A pact of life and death—how could it be treated with such disdain?
Ren Du’s origins were anything but privileged. He had once been a street performer, eking out a living by eliciting smiles from passersby. This history of self-made survival cultivated within him a deep-seated disdain for those who lived by preying on others.
Director Ji knew all this. While he himself hailed from a renowned sect, Ren Du was self-taught. For Ren Du to now be his equal in combat, the sheer, arduous effort he must have invested in his training was unimaginable.
This ‘Twofold Abundance Palm’, though a singular technique, was beyond the comprehension of anyone else. Only Ren Du, with his unique physique, could have conceived such an illogical palm art—a technique unsuitable for any other practitioner, yet perfectly tailored for himself.
Director Ji harbored no particular fondness for Le Sishu; his sole reason for bringing Le Sishu along was to spite the Southern Star. He understood Ren Du’s temperament: Ren Du would not kill Le Sishu merely for a few provocative remarks. Director Ji’s true intention was to use this situation to warn the Northern Star.
Therefore, Director Ji had to rescue Le Sishu. If those martial artists inclined towards the Northern Star witnessed their faction’s indifference to their fates, Director Ji would find it exceedingly difficult to lead them on future missions.
****
On the other side, Ren Xinzuo, having landed his strike, did not press his advantage. He sheathed his sword and bowed to the East Bamboo Immortal, offering his apologies.
“My apologies, East Bamboo Immortal.”
He knew he had pierced the East Bamboo Immortal’s heart, rendering her demise inevitable. Though outwardly humble and elegant, he was by no means soft-hearted. The three previous defeats had made it clear that for his side to secure victory, they could not hold back in the slightest; they had to exert their full strength.
The East Bamboo Immortal pressed a hand to her chest, standing perfectly still. The world around her seemed to fall silent, as all eyes were fixed either on her or on Director Ji and Ren Du.
Before long, a cheer erupted, and the Northern Star contingent began to clamor, shedding their previous frustrations of defeat by celebrating Ren Xinzuo’s success.
Yin Cunxin was about to rise and assist the East Bamboo Immortal, but the East Bamboo Immortal raised a hand to stop her.
“It’s nothing…”
She straightened her posture, no longer pressing her hand to her chest, and with a flourish of her sword, addressed Ren Xinzuo.
“Please, continue!”
The Northern Star faction immediately fell silent, the boisterous few standing dumbfounded, glancing at each other, utterly bewildered by the turn of events.
Yu Wusheng’s expression darkened. He had distinctly seen the East Bamboo Immortal’s heart pierced, so much so that he could still discern a tiny red speck on the chest of her robes—a trickle of blood.
Given Ren Xinzuo’s precision, piercing the heart instantaneously without causing massive bleeding was not difficult. However, the agony of such a wound should be unbearable, and Ren Xinzuo had struck the Shenfeng acupoint on the heart itself… it simply made no sense!
Ren Xinzuo watched the East Bamboo Immortal, completely unharmed, without even a flicker of pain on her face.
He involuntarily widened his eyes, momentarily hesitant to step forward and resume the fight. In the end, he could only concede defeat and withdraw, feeling chagrined.
For him, continuing the fight was pointless; it would only invite further humiliation.
Witnessing Ren Xinzuo, who had been so certain of victory, now retreating from the stage, and their leader Director Ji still locked in a power struggle with Ren Du, the crowd found themselves at a loss as to who should enter the arena next. Their gazes collectively turned to Director Ji.
“Don’t mind me, next!”
Despite Director Ji’s outwardly composed demeanor, sweat had already begun to bead on his forehead.
No sooner had he uttered these words than his breath hitched, and Ren Du’s palm force surged over him like a tidal wave. He could only clench his jaw and continue to channel his energy in defense.
Observing Director Ji and Ren Du locked in such a critical struggle, everyone felt an urge to offer assistance. Their allegiance to the Northern Star was primarily for personal gain; if Director Ji were defeated by Ren Du before their very eyes while they stood idly by, the Northern Star would likely abandon them in the future. Furthermore, word would spread, bringing them shame. As Director Ji was currently their leader, his honor was theirs, and his disgrace would be theirs too; how could they remain indifferent?
Yet, deep down, most were unwilling to risk their lives for the Northern Star. If they intervened, Fenghu and Yunlong would certainly not stand by. Their fists were not to be trifled with, especially after Yunlong’s display just moments ago. Thus, when Director Ji declared, ‘Don’t mind me,’ a collective sigh of relief swept through the crowd, for at least now they wouldn’t have to face Fenghu and Yunlong.
A young Daoist nun cast a sidelong glance at Ren Xinzuo as he passed her. The man who had been so confident and graceful moments ago now looked utterly dejected in defeat. It seemed his initial overconfidence had led to a proportionally greater sense of loss in his failure.
“The fifth match: Feng Linwan of the Taiyi Lingxu Sect.”
The young Daoist nun held her longsword inverted, and with a single turn, she was already close to the East Bamboo Immortal. Observing how her feet never touched the ground during her pivot, as if a celestial being had descended, the onlookers dared not underestimate her.
“East Bamboo Immortal, this ‘Serene Hermit’ is a master from the Taiyi Lingxu Sect. Since the sect leader Shi Jingxie’s retirement, she has led the sect. Both of them are highly skilled in their sect’s ultimate technique, the ‘Taiyi Juntian Sword’, renowned for its blend of rigidity and flexibility, and its effortless transitions between offense and defense.”
Feng Linwan glanced sideways at Wan Ren, offered a faint smile, then ignored him. She bowed directly to the East Bamboo Immortal, seeking guidance, and then gracefully retreated several steps.
Yu Wusheng cast a sidelong glance at Director Ji and Ren Du. Neither of them was willing to be the first to withdraw, and Le Sishu, caught between them, wore an expression of extreme agony, unable to utter another defiant word.
As for their friendship, Le Sishu was a longtime companion of his. Aside from his penchant for arguing, he had no other flaws—though that single flaw was certainly enough to incite hatred. He could only hope that his old friend would temper his ways after this lesson.
Xu Tuzhi observed Yu Wusheng with a cold gaze from within the crowd, remaining utterly silent. He knew Yu Wusheng’s cold-blooded nature well: Yu Wusheng would rather see Le Sishu beaten to death by Ren Du than draw trouble upon himself. Had Director Ji not intervened, Le Sishu would surely be dead by now.
Feng Linwan’s swordplay was a captivating blend of speed and slowness. Her body drifted like a wisp of paper in the wind, her feet never touching the ground as she moved with the grace of an immortal. Her longsword unleashed a myriad of ingenious techniques, repeatedly evading direct attacks and striking at openings, thus neutralizing the East Bamboo Immortal’s assaults.
She transitioned effortlessly between offense and defense, never fixating on the success or failure of a single move, but rather controlling the overall rhythm of the fight. She did not relentlessly pursue an advantage, nor did she rigidly defend a disadvantage. She neither charged recklessly out of eagerness to win nor panicked in a desperate attempt to reverse the tide. In contrast, the East Bamboo Immortal’s offensive rhythm seemed overly hasty.
In truth, the East Bamboo Immortal’s techniques were no different from her previous match against Ren Xinzuo. However, Ren Xinzuo and the East Bamboo Immortal had been locked in a relentless exchange of attacks, whereas Feng Linwan deliberately slowed her own offensive rhythm, making the East Bamboo Immortal’s assaults appear excessively rushed.
‘This match… it holds some promise.’
Chi Yiheng watched the ongoing match. He had actually forgotten that he was supposed to be the one fighting this round. When Ren Xinzuo conceded, he had been entirely engrossed in the struggle between Ren Du and Director Ji. It was only when Feng Linwan stepped onto the stage that he realized it should have been his turn.
“How unpredictable the world is! To think that even the Taiyi Lingxu Sect has thrown its lot in with the Northern Star. It seems this Northern Star Academy is destined to become a grave threat to the peace of the Eastern Continent.”
Zhu Jifeng shook his head, sighing with emotion, while Wan Ren merely watched the match, speaking calmly.
“The Northern Star is nothing more than a decaying temple, built upon mountains of corpses and maintained by terror. Its eventual collapse is inevitable. Compared to them, the Xuanji Star, with its Blood Alliance as its core strength, is far more troublesome.”
At the mention of the ‘Blood Alliance’, Fenghu and Yunlong exchanged glances, as if recalling past events.
“I, however, hold a different view than Sword Immortal Wan.”
Mr. Ji interjected, but Wan Ren, still watching the match, simply asked.
“How so?” Yunlong asked, glancing at Mr. Ji.
“Do you mean the Northern Star is more troublesome than the Xuanji Star?”
“Although the Northern Star’s atrocities are monstrous, ruling by terror, it has always deferred to its Dean, acting like a killing machine that executes wherever commanded. But the Xuanji Star…”
“However, the Northern Star’s military discipline is corrupt; from top to bottom, its members are heartless and depraved individuals. The Xuanji Star, on the other hand, boasts strict military discipline, with every action constrained by laws and regulations. Even if the Northern Star obeys orders, they are merely following the personal commands of their Dean, not military law. How can the two be compared?”
“Brother Yunlong, allow me to finish before you refute; it will not be too late. The Northern Star revolves around its Dean, who stands above ten thousand others. With a single word, he can move mountains and fill seas. Yet, the Xuanji Star has layers of internal checks and balances, such that one Dean alone cannot wield absolute power over the entire academy…”
“Brother Ji, that’s not quite right.”
Fenghu also offered his opinion on the matter.
“Is this not precisely where the Xuanji Star surpasses the Northern Star? Concentrating power in one person’s hands leads to endless future troubles. Which ancient emperor wasn’t like this, and what became of them? They all perished, buried in the dust of history. For lasting peace and stability, power must be dispersed and mutually checked, lest the selfish desires of one individual plunge the populace into peril.”
Upon hearing this, Zhu Jifeng nodded, finding Fenghu’s words entirely reasonable. Yunlong also largely agreed, while Mr. Ji merely smiled faintly, turning his gaze back to the arena.
“It seems my perspective was mistaken.”
Though he spoke these words, his heart held a different opinion. He simply wished to avoid further verbal sparring with Fenghu and Yunlong. After all, they had only recently met; there was no need to sour their relationship over a single point of view.
Given that Fenghu and Yunlong’s understanding of the Northern Star and Xuanji Star remained at this level, what was the point of continuing the discussion? He knew he couldn’t change their minds, and besides, doing so would serve little purpose.
‘Dispersed power does not necessarily guarantee the welfare of the populace, nor does concentrated power inevitably spell disaster for all.’
Wan Ren continued to observe the situation in the arena, then suddenly furrowed his brow and turned his gaze to Mr. Ji. Mr. Ji, sensing his stare, glanced back with a smile.
‘It seems someone, after all, understands my meaning…’
‘After all, in terms of power dispersion, the Southern Star even surpassed the Xuanji Star…’
‘The stark disparity in numbers between the Southern Star and the Northern Star at this moment was but a trivial example…’
‘While Fenghu, Yunlong, and Mr. Zhu were undoubtedly formidable, perhaps they had never considered…’
‘If Director Ji could mobilize so many people to East Bamboo through the Martial Affairs Office, why couldn’t Ren Du do the same?’