Sword Intent is emotion.
It is the embodiment of the obsession in one’s heart at the moment of drawing the sword!
This was what Xia Xiaochan had comprehended from her Senior Brother’s Sword Intent.
Her Senior Brother’s Sword Intent was loneliness.
So then, what was her own Sword Intent?
At this very moment,
Xiao Chan already had her answer.
It was—enlightenment!
The resolve to become stronger,
The resolve to protect those important to her,
And the resolve to stand by her Senior Brother’s side!
Cultivating immortality does not require cultivating the heart; this was what her Senior Brother told her from the start.
Why do mortals seek to become immortals?
She would use this sword to prove to everyone that her Senior Brother’s path, her own path, was not wrong!
“Mind Enlightenment Sword!”
Sword Intent scattered across the sky.
Li Xingyao’s vision blurred instantly.
A fierce shock crashed into her mind and soul…
“…Father?”
In the next moment, she seemed to see the figure of her father, whispering with a trembling voice,
“Father, don’t go!”
“Did Yao’er do something wrong?”
“Don’t ignore Yao’er…”
“No, this is an illusion!”
Li Xingyao shook her head, then decisively stabbed the tip of her sword into her palm.
The pain briefly cleared her mind, but around her, the sky was already filled with sword light!
What exactly was this Sword Intent’s power?!
She was terrified in her heart—she hadn’t expected Xia Xiaochan’s sword to be so extraordinary, as if it could awaken the confusion within others’ hearts.
Any cultivator with weaker foundation would completely lose themselves, shattered by countless sword energies in an instant.
This Sword Intent seemed to plainly declare to others…
My Dao heart is above yours!
I lose…
Li Xingyao knew in her heart that no matter what means she used, she could not block this sword.
Should she surrender?
She glanced at Song Yao Gu beside her and found that Song Yao Gu was also looking at her.
That was right,
Song Yao Gu was also waiting for her to admit defeat.
But…
She was truly tired of this kind of gaze.
She must win!
Li Xingyao gritted her teeth, shifting her gaze toward Xia Xiaochan, then wildly drawing out her Spirit Power to forcibly meet her opponent’s next sword.
However, what happened next made her utterly despair.
A beam of enlightenment light descended from the sky, steadily landing on Xia Xiaochan.
A refreshing ripple spread out…
It was Sudden Enlightenment!
“A monster indeed…”
Li Xingyao smiled bitterly with resignation.
This time, it looked like she had to bet her life.
“Wait—”
Song Yao Gu couldn’t continue to watch the spectacle.
Even if she had ten brains, she wouldn’t have expected that someone would achieve Sudden Enlightenment during a duel.
But now was not the time for shock, because no cultivator had ever wasted such a chance during a fight.
No one knew how terrifying a Sudden Enlightenment state combined with a Sword Intent-enhanced strike could be.
They couldn’t continue fighting!
She was about to shout, but it was already too late.
The sword energy was unleashed…
In an instant, the colors of heaven and earth changed!
Flowers, the Sword Duel Platform, the sky, the sun… everything within sight was dyed black and white!
In the vision, that majestic sword energy had lost all form, becoming a pure beam of light!
“Chantian Hand!”
Without hesitation, Song Yao Gu shouted.
Her Spirit Power transformed into strands of silk that entangled Li Xingyao, barely pulling her out of the sword energy’s range at the last moment.
At the same time,
The area covered by the sword light seemed to collapse like the sky falling and earth breaking.
Plants shattered, rocks crumbled…
The power of this sword energy even made Song Yao Gu’s heart tremble.
If she had been a moment slower, Li Xingyao might have been completely torn apart…
“Are you alright?”
Song Yao Gu lowered her head and asked.
Li Xingyao, who had narrowly escaped death, now slumped on the ground.
Her face was pale, but her eyes fixed rigidly on the spot where the sword struck.
Song Yao Gu looked over as well—
A gust of wind blew away the dust.
Beneath the chaos, four or five deep sword-energy furrows appeared.
Half of the Sword Duel Platform had been destroyed and shredded by the rampaging sword energy…
Is this really Qi Refining?!
Song Yao Gu was so shocked she could barely close her mouth.
“I… I won.”
On the other side, Xia Xiaochan sheathed the Qingyu Sword, walking weakly forward.
The sword she had just unleashed had completely exhausted her Spirit Power.
Li Xingyao looked at her without saying a word.
“Retract your insult against my Senior Brother!”
“…I retract it.”
Li Xingyao replied decisively.
“Good.”
Xia Xiaochan’s expression suddenly relaxed.
Then her legs went weak, and she collapsed onto the ground like the air had been let out of a balloon.
“Are you alright?”
Song Yao Gu panicked again and hurried over to check.
She still felt a lingering fear.
During the duel, Xia Xiaochan’s talent had been too shocking.
Even looking across the entire sect, besides her Senior Brother, few could surpass her.
If anything happened to her, she wouldn’t be able to explain it…
Fortunately, it was only Spirit Power exhaustion and weakness.
Placing her fingers on Xiao Chan’s wrist to check her pulse, Song Yao Gu finally relaxed.
She then smiled wryly.
She had been so ready to watch the drama unfold, but these two—one a top immortal seedling, the other the sect leader’s daughter—if either of them got into trouble, she wouldn’t be able to answer for it…
By the way, isn’t the Sword Duel Platform leader a meaningless position? So why did a big commotion happen just when it was her turn?
And what kind of luck did Elder Linghe have, taking in only two disciples, both more powerful than the other…
With that kind of luck, wouldn’t it be better to go buy lottery tickets at the Spiritual Treasures Pavilion?
Song Yao Gu took out a Spirit Pill and placed it in Xia Xiaochan’s mouth.
Watching her color brighten, she finally felt completely at ease.
Just as she turned to feed Li Xingyao one as well, she froze.
Li Xingyao had disappeared without a trace.
“Damn it, where did the girl go?”
Of course, Li Xingyao was not lost.
When Song Yao Gu’s attention was on Xia Xiaochan, Li Xingyao silently flew away on her sword.
Though she had lost, her Spirit Power was still abundant, and she had not suffered any external injuries.
She did not look like someone who had been defeated.
As for what she intended next, it was not to return home but to… Wenxuan Peak!
Before the news spread and Lin Ci found out,
She would stick to her original intention and expose Lin Ci’s true nature completely!
Li Xingyao arrived at Wenxuan Peak as fast as she could, landing at the entrance to the peak, then without stopping, moved inward.
When she reached the small courtyard, she coincidentally bumped into Lin Ci.
Why is this clingy pest here again?
Lin Ci rolled his eyes in helplessness.
Before he could say anything to shoo her away, Li Xingyao had already stepped into the courtyard.
“I just fought your Junior Sister!”
“Yes, that Xia Xiaochan!”
Lin Ci was stunned at her words, but before he could speak, Li Xingyao continued,
“Of course, for fairness, I suppressed my cultivation and let her strike first three times.”
“As for the result… Heh, since I’m standing here, you must know who won!”
“…Your Junior Sister isn’t any better than a weakling.”
Li Xingyao lifted her chin proudly, never averting her gaze, ready to watch Lin Ci’s reaction.
When she saw Lin Ci frown slightly, his mouth tightening,
Her smile became even harder to suppress.
Yes, this is what I want to see!
Junior Sister loses to me, you must be anxious, right?
Then be terribly disappointed in Xia Xiaochan, rebuke her in front of me, draw a clear boundary, and finally tell me you never taught her cultivation!
She lost to me, and it has nothing to do with you.
Only by doing this can you preserve your dignity as Chief Disciple, right?
“Xiao Chan, did you get hurt?”
“What?”
Li Xingyao was taken aback.
“Didn’t hear clearly? I’m asking if Xiao Chan was injured.”
“What injury or no injury, what part of this don’t you understand? Your Chief Disciple’s Junior Sister was defeated, and you’re still asking if she was hurt?”
Completely unlike what Li Xingyao expected.
Totally wrong!
What’s going on?
What kind of thought process was this?
Shouldn’t he be harshly scolding Xia Xiaochan, drawing a boundary to prove himself?
“Idiot!”
Lin Ci gave up pretending and cursed outright.
He grabbed Li Xingyao by the collar and, with her shocked face before him, roughly slammed her against the wall.
“Listen carefully, if you bully Xiao Chan again, I’ll kill you, got it?”
Li Xingyao’s eyes went blank.
Did she succeed?
This Lin Ci before her was completely different from the flawless Chief Disciple she knew; this was the real him.
He had finally been exposed!
But why… did she not feel victorious?
“Last question: Did Xiao Chan get hurt?”
Lin Ci’s tone was icy cold.
“N… No, she wasn’t hurt.”
Li Xingyao lowered her gaze, rarely speaking softly.
“That’s good.”
He released her and let her fall to the ground, clapped his hands, and without any further words, turned and walked away.
Watching his back, Li Xingyao suddenly felt a sting in her nose for no reason.
She seemed to understand why Lin Ci did not care about winning or losing this fight.
Because he just didn’t care…
In his eyes, Xiao Chan’s happiness mattered more than his own dignity…
‘No matter your cultivation, your Senior Brother will always care for you.’
For no reason, tears trickled down her cheeks.
Li Xingyao sat on the cold ground, resting the back of her head against the wall.
Looking at the sparse drifting clouds in the sky, she murmured for a long, long time:
“Why… isn’t it my Senior Brother…”
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