It's a beautiful day. The thin sunlight feels warm and pleasant, not too hot, and the scenery is softened by the light. A gentle breeze caresses my face, sweeping away the fatigue of the past few days of competition.
Today is a good day to go out, but no one chose to go out; everyone gathered around the ring or in the stands.
Nian Zhi arrived at the arena early; today was the day she was to compete against Lu Zhaozhao.
She arrived at dawn, but the surroundings were deserted and inexplicably desolate.
Before arriving at the Golden Palace Banquet, Yun Xian used a secret technique to channel her true energy, allowing her to forcibly break through to the Nascent Soul stage a few days before the competition. However, this realm is illusory, and she might regress to the Golden Core stage or even lower after this competition. But if she can reach the top of the Golden Platform, it won't be a loss.
Before coming, she thought the biggest threat would be Master Bai Yuan of Wenyuan Academy. As the closed-door disciple of True Person Bu Lu, with a top-level cultivation of the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage, almost everyone thought he was the most powerful person at the Golden Palace Banquet. However, halfway there, another person suddenly appeared.
No one doubts Lu Zhaozhao's strength, but they wouldn't place her on the same level as Bai Yuanshi. Before this competition, the outside world's impression of her was simply that she was a disciple of Master Yunxian, possessing good talent, but beyond that, there was nothing particularly memorable about her. Furthermore, she had been in seclusion for many years, unlike others who were constantly active in the public eye, which led many to question why the Wenrenlu ranked her second.
Before this competition, Nian Zhi, like everyone else, knew very little about Lu Zhaozhao, even though they were fellow disciples. In fact, over the years, she had barely even met Lu Zhaozhao a few times.
When facing Bai Yuanzhou, everyone was surprised by the ruthlessness of her attacks. Compared to disciples of major sects, she seemed more like a rogue cultivator who lived a precarious life year-round. But that was all they were surprised about. It wasn't until the group qualifying rounds that her true strength was fully revealed.
Her cultivation had reached the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage, and her aura even seemed to surpass the tangible reality of a Nascent Soul cultivator. Her four swords in the Qinghui Sword Technique were on par with her senior brother Ying Che, who had cultivated for many years longer and already reached the Golden Platform. Her attacks were swift and decisive, each move revealing its sharpness. Furthermore, her mind was quick and agile; in these few matches, no one could truly grasp the full extent of her strength, only witnessing her control over the entire situation.
She is like a wolf, lying in wait for the best opportunity to strike; but she is also like a tiger, proud and unyielding among beasts.
Nian Zhi stood quietly on the stage, just standing there until dawn and the sun shone brightly. Gradually, the audience filled up, and the seniors in the spectator seats also appeared one after another.
Nearly half an hour before the competition was scheduled to begin, the area below the stage was already packed with people.
Lu Zhaozhao stretched, this was the first time in a long time that she had woken up naturally.
She placed the sword by her pillow and carefully wiped it many times before going to sleep last night.
The sword remains sharp and gleaming, having survived countless perilous encounters and been soaked in blood, yet it still looks brand new. Only the numerous scratches on the hilt testify to the dangers and hardships it has endured.
After tidying up, she slowly walked towards the arena. It was still early, so she could look around as she walked. The environment of Wenyuan Academy was quite nice.
Even from a distance away from the arena, she could see a huge crowd. Someone spotted her and shouted, and everyone turned to look at her. Even though Lu Zhaozhao had seen all sorts of terrifying scenes, she couldn't help but be frightened by what she saw.
Her gaze swept across the crowd and landed on Nian Zhi standing in the center of the arena. A slight smile appeared on her lips. It seemed Nian Zhi was taking this competition very seriously. She thought to herself, "What a coincidence, so is she."
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she walked step by step onto the ring, where Nian Zhi was already waiting for her.
“Senior sister.” Nian Zhi’s cherry lips parted slightly, her eyes lowered.
Lu Zhaozhao raised the corners of her mouth slightly and called out, "Junior Sister."
The two stood facing each other at opposite ends, the wind ruffling their clothes, and sunlight shining on the swords held between their fingers.
Almost simultaneously, Zhuiyang and Niye drew their swords at the same time, using the same footwork and the same angle of their swings, heading towards each other.
Ying Che's hand tightened suddenly, his grip on the corner of the chair trembling slightly, and Yun Xian's expression also darkened.
The entire room fell silent.
The two disciples of Emperor Huizong both chose the Qinghui Sword Technique at the beginning, and the mirrored competition was particularly eye-catching.
A flash of cold light appeared, a fleeting glimpse of beauty, a lightning-fast exchange, and the two swords clashed.
The two swords reflected the sun, and the light shone on each other's faces, illuminating their expressions.
Nian Zhi gritted her teeth and glared fiercely at Lu Zhaozhao, her tone filled with ruthlessness: "Today's victor will surely be me!"
Lu Zhaozhao chuckled, her eyes narrowed, a cold glint in them, as she stared at Nian Zhi: "Unfortunately, there can only be one winner, and that winner is me!"
"Clang!"
The two separated and retreated in opposite directions. Lu Zhaozhao flipped her wrist and raised her sword. As she retreated, she constantly changed her hand gestures, and four swords emerged, streaking through the air and stabbing towards Nian Zhi.
Seeing this, Nian Zhi slammed the scabbard to the ground, using the force to spin around in mid-air, snatched the two swords, and immediately used Zhuiyang in front of her. A shield-like array appeared in front of her, blocking the two subsequent swords.
The next moment, Lu Zhaozhao's figure appeared above her like a ghost. Before she could react, Niye had already swung down. The sound of the mirror breaking as it fell to the ground rang out, and the shield was covered with cracks. In less than a second, it shattered on the spot.
The impact sent Nian Zhi flying backward, crashing hard into the table, looking quite pitiful.
But Lu Zhaozhao had no heart for pity. The next moment, her figure flashed again, faster and more elusive than before.
Another sword strike followed, and Nian Zhi's eyes were filled with terror. She bit her lip, unwilling to be eliminated like this.
Jinhua suddenly appeared, enveloping her entire body.
Unable to assess the situation, Lu Zhaozhao immediately retreated.
A series of familiar characters appeared around Nian Zhi.
What is that?
Someone in the audience asked a question. In their eyes, Nian Zhi's surroundings looked like a painting or words, but they couldn't understand them.
Some of the older people's expressions changed drastically at this moment.
Lu Zhaozhao's gaze was fixed on Yun Xian in the stands, who was now the focus of many eyes.
"Sanskrit."
The answer came to her mind: it originated from the same source as the Formless Technique—Zen Buddhism. It was rumored to have retreated to the snowy region a thousand years ago and disappeared without a trace. Today, its incantation actually appeared on a disciple of the Qinghui Sect.
The young disciples naturally lacked the ability and knowledge; clearly, this was Yunxian's doing.
Lu Zhaozhao's gaze was like sharp thorns, silently tearing at Yun Xian's flesh and blood, but his expression remained unchanged.
The golden light gradually dissipated, and Nian Zhi's figure reappeared, but everyone noticed the difference.
Her aura surged instantly, approaching the limit of the Nascent Soul realm.
Lu Zhaozhao frowned. It seemed that what she had just used was the Formless Technique, but it was somewhat different from the one she had obtained from Ying Che. Nian Zhi's was more domineering and had a greater impact.
Looking down at the golden light emanating from Zhuiyang, Lu Zhaozhao knew that it wasn't that bad; Nian Zhi seemed to have another trick up her sleeve.
As expected, the chanting of Sanskrit rang out on the stage. Nian Zhi raised her sword, and golden light moved with the blade. Several complex Sanskrit characters appeared in the air, clearly containing extremely powerful pressure, yet inexplicably making it difficult for people to be on guard.
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