"A Ke, you're amazing." Zhuang Yusheng waved. "Looks like I'd better hurry and catch up, or I won't even feel confident telling you I like you again."
Ning Ke laughed.
If Zhuang Yusheng knew his true identity, he would know that being able to hold his own against him at Zhuang Yusheng's age was already damned impressive.
Meanwhile, in the stands, Hong Yao frowned in thought.
Her mastery of talismans was considerable.
That was why she kept feeling that she had seen the five-meter-tall talisman Ning Ke had formed at the end somewhere before.
But no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't quite remember.
After this match, Ning Ke took second place, while Zhuang Yusheng ranked third.
That left the final match to Ning Ke and Lou Yunxiao.
It would also be the Sword Sect's moment in the spotlight.
The spectators rubbed their hands together, buzzing with excitement.
"The Sword Sect's young disciples this year are all incredible! Lou Yunxiao made it this far even though he's blind. How could anyone not admire him?"
"That disciple called A Ke is the strongest, okay? He can use a sword, draw talismans, and he's mastered array formations! At this point, I'd believe you if you told me he could refine pills too!"
"Who do you think will win? How about a bet?"
"Sure, sure! I'm betting on A Ke!"
"I'm betting on Lou Yunxiao!"
By now, Lou Yunxiao had calmed down considerably.
After he took a pill, his wounds had stopped bleeding.
He raised his hand, and Ning Ke took it of his own accord.
"Senior brother, let's go up together."
Lou Yunxiao paused in surprise.
Then he tightened his grip on Ning Ke's hand.
The two stepped onto the platform.
He heard Ning Ke say, "Senior brother, don't hold back this time."
"I know."
They summoned their swords.
Pale Silver and Red Cloud appeared together, and even the sky seemed to change color.
The atmosphere throughout the Arena grew heavy.
"The divine swords haven't appeared in ten thousand years..." Abbot Wujue tapped his staff against the ground and glanced at the sky, where thunder faintly rumbled. "And now they've chosen two youngsters. Do they truly think these two can stand against the great demon?"
"All things have their destined course," Gao Ze said. "Everything is the will of Heaven's Way."
On the platform, Ning Ke's expression grew utterly serious.
On his first mission, he had saved Lou Yunxiao from a position high above him, tempering his will.
Only on this second mission had he interacted with the male lead as an equal.
And this time, he had discovered many admirable qualities in Lou Yunxiao.
He was a friend, a rival, and someone Ning Ke quietly admired.
Watching someone like him keep improving made Ning Ke genuinely happy.
Clang-
Their swords collided, their terrifying sword energy canceling each other out.
The platform beneath their feet cracked inch by inch.
"If you won't move, I'll make you." Ning Ke smiled, his sword targeting Lou Yunxiao's vital points while he laid formations beneath his feet. They directly disrupted Lou Yunxiao's tai chi-like footwork, forcing him to follow Ning Ke's rhythm and meet every strike.
Ning Ke laid formations far too quickly.
He could even combine them.
They assaulted Lou Yunxiao from the front, back, and both sides.
Walls of ice rose to counter his momentum. Lou Yunxiao's sword, imbued with sword intent, broke through obstacle after obstacle and shot straight toward Ning Ke's face, only for the Red Cloud Sword to intercept it instantly.
The sword intent severed Ning Ke's hairpin.
His ink-black hair spilled loose, dancing in the wind.
The Music Sect disciples below stared, spellbound.
"Damn, A Ke is gorgeous! I want to fight Senior Brother Zhuang for him!"
"I'm going to confess to him too!"
"Me too, me too..."
As the Music Sect disciples chattered, they looked up and found Zhuang Yusheng glaring at them.
"What did you say you were going to do?"
"No, no, no! We're not doing anything!"
Only then did Zhuang Yusheng let them off.
The fierce battle continued on the platform.
Lou Yunxiao truly held nothing back.
Every stroke carried powerful sword intent that swept across heaven and earth.
The silk ribbon over his eyes was blown down beneath them, revealing a pair of gray-blue eyes.
He "looked" at Ning Ke with intense concentration.
He knew perfectly well that he couldn't see, but ever since his junior brother had complimented his beautiful eyes, he had changed.
Lou Yunxiao gazed at Ning Ke like this every day.
Under that gaze, Ning Ke felt inexplicably uneasy.
He pushed off the ground and retreated. When the Pale Silver Sword pursued him, he bent backward to dodge it.
His supple waist formed a graceful arch above the ground.
Once he had retreated to a safe distance, he pushed off again and flew up onto a pillar of the platform.
He stood firmly, his eyes curved in a foxlike smile.
"Senior brother, here's a big gift for you."
The moment his words fell-
Crack, crack, crack-
Bang, bang, bang-
Boom-
The formations and talismans he had laid at some unknown point blasted the platform to pieces amid hundreds of explosions.
For a moment, dust, smoke, sand, and rubble filled the entire Arena.
The spectators below: "..."
"They really are fellow disciples, right?"
"Do they have some private grudge?"
"Isn't this a little too vicious?"
The Music Sect disciples who had wanted to confess to Ning Ke all turned to Zhuang Yusheng and gave their senior brother a thumbs-up.
"You can keep this blessing for yourself, senior brother. We definitely won't fight you for him!"
Zhuang Yusheng: "..."
Meanwhile, Ning Ke stood sword in hand atop the sole remaining pillar, narrowing his eyes as he watched for movement in the ruins.
The next instant, a glimmer of silver appeared.
Ning Ke's lips curved upward. He blocked the strike and landed among the ruins, then saw Lou Yunxiao with his clothes torn and his hair disheveled. Though bedraggled, he hadn't lost his composure.
The long match had consumed an enormous amount of spiritual energy.
In truth, neither he nor Lou Yunxiao had much strength left.
After another hundred exchanges, Pale Silver and Red Cloud came to rest at their throats simultaneously.
Amid the crowd's cries, the match ended in a draw.
They put away their swords and supported each other as they walked down from the ruins.
Ning Ke smiled. "Senior brother, that move of mine left you covered in dust and looking such a mess. You're not angry with me, are you?"
"I'm not angry." Lou Yunxiao gently tightened the arm around Ning Ke's waist. "You're amazing."
Ning Ke thought nothing of the gesture. He touched his disheveled hair again and said, "Oh, right. Your sword intent cut through my hairpin. You owe me a new one."
Lou Yunxiao paused, then a hint of a smile unexpectedly spread across his lips.
He said, "All right. I'll replace it."
"When we go out to the shops later, pick whichever hairpin you like."
Before you continue