Zhang Yunlu Tests Her Sword Against Chi Jiuyu

Zhang Yunlu rattled off Chi Jiuyu's list of achievements as if she were counting her own family treasures.

Among the younger generation, she was truly a legendary existence; across the entire Central Continent, there were only a handful of peers who could even be mentioned in the same breath as her.

Moreover, her origins were incredibly mysterious. People only knew she hailed from the Sword Sect and possessed extraordinary talent, but as for who her master was, absolutely no one knew.

Chi Jiuyu hadn't expected to find a fan of hers here. She turned to look at Xu Xing, wanting to show off a little in front of her Martial Uncle.

"I didn't realize you were quite so famous." Xu Xing didn't dampen her spirits, following her lead with a remark.

Hearing this, she produced a folding fan from who knows where, snapped it open with a clack, and fanned herself gently before saying with feigned "modesty," "Actually, there are quite a few talented people among my opponents, but they're still a bit lacking compared to me."

Her eyes were filled with undisguised smugness.

Because she had changed clothes after returning, she was wearing an orange T-shirt, denim shorts, and flip-flops. Combined with her current posture, she looked like a retired cadre—quite abstract.

Zhang Yunlu: "..."

Could she have possibly misidentified her?

"That works out perfectly. Why don't you spar with this fan of yours and see how it goes?" Xu Xing said with a smile.

Mystic Sword City was too small. The reason he had let Chi Jiuyu come down was precisely to let Zhang Yunlu witness what a true heaven-gifted prodigy looked like.

"You even know the word 'fan'? You're integrating pretty quickly, Martial Uncle." Chi Jiuyu put away her fan and stood up. "But wouldn't this be a bit like bullying her? Plus, it's too cramped here."

"You don't need to worry about that."

Snap!

Accompanied by the sound of a finger snap, the two of them watched as the surrounding scenery began to recede.

In an instant, Xu Xing became a tiny dot in the distance, while the newly expanded space was vast and white, as if it had been forcibly inserted into the world, or as if space itself had been pulled wide open.

Distance as the Ends of the Earth?

Just like the Great Primordial Qi Capture, this was a highly renowned Great Divine Ability.

An opponent she had encountered during the Immortal Sect Grand Competition had once used it, and they had managed to stall her for over half an hour by relying on it.

But to think this ability could be used in such a way—and the scale of her Martial Uncle's version was simply too exaggerated!

"This size is enough for you two to mess around in." The voice she heard remained the same as before, as if Xu Xing were still sitting in his original spot. "As for your cultivation realm..."

The next moment, Chi Jiuyu felt her Nascent Soul mana continuously degrade and drop. In the blink of an eye, it regressed to Golden Core mana. Even at this point, it didn't stop; soon, the characteristics of her mana vanished, leaving only pure Foundation Establishment true essence. Finally, the true essence slowly thinned until it became spiritual energy at the level of the ninth layer of Qi Refining.

Falling alongside her mana was her physical constitution, which had been no less than that of a Nascent Soul body cultivator.

"Ninth layer. Just right."

Chi Jiuyu wasn't panicked; on the contrary, she was quite curious.

What kind of divine ability was this?

Was it Words Manifesting the Law?

She clenched her fist, feeling a frailty she had never experienced before, then looked at Zhang Yunlu and drew a sword, giving it a wave.

"Come on then!"

She really wanted to fight?

And against Chi Jiuyu, no less?!

Gulp.

Zhang Yunlu felt her heart beating much faster than usual, but for some reason, she wasn't afraid at all—instead, she felt a sense of anticipation.

Such an opportunity was far too rare.

After retreating a certain distance, she took her sword from her storage ring; the chill radiating from the hilt helped calm her mood.

Taking a deep breath, she said earnestly, "Please, enlighten me."

"Come on, come on!" Chi Jiuyu appeared quite relaxed. "You strike first."

"Understood."

Almost the moment the words left her lips, she and her sword lunged toward Chi Jiuyu. As she reached close range, the blade suddenly vanished.

This sword technique is truly insidious. I'll have to learn it from Martial Uncle later.

Clang!

Chi Jiuyu gave a casual wave, easily parrying the blade that had reappeared.

Zhang Yunlu wasn't discouraged. She retreated and slashed out three sword beams, only for them to be easily dodged.

"My master once said that a sword cultivator must have their own style. One cannot blindly follow sword forms; being too obsessed with rules and frameworks prevents one from becoming an excellent sword cultivator."

While she spoke, her sword remained in pursuit of Zhang Yunlu, the tip hovering three inches from the center of her brow.

No matter how Zhang Yunlu retreated or dodged, the distance never changed.

After backing away for dozens of meters, every time she tried to swing her sword to deflect the attack, Chi Jiuyu seemed to possess foresight. With just a flick of her own blade, she easily blocked Zhang Yunlu's sword.

She couldn't even manage to launch a sword beam; the moment she tried to output even a little spiritual energy, it was easily interrupted by Chi Jiuyu's seemingly casual strikes.

At this moment, she realized the gap between them, even though Chi Jiuyu was only a few years older than her.

Her emotions surged, but they quickly settled into calm.

I cannot go on like this, I must risk it all!

Having made her decision, she swung her sword at Chi Jiuyu once more, only for it to be blocked as expected.

But this time, Zhang Yunlu did not retreat; instead, she stepped forward, allowing the blade sliding off her own sword to strike her shoulder.

Oh?

Chi Jiuyu saw that Zhang Yunlu's eyes were incredibly calm, yet upon closer inspection, one could detect a trace of deeply hidden madness.

Chi Jiuyu was somewhat surprised.

"That is enough. You are indeed well-suited to be a sword cultivator."

As the voice reached her ears, Zhang Yunlu felt her vision blur, a sharp pain struck the back of her neck, and she instantly lost consciousness, falling forward.

For this final move, Chi Jiuyu had finally gotten a bit serious, circling behind her to knock her out with the hilt of her sword.

She reached out to catch the falling Zhang Yunlu: "Alright, Martial Uncle, we are finished!"

As this was called out, the vast white space began to shrink, the distant scenery rapidly drew near, and everything returned to how it had been at the start.

Xu Xing tapped his fingers lightly on the table: "Give me an assessment."

"Hmm..." Chi Jiuyu first helped the unconscious Zhang Yunlu lie down on a chair, "She is indeed well-suited for the sword."

She was not only ruthless to her enemies but also ruthless to herself.

According to that old man from the Sword Enforcement Hall, such people were born killers; it was just that the world was too peaceful nowadays, so many such talents remained buried.

"However, once she reaches Foundation Establishment, if we send her to the Starry Sky Battlefield for some tempering, she could become a fine sword cultivator."

Chi Jiuyu was quite serious about such matters.

After all, her goal was the position of the next Sword Sect leader, and naturally, the more talent she had under her command, the better.

"Martial Uncle, you will let her join the Sword Sect, right?"

"It depends on her own wishes."

Then there would be no problem; a person like that could not possibly refuse to join the Sword Sect.

"However, there is a Dao Integration practitioner from the Supreme Dao Sect who also seems interested in taking her as a disciple."

Bang!

Chi Jiuyu slammed her palm onto the table; although she controlled her strength, she still nearly flipped it over.

"The Supreme Dao Sect? Which bastard dares to snatch someone the Sword Sect has set its sights on!"

Having just had three accounts blacklisted, she got angry the moment she heard the words Supreme Dao Sect.

"What, are you planning to go and cause trouble for a Dao Integration practitioner?"

"Of course not." She was not arrogant enough to go that far, "Isn't that what you are here for, Martial Uncle? Would you really just watch a Dao Integration practitioner from another sect bully someone from our own?"

"The Supreme Dao Sect and the Sword Sect have been on good terms for generations. Do you think I would go and bully a junior?"

Among the former six Immortal Sects, the Supreme Dao Sect and the Sword Sect had the best relationship.

Perhaps some cultivators within the two sects had their frictions, but the fact that the two sects were on good terms would never change.