But whether Lin Ke agreed or not, this duel offered him little benefit.
If he agreed, even a victory would add little to his fame. But if he lost, he would become a complete laughingstock.
The eighth-ranked disciple on the Genius Ranking, defeated by a nameless disciple-how many people would laugh their teeth out when word spread?
And if he refused, people would think he was avoiding battle out of fear, dealing a heavy blow to his reputation.
Just as everyone waited for Lin Ke to decide, Shi Ping rose from behind him first and stepped in front of him:
"Brother Lin needn't personally deal with you. Let me test your mettle instead."
As he spoke, he leaped onto the platform in a few strides, then drew a longsword and pointed it at Bai Ruolan:
"As it happens, I know a little swordsmanship too. This is a perfect chance to exchange pointers with you, Brother Bai."
Bai Ruolan frowned and glanced at Qu Binli below the platform.
Qu Binli was frowning as well.
Bai Ruolan was no weakling. Qu Binli had specifically selected him from the disciples of Azure Lightning Peak to compete against Lin Ke in the way of the sword.
After all, among those around Lin Ke, only Huang Fuqi had attained any mastery in swordsmanship. As far as Qu Binli remembered, none of the others even knew how to wield a sword.
If Bai Ruolan competed against Lin Ke in swordsmanship, Qu Binli would have an excuse regardless of whether he won or lost.
But now, where had this sword-wielding Shi Ping suddenly sprung from?
After some thought, he signaled Bai Ruolan with his eyes, telling him to deal with the man before him first.
Receiving Qu Binli's signal, Bai Ruolan hesitated no longer. His gaze sharpened,