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Chapter 620: Chapter 626: Cold Light
"Sword Qi is flashy but insubstantial; it looks mighty but lacks the lethality of the opponent’s," Li Zhixuan assessed as she watched the massive wave of Sword Qi, then nonchalantly shifted her gaze away.
However, after watching several matches, only a handful were impressive enough to catch her eye, let alone learn from—which was quite disappointing for her.
If the strength on display in this round was any indication, there was no need for her to waste time here; she would be better off resting, conserving her energy for when it was her turn to compete.
Just as Li Zhixuan was about to leave, feeling disappointed, a sharp burst of Sword Qi suddenly slashed through the air in all directions, capturing the attention of most Cultivators present.
"Holding back their true strength?"
The person who unleashed the attack was an elderly man with white hair, abandoning his previous cautious probing for moves that were much more ruthless, each strike targeting vital points and forcing his opponent into such a sorry state that they had no choice but to concede defeat.
After defeating his opponent, the old man’s breathing also became rapid, and his expression dimmed slightly.
"Pity, he’s too old!" Li Zhixuan shook her head internally.
Nonetheless, his experience was incredibly astute; every strike meticulously blocked his opponent’s moves, forcing them to engage, and then with a barrage of rapid strikes, he quickly subdued them, conserving as much of his own strength as possible.
In the following rounds, there were some Sword Cultivators worthy of Li Zhixuan’s serious attention.
In the meantime, competitors like Hongyan and Zhengyin took the stage for a battle. True to their reputations as meticulously cultivated disciples of formidable factions, they defeated their ordinary Sword Cultivator opponents with ease.
And as for Qinglian? Li Zhixuan glanced at her fighting but quickly moved on.
Because at a glance, she knew Qinglian probably hadn’t ventured much for experience; every move was too rigid, a perfect example of sword techniques but entirely lacking a unique combat style that integrates and adapts the moves for personal use.
This problem wasn’t just with Qinglian; many disciples from influential factions shared this rigidity in their techniques. They have the guidance of their elders, though, and with some training, they tend to improve quickly.
Yet, for some reason, Qinglian—despite being highly regarded by the Sword Sect—still exhibited this issue.
——
Time flew by, and soon this round of the tournament was drawing to a close, having eliminated nearly half of the competitors, leaving just over two hundred remaining.
"The third round of the contest will be a point-based match, where pairs will fight and the winner receives a point while the loser loses a point. Those with minus three points will be disqualified from the contest. After three days, when the contest ends, the top fifty scorers will advance to the final round," announced a Nascent Soul True Lord, explaining the rules and saying, "Golden Sword Order holders will be the lords of this round! Let the matches begin!"
The Cultivators who had initially received the Golden Sword Order numbered only fifteen, which is why the Ten Thousand Swords Sect had quickly constructed five new stages the previous night.
Guided by the Sword Command, Li Zhixuan made her way towards one of the new stages.
On the way, she encountered a black-clad Female Sword Cultivator wielding a huge sword. For a moment, their eyes met, and their swords seemed to clash as if beyond their control—but just as quickly, the tension dissipated, as if the confrontation never happened.
However, this moment did not escape the perceptive eyes of the Nascent Soul True Lords present.
"These two must be the outstanding competitors of this sword discussion!"
Solid Sword Qi, a sword intent in harmony with the heart, and a firm Sword Heart—this was the epitome of Golden Core Sword Cultivator perfection.
"Tie Xin!"
"Li Zhixuan!" In a gesture of respect, she softly disclosed her real name.
"I look forward to the final round of contests, where you and I can test our skills against each other," she said.
"Just make sure not to get eliminated too early," came the reply.
With those words, the two parted ways, each heading to their respective stages.
Interestingly enough, among the fifteen lords of the stages, only Li Zhixuan and Tie Xin were Female Sword Cultivators, and they were positioned far apart, one on the left and the other on the right, as if to prevent them from learning about each other’s techniques too early.
"The bearer of the Silver Sword Order may activate the Sword Command and choose a champion to challenge!"
As soon as the voice fell, several streaks of silver light flashed, heading straight for Li Zhixuan.
It was mainly because she had previously been unknown, and being a female cultivator, her strength wasn’t expected to be strong, which is why so many had set their sights on her.
Among them was Qinglian.
"The champion may pick their challenger from these and after victory, wait until their condition has recovered before continuing to choose!"
After the rules for this round were announced, the Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator turned into light and left, leaving the Golden Core cultivators to preside.
Li Zhixuan didn’t care who the challenger was and randomly picked one from the several Sword Commands.
When she saw the name, she raised her eyebrows. Had it not been her own choice, she really would have thought someone had tampered with it. She softly said, "Qinglian!"
"Perfect, let me see your strength!" Qinglian said with full confidence as she flew onto the stage.
But what she didn’t know was that her several masters, upon seeing who she had chosen as the champion, shook their heads in unison, clearly unimpressed by the prospect of the match.
"The girl Qinglian has always had it easy, developing such an arrogant and proud temperament. I hope that this defeat will make her change," one said.
"As long as the girl doesn’t get disheartened, that’s good enough," added another.
——
"Loose Cultivator Jiang Ye," Li Zhixuan stated with an indifferent expression, as if Qinglian wasn’t even worth her attention.
"Sword Sect Qinglian!"
"The duel begins!"
At the referee’s command, Qinglian walked on the wind and quickly arrived in front of Li Zhixuan. Her Spirit Sword seemed like a streak of light piercing the darkness, slashing directly down.
Li Zhixuan, who had stood still from the start, had a flash of brilliance in her eyes. With a leisurely movement of her right hand, devoid of any visible might, she easily shattered Qinglian’s aggressive strike.
Qinglian felt a great force transmit from her sword, uncontrollably pushing her back more than a dozen steps. Had she not reacted in time and poured Mana into her feet to stop herself, she would have already fallen off the stage!
In contrast, Li Zhixuan still stood in her original spot, unmoved!
The immense gap between them enraged Qinglian, who immediately summoned all her Mana, and the Sword Qi roared to life like a dragon emerging from the abyss, bringing with it the momentum of toppling mountains as it rushed towards Li Zhixuan.
But she remained as calm as ever, holding the sword in front of her chest with both eyes slowly closing, her robe fluttering in the violent wind. She seemed to concede defeat, without a hint of resistance.
Just as the dragon-shaped Sword Qi reached five feet in front of her, her eyes snapped open, and her right hand swiftly made a forward slash. n𝚘𝚟pub.𝚌o𝚖
There was no extravagant display, just a beam of golden Sword Qi that cut through everything in its path, splitting the Sword Qi dragon in two!
Li Zhixuan then lightly pushed off the ground, shooting toward Qinglian like an arrow leaving a bowstring, a glint of cold light aiming directly for her throat.
The speed was so fast that by the time Qinglian realized what was happening, she could already feel the sharp Sword Qi prickling her neck.
"You’ve lost," Li Zhixuan declared without a hint of fluctuation in her tone.
Qinglian stood there like someone suffering from soul loss, dazed and without response.
"This battle, the champion wins!" the referee promptly announced the verdict.
Upon hearing this, Li Zhixuan sheathed her sword and returned to her spot.
