“Wh-What kind of array was that? I feel like I’ve never seen it before.”
“Defeating a Golden Core Peak Stage Sword Cultivator in one move… That’s just too strong!”
“Senior Sister Ye! Senior Sister Ye!”
The Azure Sky Peak disciples below burst into loud cheers, celebratory shouts echoing all around the arena.
Ying Qianqian raised her fists high, her small face flushed and looking extremely excited.
She knew her judgment was right. Senior Sister Ye’s accomplishments in the Formation Dao were in no way inferior to Xiao Qingxuan’s in the Sword Path.
Defeating a Sword Cultivator of the same level in a single move… probably not even the Spell Cultivator Direct Disciples of Myriad Arts Peak could do that.
But Senior Sister Ye had done it.
Hua Sheng struggled to raise his head, meeting Ye Luqing’s smiling gaze upon him.
He felt as if all the bones in his body had shattered, flesh tearing with agony.
It seemed he had utterly underestimated this Senior Sister Ye of Azure Sky Peak.
“Y-yield. I yield.”
No sooner had his words ended than Hua Sheng felt the mountain-like pressure on his body vanish. A sudden lightness washed over him.
He rose, somewhat startled. He’d assumed Ye Luqing would make him lose more face in front of the Azure Sky Peak crowd, but she had released the array’s suppression so easily.
“Thank you, Senior Sister Ye,” Hua Sheng hastily cupped his fist and bowed.
He hadn’t expected this Senior Sister Ye to be so magnanimous. It really made them, the disciples who came to cause trouble at Azure Sky Peak, seem thoughtless.
Ye Luqing waved dismissively, acting like a transcendent master.
Releasing the suppression early wasn’t about being magnanimous… it was purely to recover her Profound Yellow True Qi.
The longer she suppressed Hua Sheng, the more her Profound Yellow True Qi would be consumed.
She had only used six threads of Profound Yellow True Qi just now. The Earthly Sha Force it drew was more than enough to suppress Hua Sheng at the Golden Core Peak Stage.
After releasing the suppression early, she recovered two threads, leaving her with eight threads of Profound Yellow True Qi.
Ye Luqing planned to conserve as much as possible. That Profound Yellow True Qi would last her quite a while for refining arrays.
“In that case, how about apologizing according to our agreement?” Ye Luqing said.
Hua Sheng nodded in agreement. After moving his body a little, he jumped off the arena and walked toward the Azure Sky Peak disciple he had earlier sent flying with his sword.
“Sorry, Junior Brother. I was too heavy-handed just now. Consider this Mysterious Heaven Pill as recompense.”
That Azure Sky Peak disciple accepted the pill and instantly felt a sting in his nose.
Although their Azure Sky Peak was one of the “Three Peaks of Profound Firmament” along with Heavenly Sword Peak and Myriad Arts Peak, that title was mainly for their Peak Lord Bai Yuhan’s sake.
The caliber of Azure Sky Peak disciples was far below that of Heavenly Sword Peak and Myriad Arts Peak.
Even among the eighteen peaks of the Profound Firmament Upper Sect, the talent and aptitude of Azure Sky Peak disciples were only considered mid-tier.
Both Heavenly Sword Peak and Myriad Arts Peak could step all over them. Even if they were hit a bit too hard during a spar, they could only go back and pay for their own healing, then shed silent tears in a corner.
But now, not only had they received a personal apology from an Inner Sect elite of Heavenly Sword Peak, but they even got a Profound-Tier Pill as compensation. They, the disciples of Azure Sky Peak, could finally be the ones with their heads held high for once.
And the one who led them to this was none other than their Second Senior Sister, Ye Luqing.
That disciple clutched the pill, looking fervently at Ye Luqing, and thrust his arm high, shouting.
“Allegiance to Senior Sister Ye!”
The other disciples seemed infected by the zeal and began to shout out as well.
“Allegiance to Senior Sister Ye!”
Amidst the rising wave of cheers, Ye Luqing gradually puffed out her flat chest.
Although her original intention was just to get some justice for the Azure Sky Peak disciples, being loved and respected didn’t feel too bad either.
But at that very moment, another resonant sword hum rang out.
Clang! Clang!
Everyone instinctively looked to the left front. The one who had uttered the sword cry was none other than Pei Ruyi.
“Impressive skill, Senior Sister Ye. Even with your cultivation fallen from Nascent Soul Stage, your strength remains undiminished.”
Seeing Hua Sheng, the second-ranked Inner Sect Disciple, defeated so easily in one move, Pei Ruyi felt no fear in her heart, but rather a hint of elation.
Defeating a weak Ye Luqing was meaningless. Winning would just be bullying the weak, which was why she hadn’t fought the previous match and let the weaker Hua Sheng do it.
Only by defeating a strong Ye Luqing, achieving victory against a stronger opponent, could she make Senior Sister Xiao see her and thus return to Senior Sister Xiao’s line of sight.
She remembered when she’d first joined the sect. As someone with an Innate Sword Spirit Root, she believed her talent was undoubtedly the greatest among the Heavenly Sword Peak disciples. She would one day become an Elder’s True Disciple, a Peak Lord’s Direct Disciple, and step by step, become a Void Comprehension Stage, even Dao Integration Stage Sword Cultivator.
But before her dreams could even begin, they were slashed away in three strikes by Xiao Qingxuan, who joined in the same cohort.
That was when she saw what a true “genius” was.
To catch up to Xiao Qingxuan, she neglected sleep and food, training day and night. Yet three months later, in the new disciples’ tournament, she was still effortlessly knocked away by Xiao Qingxuan.
That time, it only took one strike.
No matter how hard she trained, the distance between her and Xiao Qingxuan only grew wider.
In less than half a year since joining, she could do nothing but look up to Xiao Qingxuan.
Despite all her disappointment, she could only accept reality.
With no other options, she could only seek out Xiao Qingxuan and humbly ask her for tips on cultivating the Way of the Sword.
Pei Ruyi had thought Xiao Qingxuan would ignore her or wouldn’t reveal the secrets to her strength. She never expected Xiao Qingxuan to agree so easily.
No matter what questions she asked, Xiao Qingxuan seemed to speak freely, sharing cultivation techniques and sword insights with her.
She still remembered Xiao Qingxuan’s clear, pure purple eyes, like a child single-mindedly devoted to the sword.
Pei Ruyi flushed with shame. The Way of the Sword seeks the direct path. She had already lost in terms of her Sword Heart.
Ever since that time, she sought Xiao Qingxuan daily to discuss the sword path, eventually reaching the point of obsession.
Gradually, Pei Ruyi realized that what she was obsessed with wasn’t the Way of the Sword itself, but Xiao Qingxuan, radiant and animated when discussing it.
This admiration even turned into a strange, budding feeling, making her want to get closer to the other hopelessly.
That was the happiest period of her life. Every day, besides practicing swords, she was with Xiao Qingxuan, discussing the way.
She suppressed that inexplicable feeling deep in her heart, afraid it would frighten Xiao Qingxuan and cause her to distance herself.
But even just looking at the one she loved was happiness enough.
However, with one person’s intrusion, that beautiful time was gone forever.
Ye Luqing.
Pei Ruyi had heard a bit about Ye Luqing, who was selected as a Direct Disciple soon after joining. But even as a Direct Disciple, Ye Luqing was from Azure Sky Peak, not Heavenly Sword Peak; it was impossible for her to spend more time with Xiao Qingxuan than Pei Ruyi did each day.
Besides, Xiao Qingxuan’s attitude towards this Ye Luqing was lukewarm, so Pei Ruyi hadn’t taken her to heart.
But as time went on, Xiao Qingxuan’s time spent discussing the sword with her dwindled, while her time with Ye Luqing grew longer and longer.
Even the topics of conversation were no longer just about swords; content concerning Ye Luqing became more and more frequent.
Until the third year since joining, Pei Ruyi discovered that Xiao Qingxuan no longer had her in her eyes.
No matter how hard she tried, Xiao Qingxuan’s eyes only had Ye Luqing.
Just as she was feeling utterly disheartened, she suddenly recalled something Xiao Qingxuan had once said.
The Way of the Sword seeks the direct path. To straightforwardly pursue what one’s heart desires—that is what a true Sword Cultivator should do. Only then might one earn the favor of Senior Sister Xiao.
So, she steeled her resolve. One evening, when Ye Luqing was not on Heavenly Sword Peak, she sought out Xiao Qingxuan.
“Senior Sister Xiao, I like you!”
Yet, her sincere feelings didn’t even earn her a direct glance from Xiao Qingxuan.
“Junior Sister Pei… I think we should stop associating from now on.”
“I’m afraid A-Qing might misunderstand.”
To Pei Ruyi’s memory, those were the last words Xiao Qingxuan ever spoke to her.
The past ebbed away like a receding tide. Pei Ruyi opened her eyes, staring calmly at Ye Luqing on the other side of the arena, her heart seemingly devoid of sorrow or joy.
Sword Cultivators are simple creatures. Those with complicated minds cannot wield a sword well.
So she firmly believed, as long as she defeated Ye Luqing, she could return to Senior Sister Xiao’s side.
“Heavenly Sword Peak’s Pei Ruyi challenges Azure Sky Peak Direct Disciple Ye Luqing.”
The crowd below hurriedly looked at Ye Luqing, their hearts, which had just relaxed, rising again.
Although she could one-shot Hua Sheng at Golden Core Peak Stage, the gap between Golden Core Peak Stage and Nascent Soul Stage wasn’t just a minor realm difference, but a qualitative transformation of major realms.
But Senior Sister Ye’s strength was unquestionable. It was truly hard to say who would win this fight.
Just as everyone was about to witness this great battle, Ye Luqing merely smiled slightly at Pei Ruyi and lightly hopped off the arena.
“I refuse.”
