A Calculated Victory

As fellow disciples, their initial exchanges were mere probes, neither unleashing their full strength.

Even their cultivation techniques were seldom employed.

It was only now that both truly unveiled their formidable power.

Xia Niansheng had no room for defeat; he had laid extensive groundwork, unwilling to let unforeseen circumstances derail his meticulously crafted schemes and necessitate a complete recalculation.

Zhu Yingying was undeniably potent, but Xia Niansheng was destined to triumph.

Unfazed by the revelation that his opponent surpassed him by a minor realm, Xia Niansheng’s Blood Thought Sword burst into a flurry of deadly blossoms, his footwork as graceful as blossoming lotuses.

Zhu Yingying’s expression grew gravely serious as she subtly tightened her grip on her treasured sword.

She, too, harbored no desire to lose, for ceding the Saint Son’s position to Xia Niansheng would inevitably mean White Snow Jade spending the majority of her time by his side.

‘What if familiarity blossomed into affection over time?’ she pondered.

The Heavenly Spirit Sect, after all, had seen instances of dual Saintesses before.

She had no wish to contend with White Snow Jade, yet her deepest desire was to stand firmly beside her.

Zhu Yingying’s countenance deepened in solemnity.

Her longsword thrust forward, her footwork, in that instant, a phantom blur, moving with such blinding speed that the audience below could barely track her movements!

This was no mere speed attainable by a cultivator at the peak of the Golden Core stage; rather, it was the Huajian Green Lotus Steps, a unique cultivation technique of Huajian Mountain.

And by all appearances, she had mastered it to perfection.

“Clang!”

The Blood Thought Sword glowed with an intense crimson, radiating an aura of malevolent aggression as it collided with the longsword in Zhu Yingying’s grasp.

Sword qi surged wildly.

“Boom!”

It was Xia Niansheng who was sent reeling!

Senior Aunt Xue’s brow arched once more, a subtle curve of intrigue.

Qiu Yan remained seated, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes, wondering how Xia Niansheng would extricate himself.

‘Was the disparity in cultivation realms, in such a direct clash of blades, ultimately an insurmountable obstacle?’ she mused.

A collective gasp rose from the onlookers, convinced that Zhu Yingying’s relentless follow-up would swiftly conclude the battle for Xia Niansheng.

Yet, to their utter surprise,

Xia Niansheng, still airborne from the impact, abruptly raised his Blood Thought Sword and hurled it directly at Zhu Yingying!

The longsword flew from his grasp.

Zhu Yingying, however, found herself utterly bewildered.

‘How could a sword cultivator simply abandon their blade like that?’ she thought.

‘Was this merely a futile, desperate counterattack?’

While Xia Niansheng’s initial expression had indeed instilled a sense of pressure, in this precise moment, she became convinced that his victory over her was an impossibility.

“Clang!”

As the longsword arced towards her face, Zhu Yingying not only tilted her head to evade it but also deftly used her own treasured sword to bat it to the ground.

Then, with a slight crouch, her figure gracefully soared forward.

All these events unfolded in a mere flash of lightning.

Xia Niansheng remained suspended mid-air, his gaze cool and composed as he watched Zhu Yingying swing her sword towards him.

Suddenly, he extended his arm, sending a formidable fist hurtling towards Zhu Yingying’s countenance.

But Zhu Yingying was armed with a sword!

In her perception, Xia Niansheng’s actions amounted to an unequivocal surrender.

The longsword pulsed with sharp sword qi; without spiritual energy protection, Xia Niansheng’s robes would likely have been shredded long ago.

Senior Aunt Xue unconsciously clenched her fists, prepared to intervene instantly should anything go awry.

Upon witnessing Xia Niansheng’s punch, Qiu Yan sighed inwardly, ‘How utterly dull.’

‘At this paltry level, even the privilege of being a dog is undeserved,’ she thought.

“Alas, Senior Brother Xia has lost.”

“Why did he throw his sword? Is his fist harder than a blade?”

“Perhaps for Senior Sister Zhu, using hands is more practical… hehe.”

“…Are you not a woman?”

“Can’t women appreciate it?”

“…”

Virtually everyone present had already conceded Xia Niansheng’s defeat.

Zhu Yingying thrust her sword towards the unarmed Xia Niansheng, who appeared to have no means of evasion.

Xia Niansheng’s waist, however, suddenly arched backward with an unnervingly strange flexibility.

As he deftly evaded the blade, he simultaneously landed a powerful kick to Zhu Yingying’s abdomen!

Xia Niansheng landed gracefully.

Senior Aunt Xue’s expression remained placid, yet a silent sigh of relief escaped her heart.

Qiu Yan, meanwhile, maintained her spectator’s poise, an air of detached amusement about her.

‘That kick just now was no light blow; it contained the spiritual energy of the early Golden Core stage,’ Xia Niansheng thought.

Zhu Yingying landed a moment later, her face clouded with discomfort as she clutched her stomach.

Almost every disciple from Huajian Mountain rose to their feet in unison.

“Senior Sister Zhu!”

“Senior Sister Zhu! Are you alright?!”

At that very moment, Zhu Lianqiu, Zhu Yingying’s mother, seated among the Huajian Mountain contingent, subtly furrowed her brow, her expression growing grave.

Zhu Yingying coughed up a mouthful of blood, then waved a dismissive hand at the Huajian Mountain disciples behind her.

‘Actually, for a Golden Core cultivator, this injury is hardly severe,’ she conceded internally.

‘But Xia Niansheng has lost his weapon.’

‘The advantage is mine,’ she affirmed.

Zhu Yingying drew a deep breath, acknowledging that Xia Niansheng’s earlier kick revealed a surprising proficiency in physical combat techniques.

Yet, he remained, at his core, a sword cultivator; if she could only compose herself, her superior cultivation would surely guarantee her victory.

Zhu Yingying’s longsword began to radiate a yellow luminescence, her entire form enveloped in a shimmering aura of yellow spiritual energy.

Xia Niansheng stood directly opposite her, bare-handed, his crimson spiritual energy emanating a somewhat sinister gleam.

Combined with his handsome features, his entire aura transformed into one of captivating, almost demonic, allure.

This time, Xia Niansheng initiated the assault.

His speed far surpassed Zhu Yingying’s expectations, yet to consider it a genuine threat to her remained a stretch.

Her immediate objective was to prevent the unarmed Xia Niansheng from closing the distance.

After all, a longsword, while formidable, became a liability in close quarters, losing its inherent advantage and presenting numerous weaknesses.

On the stage, the two figures, one a blur of yellow, the other a streak of red, began an intricate dance of combat.

Xia Niansheng’s footwork proved exceptional, evidently honed by some practiced technique, for he deftly evaded every one of Zhu Yingying’s relentless thrusts, remaining untouched by her blade.

The intensity and speed of their exchange now far surpassed their initial cautious probes, rendering the movements on stage imperceptible to some of the lower-cultivation disciples.

Zhu Yingying recoiled a step, her longsword abruptly flaring with a brilliant yellow light.

A furious torrent of sharp sword qi erupted, its destructive power such that even the reinforced stage floor began to crack and crumble.

Xia Niansheng recognized this as Zhu Yingying’s ultimate, lethal strike.

He, too, ceased concealing his aura, choosing not to evade the impending onslaught.

He pushed off with immense force, his lean frame, clad in a long robe, launching himself forward, leaving the bluestone floor beneath his feet fractured in a spiderweb pattern!

Zhu Yingying had previously employed this very technique against White Snow Jade, though perceptive observers understood she had subtly restrained its full power.

Even then, its destructive potency remained immense.

It was unexpected that Xia Niansheng would drive Zhu Yingying to such extremes, compelling her to unleash her full, unbridled strength.

A rainbow of sword qi arced, and the air seemed to reverberate with the cries of countless birds.

Finally, amidst a prolonged cry reminiscent of a phoenix, the already piercing sword qi abruptly intensified.

As if conjured from thin air, a radiant golden phoenix, imbued with sword qi and brilliant light, surged forth, hurtling directly towards Xia Niansheng.

The merging yellow and red lights blazed with such intensity that nearly every spectator in the stands found themselves unable to keep their eyes open.

“Boom!”

Only the elders, with their keen senses, clearly perceived the events unfolding within the arena!

Zhu Lianqiu herself had risen, her brow faintly furrowed, her arms crossed, subtly accentuating her ample figure.

Despite Xia Niansheng’s lotus-like footwork and ghostly agility, he sustained severe injuries.

The phoenix construct had pierced directly through his right arm!

Senior Aunt Xue had initially intended to intervene the instant before he was harmed, yet Xia Niansheng’s utterly composed expression compelled her to forcefully stifle that immediate impulse.

By the time Xia Niansheng reached Zhu Yingying, he was already grievously wounded.

Zhu Yingying gritted her teeth, her spiritual energy now largely depleted.

‘But Xia Niansheng was severely injured; even if he closed the distance, he could pose no threat!’ she thought.

Zhu Yingying watched as Xia Niansheng rapidly closed in, and then—

“Puff!” Zhu Yingying coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood.

Xia Niansheng’s Blood Thought Sword, having seemingly materialized from thin air, shot towards her.

The hilt struck her spine with tremendous force, imbued with crimson spiritual energy, causing Zhu Yingying to spray a torrent of blood!

Just like that, she was rendered utterly incapable of combat.

Had it been the sword’s tip, she would undoubtedly have been impaled.

She toppled forward, only to be caught by Xia Niansheng’s uninjured left hand, collapsing unconscious into his embrace.

‘Hmm… a soft expanse against his chest,’ Xia Niansheng thought.

A profound silence descended upon the entire arena, a stillness akin to death.

Xia Niansheng’s left arm and right shoulder hung limp, drenched in blood, with Zhu Yingying unconscious in his embrace, as he raised his left hand, clenched into a triumphant fist.

A thunderous roar of cheers erupted.

A savage, uncharacteristic smile twisted Xia Niansheng’s lips, his eyes blazing with untamed defiance, fixed directly upon Qiu Yan in the spectator stands.

****