Chapter 83: A Battle of Words and Wits

Page 1 of 3 (First update)

Returning to the high platform of the Immovable Peak with Linghu Jinjiu, Yang Xiaoman was greeted by numerous cold snorts, especially from the female cultivators of Caiyun Peak. After all, her opponent today was Qin Hongluo of Caiyun Peak!

Her earlier words had been a clear declaration of victory over Qin Hongluo. Though both were women, their competitive spirits on the path of cultivation were no less fierce than any man's.

Qin Hongluo appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six, dressed in plain black. She was by no means a classic beauty, her skin even tinged with darkness, but her tall, straight figure and sharp, captivating eyes endowed her with a unique allure—like a pantheress poised to strike.

Her strikingly clear black-and-white eyes left the deepest impression.

She was famed for her unyielding character, her endurance for pain, and her perseverance in arduous seclusion far exceeded most male cultivators. Her current achievements were certainly not won by mere luck.

At Yang Xiaoman's words, a flash of coldness crossed Qin Hongluo’s face as she fixed her with a deep, calculating look.

However, it was not yet their turn to duel.

…

Taking advantage of a moment’s rest, Yang Xiaoman tended to Linghu Jinjiu’s injuries.

In no time, Linghu Jinjiu regained consciousness. Without needing to ask, the result was clear; facing Yang Xiaoman, he wore an expression of shame.

"Xiaoman, I’ll leave it to you," Linghu Jinjiu said.

"Alright," Yang Xiaoman replied lightly, her voice floating as if unburdened by any pressure.

Linghu Jinjiu gazed at her for a few moments before nodding slightly, once again sensing the unfathomable depths of his young junior sister.

Could Long Jinyi’s high praise for Yang Xiaoman back then have been anything but true?

The answer would soon be revealed.

…

Once more, battle flared upon the plaza.

This round was no less fierce than Linghu Jinjiu’s. To advance further, almost every cultivator was laying all their cards on the table.

The details and outcomes need not be recounted further.

After more than an hour, it was finally time for Yang Xiaoman and Qin Hongluo to take the stage.

Yang Xiaoman wore a bright, carefree smile; Qin Hongluo’s face was cold and stern.

"Senior Sister Qin, forgive me," Yang Xiaoman said, flashing two rows of pearly teeth in a blossom-like smile.

"Junior Sister, your slow and languid swordplay is indeed impressive, but if you think to use it against me, you may as well forget it," Qin Hongluo replied frostily. "Today, I shall use our Caiyun Peak’s Dragon Maiden’s Melodic Sword Technique. I need not even approach you to strike!"

Having entered the ring, neither seemed in a hurry to begin, as though they might win through words alone, coaxing the other to surrender.

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Qin Hongluo’s words found agreement among many cultivators present. The subtlety of this Dragon Maiden’s Melodic Sword Technique, like Linghu Jinjiu’s two artifacts, lay in its use of sound to subdue foes. No matter how unorthodox Yang Xiaoman’s attacks, she could not slow or deflect a sonic assault.

Lei Yinzi, newly inducted into Taixu Peak, even looked inspired, as if an insight had dawned upon him.

Yang Xiaoman, however, only smiled faintly and swiftly replied, "I recall our sect has a technique called the Echoing Triple Sword, specifically designed to reflect sonic attacks. I happened to learn it. If Senior Sister intends to use the Dragon Maiden’s Melodic Sword, then I will meet it with the Echoing Triple Sword."

At this, Qin Hongluo scoffed arrogantly, "The Echoing Triple Sword is inferior to my Dragon Maiden’s Melodic Sword. It cannot possibly reflect it. Even if it’s a contest of spiritual power, you are no match for me, Junior Sister—you’ve already lost!"

Hearing this, Ning Jiuyi stroked his beard in agreement; many cultivators nodded along as well.

Linghu Jinjiu kept his gaze on Yang Xiaoman.

Yang Xiaoman showed not a trace of discouragement. Her smile only deepened, blooming like a flower as she replied, "The ordinary Echoing Triple Sword may not suffice, but if empowered by a certain force, its strength magnifies many times, and then it can."

Everyone was baffled—what was this force she spoke of?

A moment later, Yang Xiaoman gave her answer. A golden radiance burst forth from within her, a clear golden skeletal figure taking shape inside her body, the light emanating from within.

"Her sword path has entered the bone!"

"She has achieved Sword in the Bone as well?"

The cultivators erupted in shock. Qin Hongluo was dumbfounded, while Ning Jiuyi’s face darkened at once.

Even Gu Xijin revealed a look of surprise.

Among the younger generation of the Peach Blossom Sword Sect, aside from the elders, Gu Xijin and Long Jinyi had been the earliest to attain Sword in the Bone, both during the mid-stage of the Dust Realm. Next were Ji Nujiao and Feng Jianmei, who achieved it in the late Dust Realm, followed by Yue Yu and Fang Henqiu in the early Dao Embryo stage.

Gu Xijin’s most valued junior, Duan Qingkuang, was expected to attain this realization in the late Dust Realm as well.

But who would have thought that the fourth disciple of Immovable Peak had already achieved Sword in the Bone? As for whether Yang Xiaoman accomplished it in the mid or late Dust Realm, only she herself knew.

"I misjudged her… What remarkable insight! No wonder you, Long Jinyi, personally brought her into Immovable Peak. You must have seen her potential long ago. In terms of vision, I still fall short," Gu Xijin thought, gazing intently at Yang Xiaoman.

Duan Qingkuang, too, was studying Yang Xiaoman, his expression complex. He had always believed that after Long Jinyi and Gu Xijin, it would be his era. Who could have expected that someone so unremarkable would suddenly shine—a woman, no less!

"She must have realized it in the late Dust Realm… I can do it too. I will not be outdone—I'll achieve it sooner than her!" Duan Qingkuang now murmured inwardly, his earlier disdain for Yang Xiaoman shattered.

Linghu Jinjiu’s look was even more complicated, mingling surprise, delight, and a deep sense of loss.

Outer disciples…

Inner disciples…

The elders…

The three sects’ cultivators…

But the ones whose faces were the darkest were Ning Jiuyi and his disciples; the moment they recognized Sword in the Bone, their hearts dropped.

It’s over!

It’s over!

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Could any cultivator at the Dust Realm stand against Yang Xiaoman, who had attained Sword in the Bone? Unless her opponent, Qin Hongluo, had reached the same height.

This thought struck not only Ning Jiuyi and his followers, but nearly everyone else. After their shock, all eyes turned in unison to Qin Hongluo.

The valley fell instantly silent; one could hear a pin drop.

Qin Hongluo’s expression was equally complex, her shock giving way to resignation. When that look of defeat appeared, everyone knew the outcome.

Ning Jiuyi’s heart plummeted.

"Junior Sister, you are truly skilled. With the power of Sword in the Bone, your Echoing Triple Sword can indeed break my Dragon Maiden’s Melodic Sword," Qin Hongluo said at last, with a trace of helplessness and unwillingness.

Yang Xiaoman, ever the lively spirit, seemed to savor the sensation of astonishing everyone, her grin nearly splitting her face. She beamed and said with a giggle, "Senior Sister, if you have any other treasures or techniques, do bring them out and see if I can overcome them."

Yet she knew her limits and did not go too far.

Qin Hongluo surely had more moves, and she pondered in silence.

Ning Jiuyi’s heart, which had just sunk, now hung in suspense once more.

…

"Come back, Hongluo. You’ve lost. With so much time to think, Xiaoman could have killed you several times over already!"

After several dozen breaths had passed and Qin Hongluo had yet to respond, her master, the "Snow Sword Immortal," Master Piaoxue, called out decisively from the high platform.

Her temperament was very similar to her chief disciple Feng Jianmei—icy cold. She appeared a woman in her early thirties, wearing Daoist robes, a jade hairpin in her hair, her gaze clear and frosty.

At first, Piaoxue’s words surprised many, but soon they seemed only reasonable.

"But the fight hasn’t even started—how can she concede like this?" Ning Jiuyi protested, losing his composure.

"When has it ever been your place to interfere with my disciple’s decision to concede?" Piaoxue’s eyes shot over like arrows.

Ning Jiuyi choked, unable to retort, his face flushing and paling by turns, his eyes dark as thunderclouds.

"Junior Sister, you are truly skilled. I concede. Congratulations on securing Immovable Peak," Qin Hongluo declared graciously.

"We did it!" Yang Xiaoman, victorious without even drawing her sword, leaped up in delight, sending Linghu Jinjiu a playful, gleeful look that was both charming and adorable, instantly winning a wave of goodwill.

With her and Fan Lanzhou’s advancement, the requirement for two semifinalists had been met. As for the results of the following matches, they now mattered much less.