8. The Clash

This movement—a graceful flick and sway—was incredibly elegant. It was like parting flowers and brushing through willow branches; amidst the fluid, ethereal motion, there was no lack of speed, and the swordplay flowed with natural ease.

The disciples below could not help but cheer, and the Sword Masters and Sword Lords of the various peaks could not help but brighten with interest.

Xie Xiaofeng had not channeled a single shred of spiritual energy while wielding his blade. It was only after watching him exchange several blows with the disciple surnamed Wu that the spectators dared to confirm this was intentional.

Judging by his actions, he intended to win relying solely on his swordsmanship, without borrowing even a sliver of spiritual energy.

A hubbub erupted in the arena. Many disciples whispered and gestured, all looking up toward the direction of Dengyang Peak.

Shen Yihan, sensing the many gazes, could not help but ask, "Why are they looking at you?"

Yun Ran paused before saying, "Before I had formed my Golden Core, I also never used spiritual energy when participating in the sect’s grand tournament."

Shen Yihan was stunned, then suddenly realized—

This demon lord was truly going to great lengths. By imitating the past actions of a close friend, if he could win brilliantly, he would naturally capture Yun Ran's attention. Once that was achieved, requesting to be taken as an apprentice would follow as a matter of course. In that dream, this must have been how Xie Xiaofeng won Yun Ran over.

After only a short while, Xie Xiaofeng had already exchanged dozens of blows with the disciple surnamed Wu on the sword-performance platform below.

The disciple surnamed Wu had reached the early stage of Foundation Establishment, yet when facing Xie Xiaofeng—a Qi Refining disciple who had sealed his own spiritual energy—he repeatedly revealed openings. Throughout the match, Xie Xiaofeng wore a faint smile, appearing completely composed, as if he were the one in control.

Xie Xiaofeng toyed with him like a cat playing with a frantic mouse. He clearly had energy to spare, yet he refused to win immediately, teasing the disciple for dozens of moves.

Only when the disciple surnamed Wu finally exhausted his spiritual energy and could no longer continue did Xie Xiaofeng lunge with his sword, fast and precise, leaving a shallow scratch on the disciple's cheek before flipping his blade and resting it against the man's neck.

"Oops," Xie Xiaofeng said, feigning guilt. "I couldn't pull back in time and injured you, Senior Brother. Please do not take offense."

The disciple surnamed Wu looked terrible. Knowing he had been defeated in such a humiliating fashion, and hearing the cheers from the crowd for his opponent, he felt stifled but could not lash out, so he merely let out a cold snort.

Xie Xiaofeng lowered his sword and bowed, smiling, "Senior Brother, you were too kind."

Seeing this, Shen Yihan was not surprised. Even if Xie Xiaofeng only had the cultivation of the Qi Refining stage now, he had once been a powerful entity at the Tribulation stage. It was rumored that the former Demon Lord Feng Xie was quite accomplished in the way of the sword. Dealing with a Foundation Establishment disciple without using spiritual energy was naturally no challenge for him.

He only worried that Yun Ran, just like in the dream, would take a liking to Xie Xiaofeng and agree to take him as an apprentice.

Shen Yihan turned to look at Yun Ran and saw, as expected, that his friend’s expression was somber as he watched Xie Xiaofeng on the platform.

"Ah-Ran... have you taken a liking to him?" Shen Yihan asked. "I saw that he could have clearly won much earlier, yet he deliberately toyed with his opponent and even wounded his face in the end. Such actions were entirely unnecessary, yet he did them intentionally. He does not seem like a person of open and upright character. Although his aptitude is good, I fear he is not a suitable disciple."

Yun Ran turned his eyes toward him. "The swordsmanship he used... for some reason, I find it familiar."

Shen Yihan was stunned.

Familiar...?

How could Yun Ran find the swordsmanship of a demon lord like Xie Xiaofeng familiar?

However, upon second thought, if Xie Xiaofeng dared to use this style under the eyes of the Kunwu Sword Sect's leaders, perhaps it was not truly demonic swordsmanship at all. It was possible he had adopted a style from an orthodox sect to act as a cover. His friend was a sword fanatic; over the past thousand years, his exposure to the way of the sword had been vast beyond imagination. It was entirely possible he found it familiar.

Thinking this, Shen Yihan offered some guidance to Yun Ran, adding, "Perhaps it is a sword style you learned in the past and have since forgotten."

Yun Ran shook his head. "No. If I had learned it, I could never forget it. This sword style of his... I have never seen it before."

Shen Yihan replied, "All swordsmanship shares a common source. Even if you haven't seen it, it may share commonalities with other styles you have studied. It is not strange to feel a sense of familiarity. When I learn new melodies, I often feel they seem familiar as well."

He continued, "By the way, you still haven't answered my question. You haven't taken a liking to him, have you?"

Yun Ran’s gaze shifted. "...Why? You seem very opposed to me taking him as an apprentice."

Caught by his friend’s piercing, tranquil gaze, Shen Yihan felt a sudden pang of guilt. He picked up his teacup, coughed lightly, and took a sip to mask his reaction.

"...How could that be? You said you intended to take an apprentice, and I only hoped you would find a good child like Zi Xu. This person lacks good character, so he is naturally unworthy of learning your sword."

The more he spoke, the more righteous he felt, even shooting a glare at him.

"What is it? I am kindly looking out for you, Sword Lord Yun. Do you think I am meddling, or do you find something amiss?"

"Naturally, nothing is amiss. Thank you for your kind intentions, Sect Master Shen."

Sect Master Shen received the thanks but did not accept the sentiment, merely turning his head away with a huff, missing the fleeting, faint smile in his friend's eyes.

"After the tournament ends today, come back to Dengyang Peak with me."

"Why?"

"I have something to give you."

"What is it?"

"You will know once we get there."

Shen Yihan was just thinking that this was strange—that Yun Ran had learned to be mysterious with him—when a sudden burst of cheers erupted from the sword-performance platform below, echoing throughout the entire Sword Performance Peak. The disciples of the Miaoyin Sect behind him, who had been growing drowsy over the past two days, also began to cheer.

He looked over and realized that the final match had concluded while he was speaking with Yun Ran.

The champion of this year’s Kunwu Sword Sect grand tournament was a youth of fourteen or fifteen, who had only reached the Qi Refining stage.

Moreover, in the final three matches, this youth had not used spiritual energy from start to finish, yet he fought brilliantly. Winning against the strong while being weak, it was a truly exhilarating performance that left the watching disciples mesmerized.

The decennial tournament’s rewards for the victor were naturally generous, especially since the winner was such a young Qi Refining disciple. He was truly a hero among youth. The Foundation Establishment Pill went without saying, along with many other rare treasures. Furthermore, he could choose an authentic spirit sword from the depths of the Kunwu Sword Gorge without needing to trade spirit stones.

But to everyone's surprise—though not to Shen Yihan's—the youth said:

"This disciple wishes to forgo all rewards and only asks to be taken under the tutelage of Sword Lord Yun of Dengyang Peak. I beg the Sect Leader and Sword Lord Yun to grant this request."

"This..."

Sect Leader Chu was in a difficult position.

While selecting disciples for the Sword Lords of the various peaks was indeed one of the purposes of the tournament, it was usually the masters who chose the disciples. If the Sword Lords did not take the initiative, he, as the Sect Leader, could not force the issue.

Moreover, taking an apprentice was usually an afterthought; the rewards for the tournament champion were immense, and the opportunity to enter the depths of the Kunwu Sword Gorge to choose a spirit sword alone would make any sword cultivator in the world drool. The swords of the Seventeen Sword Lords of the past, provided they had not been sealed, were all buried there. To have such a spirit sword recognize one as its master was a supreme stroke of fate. Yet this young disciple was willing to give it all up—his desire to be an apprentice was truly sincere.

With so many disciples watching, since the junior had already made his request, Sect Leader Chu had to bite the bullet and turn his head to ask from afar, "Junior Brother Yun, what is your intention?"

Shen Yihan felt uneasy. Judging by Yun Ran's earlier demeanor, he did not seem to have the intention to take an apprentice, but he might be swayed by the prestige of the tournament champion, especially with his senior brother, the Sect Leader, personally interceding.

Yun Ran, however, was decisive, refusing without hesitation.

"It is not appropriate. My sword intent is not compatible with this disciple."

As soon as these words were spoken, an uproar broke out among the disciples below.

Before the tournament, news had spread that Sword Lord Yun intended to take an apprentice. Now that the champion was so sincere, why did Sword Lord Yun refuse?

Could it really be because the sword intents were incompatible?

They recalled the ethereal, fluid sword style Xie Xiaofeng had used on the platform, which indeed seemed to differ from the path of Yun Ran’s Dengyang Sword.

Xie Xiaofeng’s face showed disappointment. "This disciple’s sword intent is not yet formed. I am willing to receive your teachings. I beg Sword Lord Yun..."

Yun Ran’s reply was clear, concise, and definitive.

"It is not appropriate."

"..."

The arena fell into a deathly silence. Xie Xiaofeng said nothing more.

Chu Yuzhou coughed lightly, feeling the situation was becoming quite awkward and pondering how to smooth things over, when a gentle, smiling voice drifted down from another viewing stand.

"Your way of wielding the sword is indeed not suited for the Dengyang Sword lineage, but... it does happen to align with my own inclinations. Child, are you willing to be taken under my tutelage?"

Upon hearing this voice, Xie Xiaofeng was stunned for a moment, then seemed to react immediately. A look of joy appeared on his face as he knelt and kowtowed in the direction of the stand. "This disciple is willing to take you as my master! Thank you, Sword Lord, for your favor!"

It all happened too fast.

So fast that by the time Shen Yihan realized what had occurred, Xie Xiaofeng had already kowtowed to acknowledge his master and was being led by the disciples of the Discipline Hall to the stand where the speaker sat.

Shen Yihan certainly recognized that voice—

Yun Ran said, "It seems Master has also taken a liking to him."

Sect Master Shen: "..."

Sect Master Shen nearly choked on his own breath.

Who could have guessed? He had guarded against everything, preventing the demon lord from becoming his friend’s apprentice, only to fail to prevent him from becoming his friend’s junior fellow apprentice by joining the master of his own friend!

The person who had just spoken to accept Xie Xiaofeng was none other than Yun Ran’s master—the Sword Lord of Ci'en, Mei Jin.