At those words, the faintest curve lifted the corner of Ye Feng's mouth. He stood unmoving, yet the sword in his hand had silently slid half an inch from its sheath. A clear hum rang out as blade brushed sheath, and a phantom chrysanthemum seemed to flash along the spine of the blade before vanishing.
He raised his eyes to Xia Yimian, his gaze calm and unruffled. "I wouldn't presume to offer instruction. Miss Xia, please make your move."
Before his words had faded, a faint chrysanthemum fragrance had spread around him. At first, the scent was delicate and refined, but beneath it lay a barely perceptible sharpness, as though countless invisible petals were silently gathering, poised to strike.
Xia Yimian drew a light breath and unsheathed her divine sword. Soft yet resilient divine light flowed along its blade. Her moves unfolded like flowing clouds and water, three thousand overlapping sword shadows seemingly intent on sealing off all the space around Ye Feng.
Facing this airtight assault, Ye Feng remained as straight and tall as a pine. His sword finally left its sheath completely, and a brilliant sword light erupted. Rather than fierce, brutal power, it carried a crisp elegance.
Where the sword light passed, those seemingly intricate sword shadows melted away layer by layer like snow beneath the sun, leaving only a few illusory chrysanthemum petals wheeling gracefully within the light.
Xia Yimian's heart tightened. She had not expected his seemingly ordinary strike to possess such power to unravel her attack. She hurriedly changed her moves, her sword force accelerating sharply as she sought to overwhelm his slowness with speed and find an opening.
"Endless Summer Dream-Chasing Sword, Great Dream Opens the Heavenly River!"
Xia Yimian cried out, her sword force abruptly becoming tender and lingering, yet concealing a