Chapter 86: Borrowing the Blade!
This woman was like a brilliantly blooming Manjusaka flower—radiant and resplendent, yet never withering. If one were to describe her in simple terms, she was tall, slender, and possessed an icy beauty. She was the Ninth Lady, whose presence had previously been felt only in voice, not in person.
The Ninth Lady had left a striking impression in Sui Yi’s eyes, but little did she know that Sui Yi herself was just as captivating in the Ninth Lady’s gaze. Words could hardly capture it; the best one could say was that the Ninth Lady was reminded of a flawless piece of jade she’d seen in childhood—a piece of snow-white mutton-fat jade, sealed in an ice box, emitting a chill so pure and sharp that it seemed if one touched it, it would melt into a spring of creamy jade, enticing the hand yet freezing to the core.
The Ninth Lady, lost in thought, only returned to herself when Fengsha coughed. With a peculiar feeling in her heart, her gaze toward Sui Yi turned cold. Sui Yi assumed this hostility stemmed from her recent refusal of Fengsha’s proposal. She hadn’t expected the Ninth Lady—so elegant and distinguished—to be interested, even deeply interested, in something as grim as an ancient tomb.
The Ninth Lady’s animosity toward Sui Yi served only to confirm the rumors that she wanted to challenge her. The people in the martial hall exchanged glances; after all, Sui Yi was the new girl—surely they wouldn’t just let her be beaten up? That would be too much.
Old Shi coughed, about to speak, but Sui Yi interjected, “Shall we fight now?”
Was she offering herself up for a beating? The senior disciples in the hall opened their mouths to object, but then saw Fengsha smiling—a strange smile.
These people knew each other! Old Shi’s sharp eyes took it in and decided to remain an observer. “Then let this young lady—what’s your name?”
“Sui Yi.”
“Then let Sui Yi spar with the Ninth Lady. Keep it within your abilities, stop at a point, Ninth Lady, what do you think?”
The Ninth Lady smiled, “As you wish.”
It almost sounded as if she were calling Sui Yi by name.
Sui Yi stepped forward, standing to one side of the courtyard. The Ninth Lady flexed her wrist lightly, her brows lifting a fraction. “Do you need a weapon?” She didn’t wait for Sui Yi’s answer, but smiled again, “It seems you don’t.”
Sui Yi glanced at her. “Let’s see if the Ninth Lady uses one.”
A soft laugh.
The Ninth Lady’s face bore a faint smile as the two faced off. Unlike the previous duel with Fengsha, now the air around them was still—wind calm, osmanthus petals drifting gently, as if they were ordinary people. The disciples found it odd; Old Shi quietly drew a breath, silently praising, Such composure!
Sui Yi...
The tree longs to be still, yet the wind does not cease; as the wind settled, the tree grew wild. Amid the sudden rustle of leaves, Sui Yi and the Ninth Lady struck at the same time.
Legs!
Like whips, their legs lashed out—crossing, striking, snapping. Crack! Two slender legs collided in midair, dust swirling in a circular arc from the impact.
One breath, seven or eight kicks exchanged—a flurry of leg techniques. Though less cutting than swordplay, legwork had its own deadliness. The basics were bounce kick, side kick, thrust kick, swing kick, back kick, hook kick—six attacks, requiring speed and concentrated force. Like a whip’s crack, when the tip cut the air, it made a sharp report; so too with these kicks.
Many in the hall had trained in legwork, nearly everyone present was familiar, yet now their jaws hung open as Sui Yi and the Ninth Lady’s moves merged into a seamless chain of attacks. To their eyes, neither body paused for a moment, both locked in a blur of rapid assault and evasion.
So fast, so ruthless, so precise!
The only sounds were the sharp cracks of legs striking and the hissing of held breaths. Osmanthus petals hovered high, caught in the chaotic winds stirred by their kicks, refusing to fall.
With a sudden snap, the Ninth Lady curled her lips mid-attack. “Not bad... let’s try using inner force.”
Fengsha knew then: the Ninth Lady was getting serious—because she was intrigued.
Inner force? Sui Yi has inner force as well!
Most were astonished, but before they could react, they saw the Ninth Lady’s leg sweep by like a blade, a green aura trailing in its wake.
In an instant, her speed increased four or five times—they could no longer follow the exchange...
Bang!
Leg met leg once more.
Inner force clashing with inner force!
The green energy reverberated—one strong, one weak...
Crash!
Sui Yi was sent flying, flipping through the air before landing lightly on a protruding osmanthus branch. The branch trembled, sending a shower of fragrant petals to the ground.
“Well done!” the tall youth applauded instantly—for the Ninth Lady.
The martial hall’s disciples paled.
Her inner force was not enough!
“Sui Yi’s inner force is already formidable—far stronger than A and the others, yet still not a match for the Ninth Lady.”
“Incredible!”
“Truly impressive!”
Both Sui Yi and the Ninth Lady deserved that word—formidable.
Sui Yi reached up and grasped the branch above, flipping nimbly to evade the Ninth Lady’s sweeping kick. Suspended in the air, Sui Yi finally understood the gap between herself and the Ninth Lady, as well as the difference with Fengsha and A.
Taking A’s one year of cultivated inner force as the baseline, Fengsha had a bit more—Sui Yi’s current inner force was about seven times A’s, or seven years of effort. Yet—the Ninth Lady possessed twice that!
More than ten years’ worth!
The gap was enormous; no wonder she had been sent flying at the first exchange.
A’s heart pounded with anxiety, tempted to intervene. The difference in inner force nearly ensured Sui Yi’s defeat—everyone had expected this, so few felt disappointed.
But...
Sui Yi was not one to concede defeat, nor was she easily dealt with. Under the Ninth Lady’s fierce assault, her reaction grew swifter, not slower. Her attacks grew smoother and more precise, so that to onlookers it seemed the Ninth Lady was using her strength to suppress Sui Yi, guiding her through the fight; in truth, Sui Yi was improving with every move.
Even Old Shi’s eyes shone with astonishment. He watched, transfixed, as the two vied.
The Ninth Lady’s brow furrowed—this Sui Yi was much harder to handle than expected, far more talented than she’d imagined. If so...
She must defeat her! Only then could she force Sui Yi to yield and join her in exploring the ancient tomb.
With a step, the Ninth Lady’s hand finally struck—a knife-hand! Even swifter and more terrifying than A’s Tang sword, it slashed toward Sui Yi’s neck.
“A-Yi!” A dashed forward—but couldn’t keep up. So he flung his hand, sending his Tang sword spinning through the air, blade whistling toward the Ninth Lady.
A breach of the rules—shameless, but to A, what did it matter? He’d never cared for propriety; he only cared about his goal—to save her!
“Bastard!” the tall youth’s killing intent erupted, lunging at A.
Fengsha flicked his hand—
A sword flashed out!
Sword struck blade, blade met the knife-hand!
Who was faster?
Faster still were Sui Yi and the Ninth Lady. Both stepped back in unison, the knife-hand turning to a palm, catching the thrusting sword.
Palm met blade—sharp and unyielding, just like her!
Sui Yi caught the spinning Tang sword just as it nearly sliced her hand, but both women seized the flying weapons as easily as reaching into a sack.
Clang!
Inner force surged through the blades as they met again—resonating!
A gust of wind swept through the hall, sparks flying as the blades collided.
Sparks flashed, reflected in two pairs of eyes—one cold, one fiery.
It was the same inner force, the same two people—what would be different in the next exchange? Only now, they each held a weapon.
Now it was blade against sword.
Swordplay? Fengsha and the others were fully confident in their mistress’s mastery of both sword and blade arts—she was so learned that even Old Shi might not match her. How could Sui Yi, with no systematic instruction, possibly compete?
But Sui Yi—
The blade and sword clashed, and at once, swordsmanship and bladework burst forth.
In a flash, sword and blade danced—a storm of flashing steel.
“What?!”
“That’s—”
“My god!”
The sword was the Azure Edge, its technique ruthlessly precise, each thrust aimed at a vital point. As for the blade—
“That’s A’s style from earlier!”
“The Zhenguan Blade Technique!”
“How is that possible? She just arrived today... could it be the master...”
“Or did she learn it before? Has our school’s blade technique been leaked?”
Old Shi felt himself implicated—this was truly his first time meeting this girl, he’d never taught her before.
Could it have been A?
A felt the same—damn it, he’d only ever given her a kitchen knife!
Even Fengsha and his group were shocked—she could wield the Zhenguan Blade Technique?
No matter how the crowd marveled, Sui Yi’s movements with the Tang sword were precise, replicating the Zhenguan Blade Technique A had shown earlier—and even surpassing it!
Each exchange more dazzling than the last.
“How interesting...” The Ninth Lady narrowed her eyes, each sword stroke imbued with inner force.
She was far stronger than Fengsha, just as Sui Yi surpassed A; the result—a duel more brilliant by tenfold, blade against sword!
Fierce, unimaginably fierce, the ground scored with jagged, fearsome marks from blade and sword. Each collision could have taken a head.
This was a battle between true warriors, stirring the blood and holding every gaze captive, stealing every breath.
Until—
Sui Yi’s bladework halted abruptly at the second form, “Heaven-Supporting Pillar,” then the blade spun—was it the third form?
No—it was a thrust.
Just like Fengsha’s earlier sword attack!
Fengsha was stunned, the Ninth Lady too—“Oh?”
Before anyone could react, Sui Yi’s Tang sword shifted, flowing with the very technique the Ninth Lady had just displayed!
What—had she copied it?
Copied it perfectly?
Surely the Ninth Lady hadn’t taught Sui Yi her sword style, nor had it been leaked—what were the odds?
Besides, these techniques couldn’t simply be learned from a manual; they required special training and cultivation...
So—
She had mastered it—just now, in the midst of the fight? (To be continued.)