There was still some time before Gu Yanqing’s match began.
After drawing his token, he casually found a seat near the arena and quietly watched the other disciples' matches.
For him, aside from competing for rankings, the Sect Grand Tournament was a good learning opportunity.
In his day-to-day life, he rarely had the chance to see so many cultivators of the same realm fighting one another.
Some excelled in spells, preferring to keep their distance and chip away at their opponent.
Others followed the path of the sword, striking fiercely, every move aimed straight at vital points.
There were also those who clearly favored close-quarters combat, relying on their formidable physical bodies to overpower their opponents.
Gu Yanqing watched attentively, occasionally analyzing their combat habits in his mind.
If he were in their shoes, how should he counter?
Time passed slowly as he observed the fights.
Until the elder acting as referee called out his name.
“Next match: Gu Yanqing versus Han Ling!”
Gu Yanqing stood up.
At the same time, a young woman stepped up from the other side.
She looked to be around twenty years old, wearing the uniform of a Yunxiao Sect inner disciple. She held no weapons, simply standing there in quiet composure.
Early Golden Core, a spell cultivator.
The two stood facing each other across the tournament ring.
Han Ling cupped her fists first.
“Junior Brother Gu, please give me your guidance.”
“Senior Sister Han, after you.”
The two exchanged a simple bow.
Confirming both sides were ready, the elder acting as referee raised a hand.
“Begin!”
As soon as the words left his mouth—
Without the slightest hesitation, Han Ling raised her hand and unleashed a streak of spiritual light.
Gu Yanqing shifted his feet, his body dodging to the side.
At the same time, the longsword at his waist unsheathed.
A flash of sword light swept through the air, shooting straight toward Han Ling.
Han Ling froze briefly.
A sword cultivator?
Naturally, she had looked into Gu Yanqing’s background beforehand.
She knew he was a disciple who had only recently broken through to Golden Core, but she hadn’t expected him to follow the way of the sword.
Rather than taking the hit head-on, she retreated swiftly while forming hand seals with one hand.
A barrier of spiritual energy formed in front of her.
Clang!
The flying sword struck the barrier, making a crisp sound.
Gu Yanqing didn't pause.
With a single thought, the flying sword arched around from the flank once more.
Han Ling’s brow creased slightly. She maintained her spell while continually falling back.
The flying sword wasn't exceptionally fast, but it relentlessly struck from different angles.
She was forced to divide her focus to deal with it.
Very good. A faint smile flickered in Gu Yanqing’s eyes.
From the very start, he had never intended to defeat her directly with the flying sword.
The sword was merely a distraction.
His true advantage...
...was close combat.
It was just that in most people’s eyes, since he had stepped onto the ring carrying a sword, he was naturally a sword cultivator.
Han Ling had clearly thought the same.
After parrying the flying sword once more, just as she was about to counterattack—
Gu Yanqing suddenly vanished from his spot.
Oh no!
Han Ling’s expression shifted.
In the next moment, a figure appeared right in front of her.
There was virtually no distance between them.
She hurriedly raised her hand.
Boom!
A fist came crashing down.
It was pure, raw strength.
The protective spiritual energy surrounding Han Ling caved in instantly, then shattered with a loud crack.
Her entire body was launched backward as if struck head-on by a sledgehammer.
She crashed heavily onto the edge of the tournament ring.
Silence fell over the surroundings for a moment.
Immediately after, low murmurs erupted among the spectating disciples.
“Isn’t he a sword cultivator?”
“That punch just now...”
“A body cultivator?”
“He practices both sword and body cultivation?”
Gu Yanqing pulled back his fist, paying little mind to the discussions around him.
After catching her breath for a moment, Han Ling stood up from the ground.
Though she had sustained some injuries, they weren't severe.
She glanced at Gu Yanqing and shook her head with a bitter smile.
“I certainly didn't expect that move from you, Junior Brother Gu.”
“If I had known earlier that you also practiced body tempering, I wouldn't have focused all my attention on that sword.”
Gu Yanqing cupped his hands.
“It was merely good fortune.”
“Thank you for yielding, Senior Sister.”
Han Ling simply shook her head.
“A loss is a loss; I was careless.”
With that, she didn't linger any further, turning and stepping off the tournament ring.
The elder referee announced the result.
“Gu Yanqing wins!”
Gu Yanqing sheathed his longsword and stepped off the ring as well.
The moment his feet touched the ground—
A familiar figure walked over to meet him.
Jiang Yinglan stood at the edge of the crowd.
Her arms were crossed over her chest, an inscrutable smile lingering on her face.
“Not a bad fight.”
“Senior Sister Jiang.”
Gu Yanqing nodded to her.
Jiang Yinglan sized him up from head to toe.
“I didn't expect to see you here.”
“I thought that aside from cultivating, you never stepped foot outside your courtyard.”
“Something like that.”
Gu Yanqing let out a light laugh.
Jiang Yinglan’s gaze rested on him.
“And...”
She paused.
“I had no idea you’d already reached Golden Core.”
“I got lucky a while back and stumbled upon an opportunity in a secret realm.”
“So I broke through.”
Jiang Yinglan nodded slightly.
“I see.”
She didn't press the matter further.
She simply turned around and casually said,
“Still, if the two of us end up matched against each other later on, I won't go easy on you just because you're my junior brother.”
Gu Yanqing didn't break eye contact. “I know.”
Jiang Yinglan cast a backward glance at him, then turned and walked away.
Gu Yanqing watched her departing back for a moment without giving it much thought.
Soon, he shifted his attention back to the tournament rings.
...
Cold Water Valley.
The snow in the valley was a layer thicker than it had been a few days ago.
Lin Zhixue stood beside the cold spring, slowly sheathing the Guilan Sword.
As she looked at the three sword stances she had now practiced to utmost familiarity, she reached a conclusion in her mind.
She had basically mastered the first three stances of the 《Autumn Water Sword Technique》.
As for the fourth stance...
According to the technique manual, she would need to wait until after reaching Core Formation before she could truly begin practicing it.
Staying here any longer served little purpose.
Furthermore, her cultivation had stabilized during this period.
It was time to head back.
“Leaving?”
A voice came from behind her.
Lin Zhixue turned around.
Su Qinglian was walking over slowly from a distance.
“Yes.”
“I thought you would leave only after reaching Core Formation.”
“My issue has been resolved.”
Lin Zhixue looked back toward the cold spring behind her.
“So there's no need to remain here.”
Su Qinglian said nothing more.
Lin Zhixue walked to the side and summoned her flying sword.
She stepped onto the blade and was just about to leave when she suddenly paused.
“Thank you.”
Su Qinglian was visibly taken aback for a moment.
“Why are you thanking me?”
Lin Zhixue did not answer.
She merely lowered her head and remained silent for a moment.
Then, the corners of her lips curled up slightly.
“It’s nothing.”
In the next moment, a streak of sword light pierced through the wind and snow.
The figure of the girl in white rapidly receded into the distance, finally vanishing into the curtain of falling snow.
Su Qinglian stood where she was, only slowly pulling her gaze back once the sword light had vanished entirely from sight.
A moment later, she drew a jade pendant from her storage bag.
The pendant wasn't large, warm and lustrous throughout, with slightly worn edges.
She cradled it in her palm.
She looked down at it for a long time as wind and snow rushed past her.
Who knew how much time had passed?
Finally, she raised her head.
And looked toward the direction where Lin Zhixue had departed.
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