Xiao Qing looked at her brother’s certain gaze, bit her lip, and nodded heavily.

“Mhm! I believe in you, Brother!”

She let go of his hand and turned to squeeze back toward the messy-haired youth surrounded by the crowd. Seeing her petite figure disappear into the throng, Xiao Che felt a sense of peace.

Good, the startup capital was secured.

Xiao Che straightened his robes and, under the focus of countless gazes, stepped onto the martial arts platform one pace at a time.

At the edge of the stage, a gray-robed elder had already been standing silently. Seeing both parties take the stage, he stepped forward, his voice clear and resonant.

“I am Lin Tieshan, an instructor from the Martial Court. I shall arbitrate this battle.”

Heavenly Pride Ranking challenge. Opposing sides: Zhou Tong of the Sword Court, Xiao Che of Tianshu Court.”

“The rules remain as usual: a party loses by surrendering, remaining down for ten breaths, or falling out of bounds. Intentional killing or crippling is strictly forbidden; otherwise, Academy regulations will be enforced.”

“Do you both understand?”

The elder’s gaze swept over the two. Although he only revealed a sliver of his early Jindan stage pressure, it was enough to bring the audience to complete silence.

Xiao Che and Zhou Tong clasped their swords and bowed simultaneously, speaking in unison.

“This disciple understands.”

The elder nodded and retreated to the formation eye at the edge of the platform.

Only then did Zhou Tong lift his eyes. His gaze was as sharp as a blade as it landed on Xiao Che.

“Junior Xiao, please.”

Xiao Che also cupped his hands.

“Senior Zhou, please guide me.”

His gaze was calm, but the small abacus in his mind was clicking rapidly.

*One to ten odds… five hundred becomes five thousand…*

*No, I can’t win too easily.*

*I have to act the part, make the victory look “difficult.”*

*This is a long-term meal ticket, after all.*

As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhou Tong moved.

Sword light erupted like a streak of green gale, sweeping across half the stage to pierce directly toward Xiao Che’s face. The speed of this sword far exceeded any puppet in the Trial Tower.

Xiao Che praised him inwardly.

*Not bad speed!*

*It’s more than a little bit faster than my Seven Star Steps, which I’ve only just started!*

The Nineteen Swords of the Gale was a Mysterious Class, low-rank technique. It was said to circulate through twenty-four meridians, and its speed was its most terrifying attribute.

Following his plan, Xiao Che “hastily” drew his sword to block.

*Dang!*

The sound of clashing metal rang out. Xiao Che’s “entire body shuddered” as he was “jolted” back three steps, a “grave” expression appearing on his face.

A first layer of Foundation Establishment against the seventh layer; this reaction was perfectly reasonable.

Xiao Che silently gave himself a thumbs up.

“Storm and Rain!”

Having gained the upper hand, Zhou Tong fully unleashed his sword style.

In an instant, four or five green sword shadows seemed to appear simultaneously on the stage, stabbing from various tricky angles. The sound of sword Qi tearing through the air merged into a single, piercing whistle.

A low cry of surprise rose from below the stage.

This was the hallmark of the Nineteen Swords of the Gale being trained to the Mastery level; it was difficult to distinguish the real from the fake, and the speed was enough to make one breathless.

However, above Mastery lay the Great Circle, and above that was Perfection.

Between them lay two massive hurdles.

In the eyes of Xiao Che, who had already trained the Pure Yang Golden Fire Sword Manual to Perfection, every trajectory of Zhou Tong’s dazzling sword net was clearly visible.

*Too many flaws!*

He shook his head inwardly.

On the surface, however, his feet “frantically” traced the Seven Star Steps as he “perilously” wove through the fierce sword shadows, looking as though he were struggling to keep up.

Below the stage.

Xiao Qing’s face was pale as she tightly gripped Mu Xinlan’s sleeve.

Many of the spectating disciples shook their heads.

“The gap is too large. If he only relies on movement techniques to dodge, his Spiritual Qi won’t be able to keep up.”

“Senior Brother Zhou’s sword is indeed fast. For Xiao Che to last this long is already quite impressive.”

“I bet if Xiao Che can win, I’ll strip naked and do a handstand for ten laps around the field!”

…

Unable to land a blow for so long, Zhou Tong grew slightly frustrated.

The opponent was as slippery as a loach. Every time he thought a strike would land, it was always off by a hair.

After a hundred exchanges.

Xiao Che’s face was pale, his breathing heavy. His footsteps retreated repeatedly until he was forced to the very edge of the platform.

*An opening!*

A fierce light flashed in Zhou Tong’s eyes.

Wind Fall

He gave a sharp shout as his Spiritual Qi surged violently, his sword speed increasing once more.

This was the fastest move in the Nineteen Swords of the Gale. With the Spiritual Qi in the twenty-four meridians running to the limit, the sword blade trembled slightly, turning into a green streak of light that was almost invisible to the naked eye as it lunged for Xiao Che’s chest.

The speed and power of this sword had reached his peak, aiming for a certain hit in a single strike.

*Right now!*

*The play needs to end.*

Xiao Che’s eyes were calm.

He looked as if he had no path of retreat left. He “barely” twisted his body, meeting the sword’s edge with the outer side of his left arm.

*Chi!*

His sleeve tore, and a bloody gash appeared.

Exclamations of shock rose from below.

At the same time, Xiao Che moved.

His feet seemed to stumble, but in reality, his footwork shifted subtly, his body spinning half a circle with exquisite precision.

The Flowing Fire sword in his hand swept upward. Catching the moment when Zhou Tong’s old strength was spent, he flicked his blade with precision, slapping it against the side of Zhou Tong’s sword.

*Weng!*

A surge of scorching force traveled through the blade. Zhou Tong felt his wrist go numb as the flow of Spiritual Qi in his right arm stalled.

*Not good!*

Zhou Tong’s expression changed. He wanted to stabilize himself, but it was too late. Carried by his own forward momentum and that clever redirecting force, he stumbled forward two more steps. His foot hit empty air, and he charged straight off the platform…

The entire area fell silent for a moment.

Immediately after, a massive *Whoosh!* of noise erupted.

“Zhou Tong just… charged down by himself?”

“This Xiao Che… his luck is too good…”

“Who was it that said they’d do a naked handstand for ten laps?”

“There, that’s him! Quick! Catch him, don’t let him run!”

On the stage.

Xiao Che leaned on his sword, panting heavily.” The blood on his left arm was a vivid red, and his face was “pale,” looking for all the world like he had exhausted both his Spiritual Qi and physical strength.

A flicker of surprise passed through Lin Tieshan’s eyes before he announced in a deep voice:

“Out of bounds. The match is decided.”

“Xiao Che of Tianshu Court wins. He takes the ninety-fifth rank.”

Below the stage.

Zhou Tong stood frozen in place, his face flushing red and white in turns. He clenched his fists, staring at Xiao Che with utter disbelief, his chest heaving violently.

“I don’t accept this!”

He squeezed the words through his teeth.

On the stage, Xiao Che “gasped for air” and let out a scoff.

“Whether you accept it or not isn’t for you to decide.”

The referee, Lin Tieshan, frowned, his voice dropping an octave.

“The result is final.”

Zhou Tong’s breath hitched, his face turning even redder. He glared fixedly at Xiao Che, but in the end, he had nothing left to say. He snapped his sleeves back, turned around, and shoved through the crowd to leave.

His retreating back was the very picture of indignation.

Lin Tieshan gave Xiao Che a thoughtful look but said nothing, merely waving his hand.

Xiao Che chuckled inwardly, but his face maintained that look of total exhaustion.

“Brother!”

Xiao Qing was the first to rush over, her eyes red as she looked at the wound on his arm.

“It’s just a surface wound, I’m fine.”

Xiao Che waved her off, giving her a reassuring look.

Mu Xinlan and Shi Zhongshan also stepped forward quickly, with Wu Hong and Shen Qinghe following behind, all offering their congratulations.

Xiao Che thanked them one by one between breaths.

Bai Ling also walked over, stopping a few paces away.

Her face didn’t show much emotion, maintaining her ethereal air, but deep in her eyes, there seemed to be a faint glimmer of relief.

“Not bad.”

She only said two words, her voice quiet.

Xiao Che grinned at her.

*Hehe, a Senior Sister who isn’t hounding me for debts looks better and better the more I see her.*

Suddenly, a calm voice sounded:

“Junior Xiao, congratulations. According to my observations, your timing on that final sword strike raised a win probability of less than ten percent directly to one hundred percent. This is very interesting.”

***

NOTES

Session Glossary Updates (Memorized):

– 戰院 = Martial Court

– 林鐵山 = Lin Tieshan (Martial Court Instructor)

– 純陽金火劍訣 = Pure Yang Golden Fire Sword Manual

– 申時 = Hour of the Monkey

Footnotes:

TN1: Jindan (金丹): The Golden Core realm, a significant step above Foundation Establishment.

Translator’s Note: Frenadro Steph here. Xiao Che is playing the “weak student who got lucky” card perfectly to keep the betting odds skewed for his next match. The introduction of Instructor Lin Tieshan establishes the Academy’s oversight during these duels.

Ink Hub, Frenadro Steph, your translator. Enjoy, and drop feedback; it sharpens the blade.