Lu Feng watched as the hostile factions sent out their young disciples to challenge them in swordsmanship, and could not help sighing inwardly.
What was bound to come had come at last.
If the Azure Mountain Sword Sect had any weakness now, it lay with its younger generation of disciples. Though Chen Duxiao, Mei Zisu, and the others had made extraordinary progress in strength recently, they still lagged far behind the younger disciples of the orthodox Eight Great Sword Sects.
Moreover, after the battle at the Sword Ruins, all of them had suffered injuries of varying severity.
This left the sect's younger generation with something of a gap between old and new.
According to the rules, they had to select at least seven disciples for the major factions to choose from for sword challenges, so as to display the sect's prestige.
"Sect Leader~ let me go."
Gu Lingling gripped her Phoenix Dance Sword, blazing fighting intent burning in her eyes.
Zhuang Xiaojing echoed from the side, "Sect Leader, I can go too."
Though she had abandoned her former sword path in the battle at the Sword Ruins, the Flicking Sleeve Sword Song she had learned from the Moon Corpse Pendant had opened up an entirely different path of swordsmanship for her.
Unlike the two women's straightforwardness, Chen Duxiao, standing off to one side, seemed somewhat awkward. He kept his head slightly lowered, as though afraid of being called upon. He gave off the distinct impression that he feared battle and did not wish to step forward.
"Senior Brother Chen?" Gu Lingling called with a frown, deeply surprised by Chen Duxiao's behavior. In the past, at occasions concerning the sect's honor and disgrace, he should have been the first to stand forward. Why was he avoiding it now?
Chen Duxiao said