Shi Xuan cupped his hands in greeting and said loudly, "I accept this challenge."
As soon as he finished speaking, Elder Li pushed open the door and walked in. The disciples quickly sat up straight, getting into a classroom-like posture.
In fact, Elder Li had already overheard the conversation between Shi Xuan and the other person about to fight when he was outside the door. However, he would not interfere in normal sparring between disciples. Instead, he was a little curious about how Shi Xuan, who had missed this class, would deal with the upcoming fight.
When Shi Xuan saw Elder Li enter, she gave him a bright smile. However, Elder Li immediately remembered the Spirit Tempering Pool, which had not yet been repaired, and felt a pang of heartache. He gave her a cold snort in annoyance.
"It's been ten days since the Kendo course started. Today, you'll all demonstrate what you've learned. Cheng Rui, you go first!"
A disciple named Cheng Rui stood up and walked to the open space at the front, drew his sword and demonstrated two sword moves. He was very skilled, his swordsmanship was wide and powerful, yet also subtle and nuanced.
Elder Li nodded repeatedly, seemingly very satisfied with his performance.
Shi Xuan noticed that the sword technique demonstrated by this disciple was completely different from that taught by his senior brother. It was not as complicated as the Concealed Edge Sword Technique. He figured that this course was probably teaching basic introductory sword techniques.
Xiang Rong turned to Shi Xuan and whispered, "This Cheng Rui is a direct disciple of Qingdai Peak. He has a top-grade ice spiritual root and is very cold. We call him Ice Beauty in private."
He was clearly a male disciple, yet he had the nickname "beauty." Shi Xuan couldn't help but chuckle. He took a closer look at the disciple and found that he was indeed handsome with fair skin, but he kept a straight face. Even when he was wielding his sword with great force, his face remained completely still, as if he were wearing a mask.
“That’s so apt,” Shi Xuan said with a smile.
Cheng Rui quickly finished his demonstration and stood up straight.
"Shi Xuan! What are you whispering about down there?" Elder Li shouted. "Do you have any opinions to express? Why don't you stand up and say them?"
Xiang Rong stuck out her tongue and quickly turned around to sit up straight.
Shi Xuan had no choice but to stand up and commented, "Very good!"
"What are you muttering about? Ask your question!"
Master said that he had already spoken with Elder Li, so why is he making things difficult for people?
Under Elder Li's watchful gaze, Shi Xuan said solemnly, "His swordsmanship is indeed quite good, but if I were to point out some problems, there are some."
Elder Li was taken aback. He had only intended to make things difficult for her because she was muttering to herself, but who knew that she would actually have something to say.
All eyes in the Sword-Touching Hall were on Shi Xuan. She spoke calmly, "The biggest problem with the sword technique he demonstrated this time is that it lacks facial expression."
The disciples, who had expected her to point out some technical problem, burst into laughter. Cheng Rui's reputation as an ice beauty was widely known, but no one had dared to directly challenge her. "The problem with her swordsmanship is that she has no expression! Hahaha, that's hilarious!"
Cheng Rui, standing in front, gave Shi Xuan a cold glare, a rare change in his expression.
“Yes! That’s it!” Shi Xuan said, “When facing an enemy, you must show your spirit. A fierce look and a menacing expression can also increase the psychological burden on the opponent.”
Seeing how seriously she spoke, even Elder Li didn't know how to react. If he agreed with her, he felt that what she said was utter nonsense; if he disagreed with her, it seemed that what she said made some sense.
"Sit down first, and stop whispering." Elder Li simply didn't comment and told her to disappear quickly. If Lin Daozi hadn't specifically told her to take care of her, Shi Xuan would probably have been pulled out for solo training right now.
"Cheng Rui, please return to your seat. Next up is Dong Jingwei." Elder Li pointed out Dong Jingwei, who was to duel with Shi Xuan. Although he disliked Shi Xuan, she was still a true disciple of Lin Daozi, a natural swordsman. It wouldn't look good if she lost too badly in the duel. He pointed out his opponent first to demonstrate and let her prepare.
Dong Jingwei stood up, glanced at Shi Xuan, and then walked to the open space at the front.
He stood in the designated area, then raised his sword and performed the sword technique that Cheng Rui had just demonstrated.
They all used the same set of sword moves, but each disciple had their own unique style. Cheng Rui's moves were expansive and powerful, yet he paid attention to the details, while Dong Jingwei's style leaned more towards a sharp and aggressive, even murderous, aura.
"Not bad." His swordsmanship was recognized by Elder Li.
"His expression is spot on!" Someone shouted from below, which caused another burst of laughter from the audience.
Compared to Cheng Rui before him, Dong Jingwei's expressions were incredibly varied. Every thrust of his sword seemed to be accompanied by a fierce, teeth-gritting expression. This shout created a stark contrast between him and the expressionless Cheng Rui, doubling the comedic effect.
With Shi Xuan stirring things up like this, facial expressions are becoming one of the criteria for judging swordsmanship.
Dong Jingwei's expression was displeased. He glanced at Shi Xuan with a cold snort, then drew his sword and returned to his position. As he approached Shi Xuan, he glanced at her again, as if in a show of force before a duel.
Shi Xuan pretended not to see it, which made Dong Jingwei even angrier.
After calling up every disciple except Shi Xuan to demonstrate their swordsmanship and giving their comments, Elder Li said solemnly, "Today you all have a general understanding of your own situation. After class, everyone should work hard to make up for your shortcomings."
"Yes!" the disciples answered in unison.
Elder Li continued, "From now on, there will be a comprehensive evaluation every month. The five disciples with the lowest scores will be responsible for cleaning the Sword Cleaning Hall, the Library, and the central square for that month, until the next monthly exam! Do you understand?"
"Ah~!" Amidst the chorus of responses, there were a few disciples' wails. These were the ones who had performed the worst earlier, and it seemed they knew they couldn't escape their tragic fate of cleaning.
Someone immediately whispered, "Maybe it's just the last four. Don't forget there's one who hasn't attended class yet."
They were talking about Shi Xuan. She had never taken a swordsmanship class before. In this class, Elder Li didn't even ask her to come up and demonstrate. She hadn't even learned it, so what was she supposed to demonstrate?
The five finalists, who had been pre-selected, exchanged glances, each harboring a bit of wishful thinking. They were evenly matched; it was just a matter of who would be one of the lucky five.
After Elder Li finished giving the announcement, the class ended, but the disciples did not scatter as usual. Instead, they stayed put and waited.
They hadn't forgotten that Dong Jingwei and Shi Xuan had agreed to a duel before class. This was the first time they'd witnessed such excitement since they started learning, so they certainly couldn't miss it.
Dong Jingwei stood up from his seat and looked down at Shi Xuan: "If you want to back out now, it's not too late. I won't make things difficult for you anymore."
Shi Xuan sat in his seat and replied casually, "I'll say the same thing to you. If you withdraw your challenge now, I won't make things difficult for you."
"Then let's go!" Dong Jingwei was unwilling to back down. He took the lead in leaving the Sword Wiping Hall and headed towards the Sword Meeting Platform. He thought to himself, "Shi Xuan really won't listen to reason and will have to suffer the consequences."
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