I dodged?
I actually dodged?
Li Xingyao’s expression was one of disbelief.
Before the match, she had sworn that she’d let her opponent have three moves, but she’d already been forced back by the very first sword strike…
It counted as letting her have one move, but was it really the same?
Letting your opponent attack for three moves first implied, “Even if I let you have three moves, I’ll still have enough strength left to defeat you.”
This represented a strong person’s pride.
However, if you couldn’t even take the first sword and had to scramble to dodge, then what pride was left? What meaning did it have to let her have three moves?
Was she being too careless?
Li Xingyao gritted her teeth.
Indeed, she had underestimated her opponent—but it wasn’t just that.
Even if she’d taken Xia Xiaochan seriously, she never could have guessed that her opponent’s very first sword move would so easily pierce through her own Gale Barrier.
Being careless only meant that when her spell was broken, she failed to block in time.
So, from now on, she had to treat Xia Xiaochan as a truly equal opponent…
She took a deep breath.
“There are still two moves left. Come on!”
Li Xingyao held her flying sword across her chest and said harshly.
Though it no longer meant anything, she couldn’t go back on her word—she had to defend and not attack for the first three moves.
“All right, watch my sword!”
Xia Xiaochan gripped the Qingyu Sword and charged forward again, the sword spinning as she brought it down right at Li Xingyao.
What kind of sword move was this?
Both Li Xingyao and Song Yao Gu, who was spectating at the side, were stunned.
The sword that had just broken through the Gale Barrier had been a marvel of profound skill, clearly the result of much practice and refinement.
But this second sword… was plain and unadorned, as if all it wanted to do was contest brute strength.
Even with cultivation suppressed, how could the physical strength of someone in the Qi Training Realm compare to someone in the Foundation Establishment Realm?
This was just like a move out of an ordinary mortal’s sword manual.
“Are you… underestimating me?”
Li Xingyao gritted her teeth, feeling a chilling sense of insult. She raised her flying sword and easily blocked the strike.
That made two moves.
Li Xingyao snorted inwardly. If she could take one more sword, she’d be able to counterattack with overwhelming force and crush Xia Xiaochan.
But at that moment, she saw Xiaochan’s other hand, which had been hidden behind her back, clutching a ball of flame—then thrusting it forward with force…
“Not good!”
Song Yao Gu jumped in fright. She could sense a fearsome aura of destruction in the flame that Xia Xiaochan held!
If that hit Li Xingyao, who was still suppressing her cultivation, the consequences would be unimaginable…
A halo of light twined around Song Yao Gu’s hand—she decided that if Li Xingyao took the hit, she’d immediately step in to save her!
Who would have thought—the side with the higher cultivation now needed her protection even more.
A spell—Palms of Flame!
Hit!
As the burst of fire exploded outward, Li Xingyao retreated two steps in shock, her clothing at the chest charred, her eyes once again showing disbelief.
But Song Yao Gu now withdrew her magic.
There was no need to intervene.
Li Xingyao had already released her suppression of cultivation…
She was now at the Foundation Establishment Realm!
“You… you…”
Li Xingyao pointed at Xia Xiaochan, but couldn’t say a word.
You actually made me go all out?
She really couldn’t bring herself to say it.
It wasn’t that she’d underestimated her opponent this time—if she hadn’t released her cultivation, that fire spell just now would’ve seriously injured her on the spot.
And now, having returned to the Foundation Establishment Realm, she’d truly lost, if going by the agreed-upon rules…
But how could she just accept that?
“That round doesn’t count. Again!”
With those words, she surged with Foundation Establishment Realm power, shook out her sword, and attacked Xia Xiaochan!
She no longer suppressed her cultivation—after all, Xia Xiaochan had conjured another ball of fire. If she couldn’t block that move with suppressed power, what was the point of suppressing it?
She couldn’t lose here…
Even if she’d already lost, she couldn’t lose so miserably.
Without hesitation, Li Xingyao resolved to go all out and defeat Xia Xiaochan as quickly as possible, to win back her honor.
“Oh?”
Song Yao Gu thought about it, but didn’t step in.
The agreement to suppress cultivation was a private matter between the two. Even if it was broken, as long as Xia Xiaochan didn’t admit defeat, the match wasn’t over.
There was no need to interfere.
Besides, Xia Xiaochan had just said she wanted to defeat Li Xingyao at full strength.
Let’s keep watching, let’s keep watching…
People always love drama, especially cultivators with long lifespans. A spectacle like this is a welcome diversion from monotonous cultivation.
Once Li Xingyao stopped holding back and launched a swift, aggressive assault, Xia Xiaochan immediately fell behind.
First, the quality of spiritual power in the Foundation Establishment Realm was leagues above the Qi Training Realm.
The same spells, when cast by Foundation Establishment cultivators, gained vastly more power.
Second, Li Xingyao’s spells and techniques were all top-notch and endless in variety.
Song Yao Gu quickly tallied—Golden Blade Technique, Light Body Technique, Ember Shadow Step, Qi-Discerning Eye… Within a short span, Li Xingyao had used seven or eight different enhancement and attack techniques in succession!
On top of that, her swordsmanship was fierce—move after move, each stroke so fast it was almost impossible to follow with the naked eye.
It was clear she wanted to end this shameful match as soon as possible.
Yet, for Xia Xiaochan to keep up with Li Xingyao going all out—though at a disadvantage, she showed no sign of losing quickly. She was anything but ordinary.
Xia Xiaochan held her sword in her right hand, a Palms of Flame in her left, gritting her teeth as she defended and retreated.
Her swordplay, as Song Yao Gu observed, seemed rather raw—likely the result of only recently learning the moves, or a lack of real combat experience.
But her sharp combat instincts more than made up for it.
Song Yao Gu was certain: if Xia Xiaochan had practiced this sword style for less than a month, or had fewer than ten sparring matches, yet could perform at this level—this girl was definitely a genius at spell duels!
Her sword style, compared to Li Xingyao’s fierce and rapid offense, was all the more unpredictable and varied…
Actually, Li Xingyao’s swordsmanship was already complex—she’d had many sword instructors, so her sword style combined the strengths of many schools.
She could be quick when needed, fierce when needed…
Song Yao Gu had taught her for a time, and even worried back then that the little sect leader’s swordsmanship might be too eclectic.
But compared to Xia Xiaochan now, Li Xingyao’s style seemed not nearly “mixed” enough—almost rigid and conventional.
Xia Xiaochan’s sword moves could be summed up in one word—chaotic!
Yes, utterly chaotic!
So chaotic it defied logic, without the slightest pattern.
Stepping Leaf Sword Art, Golden Ringing Sword Art, Dust-Gathering Sword Art, Hanging Sun Sword Art…
From her swordplay, Song Yao Gu could see traces of many sword arts, even moves like Split Mount Hua with Strength that were only found in mortal sword manuals.
But similarity didn’t mean the same…
Those sword arts all had patterns you could follow.
But with this sword style—when it should have been fast, it was slow; when it should have been slow, it sped up…
Song Yao Gu was dazzled. She thought, whoever created such a bizarre sword art must be a genius of the sword.
She almost wanted to crack open his skull to see how his mind worked.
But the strangest thing was, for all its chaos, Xia Xiaochan managed to parry all of Li Xingyao’s attacks—and even found chances to counterattack.
That, if anything, proved there was nothing wrong with her sword style… It was simply supposed to be this chaotic.
And the flame in Xia Xiaochan’s left hand—Song Yao Gu could feel its crushing, destructive pressure.
She’d been holding that fire for four or five exchanges now, never letting it fly, making Li Xingyao wary and constantly watching her left hand.
That was how the two managed to fight evenly for so long.
But that was all…
As the situation on the dueling platform became clearer, Song Yao Gu could see it plainly: Xia Xiaochan was indeed powerful—so powerful it was almost absurd.
Given time, if she broke through to Foundation Establishment, even just the early stage, Li Xingyao would be swiftly defeated by her.
But unfortunately, she was still just in the Qi Training Realm.
It had always been said—the gap between cultivation realms was a chasm that tactics couldn’t bridge.
Unless something unexpected happened, today’s champion… or rather, the winner, would be…
“The time is almost right.”
Just then, Xia Xiaochan whispered.
She immediately retreated two steps, exhaled a murky breath, and suddenly, the Qingyu Sword in her hand gave off an unsettling aura…
Li Xingyao’s expression turned even gloomier at the sight.
She’s finally going to use it?
And Song Yao Gu, once she saw what it was, stared wide-eyed in shock, as if she’d seen a ghost.
So young, and she’s been hiding something like this?
The aura in Xia Xiaochan’s hand was unmistakable—
Sword Intent!