Page 9

And so, the conversation successfully shifted to the melon patch involving the Senior Sister and the Wanjian Sect. It was said that the Senior Sister had remarked: "Stealing a melon cannot be counted as stealing. How can the affairs of a Sword Cultivator be called stealing?"

Lin Xun spoke with such earnestness that he even helped sweep up the scattered debris on the floor, completely failing to notice Ning Ning beside him quietly exhaling in relief.

Phew, that was close.

Seeing the Little White Dragon with his red-rimmed eyes and pale face, she was glad she had reacted quickly and played dumb.

Otherwise, he might have really started crying.

The next day, Ning Ning was awakened by the System.

Fortunately, the bed was far enough from the alchemy furnace that it hadn't been caught in the blast. After bidding Lin Xun farewell, she had dragged her exhausted body to bed and fallen asleep immediately.

The moment she opened her eyes the next morning, she saw several lines of large text floating in her mind:

[Ding! Mission Issued!]

[The Sword Sect Grand Competition is underway. Harboring a grudge over your defeat at the hands of Pei Ji yesterday, you are determined to teach him a lesson.]

[Please proceed to the arena immediately and launch an attack on Pei Ji while he is in the middle of his match, ensuring you remain hidden.]

This plot point had finally arrived.

Ning Ning sat up groggily, running a hand through her messy hair.

This was the starting point of Pei Ji's rise to power, a very memorable scene from the original novel.

The Xuanxu Sword Sect's internal Grand Competition followed an elimination format. Since Pei Ji had defeated Ning Ning yesterday, he had to continue competing against other disciples today.

It was hard to say whether his luck was good or bad; his opponent this time turned out to be a personal disciple in the Golden Core Realm.

That disciple, named Chen Zhao, studied under Master Qingxu and possessed remarkable strength. Having witnessed the battle between Pei Ji and Ning Ning the day before, he knew better than to underestimate his opponent. To be safe, he even resorted to using hidden weapons.

—In the Sword Sect Grand Competition, hidden weapons were naturally forbidden.

However, his Soul-Seizing Nails were as thin as mosquito legs and emitted no detectable spiritual energy when deployed. Furthermore, the spectator stands were a great distance from the arena, so after he used them to severely wound Pei Ji, no one noticed the foul play.

Aside from this meddler, the original owner of the body was also doing her absolute best to stir up trouble.

The sword technique she specialized in was called Star Scatter, which emphasized strikes as swift as the wind and a sword momentum as dense as the stars. In short, it was fast, ruthless, and precise, catching enemies off guard with invisible, intangible strikes.

That's right, the original owner vividly demonstrated that there was no limit to how one could court death. While Pei Ji and Chen Zhao were competing, she used her sword intent to launch a sneak attack on him from behind.

Caught between the hidden weapons and the sword technique, Pei Ji had nowhere to hide. He was destined to be left on the brink of death, yet it was precisely in this desperate situation that he would find a new lease on life.

Thinking of this, Ning Ning got out of bed, dressed, and washed up in one fluid motion. As she picked up the Star Trace sword, she couldn't help but think: villains really are just tools meant to provide experience points for the protagonist. Confirmed.

Thanks to flying on her sword, she quickly arrived at Kaiyang Peak, where the tournament arena was located. The duel between Pei Ji and Chen Zhao was at its most thrilling, with blades flashing and shadows dancing across the stage.

The morning at Kaiyang Peak was wreathed in clouds and mist. Sunlight pierced through layers of white fog, descending with a sharp, imposing air like thousands of sword shadows—tangible yet traceless. Mists rolled and billowed across the mountain peaks, the shifting clouds resembling a thousand-mile gallery of ink-wash paintings, blurring into layers of watery hues.

To an ordinary observer, one could only see the fleeting afterimages of the two men on the stage. Sharp sword intent reflected a brilliant white light under the sun, and as their swords clashed, they sliced through the slow-moving fog like frost and snow drifting in the sky, accompanied by the silent roar of thunder.

Pei Ji, dressed in black, maintained an indifferent expression. As an obscure outer-sect disciple, he was surprisingly not at a disadvantage in the match. Seeing that Chen Zhao was beginning to falter, Ning Ning knew it was time for her to act.

She could see the movements of the two on stage with perfect clarity, and thus, she understood exactly when to strike.

Amidst the rising white mist, Ning Ning formed a seal with one hand and pressed it firmly toward the space behind Pei Ji.

Rain-Beating-Flower Technique, Swift Sword Without Trace.

Invisible sword intent descended accordingly. However, before Ning Ning could even form the smile that said, "This is all a tool character can do for you," the curve of her lips froze on her face.

Oh dear.

She wasn't yet proficient with the technique, and this sword intent...

It seemed to have gone astray.

Pei Ji quickly sensed the sword wind closing in on him.

Unlike the murderous, heavy sword intent of Chen Zhao, this wave of energy was light and agile, almost imperceptible. He was all too familiar with this sensation; it was the same female disciple from yesterday's match.

A low, gruff male voice buzzed in his mind, causing him to subconsciously knit his brows: "Damn it, someone is launching a sneak attack!"

This voice had resided within his body since birth; apart from Pei Ji, no one else could hear it.

The voice claimed to have once been a sword, but what its name was, or who its former master had been, remained a mystery—it had lost its memories.

If Ning Ning were to hear their conversation, she would surely say with realization: "Ah, so that's the voice of the Chengying Sword."

She, of course, knew of this voice.

Pei Ji was the reincarnation of an ancient Sword God, and his former sword, Chengying, had entered his body along with him. Unfortunately, too much time had passed, and his current strength was insufficient to wield the divine blade. Chengying's memories and power had been completely sealed, turning it into a nagging middle-aged uncle living inside the protagonist's head.

"This sword energy... it's definitely that female cultivator from yesterday."

Chengying let out a low, sharp scoff: "What exactly is she planning? I knew that woman was up to no good!"

Ning Ning's sword energy was as swift as lightning, carrying an unstoppable, fierce killing intent. Busy dealing with Chen Zhao, Pei Ji could only dodge to the side.

He didn't expect that the moment he revealed this brief opening, he would catch a glimpse of Chen Zhao's cold smirk and the slight movement of his fingertips.

The Soul-Seizing Nail was tiny and hard to discern. As it approached him silently, it emitted a chilling, sinister aura. With a wolf in front and a tiger behind, and Chen Zhao having predicted his movement, Pei Ji had nowhere to retreat.

He was destined to be hit by this strike today.

Chengying could no longer hold back, screaming frantically: "Damn that wretched woman! Just wait until I deal with you—"

Before the words could finish, a sudden change occurred.

The trajectory of the Rain-Beating-Flower Technique was not straight; instead, it veered toward the direction where Pei Ji was currently standing. It seemed the young girl had not been aiming for where he was standing before, but rather for this exact spot all along.