The Hehuan Sect Was Squeezed Dry for Ten Thousand Years, but It Became a Sacred Ground?

Chapter 22: Who Said She Was Just a Sword Cultivator?

Watching the scholar Zhao Ming spit blood and collapse to the ground, Nan Gongling expressionlessly sheathed her sword, her demeanor plain and unadorned.

This man was clearly delusional.

He had immediately tried to act familiar, claiming they had met before and that he didn’t want to harm an old acquaintance.

When he attacked, he even warned her not to come to a sudden enlightenment.

It was utterly baffling.

Although his method of attacking with righteous energy was indeed rare, his strength was still somewhat mediocre.

Even without using her divine pupils, her enhanced vision allowed her to instantly identify the weak points in his defense.

Though she had lost her Sword Heart, her honed swordsmanship remained, and she easily defeated him.

…

The outcome of this match truly took everyone by surprise.

After all, this was a disciple of Yuan Tan Academy, and among his peers, he was considered quite strong.

Yet, someone who could be hailed as a prodigy outside the academy was completely outmatched.

Everyone couldn’t help but glance at the calm and composed woman on the stage, their hearts filled with shock.

This woman from the Qinglian Sect was incredibly strong!

Why had they never heard of her before?

She must have been keeping a very low profile. Could she have suddenly broken through to the Golden Core realm?

It seemed the Qinglian Sect was not to be underestimated!

“Senior Brother Zhao!” A commotion broke out among the Yuan Tan Academy disciples as several of them hurried forward to carefully help him down.

Zhao Ming’s face was as pale as gold paper, and his aura was extremely weak.

After coughing heavily a few times, he still couldn’t believe it. “That woman… she definitely didn’t just break through to the Golden Core realm!”

Her cultivation level was undoubtedly above his!

Zhao Ming refused to believe that someone from a newly risen sect could improve so much in just a year.

Back in the mountains, when they were in a life-and-death situation, she had only displayed the strength of the Foundation Establishment realm. Her depth of strategy was truly profound!

“You must all be careful…” Zhao Ming managed to utter these last words before falling unconscious.

The waiting law enforcement disciples immediately stepped forward to carry him away for treatment.

“Even Senior Brother Zhao was defeated so easily. Could there be an upset in this competition?” asked one of the already eliminated disciples, his expression filled with worry.

Since the first competition, Yuan Tan Academy had always taken the championship.

In previous years, they had even dominated the top ten spots.

So, naturally, they had taken this year’s competition for granted.

What’s more, the first prize this year was a celestial sword personally forged by Grand Elder Tian Yue, who presided over the competition. It was a treasure of immense value, a divine weapon even for those at the Nascent Soul stage!

The disciples’ gazes all fell on the calm and composed man in brocade robes.

Senior Brother Lin was their top disciple, at the seventh level of the Golden Core realm. Even among all the disciples, he was a rare talent. Even the academy’s headmaster had said he had the potential to reach the Nascent Soul stage in the future.

If it was him, there should be no problem.

Feeling the probing gazes of his fellow disciples, the handsome man in brocade robes spoke in a calm tone, “Although her swordsmanship is exquisite, she hasn’t condensed a Sword Heart. She can’t defeat me.”

Hearing this, everyone felt reassured.

…

Nan Gongling’s outstanding performance also drew attention from above.

“I never expected a dark horse from the twelve sects to appear in this competition.”

“Golden Core fourth level… truly a formidable young talent!”

The sect leaders and elders couldn’t help but marvel.

“Qinglian Sect… isn’t that the sect that only recently rose to first-tier status?”

“With such talent, she could have gone anywhere. Yet she chose a place with no deep foundation. It’s like a pearl covered in dust,” one of the first-tier sect leaders, at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, said bluntly, his eyes filled with envy.

But as soon as he finished speaking, he felt as if some great terror had locked onto him. He couldn’t help but shiver.

Meeting Liu Ruyan’s icy gaze from not far away, he awkwardly smiled and quickly corrected himself, “But the fact that Qinglian Sect rose to first-tier status in just a hundred years shows their extraordinary potential. It’s only natural for a genius to join them.”

After he finished speaking, the sense of dread disappeared, and the Nascent Soul sect leader secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Freaks.

The disciple was a freak, and the sect leader was even more of a freak!

He remembered that when he had just reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, she was only at the second level. Now, he was still at the peak, while she had already reached the Nascent Soul stage?

Where was the justice in that?

Comparing yourself to others could really make you feel worthless.

…

The competition continued smoothly, and the number of remaining participants grew smaller and smaller.

The top 64, the top 32, the top 16… Finally, the final match began.

Lin Chengyu, the leader of Yuan Tan Academy, stood tall at the seventh level of the Golden Core realm, his swordsmanship sweeping all before him.

Meanwhile, Nan Gongling, the dark horse, was equally stunning, defeating all her opponents with her sword. If she could end a fight in an instant, she never used any unnecessary moves.

The final showdown between the two sword cultivators had everyone’s attention.

Lin Chengyu stood with his sword, looking at the woman with black silk tied over her eyes, feeling somewhat disappointed.

Although he thought defeating a sword cultivator without a Sword Heart would be effortless, he still refrained from making any harsh remarks.

Oh well, it was just a sparring match.

Her swordsmanship was exquisite, and she was only missing a Sword Heart. He would let her witness his Sword Heart, and if it deepened her understanding, she might become a true rival in the future.

Both of them were the type to act rather than waste words, and the battle began in an instant.

Lin Chengyu took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

This sword strike… she wouldn’t be able to block it.

Suddenly, the arena was mysteriously filled with a flurry of snow.

Some couldn’t help but reach out to touch it. It felt cold, but there was no wetness on their hands.

“Fake… fake snow?”

Before the words could fully leave their mouths, Lin Chengyu suddenly opened his eyes, sharp and full of锋芒.

He drew his sword, the blade scraping against the scabbard, producing a dragon-like roar!

The once dreamlike snowflakes shattered like an illusion, and in the midst of the light and electricity, a cold gleam appeared, radiating extreme sharpness!

Even before the sword energy reached her, Nan Gongling could feel a stinging pain as if a cold wind was eroding her. The clothes on her arms and legs were cut open, leaving small wounds.

She frowned slightly. She had originally planned to dodge, but she realized that although this sword strike seemed slow, the moment the thought of dodging arose in her mind, the sword energy suddenly closed the distance.

There was no way to dodge. She could only break through it!

So this was the power of a Sword Heart?

This man was indeed strong.

Even if she had still possessed her Sword Heart and had broken through to the Golden Core realm normally, she wouldn’t have been confident in blocking this strike.

But…

Who said she was just a sword cultivator?

To everyone’s astonishment, Nan Gongling didn’t reach for her sword hilt. Instead, she raised her hand to the black silk covering her eyes.

Slowly, she pulled it down, revealing a pair of eyes that shimmered with the radiance of the sun and moon.

…