The Male and Female Blades

It was not just Junior Brother Zhao.

All the female cultivators in the audience were equally astonished, their voices rising in a murmur of discussion.

“The cultivation technique Immortal Qin practices seems even more domineering than those practiced by some female cultivators!”

“We haven’t seen Immortal Qin use his technique before. It appears Senior Brother Zhao is putting him under considerable pressure—truly worthy of Senior Brother Zhao.”

“Senior Brother Zhao is approachable; he often helps us junior sisters when we’re in need. While Immortal Qin is undeniably… handsome, I’ve decided to side with Senior Brother Zhao.”

Many female cultivators were openly supporting Junior Brother Zhao.

Yu Qingxuan, hearing their words, felt a surge of anger, but as this was a sect competition, she could only silently cheer for Qin Yan in her heart.

No matter what anyone else said, her junior brother was always the best in her eyes.

Junior Brother Zhao, too, now revealed his weapon: a pair of twin blades, just as expected.

As he held them, the edges gleamed with a cold light, the two long swords appearing as perfect twins.

“Senior Brother Qin, I apologize for the offense. These are the Male and Female Twin Blades bestowed upon me by my master.”

He spoke, his voice clear.

“Mine is the Wind Thunder Spear.”

Qin Yan, exercising patience, exchanged pleasantries with Junior Brother Zhao.

The duel between them did not seem particularly intense.

After all, this was a female-centric world, and as fellow male junior brothers, how could they possibly resort to mutual attacks with magical artifacts upon entering the arena, as women often did?

Arranging their stances, Qin Yan held his long spear horizontally before him.

Having received a reminder from a senior sister previously, he appeared notably cautious.

“Senior Brother Qin, take this, my female blade!”

Junior Brother Zhao launched the first attack, slashing at Qin Yan with the long sword in his left hand.

‘Who announces their move before a duel?’ Qin Yan mused.

Yet, Qin Yan had carefully remembered his senior sister’s earlier words: one of these two swords was utterly rigid and fierce, while the other was pliant as water.

Listening to Junior Brother Zhao’s declaration, Qin Yan promptly used his spear to block the incoming sword strike, then prepared to parry it with a flick of his wrist.

However, to his surprise, a resounding ‘clang’ echoed through the air.

Qin Yan felt his hand movements falter, and a tremendous force surged from the long sword in Junior Brother Zhao’s hand.

This unexpected blow nearly caused Qin Yan to gasp for breath.

‘Wasn’t it supposed to be the female blade? That should be pliant as water,’ he thought.

‘Therefore, when I engaged the long sword with my spear just now, I held back some strength, fearing it might entangle my weapon.’

‘No, that’s wrong!’

‘This is a female-centric world; with the shift in gender perceptions, the corresponding weapons and sword techniques should also have changed.’

This crucial point would not occur to most people, nor would they even consider it.

However, the reality before him was undeniable.

Qin Yan’s gaze swept to the long sword in Junior Brother Zhao’s right hand, which was attacking him from the corner like a sinister viper.

‘This must be the so-called male blade,’ he realized, ‘pliant as water, swaying slightly as it cut through the air, almost like a soft sword.’

‘Damn it!’

‘If this world had a Kwaihua Baodian, would women who practice it then try to attach a prosthetic phallus to themselves?!’

Qin Yan quickly suppressed that thought, however.

Watching the long sword closing in, he stepped forward instead, forcefully pressing down on his spear, positioning his entire body along the shaft of the weapon.

It looked somewhat like standing on a pole.

Since ancient times, spear and sword techniques have often been intertwined, so it was not particularly strange for Qin Yan to know such a move.

However, this posture was far from graceful.

Junior Brother Zhao, seeing Qin Yan practically draped over the spear shaft, was momentarily stunned.

But in the very next moment, the male blade in his left hand thrust towards Qin Yan.

It was hardly surprising that Junior Brother Zhao was momentarily bewildered; he was not particularly skilled in combat.

After all, men in this world were educated from a young age to be good husbands and fathers; fighting and killing were deemed undignified, leaving them somewhat weak in physical combat.

Qin Yan, however, was an exception.

He was unburdened by the ideological constraints of men in this world.

Apart from cultivation, his days were spent practicing with his long spear; it was perfectly normal for him to practice spear techniques when tired from cultivation.

Yu Qingxuan, witnessing this scene, paused, recalling past memories.

Her junior brother had been young then, but he had already begun martial arts training, like a wild tomboy, always engrossed in his spear.

At that time, she had inexplicably felt that her junior brother was more like a girl than she was, given his fondness for wielding weapons.

Now, as Qin Yan watched the sword blade thrusting towards him from Junior Brother Zhao, he had fully regained his composure.

His earlier significant blunder had primarily stemmed from his own preconceived notions, but that would no longer be the case.

He flowed along the spear and directly kicked Junior Brother Zhao in the face.

“Bang—”

A loud thud.

Junior Brother Zhao’s body reeled backward, indicating that Qin Yan’s foot was swifter than the long sword in his hand.

“Zhao, Senior Brother Zhao was slapped in the face?!”

“This…”

“Do they have some personal vendetta? Why is Immortal Qin’s strike so ruthless…”

The surrounding female cultivators erupted in chatter at the sight.

Qin Yan, too, heard the clamor from the stands, and even he wondered if he had gone too far.

In his previous life, it would have been like two senior sisters or junior sisters suddenly pulling each other’s hair…

However, he truly hadn’t managed to hold back his foot just now; acting like a man from this world would have been the death of him.

Nevertheless, Qin Yan did not pursue the attack.

Soon, Junior Brother Zhao slowly picked himself up from the ground, his twin blades lying beside him.

He looked at Qin Yan from a distance.

He actually…

He actually began to cry, whimpering so pitifully that it truly stirred compassion in all who watched.

Qin Yan, watching Junior Brother Zhao cry and wipe away his tears, felt a chill run down his spine.

If an adult man in his previous life had cried during a fight, his reputation would have been ruined for good…

“Oh my goodness, Senior Brother Zhao is so pitiful…”

“Seeing him cry, my heart is utterly broken.”

“Look, look, Immortal Qin seems to be going to help Senior Brother Zhao up.”

Following the audience’s murmurs,

Qin Yan approached Junior Brother Zhao, then, seeing his swollen face and tear-filled eyes, he quickly accelerated his steps, moving even faster past him.

“Oh my goodness, Immortal Qin is really…”

“…He’s too aloof!”

The female cultivators in the audience burst into an uproar.

Many gazed at Qin Yan’s retreating figure, their eyes blossoming with infatuation.

Who wouldn’t yearn for a male cultivator who was aloof, powerful, and unfeeling?

No one expressed dissatisfaction with Qin Yan’s actions, for he was, after all, the victor.

Of course, there were still those who felt sorry for Junior Brother Zhao, but pity aside, everyone now had one impression etched in their minds: Qin Yan, Immortal Qin of First Peak.

He had become a stepping stone, allowing Qin Yan to directly secure a place in the hearts of most female cultivators.

****

On a distant peak.

First Elder Qin Nianci was seated opposite Second Elder.

“Elder Qin has truly raised an excellent disciple.”

The Second Elder took a sip of tea from the table, then glanced at Junior Brother Zhao, who was still weeping in the arena.

“This child is just a little too unfeeling sometimes. When he was young, he was like a girl, fond of wielding swords and spears. He can’t compare to your brilliant disciple.

Qin Yan, where does he have the demeanor a man should possess?”

Qin Nianci’s face was graced with a smile as she looked at the Second Elder, though the joy in her eyes was unmistakable.