Chapter 175 Unexpected Turn of Events: Senior Sister Tang in Danger
The wind barrier broke, and the gale dissipated. The arena, which had been surrounded by howling winds, was now clear of the clouds, with only a few wind blades swirling around Yue Qifeng.
This sword strike, seemingly focused on a single point, actually shattered the hurricane formed by her sword intent, striking right at her vitals. Despite receiving the blow, Yue Qifeng could feel the chill spreading from the point of contact, invading her meridians inch by inch. Moments later, tiny ice crystals appeared on the young man's skin.
She combined the Frosty Sword Intent with the sword technique.
Yue Qifeng's gaze was piercing as he stared intently at Qiao Yanshen, and he whispered excitedly, "I was wrong. You were taught by True Monarch Mingji, but what you learned was not—no, it was more than just the Frost Sword Intent..."
She switched from defense to offense, deflecting Qiao Yanshen's sword. Her hands formed a hand seal, and this time, the wind carried a faint hint of green—not a warm spring breeze, but a vast lake teeming with algae and duckweed, rising and swirling from beneath, capable of silently swallowing her life. Qiao Yanshen gripped his sword hilt tightly; his body was already covered in cuts from the wind blades, blood trickling between his fingers.
However, she did not use her spiritual power to repair the wounds; she simply left them to remain, seemingly unaware of the pain, her expression unchanged.
—Save all your spiritual power for the next two moves.
The sword energy slowly transformed into a vast, shimmering blue sea. Yue Qifeng raised his sword, carrying a chilling aura, and once again unleashed a dazzling sword light!
A surge of azure spiritual energy rushed in. As cultivation level increased, the amount of spiritual energy that could be contained in the meridians also increased. At this moment, it poured down like a torrential rain, disintegrating the fierce attack inch by inch. Immediately afterwards, the raindrops gathered into fine streams, overflowing with soft, clean water.
Two different colored spiritual energies intertwined, like a rushing river meeting a fierce storm. In an instant, they collided, creating aftershocks that crushed the pebbles on the ground into dust and even cracked the surrounding barrier.
The oppressive aura, accompanied by the clanging of metal, swept across the arena.
The spiritual energy converged into a surging river, coiling around the longsword. When Qiao Yanshen swung his sword again, it completely swallowed the sword light, then once again approached Yue Qifeng, clashing with her blade.
At this moment, she no longer had any intention of testing or showing off with each other as disciples of the sect. Every sword strike was a real clash with Yue Qifeng, breaking through the raging wind and sword intent like a stormy sea. Yu Feng was like a long snake eyeing its prey, waiting for the right moment to strike, just to kill with one blow.
A chilling killing intent swept over them, and between the blades, the young man's cold eyes were illuminated, shimmering with a soft blue light.
The river waves were cleaved by the wind blades, then transformed into a torrential downpour. Every raindrop was a sword, every dazzling glimmer of light a sharp edge. Instantly, countless deep wounds appeared on Yue Qifeng's body, splattering shocking bloodstains.
At this moment, both of them were assaulted by each other's sword intent. Qiao Yanshen's gaze was calm as still water, but in the brief interval between them, a thin red line slid down from the corner of her lips and dripped onto her white clothes.
The raging sword intent surged into her body through the wound, relentlessly crushing the spiritual energy gathered within her, and growing ever stronger. Her sword intent also injured Yue Qifeng, covering half of her body with a thin layer of ice, her lips trembling slightly from the cold.
Each sword strike was clearly light and elegant; if Yue Qifeng hadn't already fought her, he would hardly have noticed the power contained within, enough to tear her shoulder apart.
At this moment, Qiao Yanshen frowned slightly, his hand movements faltered, and Yue Qifeng seized the opportunity and swept his sword across!
The distance was incredibly subtle; she seemed destined to be caught off guard. The students on the stage held their breath, their eyes glued to the two clashing in the ring, afraid to miss a single moment. At that moment, they realized Qiao Yanshen seemed about to be defeated, and they clenched their fists—
However, the young man suddenly changed his fierce attack and graceful movements. He threw his sword into the air, then grabbed the sword blade that Yue Qifeng handed him. Despite his hands being covered in blood, he used his fingertips as a fulcrum and leaped up!
Her black hair flew wildly, her white robes billowed, like a swan gracefully floating on azure waves, its wings spreading elegantly before it landed lightly after tracing a beautiful arc in the air. The scattered drops of blood were nothing more than water droplets that had fallen from her wings during her flight.
As her spiritual energy circulated, Qiao Yanshen's eyes brightened, shimmering with azure light. After regaining her footing, she took advantage of Yue Qifeng's momentary surprise and subtly raised her left hand—
The rain, which had just been flung into the sky, suddenly changed direction, passed through the thin clouds, and returned steadily to Qiao Yanshen's hand!
Like fish heading to the sea, or birds returning to the forest.
Rain falls to form rivers, and rivers gather to form rivers. Just like the previous two moves, she did not miss this opportunity for practical application. She used the method of combining the two moves that she had been conceiving, and reproduced the picture of the origin of water that Luo Yang had once given her to understand.
Although it was only a part of it, it had already broken through the shackles that had bound him for so long. Qiao Yanshen realized that his understanding of the cultivation technique had improved again, and perhaps he could start trying to learn the power of the sea, or even the power of the abyss, without having to wait until the Nascent Soul stage.
On the stage, among the crowd already awestruck by her swordsmanship, someone finally sighed softly, "Emperor Taihui really knew how to hide his talents. Such a genius, and I've never even heard of her before..."
"My impression of her is still from a few years ago. Back then, who said that she might be able to challenge Yue Qifeng in a hundred years or so?"
It had clearly witnessed many magnificent and turbulent events; the arena below was damaged and cracked in many places, but what was truly despairing was—
This is only the second move.
Yue Qifeng was panting, her hand holding the sword trembling slightly, not from fear, but from excitement. Having been the number one swordsman of her generation for so long, she had rarely been defeated. Now, finally seeing someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with her, she felt as if a lonely traveler on a snow-capped mountain had seen a bright morning star in the sky.
How can I not get excited, how can I not feel my heart pounding?
Qiao Yanshen did not hesitate and raised the silver-white longsword high, with the tip of the sword level with his brow.
After a moment of silence, the azure light, like moonlight, flowed quietly, scattering across the fields. The sound of water followed closely behind, rippling gently.
The spiritual energy was dense and gradually gathered, engulfing the broken bricks beneath their feet and solidifying into a smooth, bright mirror. White mist spread and slowly enveloped them, like a night-blooming cereus blooming serenely in the boundless moonlight.
With a turn of the sword, the howling wind swept across the sky. Yue Qifeng's expression turned solemn as he drew his sword. The wind blade transformed into a dragon, roaring and howling. It was no longer gentle or ever-changing, but wildly baring its fangs, ready to pierce through its opponent with its tangible fangs.
Just as the dragon-breath-like wind whispered close, a vast expanse of blue waves suddenly rose on the mirror, transforming into surging sword intent that fearlessly met the attack.
The illusion shattered, and the shimmering waves sparkled with a golden hue, threatening to expand into a raging sea. As Qiao Yanshen raised his sword, the waves surged upwards. The power within was like a sea beast, hidden beneath the lake, leaping out of the water.
Behind her, the dazzling spiritual energy solidified and shone brightly, forming a full moon.
As the sword shattered the protective spiritual energy and lay horizontally beside Yue Qifeng's neck, she heard a soft, delicate sound, and then looked up in disbelief.
The next moment, the barrier above finally gave way to the cracks that eroded it.
With a loud crash, it shattered.
Tangible fragments of spiritual energy, glowing brightly, drifted down from the sky, much like a sudden downpour.
They actually...
No, it should be Qiao Yanshen—
It actually shattered the barrier!
Qiao Yanshen's hands were covered in wounds, making it difficult for him to hold the sword. After symbolically brushing the blade lightly against Yue Qifeng's shoulder, he sheathed the sword, his fingers trembling. He finally frowned, his face turning pale with pain.
Yue Qifeng was taken aback and quickly went to support her, using his spiritual power in two ways to slowly repair their wounds.
As the announcement of the victory or defeat rang out from above, they helped each other and slowly walked towards the teleportation array.
On the other side of the arena, the two disciples at the Golden Core stage had also decided their match. Lu Changqing pointed at the gradually dissipating ice shards and saw that his opponent's expression was ugly, as if he was shocked that a water-elemental healer could know such a move. He couldn't help but smile.
Others who were following the match were discussing it extensively.
"Just now, it seemed like a giant shadow enveloped the arena, and I even felt a bit of pressure... Where did it come from?" A student clenched his fist with lingering fear and said in a low voice.
"It was summoned by that boy! What is that thing?" Another student beside her stared intently at Lu Changqing. "What kind of technique is it... or is it just a bluff?"
On stage, someone chuckled meaningfully: "That's... a Kunpeng?"
They all knew the principles behind the magical artifacts from the first round, and naturally understood that they contained ancient relics. The young man could never have seen this divine beast, which had long since disappeared from the Earth Spirit Realm, so he must have encountered it in an illusion.
Despite only meeting them once, he understood their will and gained the recognition of this sacred race.
As her opponent, Tusheng bit his lip and finally couldn't help but ask, "How do you manage to transform water elemental power into ice blades and make them change so unpredictably?"
Lu Changqing tilted his head, pondered for a moment, and then replied, "In ancient times, there was the Kunpeng, which was a fish in the sea and a bird in the sky, soaring through the heavens and diving into the earth, free and unrestrained. Therefore, turning water into ice is not a difficult task."
"Is this the same thing...?"
The boy blinked. "I think so! Okay, I'm going to watch Sister Jinyu's match now, she looks like she's about to go on stage."
After saying that, she turned around and stepped into the teleportation array.
-
A moment later, the group gathered in the rest area and had a lively discussion.
Qiao Yanshen and Shen Lixia had finished their respective matches for the day, while Lin Yuxian, having finished early, even went back to Bailu Peak to pick some wild berries.
Simmons seemed to have no desire to see a certain person and returned to the hermit camp first.
The five women huddled together, their fingertips stained with purple juice, their faces contorted from the sourness. They noticed a student was hosting the event, so they went over to watch.
Upon seeing the list of students for the upcoming competition, Shen Lixia waved her hand and each bet one hundred spirit stones on a friend she knew. Lu Changqing was even more generous, betting three thousand spirit stones on Tang Huairou, for which Wu Zhuyue tapped him on the forehead.
"Won't the spirit stones run out?"
Lu Changqing crossed his arms and replied, "Master said that regardless of winning or losing, we must support Senior Sister Jinyu. Just like I would support Xiao Wu—"
Wu Zhuyue exclaimed in disbelief, "You've already lost spirit stones, haven't you?!"
"Oops! I've been exposed..." Lu Changqing shrank back, trying to brush it off with a smile, "I didn't bet much, because I thought Xiao Wu could win. In my heart, you've already won!"
They chased each other to the back of the stands. Shen Lixia blinked and shook her head helplessly.
"Next up is Senior Sister Tang, didn't they say they wanted to see her..."
As they were talking, two familiar figures approached and sat down next to them.
Qiao Yanshen spoke first: "Have the senior sisters finished their competitions as well?"
Yue Qifeng nodded, "Yes." She held Yun Zhixiao's hand. Her wounds had fully healed, and after changing her clothes, she had returned to her usual neat and tidy appearance.
When Yun Zhixiao saw Shen Lixia, she smiled and gently tapped her forehead, making the boy blush. He raised his hand and rubbed the spot where she had tapped him with her flute earlier.
Senior Sister Yue, please stop teaching Senior Sister Yun these weird things...
If Yun had known that what she was holding at that moment wasn't a flute but a zither, then when it slammed down, Shen Lixia felt that she wouldn't have walked away slowly, but rather flattened away.
After talking for a while, the group suddenly heard the sound of weapons clashing on the field, and they all turned their gazes in unison.
Yun Zhixiao pondered for a moment, "The opponent Huairou is facing this time is a bit impatient."
The others also noticed that the other man hadn't even introduced himself, nor given Tang Huairou a chance to salute, before directly thrusting his sword at her. The young man quickly dodged, but paused slightly as he created a safe distance, as if he hadn't expected this man to do this…
fierce.
If Tang Huairou hadn't dodged that sword strike, it would have been almost a sneak attack, aimed directly at her shoulder.
Qiao Yanshen and Shen Lixia exchanged a glance, both seeing worry in each other's eyes.
...It is Luo You.
Despite being a rogue cultivator, his strength should not be underestimated. Luo You's swordplay was both graceful and swift, his sword strikes were extremely fast, and his spiritual energy emitted a bright blue light, indicating that he possessed a water elemental root.
wrong.
Her starting stance—
Just moments ago there was a gentle and restrained manner, but now it was utterly ruthless, evident in her movements, the angle of her sword, and even her gaze.
Why is she exactly the same as him?
Qiao Yan felt a chill creeping up on her. She instinctively gripped the hem of her clothes, her gaze fixed intently on Luo You.
This is a sword move meant to kill someone.
The next instant, as if her guess had come true, Luo You gracefully changed position and, taking advantage of Tang Huairou's inability to dodge, drew her sword without hesitation.
The sound of blood splattering, accompanied by the sound of a sword piercing through a body, intertwined to create a chilling commotion.
Something flashed along the sword's edge and surged into Tang Huairou's body. Crimson blood stained the young man's fair face, and a few drops landed on the corner of her lips, slowly trickling down.
Luo You gently licked the blood from her lips, ignoring the shouts from above to stop her. She slowly raised her head, not immediately kneeling before the overwhelming pressure, but instead scanning the crowd with her gaze, and then…
Their eyes met in shock and anger.
She was like a ferocious beast that had drunk its fill of blood; her eyes shone even brighter in the blood-soaked light, yet they also gleamed with a dark, cold light. The instant their eyes met, she broke into a radiant smile.
This time, Qiao Yanshen finally understood the meaning of her lip reading.
teacher.
She was calling out to herself, not someone else.
The coldness finally engulfed his blood, freezing it completely, as if he could feel shards of ice floating within it. His consciousness exploded with a deafening roar as the young man on the arena collapsed.
The pool of blood slowly spread, appearing tragic and scattered across the vast area.
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Author's note: *To add a point, it's not that no one of my generation can beat Senior Sister Yue. I personally prefer evenly matched opponents (?), so Yun Zhixiao is on par with Yue Qifeng or even slightly better. It's just that Yue Qifeng is very strong among sword cultivators, which is why he feels a sense of mutual respect for Senior Sister.
It's friendship! ^_^
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