"Damn you!"
Although Chun Xiaobai was in a daze, his attention had remained locked on the fellow the entire time.
It was a good habit he had cultivated over all these years!
He was just about to give him another blow when a cool breeze suddenly swept past his eyes. Elder Gu appeared between them again, casually catching Zhao Wuyuan's thrusting sword between two fingers.
His gaze, however, turned toward Chun Xiaobai, his face full of approval as he said:
"The outcome is decided. There's no need to continue."
"What?!"
Everyone around them was startled by those words.
Though he had not explicitly named the winner or loser, anyone with eyes could see that Senior Brother Zhao, their pride and joy, had actually lost to this unknown Chun Xiaobai.
And it had taken only a single sword strike!
"Elder Gu... I!" Zhao Wuyuan tried to say more.
But Gu Changfeng suddenly raised a hand to stop him.
"Both of you did well."
"You excelled in your steady control of Sword Momentum, while Chun Xiaobai excelled in his blade... swordsmanship, which has already reached the pinnacle of perfection."
"What?!"
At those words, everyone's breath caught, as though an invisible hand had seized them by the throat.
The pinnacle of perfection!
That was not a realm just anyone could reach!
Reaching the pinnacle of perfection meant that one's understanding and application of a discipline had transcended the bounds of "technique" and touched the threshold of "intent."
In other words, had Chun Xiaobai already formed his own sword intent?
In the entire Azure Cloud Sect's Outer Sect, the people who had formed their own sword intent over the past hundred years could be counted on one hand.
And Zhao Wuji had already been the disciple closest to forming sword intent. Who would have imagined that Chun Xiaobai had actually formed his own and was only revealing it now?
In truth, Gu Changfeng had deliberately understated it.
If he had directly revealed that Chun Xiaobai had already formed a "blade soul,"...
Talent of that caliber would inevitably shake the entire upper echelon of the Azure Cloud Sect.
But he could tell that Chun Xiaobai was the sort of unruly, defiant troublemaker who refused to submit to discipline.
Exposing him too early to the storm's fury would either see him forcibly recruited by certain factions or suppressed as a threat. Neither would be good.
Of course, most importantly, if this brat wanted to show off, he would probably have revealed it himself long ago, rather than waiting until today, when Gu Changfeng forced him onto the stage and left him no choice but to show his hand.
Seeing all those envious, jealous, feverish eyes around him... Chun Xiaobai felt a little overwhelmed by the attention, and delight began bubbling up inside him.
"I... was I really this powerful?"
Oh, my, my, my! Don't look at me, the Great King, like that, or my head really will float into the clouds!
"All right, off you go." Gu Changfeng waved his hand, dispersing the crowd.
Zhao Wuyuan shot Chun Xiaobai a vicious glare. His lips moved, but in the end, no sound came out, and he turned to leave.
Chun Xiaobai happened to catch that unconvinced look.
This brat still doesn't seem willing to admit defeat!
Chun Xiaobai immediately raised his guard.
He could clearly sense that if this fellow used spiritual energy, he would be no match for him in his current state.
Right!
When I got whacked on the head just now, why did it feel as though the founding patriarch had possessed me?
What on earth was going on?
"Senior Brother Chun, I never imagined you were a hidden swordsmanship genius!" Fang Yuan rushed over excitedly and threw an arm around his shoulders, cutting off his thoughts.
"Mm, you flatter me, you flatter me." Chun Xiaobai waved a hand nonchalantly, carrying himself like a "great king."
Bai Jin'er also gazed at Chun Xiaobai with admiration, stars sparkling in her eyes. She even felt some regret over her earlier rashness.
How could I have mistaken such an impressive senior brother for an Odd-Job Disciple?
I really had no eye for people.
Chun Xiaobai noticed that many of the looks directed his way had already shifted from envy to fervent adoration. Some bolder female disciples were even pushing their way toward him.
He hurriedly tugged Fang Yuan along and whispered, "Let's go!"
With my current identity, I can't afford to become famous!
If my cover gets blown, how am I supposed to pull off a big score in the Azure Cloud Sect?
Under the crowd's envious gazes, a path opened on its own for the three of them.
A short while later.
The three arrived at the foot of Green Bamboo Peak. Wu Liang and the female disciple guarding the entrance spotted them and raised their hands in a respectful fist-and-palm salute while they were still far away.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Chun! Senior Brother Fang! Junior Sister Bai!"
"Mm." Chun Xiaobai nodded calmly, looking at the two with an expressionless face, though his palms were already slick with sweat.
"Please go ahead, senior brothers and Senior Sister!"
Hearing that, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Sure enough, a familiar face works wonders. They don't even need to check my identity token.
Only after watching the three leave with a face full of smiles did Wu Liang turn to stop the others and begin checking their identities one by one.
Someone nearby asked curiously, "Hey, Senior Brother Wu, haven't you heard yet?"
"That Senior Brother Chun just defeated Zhao Wuyuan, a swordsmanship genius ranked in the top ten, with a single strike in the Martial Arts Arena!"
"What?!"
Hearing the news, Wu Liang sucked in a breath of cold air and immediately thanked Fang Yuan and eight generations of his ancestors in his heart.
Damn, he actually introduced me to such a golden thigh to cling to!
Having my belongings stolen wasn't such a bad deal after all!
"Senior Brother Chun, we'll be relying entirely on you for guidance in swordsmanship from now on!"
Along the way, Fang Yuan kept buttering him up, stopping just short of dropping to his knees on the spot.
As Bai Jin'er gazed at Chun Xiaobai's profile, the admiration in her eyes never faded.
She, too, had never imagined that the senior brother who had given her a Foundation Establishment Pill was someone who could rank among the top hundred on Green Bamboo Peak.
Whatever they said, Chun Xiaobai simply kept nodding to humor them.
At that moment, he was too hungry to muster any strength and could not be bothered to discuss so much with them.
Now that he had recovered from that blow to his forehead, he felt so hungry that it was making him frantic,
As though he had gone three days and nights without eating, then gone off to carry a hundred loads of water, leaving his belly feeling plastered against his spine.
As the three walked on, Bai Jin'er suddenly stopped and said with some reluctance,
"Senior brothers, I'll take my leave here."
Chun Xiaobai glanced at the densely packed cave residences on the left and understood that the young woman's residence was here at the foot of the mountain.
He looked at the ingratiating Fang Yuan, then at Bai Jin'er, whose eyes were full of admiration.
This young woman was still the more reliable starting point for solving his cultivation problem.
After all, she was his guide on the path of immortal cultivation and already knew his identity. Every additional person who knew meant another measure of danger.
So he immediately spoke.
"Well... Junior Sister Bai, I still have some spare pills in my cave residence. Leaving them there would only be a waste."
"If you don't mind, come with me and take them all."
"Ah!!!"
Bai Jin'er froze at first, then her pretty face instantly flushed crimson.
The sun was almost setting, and Senior Brother Chun was actually inviting me to his cave residence... his intentions couldn't be more obvious!
Fang Yuan knew his chance to prove himself had arrived and hurriedly gave Bai Jin'er a nudge.
"Junior Sister Bai, just go."
"Senior Brother Chun is a swordsmanship genius rarely seen in the sect. A few casual pointers from him would be worth more than a dozen years of fumbling around on your own."
"Well... I..." Bai Jin'er stammered, at a loss for what to do.
Seeing her so conflicted, Chun Xiaobai was baffled too.
I'm giving you pills for free, and you're still making that face?
Bai Jin'er stole a glance at Chun Xiaobai. Seeing that his eyes were clear and did not seem to be feigning anything, she finally gritted her teeth and agreed.
"Then... all right!"
I hope... Senior Brother Chun isn't the sort of person I'm imagining.
Before you continue