Not Learning His Lesson

"Only two short months, and he had already become this powerful?"

At the foot of the mountain, Shui Qinghe's clothes were in tatters. The flood dragon formed from Lei Sword Qi had battered him until he was covered in wounds, and his fall from the sky had left him bruised black and blue. After resting for a moment, he finally struggled to his feet.

"Zhong Yue of the Zhongshan Clan! In terms of cultivation, I'm no match for you. But a person's strength isn't determined by cultivation alone!"

Shui Qinghe gazed toward the mountaintop. His clothes fluttered, and a tinkling sound rang out. One slender silver sword after another, each no thicker than a needle, appeared!

These silver swords were only four inches long. Each had a blade and hilt, yet they were incredibly tiny. Flashing in the air, they appeared only as thin streaks of silver light and were extremely difficult to detect.

There were eight silver swords in total. They were his soul weapons. He had been caught off guard earlier and knocked off the elevated platform by Zhong Yue before he even had time to use them.

These eight soul weapons had been extremely difficult to obtain. Shui Zi'an, an elder of the Shuitu Clan, had spent several months forging this set of soul weapons. They bore eight types of totems and were extraordinarily precious. They were called the Eight Treasures Sword.

Back then, when the Shuitu Clan's disciples joined Sword Gate, Shui Zi'an had ordered them to compete. Only the strongest would receive the Eight Treasures Sword. Shui Qinghe had defeated the other disciples and thus obtained this set of soul weapons.

The Eight Treasures Sword was extraordinarily flexible. It could be pressed against the skin and hidden beneath one's clothes, concealed inside a sleeve, or even hung from the tassel of another soul weapon. To outsiders, it looked like nothing more than an ornament.

But these eight silver swords were incomparably dangerous. Once summoned, they were difficult to detect. They could also form a Water Sword Formation and be used in conjunction with the Shuitu Clan's visualization art, hidden within the Ice Soul Sword Qi, Water Sword Qi, and the great Wei River formed from spiritual power, making them impossible to guard against.

Originally, Shui Qinghe had not taken Zhong Yue or the other disciples seriously, so he had not used this set of soul weapons. Who could have expected Zhong Yue to knock him from the elevated platform with a single raised hand? Enraged, he immediately decided to use the Eight Treasures Sword to seize the platform back!

Shui Qinghe looked from afar at the elevated platform atop the mountain. It was utterly peaceful. There were many Upper Court disciples fighting on the other peaks, but on this peak alone, Zhong Yue's single strike had completely subdued the others, and no one dared to act.

One disciple after another suddenly ran down the mountain and headed for the other peaks. They had clearly decided that they absolutely could not seize the platform from Zhong Yue, so they abandoned this peak and rushed to attack the others instead.

Shui Qinghe hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and turned away, walking toward another peak. The Zhongshan Clan is extraordinarily powerful. Even if I can defeat him with the Eight Treasures Sword, it'll probably be a bitter victory that leaves us both gravely wounded. If I'm injured too badly fighting him, I'll be at a huge disadvantage in the Hundred-Strong Competition later. I'm aiming for first place in the Upper Court and the finest inheritance of Spirit Void Hall. I can't let the small picture make me lose sight of the big one!

Two hours passed, and no one challenged Zhong Yue. Suddenly, the elevated platform beneath his feet trembled lightly, flew from the mountaintop, and carried him toward Five Pine Peak, where it descended.

In this Unrestricted Duel, defending an elevated platform for two hours counted as victory.

"Someone else got here faster than I did and obtained the Hundred-Strong title."

Zhong Yue looked around. Five elevated platforms had already flown back and now stood on the peak, each bearing an Upper Court disciple.

Those Upper Court disciples were also looking at him. They nodded and smiled, yet wariness showed in their eyes. Clearly, they had witnessed him defeat Shui Qinghe with a single strike and considered him a formidable rival.

Zhong Yue nodded and smiled back at each of them. Yu Zhenglong of the Youyu Clan, Tao Yanran of the Taolin Clan, Nan Zhen of the Nanlu Clan, Tian Yanfeng of the Tian Feng Clan, and Jun Qingyue of the Junshan Clan. So it's them. They're core disciples of the Ten Great Clans and have been famous for a long time. The other Upper Court disciples know how powerful they are, so after failing to overcome them, they went to other peaks to fight for the platforms. That's why they won so quickly. But Senior Sister Li Xiuniang is a core disciple of the Lishan Clan. Why hasn't she come yet?

Just as he thought this, an elevated platform flew over. Li Xiuniang stood upon it, her clothes torn in several places and her appearance somewhat disheveled. Her long hair hung loose behind her, and several bloody marks streaked her face. She had clearly encountered an expert and only won after enduring a bitter struggle.

"That mad girl Yu Feiyan insisted on fighting me. Hmph, wasn't she defeated by me in the end? Junior Brother Zhong, it seems you and I will meet in the Hundred-Strong Battle!"

When Li Xiuniang saw Zhong Yue, she was not surprised in the least. Instead, she took it for granted and said with a smile, "I lost to you last time. When we reach the Hundred-Strong Battle, we'll decide the victor again!"

Zhong Yue nodded and smiled. "Then I'll ask Senior Sister Li to show me some mercy."

Yu Zhenglong, Tao Yanran, and the others were shaken. Their gazes returned to him, and their wariness deepened. Li Xiuniang also lost to him? This Zhongshan Clan disciple is unknown, yet he actually defeated two core disciples of the Ten Great Clans in succession...

"Junior Brother Zhong, I've prepared a trump card for you. I certainly won't hold back then!"

Li Xiuniang's fighting spirit soared as she laughed. "Showing you mercy would only invite humiliation. You'll lose cleanly and decisively!"

Not long afterward, another elevated platform flew over. It was Yu Feiyan. Her clothes were also in tatters, and many wounds covered her body. Clearly, her battle with Li Xiuniang had not gone well either, and she had suffered plenty.

The two young women stood on their respective platforms, still glaring viciously at each other, as though they wanted to fight another round.

Gradually, more and more elevated platforms flew over. Apart from Zhong Yue and the core disciples of the Ten Great Clans, the other Upper Court disciples were fairly evenly matched in cultivation and strength. Their battles were therefore exceptionally grueling. The platforms changed hands several times, making it difficult to determine a winner. The victorious disciples were covered in wounds, and most had won by the skin of their teeth.

Zhong Yue looked around and saw Shui Qingyan standing on an elevated platform as it flew back. The young woman, however, bore few wounds.

This contest continued from morning into the afternoon, then from afternoon into night. People were still fighting, while the remaining platforms grew fewer and fewer. The battles also became increasingly fierce.

Only at sunrise the next day did the Hundred-Strong Unrestricted Duel finally end.

Ting Lanyue also obtained a Hundred-Strong title, but Tao Daier was defeated and failed to qualify. The girl was utterly dejected, and many women surrounded her to comfort her.

Shui Qinghe also seized another elevated platform and was not eliminated.

An elder rose and said, "Mirage Dragon, withdraw this divine ability and use another."

The mountains filling the sky suddenly faded away. The Mirage Dragon yawned, then sprayed boundless water from its mouth. In an instant, an ocean surged into existence in midair. A city floated upon it, with towering buildings and layers of temples.

"Each of you, drink water, eat, and heal your wounds. The Hundred-Strong Battle begins in one hour!"

The elder's gaze swept across the faces of Zhong Yue and the others as he said solemnly, "Don't blame me for not giving you time to rest. In a real battle, your opponent won't give you any chance to rest. You may also choose to withdraw from the fight yourselves. Even if you don't participate in the Hundred-Strong Battle, you can still enter Spirit Void Hall. Light the incense and begin timing!"

Before long, more than half of the hundred Upper Court disciples withdrew. Only a little over thirty remained. Every disciple who withdrew was injured, and some were gravely wounded. One hour of recuperation was simply not enough.

"Good! One hour has passed!"

The elder abruptly rose and shouted, "Open Spirit Void Hall!"

"Yes!"

One Qi Refiner after another shouted, "Open Spirit Void Hall!"

Above Sword Gate Mountain, the air suddenly roiled violently. In front of a great hall, four yellow-bronze figures more than fifty zhang tall suddenly moved. They seized the chains extending into the air and pulled with all their might. Creaking and grinding sounds rang out, as though gears in the sky had been wrenched into motion.

Gradually, a magnificent gate hidden in the air was pulled open. It was shaped like Sword Gate and was also one of Sword Gate's important locations. Behind the gate lay Spirit Void Hall!

"Those who have withdrawn may enter Spirit Void Hall."

The elder looked around and said, "Inside Spirit Void Hall, the ten strongest spirits have already been sealed. As for the other spirits, sense them as you wish. If you can sense one, you are a Qi Refiner and an Inner Court disciple of Sword Gate. If you cannot, wait until next year. If you're already sixteen, pack your belongings and leave Sword Gate. The rest of you will fight to determine the ten strongest among the Hundred Strong."

"Remember, the battlefield begins the moment you step onto the sea!"

"Now, the battle begins!"

The Upper Court disciples on the platforms immediately sprang into action. They leaped onto the great sea formed from the Mirage Dragon's spiritual power, ran across the surface, and charged toward the city upon the sea.

Some encountered other Upper Court disciples while crossing the sea and immediately fought on the water. Every kind of technique was unleashed. Visualized divine abilities clashed across the waves, Totem Pillars were thrust into the sea, and soul weapons filled the sky, flashing back and forth like lightning. Some even stirred enormous waves, churning towering swells into various wondrous phenomena.

Zhong Yue also set off at the same time. As he stepped across the sea, a flood dragon appeared beneath his feet and lifted him up. The flood dragon raced across the water like a flying steed, heading straight for the city upon the sea.

At the same time, one Qi Refiner after another flew through the air. More than thirty Qi Refiners each followed an Upper Court disciple, protecting them along the way. They feared the clashes would become too fierce for the Mirage Dragon to protect everyone in time. If someone was caught off guard and injured another's life, the Mirage Dragon could move its spiritual power and rescue the victim, but even the Mirage Dragon had moments of negligence. Thus, the Qi Refiners followed every disciple, ready to save anyone whose life was in danger.

"Trying to kill the Heavenly Phenomenon Mother under these circumstances is almost impossible!"

Zhong Yue stared fixedly at "Shui Qingyan." The young woman rode the waves across the sea at astonishing speed. "Unless my sword light is fast enough—fast enough that even the Mirage Dragon and the Qi Refiners have no time to react! Hmm?"

Crash!

The surface of the sea suddenly surged upward. Shui Qinghe transformed into a River Earl, his body covered in fish scales, and appeared before Zhong Yue. He said indifferently, "Zhong Yue of the Zhongshan Clan, please."

Before Shui Qinghe had even finished speaking, he drove the vast waters into a raging assault. Continuous hissing sounds rang out as the Eight Treasures Sword merged into the seawater around him. Ice Soul Sword Qi, Water Sword Qi, and water dragons swam through the sea, concealing every trace of the Eight Treasures Sword!

Zhong Yue strode forward to attack. His spiritual power surged like a boundless ocean. Flood dragons coiled around both his arms and legs. With one raised hand, he blasted through the curtain of water, shattering the Ice Soul Sword Qi, Water Sword Qi, and water dragons one after another.

The Eight Treasures Sword shot from the sky full of splashing water and flew straight toward Zhong Yue. At that moment, countless tiny flood-dragon sword qi appeared before him and collided with the Eight Treasures Sword. Sword light filled the sky and danced wildly.

Zhong Yue's sword qi, formed from spiritual power, blocked the Eight Treasures Sword. In a single step, he crossed the distance and arrived before Shui Qinghe.

Zhong Yue's fist descended. Shui Qinghe's River Earl body exploded beneath the blow. Horrified, Shui Qinghe looked up and saw a great hand reaching for his face, seizing him by the head and fiercely pressing him backward!

Boom!

The sea exploded. Waves rolled and flew in every direction. Shui Qinghe struck the surface like a meteor and was shaken unconscious on the spot.

"Senior Brother Shui, how can you still not learn your lesson?"

Zhong Yue strode forward. A flood dragon rose beneath his feet and carried him through wind and waves straight toward Shui Qingyan. Behind him, Shui Qinghe lay sprawled on the surface of the sea.