“Fine, let’s do it your way.”
Pei Ruyi pointed at the two Golden Core Stage Sword Cultivators behind her and said, “These two are also at the Golden Core Stage, and they are merely Inner Sect Disciples. Their cultivation resources are far inferior to a Peak Lord’s Direct Disciple like you.”
“If you still don’t dare to accept the challenge like this, then Senior Sister Ye shouldn’t bother coming to Heavenly Sword Peak anymore.”
She stared coldly at Ye Luqing. These two Sword Cultivators weren’t just for show; they had followed her precisely for such a situation.
They were among the best within the Heavenly Sword Peak Inner Sect. At the same cultivation level, their combat prowess would not lose to an Array Cultivator.
Today, either Ye Luqing would embarrass herself, or she could forget about ever stepping foot on Heavenly Sword Peak again—let alone getting close to Senior Sister Xiao.
“Senior Sister…”
Ying Qianqian looked at Ye Luqing with some worry. She knew the specific situation of this senior sister. The drop in cultivation was only one aspect; the real issue was the loss of memory.
As a fellow talent in Formation Arts, she had seen Senior Sister Ye deploy arrays.
The usually silent and timid Ye Luqing, once she entered the world of arrays, was so dazzling, so powerful.
Every thread of True Qi was used with masterful precision, always constructing arrays in the shortest possible time.
Those disciples who didn’t understand Formation Arts all saw Ye Luqing as just Xiao Qingxuan’s accessory, but only she felt that it was Xiao Qingxuan who eclipsed Ye Luqing’s brilliance.
As a fellow Arrayist, Ying Qianqian understood the gap between herself and Senior Sister Ye better than anyone.
But having lost her memories, could Ye Luqing still be so calm and at ease as before?
“Ai…”
Ye Luqing sighed.
Since it had come to this, she couldn’t refuse the challenge anymore.
As much as she wanted to just stay low, not going to Heavenly Sword Peak was impossible. She still had to go there to provoke the Destined Female Lead.
“Fine, let’s fight then.”
If a battle of words wouldn’t work, she’d have to resort to a battle of force.
“If your Heavenly Sword Peak people lose, remember to apologize to our Azure Sky Peak disciples.”
Although it was just a random sect she’d transmigrated into, it wouldn’t hurt to farm some goodwill.
Establishing a good image in front of her junior brothers and sisters would make things easier for her on Azure Sky Peak in the future.
“No problem.”
Pei Ruyi nodded. In her view, there was no way Ye Luqing could beat an Inner Sect Sword Cultivator at the same level.
A mere support Arrayist… without Senior Sister Xiao, she was nothing.
She looked down toward the area off the arena behind her.
“Hua Sheng, Tao Xiaoxian, which one of you will go?”
The female Sword Cultivator named Tao Xiaoxian sheathed her sword and looked at Pei Ruyi somewhat sheepishly.
“Senior Sister Pei, I’ll pass. I’ve eaten Senior Sister Ye’s osmanthus cake before…”
She tapped her fingers together, flashing a sly grin.
“But if it’s to test blades with Little Qianzi, I’d be more than happy!” she said, casting a provocative look at Ying Qianqian behind Ye Luqing.
“Tao Xiaoxian…”
Ying Qianqian squeezed her palms, meeting the gaze neither arrogantly nor meekly.
Now that Senior Sister Ye had come forward, she, as a Junior Sister, needed to be a good support for her senior. She couldn’t show fear in front of others.
She had joined the Profound Firmament Upper Sect in the same cohort as Tao Xiaoxian, and they were considered the most talented of that cohort.
Both had initially gone to Heavenly Sword Peak, but she ultimately chose Azure Sky Peak.
Now, both were at Golden Core Peak Stage, but one was an Inner Sect Disciple, the other a Direct Disciple.
Pei Ruyi waved her hand. The most important thing right now was defeating Ye Luqing.
There would be plenty of chances to settle the grudge between Tao Xiaoxian and Ying Qianqian during the Sect Grand Tournament.
“Hua Sheng, you go.”
Both Tao Xiaoxian and Hua Sheng were at the Golden Core Peak Stage, but Hua Sheng had trained three years longer, making his combat power stronger.
The male Sword Cultivator named Hua Sheng tugged at the corner of his mouth and stepped forward with a bitter smile.
“Fine, fine. What can I say, Senior Sister Pei? You’re the Inner Sect Head Disciple,” he quipped.
Pei Ruyi was infatuated with Xiao Qingxuan, the Head Disciple, to the point of willingly accepting punishment from her. So she wasn’t afraid of offending Ye Luqing.
But he was still afraid.
Hua Sheng had joined six years ago, in the same cohort as Xiao Qingxuan, Ye Luqing, and Pei Ruyi.
He had seen very clearly how, over these six years, Xiao Qingxuan and Ye Luqing had come to be so inseparable.
The relationship between these two wasn’t something that could be shaken by defeating one of them once.
“Senior Sister Ye, blades and swords have no eyes. It’s not too late to step down now.”
Hua Sheng stepped forward with his sword, calculating inwardly how to complete Pei Ruyi’s task without hurting Ye Luqing.
If he so much as scratched Ye Luqing, Senior Sister Xiao would probably skin him alive.
As for the idea that Ye Luqing could win? That thought had never crossed his mind.
Even back when she was at the Nascent Soul Stage, not to mention now at the fallen Golden Core Stage, he could still hold his own against a Nascent Soul Array Cultivator.
“Babbling away, what are you going on about? Just get on with it,” Ye Luqing raised an eyebrow.
“Then… pardon my offense!”
A sharp glint flashed in Hua Sheng’s eyes as he formulated his plan.
First, use his sword to shatter Ye Luqing’s defensive arrays and trapping formations. When Ye Luqing was flustered and caught off guard, switch the blade to the blunt side and smack her out of the arena, preventing any injury.
Of course, if Ye Luqing could see the gap in their combat power and retreat midway, that would be even better.
To achieve such an effect… he’d have to go all out from the very beginning!
A resonant sword hum instantly rang out across the field, and grand Sword Qi surged forth.
The faces of the crowd below immediately shifted. This strike from Hua Sheng was even more ferocious than the one he’d used earlier to knock the Inner Sect Disciple of Azure Sky Peak off the arena!
Hua Sheng was ranked second among the Inner Sect Disciples. Aside from Pei Ruyi, who had recently broken through to Nascent Soul Stage, he was the strongest in the Heavenly Sword Peak Inner Sect.
He had joined in the same cohort as Pei Ruyi. They had traded wins and losses for the first few years; he was only suppressed now because his breakthrough to the next stage was a bit slower.
With his cultivation and refinement in the Way of the Sword, he wouldn’t lose even against a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator.
Just at that moment, golden light blazed in Ye Luqing’s eyes. A feeling as if she were clad in thick earth enveloped her, making her presence feel like a mountain itself just standing there.
She made no excessive movements, only pointing a single finger toward Hua Sheng on the other side of the arena.
“Suppress.”
Weng—
A thick, heavy Profound Yellow True Qi burst from the ground instantly, pulling boundless Earthly Sha Force as it swept towards Hua Sheng on the opposite side.
While the three from Heavenly Sword Peak were babbling their trash talk, she had secretly begun preparing her array.
Profound Yellow Mountain-Suppressing Art, six-thread Profound Yellow True Qi version.
An Earth-Tier Technique exerted fully could deal with a Spirit Transformation Stage cultivator. For Hua Sheng, who was merely at Golden Core Stage, a few threads were more than enough.
BOOM!!
Hua Sheng’s Sword Intent was instantly pulverized by the Earthly Sha Force, as if a colossal force had cleaved the tide in two.
On the other side of the arena, Hua Sheng’s face changed drastically as he swiftly tried to dodge.
However, a tremendous gravitational force seemed to lock onto him, rendering him completely unable to move.
In the next instant, a mountain-like force slammed Hua Sheng heavily onto the arena floor. Even the sword in his hand was sent flying far away.
Bang!
Clang—
His sword fell, leaving the surroundings in utter silence.
Many of the Azure Sky Peak disciples had clenched their fists so tightly they were stiff.
Since Ye Luqing rarely returned to Azure Sky Peak, most of them hadn’t really seen her and only knew there was a Direct Disciple, their Second Senior Sister.
Their understanding of Ye Luqing mostly came from the Sect Grand Tournament’s Duo Tournament, where this Second Senior Sister supported Xiao Qingxuan in a rampage.
But Ye Luqing’s brilliance was always overshadowed by Xiao Qingxuan. For that supremely powerful Head Disciple of Heavenly Sword Peak, whose strength was in a league of its own, you could’ve brought a dog and she’d still win first place.
Now, they were witnessing this Second Senior Sister’s individual strength—suppressing a Sword Cultivator of the same rank.
It was terrifying.
Ye Luqing strolled over to the immobilized Hua Sheng and smiled warmly.
“This Heavenly Sword Peak Junior Brother whose name I don’t know… do you yield?”
