Volume 3, Chapter 385 – She Held Back

“Disqualified!”

Wei Ziqing’s voice carried across the entire venue.

Disbelief spread across face after face in the crowd.

“How could this be?” Cheng Yinyin said, baffled. “How could Sister Zixuan be eliminated?”

Up on the platform, the Huayue official gently urged Lin Zixuan along. “Miss Lin, please make way for the next candidate.”

Lin Zixuan’s eyes reddened faintly. She stared stubbornly at Wei Ziqing seated in the seat of honor.

Wei Ziqing’s expression remained calm. “Miss Lin, do you know where your cultivation falls short?”

Lin Zixuan shook her head.

Wei Ziqing continued. “You’ve grown lax in your training, and your energy and blood run shallow. You forced your realm up to Third Realm with pills, and you can’t even manage a simple incantation properly.”

“Do you think the imperial harem is some place where even third rate goods like you can dream of a spot?”

At those words, Lin Zixuan’s face flushed pale, then blue.

Wei Ziqing waved a hand, and attendants led Lin Zixuan away.

The small disturbance ended quickly.

The test continued.

The one who came up after Lin Zixuan was a young man who hadn’t broken through to Third Realm, but whose command of spiritual power and mastery of technique were both somewhat better than Lin Zixuan’s. Wei Ziqing glanced at him once and immediately announced that he had passed.

Cheng Yinyin shot Chi Xiyan a resentful glare before looking away.

Remembering the things Chi Xiyan had said earlier, she felt her face burning.

Wei Ziqing’s severity had also left her rattled.

She grabbed Lu Zhuxin’s hand and asked nervously, “Second Sister, do you think you can pass?”

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Lu Zhuxin was somewhat at a loss for words.

Strictly speaking, her actual condition wasn’t all that different from Lin Zixuan’s just now.

But what did it matter that she had no real combat experience? With Eighth Realm cultivation, she could do whatever she pleased.

Besides, Lu Zhuxin knew exactly what lay behind Wei Ziqing, and knew precisely how to pass his test with ease.

Her true weapon wasn’t on the board at all. It was outside the board entirely.

“Xue’er.” Chi Xiyan looked at Lu Zhuxin. “Don’t be nervous. Even if you fail the test, it doesn’t matter. I alone will be enough.”

Hearing this, a flash of disdain crossed Cheng Yinyin’s eyes.

This woman really was arrogant beyond belief.

Her third rate skills were only good enough to swagger about at home.

Today, at Huayue Court, every noble family’s children from the entire Shuyuan Commandery had gathered here. Did she really think she alone could overpower everyone present?

“Sister…” Lu Zhuxin didn’t look at Chi Xiyan, only said coldly, “Worry about yourself first.”

Chi Xiyan lowered her eyes slightly. “All right.”

Just then, the official presiding over the test called out loudly, “Next. Cheng family, Cheng Lixia!”

“My turn already.” Chi Xiyan was a little surprised, though a scene like this wasn’t enough to make her nervous.

She rose from her seat and walked toward the high platform at the center of the garden.

Watching Chi Xiyan’s retreating back, Cheng Yinyin couldn’t help muttering to Lu Zhuxin.

“All talk. Let’s see how she embarrasses herself in a moment.”

Lu Zhuxin glanced at Cheng Yinyin, her expression complicated.

Chi Xiyan arrived before the testing stone and stood in place at the official’s direction.

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Wei Ziqing’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Cheng Lixia was one of the three girls he’d noticed earlier.

He was curious what kind of performance this young lady would give.

Chi Xiyan let out a soft breath. She could feel the many gazes directed toward her, Wei Ziqing’s among them.

Passing this test wasn’t difficult.

For her, the only real challenge was how to appear sufficiently impressive while still concealing her true strength.

After a few breaths of composing herself, a plan had already taken shape in her mind.

Her fingers formed the incantation, and golden spiritual energy surged forward before her like a thin mist.

“That’s the Sword Testing Incantation,” Wei Ziqing recognized the technique at once.

The noble sons and daughters around them showed expressions of surprise as well.

It wasn’t that the incantation was especially rare. Quite the opposite. Almost every noble scion had learned it.

This incantation had originated from the Seven Sword Sects, a technique used to guide and gather sword qi.

Any cultivator who wished to walk the path of a sword cultivator had learned this incantation.

The voice from the ring reached Wei Ziqing’s ear. “If she can truly execute this incantation to completion, it would mean she has the talent to become a sword cultivator.”

“Mm.” Wei Ziqing nodded quietly to himself.

He had studied this incantation too.

Unfortunately, he had no talent for the sword path.

Cheng Yinyin, displeased, muttered under her breath, “So what if she knows the Sword Testing technique. Countless cultivators across the realm have learned it. Not one in ten who learn it ever actually become a sword cultivator.”

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Amid the murmuring of the crowd, Chi Xiyan had already completed her technique.

A golden blade of light, nearly solid in form, slashed down hard against the dark green testing stone.

A thunderous crack rang out, and a massive fissure split across the stone’s surface in an instant.

For a moment, the entire venue fell silent.

Wei Ziqing stared at the slash mark on the stone for a long moment, saying nothing.

After a while, the corner of his mouth curved upward.

“Immortal Sister, it seems we might have found a treasure this time.”

Having murmured this quietly to himself, Wei Ziqing rose and announced loudly.

“Cheng family, Cheng Lixia. Passed.”

There wasn’t a trace of surprise on Chi Xiyan’s face. She gave Wei Ziqing a simple bow, then withdrew from the platform.

Wei Ziqing watched her leave.

The voice from the ring spoke in his ear.

“She held back.”

“That sword qi just now was not something the Sword Testing Incantation could ever produce on its own.”

“She used the Sword Testing Incantation to hide her true swordsmanship.”

“That is a formidable girl.”

A shadow crossed Wei Ziqing’s eyes, and he nodded quietly to himself. “I know.”

The voice in the ring laughed softly. “Such deep calculation for someone so young. A girl like that won’t be easy to control.”

“Be careful you don’t come out the worse for it against her.”

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Wei Ziqing’s mouth curved. “It’s fine. The harder a puzzle is to solve, the more satisfying it feels the moment it’s solved.”

“Besides, there are still a few more girls left to go.”

The official at Huayue Court raised the roster and called out the next name loudly. “Next. Cheng family, Cheng Yinyin.”

“Ah! It’s my turn!” Cheng Yinyin shot up from her seat at once.

At that same moment, Chi Xiyan had just returned to her own seat, passing right by Cheng Yinyin.

From start to finish, Chi Xiyan never once looked at Cheng Yinyin.

Cheng Yinyin seethed with anger inside.

This woman had never once considered her worth noticing.

Heh. So what if Cheng Lixia had passed the test?

If Cheng Lixia could pass, there was no reason Cheng Yinyin couldn’t pass as well.

With that thought, Cheng Yinyin marched stiffly up onto the platform, her face set.

Like some kind of machine, she rigidly performed the technique she had prepared in advance.

After a few breaths, a great fireball took shape in her palm.

She shoved it forward with all her strength.

The fireball struck the dark green stone and burst into a shower of sparks.

Then she turned her head to look at Wei Ziqing, waiting for his judgment.

Just as I thought, Wei Ziqing thought to himself.

Immortal Sister, women really do have sharp instincts about these things.