Clash, Defeat

After the two exchanged salutes, Lu Xueqi stood with her sword on her back, seemingly waiting for Su Changqing to launch the first attack.

"Senior Sister, watch closely!"

Understanding her intent, Su Changqing immediately stepped forward with swift footwork. In an instant, sword light flashed as he leaped toward Lu Xueqi like lightning. He slashed through the air, sending Sword Qi shooting forth, then followed close behind to press in and deliver several more consecutive strikes.

This sequence of sword moves flowed with unmatched mastery, and its offensive momentum was fierce. To the onlookers, it seemed Su Changqing had already gone all out, intending to defeat Lu Xueqi in a single set of sword techniques.

In truth, Su Changqing had already held back his strength. It was all empty flourish—strong on the outside, weak within.

He did not want to expose his true strength over a mere spar, yet he could not afford to lose too miserably either, or it would only make others suspect something.

Lu Xueqi, meanwhile, did not move in the slightest. Only when the Sword Qi reached her did she slowly draw her longsword and hold it crosswise in defense, instantly blocking all the Sword Qi.

"Hm? Why is it so weak?"

Lu Xueqi silently murmured to herself. The sword technique had clearly looked full of attack, yet when she blocked it, it felt like nothing more than a gentle breeze.

Before Lu Xueqi could think further, Su Changqing had already arrived with sword in hand. The blade in his grip immediately blazed with radiant light as he stepped forward and linked several moves together.

At once, the training ground lit up brilliantly.

The two figures intertwined, too quick for the eye to follow. White and blue Sword Qi swept out again and again, accompanied by crisp rings of clashing steel.

After exchanging several moves, Su Changqing slashed out once more. Lu Xueqi flew away through the air, drifting down like a falling leaf, and landed precisely upon the Sword Peak of Su Changqing's longsword. With her sword on her back, she stood balanced on one foot, as though Su Changqing were holding her aloft upon his blade, her robes fluttering in the wind!

The sight was truly beautiful!

"Junior Brother, how long are you planning to hide?"

Lu Xueqi looked intently at Su Changqing and silently asked in her heart.

After only two or three moves, Lu Xueqi had actually already seen that Su Changqing had no intention of truly fighting. Instead, he was merely exchanging ordinary sword moves with her.

There was force in appearance but no power behind it, as though he were feeding her moves.

It was exactly like when she had first entered the path of the sword, and her master had personally taught her through real combat, repeatedly feeding her moves.

"Since you refuse to use your strength, I'll have to force your hand!"

With that thought, Lu Xueqi immediately gathered her focus and directly treated Su Changqing as a genuine opponent.

She leaped into the air. Her immortal-blue longsword suddenly shot skyward, while her figure moved as swiftly as the wind, striking down from directly above Su Changqing's head.

Before the sword even descended, Su Changqing's white robes had begun to whip about, and fierce winds rose all around him.

Feeling the chilling sharpness of this sword, Su Changqing was instantly dumbfounded.

"Isn't this supposed to be sparring practice? Does Senior Sister really want to kill me?!"

Though he had no idea why Lu Xueqi had suddenly become so ferocious, even carrying an aura that seemed intent on killing him, Su Changqing knew that if this sword truly struck him head-on, even if it did not kill him, he would be gravely wounded. His will to survive flared at once; he had absolutely no desire to die beneath this strike simply because he was concealing his abilities.

Su Changqing did not panic, nor did he show the slightest intention of retreating. He drew his sword in a backhand motion and raised it overhead to meet the attack. Sword Qi immediately surged forth, forming a barrier of clear wind upon the blade's edge.

In the blink of an eye, the two swords collided.

Clang!

With a crisp ring, Lu Xueqi's fierce attack struck Su Changqing's clear-wind barrier. Though the barrier shuddered violently, it remained completely intact, showing no sign of being cleaved through.

Naturally, everyone witnessed this scene.

"How is that possible? Junior Brother actually blocked that strike!"

"When I fought Junior Sister Lu just now, I blocked it too, but I still lost to that sword strike. Junior Brother actually managed to withstand it!"

"Look at Junior Brother—he even seems completely at ease! That strike has not affected him at all!"

The crowd was immediately filled with amazement. Many of them had fought Lu Xueqi before and naturally had experienced the power of this move.

Yet the airborne falling sword that even these Senior Sisters could not withstand had been blocked by Junior Brother with such ease.

Of course, it was not only the Senior Sisters watching for entertainment who thought so. Even Lu Xueqi and Shuiyue, the parties involved, were slightly shocked.

Others might not have known, but Lu Xueqi herself did. Although the "Falling Sword Technique" was not her killing move, it was still among her three strongest techniques.

With her strength at the fifth stage of Foundation Establishment, even cultivators of the same realm had to defend with all their strength to block it. Those at the third stage of Foundation Establishment or below had no possibility of stopping it at all.

So many Senior Sisters had lost beneath this sword strike, which was enough to show its power. What was more, she had used her full strength in the strike she had unleashed against Su Changqing.

She had originally thought that if Junior Brother truly lacked the strength, she would withdraw her power at the final moment. Though he might still be injured, she could find a way to make it up to him afterward.

But now, it seemed that would not be necessary.

"Damn! I overdid it!"

Only after hearing the discussions around him did Su Changqing realize what had happened.

Just now, he had only thought about blocking that strike. Relying entirely on his natural reaction in the face of danger, without giving it much thought, he had accidentally exposed eighty percent of his strength.

"No! I need to think of something!"

Immediately afterward, Su Changqing came up with the most helpless—and worst—solution. He directly stirred up the spiritual energy in his dantian. Spiritual energy roiled within his body, and he staggered backward again and again before planting his sword into the ground. Then, forced out by the spiritual energy, a mouthful of blood spurted from his lips as he looked at Lu Xueqi with a weary, bitter smile.

He looked exactly like someone gravely wounded by Sword Qi.

Everyone was stunned.

Hadn't he been perfectly fine just now?

How had things suddenly ended up like this?

"Senior Sister truly is extraordinary! With just one sword strike, this junior brother could barely withstand it."

Su Changqing wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and spoke to Lu Xueqi with a bitter smile.

Yet after a flicker of concern flashed through Lu Xueqi's eyes, her face swiftly returned to its icy calm. There was even a faint hint of anger in it. Completely unmoved by Su Changqing's act, she landed on the ground and quietly watched him.

She saw through this little trick at a glance.

He had completely blocked her attack. She had not hurt him in the slightest, much less with a sword move that could only inflict external injuries. What was Junior Brother doing, putting on the appearance of having suffered internal injuries?

Even at a time like this, he was still thinking of hiding his true strength. Truly infuriating!

"Changqing, are you all right?"

Shuiyue rode her flying sword down from the sky and asked Su Changqing with concern.

"Master, I suffered a few injuries, but they are nothing serious. A little rest will be enough."

Su Changqing forced himself upright with his longsword, then answered Shuiyue with a smile amid his bitter expression.

"Mm, as long as you're fine!"

Shuiyue nodded. She had witnessed the entire battle just now and knew perfectly well how Su Changqing had been injured. She also knew what sort of play this child was putting on.

"Since you're fine, take part in the Seven Meridians Martial Arts Tournament a week from now."