Cherish and pity
The long, drawn-out bell rang again, echoing among the mountains, and soon it was Qin Wu's turn to compete.
Yun Qian was preoccupied with Qin Wu's opponent, Song Xuezhu, who had a significant connection with her junior brother in the original book. Before Qin Wu got up to go on stage, she couldn't help but give him a special instruction, "Your opponent is a girl, remember to be gentle and considerate."
Qin Wu paused slightly, his face remaining as expressionless as a snow-covered mountain peak. He simply nodded indifferently to indicate that he understood, then turned and strode steadily toward the much-anticipated Wuji Platform.
At the same time, on the other side of the Wuji Platform, a graceful figure appeared, instantly attracting countless eyes.
Yun Qian immediately perked up, her previously languidly leaning back unconsciously straightening up as she looked in that direction with great interest.
Song Xuezhui was dressed in a well-tailored white, fitted outfit that accentuated her slender figure. Her jet-black hair was neatly tied into a high ponytail, revealing a fair and delicate face. Her features were exquisite, and her temperament was cool yet subtly gentle. She was truly like a white lotus after the rain, pure and noble, with a breathtaking beauty.
Yun Qian's eyes were filled with undisguised admiration, and she inwardly praised: The female lead truly lives up to her reputation; her looks and temperament are indeed worthy of the title! She pursed her lips slightly, and even felt a little gratified for Qin Wu in her heart, thinking, "Junior brother, you are so lucky!"
Qin Wu and Song Xuezhu stood on opposite sides of the Wuji Platform, one in black and one in white, one cold and one gentle, creating a striking contrast.
As the bell, symbolizing the start of the competition, rang, the deep voices of the Tianyan Sect disciples resounded in all directions:
"Next match: Qin Wu from Cangmin Mountain will face Song Xuezhu from Lingxiao Mountain!"
The moment the words "Cangmin Mountain" were uttered, the vast majority of the audience's attention was instantly drawn to it. All sorts of inquisitive, curious, and scrutinizing gazes focused on it.
Yun Qian sighed helplessly to herself: Sure enough, Cangmin Mountain is the eternal source of attention in the cultivation world. Too much fame can sometimes be a burden.
She composed herself and focused her gaze intently on the ring.
On the stage, Qin Wu did not hesitate at all. The moment the referee finished speaking, his right hand was already on the hilt of his sword.
"Clang—!"
The Su Tian Sword was drawn, accompanied by a clear and melodious dragon's roar.
The next instant, Qin Wu moved!
Fast! Extremely fast!
Everyone only saw a blur before their eyes, and a black afterimage tore through the air like a ghost, instantly approaching Song Xuezhu at the other end of the arena.
Before Song Xuezhu could even fully assume a defensive stance, let alone unleash any exquisite moves, she felt an overwhelming force that was impossible to resist strike her chest!
"Bang—!"
A muffled thud was followed by a short, startled cry.
To everyone's astonishment, Song Xuezhu's slender figure, like a kite with a broken string, or a fragile willow catkin swept up by a gale, was sent flying backward without any resistance, tracing a helpless arc before crashing straight onto the ground below the Wuji Platform, stirring up a small cloud of dust.
Yun Qian's eyes widened instantly, and she leaned forward instinctively, almost standing up from her chair.
"..." Her lips twitched slightly, her brows furrowed tightly, and she was speechless, wondering what the heavens meant. Did Qin Wu... have some kind of misunderstanding about the meaning of "cherishing women"?!
In the original book, didn't he politely give way a few moves because the other party was a woman? How come he just rudely and simply blasted her away in front of her?
An eerie silence fell over the area beneath the Wuji Platform, lasting for several seconds. It was as if time itself had frozen.
Immediately, like a pot exploding, a discussion erupted that was more heated than ever before:
"One...one move?!"
"Did you see how he made his move?"
"My God, he was sent flying?! He didn't even give us any face!"
"How could he be so cruel to a beauty like Fairy Song?"
"This fellow Daoist from Cangmin Mountain, perhaps you cultivate the Path of Ruthlessness?"
"If it were me sparring with Miss Song, I certainly wouldn't be so rude..."
The discussions were filled with shock, bewilderment, and even some condemnation of Qin Wu for his lack of romantic understanding.
Yun Qian raised her hand and gently touched her forehead, her eyes filled with a mixture of deep helplessness and heartache for Song Xuezhu.
Helpless against Qin Wu's stoic behavior, and feeling sorry for the beautiful Song Xuezhu, who took the full force of Qin Wu's attack without reservation.
Judging from the force of the injury, Song Xuezhui will likely need at least half a month of careful recuperation to fully recover.
Below the stage, several disciples of Lingxiao Mountain rushed over and carefully helped Song Xuezhu, whose face was pale and whose lips even had a trace of blood.
Song Xuezhu's eyes were filled with tears of humiliation and pain, on the verge of tears. She looked up at the still indifferent and upright black figure on the stage, her eyes filled with complex emotions. She bit her bloodless lower lip tightly with her pearly teeth. For a long time, she could not say a word. Only the silent tears that slid down her face told of her grievances and embarrassment.
The disciple from the Tianyan Sect responsible for recording the competition results was clearly stunned by the swift and decisive outcome. It took him a while to recover before he loudly announced:
"The victor is Qin Wu of Cangmin Mountain!"
In the grand competition of the immortal sects, on the arena, death and injury were left to fate. Although the people of Lingxiao Mountain were displeased with Qin Wu's heavy blow, they did not show it too much. After all, their skills were inferior, and Qin Wu's strength was undeniable; a loss was a loss, and there was nothing to criticize.
However, Song Xuezhu was, after all, the most outstanding disciple of Lingxiao Mountain. In addition, she was exceptionally beautiful and had grown up in the love of her elders and the admiration of her fellow disciples. She had never suffered such a setback before. Now, in front of all the sects, she was defeated in one move and left the stage in a sorry state. She had lost face big time.
Qin Wu seemed oblivious to everything happening below the stage. He didn't even glance at Song Xuezhu, but merely gave a cold look at the chattering crowd below the stage. Then, he sheathed his sword, and with a flash, he landed back below the stage like a feather, walking straight back to the Cangmin Mountain area and sitting down calmly.
He didn't care about his defeated opponent, and naturally didn't see the beautiful woman's pitiful tears.
Yun Qian, however, turned her head to look at Qin Wu beside her, who seemed completely unaffected. She opened her mouth, hesitated, and finally let out a silent sigh.
This match ended so quickly that it was the fastest in the entire competition. Although Qin Wu only used one sword strike, the astonishing speed and power were enough to make everyone present clearly realize that this young swordsman from Cangmin Mountain possessed unfathomable strength!
Cangmin Mountain has been secluded from the world for a century, remaining silent for a long time, but this does not mean that its profound heritage and supreme swordsmanship, passed down for thousands of years, have been annihilated.
The Cangmin Sword Technique remains the undisputed supreme swordsmanship in this cultivation world, an unshakeable position!
On the high platform, Si Li gazed intently towards Cangmin Mountain, his eyes filled with even greater apprehension than before. Qin Wu's seemingly simple attack just now, in its initiation, power exertion, and the unparalleled sword intent it contained, was clearly the most basic starting stance of the Cangmin Sword Technique!
He hadn't seen anyone wield the Cangmin Sword Technique with such purity and dominance for far too long. So long that he had almost forgotten how breathtaking and terrifying that brilliant sword strike was hundreds of years ago.
At that time, he was just an unknown ordinary disciple of Tianyan Mountain, who followed the Immortal Alliance to suppress the rampaging Demon Lord.
Just when the Hundred Sects were being forced into a desperate retreat by the Demon Army, suffering heavy casualties and almost falling into despair, Qi Mo, the 145th generation disciple of Cangmin Mountain, appeared like a meteor streaking across the sky, descending like a divine warrior! Alone and armed with only a silver longsword, he dared to face the ferocious Demon Lord head-on, and amidst the crisscrossing sword light, he was not at all at a disadvantage!
The countless mysterious sword flowers that the sword spun in the air, the surging and magnificent sword intent that seemed to tear the heavens and earth apart—no one present could forget Qi Mo and his sword from that battle.
That is a memory etched into the very marrow of a generation.
Sili slightly turned his gaze to the sect leader of Qingcheng Mountain beside him and found that the other party's expression was equally solemn.
Of the nine people seated on this suspended platform, apart from the mysterious Lin Huaiyu, the rest had all witnessed Qi Mo's unparalleled prowess and felt the fear of being dominated by Cang Min's sword intent. Now, seeing this same technique again, even if it's just the most basic one, was enough to awaken the long-dormant fear deep within their hearts.
The sword of Cangmin Mountain has finally been drawn once again.
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