Chapter 72 - 47: Walking the Heavenly Path

On the arena stage.

Jiang Yunge looked at Li Shuang with a grave expression.

Last night, Li Shuang had awakened the Black Abyss Sword Spirit, and the Heavenly Dao had responded by sending down a purple light. News of the event had already spread throughout the Sword Sect.

Li Shuang was once again the center of conversation.

Although the Black Abyss Treasure Sword was still only a First-Rank treasure sword on the surface, with a perfectly compatible Sword Spirit, its power had skyrocketed. It could likely rival a Second or even a Third-Rank treasure sword.

And then there was Li Shuang’s swordsmanship.

She had no confidence of winning this battle.

But!

Confident or not, she had to fight!

Jiang Yunge was normally stern and unsmiling, but now she looked exceptionally severe.

She drew her Mystic Gold Sword and bowed solemnly. "Junior Sister Li, your cultivation is still only at the Qi Cultivation Stage. I don’t wish to take advantage of you. This time, I will also suppress my cultivation to the peak of the Qi Cultivation Stage."

Li Shuang hurriedly returned the bow and said, "Senior Sister Jiang, you don’t have to do that. The rules of this match allow for the use of spiritual power up to the Peak of Foundation Establishment."

Her black robes fluttering, Jiang Yunge said calmly, "I know. It will be hard for me to win if we’re at the same cultivation level. But winning or losing doesn’t matter. I just want a fair fight!"

Li Shuang hesitated slightly.

Jiang Yunge said, "Please, Junior Sister Li, don’t hold back. Give it your all!"

Li Shuang looked at Jiang Yunge’s grim expression and nodded. "Very well. I will give it my all!"

Only then did a smile appear on Jiang Yunge’s face.

"Senior Sister Jiang actually suppressed her own cultivation? If they’re both at the Qi Cultivation Stage, it’ll be hard for Senior Sister Jiang to win, right?"

"Actually, knowing Senior Sister Jiang... I’d say this is pretty normal for her."

"True. Everyone knows that Senior Sister Jiang from the Law Enforcement Hall prizes fairness and justice above all else."

On the high platform.

A smile flashed across Pang Zhixue’s face.

’Among his disciples, he had the highest hopes for Jiang Yunge. It wasn’t because of her Gold Attribute Single Spirit Root, but because she had, long ago, embarked upon her own unique Sword Dao.’

There are three thousand Great Daos, and every path leads to the heavens.

Some cultivators might have high cultivation, but they haven’t necessarily found their own Dao.

Among the current generation of young disciples.

Aside from Li Shuang, perhaps only Jiang Yunge had already found her own Dao.

’No, that’s not right.’

Pang Zhixue glanced at Meng Yifei.

’That Jiang Rongyi under the Sect Leader...’

’...he’s quite interesting as well.’

’Is his the same as the Sect Leader’s... the Dao of checks and balances?’

Pang Zhixue withdrew his gaze and focused his attention on the arena stage.

Jiang Yunge suppressed her cultivation to the peak of the Qi Cultivation Stage.

With that, the outcome of the battle was no longer in question.

Li Shuang didn’t hold back either. She unleashed her Sword Domain, and with the enhancement from her Sword Spirit, she was practically invincible within the Qi Cultivation Stage!

Jiang Yunge only managed to resist for a few brief moments before a frosty aura touched the space between her eyebrows.

Her face pale, Jiang Yunge stared at the sword tip just before her eyes and gave a bitter smile. "I surrender."

She had expected to lose, but not this badly.

At the same cultivation level, Li Shuang—empowered by her Sword Domain and the Purple Sword Spirit—was simply terrifying!

Jiang Yunge even felt that if Li Shuang were already at the Foundation Establishment Stage, the Sword Sect would have been guaranteed first place in the Langya Secret Realm!

But as things stood... among the Six Sects, there was still that peerless genius, Yan Fan!

He had reached the Divinity Transformation Stage before the age of fifty, and he would certainly be entering the Secret Realm this time.

The last time the Secret Realm opened, Yan Fan had inexplicably lost to Chang Le’an. This time, the peerless genius was surely determined to reclaim the top spot.

"Li Shuang versus Jiang Yunge, Li Shuang wins!" the referee’s voice rang out.

With the three round-robin matches concluded, Li Shuang’s three victories secured her spot on the list.

The whole crowd erupted in cheers.

A faint smile touched Meng Yifei’s lips.

In this tournament, Jiang Yunge’s chances of victory were slim even at her full, Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation. By insisting on matching Li Shuang’s level, she had made her own crushing defeat inevitable.

But Meng Yifei saw more than just victory and defeat.

What he saw were two peerless geniuses of the Sword Sect who had already embarked upon their own Sword Dao.

The younger generation of the Sword Sect was truly remarkable.

The Sword Sect’s rise was truly in sight.

Li Shuang’s three consecutive victories had proven her Talent, and a contemplative look flashed in Meng Yifei’s eyes.

Previously, he had paid Li Shuang little attention.

’For one, Li Shuang had spent years cooped up on Lingxu Peak, rarely venturing out. And even though he was the Sect Leader, it wasn’t his place to casually meddle in the internal affairs of a Peak.’

’He hadn’t known she had suffered so many injustices since joining the sect.’

’Secondly, the Cultivation World was never lacking for fallen geniuses. Li Shuang’s decade of stagnation had caused him to gradually remove her from his list of disciples worth watching.’

’Call him pragmatic or self-serving, but that was how things had turned out.’

But things were different now.

’After Scattering and Rebuilding her cultivation, Li Shuang was poised for a meteoric rise. The safe bet would be to wait until she broke through to the Nascent Soul Stage before investing in her.’

’But if he really waited until then...’

’...all that would be left is adding flowers to the brocade.’

’And how could adding flowers to a brocade compare to delivering charcoal in a snowstorm?’

Meng Yifei glanced at Lin Qingling, her eyes brimming with pride, and suddenly smiled. "Li Shuang seems to be quite comfortable at Heartless Peak. And it seems she’s getting along well with the other disciples there."

Lin Qingling replied without hesitation, "But of course! Little Frost always treats others with utmost sincerity. The disciples I’ve raised are all decent people, so naturally, they repay her sincerity in kind. A true heart is met with a true heart—of course they get along well."

As Lin Qingling spoke, she deliberately glanced at Master Lingxu, her eyes full of mockery.

Master Lingxu’s face darkened, but he said nothing.

Meng Yifei smiled. "That’s good to hear."

He withdrew his gaze.

’As long as people like Lin Qingling are there for her, Li Shuang will still feel a sense of belonging to the Sword Sect. And that’s enough.’

’Of course, as Sect Leader, even if it’s a bit late, I still need to make some amends.’

Meng Yifei turned his head and gave some instructions.

「Meanwhile.」

Li Shuang was just about to step down from the arena stage when suddenly, a Steward walked up to her. "Li Shuang, the Sect Leader requests your presence."

Li Shuang glanced at the Sect Leader on the high platform from afar, slightly surprised, but immediately agreed.

The Steward led Li Shuang before Meng Yifei.

Meng Yifei said with a smile, "Three wins in three matches, and each one was a hard-fought battle. Li Shuang, you have undoubtedly earned the top spot on the qualification list this time."

Li Shuang nodded. She didn’t try to be humble, just stated calmly, "It is as it should be."

Meng Yifei chuckled.

’Li Shuang might seem unassuming, but she has never lacked confidence in her own strength.’

’It was precisely that confidence that allowed her to shine so brilliantly again after a decade of stagnation!’

"Excellent," Meng Yifei said with admiration. "I’ve called you here to settle an old matter between you and Lingxu Peak."

Meng Yifei turned to Master Lingxu. "Ling Xu, Peak Master Lin previously accused you of misappropriating a disciple’s resources. Is this true?"