Chapter 25 – Seven Strike Takedown

“Since the challenge has been accepted and Elder Zhou and I are already here today, we will serve as witnesses for you,” Sect Leader Ji informed them. He looked at Feng Ye in the audience: “If you lose the battle, leave through the mountain gate on your own. There is no turning back.”

“This disciple understands.” Feng Ye bowed again.

Then he turned around and walked toward the ring in the middle of the arena, following a one-person-wide path as everyone made way for him.

He didn’t walk fast, but each step was steady and firm. He seemed to be completely oblivious to the ridiculousness of his challenge.

He was clearly just a junior disciple at the third level of Qi Refining, and it was unknown where he got the confidence to challenge Lu Chengye, who was at the seventh level of Qi Refining.

Everyone thought this way. They looked at Feng Ye with bewilderment, contempt, and even mockery as if beholding a madman.

Amid all the looks of disdain, Hao Chen, Feng Ye’s perpetual tag-along, was an outlier.

There was only happiness in his eyes. He had been testing Feng Ye for so long, but not only had Feng Ye not revealed his fox tail, he hadn’t even lost a single fox hair.

But as the saying went, even a carefully bedded flower may not blossom, but a casually planted willow tree may bloom into a forest. Whenever he designed to lure Feng Ye into taking action, it was cleverly resolved by the other party. Yet when he did nothing, Feng Ye took the initiative.

If everyone thought Feng Ye would lose, then Hao Chen was the only one who firmly believed that he would win.

Even if it was as Feng Ye said, and he didn’t use spiritual power in this competition, Hao Chen was still convinced that Feng Ye would emerge victorious.

“Shixiong!”

Just as Feng Ye was about to step onto the platform, a breathless shout came from behind.

Fang Yang had remained in his room alone for a while after Feng Ye and Hao Chen left, and the more he thought, the more worried he became. In the end, he couldn’t help but run out after them. But when he rushed over breathlessly, he saw his Useless Shixiong about to climb up onto the platform.

And the other person in the ring was Lu Chengye, who had a look of ridicule on his face.

Although he didn’t know what was going on, Fang Yang realized that something wasn’t right and shouted out anxiously, wanting Feng Ye to stop.

With his level of cultivation, Useless Shixiong would definitely be beaten badly! This was Fang Yang’s belief, but even though he was somewhat in shock, he knew he couldn’t say it so bluntly. Therefore, he just called out “Shixiong” and swallowed the rest of the words back into his stomach.

He had already run to the front of the ring, only a few meters away from Feng Ye. When Feng Ye heard the word “Shixiong,” he paused for a moment.

Fang Yang was relieved when he saw this, and immediately tried to run a few steps forward and physically stop him.

But unexpectedly, an arm suddenly blocked his way.

Hao Chen stopped Fang Yang with one hand, holding his fan in the other. He placed the edge of his fan against his slightly raised lips, giving Fang Yang a soft, “Hush.”

Fang Yang didn’t understand. He subconsciously wanted to ask, but when he opened his mouth, he found that no sound would leave his throat.

Fang Yang touched his neck in a panic. He had lost his voice!

Hao Chen was no longer looking at Fang Yang. He just used his left hand to hold him firmly, focusing all of his attention on Feng Ye standing beneath the ring.

Fang Yang’s call had only made him pause for a moment.

He paid no attention to what was happening behind him, not even looking back. In the next moment, he grasped the hilt of his sword in his right hand.

The loose daoist robe clinging to his body revealed the outlines of his muscles. Exerting force with his right arm, he drew the sword out of its sheath with the sharp sound of sliding metal.

Then, he stepped forward into the ring.

He held the sword in his right hand and casually swung his left hand backwards, tossing the scabbard away.

He clearly wasn’t looking back, but the scabbard was thrown straight to Fang Yang.

Fang Yang had no voice and couldn’t move forward. Just as he was getting anxious, he saw the scabbard flying through the air and automatically reached out to catch it.

But if there was a first time, there would be a second time, and the arm that was holding him back stopped him again.

Hao Chen intercepted the scabbard halfway and caught it before Fang Yang could.

After snatching it, he held the scabbard and directed a proud smile at Fang Yang.

Fang Yang: “……”

This wasn’t a flower thrown by a bride. What was there to snatch, ah?

Fang Yang’s inner complaints nearly overflowed. But he was unable to make a sound, so he could only use his eyes to accuse Hao Chen of behaving childishly.

Unfortunately, his gaze was not enough to penetrate Hao Chen’s thick skin, which had been honed in the extreme cold.

Fang Yang’s abrupt entrance did not interrupt the competition. Although Sect Leader Ji and Elder Zhou on the viewing platform had noticed him, seeing as he hadn’t spoken since being stopped by Hao Chen, they thought he’d been persuaded and paid no more attention to him. 

They failed to notice that Fang Yang hadn’t shut up on his own volition, but had been intentionally silenced.

But it didn’t matter. There were more important things to pay attention to at present.

The challenger and the challenged both stood onstage. When the referee gave the command, the competition officially began.

Although the fight had commenced, neither of them were in a hurry to brandish their swords.

Lu Chengye looked Feng Ye up and down as if beholding a fish on a chopping board. He was thinking about where to start – should he cut off an arm or a leg?

Feng Ye, on the other hand, seemed a little careless. His sword-holding hand was placed at his side, leaving many openings.

He’s indeed a waste who can’t even hold a sword, Lu Chengye thought.

This was perfect. He could use this waste to highlight his valiance and make himself the center of attention.

With this in mind, Lu Chengye sneered at Feng Ye: “Haha, I didn’t expect you to dare provoke me.”

Feng Ye smiled back: “Wrong.”

Lu Chengye was taken aback, and subconsciously asked: “What’s wrong?”

In an instant, Feng Ye’s voice turned cold and his smile vanished. The tip of his sword was pointed slightly upwards, and his eyebrows lowered as he said in a dark, cold tone: “You’re wrong. It should be…..”

Feng Ye raised his head slightly, his face filled with arrogance: “How dare you provoke me?”

In the audience, Hao Chen suddenly covered his chest. Feng Ye wasn’t smiling, but Hao Chen was, his eyes fixed on Feng Ye with an almost fanatical look.

He really couldn’t resist Feng Ye when he looked like this. That arrogant, disdainful look was like a fire, igniting his blood that had been frozen for thousands of years during his long, boring slumber in the North Sea. He didn’t know whether it was fighting spirit or elation beating wildly in his chest, but it was making him restless. In a trance, Hao Chen suddenly had the illusion that he was deeply attracted to this plain-looking fellow.

Contrary to Hao Chen’s complicated mood, Lu Chengye had only one reaction – fury. Absolute fury.

How dare such a waste provoke him like this!

He didn’t know what was good for him!

He immediately drew out his sword, the tip sliding out of its scabbard. The formidable spiritual power of someone at the seventh level of Qi Refining simultaneously poured into the body of the sword, making it the pinnacle of this competition in terms of speed and power.

His first move would be a killing move that decided victory or defeat. He would defeat the enemy in one blow.

Sect Leader Ji and Elder Zhou on the viewing platform watched intently. This sword…..was pretty good. No, among those at the seventh level of Qi Refining, it was quite good.

It seemed that Lu Chengye had not used his full strength in the final round, but due to Feng Ye’s provocation, he was now giving it his all.

The five senses of a Nascent Soul cultivator were superior to those of ordinary people, so they naturally heard the words spoken in the ring.

There was nothing wrong with young people being a little crazy. It was just a question of if they had the capital to back them up.

The two simultaneously turned their attention to Feng Ye. They wanted to see if this Feng Ye fellow was just an ignorant fool…..or if he had the ability to live up to his hubris.

Feng Ye’s casual posture changed slightly. He raised his left foot a bit, shifted his body weight to the right, and took a step back and to the side as Lu Chengye’s sword stabbed at his chest.

He dodged the attack in a dexterous, clever manner.

The tip of Lu Chengye’s sword passed by his side. Feng Ye turned his wrist, and the hilt of his sword flexibly followed it, stabbing backhand at Lu Chengye as he went past. 

Lu Chengye retracted his sword in time. With his left foot as the center point, he turned his body in half a circle and blocked Feng Ye’s strike.

With a clang, their swords collided.

On the road of cultivation, every stage was a watershed.

The difference between Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment was not whether one could fly on a sword, but also whether one could use magic spells.

Only cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage could use a wide variety of spells of varying strength. And at the Qi Refining stage, one could only apply spiritual energy to one’s sword to enhance its strength and speed.

Therefore, Lu Chengye was only superior to Feng Ye in strength and speed, although this was an advantage that was almost impossible to overcome.

Lu Chengye was just about to exert his strength. With his great spiritual power, Feng Ye was far weaker than him, and would certainly lose when they clashed.

However, Feng Ye knew this as well. The tip of his sword only connected with Lu Chengye’s for a moment and, like a slippery fish, separated at a touch.

Lu Chengye raised his sword and slashed again, and Feng Ye adopted the same approach of not firmly blocking the opponent’s attack. He used the same method he’d taught Fang Yang when fighting the White-Nosed Demon Bear, exerting force in the wrist. The resulting crisp force acted on the body of the sword, allowing it to dissipate the impact of the collision through vibration.

Therefore, even though Lu Chengye’s strength was far greater than his, Feng Ye was not at a disadvantage for the time being.

“Tsk!” Lu Chengye surreptitiously gritted his teeth, finding no place to exert his strength. Feng Ye wasn’t even bothering to compete with him in power!

But what did it matter? In terms of speed, he, who was at the seventh level of Qi Refining, couldn’t lose!

Lu Chengye abruptly increased the speed of his sword and attacked Feng Ye like a violent storm.

Feng Ye was forced to retreat again and again. Although he was on the back foot in terms of strength and speed, he still managed to block every attack aimed at him.

Elder Zhou stroked his beard, watching the way Feng Ye drew his sword with some surprise. Feng Ye drew a circle with his blade, and the seemingly solid sword undulated as if it had transformed into a long, malleable snake. He used the toughness of the metal to forcibly entangle the opponent’s sword, thereby slowing down the opponent’s attack.

Because the majority of disciples were male, the swordsmanship of Lingxiao Sword Sect had always been vigorous and fierce. But this somewhat feminine sword technique was usually employed by female sword cultivators.

Yet Feng Ye was using it at the opportune time. After all, considering his all-round disadvantages, using softness to overcome hardness was the right choice.

This Feng Ye fellow is quite clever, Elder Zhou thought with some admiration.

“Elder Zhou…..” Sect Leader Ji called softly.

“En?” Elder Zhou looked over questioningly.

Sect Leader Ji stared at Feng Ye as Lu Chengye forced him to retreat, saying with a hint of uncertainty: “Is he even using spiritual power?”

“Huh?!” Upon hearing this, Elder Zhou looked back at Feng Ye and let out a sound of surprise and uncertainty.

Feng Ye really wasn’t using spiritual power. There was a gap in strength between the third and seventh levels of Qi Refining, and he didn’t dare to confront the opponent head-on. From beginning to end, each time their swords collided, it was only for an instant.

It turned out that Feng Ye wasn’t just being cautious – he was fully aware that he couldn’t square off with the other person directly.

He was basically challenging Lu Chengye, who was at the seventh level of Qi Refining, as an ordinary person with no spiritual power! 

This fact was so shocking that Sect Leader Ji didn’t dare believe it, and instead asked Elder Zhou, whose tone made everything clear to him. 

This challenge was indeed like striking a rock with an egg, yet Feng Ye actually took the initiative to make it more difficult for himself. He wasn’t just striking a rock with an egg – he was using a cracked egg to strike a hard, jagged rock.

Had he been kicked in the head by a donkey?

How was this different from suicide?

If they had known before the match that Feng Ye wasn’t going to use spiritual power, they would have had these thoughts. But though the match had begun and Feng Ye still hadn’t used any spiritual power, although he was losing ground, he hadn’t lost yet.

The two stopped conversing and simply focused their attention on the fight. They wanted to see if Feng Ye could…..make the impossible possible.

Some traces of spiritual power would inevitably leak out when it was being used, and at the same time Sect Leader Ji and Elder Zhou noticed he wasn’t using any, others noticed as well.

They were all equally flabbergasted, so much so that they didn’t have words to describe such behavior.

In the end, they could only settle on one descriptor – crazy.

“Shixiong…..” Fang Yang murmured. He was a little slow, but he discovered Feng Ye’s lack of spiritual power use because of the words his shixiong had said to him before leaving: “Even without using spiritual power, I will win.”

And just as he’d said, he wasn’t using a lick of spiritual power. 

Fang Yang pursed his lips tightly, unaware that he had the ability to speak once more. His attention was focused on Feng Ye.

Although Useless Shixiong’s cultivation was very much useless, he was trying to show Fang Yang through his actions that cultivation wasn’t everything.

Regardless of the final result, Fang Yang immediately felt somewhat ashamed of his cowardice. He should have been the one to compete.

Even though by the time he explained everything to Feng Ye at noon, it was half an incense stick past the time he should have participated in the competition.

Feng Ye hadn’t actually wanted Fang Yang to participate. He had just wanted him to pick up the sword, to show some resolve.

Unfortunately, Fang Yang had been unable to do so, and Useless Shixiong was forced to resort to such extreme methods.

The tears that had just stopped now showed signs of falling again. Fang Yang quickly rubbed his eyes.

Hao Chen sent Fang Yang a glance, then turned his gaze back toward Feng Ye in the ring.

Feng Ye was at a disadvantage. He fought with Lu Chengye for nearly a hundred rounds, and other than the first time he drew his sword, he was on the defensive the rest of the time.

It was a passive defense.

Lu Chengye’s rapid attacks afforded him no room to breathe, and he was only able to defend himself.

He was forced to the edge of the ring.

There were two criteria for judging victory or defeat: One was to voluntarily admit defeat or be incapable of continuing, and the other was to fall off the stage.

When Lu Chengye saw that Feng Ye had followed the calculated route and was in danger of falling, a victorious smile appeared at the corners of his lips.

Feng Ye, this useless fellow at the third level of Qi Refining, was obviously inferior to him in all aspects, yet dared to challenge him?

That would have been fine, but this waste wasn’t even using spiritual power? 

As the one fighting Feng Ye head-on, Lu Chengye had been the first to discover this.

Such knowledge made him even angrier, and he wanted to slice Feng Ye to pieces. 

This was simply naked contempt. A waste at the third level of Qi Refining was looking down on him, a seventh level of Qi Refining cultivator. How dare he!

Lu Chengye pushed Feng Ye to the edge of the ring, but not for the purpose of making him fall off. Wouldn’t that be going too easy on this waste? 

He intended to make Feng Ye lose his balance, and the moment he stepped onto thin air, Lu Chengye would disable his right arm while pretending to disarm him, turning him into a genuine waste.

Although disciples should know when to stop in a fight, it was easy for accidents to happen, and no one could fault Lu Chengye. 

As the fight continued, the smile on Lu Chengye’s face continued to grow. Finally, Feng Ye stepped half a foot off the stage. He was about to fall.

The junior disciples watching in the audience held their breaths. Atop the viewing stand, Cao Zirui’s perpetually icy expression also changed slightly.

He was probably the most focused person in the entire audience. Whether it was Hao Chen or the two Nascent Soul masters Sect Leader Ji and Elder Zhou, they had all been distracted at some point – but not Cao Zirui.

Although he possessed great talent, without corresponding effort, he wouldn’t have been able to advance to Foundation Establishment in one year. Unlike Fang Yang’s hellish work-rest schedule, Cao Zirui paid more attention to efficiency. He devoted all of his energy to everything he did, and never got distracted.

He was fully focused when cultivating, and the same was true as he watched this battle.

Therefore, he discovered something that the others had not: This junior disciple named Feng Ye, he…..

Feng Ye’s body swayed slightly. Lu Chengye was overjoyed. He was about to achieve victory.

Pretending not to notice his opponent’s loss of balance, he proceeded to aim his sword directly at Feng Ye’s right arm.

While everyone was thinking that Feng Ye was going to lose, Hao Chen intermittently tapped the palm of his hand with his fan, paying close attention to this moment that would decide the outcome of the battle. Even though Feng Ye had fallen into an almost irreparable disadvantage, he still didn’t believe that Feng Ye would lose.

Atop the viewing platform, Elder Zhou let out a faint sigh. Although the courage of Feng Ye’s challenge had made an impression, it was ultimately difficult to change an established outcome.

Someone at the third level of Qi Refining could not defeat someone at the seventh level, let alone an ordinary person without spiritual power.

“Wrong!” Cao Zirui heard his sigh and abruptly spoke.

His precious, indifferent disciple had actually spoken of his own initiative, and Sect Leader Ji looked over in surprise along with Elder Zhou.

Sect Leader Ji was shocked to find that his precious little iceberg had not only spoken up – his expression had also changed. Cao Zirui frowned, his gaze still fixed on Feng Ye.

After repeated confirmation, he sucked in a breath and spoke this unbelievable fact: “Each time he strikes with his sword, he strikes the same place!”

Each strike hit the same place?

Sect Leader Ji and Elder Zhou both stared blankly.

What sort of notion was this? They were both Nascent Soul cultivators who specialized in the way of the sword, but even they were unable to control a sword so accurately.

It was already difficult to hit the same spot with every strike when practicing swordplay against a stationary wooden stake, let alone in actual combat, where the opponent’s moves were unpredictable and attacks could come from any angle at any time.

This was practically impossible!

No, it’s not impossible, Sect Leader Ji thought suddenly. He once knew someone who might have been able to do it…..

But that person was dead…..without even bones or ashes remaining…..

At this thought, Sect Leader Ji closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, beyond everyone’s expectations, the tables had turned in the ring.

Lu Chengye pretended not to notice Feng Ye’s swaying body and stabbed at his right arm regardless. But while he was pretending, Feng Ye was also pretending. 

Lu Chengye believed that everything was going as planned, unaware that this was also part of Feng Ye’s plan.

Feng Ye feigned stepping into thin air and swayed for a moment, but when Lu Chengye stabbed out, he ducked down and dodged the attack. At the same time, he slashed forward with his sword and struck the same spot again.

The lower middle body of the sword.

All in all, they had fought nearly a hundred rounds and he had hit this spot nearly a hundred times. The iron swords of Lingxiao Sword Sect were of high quality, but at last, under such blows, a tiny crack appeared on the body of the sword, which was unable to bear the pressure.

Hao Chen opened his fan with a swish, fanning himself to suppress his rising body temperature.

He was excited. Uncontrollably excited – because he had finally discovered Feng Ye’s plan. The tiny crack was inconspicuous, and even the sound of it splintering was drowned out by the crisp collision of the swords.

But Hao Chen still heard it where he was standing beneath the ring. He couldn’t help but laugh. Feng Ye…..really hadn’t disappointed him.

But Lu Chengye had yet to notice this, even with his sword in contact with Feng Ye’s. The crack was too small, and his sword was still solid.

He just felt a little regretful that his previous attack had failed, and intended to continue his offensive. But unexpectedly, Feng Ye suddenly changed his sword style.

The sword techniques he used previously were rather feminine and passively defensive. He didn’t take the initiative to attack, and the rhythm of the battle was completely controlled by Lu Chengye.

Now, he changed from the feminine sword style to one that was fierce and extremely oppressive.

He switched between two completely different sword styles without pause, thrusting the sword out in smooth movements.

He held the sword in his right hand, and the muscles on the exposed half of his arm were tense as he slashed across his body with the sword.

Lu Chengye was caught off guard by the sudden change, and subconsciously blocked Feng Ye’s strike.

“Seven,” Feng Ye said out of nowhere.

Lu Chengye didn’t understand why he suddenly said this.

But he had no time to think, because Feng Ye’s next attack came right after.

This time, the force was even greater. With a deafening clang, Lu Chengye was forced to take a step backward.

As Feng Ye brandished his sword, he said again: “Six.”

This guy was counting?! What was he counting at a time like this?! Lu Chengye was going crazy inside, unable to understand this person’s strange behavior.

“Five.”

Feng Ye spoke a word each time he swung his sword, and Lu Chengye took a corresponding step back. 

He was originally the one to force Feng Ye to the edge of the ring, but now, the situation was completely reversed. Step by step, he was being forced toward the edge of the ring by Feng Ye.

He wanted to interrupt his opponent’s offensive and re-establish his rhythm. However, each of Feng Ye’s attacks was stronger and faster than the previous one. He barely had time to defend himself, much less gather the strength to counterattack. 

“Four.”

With that spoken “four,” Lu Chengye realized that something was wrong. He caught sight of the inconspicuous crack in his sword.

The crack was already a cun long, like an ugly scar crawling up his sword.

“Three.”

What in the world was this counting?! 

Lu Chengye was anxious and angry. Whether it was the numbers coming from Feng Ye’s mouth that sounded like a countdown to his death, or the crack in his sword, it all had him utterly bewildered.

Feng Ye pressed forward step by step, and Lu Chengye drew closer to the edge of the ring.

But in the midst of his panic, Lu Chengye also kept one thing in mind – Feng Ye’s swift offensive couldn’t last long. Each of his strikes must be faster and stronger than the previous one, otherwise Lu Chengye would be able to accumulate strength and counterattack.

However, Feng Ye’s strength and speed had an upper limit, and his sword had already reached it. He would be unable to swing any faster or stronger than that.

Just as Lu Chengye was thinking this, he once again heard that cold, emotionless voice.

“Two.”

After striking, Feng Ye suddenly spun around. Using the acceleration created by the rotation, he swung out with a penultimate strike that exceeded his own limitations.

Like a spiderweb, the crack in the sword spread in all directions.

And Lu Chengye was forced to retreat to the edge of the ring. He realized that the boundary was behind him. He had no way to retreat.

“One.”

Feng Ye uttered the last word coldly.

This was the final strike!

Lu Chengye realized this fact. As long as…..as long as he could block it…..he still had a chance!

He took his sword with both hands and held it vertically in front of him, trying to use the broad blade to intercept the last strike heading toward his throat.

However, Feng Ye’s control over the sword’s movement and the sword itself had reached a terrifying level of precision. Just as Cao Zirui had said, each of his strikes hit the same spot.

He calculated the force and angle of each sword strike, and the last one was equally accurate…..

Seven Strike Takedown!

He didn’t use any spiritual power, but his last strike carried an icy killing intent that made the people nearby shudder.

This killing intent was practically corporeal. Those nearby were clearly not up against Feng Ye, but they couldn’t help taking a step back when they sensed it.

That fear didn’t need any sort of medium. Just those not-so-loud words and a biting cold ray of light had already pierced into everyone’s hearts.

Even Fang Yang, who had always been close to his Useless Shixiong, took an involuntary step back when Feng Ye launched his final strike.

Was this murderous…..terrifying person in front of him…..really Useless Shixiong?

On the viewing platform, Sect Leader Ji and Elder Zhou couldn’t help but stand to their feet. This was only a competition, and there was no need to fight to the death. But Feng Ye’s sword had already struck, and they…..were powerless to stop him.

The unstoppable momentum of this strike called to mind Pangu, the legendary creator of the world who could even split heaven and earth!

What’s more, the iron in front of him was already full of cracks.

Unsurprisingly, although Lu Chengye made one final effort…..it was a decisive move that left the opponent with no openings.

When the tip of Feng Ye’s sword hit the cracked body of the other, there was no pause at all as the blade continued to move forward, and the enormous force sent broken pieces of iron scattering all around.

Hao Chen lightly waved his fan to block the iron pieces flying toward him.

He was the only one not horrified by such killing intent. He only felt exhilaration, an exhilaration he had never felt before!

Feng Ye…..this person…..had really surprised him……

Hao Chen smiled behind his fan, waiting for Feng Ye to pierce Lu Chengye’s throat.

He had no doubt that even Feng Ye would be unable to rein in such strong killing intent.

But just as he thought, Feng Ye…..always surprised him…..

When the sword was only a hair’s breadth away from Lu Chengye’s throat, it came to an abrupt stop.

The killing intent that made people break out into a cold sweat vanished in an instant, as if everyone had imagined it.

But a small, bloody wound still appeared on Lu Chengye’s throat. Although the tip of the sword hadn’t touched his skin, the strong wind created by the blade stabbing forward was sharp enough to cut flesh.

The fear on Lu Chengye’s face had yet to completely subside. At that moment, he truly thought he was dead.

The tip of Feng Ye’s sword was still hovering at his throat. Not to mention moving, he didn’t even dare to breathe. Only the jut of his throat bobbed up and down, revealing the deep fear and anxiety within him.

Feng Ye maintained his posture, motionless. In the midst of the stalemate, neither Lu Chengye nor the people in the audience dared to move, fearing that if they did so, this familiar yet unfamiliar fellow disciple would twitch and slit Lu Chengye’s throat.

Even though Feng Ye had completely retracted his killing intent, he hadn’t exactly returned to his normal state. His eyes were still cold, without a trace of human warmth, pity, or empathy. All of these things that should be included in human nature were absent from his gaze.

This tense, torturous atmosphere stretched out until Feng Ye at last withdrew his sword. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. 

Lu Chengye also took a breath, but it wasn’t an even one.

Feng Ye, with his sword behind his back, suddenly lifted his foot and kicked Lu Chengye in the abdomen, launching him out of the ring in an extremely embarrassing posture.

There was complete silence.

Within that silence, Feng Ye leaped down from the stage. He returned to his normal friendly self, as if he wasn’t the one who had just frightened everyone to the bone.

Fang Yang stood there dumbly as Feng Ye walked toward him to return his sword.

Still in a daze, Fang Yang didn’t take it. Hao Chen solicitously came forward and used the scabbard he had snatched to catch the sword in Feng Ye’s hand. The two became one, and their hands also came together.

Most people would separate immediately when their skin touched, but Hao Chen intended to do no such thing. Instead, he kept his hand close to Feng Ye’s and gave him an ambiguous smile.

Feng Ye: “……”

He retracted his hand as if he’d received an electric shock.

He hadn’t flinched at all when faced with a seemingly impossible challenge, but he seemed to be at a loss when it came to Hao Chen.

Feng Ye sent Hao Chen a doubtful look. He’d needed his full concentration during the match, so he hadn’t been paying attention to what Hao Chen was doing off stage. It felt like after this competition, the way Hao Chen looked at him was…..a little bit wrong…..

“Shixiong!” A shout from Fang Yang interrupted Feng Ye’s musing.

Fang Yang had been in a trance for a long time before coming to his senses. He looked his so-called Useless Shixiong up and down with an incredulous expression.

He had only discovered today that his Useless Shixiong was only useless when it came to his cultivation. In the way of the sword, perhaps among all the junior disciples of their generation, there was nobody a fraction as good as him.

Feng Ye gave Fang Yang his usual smile – harmless, easy-going, and easy to push around.

But it was likely that nobody, including Lu Chengye, had the courage to squeeze this persimmon.

This persimmon was only soft on the surface, but there was a durian hidden inside, ah!

“Shixiong, why didn’t you tell me you’re so capable?” Although Fang Yang had been frightened by Feng Ye’s killing intent, he had already recovered. Useless Shixiong was still his Useless Shixiong.

Feng Ye touched his head and said with his gaze averted: “Shixiong isn’t that great. He’s just an ordinary junior disciple. Being able to win this time…..it’s just a coincidence, haha…..it’s all a coincidence!”

Nobody would believe that! Thought all of the junior disciples watching the match, including Fang Yang.

“It really is a coincidence. Lu Chengye’s sword was just too fragile,” Feng Ye shamelessly lied.

The naive boy thought about this seriously and actually believed it.

In addition to Fang Yang, the onlookers also donned looks of sudden realization. Feng Ye’s words actually made sense. Why was that last strike able to shatter Lu Chengye’s sword?

Feng Ye was just using the iron sword possessed by every member of the sect, not some magical weapon that could cut through iron like mud. How could one of two identical iron swords cut through the other?

They didn’t have Cao Zirui’s eyesight, and naturally hadn’t noticed that it was because Feng Ye hit the same place every time.

They had seen Lu Chengye’s sword crack inexplicably, which gave Feng Ye the opportunity to win. This could indeed be called a coincidence.

Thinking about it this way, Feng Ye wasn’t very impressive, just lucky.

Numerous people breathed sighs of relief. This outcome put them more at ease.

“This kid’s swordsmanship is first-rate, and his ability to lie…..is also first-rate.” Feng Ye’s words had deceived the group of young and inexperienced junior disciples in the audience, but the two Nascent Soul masters atop the viewing platform were not fooled.

Although the competition was over, Elder Zhou continued to observe Feng Ye below the stage. When he heard the excuse Feng Ye made up, he couldn’t help but heckle him good-naturedly.

However, he didn’t expose Feng Ye. He was impudent when he should be impudent, and low-key when he should be low-key. Elder Zhou really admired him more and more.

It was just a pity…..

“Level three of Qi Refining…..why does he have to only be at level three…..” Elder Zhou patted his thigh with regret. “If his talent was a little better, I would accept him as my disciple whether he had single or double spiritual roots, or even triple.”

Although cultivation wasn’t everything, it was the most important factor when it came to things like power and status.

What if Feng Ye had challenged a Foundation Establishment cultivator today? No matter what the opponent threw at him, Feng Ye would have been unable to fight back.

One person’s strength could defeat the skills of ten others. This saying applied everywhere.

The more Elder Zhou thought, the more regretful he became. This was as regrettable as losing a hundred years of his life savings. He lamented for a long while before discovering that the people beside him weren’t commiserating.

Never mind Cao Zirui. Sect Leader Ji’s young disciple was always like this. He wouldn’t speak if he didn’t have to, as if each word cost him money.

But although Cao Zirui didn’t speak, his eyes were fixed on Feng Ye, who was chatting and laughing with everyone in the audience.

No matter how good a person thought they were, there was always someone better. 

This statement had never been true for Cao Zirui, because he was already the best in all aspects. To him, there was nobody better.

But today, he realized that he still had a long way to go before he could be considered a person who stood above all others. He was unable to do what Feng Ye had done today with his near-limitless control over his swordsmanship.

Feng Ye had not only taught Fang Yang a lesson, but Cao Zirui as well.

Elder Zhou glanced at Sect Leader Ji beside him. It was normal for Cao Zirui to remain silent, but it was out of the ordinary for Sect Leader Ji to do the same.

Sect Leader Ji had always been a person who valued talent. How could he not harbor regrets that such a promising disciple had been born at such a disadvantage?

When he turned his head, he saw that the sect leader looked out-of-sorts, his head in the clouds.

“Sect Leader Ji?” Elder Zhou called out. There was no response.

“Sect Leader Ji!” Elder Zhou called out again, but there was still no response.

“Ji Chengyue!” Elder Zhou projected his voice by focusing energy into his dantian, and called out the sect leader’s full name.

This thunderous shout finally brought Sect Leader Ji back to his senses.

Taking in Elder Zhou’s quizzical gaze, he stared blankly for a moment before realizing he’d been distracted for too long. He promptly asked: “What were you saying?”

Elder Zhou stroked his beard and didn’t answer. Instead, he asked: “What were you thinking about? You looked distracted.”

“Nothing…..” Sect Leader Ji’s denial only made him more conspicuous.

Elder Zhou didn’t believe him. He leveled a stare at the sect leader, vowing to get to the bottom of this.

After the brief standoff, Sect Leader Ji looked around to find that there was nobody else beside him except Cao Zirui.

He needed an outlet for his turbulent thoughts, and Elder Zhou was the most suitable candidate.

Thinking of this, Sect Leader Ji stammeringly explained the whole story: “It’s really nothing…..”

Without waiting for another look of disbelief from Elder Zhou, he continued: “I just…..just…..think he’s a bit like that person…..”

His words didn’t make sense. Who was ‘he’? And who was that person?

Before Elder Zhou could figure it out, Sect Leader Ji turned his attention toward Feng Ye below the stage. Despite looking at Feng Ye, his eyes were somewhat vacant, as if he was looking through his figure at an old friend deep in his memories: “They’re not really the same. The way they draw and wield a sword is different. But…..”

Sect Leader Ji recalled the extraordinary swordsmanship Feng Ye had exhibited during the fight and his final seven-strike takedown. Such indomitable, overwhelming momentum…..

It overlapped faintly with the figure in his memory.

Although Elder Zhou had figured out who ‘he’ was, he still didn’t know which other person Sect Leader Ji was referring to.

There was a sudden hint of sorrow in Sect Leader Ji’s eyes.

He didn’t say anything, but his reaction said it all.

“It’s…..” Elder Zhou’s expression turned apprehensive. He’d finally realized who Sect Leader Ji was talking about.

Just when the name was about to escape his mouth, he stopped as if skidding to the edge of a cliff.

Because that name could not be spoken.

That person couldn’t even be mentioned…..

That person…..

Was condemned by history.

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Chapter 24 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 26