You've Taken Your First Step

The surging arc of Sword Qi hurtled straight toward Bai Tang's face.

Yet Bai Tang remained languid, seemingly having no intention of dodging.

Even with his absolute trust in her, actually watching it happen made Jiang Yang's heart leap into his throat.

Fortunately, Bai Tang flickered aside at the last moment. The pine and cypress behind her, however, suffered for it. The keen Sword Qi sliced across their thick trunks, and they toppled with a crack.

The cuts were remarkably smooth, wisps of bluish smoke rising from their surfaces—a characteristic of this blazing white Sword Qi.

Bai Tang was not satisfied. She appeared beside Jiang Yang like a phantom and scolded him:

"Why did you hesitate?"

"Do you think this is children playing, taking turns back and forth, giving up when one strike misses? A Sword Cultivator's sword must be sharp. You must be ruthless, decisive, and dare to kill!"

Jiang Yang had no answer to her rebuke and could only take it. He was, after all, a fledgling who could not yet put himself into the mindset of fighting someone to the death, and he struggled to adjust to the rhythm of combat.

Bai Tang stared into Jiang Yang's eyes.

"Again! This time, I want you to come at me with the determination to kill me."

Then she lowered her pale hand and casually crooked a finger toward the ground. A strand of root immediately broke through the soil, coiling around her fingertips and growing unchecked. It twisted and knotted, forming a strange, spiraling Vine Sword in the blink of an eye.

Bai Tang closed her hand around it, and the remaining roots instantly withdrew. With the sword's tip angled toward the ground, she said:

"I'll keep my strength equal to yours. Come."

Jiang Yang tightened his grip on