More Than Just Holding Back

"One Sword Opens Heaven's Gate!"

Lin Qingzhi gave a soft shout and unleashed the highest level of Soaring Cloud Swordsmanship. The Azure Nether Sword blazed with azure light, its equally sharp Sword Qi carrying an unstoppable momentum as it collided in midair with the descending Heavenly Azure Sword.

Boom!

Torrents of Sword Qi crisscrossed the air. The massive, hard timbers that made up the Martial Platform flew in all directions like scraps of paper, and some wooden pillars were pulverized outright!

Lin Qingzhi and Chen Yao both staggered.

The Shushan elders and disciples watching the fight were all astounded.

They had thought Lin Qingzhi was about to be defeated by Chen Yao, who was at the Golden Core Realm Third Layer. To their surprise, he had forcibly withstood her astonishing sword attack!

"Lin Qingzhi's cultivation is at the Golden Core Realm!"

"So this is his true cultivation!"

"Elder Lu, that wasn't very sporting of you. You had your disciple suppress his cultivation all this time, and only now has Chen Yao forced him to reveal it."

"I wonder how Elder Lu took a disciple of mediocre aptitude from the Foundation Establishment Realm to the Golden Core Realm in just three years?"

The Shushan elders looked at Lu Changsheng once more, their gazes filled with shock, admiration, and doubt.

It was inconceivable.

If Lin Qingzhi had been a genius, perhaps they would not have been so shocked by his reaching the Golden Core Realm from the Foundation Establishment Realm in three years.

But all of Lin Qingzhi's aptitudes were low-grade.

"My disciple's cultivation is at the Golden Core Realm Second Layer at the very most."

Lu Changsheng sighed.

"From the Foundation Establishment Realm First Layer to the Golden Core Realm Second Layer in three years? Could this boy be a genius, and our Shushan immortal artifact, the Guts-Illuminating Mirror, made a mistake?"

"If that's true, Elder Lu has struck it rich this time."

"The Golden Core Realm Second Layer still falls short of Chen Yao's Golden Core Realm Third Layer, but it's already remarkable."

"Congratulations, Elder Lu."

Quite a few Shushan elders were full of praise.

"How is this possible...!"

Xiao Xiangdao, who was standing beside Li Changye, was deeply shaken to see that Lin Qingzhi's cultivation had reached the Golden Core Realm Second Layer.

Three years ago, Xiao Xiangdao had been at the Qi Condensation Realm Third Layer. After cultivating under Li Changye for three years, his cultivation had risen to the Golden Core Realm Fourth Layer.

Xiao Xiangdao's cultivation was higher than what Lin Qingzhi had shown, but he still felt ill at ease.

Compared with rising from the Qi Condensation Realm Third Layer to the Golden Core Realm Fourth Layer, going from the Foundation Establishment Realm First Layer to the Golden Core Realm Second Layer was far more shocking.

"No matter what, the disciple who takes first place at this Disciple Conference will be me, Xiao Xiangdao!"

Xiao Xiangdao clenched his fists, his gaze resolute.

The fierce battle on the Martial Platform continued. Sword Qi crisscrossed the air, and thunderous booms rang out like deafening thunderclaps from a clear sky. The two combatants had reduced the Martial Platform to ruins!

Although Lin Qingzhi had suppressed his cultivation by four minor realms, putting him one minor realm below Chen Yao at the Golden Core Realm Third Layer, and his Law Treasure was inferior to her Heavenly Azure Sword, he still possessed the awareness of someone at the Golden Core Realm Sixth Layer. Thus, he was able to fight her across the gap in their realms, neither gaining a decisive advantage.

"What a powerful opponent. Very good."

Each time the Azure Nether Sword in Lin Qingzhi's hand clashed with Chen Yao's Heavenly Azure Sword, the meridians throughout his body shook violently. He hurriedly circulated the Grand Profound Art to suppress his surging Qi and Blood and disordered Spiritual Qi.

As he fought Chen Yao, Lin Qingzhi steadily gained combat experience.

After all, she was a completely new opponent, and Lin Qingzhi knew almost nothing about her. This made the fight more like actual combat.

On the other side, Chen Yao was also secretly astonished.

Lin Qingzhi was unremarkable in appearance, and his cultivation did not seem high, yet he had managed to withstand her Law Treasure.

Chen Yao appeared to have the upper hand, but if a disciple at the Golden Core Realm Third Layer could not defeat one at the "Golden Core Realm Second Layer," then she had effectively lost.

No, I can't let Master lose face.

Chen Yao gritted her teeth, her emerald-green robes fluttering as the Heavenly Azure Sword returned to her hand.

"Junior Brother, I don't want to take your life. When I use that move, admit defeat."

"Human-Sword Unity!"

Chen Yao warned Lin Qingzhi. The Heavenly Azure Sword burst forth with countless rays of blue light, engulfing her. At that moment, she and the sword seemed to become one, transforming into a streak of azure light that soared into the sky!

Rumble...

Black clouds hung over the city as lightning flashed and thunder roared. Chen Yao stood in midair with her sword, fierce winds howling and her green robes snapping. Countless bolts of lightning were drawn onto the Heavenly Azure Sword's sharp blade, as if into a tremendous vortex!

"You can't block this sword!"

"Supreme Thunder-Controlling Instruction!"

Chen Yao's pretty face flushed red as the divine sword, clear as autumn water, slashed toward Lin Qingzhi with a vast, dazzling radiance.

Chen Yao had poured all her Spiritual Qi and Divine Sense into this strike. In her eyes, heaven and earth seemed to fall silent.

Facing this strike, she believed Lin Qingzhi would surely retreat.

Yet Lin Qingzhi did not retreat. On the brink of life and death, he wanted to give it a try.

"You'll lose your life...! Wait, your presence..."

Only Lin Qingzhi remained in Chen Yao's eyes. She suddenly realized that, for that one instant, his presence had surged severalfold!

At the moment between life and death, Lin Qingzhi's instincts had made him release his true cultivation. Chen Yao, whose attention was focused entirely on him, caught that instant.

"That's enough."

Boom!

A figure stepped between Lin Qingzhi and Chen Yao and swept a sleeve of his Daoist robe. An invisible current of air, like a giant dragon sucking up water, absorbed the Heavenly Azure Sword's immensely powerful attack in its entirety, reducing it to nothing.

It was Lu Changsheng.

At the same time, Lu Changsheng also suppressed Lin Qingzhi's cultivation.

His disciple had nearly exposed his cultivation at the Golden Core Realm Sixth Layer.

More than that, the two of them had just been poised to fight to the death.

Chen Yao's Cultivation Method exceeded her current realm. If Lin Qingzhi had used his full cultivation to clash with her, Chen Yao, having exhausted all her Spiritual Qi, would certainly have suffered backlash and, in all likelihood, perished as a result. Lin Qingzhi might also have been injured by her.

"You were too reckless. This was only a sparring match; there was no need to go so far. Being overly stubborn can make it easier for an inner demon to arise instead."

Lu Changsheng offered guidance to the Shushan disciple before him.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior. I understand."

Chen Yao came to her senses, breaking out in a cold sweat. She really had been too impulsive just now, using a Cultivation Method she had yet to master completely.

"If Master hadn't blocked that strike of yours, Senior Sister, I couldn't have escaped disaster. I've lost."

Lin Qingzhi put away the Azure Nether Sword of his own accord, unconcerned by victory or defeat.

The Shushan elders and disciples were awestruck. None of them thought it shameful for Lin Qingzhi to admit of his own accord that he was outmatched.

The Cultivation Method Chen Yao had used at the end had exceeded the Golden Core Realm Third Layer.

"Senior, your disciple... was holding back on purpose, wasn't he?"

Before Lu Changsheng could leave with Lin Qingzhi, Chen Yao sent him a voice transmission.

In that instant, Chen Yao had sensed that Lin Qingzhi might be concealing his cultivation.

Lu Changsheng smiled without denying it. He had done more than let a little water through—he had practically let the whole sea through.

"Elder Lu, your disciple's cultivation is higher than this."

Fairy Xia of the Ask Immortal Pavilion secretly sent Lu Changsheng a voice transmission.