“Sorry.” Wan Yi apologized instinctively, then immediately realized what she had just said.
Her face flushed slightly.
Her words sounded like an admission—that she had only been knocked away by Li Yunxian because she had been distracted.
But Wan Yi knew the truth: a loss was a loss.
Wan Yi pursed her lips and straightened up, ready to concede defeat.
However, before she could speak, the sword edge like drifting clouds struck toward her once again.
This time, Wan Yi was not distracted.
She remembered that until the referee declared a winner, the arena was a battlefield.
Wan Yi immediately refocused and prepared to fight.
The Fine Rain Sword Technique manifested in her hands—light and agile like raindrops falling from the sky.
Li Yunxian’s eyes brightened upon seeing this sword technique. A truly excellent sword technique!
Only, the wielder was still immature.
The Fine Rain Sword Technique’s barrage created an opening in Li Yunxian’s vision.
Li Yunxian formed a Sword Formula with her hand, and the Xiayun Sword moved like a nimble breeze, piercing through the rain curtain in an instant, aiming straight for Wan Yi’s face.
Startled, Wan Yi hurriedly dodged, but her sword moves faltered, revealing an even bigger flaw.
Seizing the opportunity, Li Yunxian passed through the sword rain, stretched out her hand, and caught the returning Xiayun Sword.
The Xiayun Sword swung horizontally, heavily striking Wan Yi’s wrist.
The massive shock made Wan Yi feel as if her entire arm had lost control, nearly causing her to drop her Spiritual Sword.
But in the end, Wan Yi forced her grip tighter.
Clenching her teeth, she poured all her Spiritual Power into her right arm, forcibly controlling the sword, commanding it to slash toward where Li Yunxian stood.
Li Yunxian was momentarily surprised by Wan Yi’s willpower and reaction.
But this slash posed no threat to her.
When she fought, Li Yunxian never foolishly stayed put after using a single move!
As Wan Yi’s sword came down, Li Yunxian had already turned, circled behind Wan Yi, and with a reverse grip, wielded the sword’s hilt as a blade, stabbing at Wan Yi’s back with no chance for counterattack.
Wan Yi’s Protective Armor flared, blocking the strike.
But while the armor could resist injury, it could not absorb force.
Wan Yi still grunted in pain.
This time, she didn’t try to persist.
Her face full of frustration, she admitted, “I concede.”
Wan Yi knew that if Li Yunxian had used the sword blade itself with that force, it would have been enough to pierce through her armor and kill her.
This was already the second time.
No matter how thick her skin was, Wan Yi couldn’t bring herself to try a third match.
She knew Li Yunxian was formidable, but she never imagined their swordsmanship differed so greatly.
Every move she made was countered, and every strike from Li Yunxian she couldn’t block.
Throughout the fight, all she could do was rely on her perfected cultivation to endure.
She fought not like a swordsman, but like a purely physical practitioner.
Though defeated, Wan Yi could sense a subtle guiding meaning behind Li Yunxian’s moves.
Someone must be recording this…
She would have to review the footage carefully later.
Wan Yi thought to herself, but at that moment, her curiosity was piqued by a question.
“May I ask, what sword technique are you using? I couldn’t see anything at all.”
Li Yunxian sheathed her sword at her side and replied calmly, “No sword technique. I’m just using the Sword Techniques Foundation Nine Forms.”
“Isn’t combat simply about stabbing when needed and slashing when needed?”
“To explain it like math, a sword technique is a set of formulas. Once you’ve learned it, you can solve the problem.”
“Taking it a step further, a master of a sword technique is someone who fully understands where those formulas come from, having completely mastered them.”
“For me, solving these sword ‘math problems’ is like glancing at a question and instantly knowing the answer.”
“The formulas, I can write them down and understand them all, but I choose to write the answers directly.”
“That’s the so-called Sword Path superiority. A basic style doesn’t need to be combined with another basic style.”
“The foundation of a swordsman’s craft is never basic sword techniques.”
“The foundation of sword techniques means the swordsman is not basic.”
Wan Yi, hearing Li Yunxian’s explanation, thought, She understood the logic, but how was this even possible?!
How much combat experience does it take to immediately know exactly “when it’s needed”?
Aren’t they all just teenagers or in their early twenties?
Wan Yi descended from the arena in a daze.
***
As the victor, Li Yunxian immediately issued a challenge to the next opponent from the front rows.
This time, the challenge was accepted much faster.
The moment it was sent out, the other side agreed.
With Wan Yi as an example, everyone knew Li Yunxian wasn’t the type to mess around unnecessarily.
No one minded facing her in a match.
After all, a loss only meant dropping a rank.
Li Yunxian was bound to climb forward sooner or later—this was inevitable.
Better to face Li Yunxian and gain experience.
Opponents of this caliber were rare for them.
A precious opportunity.
When Yu Juanshu received news from Duan Rong that Li Yunxian had returned to the arena, she had already fought three more matches, climbing to over rank 700.
Yu Juanshu’s expression was gloomy.
He had spent recent days pondering how to counter Li Yunxian’s devastating sword strike, but found no answer.
His teacher, Duan Sen, had comforted him, saying that Li Yunxian’s move was clearly a finishing technique.
She was only at Qi stage three, so she wouldn’t be able to use it twice.
Also, Li Yunxian only dared to unleash it on the arena, because the consequences to others would be unbearable for her.
He was told not to worry about it.
But how could he not think about it?
Yu Juanshu never shied away from a fight.
Thinking made him restless.
Not thinking meant losing all spirit.
***
Duan Rong looked at Yu Juanshu’s troubled expression with satisfaction.
Even though Duan Rong’s previous meddling had been exposed, earning him a scolding from his own father, and even having most of his cultivation resources confiscated, forcing him into seclusion, he still felt gratified.
But it wasn’t enough.
This wasn’t nearly enough!
He wanted Yu Juanshu and Li Yunxian to truly fight.
Fight for their lives!
Seeing Yu Juanshu staring blankly after his words, Duan Rong’s impatience showed through.
“Juanshu, aren’t you going to fight that Li Yunxian?”
“If you don’t beat her, that sword strike will forever be a shadow in your heart, trapping you in the Great Perfection stage.”
“You have to defeat her!”
Duan Rong kept repeating his malicious words before Yu Juanshu, trying to hypnotize and implant that idea into his mind.
But Yu Juanshu didn’t listen at all.
What he cared about was not what Duan Rong imagined.
After a moment of confusion, Yu Juanshu took out his phone and checked the arena section.
No challenge messages appeared.
“Why hasn’t she challenged me?” Yu Juanshu looked puzzled.
Duan Rong guessed maliciously, “She must think she can’t beat you, Juanshu, so she’s too afraid to challenge.”
“Juanshu, she was so arrogant in front of you before. You have to show her a lesson!”
“Or why don’t you just challenge her? She dared to slash the arena before; challenge her in front of her and see if she dares to accept!”
Yu Juanshu knew Duan Rong wasn’t a good person, but he had always treated him well—Duan Sen’s only student.
He could tell how much Duan Rong wanted to see him fight Li Yunxian.
Yu Juanshu lowered his gaze, thought for a moment, then stood up.
He said to Duan Rong, “I’ll go to the arena to find Li Yunxian.”
Upon hearing this, Duan Rong’s mouth couldn’t help but curl into a grin. He knew Yu Juanshu had agreed.
That fool was always so easy to persuade.
Too bad his father had confined him; otherwise, Duan Rong really wanted to see how their battle would end.
“All right, go quickly.”
Duan Rong’s excitement was barely concealed.
Yu Juanshu gave Duan Rong a long look, then turned and walked toward the door.
Number Four Arena.
Li Yunxian bowed slightly once more, accepting the opponent’s concession.
She was now ranked 586th.
But she didn’t issue another challenge.
Li Yunxian noticed the crowd beneath the arena all gazing outward in an orderly fashion.
She looked up, following their line of sight.
She saw Yu Juanshu.
This time, she recognized him.
Seeing Yu Juanshu’s profound aura, Li Yunxian smiled and stepped down from Number Four Arena.
She walked toward him.
“You’re ready?” Li Yunxian tilted her head slightly and asked Yu Juanshu.
Yu Juanshu didn’t answer directly.
He looked at Li Yunxian and said, “I will win.”
Yu Juanshu perceived the burning hatred and anger in Duan Rong’s heart.
He believed this was the result of Duan Rong’s last crushing defeat.
Yu Juanshu didn’t think he would be trapped in the Great Perfection stage by Li Yunxian’s sword strike.
But he felt,
Duan Rong was already trapped in his own hatred.
Only by defeating Li Yunxian could Duan Rong be freed from this state.
“I must win.” Yu Juanshu said.
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