One Move

"How could you go somewhere so dangerous without a weapon at your side?" After thinking it over for a long time, Lin Xuan still bought a fine steel longsword. He also bought some body-tempering ointment.

After buying everything, Lin Xuan went to find Tang Yu, only to discover that she was confronting a young girl.

"What's going on?" Lin Xuan walked over to Tang Yu's side.

"Oh, you even brought along a pretty boy!" the girl opposite them said rudely.

"Tang Xiaoling, watch your mouth!" Tang Yu said angrily.

"What, am I not allowed to say it?" Tang Xiaoling sneered. "You're not that young anymore. It's about time someone arranged a marriage for you, lest you go around looking for men everywhere!"

"I think the Ding Family's second young master is quite good. I'll introduce him to you another day."

"You!" Tang Yu bared her teeth and brandished her claws, itching to pounce on her at once.

Fortunately, Lin Xuan stopped her. There were quite a few people on the other side, and he was afraid Tang Yu would suffer a loss. Moreover, he had more or less guessed the girl's identity. She was likely from the Tang Family as well. He was all too familiar with this kind of internal Lineage strife; back when he was in Sword Pool Prefecture, he had faced this sort of life every day.

"Since you think so highly of that second young master of the Ding Family, why don't you marry him yourself?" Lin Xuan said with a grin, pulling Tang Yu back.

"What did you say?" Tang Xiaoling's expression changed. "You're just a lowly outer disciple of the Profound Heaven Sect. Is there any place for you to speak here?"

As soon as Tang Xiaoling spoke, several youths behind her began to sneer as well. A Fourth Level of Meridian Condensation disciple actually dared to spout such wild words here. "Believe it or not, I can crush you to death with one hand!"

"You dare bully Xiaoling? Apologize now, or we'll make you crawl out of here!"

There was no need to guess; these youths were certainly Tang Xiaoling's followers. Rage burned in their eyes, and they could not wait to duel Lin Xuan.

"You want to make a move? Just you lot?" Lin Xuan said calmly, looking utterly casual, as though he did not take them seriously at all.

"Hmph! Tang Yu, your taste really is terrible. You actually found such an idiot! A little Spirit Warrior at the Fourth Level of Meridian Condensation dares challenge our Purple Cloud Sect?" Tang Xiaoling snorted.

"If you've got the guts, then fight! He alone can beat ten of you! Little shrimps like the ones behind you, he can deal with them with one hand!" Tang Yu said, waving her little fists.

Tang Yu's praise made Lin Xuan feel exceedingly pleased. He examined the group opposite them one by one. They wore purple robes, with an auspicious cloud embroidered on their sleeves—the symbol of the Purple Cloud Sect.

Like the Profound Heaven Sect, the Purple Cloud Sect was one of Cloud Province's three great sects, a hegemon in its own right. He simply did not know why disciples of the Purple Cloud Sect had come near the Profound Heaven Sect.

Feeling Lin Xuan's gaze, the Purple Cloud Sect disciples glared back, their eyes full of provocation. Lin Xuan did not care. Their strength was indeed decent, all of them around Meridian Condensation Stage Five, but just as Tang Yu had said, they posed no threat at all.

"I just bought a weapon. Who wants to come up?" Lin Xuan rested the longsword on his shoulder, looking wild and unrestrained.

"Hmph, idiot!" Tang Xiaoling sneered. She did not believe that a little Spirit Warrior at the Fourth Level of Meridian Condensation could defeat the people beside her.

"You're asking for death, so I'll grant you your wish!" A purple-robed youth stepped out from behind Tang Xiaoling. He was rather handsome.

"Sorry, fighting is forbidden in the Myriad Treasures Pavilion!" Just as the purple-robed youth was about to strike, a steward swiftly stepped in to stop the conflict.

The purple-robed youth was vexed, but he did not dare lay a hand on anyone from the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. He could only say coldly, "If you're a man, come outside!"

Lin Xuan shrugged and walked out with Tang Yu. The Purple Cloud Sect disciples all wore cold smiles. To them, defeating a Fourth Level of Meridian Condensation disciple would take only moments.

"You? And you dare use a sword?" The purple-robed youth laughed disdainfully. "Let me show you what swordsmanship is!"

Flying Feather Sword Technique! The purple-robed youth swept out with his sword, forming a purple halo in the air. Strands of purple Sword Qi transformed into feathers and flew toward Lin Xuan.

"Excellent swordsmanship!" the Purple Cloud Sect disciples behind him shouted. These people might seem arrogant, but they were not foolish at all. The person they had sent out was the one among them with the finest swordsmanship.

They were arrogant on the surface, yet when they acted, they sent out their strongest fighter. They truly were a sinister bunch of youths.

The smile remained on Lin Xuan's face. He did not make a move until the sword light reached him.

Activating Shadowstep, Lin Xuan took one step and appeared directly before the purple-robed youth. The fine steel sword in his hand thrust out like lightning, striking precisely at his weakness.

Clang!

Everyone saw only a flash of white light. Then the purple-robed youth's sword flew from his hand and landed slanted in the ground, while the youth himself stared at Lin Xuan in terror, panic written across his face.

One move. Just one move, and he had been defeated!

"Impossible!" Tang Xiaoling's beautiful eyes widened round as she cried out. The youths behind her looked even worse, their faces as dark as could be. When they looked at Lin Xuan now, there was a trace of fear in their eyes.

"Who else wants to make a move?" Lin Xuan sheathed his sword and asked calmly.

His tall, slender figure stood in white robes fluttering in the wind, his black hair cascading like a waterfall, his body brimming with vigorous vitality.

No one dared answer.

Many young girls nearby looked toward Lin Xuan. A youth like him was the kind they admired. Even Tang Yu's little face was flushed red with excitement as she waved her small fists and cheered at his side.

Tang Xiaoling's face darkened. She cursed under her breath, but her eyes remained unconvinced. "Senior Brother Ding is nearby. Wait until you defeat him before getting so proud!"

With that, she left with a dark expression.

"Feeling better now?" Lin Xuan turned and asked Tang Yu.

"Mm, especially good!" Tang Yu smiled like a little fox.

"Let's go. I'll take you back," Lin Xuan said.

Tang Yu rolled her eyes at him. "Exploring. Are you going or not?"

"No time." Lin Xuan refused. He still had to go to the Demon Pit.

"Hmph, coward. How boring! You can go back. I'll go to the Demon Pit myself!" Tang Yu huffed.

"What? You're going to the Demon Pit?" This time, Lin Xuan was shocked. "What are you going there for? It's so dangerous!"

Tang Yu tilted her head and glanced at him. "You don't know? Some strange stones have appeared around the outskirts of the Demon Pit. They are said to have been blown out from the depths of Taihang Mountain. Many disciples in the sect have gone there—even inner disciples have been alerted."

Damn it! Lin Xuan cursed inwardly. Everyone already knew. What the hell was there left for him to do?

"Little Xuan, hurry up, or you won't even get a sip of the soup!" Wine Lord urged in his mind.

"It's too dangerous. I'll go take a look. You should go back instead," Lin Xuan advised. Bringing her along would be far too inconvenient.

"Don't worry. Everyone from the Battle Group will be going, and my brother will be going too. I'll be perfectly safe." Tang Yu patted her modestly developed chest.

"Your brother?" Lin Xuan drew a deep breath. Tang Yu's brother was an inner disciple expert. If even someone of that level had been alerted, could something extraordinary truly be about to emerge?

"Wine Lord, do you know where those stones came from? Why have they attracted so many people?" Lin Xuan asked inwardly.