Comprehending Staff Intent!

The moment Wan Lin stepped onto the stage with the Coiling Dragon Three-Section Staff in hand, earthshaking cheers erupted across the martial arts grounds.

That was the home-field advantage.

Xiao Ling flew up and landed lightly on the martial arts stage.

The two stood facing each other. After both nodded to confirm they were ready, the Grand Elder, standing in the center of the stage, announced the start of the first match.

With little ceremony, a dragon's silhouette flashed around the Coiling Dragon Three-Section Staff in Wan Lin's hand. In an instant, the staff, originally just over half a meter long, suddenly grew several times larger, like a gigantic chicken drumstick, with a coiling dragon wrapped around it, weeping with hunger!

Holding the gigantic drumstick, Wan Lin stepped forward and swung it at Xiao Ling, a dragon's silhouette trailing behind it.

But faced with the Coiling Dragon Three-Section Staff descending from above, Xiao Ling showed no intention of dodging.

"Hummm!" The instant before the drumstick struck her, the sword on her back suddenly hummed.

The sword vibrated wildly as Xiao Ling drew it from its sheath.

With the sword drawn, nothing could suppress Xiao Ling's Sword Intent. In an instant, it surged from her body straight into the sky, so terrifying it seemed capable of tearing everything apart.

Without any direction from Xiao Ling, the soaring Sword Intent collided with Wan Lin's giant drumstick in midair.

As the Sword Intent swept over it, the giant drumstick's apparition was cleaved in two. The Sword Intent swept outward like a storm, tearing the apparition to shreds.

But the violent Sword Intent did not stop there. It descended from the sky like an awakened primordial beast, pouncing on Wan Lin.

Wan Lin tried to block it with the Coiling Dragon Three-Section Staff, but the Sword Intent was too violent. The tremendous impact sent her flying backward and tumbling off the martial arts stage...

"Hummm..." The Sword Intent returned to Xiao Ling's side. Her sword slid back into its sheath, and the Sword Intent was sealed once more.

"Thank you for letting me win!"

Xiao Ling spoke calmly, as though it were a matter of no consequence. But at that moment, the entire Vast Heaven Sect's martial arts grounds fell silent enough to hear a pin drop.

Everyone stared in disbelief at Wan Lin, who had been knocked off the stage by a single strike of Sword Intent.

Some might have expected Wan Lin to lose, but no one had imagined she would lose like this.

One move! Had she been defeated in an instant with just one move?

Yet everyone also understood that it was not because Wan Lin was too weak, but because Xiao Ling's Sword Intent was too terrifying!

Although the violent Sword Intent that had suddenly soared into the sky had already vanished, it still left everyone shaken. It was hard to imagine that such a quiet-looking young girl had mastered Sword Intent violent to this degree.

"L-lost?"

"She lost just like that? Wasn't that way too fast...?"

"Senior Sister Wan Lin didn't even have time to show her full strength!"

"It wouldn't have mattered... Junior Sister Wan Lin's opponent's Sword Intent was too terrifying. Wan Lin was no match for her."

After a brief silence, the stands erupted.

The disciples of the Vast Heaven Sect and Martial Emperor City had held these martial competitions for years, but this was the first time someone had been defeated in an instant.

In the past, regardless of who won or lost, the outcome had generally remained undecided until the final moment. But today, Wan Lin had been defeated instantly with one move. Wasn't the gap... a little too large?

Although Cheng Xiaotian was trying hard to suppress the smile on his face, it was no use, because he was happy from the bottom of his heart. Martial Emperor City and the Vast Heaven Sect had competed for so many years, and though his side had won before, those victories had all been narrow. A victory as clean and decisive as today's—

This was the first!

Gu Mingchao, on the other hand, had a smile on his face all along, but no matter how one looked at it, that smile was stiff.

"Junior Sister Wan Lin..." A figure darted out from nearby and came straight to Wan Lin's side.

Chu Xinghe looked at Wan Lin, who sat there in a daze.

Like a wooden doll under an immobilization spell, Wan Lin sat there blankly, the usual light gone from her eyes.

The person who found this outcome hardest to accept was not anyone around her, but Wan Lin herself.

She had spent so many days preparing for this match, and countless senior sisters and brothers had come to offer her ideas and advice. Yet the result... one move, just one move, and she had been defeated in an instant? Having lost so disgracefully, Wan Lin felt she truly had no face left to cling to life in this world!

Just as Wan Lin's hopes had turned to ashes, a voice brought her back to reality.

"Junior Sister Wan Lin, what's there to be sad about? You didn't lose because your cultivation was lacking. It was only because your opponent has Sword Intent, and you don't have Staff Intent!"

"Senior Brother Xinghe!" Wan Lin looked up and saw that it was Senior Brother Xinghe before her. With a wail, she burst into tears and threw herself into his arms.

"Junior Sister Wan Lin, this defeat wasn't your fault. Your opponent's Sword Intent was simply too powerful. Once you comprehend Staff Intent in the future, you'll definitely win it back." As Chu Xinghe comforted Wan Lin, he was already singing "Good Days" in his heart!

A losing start!

Junior Sister Wan Lin really hadn't let him down. With a losing start like this, how could he possibly lose this time?

"Staff Intent? Senior Brother Xinghe, what is Staff Intent?" Wan Lin gazed at Chu Xinghe, tears on her face like raindrops on a pear blossom.

"Staff Intent... ahem... it's actually very simple... Have you heard of nine shallow, one deep? That's Staff Intent. And have you heard of nine deep, one shallow? That's Staff Intent too..."

"Nine shallow, one deep is Staff Intent? Nine deep, one shallow is Staff Intent too?"

Wan Lin stared wide-eyed at Chu Xinghe. Seeing her expression, Chu Xinghe thought, This is bad... I accidentally got on the highway.

But just as Chu Xinghe was about to change the subject and continue comforting Wan Lin, a terrifying fluctuation suddenly erupted from her body, pushing him away from her.

"What's this?" Chu Xinghe stared at Wan Lin in utter bewilderment.

While he was still wondering, the Grand Elder's voice suddenly rang out from nearby. "Everyone, silence! Xinghe, don't touch her! Your junior sister Wan Lin has entered sudden enlightenment!"

Sudden enlightenment? What the hell?

Chu Xinghe was dumbfounded.

But Chu Xinghe was not the only one dumbfounded. Everyone present felt their heads buzzing.

What had just happened?

Wan Lin had been defeated by Xiao Ling in one move in the first match and looked as though all her hopes had turned to ashes. Then Chu Xinghe had rushed to her side, said who knew what to her, and she had suddenly entered enlightenment?

So... had Chu Xinghe just opened the door to sudden enlightenment for Wan Lin?

The people from the Vast Heaven Sect were not the only ones looking on in disbelief. Those from Martial Emperor City were even more astonished.

Zheng Yu sat to one side, watching Wan Lin after her defeat. He knew that if she could not quickly pull herself together, today's match would become a lifelong inner demon for her, and it might have a tremendous effect on her future.

When Chu Xinghe rushed over to comfort Wan Lin, Zheng Yu's first thought was that it would be completely useless. Comfort alone could never resolve Wan Lin's situation; she would have to find her own way out of it.

But before that thought had even faded, Wan Lin entered sudden enlightenment, leaving Zheng Yu staring in shock as well.

This Chu Xinghe... he... what on earth did he do?

How could he make someone enter enlightenment instead of falling into despair after such a crushing setback?

Just as everyone was wondering what Chu Xinghe had done—

A terrifying shock wave rippled out from Wan Lin!

As the shock wave spread, Wan Lin seized her Coiling Dragon Three-Section Staff. In the next second, before everyone's eyes, a glow suddenly appeared on the staff. It spread until it enveloped the entire Coiling Dragon Three-Section Staff.

The glow seemed to add a layer of apparition to the Coiling Dragon Three-Section Staff, and that apparition kept growing and shrinking around it... Anyone who counted carefully would see that after every nine ripples, the apparition suddenly grew once, then, after growing nine more times, shrank once!

"This is... Staff Intent! Nine Nines Return to One!" The Grand Elder's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.

Wan Lin also emerged from her enlightenment. When she saw the Staff Intent on her Coiling Dragon Three-Section Staff, she immediately knelt before Chu Xinghe.

"Wan Lin thanks Senior Brother Xinghe for his guidance!"

A clamor broke out as the crowd erupted.

Staff Intent! Wan Lin had actually comprehended Staff Intent under these circumstances?

Even more terrifying, she had comprehended it under Chu Xinghe's guidance?

Everyone's gaze fell on the calm-faced Chu Xinghe. Even Sect Master Gu Mingchao found it incredible. How had that child Xinghe done it?

He had actually enabled Wan Lin to comprehend Staff Intent with just a few words? And what was more, it was Nine Nines Return to One, the strongest of all Staff Intents!

Zheng Yu watched Chu Xinghe with a grave expression. Before coming to the Vast Heaven Sect, he had heard countless stories about Chu Xinghe, but most people who mentioned him said he had only reached his present position because of the flying swords in the Haotian Sword Casket.

At most, he was just lucky.

But seeing it for himself today, Zheng Yu realized everyone had been wrong!

This Chu Xinghe was unfathomable!

Although the fight between Xiao Ling and Wan Lin had lasted only an instant, Chu Xinghe must have grasped the essence of Xiao Ling's Sword Intent in that instant, then turned that essence into an understanding of Staff Intent and passed it on to Wan Lin. That was how Wan Lin had suddenly comprehended Staff Intent in the midst of battle.

The soaring Staff Intent seemed to strike at everyone's heart, and the entire Vast Heaven Sect emerged from the shadow of the earlier defeat. Although Wan Lin had lost, she had actually used the opportunity to comprehend Staff Intent. However they looked at it, they had not come out behind.

Of course, everyone also knew that Wan Lin's comprehension of Staff Intent was entirely due to Chu Xinghe's guidance. Junior Brother Xinghe was truly unfathomable!

"I won just now with Sword Intent. Now that you've comprehended Staff Intent, how about we have another fair fight to decide the winner?"

On the martial arts stage, Xiao Ling looked down at Wan Lin, who had comprehended Staff Intent. Although she was astonished, it only stirred her desire to fight even more.

As soon as Xiao Ling finished speaking, waves of shouts erupted across the martial arts grounds.

"Fight again! Fight again!"

Wan Lin's eyes lit up as well. She had been deeply unwilling to accept her loss to Xiao Ling's Sword Intent, and now that she had a chance to fight again, she was naturally willing.

But just as Wan Lin was about to agree, Senior Brother Xinghe suddenly spoke beside her.

"Xiao Ling, are you insulting my Vast Heaven Sect?!"

Chu Xinghe used spiritual power to amplify his voice, and it shook the entire martial arts grounds.

The whole place fell silent. Everyone, Xiao Ling included, looked at Chu Xinghe in bewilderment.

"Fight again? Hmph... Are you saying our Vast Heaven Sect can't accept defeat?"

"As the number one sect under heaven, our Vast Heaven Sect has never feared defeat!"

"Three matches were agreed upon today. Since you won, you won. Our Vast Heaven Sect accepts the outcome of the wager!"

"There is losing, and there is being unable to accept a loss. Our Vast Heaven Sect can accept defeat, but we will never make excuses for it, nor will we ever resort to the shameless behavior of those who cannot accept a loss!"

After Chu Xinghe finished speaking, the crowd fell silent enough to hear a pin drop. No one dared suggest another match.

Seeing this, Chu Xinghe breathed a sigh of relief. Damn it... I finally managed to get a losing start, and that little woman nearly made all my efforts go to waste...