Chapter 65: The Second Sword Path Battle

Lu Qingyuan versus Bai Luozhou was the main event.

The attention on it even surpassed the earlier match between Qin Chuan and Lou Qianxue. Originally, it should not have been like this, but because of Lin Yuchu’s divine stroke of a wager, this Sword Path Grand Competition had gone completely crooked. It had veered off its original track and was now galloping toward some other strange development.

Was it the cultivation world’s jinxing of Qin Chuan and Bai Luozhou, on whom everyone had pinned high hopes of taking first place, or was it Lin Yuchu blindly messing around?

This match between Lu Qingyuan and Bai Luozhou would offer the first clue.

According to past expectations, Lu Qingyuan ought to lose to Bai Luozhou.

But this time…

“Lu Qingyuan is attacking fiercely!”

From the chief judge’s seat, Sword Lord Nanming looked at Lu Qingyuan and Bai Luozhou, who had begun clashing intensely on the arena from the very start. His expression was astonished, and his tone was shocked as he spoke.

This was the second time he had said those words. During yesterday’s preliminary round, Sword Lord Nanming had said the same thing.

Beside him, Sword Master Longquan heard this and fixed his gaze on Lu Qingyuan on the arena ahead. Lu Qingyuan wore a long robe, the fabric billowing around him, his wide sleeves snapping in the sword wind. Though his face was handsome and refined, at this moment there was not the slightest smile on it.

Forget a gentleman. Right now, he looked more like a merciless, cold-blooded asura.

One could only see—

His sword struck like a sudden downpour, like a gale, like lightning, and like flashes of thunder. His momentum was ferocious, fast and fierce, and his sword showed no mercy. His killing intent had turned almost solid, visible to the naked eye.

At this moment, the gentleman had clearly transformed into an asura.

And his opponent, Bai Luozhou, the one on whom the cultivation world had placed high hopes of seizing first place, wore a grave expression. His gaze was cold and heavy as he controlled his sword to block.

He retreated again and again. He had actually been suppressed, forced into the weaker position of defense.

In an instant—

All was silent.

The Star Observation Platform was packed full at this moment, every seat occupied.

Yet there was not the slightest sound.

Everyone stared at the arena, holding their breath, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on the stage. Their expressions were all shocked.

Their pupils widened.

Wh-what was going on!?

Bai Luozhou was actually being suppressed one-sidedly by Lu Qingyuan!

How was that possible!

That was Bai Luozhou!

Who was Bai Luozhou?

Ask any cultivator in the cultivation world at random, and they would be able to answer the question quickly and clearly. Bai Luozhou was a genius sword cultivator of the current younger generation of the Sword Path, hailed alongside Qin Chuan as one of the Twin Heroes of the Sword Path.

Everyone tacitly accepted that the number one young sword cultivator of the cultivation world would emerge from between the two of them.

Bai Luozhou and Qin Chuan would compete for the title of today’s foremost youth of the Sword Path.

Aside from the two of them, all other sword cultivators were merely stars adorning the night sky.

The bright moon would rise between those two.

But at this moment, Bai Luozhou… was actually being suppressed by Lu Qingyuan!

“How is this possible!?”

Below the arena, someone spoke in a shocked tone.

“Could this be some new kind of tactic?”

First show weakness to the enemy, then wait for an opportunity to counterattack?

No one dared believe the scene before their eyes. This was wrong. Impossible. Lu Qingyuan’s sword should not be this fierce, his killing intent should not be this heavy. He should not be like an asura incarnate at this moment. He should be… he should be a gentleman of the Sword Path, gentle and steady, leaving room in his attacks. The man was a gentleman, and his sword should be a gentleman as well.

And Bai Luozhou should not be at such a disadvantage either. He should be struggling, perhaps, but still firmly holding the upper hand, defeating Lu Qingyuan, and entering the final match to compete with Qin Chuan for first place.

Everything had been thrown into chaos.

The gentleman had become an asura.

Bai Luozhou was in danger!

…

Bai Luozhou’s situation was not good.

Everyone present could see that plainly. Qin Chuan and Lou Qianxue, standing at the entrance in front of the arena, were also staring fixedly at the two people locked in fierce combat on the stage ahead.

Lou Qianxue, whose face was cold as though he were the incarnation of ice and snow, fixed his gaze on Lu Qingyuan, who had abandoned the gentleman and become an asura, his sword gleaming with fierce killing intent. A thoughtful look appeared on his face.

This person was fiercer than he had imagined.

Perhaps the gentleman had only ever been a mask he used to deceive the world.

Before today, he had done it very well.

Young Master Lu, a gentleman as flawless as jade, was renowned throughout the entire cultivation world. No one doubted that he was anything other than a gentleman.

For him to have reached this point, it was not as simple as a disguise. Rather, it was…

Real.

If a person had even deceived himself, then the lie was no longer a lie. It was reality.

Then what reason had made Lu Qingyuan tear apart this gentlemanly mask that had deceived both himself and the world, revealing the truth beneath it?

Was it merely because of a wager?

No, it definitely was not that simple.

There was perhaps something here that everyone had overlooked…

Lou Qianxue stared at Lu Qingyuan, who seemed like an asura incarnate on the stage ahead, and thought to himself, What exactly is it?

Compared to who would win this arena duel, Lou Qianxue cared more about what had changed Lu Qingyuan.

What had made him become an asura.

As for Qin Chuan beside him, from the beginning to the end, his gaze had only ever been fixed on one person, chasing after one person.

That person was Bai Luozhou.

He looked forward to crossing swords with him, just as he had countless times in the past.

He hoped Bai Luozhou would win.

No. Not hoped. He believed it.

He believed Bai Luozhou would win.

Even now, when Bai Luozhou was at a disadvantage, and Lu Qingyuan had erupted with powerful strength unlike anything before, far beyond everyone’s expectations.

He still believed the one who would win would be Bai Luozhou.

Qin Chuan believed this without the slightest doubt. Bai Luozhou would win.

His gaze fixed on the handsome, cold-faced swordsman in white on the arena ahead, and he said in his heart, I will wait for you.

The opponent I have acknowledged has always been only one person.

It will not be anyone else. Only you!

And under Qin Chuan’s gaze, the situation on the arena changed again in an instant.

Bai Luozhou, who had been suppressed one-sidedly from the very beginning, suddenly split apart Lu Qingyuan’s offensive with a single strike. Then, holding his sword in one hand, he fixed an icy gaze on Lu Qingyuan ahead. With a movement of his foot, his figure vanished from where he stood.

He was so fast that the naked eye could not see him at all.

Only a streak of afterlight remained.

It dazzled everyone, blinding them for an instant.

When they opened their eyes and could once again see the situation on the arena clearly, the expressions on everyone’s faces abruptly turned stunned once more.

They saw that at some unknown moment—

Bai Luozhou had appeared in front of Lu Qingyuan. The sword in his hand had wounded Lu Qingyuan’s arm. Drip, drip…

Bright red, thick blood continued to fall to the ground.

The sword in Bai Luozhou’s hand was stained with starkly vivid blood. His gaze was icy, and there was not the slightest expression on his handsome face as he stared at Lu Qingyuan before him. His voice was cold, carrying no extra emotion, as he asked, “What changed you?”

Hearing this, Lu Qingyuan raised his head. That handsome, heroic face, once praised by the world as that of a jade-like gentleman, as clear wind and bright moon, was now filled with cold killing intent, ruthless as an asura that stole lives.

His arm had been pierced through by Bai Luozhou’s sword. Blood continued to fall from the wound, and soon a pool had gathered on the ground. Yet the expression on his face did not change in the slightest. He remained unmoved.

“What are you referring to?”

Lu Qingyuan looked at Bai Luozhou before him as he spoke.

Hearing his words, Bai Luozhou frowned and stared at him coldly.

“Nothing has changed.”

Lu Qingyuan said, “It never has.”

After saying this, he seemed to think of something. On that handsome face, cold and filled with killing intent, with not a trace of unnecessary expression, a faint smile appeared. He said, “Perhaps it is because someone has seen through to the truth. Falsehood has no place to hide in his eyes.”

“He is watching me.”

Lu Qingyuan suddenly said, “So I cannot deceive him.”

At these words—

Bai Luozhou stared coldly at him. After a long while, he said, “Madman!”

“I do not think it is madness.” Lu Qingyuan dismissed his words lightly. “This is merely human nature. A normal reaction, that is all.”

“If we are speaking of madmen, would that not be you?”

Lu Qingyuan looked at him and said, “Your fixation on Qin Chuan is so extreme that even bystanders find it mad and frightening.”

“Other than Qin Chuan, can your eyes still see anyone else?”

Lu Qingyuan’s tone carried a light mockery as he said, “You want to defeat me because you cannot tolerate anyone other than yourself becoming Qin Chuan’s opponent, can you?”

Both of them were within a storm of raging sword qi and sword intent. Their conversation was blocked by the dense, tightly wound storm of sword qi.

No one outside could hear it.

However, after Bai Luozhou heard his words, his expression changed drastically.

The killing intent in his eyes instantly condensed into heavy black clouds, storms raging without end.

The killing intent around him surged violently.

The hand holding his sword tightened abruptly, and he swung his sword up. It seemed to come from beyond the heavens, passing through layer after layer of the nine skies, surpassing the speed of lightning as it slashed toward Lu Qingyuan’s neck. “Since you know, then you should have the self-awareness to disappear.”

“Do not get in my way!”

Killing intent and sword qi fused together. In this moment—

The sword in Bai Luozhou’s hand carried killing intent so terrifying that even gods and buddhas would tremble.

Around that silver-white sword, a ferocious ancient beast coiled. It opened its bloody maw toward Lu Qingyuan ahead, revealing sharp fangs. That was a Tengshe!

It seemed as if it meant to swallow Lu Qingyuan’s entire head in one bite.

Crash—

An uproar instantly filled the whole venue.

“What is that!”

Everyone looked at this scene in shock. The ancient Tengshe that had manifested and taken form on Bai Luozhou’s sword was truly too frightening.

What terrifying sword intent!

What killing intent!

Even Sword Lord Nanming and Sword Master Longquan, seated in the chief judge’s seats, could not help but be moved when they saw this scene.

“It is sword intent taking form.”

Sword Lord Nanming stared at the arena ahead and said in a low voice, “I never thought Bai Luozhou had already reached this step.”

“What terrifying talent!”

Even Sword Lord Nanming had no choice but to be startled by Bai Luozhou’s talent. While other sword cultivators were still struggling at the stage of comprehending the sword, he had not only comprehended sword intent, but had even condensed it until it could take form.

Sword intent taking form belonged to a deeper and higher advancement of sword intent.

What form it could take was related to the sword cultivator’s own temperament and talent. For Bai Luozhou to be able to make his sword intent take the form of an ancient Tengshe meant he possessed an extremely top-tier talent.

In that instant.

Sword Lord Nanming felt that Lu Qingyuan was going to lose. Even if Lu Qingyuan’s performance today had been stunning enough, astonishing everyone.

Compared to Bai Luozhou, he was still a step inferior.

Who could withstand Bai Luozhou, whose sword intent had taken form?

Perhaps Qin Chuan could.

Sword Lord Nanming was not the only one with such thoughts. Everyone present who saw Bai Luozhou’s sword intent taking form thought the same.

Bai Luozhou had this in the bag.

If he did not win this, there was no logic in it.

“Wow!”

Below the arena, Gu Chun, who was seated beside Lin Yuchu, saw the scene of Bai Luozhou’s sword intent taking form. His eyes immediately widened, and he said excitedly, “This move is amazing!”

“So cool!”

He could not help praising it. After he finished, he immediately changed to a worried tone and said, “Is Lu Qingyuan going to lose? If he loses, what happens to our spiritual stones!”

Hearing his words, Lin Yuchu, whose expression had remained unchanged from beginning to end, looked toward the arena and said calmly in an indifferent tone, “It seems everyone has forgotten one thing.”

“What?”

“The reason Bai Luozhou was able to break through and make his sword intent take form is because he was pushed to the extreme,” Lin Yuchu said. “Do you see Qin Chuan’s sword intent taking form?”

“…Do not let Senior Lou Qianxue hear you say that,” Gu Chun said with utmost sincerity.

Lou Qianxue would beat you to death!

And just as Lin Yuchu finished speaking, on the arena—

“This will not do.”

Lu Qingyuan looked at the sinister ancient Tengshe roaring at him from before him. On his handsome, cold face, which held not the slightest expression, there was no change in color at all. His voice was cold and deep as he said, “I also promised him that I would not lose.”

“Not only you. Qin Chuan as well. All of you can only be defeated!”

As Lu Qingyuan gave a cold shout, the sword he swung sent cold white sword intent transforming into a storm that swept out in a surging torrent.

Within the endless storm was a giant eagle.

A massive, sacred giant eagle, covering the entire sky above the arena, dove down and clashed in a roaring confrontation with the fierce and savage ancient Tengshe.

Boom—

A tremendous sound rang out.

The storm swept across the entire arena.

Everyone was caught in the aftermath, thrown into disarray by the impact.

And when they came back to themselves and opened their eyes to look toward the arena—

They saw—

The storm had scattered.

The giant eagle spread its wings, covering the whole sky above the arena, and in its beak, it held the Tengshe’s head.

“I lost.”

Bai Luozhou’s sword hand dropped. On his handsome face, there was not the slightest expression, cold as a sculpture. His voice was also cold enough to startle the heart as he said in a low voice.

And before him.

Lu Qingyuan put away his sword.

The killing intent around him dispersed. A smile returned to his face. He was still as handsome and warm as before, a gentleman like clear wind and bright moon.

He looked at Bai Luozhou ahead, the corner of his lips holding a smile, modest and refined, and said, “Thank you for yielding.”

At the sound of his voice.

Bai Luozhou raised his head and looked at him deeply.

Then he said, “You truly are a madman.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Lu Qingyuan said with a smile.

Bai Luozhou looked at him, then turned and descended from the arena.

At the arena exit.

Qin Chuan stood there. On his handsome, imposing face, there was not the slightest expression, only cold heaviness. His gaze remained fixed on Bai Luozhou as he walked toward him.

Only when Bai Luozhou approached did a smile appear on his face. All of that cold, heavy emotion was hidden beneath the smile. “I told you earlier to sweeten your mouth a little and say a few more lines.”

Hearing this.

Bai Luozhou lifted his eyes and looked at him.

Looking at the steady, reassuring smile on the handsome man’s face before him, the heavy emotion in Bai Luozhou’s heart immediately loosened.

His entire person relaxed quite a bit.

But on the surface, he still gave a cold laugh, looked at him, and said coldly, “Then hurry up and sweeten your mouth. Say a few lines. I’m listening.”

“…You’re truly beautiful.”

Qin Chuan looked at him, his face full of sincere earnestness. His mouth was as sweet as if it had been smeared with honey as he said sweetly, “As pretty as a jasmine flower.”

“…” Bai Luozhou.

Nobody stop me. I’m going to beat him to death!

“You should just go die! Nothing good ever comes out of that dog mouth of yours!”

Bai Luozhou said, furious and exasperated.

Hearing this, Qin Chuan laughed loudly. “Just a joke, just a joke!”

In his heart, however, he let out a breath of relief as he watched Bai Luozhou become lively again because of his anger, full of energy and adorably spirited.

Up arrow: Adorably spirited, huh…

That filter really is thick enough to pierce the heavens.

Sword Cultivator Qin was truly the straightest of straight men.

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