Chapter 429: The Yao Family’s Plan and the Little Hidden Dragon

Chapter 429 -227: The Yao Family’s Plan and the Little Hidden Dragon

The sword strike was incomparably swift and its angle cunning. Meng Fang’s heart seized, and he hastily raised both his sabers to block it.

DING! A tremor ran through both of them, and Meng Fang stumbled back a step.

The crowd below was stunned. This wasn’t what they had imagined at all.

‘Is this valiant-looking man with the dual sabers just an empty shell? He was forced back by a single sword strike from such a delicate woman!’

Meng Fang looked as if he were facing a formidable foe. Only he knew just how brilliant and powerful Lin Zhen’s strike had been. Not only had it landed perfectly on his opening, forcing him onto the defensive, but the crescent-like way she channeled her strength had maximized her Blood Qi, producing an impressive amount of force!

‘What kind of Swordsmanship is this?’

Ignoring what anyone else thought, Lin Zhen pressed her advantage relentlessly, hacking at Meng Fang with one strike after another. Sometimes she would glide as if drifting on clouds, attacking from the side with cunning angles. Other times she would spin, her skirt flaring, unleashing a crescent slash of immense power.

Contrary to what anyone imagined, Lin Zhen had become a direct disciple of the Grandmaster Luo Shuang. In just a few short months, she had made immense progress in both her sword techniques and her cultivation. Her Yao Yue Swordsmanship was incredibly sharp, completely at odds with her gentle and delicate appearance.

Luo Shuang had sent her to this event partly to gain experience, but also because she felt her talented disciple ought to show others a thing or two.

The crowd below watched, mesmerized by Lin Zhen’s graceful Swordsmanship. Even the spectators on the upper floors were surprised, and Xie Yuan nodded again and again.

“Miss Lin has really come into her own.”

He sighed emotionally. He remembered that pretty, helpless figure in the mourning hall and compared her to the Swordsman now dazzling the crowd at this tournament. It felt as though a lifetime had passed—even though it had only been a year or two.

‘Seeing how much Lin Zhen has changed,’ he thought, ‘I feel like I’ve done at least one thing right.’

‘Though I no longer use that Treasure Saber, I still keep it safe. If Landlord Lin could see his daughter now from the great beyond, he would surely be gratified.’

Before Lin Zhen, Meng Fang could do nothing but defend. But the Swordsmanship of Yao Yue Peak hid killing intent within its grace, and its unpredictable moves were impossible to fully parry. A moment later, he was defeated.

Thunderous applause, and even a few whistles, erupted from the crowd—perhaps the most united they had been all day.

“The Cloud Mountain Sword Sect is truly incredible!”

“No wonder they’ve been making such a name for themselves. Maybe it’s time to update the old rhymes…”

Having won the exhilarating match, Lin Zhen’s pretty face was flushed red and her chest heaved. She bowed to the audience, then returned to the upper floor.

Xie Yuan and the others greeted her with smiles, either clapping or giving her a thumbs-up. Ning Zi went a step further, pulling her into an embrace and affectionately pinching her cheeks. The scene made both Lin Zhen and the men nearby blush.

Huang Zifeng watched Lin Zhen with a look of admiration and complex emotion. But it was his turn to fight, so he took a deep breath and rose to his feet.

“I’m going.”

“Junior Brother Huang, relax. With your skills, you’ll find few worthy opponents here.”

Qin Zhenyang encouraged him warmly.

Huang Zifeng nodded and was about to turn and head downstairs.

“Good luck, Senior Brother Huang.”

Lin Zhen’s voice called out.

He shuddered slightly and gave a small nod, not turning back.

“Don’t worry. I won’t lose.”

Xie Yuan felt as if Huang Zifeng had suddenly ascended to a new level. He descended the stairs and stepped onto the stage with an explosive aura. ‘His opponent is in for a world of hurt,’ Xie Yuan thought to himself.

And just as he’d expected, before Xie Yuan could even catch the opponent’s name, Huang Zifeng brandished his Bamboo Sword, unleashing a sky full of green light that forced the man to the very edge of the large stage. Then, he abruptly stopped.

Everyone was confused, but then they saw Huang Zifeng toss the Bamboo Sword high into the air. He suddenly pointed, and the Bamboo Sword shot toward his opponent as if it had eyes of its own.

“Flying Sword Skill!”

The crowd erupted, and even from the fourth and fifth floors, faint gasps of shock could be heard.

‘The Flying Sword Skill of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect’s Bamboo Sword Peak… demonstrated by a disciple in the Qi Blood First Transformation Realm?’

Everyone felt they had witnessed a true spectacle. Everyone except for Huang Zifeng’s opponent, that is. Watching in despair as the incomparably sharp Bamboo Sword rushed toward him, he simply jumped off the stage.

With a flick of his wrist, Huang Zifeng made the flying sword turn in mid-air and return to the scabbard on his back. The move was so impossibly cool and elegant that it was met with a roar of cheers.

“The Cloud Mountain Sword Sect is amazing!”

“A Sword Immortal! That’s an Immortal Sect of them!”

“So handsome! Hey, young master, are you married?”

Xie Yuan clapped silently as well. ‘Can’t deny his showmanship,’ he thought.

He did, however, sneak a glance at Lin Zhen. Although she was smiling, her eyes were calm, and she was nowhere near as excited as the young women in the crowd.

The uproar continued. The back-to-back performances by two Sword Sect disciples had the audience buzzing. The hall was filled with such praise that Xie Yuan almost couldn’t help but straighten his back with pride. In that moment, he once again felt like a member of the Sword Sect, sharing in its glory.

But just as quickly, the discussions in the venue died down.

The host’s disciple was taking the stage.

Yao Tianchuan stood on the stage. Across from him was a disciple from Qu Ning Academy, the largest Sect in Qi Province.

Qu Ning Academy was a Confucian cultivation Sect. Its members were all proficient in both literature and combat. They were mostly towering, imposing men who loved to travel the world and “reason” with people—and if words failed, they would resort to fists. They also traveled in groups, making them difficult for the average person to cross.

This Sect was extremely powerful; its Sect Leader was a Flying Dragon List Master, so the disciple sent here would naturally be no slouch.

Yao Tianchuan’s expression was cold and severe. After exchanging formal bows with the righteous-looking, muscle-bound scholar across from him, he simply lowered his sword, its tip pointing diagonally at the floor, and fell silent.

“Begin—”

The referee’s voice had barely faded when a flash of lightning streaked across the stage. In an instant, Yao Tianchuan appeared behind the scholar, his posture unchanged, the tip of his sword still pointing diagonally toward the ground.

A moment passed, and neither of them moved. Just as the audience was wondering what had happened, the scholar suddenly clutched his stomach and slowly collapsed.

“Yao Tianchuan is the victor!”

Seeing the scholar collapse into a pool of his own blood, the crowd fell silent for a moment before erupting into an uproar.

‘Victory in a single strike?’

‘So fast!’

‘His opponent didn’t even have time to react—the audience didn’t even have time to react!’

‘But that was a disciple from Qu Ning Academy! They’re on par with the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect! How could he be so easily defeated?’

Just moments ago, they had been stunned by the performance of the two Cloud Mountain Sword Sect disciples, thinking them strong contenders for the top spot among the First Transformation Realm participants.

But after witnessing Yao Tianchuan’s utterly indefensible strike, the audience began to have doubts.

‘What First Transformation Realm disciple could possibly block a strike like that?’

On the upper floor, Xie Yuan frowned slightly.

‘Not only has Yao Tianchuan picked up the sword again, but it seems he’s had some sort of breakthrough.’

‘He was already very strong, not far from the Second Transformation Realm. Now, he’s likely taken another step forward, just shy of breaking through completely.’

‘There’s no reason to suppress his power at this point. So why hasn’t he broken through?’

Xie Yuan recalled the words he had overheard that night at the Yao Mansion. As his expression darkened, he saw Yao Tianchuan look up in their direction, his gaze falling upon Lin Zhen and Huang Zifeng.

The audience had been fixated on Yao Tianchuan, and as he looked up, they all followed his gaze, their eyes landing on the Sword Sect members on the third floor.

The riverbank fell silent. The only sound was the ceaseless rush of the Great River.