The Battle Ends

Everyone stared blankly at the scene on the stage, unsure how to react.

"He... he's dead?"

"One sword strike? Another one?"

"What kind of sword technique was that? How could it be so terrifying?"

Only after a long while did a disciple manage to speak, his voice trembling.

Yun Qianyue's expression grew grave. She closed her eyes, replaying that fleeting moment over and over in her mind.

"That wasn't speed, nor sharpness."

"It was a vibration... a vibration so fast it reached the extreme, layering Sword Qi tens of thousands of times until it wove an invisible net."

"Cicada Wing Thousand Layers... legend has it that when this martial art is cultivated to its peak, one can comprehend its Ultimate Form, Single Thought Floating World Painting, and reduce all things to dust. His sword just now hadn't reached that level, but it already carried that same quality of breaking everything down."

"Qin Jue... could you really be on the verge of mastering it?"

Meanwhile, on the raised platform across from them—

The nonchalant look on Ning Wuque's face stiffened. He looked at Ning Zhiyuan's shriveled corpse lying in a pool of blood. There wasn't a trace of sorrow in his eyes, only disgust and coldness.

"Useless. A complete and utter waste."

Ning Wuque cursed inwardly. "I gave you pills, weapons, even let you burn through your potential, and you still couldn't withstand a single move? You've disgraced the entire Ning Family!"

He stared fixedly at Qin Jue on the stage, his killing intent almost spilling from his eyes. Liu Yun had been killed, Meng Kuang was gravely wounded, and now even Ning Zhiyuan was dead.

"Qin Jue." Ning Wuque silently mouthed the name, his thoughts icy.

On the raised platform, Ma Chen's gaze lingered briefly on Ning Zhiyuan's shriveled corpse. He frowned, a flicker of regret passing through his eyes.

"What a pity."

Ma Chen sighed softly. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to everyone's ears. "A promising talent of the Ning Family, gone just like that."

At his words, murmurs immediately rippled through the crowd below.

Some thought Ma Chen was right; after all, Ning Zhiyuan had died a truly horrible death. But more people frowned—this was a fight to the death. Ning Zhiyuan had taken a forbidden drug and risked his life. Who else could he blame?

Ma Chen acted as though he hadn't heard the discussion below. He turned around, his gaze settling on Qin Jue.

There was scrutiny and displeasure in his eyes, along with a faint pressure that was difficult to pin down.

As a first-layer Nascent Core Realm steward, Ma Chen exuded an invisible sense of oppression just by standing there. Though he kept his aura restrained, the might of the Nascent Core Realm still made the air around him feel heavier.

"Qin Jue."

Ma Chen spoke slowly. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an air of superiority. "In a fight to the death, each side accepts their fate. That's the rule. You won. That's your ability."

He paused, then changed tack.

"Still, young man, you should know when to show restraint. Though Ning Zhiyuan challenged you to a fight to the death, you were fellow disciples, after all. If you could have spared his life, you would have preserved a promising talent for the academy."

His words sounded righteous and proper, but anyone with eyes could tell he was accusing Qin Jue of using excessive force.

The disciples below exchanged glances.

Someone muttered, "What's that supposed to mean... You're meant to hold back in a fight to the death? Then what's the point of calling it that?"

"Shh, keep your voice down. Steward Ma's in the Nascent Core Realm. You trying to get yourself killed?"

"But Ning Zhiyuan was the one who took the Explosive Qi Pill and risked his life. How can Qin Jue be blamed?"

Ma Chen seemed not to hear the murmurs. He continued watching Qin Jue calmly, waiting for him to respond.

He was certain that, as a steward with first-layer Nascent Core Realm cultivation, his words would make Qin Jue bow his head and apologize, even if he resented them. After all, in Qingcang Academy, a steward's authority could not be challenged.

However—

Qin Jue raised his head and met Ma Chen's gaze calmly, without the slightest hint of fear.

"Steward Ma."

Qin Jue's voice rang out clearly. "He issued the challenge to the death. He took the Explosive Qi Pill himself. I merely accepted his challenge."

"As for holding back?" Qin Jue gave a mocking smile. "If I had died today, would Steward Ma have jumped out to say Ning Zhiyuan had gone too far?"

At those words, Ma Chen's expression changed.

Of course he wouldn't have.

If Qin Jue had died, he would have thought Qin Jue simply wasn't strong enough and had no one but himself to blame.

But there was no way he could admit that.

"You're twisting my words!" Ma Chen's voice dropped, his anger rising. "I'm teaching you how to conduct yourself! When martial artists spar, stopping before anyone is hurt is the right way. The way you hunted him down without mercy was far too ruthless!"

Qin Jue sneered inwardly.

In this life and his last, he had seen too many people like this—using their power to twist right and wrong, their double standards sickening to the core.

"Stopping before anyone is hurt?"

"Then tell me, Steward Ma: are the words 'each side accepts their fate' on a challenge to the death just for show?"

"Or, in your eyes, are the rules only meant to restrain people like me, who have no backing, while the Ning Family gets to make exceptions?"

His words struck hard, tearing away Ma Chen's righteous façade.

The disciples below felt a rush of satisfaction when they heard him.

Ma Chen usually threw his weight around as a steward, barking orders at ordinary disciples like them. They'd long been sick of it. Now, seeing Qin Jue leave him speechless, they silently cheered.

Ma Chen's face darkened instantly.

He hadn't expected Qin Jue to dare defy him in public.

As a first-layer Nascent Core Realm steward, he had always had the final say in the Outer Prefecture. When had some junior at the fourth layer of Hundred Refinements ever talked back to him like this?

"Impudent!"

Ma Chen barked, and the aura of the Nascent Core Realm burst violently from him, its oppressive force instantly spreading across the entire Martial Stage.

The pressure congealed like solid matter, driving the surrounding disciples back and turning their faces pale.

But Qin Jue stood at the center of it, his back ramrod straight.

The Nine Revolutions Viscera Refining Secret Record began circulating on its own inside him. His vast blood-and-qi surged through his body, forcibly resisting Ma Chen's oppressive aura.

For a moment, the air crackled with tension.

Just then—

"That's enough."

A cool voice came from the raised platform.

Yun Qianyue descended the platform at an unhurried pace, her moon-white dress fluttering gently in the wind. She stopped at the edge of the Martial Stage, swept her cool gaze over Ma Chen, and said flatly,

"Steward Ma, the rules for fights to the death were established by the academy. Qin Jue accepted the challenge, and he did nothing wrong. As the referee, your duty now is to announce the result, not to keep arguing."

Ma Chen's expression changed again when he saw Yun Qianyue.

Though she was only an Outer Court Disciple, her identity was no ordinary one. She had the Yun Family behind her, and she was likely to break into the Nascent Core Realm—a far cry from a spent Outer Prefecture steward like him.

Ma Chen drew a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his anger.

He knew he couldn't force the matter today.

"Fine. A young man with too sharp an edge may not find it a blessing."

Ma Chen shot Qin Jue a cold look and said in a heavy voice, "The winner of this fight... is Qin Jue!"

Qin Jue remained calm, showing no joy at his victory. He bent down and picked up the Frost Blade sword beside Ning Zhiyuan's corpse. Though it was broken, it was still Mortal Tier Upper Grade and could fetch a good price.

Then he searched Ning Zhiyuan's robes and took out the jade token representing Battle Merit.

When he had finished, he slowly raised his head. His gaze cut through the noisy crowd and landed precisely on Ning Wuque in the distance.

Their eyes collided in midair, sparks seeming to fly.

Ning Wuque remained expressionless, his eyes cold as he looked at Qin Jue like a dead man. He said nothing, merely gave a cold snort, flung his sleeve, and turned to leave.

Watching Ning Wuque's retreating figure, Qin Jue's lips curled into a faint, grim smile.

"One thousand Gold Notes. I'll gladly take them."