When teaching her combat moves, Xu Lin’s first requirement was for Jiang Luo to tie up her loose hair into a high ponytail.
As the saying goes, tie your hair high, and your spear comes out three moves faster.
And the moves Xu Lin taught her weren’t sword moves at all—they were spear techniques.
Jiang Luo had previously trained in sword moves. If he taught her sword move patterns, her little head would likely fall back into rigid thinking, and the moves would have no chance of catching anyone off guard.
All things considered, Xu Lin taught her spear techniques instead.
After tying up her hair, Jiang Luo raised a hand and summoned a long spear into her grasp.
The high ponytail made her look clean and sharp, her entire demeanor shifting subtly.
Gripping the spear with both hands to face her opponent, her torn sleeves and slightly soiled hem shattered the fragile image everyone had of her. She radiated heroic spirit.
Everyone present was dumbfounded, completely lost on what was happening, let alone what Jiang Luo intended to do.
The person standing across from Jiang Luo was also taken aback. Watching her series of actions in confusion, he finally let out a laugh tinged with irritation.
“Junior Martial Sister Jiang, have you gone dull from listening to those outside rumors?”
the man continued.
“Rumor has it that Righteous Path sword cultivators love tying their hair high, with a blade of grass dangling from their mouths. What, shall I go find you a blade of grass?”
With that, laughter broke out from below the stage. Everyone wondered if Jiang Luo had lost her mind.
The tips of Jiang Luo’s ears reddened, but she slowly exhaled to calm her mind.
She had asked Xu Lin a similar question before. The answer she got was a chop to the head.
Xu Lin explained that there weren’t that many strange rumors out there.
Grass in the mouth? Wasn’t he afraid of cutting the corner of his mouth?
As for tying her hair into a high ponytail, there was actually some reasoning behind it.
“No need.”
Jiang Luo answered seriously.
“Let’s just continue the match.”
The more seriously Jiang Luo spoke, the more the man’s taunts seemed to turn back on himself, making him look ridiculous and leaving him thoroughly annoyed.
“Then don’t blame me for being rude, Junior Martial Sister Jiang.”
Seeing that Jiang Luo had no intention of backing down, he decided not to hold back either. He took a medicine pill from his storage pouch and tossed it into his mouth.
As the pill’s potency spread, his spiritual energy climbed higher and higher. With his cultivation technique circulating, torrents of demonic aura poured from his body.
His eyes bloodshot, he said to Jiang Luo,
“Junior Martial Sister Jiang, if you want to blame someone later, blame yourself for not knowing when to retreat, for wanting something you shouldn’t.”
From this point on, even if Jiang Luo begged for mercy midway, he had no intention of stopping.
Without another word, he launched his move first. Sword in hand, body like a fierce beast, demonic aura charging recklessly, he sought to devour Jiang Luo.
Facing the oncoming pressure, Jiang Luo’s body stiffened for a moment. She recalled the moves Xu Lin had taught her, then expelled another turbid breath to steady her mind.
Raising her spear, she leaned her body slightly forward. The spear gleam descended like a bird striking with its talons, fast and accurate, meeting the opponent’s sword gleam head-on.
As the rolling demonic aura bore down, Jiang Luo channeled her spiritual energy, fully unleashing the power of the First Stage of the True Profound Realm.
Though her aura wasn’t as oppressive as her opponent’s, it carried an indescribable pressure and a sense of nimble agility.
With a clash, the sword was sharp, but it couldn’t match the heavy weight of the spear force. With no advantage in realm either, the attacker was forced back.
Jiang Luo pressed the advantage, sweeping her long spear. Her tied-up high ponytail danced with her movements, unlike loose hair that would obscure her vision.
Her torn sleeves fluttered. The long spear moved in wide, sweeping arcs. Her heroic spirit was on full display.
Her pursuit was like a bird spreading its wings to pounce and kill.
Caught off guard by the unexpected moves, the man couldn’t withstand the assault. His figure and demonic aura were driven back again and again.
The faces of those who had been mocking Jiang Luo instantly froze.
This time, they genuinely felt it. Jiang Luo wasn’t just overwhelming him with technique—even her realm was no worse than his, despite him having taken a medicine pill.
“Oh?”
Xi Ranchen was also drawn to the spectacle on Jiang Luo’s side.
“An outer disciple at the First Stage of the True Profound Realm, no less.”
Jiang Luo’s realm aura wasn’t particularly deep, suggesting she had only recently broken through.
Still, managing to break through to the First Stage of the True Profound Realm on her own while in the outer sect was no small feat.
Xu Lin, sitting to the side, said nothing. He simply smiled while eating fruit.
The Sunset Sect disciples’ impression of Jiang Luo was likely that of a frail sword cultivator with stiff sword moves. That wasn’t something Jiang Luo could fix right away.
That was precisely why he had taken the trouble to teach Jiang Luo something different.
Who could have imagined Jiang Luo suddenly wielding a spear?
The spear momentum was bold and sweeping, completely unlike the Jiang Luo of before. It also served to subtly adjust her usual combat habits.
This spear technique was a fine treasure. Xu Lin had found it deep in the Vast Dao Sect’s Scripture Pavilion. According to the normal story plot, the protagonist would later master it to perfection.
Even if Jiang Luo had only grasped the surface of it, that was more than enough.
On the other side, when Yang Yao saw the spear technique Jiang Luo was using, she couldn’t believe her eyes and rubbed them.
“Phoenix Dance Startling Feather Spear Art?”
Her eyes widened as she repeatedly confirmed Jiang Luo’s spear technique. Images from her past-life memories surfaced in her mind.
In her previous life, that person had used this spear art. According to legend, she had learned it after joining the Vast Dao Sect.
Although Jiang Luo only had the form of the spear dance without any spear intent, the moves were nearly identical. Yang Yao was certain she couldn’t be mistaken.
‘How could she possibly know this spear art?’
Yang Yao kept murmuring inwardly.
Yang Yao had thought she might see this spear art again, but she had never imagined a disciple of the Sunset Sect would be the one to use it.
Something occurred to her. Yang Yao looked at Xu Lin and found him also watching Jiang Luo.
A guess surfaced in her mind—but for now, it was only a guess. She needed further confirmation.
In the final move of the spear technique, the spear tip pierced the air, and a resonant ring echoed out.
With that single strike, the spear thrust into the man’s arm. Crimson blood splattered through the air. His long sword flew from his hand, and he staggered backward.
Knowing when to stop, Jiang Luo withdrew her spear, panting heavily.
But the man, like the crowd below the stage, was utterly incredulous. The pill’s potency had not yet faded, and driven by the fire of his rage, his spiritual energy reversed and clashed within his body. The elixir backlash struck at his heart, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Then his eyes rolled back, he collapsed, and fell unconscious.
Everyone belatedly realized—they had come to keep watching Jiang Luo make a fool of herself, never expecting to see a scene like this. For a moment, no one knew how to react.
After Jiang Luo caught her breath, she looked around in bewilderment and said with some embarrassment,
“Did I… win?”
They all exchanged glances, still not recovered from their shock.
Even the Elder who had witnessed everything barely managed to snap back to his senses. He descended to the stage and announced,
“Jiang Luo wins!”
Finally getting the result she had been hoping for, Jiang Luo was overjoyed. Unable to suppress herself, she looked toward Xu Lin and met the smile beneath the Bronze Ghost Mask.
At the same time, the Sect Master and Yang Yao also cast glances her way, making her hurriedly look away, afraid of being found out.
“Go rest. Someone will deliver your Inner Disciple Token to you later.”
“Alright, thank you, Elder.”
With that, Jiang Luo finally stepped off the stage. On the nearby grounds, other matches were also reaching their conclusions one after another.