Chapter 92

The final match.

Xiao Hong and Chen Lianqing, followed by the two sword-cultivator brothers, had already taken their places on the training ground, waiting for the others to arrive. Their robes were no longer as pristine as before; by the final match, they had accumulated tears and dark bloodstains here and there, looking somewhat bedraggled.

Ruan Mingzhu had lost to him once and been thoroughly mocked, so she harbored no goodwill toward him, but inwardly she was eager to try again and avenge that defeat, unconsciously tightening her grip on her blade.

Lin Xunzhen sensed her barely restrained killing intent and said softly, "Keep the bigger picture in mind. Don't act rashly."

Ruan Mingzhu furrowed her brows and gritted her teeth. "Mm."

Qing Zhouxue's face remained unreadable as she looked at each of them in turn. All four were sword cultivators, and during their occasional sparring sessions in the Sword Pavilion, she had a good sense of their abilities. The first two had metal spirit roots, though Chen Lianqing's single-metal spirit root had been damaged in his early years, hindering his cultivation. Thus, his cultivation level was somewhat harder to raise, but he was diligent and formidable. The two junior brothers behind them were named Yi Chu and Yi Xing—the former had dual water-fire spirit roots, the latter dual wood-earth spirit roots.

However, it was quite unexpected that Xiao Hong had recruited four sword cultivators to form a team.

Such uniformity was clearly a major disadvantage. Why would they do that? Could they have some hidden trick up their sleeves?

They took their positions.

The elders were all watching from above. If Xiao Hong were to spout nonsense again, the Sect Leader would surely discipline him on the spot. He coughed a couple of times, shed his slovenly demeanor, and gave a proper bow.

"Our side is defending, so you make the first move."

After a moment of silence, the match began.

Ruan Mingzhu stepped forward, planted her foot, and launched herself into the air. She used an old technique from years past, adding the weight of her body and blade to deliver a downward slash. With a full charge, at her current cultivation, she could easily split the ground seven feet deep.

This strike was heavy, sacrificing some agility. Xiao Hong, not foolish enough to meet it head-on, sidestepped to the right, ready to counter with a thrust—much like their encounter years ago.

Scorching phoenix fire left a trail of flames wherever her thin, red long blade swept.

When she channeled her spiritual power, a hint of flame color flickered in her pupils, like the abnormally bright eyes of an owl opening at dusk.

As Xiao Hong dodged aside, Ruan Mingzhu, far more experienced now, pulled back in time, angled her blade, and followed him with a slash. Had he not sensed the danger and rolled on the ground immediately, he might have been sliced in two by the searing blade.

That angle looked fluid, but only one who truly held the blade would know how much strength it required.

Her years of practice had not been wasted.

During his ground roll, Xiao Hong seized a very quick opening and sent out a sword intent. Ruan Mingzhu, unwilling to give up the opportunity, turned her head and took the hit, still chasing him relentlessly. Several gashes opened on her shoulder, but she gritted her teeth and swept the blade through.

Though Xiao Hong avoided the blade's edge, his back was burned in one spot. He rolled dangerously close to the boundary line, then did a kip-up, hissing through his teeth.

"Come back!" Lin Xunzhen saw that Ruan Mingzhu still intended to pursue, but she had already plunged deep into the enemy's formation, and Lin felt a surge of anxiety.

Chen Lianqing's sword tip gleamed coldly, poised to pierce her at any moment. Yi Chu and Yi Xing's long swords followed closely behind.

"Senior sister, watch her feet," Qing Zhouxue said briefly, brow furrowed. Lin Xunzhen understood her well, and immediately spread a misty water vapor in the air, hanging at a height just above the ground.

Cold air spread rapidly through the vapor, freezing Chen Lianqing and the Yi brothers' feet in place. Since the spell was cast in a short time, it held them only for an instant; but in that instant, Qing Zhouxue moved so fast that only a white blur was visible. She lifted Ruan Mingzhu from the thin ice and retreated safely, like a white bird diving into the forest, escaping without incident.

"That move—she must have learned it from her master."

Elder Yue cupped her chin as she watched. "How strange. On a sword cultivator, I can see shadows of Yun Shuchen from back in the day."

Yun Shuchen set down her tea cup and smiled slowly. "I don't recall ever teaching her that specifically. It seems she picked it up by watching. Who knows how."

Yue Changge's eyes roved over Yun Shuchen, then she sighed and said to the person beside her, "She's showing off her disciple again. Can't stand it."

Back on the training ground.

Ruan Mingzhu's shoulder was still bleeding, the wound deep enough to show bone. The gentle spiritual power of the healer flowed over the area, mending the sword gashes and closing them with a layer of pink new flesh.

"If you move again within a short time, it may reopen," Bai Su said, but she knew that under the circumstances, Ruan had no choice.

Chen Lianqing's gaze fixed on Bai Su. After a moment of thought, he muttered, "With that healer junior sister here, we won't gain much. Let's focus on her—are you alright?"

Xiao Hong shook himself off. "As long as I'm not dead. Hey, junior brother Yi, one of you—try to lure Qing Zhouxue away. Don't engage her in direct combat. Your moves are too crude to beat her."

Xiao Hong stepped forward first, now more cautious, and went to provoke Ruan Mingzhu again, but this time he did not dodge. The three-foot green blade in his hand was nimble, while Ruan Mingzhu's long blade was unstoppable. They clashed head-on, and it was difficult to tell who would win quickly.

Luring Ruan Mingzhu was easy, but making Qing Zhouxue budge seemed very difficult. Yi Chu thrust a sword at her, and she blocked it expressionlessly. She stood in front of Bai Su and Lin Xunzhen, never straying too far.

No matter how they provoked her, Qing Zhouxue would not chase. She seemed to harbor no warrior's aggression; she was calm as still water. Combined with Lin Xunzhen's water mist spreading around, she could freeze defenses in an instant.

Yi Xing had wanted to follow, but seeing that Yi Chu's method was ineffective, he rolled his eyes and recalled how Qing Zhouxue had come out to save Ruan Mingzhu earlier. He turned his gaze to the junior sister Ruan and senior brother Xiao, who were locked in battle.

Yi Xing thrust his sword toward her back. Ruan Mingzhu sensed the danger and, in a flash, encircled herself with a ring of phoenix fire, repelling the attacker from behind a few steps.

When their cultivations were equal, no instant of distraction was allowed. In that brief lapse, Xiao Hong saw his chance and sent a sharp gale toward her chest.

A flake of snow drifted from the sky.

Then two or three, then myriads, enveloping Ruan Mingzhu. Though snow was soft, when it moved quickly, it deflected the sword intent with a four-ounce force that moved a thousand pounds—a gentle redirection.

Qing Zhouxue held her sword, her two fingers pressed together. Even with Lin Xunzhen's cooperation, the spell still took some time to cast, and she had to fend off Yi Chu's continuous thrusts in between, making her quite busy.

"Watch out!"

Yi Chu was of dual wood-earth spirit roots. His techniques were far inferior to his swordwork, only usable at close range, but they were effective through surprise. He circled around Qing Zhouxue, seemingly aiming to go straight for Lin Xunzhen, but as his lips moved silently, a green vine snaked silently toward Bai Su's ankle.

Bai Su also had a wood spirit root, and her innate affinity with wood made her less wary of the vine's approach.

She suddenly felt her foot seized and nearly stumbled. The vine tightened rapidly and pulled her outward. Fortunately, Lin Xunzhen grabbed her hand, and the two fell to the ground together, dragged in a roll.

A thin layer of frost formed on the vine, freezing it stiff. Bai Su stomped on it, and it shattered, lifeless.

Then she heard the muffled sound of a long sword sinking into flesh.

The surrounding disciples let out a soft exclamation. While Qing Zhouxue was casting her spell, Yi Chu's long sword had finally broken through her defenses and pierced Lin Xunzhen behind her.

The Qingshuang Sword seemed to sense the blood and let out a hum.

When a person lunges forward with a thrust, all weaknesses are exposed.

Qing Zhouxue's hand loosened for a moment, the sword spun half a turn in her grip, then clenched tightly. She saw her chance and, without hesitation, drove the blade through Yi Chu's unprepared abdomen.

He widened his eyes and let out a stifled groan, then began to tremble. Where the blade passed, it formed blood-red ice flowers.

On the other side.

Ruan Mingzhu heard the chaos behind her, kicked Yi Xing away, and charged through Xiao Hong's sword intents.

The newly healed flesh had split open again, with more wounds added, but she paid no heed to these small injuries, wanting to return and save the day.

Chen Lianqing would not let her retreat unscathed this time. Failing to eliminate the enemy healer, and instead injuring Yi Chu, the situation would be dire if they could not shake their opponents at all.

The sword that Qing Zhouxue had driven through Yi Chu loosened; his sword fell and clattered on the ground, and he slid slowly to his knees.

The Qingshuang Sword was pulled out, and bits of bloody ice scattered to the ground.

Such flesh wounds would not kill a cultivator, but Qing Zhouxue's strike was filled with spiritual power, thrust extremely deep, positioned low, and had already affected his dantian.

The few disciples acting as judges conferenced briefly, then called the match to a halt. They ordered the wounded to be carried away and taken promptly to Lingsu Peak.

"Is she alright?" One disciple also took a moment to examine Lin Xunzhen closely.

Bai Su was supporting Lin Xunzhen.

Earlier, Yi Chu had seized an opening, aiming for Bai Su. In that instant, Lin Xunzhen had no time to pull Bai Su aside nor to cast any spell, so she used her own body to shield her and took the blow.

Lin Xunzhen naturally feared pain, but she knew that under any circumstances, preserving the healer was of utmost importance.

That was the confidence that allowed Ruan Mingzhu to charge alone into the three-man formation to fight.

It was also the root of Qing Zhouxue's ease in retreating to the rear to defend.

The fabric at her chest was soaked into a dark patch that still oozed blood, but under the gentle healing of wood-attribute spiritual power, it improved considerably in an instant, though her face remained a bit pale.

"It's nothing. I'm not leaving the field." She took a breath through the suffocating pain. Bai Su, however, was a bit tense. "Does it hurt when you breathe? It seems the sword pierced close to your heart."

Yun: How did she learn it? I pondered and pondered. It seems that, by some accident, fate decreed that my disciple would grasp the essence. In truth, I do not wish to put too much pressure on the young, so I wouldn't force her to learn much. Perhaps a few casual glances were enough for her to master it.