A sparring match

Qin Lian visited the Taibai Sword Sect, but did not continue on to the Qin Family's Dragon Abyss Mountain.

The party of over forty galloped back toward the Pure Yang Sword Sect.

The journey inevitably brought its share of jolting discomfort.

Compared with last time, however, Qin Lian's strength was now worlds apart. He had gained a little confidence in his ability to venture through this world, and his mindset was entirely different.

So much so that on the return journey, he could even spare some attention to admire the pristine, rustic scenery along the way.

The Three Pure Ones Temple was supremely domineering and had unified the Spirit Refining Realm, but it did devote itself wholeheartedly to harmonizing yin and yang and regulating the wind and rain.

In recent years, Great Shang had known no major disasters.

Yet though there were no natural calamities, man-made disasters never ceased.

Before the party even reached Dragon Lake Commandery, they had already seen refugees pouring into Jiangzhou from Yi Province, their families in tow.

Once they reached Dragon Lake Commandery, the refugees grew noticeably more numerous.

On the stretch between entering Dragon Lake Commandery and reaching Dragon Lake alone, Qin Lian saw no fewer than a thousand refugees.

As they passed Dragon Lake Commandery's capital, they encountered another tide of refugees numbering in the thousands.

Among these refugees, several dozen instantly caught Qin Lian's attention.

"Those are refugees?"

He looked toward the crowd.

The other refugees were sallow and emaciated, but those several dozen stood out like cranes among chickens to Qin Lian's keen eyes, even scattered among over a thousand refugees and deliberately disguised.

"There's something abnormal about these refugees from Yi Province. Someone is probably fanning the flames. The sect has already sent people to investigate. We'll soon know exactly what the enemy intends."

Xiao Hong spoke.

"What else could they intend?"

Qin Lian said bluntly, "They're simply mixing outlaws into the refugees and flooding Jiangzhou and Qing Province with them, disrupting order in both provinces and plunging them into chaos, then raising the banner of rebellion when conditions permit..."

History was full of such things.

Did none of the Pure Yang people study history?

Still, there was little use in saying more to Xiao Hong. He could only remind the sect master after returning to send disciples down the mountain and restore order as soon as possible.

A party composed of dozens of experts, all at least in the True Qi Realm, could go wherever they pleased within Jiangzhou, so long as they did not encounter regular troops numbering in the thousands.

The party returned to Shouyang Mountain without incident.

Unlike the commanderies bordering Yi Province, where signs of disorder were emerging, the foot of Shouyang Mountain remained a picture of peace and prosperity.

Farmers tilled the fields, children played among the trees, and cooking smoke curled into the air.

One glance at such scenery was enough to settle the heart involuntarily.

After taking in the sights for a while, Qin Lian finally ascended Shouyang Mountain and headed straight for Pure Yang Hall.

When he reached Pure Yang Hall, Sect Master Li Wangxu actually came out in person to welcome him.

Mu Xingchui, the master of the Merit Hall, stood beside him as well.

"Grandmaster Qin, thank you for your efforts on the journey. Hall Master Mu has already told me what happened at Heavenly Splendor Mountain. You truly gave us an enormous surprise."

Li Wangxu's face was wreathed in smiles.

The surprise he spoke of clearly referred to Qin Lian's attainment of Second Grade.

But since this matter remained secret, Liu Xu and the others who had accompanied him naturally took it as a reference to Qin Lian's astonishing feat of defeating "Jiang Heng."

Qin Lian did not point this out, merely replying with a smile, "You flatter me, Sect Master."

"Thank you all for your efforts as well."

Li Wangxu turned to Liu Xu and the others again. "Now that you've returned to the mountain, take some time to rest. The sect will assess your contributions and reward you accordingly."

"Thank you, Sect Master."

Liu Xu and the others also offered their respects.

After the two sides exchanged pleasantries, Liu Xu, the peak master of Cloudmist Peak, led the others away.

Once they had left, Li Wangxu immediately beckoned Qin Lian over. "Come! Let's spar a little! You could match Ye Yingxiong before attaining Divine Intent. Now that you've attained it, I can hardly wait to find out just how strong you've become."

Qin Lian considered it, then agreed.

"Then allow me to experience your skill, Sect Master."

If he remembered correctly, Li Wangxu stood twenty-second on the Grandmaster Heaven Ranking.

And ahead of him were fully seventeen consummate great grandmasters who had attained First Grade.

Although the Grandmaster Heaven Ranking covered only the major sects of the martial world, and each sect might have one or two hidden experts like him who were not listed, this ranking still showed that Li Wangxu was at least among the top thirty in the martial world.

By sparring with him, Qin Lian could also gauge precisely what level he had reached.

Li Wangxu took Qin Lian straight to the courtyard where Supreme Elder Song Huangting lived.

That was the Pure Yang Sword Sect's true secluded domain; even the peak masters were not entitled to enter and leave at will.

When they arrived, Song Huangting was standing at the entrance.

Seeing them approach, he seemed to know what they had come for and said with a smile, "Go ahead and fight. I'll stand by and oversee the match."

"Sorry for the trouble, Supreme Elder."

Li Wangxu offered his thanks.

Then he took out a specially made wooden sword and tossed it to Qin Lian. Holding an identical wooden sword himself, he extended an invitation. "Grandmaster Qin, please."

"Forgive my presumption, Sect Master."

Qin Lian cupped his hands.

Facing Li Wangxu, a long-established Second Grade Peak expert, he dared not be the slightest bit careless.

After all, even Ye Yingxiong ranked only twenty-fourth on the Grandmaster Heaven Ranking, two places below Li Wangxu.

"Supreme Elder, which of them do you think will gain the advantage?"

Mu Xingchui asked curiously.

"Qin Lian has clearly cultivated the Blood-Burning Sword Art to Peak Perfection, where skill approaches the Dao. It is immensely powerful in a life-and-death struggle, but he has only recently broken through to Divine Intent and has yet to make up for his shortcomings in every respect."

Song Huangting said, "Sect Master Li, on the other hand, has fought a hundred battles. Not only did he study at the Zhenwu Sect, he also went to the imperial capital to test his sword against the world. His knowledge is broad and his experience rich. His already perfected Great Void Sword Qi, supplemented by Nine Heavens Embracing the Moon... if it's only sparring, there's really no suspense in this match. The question is how long Qin Lian can keep attacking..."

Before he finished speaking, Qin Lian had already charged out.

His speed instantly made Mu Xingchui's heart jolt.

"What swift movement!? Is that... Chasing the Wind and Pursuing the Sun!?"

He was not the only one.

Song Huangting was astonished too. "Qin Lian's speed... something's wrong!"

In the arena.

Facing the man second only to Supreme Elder Song Huangting in the Pure Yang Sword Sect, Qin Lian immediately activated his [Swiftness] and [Swordsmanship] traits.

Whoosh!

Qin Lian's figure flickered.

With the two traits stacked together, his swordsmanship and movement reached extreme speed. Even Mu Xingchui had to concentrate to barely keep up.

Yet although he was fast, Li Wangxu was no slower.

Under Li Wangxu's execution, the Nine Heavens Embracing the Moon movement technique possessed an elusive grace, as though he were an immortal drifting through the air.

And with his keen Divine Intent and abundant experience, he seemed able to anticipate his opponent's moves.

Even though Qin Lian had also perfected Chasing the Wind and Pursuing the Sun and had the added boost of [Swiftness], he still could not gain the upper hand in speed.

As for swordsmanship...

Qin Lian's Great Void Sword Qi had yet to reach major mastery, but with the enhancement of [Swordsmanship], he could actually just about keep pace with Li Wangxu's perfected Great Void Sword Qi.

With their extraordinarily swift movements and rapid sword strikes, the two collided and exchanged no fewer than several hundred blows in an extremely brief span.

Sword Qi crisscrossed the air.

It whipped up a gale in Song Huangting's courtyard, setting the two spectators' robes snapping.

Stray bursts of Sword Qi tore sword marks into the flagstones and kicked up clouds of dust.

Yet the two spectators had no attention to spare for any of this, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on the two constantly shifting figures.

These fierce shifts and collisions continued for several dozen breaths before Li Wangxu suddenly laughed aloud.

"Face my Void-Heaven Sword!"

The next instant, a streak of sword light pierced forward from an inconceivable angle. Its speed and precisely directed force instantly shattered the wooden sword Qin Lian held before him to block!

After shattering the wooden sword, the blade drove straight onward without losing momentum, as though it would pierce Qin Lian's throat in the next instant.

Yet almost simultaneously, a broken section of that shattered wooden sword, infused with True Qi, shot toward Li Wangxu's brow as though alive.

Sword control!

Just as his wooden sword reached Qin Lian's throat and was stopped by his protective True Astral Qi, that broken blade was likewise smashed against Li Wangxu's protective True Astral Qi.

Bang!

Wood splinters flew.

This sparring match...

Had actually ended in mutual destruction.

And throughout the entire exchange...

Qin Lian had never once used [Blood Burning].