ring
The next morning, at the Guiyun Sect's martial arts training ground.
As the sun rose, it illuminated the towering white marble arena in the center, making it shine brightly. On each of the four sides of the arena stood a stone pillar carved with auspicious clouds and mythical beasts.
The audience below the stage was packed with disciples who had come to watch the competition. The noise was deafening, and all eyes were focused on the sixty-four finalists waiting to draw lots.
Yunwei stood quietly in a corner, her white robes fluttering slightly in the morning breeze, her expression as aloof as ever.
Her gaze swept lightly to the left, without lingering, yet she had already taken in the entire scene—Xie Lanchen was standing there, forming a small circle with her and Ning Xihe.
The boy exuded a cold aura that kept strangers at bay, and the pale blue color around his eyes was particularly striking. Anyone with eyes could tell that he had stayed up all night without closing his eyes.
Ning Xihe seemed to sense his unease and tentatively asked in a soft voice, "Junior Brother Xie, you don't look well? Is it because of the Bracelet of Shared Dust..."
The boy lifted his eyelids, his cobalt blue eyes coldly sweeping over her. His tone was harsh, filled with undisguised annoyance: "Thanks to Senior Sister Ning, everything is fine." Although his words were directed at Ning Xihe, his eyes glared fiercely at Yun Wei out of the corner of his eye, as if all the frustration of last night was caused by her.
Yunwei received his sharp glare, but her heart remained calm and undisturbed.
He's always been like this, his emotions are unpredictable, and she's long been used to it.
However, now that they share a common destiny and are entangled by this mysterious magical artifact, his agitation is understandable.
She only hoped that this matter could be resolved as soon as possible so as not to affect today's ring battle.
Ning Xihe was taken aback by his words, and her expression turned serious.
She paused for a moment, as if she had made up her mind, and then said, "I have thought about the Dust-Shattering Bracelet all night, and there may be a way to try... but it will be risky. Please extend the hand that wears the bracelet."
Yun Wei and Xie Lanchen exchanged a glance and raised their hands almost simultaneously.
On both wrists, the Dust Bracelets were emitting a faint glow, with spiritual energy flowing within them.
Ning Xihe stretched out his hands and placed them lightly on the wrists of the two people, then closed his eyes and concentrated.
A moment later, she opened her eyes, her delicate brows furrowed, and shook her head: "It really won't work. This Bracelet of Shared Dust is completely intertwined with the energy of the two of you, almost symbiotic. If we forcibly separate it, it may trigger a violent backlash, damaging the very foundation of your souls."
She paused, her tone hesitant: "Unless... one party willingly bears the majority of the spiritual energy backlash, actively severing their spiritual connection with the bracelet. But doing so would severely damage the caster's cultivation temporarily, putting them at a significant disadvantage in today's arena battle..."
Upon hearing this, Yunwei's eyes flickered slightly.
"I'll do it," she said coldly.
It's better for her cultivation to be temporarily damaged than for both she and Xie Lanchen to be bound and unable to exert their full strength.
"No!" The boy practically spat out the words through clenched teeth, gripping her wrist tightly with his left hand.
His face was terrifyingly grim as he stared intently at Yun Wei, his cobalt blue eyes churning with rage and a fleeting hint of panic. "Are you insane? Today's arena concerns us... concerns whether you can continue! If your cultivation is damaged, what will you use to fight? What will you use to..."
He wanted to say "revenge," but he stopped himself abruptly.
Yun Wei's wrist ached from his grip, but she didn't break free. She simply looked back at him with clear eyes and said calmly, "If we delay any longer, neither of us will be able to play. Weighing the pros and cons, this is the best solution. I know what I'm doing."
What she was thinking was that Xie Lanchen's identity was special, and if his cultivation was damaged, it would inevitably attract the attention and suspicion of the sect leader and many others.
As for her, a woman of "unknown origin" and even "amnesiac", even if she temporarily loses some of her cultivation, no one will investigate her too much.
"Let's begin, Senior Sister Ning." She turned to Ning Xihe, her tone flat.
Ning Xihe glanced at the boy, whose face was ashen and who still wanted to say something, then looked at Yun Wei, and finally nodded.
She gathered spiritual light at her fingertips, made a hand seal, and carefully pointed it at the Tongchen Bracelet on Yun Wei's wrist.
In an instant, a sharp pain shot from my wrist straight to my heart, as if countless needles were piercing my meridians at the same time.
Yun lowered her eyes, only the fine beads of cold sweat that quickly seeped from her forehead and the sudden loss of color in her lips betrayed the pain she was enduring.
Just then, she suddenly sensed another gentle spiritual energy emanating silently from Xie Lanchen's hand that was tightly holding hers.
She raised her head slightly, glancing at the boy for a moment, only to see him with his lips tightly pressed together, his gaze stubbornly fixed elsewhere, his profile taut, as if the one who had secretly transferred spiritual power was not him.
A moment later, the light faded, and the Dust-Connecting Bracelets on their wrists lost their luster. With a soft "click," they fell off on their own and were quickly retrieved by Ning Xihe.
With the restraints gone, Yun Wei felt as if half of her spiritual energy had been drained, her meridians ached faintly, and a sense of weakness spread through her. She took a deep breath and forcibly circulated her inner energy to suppress the discomfort.
"How are you? Can you still hold on?" Xie Lanchen immediately let go of her hand and subconsciously wanted to step forward to support her arm, but when he saw Ning Xihe still beside him, he stopped himself in front of everyone and asked anxiously in a low voice, his eyes fixed on her pale face.
"It's alright," Yun Wei replied calmly. Just as she was about to elaborate, she was interrupted by a voice coming from the high platform.
As everyone looked over, they saw Elder Duan and Elder Wu standing side by side on the high platform in front of the arena.
Elder Duan's gaze swept over the sixty-four people below the stage, lingering for a moment on Yun Wei's slightly pale face before he announced loudly, "The arena competition shall now begin! The rules are as follows: opponents will be determined by drawing lots, and each pair will fight. The winner advances, and the loser is eliminated. Intentional injury or death is prohibited, as is the use of forbidden or evil techniques. Violators will be severely punished!" With a flick of his sleeve, an ancient wooden container engraved with isolation runes appeared before everyone. "Wuming, you performed the best yesterday, so you will draw first."
Yun nodded slightly and stepped forward slowly.
Before her fingertips could even touch the bamboo skewers, a sudden gust of wind struck, shattering the skewer container in front of her and scattering the bamboo skewers all over the ground.
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
Yun Wei's eyes sharpened, and she looked up at the high platform.
Elder Wu slowly withdrew his hand, his face cold and stern. He surveyed the crowd, his gaze finally settling on Elder Duan, whose expression had drastically changed. He announced loudly, "The rules for this arena battle have been temporarily changed! To prevent anyone from exploiting loopholes in the rules, relying on clever tricks, or even resorting to underhanded methods to advance, I will personally designate the opponents for this round!"
Elder Duan's face darkened: "Elder Wu! This is against the rules! Drawing lots for the duel is a long-standing tradition, how can it be abandoned because of your words?"
"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. This is the sect leader's order," Elder Wu sneered, his tone aggressive. "Or is it that Elder Duan intends to disobey the sect leader's order and protect some people of unknown origin?" He glanced meaningfully at Yun Wei.
Yun Wei watched this scene with a cold eye, understanding the situation perfectly.
Just as I expected.
Elder Wu deliberately made things difficult by abolishing the lottery system, undoubtedly to arrange an extremely strong opponent for her, intending to eliminate her in the first round.
Very well, let him see if his carefully chosen opponent can stand in her way.
Elder Wu stepped down from the platform, passed Yun Wei, let out a very soft snort, and then walked straight to the sixty-four contestants, pacing and scrutinizing them before finally stopping in front of Xie Lanchen.
Yunwei felt a slight unease.
Could it be that he was thinking...?
The young man looked up and met Elder Wu's gaze. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were chillingly cold.
Elder Wu stared at him for a moment, seemingly weighing his options, but ultimately dared not directly assign the sect's adopted son to deal with a woman of "unknown origin," lest it give others cause for gossip.
He shifted his gaze to Xie Lanchen's right, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly raised his hand and pointed.
"Lin Fengyu!" he announced loudly, "A promising young disciple of the Yunyang Sect, with exceptional swordsmanship, you are the cream of the crop among young talents! You will lead the charge!"
Yun Wei followed his gaze and saw a young man dressed in a brocade blue outfit. He had a handsome face, but his eyes and brows carried an inescapable arrogance and narcissism, as if nothing around him mattered.
This person is famous, and it is said that his swordsmanship is flashy and elegant, which makes him popular with some disciples, but his actual strength may not be as great as the rumors suggest.
Lin Fengyu chuckled lightly, casually flicked a few strands of unruly black hair across his forehead, and with a sway of his body, gracefully leaped onto the arena. His movements were indeed quite swift and beautiful.
He looked down at Yun Wei below the stage, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt: "Nameless girl? Please. Rest assured, I have always been chivalrous and will not let you lose too badly."
Arrogant and frivolous, all show and no substance. Yunwei made this judgment in an instant.
This person exudes an air of arrogance, displaying an air of pride even before unleashing his sword. His inner strength is not as solid as it appears on the surface, and his weaknesses are hidden.
"Elder Wu," Xie Lanchen stepped forward, his voice icy, "isn't it too frivolous to change the rules at the last minute and personally designate the opponent? If this battle is unfair, I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the public!"
Elder Wu waved his hand impatiently, "Lan Chen, you don't need to say anything more! This is the sect leader's order, aimed at eliminating petty tricks and selecting those with true strength! Do you intend to question the sect leader?"
Yun Wei glanced at Xie Lanchen, her heart stirring slightly.
He doesn't need to stand up for her.
Elder Wu was clearly targeting her, and the more Xie Lanchen defended her, the more suspicious Elder Wu would become of their relationship.
Even with her cultivation temporarily damaged, she was confident in dealing with any opponent.
Thinking of this, Yun Wei didn't say much. She lightly touched the ground with her toes and gracefully leaped onto the arena, standing opposite Lin Fengyu. Her plain white clothes fluttered slightly in the morning breeze, and her temperament was aloof and otherworldly.
Seeing this, the disciples below the stage all craned their necks, looking excited.
They all wanted to see if this woman, who had performed amazingly in the illusion array yesterday, could defeat the genius disciple of Yunyang Sect in actual combat.
Lin Fengyu feigned respect by clasping his hands in a fist and said, "I am Lin Fengyu, please teach me!" Before he finished speaking, his long sword was already drawn, its cold light gleaming, its speed extremely fast, and its azure sword energy whistling through the air, aiming straight for her face.
This sword strike came suddenly and ruthlessly, completely unlike his claim of "cherishing beauty."
Yun Wei slightly shifted her body, narrowly avoiding the swift and ruthless sword strike.
The sharp sword energy grazed past the hem of her clothes, lost control, and headed straight for the crowd watching below the arena.
"careful!"
"Get out of the way!"
A gasp and commotion erupted from the audience. The disciples standing at the front hurriedly retreated, narrowly escaping injury from the sword energy. The scene became somewhat chaotic for a moment.
He didn't seem to care about accidentally injuring others. Instead, he flicked his wrist, performing a fancy but useless sword flourish, and chuckled smugly, "Tsk, almost an accident. But I'm sure you all understand. When masters clash, sword energy is unpredictable and difficult to control. It's unavoidable." His tone was smug and without a trace of remorse.
Yun frowned slightly, her opinion of this person growing even worse.
She glanced coldly at Elder Wu below the stage, her voice clear and melodious: "Elder Wu, the sword energy on the arena is indiscriminate. To avoid accidentally injuring fellow disciples, shouldn't the onlookers be asked to retreat another ten feet, or should an elder set up a protective barrier?"
Elder Wu scoffed, seemingly eager for her to lose: "If you're scared, it's not too late to admit defeat now! In a martial arts contest, how can one be timid and hesitant?"
Yun Wei's gaze darkened, and a chill spread through her heart.
The elders, in their eagerness to expel me, disregarded the safety of others.
She pointed her fingers like a sword and quickly drew a rune in the air. A huge, pale blue, semi-transparent water curtain-like barrier suddenly opened up from her center, like an inverted giant bowl, enveloping the entire arena and completely isolating it from the outside.
Upon seeing this, Lin Fengyu was first taken aback, then burst into laughter: "Nameless girl, maintaining such a large-scale barrier must be quite taxing, right? Tsk tsk, you've probably already used up thirty percent of your spiritual power. What do you have left to fight me with?" He shook his head, his tone extremely flippant, his words full of contempt, "If you ask me, why should women fight and kill, and compete with others? Finding a suitable husband and raising children is the proper path. This title of Sword Master is not something a young lady like you should covet."
"Insolence!" Xie Lanchen shouted from below the stage, his eyes flashing with a chilling light, a palpable killing intent surging forth.
If the occasion hadn't been so inappropriate, he would have already slashed this foul-mouthed scoundrel with his sword.
Yun Wei was not angered by the insult. She simply looked at Lin Fengyu quietly, her gaze calm and unwavering, as if she were looking at a clown.
What about women? What about men? On the path of the sword, gender is never engraved. She has held a sword since childhood and knows that the heart of the sword is only sincere, firm, and pure.
Her path has always been only under her own feet and on the sword in her hand; why should anyone else have a say?
Her very existence here is the answer.
Yun Wei slowly raised her right hand, and a clear, resonant sword sound echoed through the barrier. The Duan Chen Sword responded to the call and flew into her palm.
With his long sword pointed diagonally and his thin lips slightly parted, he uttered two words:
"Three moves."
Seeing Lin Fengyu in a daze, he spoke again calmly: "You will lose within three moves."
There was a moment of silence, followed by an even louder murmur.
"Three moves? What did she say? Defeated Lin Fengyu in three moves?"
"Are you crazy?! Lin Fengyu is one of the most outstanding disciples of the Yunyang Sect!"
"This nameless guy is too arrogant!"
"But she was very powerful in the illusion array yesterday..."
Xie Lanchen stared intently at the stage, his thin lips pressed tightly together, his eyes filled with complex emotions, a mixture of worry for Yun Wei's damaged cultivation and a strange sense of certainty.
He knew she was strong, stronger than anyone else, and that if she asked him to, she would definitely do it.
Before Lin Fengyu could react, Yun Wei had already transformed into a blurry white shadow and swiftly dashed away while Lin Fengyu was still pondering the meaning of the "three moves".
Lin Fengyu felt a strong wind rushing towards his face. He hurriedly raised his sword to block. The two swords clashed, and an unexpectedly great force came from the swords, making his tiger's mouth numb. His long sword almost slipped from his hand, and he staggered back three steps before barely managing to stand. His blood and qi surged uncontrollably.
“First move,” she said in a cool, clear voice.
Lin Fengyu's face flushed instantly, filled with shame and anger: "A sneak attack doesn't count!" he tried to defend himself, and his sword stance suddenly changed. The long sword in his hand transformed into more than a dozen illusory and indistinguishable azure sword shadows, which covered her from all directions.
This is his signature move, which he is very proud of. Ordinary people cannot tell which sword is real and which is fake, and often become afraid before the battle even begins.
However, in Yunwei's eyes, this flashy but impractical sword technique was full of flaws: the flow of spiritual energy was not smooth, the phantom lacked resilience, and the trajectory of the actual move was clear.
She didn't even bother to distinguish between reality and illusion. In the instant that the sword shadows were about to hit him, she lightly touched the ground with her toes, and the Dust-Breaking Sword in her hand drew a sharp arc, sweeping the sword energy precisely at the pulse point on his wrist where he was holding the sword.
Lin Fengyu felt a numbness in his wrist, his internal energy was completely lost, and the sword shadow vanished instantly.
He staggered back a step, his face showing horror.
"Second move." Yun Wei's voice remained calm, yet it carried a chilling sense of oppression, gradually eroding his confidence.
Lin Fengyu roared, "Don't be so smug! Take my Cloud Sun Piercing Sun!" Before he finished speaking, he held the sword with both hands and raised it high above his head. The sword suddenly burst out with a dazzling and intense white light, and with the force of splitting mountains and shattering peaks, he slashed down at her head.
Its impressive scale and unique features are undeniable.
Yun Wei's gaze sharpened.
This move did capture some of the essence of the Yunyang Sect's swordsmanship, but unfortunately, his internal strength was weak and his foundation unstable, causing the move to be merely a formality and lacking follow-up power.
Instead of retreating, she advanced, slightly shifting her body to avoid the most intense frontal attack in the blink of an eye. At the same time, the Dust-Slaying Sword rose from below, emitting a clear and melodious roar like a dragon's cry. A condensed and incomparable azure sword energy, almost tangible, arrived first after the attack. The sword energy surged, and even through the barrier, the crowd below felt the strong wind rushing towards them, making it hard to breathe.
"Clang—!"
A deafening clang of metal clashing rang out, spiritual energy colliding violently, and shockwaves surging outwards like a tidal wave, causing the barrier's light wall to ripple violently.
All the onlookers saw was the two swords clashing and then separating. Yun Wei's wrist seemed to twist and pull lightly, and the hilt of the sword struck Lin Fengyu's chest.
“The third move.” Yun Wei’s voice was cold as her left palm followed up, striking his right shoulder.
Lin Fengyu flew off the ground, his back slamming hard against the barrier light wall at the edge of the arena, and then bounced back by the light wall, falling to the ground.
He struggled several times, but couldn't get up for a while, and could only cough up blood.
The entire training ground fell into dead silence. Three breaths passed before a deafening roar and uproar finally erupted.
"Three moves! It really only took three moves!"
"Just who is this Nameless One?! He's incredibly strong!"
"Oh my god, I wish I could team up with her in the next round!"
Xie Lanchen stared intently at the aloof figure on the stage, and his tense body finally relaxed.
He then realized that due to excessive tension, his fingernails had dug deeply into his palms, and when he released his grip, his palms were a bloody mess, oozing blood.
He felt no pain at all, but just stared at Yun Wei with a complicated look in his eyes.
She really has...never changed.
Ning Xihe, who had been keeping a close eye on Xie Lanchen, took in his entire situation. Her eyes flickered slightly, revealing a thoughtful expression.
Yun Wei sheathed her sword and stood still. Although her aura was slightly unstable due to the depletion of spiritual energy, she quickly adjusted it.
This man's swordsmanship is flashy but impractical, and he is impatient and easily angered; his defeat is not surprising.
She remained calm and slowly walked towards Lin Fengyu, who was lying on the ground.
"Can you admit defeat?" She looked down at the disheveled person on the ground, her voice indifferent.
Lin Fengyu coughed up blood, his eyes fixed on her with extreme resentment.
Just as Yunwei approached him, he used his last bit of strength to throw his longsword violently. The blade traced a crooked arc, heading straight for her eyes, clearly intending to fight to the death.
"Watch out!" another exclamation arose from the audience.
Yun Wei reacted extremely quickly, turning sideways and nimbly dodging the fatal blow.
Lin Fengyu, already surging with qi and blood, exhausted his last strength by throwing the sword, and with a muffled groan, completely fainted. The long sword he threw missed its target, but the sword energy it carried grazed Yun Wei's cheek, severing the ribbons of her veil.
As the white veil fell to the ground, a stunningly beautiful face appeared before everyone's eyes. Even with the morning light falling on her face, she only appeared cold and indifferent.
"Yun...Yun Wei?!"
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