Chu Wei learned from her previous mistake, her movements unfolding like a butterfly weaving through flowers as she danced around Jiang Huai.
Her slender sword transformed into flickers of cold stars, targeting the vital points all around Jiang Huai’s body.
The sword strikes were light, agile, and dazzlingly fast.
Jiang Huai remained rooted in place, his iron sword either parrying, blocking, redirecting, or disarming.
He employed only the most fundamental defensive postures from the basic sword techniques.
His movements seemed slow, even deliberate.
But each swing was perfectly timed to intercept the gaps in Chu Wei’s flowing sword techniques, precisely severing the connections between her attacks.
The iron sword seemed almost sticky, gently hooking and guiding her blade.
Her nimble slender sword felt as if trapped in quicksand; her rhythm instantly thrown off, her fierce offensive turning sluggish and ineffective.
At the very moment Chu Wei hesitated due to the disrupted rhythm, Jiang Huai moved.
Still using the basic sword thrust, the cold sword tip steadily stopped three inches from her throat.
Chu Wei broke into a cold sweat, frozen on the spot.
Bai Lei’s eyes flickered, her breath subtly quickening.
Still unable to discern his cultivation foundation. Could he really be Jade Liquid Qi Refining?
But one thing was certain: Jiang Huai was no weakling. His swordsmanship was truly commendable.
“Go fetch Wei Tong.” Bai Lei ordered Xiao Yue with a sideways glance.
The third disciple didn’t need to fight anymore; being fellow Clear Spiritual Qi Refining practitioners, she was no match for him.
Wei Tong was a descendant of a Wenxuan Sect elder, gifted with excellent talent, practicing Jade Liquid Qi Refining.
Bai Lei could remember the names of such talented disciples.
Only now did Xiao Yue snap out of her surprise and hurried to call Wei Tong for assistance.
It was almost certain Jiang Huai was practicing Jade Liquid Qi Refining, wasn’t he?
At this moment, murmurs began to rise across the Trial Ground, all eyes focused on the lone figure in plain cyan.
“Who is this junior disciple? I’ve never seen him before.”
“Never encountered him. His strength must be Jade Liquid Qi Refining?”
“He’s pretty handsome too…”
Jiang Huai lowered his gaze to the iron sword in his hand, patiently awaiting his next opponent.
He was delighted to find that after these two duels, his spiritual power had edged closer to Qi Refining Eighth Layer.
As expected, real combat was the best cultivation method.
Moments later, Wei Tong approached with her sword, following closely behind Xiao Yue.
“Go, spar with him, but just lightly.” Bai Lei instructed.
“Yes, Elder Bai.”
Wei Tong had naturally heard about this before arriving and was eager for the match.
Who was this formidable junior disciple?
“I am Wei Tong, Qi Refining Ninth Layer. May I know your name, junior?” she greeted with a poised smile, radiating heroic spirit.
Jiang Huai returned the gesture. “I am Jiang Huai, Qi Refining Seventh Layer. Nice to meet you… uh.”
Should he really call her senior sister?
“Begin.” Bai Lei cut off their conversation without expression.
“Junior, be careful, I am Jade Liquid Qi Refining,” Wei Tong warned.
With a shout, her long sword was drawn, the blade faintly shimmering with a cold light.
She didn’t rush to attack but assumed a balanced stance, Jade Liquid spiritual energy circulating through her body, her presence calm and steady like a mountain.
Jiang Huai finally took the initiative and stepped forward.
Still the opening moves of basic sword technique.
Step, twist the waist, shift the shoulder, swing the arm.
Plain and unadorned movements, seamless and unified.
His iron sword cut through the air silently, striking straight toward Wei Tong.
Wei Tong clearly felt an extraordinary spiritual pressure radiating from Jiang Huai, her pupils shrinking.
As a Jade Liquid Qi Refining practitioner, it was the first time she’d sensed such overwhelming pressure from someone else.
She dared not take it lightly.
Her entire body flooded her sword with Jade Liquid spiritual power, erupting into dazzling brilliance as she met the strike head-on.
She intended to use the full might of Jade Liquid Qi Refining to forcefully resist this slash!
It was only basic swordsmanship; no matter how strong he was, he was still Jade Liquid Qi Refining.
And she was also Jade Liquid Qi Refining, at the ninth layer—what was there to fear?
Clang!
A much louder, ear-piercing explosion rang out than the previous two.
Sparks burst at the clash of the two swords.
Wei Tong felt an irresistible, overwhelming force surge along the blade.
Her proud Jade Liquid spiritual power, capable of cutting through metal and jade, shattered like fragile glass before this power.
Her tiger’s mouth tore open instantly; her sword slipped from her grasp and flew off, breaking immediately.
She herself was shaken back seven or eight steps by the tremendous force, her blood surging and face turning pale, nearly collapsing onto the ground.
“This…”
Not only Wei Tong could not believe it, even Bai Lei was stunned.
First came surprise, then an uncontrollable wave of ecstatic joy.
Senior sister! Where did you find such a genius?
Qi Refining Seventh Layer, yet able to defeat a Jade Liquid Qi Refining Ninth Layer in one move?!
Senior sister really is senior sister; this game she’s playing is on a grand scale, and she didn’t even notice it.
Jiang Huai’s sword was also broken, yet his aura remained calm and steady as before.
He looked at the pale Wei Tong and nodded, “Thank you for the match.”
Wei Tong rose to her feet, lightly pursing her lips.
The entire Trial Ground fell into a deathly silence.
All the onlooking disciples first fell silent, then erupted in cheers.
A Qi Refining Seventh Layer single-handedly defeating three outer disciples in succession.
Representatives of Turbid Qi, Clear Spirit Qi, and Jade Liquid Qi Refining all cleanly and decisively defeated one after another by this newcomer whose Testing Spirit Stone Monument results were inconclusive.
This was no mere sparring; it was a complete domination.
At this moment, the identity of Wenxuan Sect’s Saintess was still debated.
But it seemed the Saint Son of Wenxuan Sect had been determined.
Bai Lei’s expression was calm, but her heart brimmed with joy, even ecstasy.
So what exactly is his cultivation?
This doesn’t seem like Jade Liquid Qi Refining, does it?
Could it be some kind of peerless constitution?
Xiao Yue covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling with astonishment and curiosity as she looked at Jiang Huai.
It was her first time seeing such a powerful man.
Jiang Huai closed his eyes slightly, sensing the surge of spiritual power within him.
The last three matches had been like an invisible hammer, repeatedly pounding an unseen barrier inside his body.
“Still not fast enough,” he thought.
The bottleneck at Qi Refining Seventh Layer was loosening, but the final breakthrough still required a stronger force.
He needed a more powerful opponent.
His gaze swept over and landed on the long sword hanging at Xiao Yue’s waist.
The scabbard was simple yet emanated faint cold light — clearly no ordinary blade.
“Miss Xiao,” Jiang Huai said.
“May I borrow your sword for a moment?”
Xiao Yue was startled, instinctively tightening her grip on the hilt.
That sword was given by Wu Zhaohua, a gift from their master.
“Sir Jiang, this…” she hesitated.
“My sword is broken; I’m unarmed,” Jiang Huai said succinctly.
“Elder Bai, please arrange a Foundation Establishment stage opponent for me.”
At these words, the spectators who had just recovered from shock broke out again.
“That’s a huge gap in realm; the essence of spiritual power is completely different!”
“Even if his swordsmanship is divine and fundamentals solid, without the spiritual pressure and protective light of Foundation Establishment, how can he defend?”
A strange glint flashed in Bai Lei’s eyes as her fingers tightened on the hilt.
She stared at Jiang Huai as if trying to see through him entirely.
“Foundation Establishment?” Bai Lei’s voice was low and appraising.
“Are you sure? Swords have no eyes. Foundation Establishment spiritual power is dangerous—one slip and you’ll get hurt.”
“Nothing would please me more,” Jiang Huai replied.
“Very well.” Bai Lei gave him a long look and finally nodded.
Seeing this, Xiao Yue no longer hesitated, unsheathed her sword from her waist, and handed it over with both hands.
“Sir Jiang, please use this sword.”
Bai Lei silently watched Jiang Huai, her impression changing considerably.
Many sects had only a Saintess, no such thing as a Saint Son.
Many Saint Sons were unable to uphold that title; not just any man could be chosen.
Yet at this moment, Wenxuan Sect seemed poised to produce a Saint Son.
Just as she was about to select someone, a dark shadow hurried over.
“Elder Bai.” Qin Qinghong of the Eastern Wilderness Dragon Clan arrived hastily.
“What is it?”
“I’ve heard of disturbances in the Dragon Race. I must immediately lead the Dragon Race members to leave Wenxuan Sect.” Qin Qinghong’s words were rapid, her voice tinged with barely perceptible anxiety.
The Red Dragon Clan was planning to join forces with the White Dragon Clan to launch a campaign against Qin Qingyue and restore the Eastern Wasteland Dragon Clan.
Upon hearing this, a foreboding feeling inexplicably rose in Bai Lei’s heart.
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