Unexpected Disaster

Soon, Old Zheng's voice rang out: "Begin."

Wang Yun struck first with his blade.

He stepped forward, the saber slashing diagonally—fast and heavy, carrying a faint whistle through the air.

Lu Chuan sidestepped, pressing his blade downward to firmly block the strike.

A clang of metal rang out. Wang Yun's saber was deflected, while Lu Chuan's remained utterly still.

Wang Yun's expression shifted slightly.

This opening move was the Mountain Splitting Stance, the most skill-testing form in the Mountain Splitting Saber Technique. Chen Mo Bai had drilled him on it no fewer than a thousand times, and he considered himself top-tier among the Outer Disciples.

Yet when that strike landed, the opponent's blade hadn't even trembled.

Gritting his teeth, he immediately changed tactics—sweeping horizontally, then thrusting upward, slashing diagonally, chopping again...

In a single breath, he unleashed five consecutive strikes.

Lu Chuan blocked all five.

Each block was rock-solid; he even had strength to spare.

Wang Yun's saber technique had indeed reached Minor Success, with a solid foundation.

But who was Lu Chuan?

Not only had he broken through to Major Success in the Mountain Splitting Saber Thirty-Six Forms, he had even mastered the first Ultimate Technique: Mountain Collapse!

Dealing with someone like Wang Yun was child's play.

After gauging his opponent's strengths and weaknesses, Lu Chuan stopped passively blocking. He stamped his foot, and his blade suddenly surged forward in a counterattack.

The strike was blindingly fast. Before the edge arrived, the force of the wind already pressed against Wang Yun's face.

Startled, Wang Yun hurriedly raised his saber to block.

"Clang!"

The blades clashed. Wang Yun's tiger's mouth jarred, and his saber nearly slipped from his grip.

He stumbled back a step, but before he could steady himself, Lu Chuan's second strike was already upon him.

Another "clang," and Wang Yun retreated again.

Third strike, fourth, fifth...

With every block, Wang Yun took another step back.

His face flushed red, then turned deathly pale. The hand gripping his saber grew unsteady.

It was the same Mountain Splitting Saber Technique, yet when his opponent used it, every strike left him gasping for air.

He couldn't find a single opening to counter.

How could this be...

When the sixth strike fell, Wang Yun's saber finally flew from his hand.

He himself staggered backward, barely keeping his footing.

The courtyard fell silent.

Lu Chuan sheathed his blade and stood with hands at his sides, his breathing steady. He said calmly:

"You yield."

Wang Yun clenched his fist in reluctance, but in the end, said nothing.

Outmatched, there was no point in making a fuss.

Not far away, Chen Mo Bai's face instantly turned grim.

He looked at the saber knocked to the ground, then at Lu Chuan's stance as he sheathed it, his brows deeply furrowed.

This kid...

This kid's Mountain Splitting Saber was far beyond Minor Success!

That technique of pressing forward strike by strike, that effortless ease with power held in reserve—it was clearly the mark of long immersion at Minor Success!

He wasn't the only one who noticed. Several senior senior brothers at the edge of the field, along with Old Zheng, all fixed their gazes on Lu Chuan, varying degrees of surprise on their faces.

The Outer Disciples who had been gossiping in the front yard moments ago now looked as if someone had choked them silent.

"How... how could Lu Chuan that guy..."

"Right, doesn't he go up the mountain to hunt every day? Where does he find time to practice the saber..."

No one answered.

The words "teaching him is a waste of time" still hung in the air, but now felt like a slap to their own faces.

It wasn't just the Outer Disciples who were shocked. Several Formal Disciples in the Backyard also turned their heads.

Zhou Ming Chuan's face broke into a wide grin.

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"Good heavens!" His voice carried a note of surprise.

"I was in closed-door training for two months—when did you secretly get your saber skills to this level? This rate of progress is faster than mine back in the day!"

Lu Chuan didn't dare to get cocky: "Luck, just luck."

The qi and blood he'd just used was only Minor Success in First Qi and Blood; what truly let him defeat his opponent was his superb saber technique.

"Cut it out." Zhou Ming Chuan didn't buy it at all.

After this spar, even Su Tang and Jiang Hao shot Lu Chuan a few extra glances.

Old Zheng's face showed a hint of satisfaction.

He looked at Lu Chuan, then at Zhou Ming Chuan, and nodded: "Ming Chuan, you've done well guiding Junior Brother Lu."

Zhou Ming Chuan quickly waved his hand: "I wouldn't dare take credit—it's Junior Brother Lu's own hard work."

"Hard work needs a guide too. Your intentions are good."

Master Zheng's words stabbed into Chen Mo Bai's ears like needles.

He hung his head, his face blotchy with red and white.

Old Zheng clearly knew.

Knew that he'd left Lu Chuan to rot at the start, knew he'd only taught Wang Yun, knew he'd never taken that poor kid seriously.

Now saying this in front of everyone wasn't praising Zhou Ming Chuan—it was slapping his face.

Earlier, he'd thought about finding a chance to smooth things over with Lu Chuan, since the kid had broken through the Blood Pass too, and they'd be crossing paths from now on.

Now, Chen Mo Bai didn't want to.

What right did this miserable wretch have?

A hunter with Middle Lower Grade Bone Structure should be chasing rabbits in the mountains, snaring pheasants, barely scraping by with a full belly.

Should be stuck outside the Blood Pass forever, accomplishing nothing...

Should just accept his fate!

What right did he have to make him lose face in front of his Master?

He glared hatefully at Lu Chuan's back, a venomous plan slowly taking shape in his mind.

Lu Chuan sheathed his saber and was about to return to his spot.

"Junior Brother Lu truly is a dragon among men..." Chen Mo Bai suddenly spoke up with a laugh:

"Breaking through the Blood Pass just four months after joining, and making such strides in saber technique—among this batch of disciples at Mountain Splitting Saber Hall, I'm afraid only Junior Brother Jiang Hao can match you."

Lu Chuan looked at Chen Mo Bai's pudgy face, a chill flashing through his heart.

He'd been wondering why this fat bastard suddenly started singing his praises.

But with that second half, the guy finally showed his fangs.

Who was Jiang Hao?

Upper Grade Bone Root, personally taught by Old Zheng, Minor Success in saber technique within three days of joining, broke through the Blood Pass in a month...

From day one at the Martial Arts Hall, he'd been the center of attention, never once deigning to look at any Outer Disciple in over four months.

In Jiang Hao's eyes, he was probably just some mediocrity not worth wasting time on.

The kind of person who hated nothing more than being put on the same level as someone else.

Sure enough, the moment Chen Mo Bai said that, Jiang Hao, who'd been sitting quietly, turned cold.

He tilted his head, his gaze landing on Lu Chuan with a condescending scrutiny.

"Senior Brother Chen." Jiang Hao's voice was flat.

"What do you mean by that?"

A glint of scheming triumph flickered in Chen Mo Bai's eyes, but he kept smiling: "Junior Brother Jiang jokes—I'm just praising you both."

"Praising?" Jiang Hao cut him off expressionlessly.

"An Outer Disciple breaks through the Blood Pass, practices a few saber stances, and Senior Brother Chen puts him on the same level as me."

"I've trained my Mountain Splitting Saber to Minor Success and Perfection, just one step away from breaking through to Second Qi and Blood... Senior Brother Chen thinks that's the same weight as breaking through the Blood Pass?"

Arrogant as he was, he had the right to be. In these few months, he'd used no fewer than a hundred Qi and Blood Pills, not to mention other Great Medicines.

Chen Mo Bai gave a dry laugh: "Junior Brother Jiang, don't be so serious—you're both talented disciples of our hall, each with your own strengths..."

"I'm a genius. He's not."

Jiang Hao finally looked straight at Lu Chuan.

"Lu Chuan, do you dare to spar with me?"

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