A Long Sword Hides Its Edge: Wu Pingjian

Qin Yi returned to his room and continued watching the matches. His duel with Ye Qing could hardly be called a fight; at most, it had been a warm-up. He was waiting for a genius who could make him fight with all his strength.

The numbers on the screen of light in the sky kept changing. After several matches, another number in the top ten finally appeared: number three, against number twenty-two.

"Number three? That's the prince's disciple, Wu Pingjian, right?"

"No way. The prince's disciple is up already?"

Cheers erupted throughout the arena as Wu Pingjian appeared. Qin Yi finally grew serious at the sight of him. Wu Pingjian struck him as plain and unassuming, with a deeply honest manner. Unlike the Prince of Heavenly Sea, whose sharp edge was on full display, Wu Pingjian kept his edge hidden in its sheath.

The palms of Wu Pingjian's opponent were sweating. He was a local cultivator of Heavenly Sea City, and he knew that Wu Pingjian might not draw his sword, but once his longsword left its sheath, it would be stained with blood.

Wu Pingjian walked into the arena, took his sword in hand, and said to number twenty-two, "Today, you decide whether this longsword leaves its sheath."

Number twenty-two swallowed with difficulty, then finally put down the saber in his hand and chose to surrender. As soon as he did, boos filled the arena, the crowd making no attempt to hide their mockery.

Qin Yi took a sip of tea. This Wu Pingjian was interesting. Since he kept his longsword sheathed, he was probably cultivating some kind of sword-nurturing technique. Song Qi had once warned Qin Yi that sword cultivators were arguably the most troublesome of all cultivators. They cultivated offense rather than defense, their moves were fierce, and murderous intent lay in every step, all for the sake of taking their enemy's life.

Many practiced the sword, but not all of them were worthy of being called sword cultivators. Wu Pingjian's appearance had kindled Qin Yi's fighting spirit. Spear against sword-he looked forward to fighting Wu Pingjian in the end.

As time passed, the screen of light in the sky changed again. When the numbers appeared, cries of surprise rang out across the arena, and a faint smile appeared on Qin Yi's face.

Number three, number six.

Wu Pingjian entered the arena again. His opponent was Sun Xing, the young master of a prominent family in Heavenly Sea City. He was also a sword cultivator.

As soon as Sun Xing entered, he called out to Wu Pingjian, "Brother Wu, you spend all day cultivating diligently in the prince's residence, but tales of you have spread throughout Heavenly Sea City. You reached Foundation Establishment at twenty-two and received the prince's true teachings at twenty-three. You've even been called the foremost member of Heavenly Sea City's younger generation, its number one sword cultivator."

"Today, I, Sun Xing, ask you to instruct me."

With that, Sun Xing drew his longsword, its blade glinting coldly. Seeing Wu Pingjian's impassive expression and that he had not even drawn his sword, Sun Xing sneered. "Underestimating your enemy isn't a good sign." He flicked his longsword, conjuring countless streaks of Sword Qi that shot toward Wu Pingjian.

Seeing Sun Xing attack, Wu Pingjian raised an eyebrow and lifted his sheathed longsword above his head. The Sword Qi shattered when it came within a zhang of him. By then, Sun Xing had already rushed up to him and spun his longsword into a beautiful flourish, but Wu Pingjian easily dodged it.

Sun Xing then struck rapidly, exchanging several moves with Wu Pingjian, but Wu Pingjian easily countered them all. From beginning to end, the longsword in Wu Pingjian's hand never left its sheath.

"If you still won't draw your sword, don't blame me for showing no mercy." Seeing how little Wu Pingjian thought of him, Sun Xing grew somewhat angry.

Watching from the raised platform, Qin Yi could not help shaking his head. Sun Xing was too impulsive. His opponent had yet to lose his composure, but he himself had already lost his rhythm.

Sun Xing opened the distance between himself and Wu Pingjian, and his longsword floated above his head. Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi rapidly gathered around him as a gigantic sword image quickly took shape, waves of cold radiating from its blade. Seeing Sun Xing get serious, Wu Pingjian's expression changed slightly, and he slowly drew his sword, Heavenly Flame.

The instant Heavenly Flame left its sheath, everyone in the arena felt the longswords in their hands stir, as though bowing before a king. Even the longsword above Sun Xing's head trembled. Yet that single tremor was enough to stir towering waves in Sun Xing's heart.

How is that possible? Sun Xing began to panic. He considered his talent quite good and believed himself especially gifted in the way of the sword. Even his master had praised him, but all his pride was shattered the instant Heavenly Flame left its sheath.

"In the name of frost,"

"I sentence you to death!"

Sun Xing roared at the sky. This was his strongest attack. He did not hope to defeat Wu Pingjian with it; he only hoped to wound him, however slightly.

Wu Pingjian watched the giant sword radiating cold bear down on him. Not only did he not dodge, but he grew somewhat excited. A red light flashed in his eyes, and Heavenly Flame instantly began to stir. Patterns formed from flames appeared across its blade.

Boom!!!

The giant sword Sun Xing had conjured collided with Heavenly Flame. Shockwaves spread through the air in all directions like ripples, but they were all stopped by the protective barrier the Prince of Heavenly Sea had set up. The giant sword held on for only a moment before shattering with a crash. Sun Xing seemed to suffer a heavy blow, immediately spitting blood as he was sent flying backward.

Silence fell over the arena. Wu Pingjian picked up Sun Xing's sword, which had been knocked away, and walked over to him. Just as everyone thought Wu Pingjian would use Sun Xing's own sword to kill him, Wu Pingjian bent down and laid it beside him. In an icy tone, he said, "You're quite good. Take your sword and keep practicing."

Wu Pingjian turned and left after speaking, and the arena erupted in cheers. A powerful figure like him was even more capable of winning their admiration. Sun Xing lay on the ground, staring at the sky with a foolish grin. He had just seen Wu Pingjian's hand trembling, and a trace of blood had appeared on it. He had done it. He had wounded Wu Pingjian.

The Prince of Heavenly Sea had been a little displeased when he saw Wu Pingjian take Sun Xing's sword strike head-on, thinking the boy had been reckless. But when he saw what Wu Pingjian did afterward, he could not help smiling.

"This child is a little stubborn, but he's finally grown up."