Chapter 55: He heard a sound of breaking air

Li Yunxian laughed immediately upon hearing the words.

She could clearly sense what Yu Juanshu was thinking when he said he absolutely had to win.

But that thought was so sincerely ridiculous that it was almost laughable.

Li Yunxian couldn’t help but ask Yu Juanshu aloud, “Is this for Duan Rong? Because I took a hard revenge on him?”

Yu Juanshu’s eyes darkened, but he still gave a definite answer: “Yes.”

Li Yunxian smiled. “Then where were you when Duan Rong was bullying others?”

Yu Juanshu fell silent.

Li Yunxian didn’t intend to let him answer. “Since you weren’t the one stabbed, the one injured, or the one who suffered losses, why don’t you come and experience what it’s like to be bullied?”

With that, Li Yunxian sent a challenge request to Yu Juanshu, and without looking back, she strode toward the Top 100 Arena.

Yu Juanshu watched Li Yunxian’s upright figure, pursed his lips, accepted the challenge, and silently followed behind her.

Now, with only seven days left until the deadline for the Xuanwen Token, the Top 100 Arena was bustling, far from the sparse challengers on the first day.

But the rivalry between Li Yunxian and Yu Juanshu was a big enough spectacle that everyone tacitly allowed them to cut in line for the arena.

Back on the stage, Li Yunxian didn’t bother exchanging polite greetings like “Please take care of me.”

At the moment the referee announced the start of the match, Li Yunxian moved.

She raised the Xiayun Sword high, pointing it straight at Yu Juanshu, and without any warning, swung it down like the strike that had once split the arena floor.

The swordlight shimmered with a flood of brilliance.

This Xuan Grade Top-quality Spiritual Sword looked even more imposing than the nameless spiritual sword she’d used before, which had barely qualified as a proper-grade spirit sword.

Yu Juanshu’s heart tightened instantly, the scene of that previous sword strike flashing through his mind.

After all these days of contemplation, one thing had become absolutely clear to him.

He simply could not withstand that sword strike.

So… he had to end it before the sword move was even executed!

Yu Juanshu’s figure shifted in an instant, wrist lifting as the long whip in his hand rose like a serpent.

In the blink of an eye, it wrapped around the Xiayun Sword.

Every student who made it into the top hundred was a paragon of the era.

Yu Juanshu’s speed exceeded even Li Yunxian’s expectations!

At least for now, Li Yunxian couldn’t catch up with Yu Juanshu’s speed.

***

Speed alone doesn’t decide victory in a battle.

A faint smile curved on Li Yunxian’s lips.

Yu Juanshu only realized something was wrong when his long whip was coiled tightly around the Xiayun Sword.

He was trying to drain the sword’s power, but there was no Qi inside the sword at all!

He’d been tricked!

Yu Juanshu immediately attempted to shift position, but Li Yunxian was not going to let him make that mistake.

Li Yunxian grinned and, with her left hand clenched into a fist, suddenly slammed it toward Yu Juanshu’s face!

Who said sword cultivators could only use swords?!

Didn’t he know the value of a scattered cultivator who had fought their way up from the streets?

Bang!

With Li Yunxian’s control over her own body, combined with her Foundation Establishment constitution, she threw all her strength into that punch.

Even though she hadn’t formally trained in fist techniques, no one in the Qi Refining Stage could take such a hit standing still.

At least, none like Yu Juanshu.

Yu Juanshu was sent flying horizontally more than ten meters, crashing heavily onto the arena floor.

The audience below was completely taken aback by this turn of events.

They were stunned not only by that utterly unexpected punch but also because…

Yu Juanshu got up from the arena, his face bruised and swollen beyond recognition, but still gripping his long whip.

And the Xiayun Sword was still entangled on the whip.

Everyone could feel that there was no Sword Formula attached to the Xiayun Sword.

Sword formulas only adhere to spiritual swords when wielded by a sword cultivator, allowing remote control of the sword.

Without the formula, Li Yunxian could not control the Xiayun Sword.

Now that Yu Juanshu had snatched the Xiayun Sword, how could a sword cultivator fight without their spiritual sword?

The audience was completely baffled by Li Yunxian’s tactics.

Yu Juanshu thought the same.

So instead of pressing the advantage, he stayed back and looked at Li Yunxian warily.

“You lost,” Yu Juanshu said.

Idle.

Li Yunxian laughed. “Don’t judge so quickly.”

Before the words finished, Li Yunxian surged forward like a blade toward Yu Juanshu.

Yu Juanshu frowned, flicking his long whip and throwing the Xiayun Sword far away.

The whip coiled in layers, like an enraged giant python opening its mouth to confront Li Yunxian.

Anyone watching would realize that if Li Yunxian’s body even grazed the whip, she would be mercilessly swallowed whole.

Faced with such overwhelming power, Li Yunxian’s expression didn’t change.

Just as the whip was about to strike, Li Yunxian used her finger as a sword.

Sword energy, sharp as a blade, flashed through the gaps in the whip’s shadow, slicing straight at Yu Juanshu.

But her footwork moved in the opposite direction.

Her ankle twisted, her body lowered, bending like a drawn bowstring, instantly evading the whip’s attack.

Yu Juanshu hadn’t expected Li Yunxian to clearly discern the whip’s range and execute a perfect dodge at the edge of its reach.

Nor had he anticipated her profound understanding of sword intent.

So deep that she could wield her finger as a blade without needing a spiritual sword.

Yu Juanshu didn’t dare underestimate any of Li Yunxian’s sword moves!

Seeing the sword energy charged with Qi hurtling toward his face, Yu Juanshu sidestepped immediately to avoid it.

But since he chose to dodge, the original momentum of his long whip attack dissipated.

His guard was wide open.

In the blink of an eye, Li Yunxian appeared beside Yu Juanshu.

He felt the gust of her punch.

The pain in his face made Yu Juanshu unwilling to take another hit.

He immediately turned sideways, stepping back rapidly to create distance.

Close-range combat with the long whip was anything but comfortable for him.

Yu Juanshu wasn’t foolish enough to clash directly with Li Yunxian here.

Stopping, Yu Juanshu looked at Li Yunxian with wary surprise.

He hadn’t expected that after he retreated, Li Yunxian wouldn’t pursue.

Then his gaze swept to the crowd beneath the arena.

He saw the audience gasping in shock, all staring wide-eyed behind him as if witnessing something unbelievable.

Yu Juanshu finally realized what the problem was.

He heard a barely perceptible sound of air splitting.

Yu Juanshu spun around instantly, but it was already too late.

Li Yunxian’s sword speed was so fast it outpaced even the sound!

With a sharp puchi, the Xiayun Sword pierced through Yu Juanshu’s chest in an instant.

Lowering his head, Yu Juanshu looked at the sword blade cutting through him.

Blood seeped from his lungs into his throat, choking off all his words.

But he didn’t need to ask anymore.

Yu Juanshu already understood how Li Yunxian had regained control over the Xiayun Sword.

It was through the sword energy he had tried to avoid.

After all, normal sword energy doesn’t need to be infused with spirit energy.

Only the Sword Formula does.

So there was such a method…

Listening to the referee announce his defeat, Yu Juanshu looked at Li Yunxian and struggled to speak.

“Why?” he asked.

Even though they were facing each other directly, Yu Juanshu didn’t necessarily expect to lose to Li Yunxian.

His entire expectation for this fight was different.

It should have been a duel between long whip and spiritual sword, like when he faced Duan Rong or what he had heard about Li Yunxian’s fights with others.

Why did Li Yunxian choose such a despicable, sneaky way to strike every time?

Li Yunxian moved her fingers slightly, retracting the Xiayun Sword and lowering her gaze to look at Yu Juanshu.

“Is it hard to lose because you can’t use all your abilities? Does it feel unfair?” Li Yunxian sneered at him.

“Duan Rong was at Qi Refining Eighth Layer when he challenged Qi Refining Fourth Layer Qi Yao.”

“You’re at Great Completion of Qi Refinement going against me at Qi Refinement Fourth Layer.”

“You’ve reached such a level, so why should I let you feel satisfied and comfortable?”

“And if I fought openly and fairly, how could I land such a solid punch on your face?”

Li Yunxian glanced at Yu Juanshu, who was clutching his chest.

She had followed the arena’s rules, only piercing his lungs.

With Yu Juanshu’s constitution, it wasn’t fatal.

Turning to the crowd below, Li Yunxian spoke loudly, “If you want to beat Yu Juanshu, look closely.”

“In the coming days, I will be here in the arena area.”

“If anyone wants to break into the top hundred and have a chance at the Xuanwen Token, you can challenge Yu Juanshu.”

“I’ll tell you on the spot how to exploit his weaknesses, where his openings are, and how to win.”

“For those within a hundred ranks of each other, I guarantee you victory.”

“I want Yu Juanshu to miss out on the Xuanwen Token for the top hundred!” Li Yunxian declared openly to everyone.

Since Yu Juanshu chose to be Duan Rong’s lackey, he naturally had to pay the corresponding price.

One loss in a match was far from enough.