either of them.” Song Yuan Yuan rattled on, but the two on stage had already begun fighting.
The opening was very quick. After mounting the stage and exchanging just a glance, without any unnecessary greetings, the two simultaneously drew their swords and began the battle.
Song Yuan Yuan was shocked by the surging sword energy on the stage. The fight had started without warning and was incredibly fierce!
Ling Luo glanced at the sword in Mu Xu Jing’s hand, recalling that she had met him at the sword shop when she went to buy a wooden sword a few days ago. She didn’t understand his intention then, but now it seemed he had also bought his sword at the shop.
Surely the Northern Pavilion Moon Palace wouldn’t be so stingy as to not give him a decent weapon.
Ling Luo hadn’t paid much attention to Mu Xu Jing before, nor had she ever fought with him. Now in combat, she could feel his fierce sword energy.
Each move carried a vicious force, giving a sense of pressure like a wild beast frantically struggling and biting in a cage.
The sharp sword wind swept by, making Ling Luo tilt her head to dodge. She raised an eyebrow slightly.
When the two swords collided, the erupting sword energy sparked.
But Ling Luo smiled and said: “Why don’t you use some of the Moon Palace’s sword techniques? Or haven’t you learned a single move?”
Mu Xu Jing pressed his eyebrows, still maintaining his gloomy and indifferent expression.
“Look down on,” he said.
Ling Luo: “Look down on the Moon Palace’s sword techniques or me?”
Mu Xu Jing glanced at her. “Sword techniques.”
“What a coincidence,” Ling Luo delivered a vertical sword strike. Before the blade reached him, the sword wind had already forced the charging Mu Xu Jing back. “I look down on them too.”
“Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!” Zi Xiu excitedly grabbed Chu Yi’s arm and shook it. “That sword strike was beautiful!”
Chu Yi’s face darkened as he was shaken.
The spectators were all excitedly commenting.
Song Yuan Yuan rubbed his head and asked Yue Liangze: “Something seems off, doesn’t it?”
“He’s not using the Moon Palace’s sword techniques,” Yue Liangze patiently explained. “His spiritual energy is quite profound, but his sword technique doesn’t come from the Moon Palace, nor the Twelve Immortal Sects.”
Song Yuan Yuan’s heart skipped a beat: “Don’t tell me he created it himself?!”
What kind of monstrous genius would that make him?
“No,” Yue Liangze saw through it but didn’t elaborate.
Wu Sheng trembled again, with Broken Intent swaying along.
If earlier it wanted to cut down Mu Xu Jing, now, feeling the clash of sword energies on the stage, the person it wanted to cut had become Ling Luo.
Broken Intent desperately blocked it: Get a grip! If you cut her, your master will cut you!
Wu Sheng: Damn it!