“Whoosh!”
A fierce gust of wind swept straight at Murong Ya.
It was Mo Liusu, unable to hold back any longer, striking out directly.
She was rattled — thoroughly rattled!
The smile on Murong Ya’s face only deepened.
Her hair, white as snow, drifted as she extended a palm.
“I know you’re in a hurry, but hold your horses first!”
In a flash of lightning, the two exchanged a single move.
Mo Liusu came fast and went faster still — her whole body was sent flying, slamming into the high platform.
The nine-tiered platform collapsed in an instant.
Terrifying vital energy churned and spread; dust filled the air.
The eighty-one disciples on the platform seemed to be locked in place, unable to escape for the moment.
“Save them, quickly!”
Elder White Crane cried out in alarm, watching as the disciples were about to be buried beneath the dust.
Just then, Zhou Tong made his move.
“Merge!”
With a clap of his hands, the eighty-one sub-formations fused into the main formation, instantly severing the aura lockdown.
That brief moment brought them a chance at life.
The disciples exerted themselves all at once, broke free, and emerged without a single casualty.
“Thank you, Senior Brother, for saving our lives!”
They knelt on one knee and bowed to Zhou Tong with devout sincerity.
“No need.
I’m no longer your Senior Brother.”
Zhou Tong’s words were heartless, and a trace of gloom crept into the disciples’ eyes — but in the next moment, only sincere gratitude remained.
The crowd was astonished.
Zhou Tong had moved far too quickly, and his methods were too profound for them to fathom.
More importantly, they couldn’t read his cultivation at all — he seemed to have no cultivation, yet also seemed to be at the peak of the Soul-Separation Realm.
In short, he was an enigma.
Only one thing was certain: Zhou Tong bore no Dao wounds at all.
He was as formidable as ever!
This made the geniuses of the other sects tremble.
At this Hundred-Sects Assembly, were they going to be suppressed by this man all over again?
“Worthless lot — it was his Master who threw you into danger.
Why would you bow to him?”
With a loud crash, the dust burst apart and a bedraggled figure gradually emerged.
Mo Liusu’s hairpins were askew, a trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth, her breathing short and ragged.
Once again, the crowd bore witness to Murong Ya’s might — even burdened with Dao wounds and a heart demon, this woman was not someone her peers could hope to pick a fight with.
“Do you think you’ve already won?”
Mo Liusu drew a deep breath and said defiantly.
“You can keep going.
One hand is more than enough for me.”
Murong Ya said with contempt, making Mo Liusu’s chest heave as she nearly charged back into battle!
“Hold on!”
Just then, Tang Qi suddenly stepped between the two.
“Xiao Qi, stand aside — it’s dangerous here.”
“No need to worry, Master.
I have my own way of resolving this.”
“Senior Murong, today is my disciple-initiation ceremony, yet you forced your way into our sect and wounded my Master.
Even if you are a formidable figure, I must seek justice.”
With that, he turned the Sword of the Way of Heaven and aimed it at Murong Ya.
“I issue a sword challenge to your…
disciple.
If I win, you must apologize to my Master.”
“Heh…”
Murong Ya sneered.
“Yue’er, teach him some manners!”
“As you command!”
The Little Vixen was eager for action.
As she took a step forward, her aura, nearly transcending the mundane, made Tang Qi’s expression change.
“The one I challenge is not you, but him!”
He pointed his sword at Zhou Tong.
“I once respected you as Senior Brother, yet you joined with outsiders to wound Master.
Today I will demand justice for her.
If you’re not a coward, accept the challenge!”
“How ridiculous!”
the Little Vixen said with a mocking smile.
“You just received the baptism of the Way of Heaven, and the next moment you challenge a man whose cultivation was crippled — so who’s the real coward?”
“Hmph…
enough of this useless talk.
In this world, strength reigns supreme.
If he’s afraid, let him say so outright, instead of hiding behind a woman’s skirts and making everyone laugh!”
Mo Liusu chimed in as well, looking at Murong Ya.
“Aren’t you so impressed by this wretch?
Why don’t you have the nerve to let him act?
Is it because you’ve discovered he was rotten wood all along?”
Hearing this shameless talk, Murong Ya’s aura surged once more.
“You’re good with words, are you?
Then let’s see whether your mouths are harder or my fists!”
“I advise you not to be too insolent.
This is the Yuqing Sect — if I summon the Grand Elder, you’ll die a violent death right here!”
“Before that happens, I can crush you ten times over!”
“Master!”
Zhou Tong suddenly wrapped his arms around Murong Ya’s arm, calming her down.
“Little one…
you…”
“It’s time for me to make an end of this.
I accept this sword duel.”
At these words, Tang Qi nearly threw back his head and laughed.
He hadn’t expected this cripple to take the bait.
On the dueling stage, blades had no eyes — even if he accidentally killed him, no one could say a word.
This time, he would crush Zhou Tong completely. Get faster updates on g.com.
The crowd too looked on with anticipation.
They couldn’t read Zhou Tong’s cultivation, but once he actually fought, he would no longer be able to hide it.
“Little one, be careful.”
Murong Ya could feel Zhou Tong’s resolve.
She didn’t try to dissuade him — only offered a worried admonition.
“Rest assured, I won’t lose.”
Under everyone’s gaze, the two turned toward the dueling stage.
In the instant they drew near, Tang Qi revealed his true face.
“From today on, your era is officially over.
Let me show you the strength of the number one sword cultivator of the younger generation!”
A smile tugged at the corner of Zhou Tong’s mouth, but before he could speak, a clear, hearty female voice rode in on the wind.
“Quite the big talk!
Who dares claim invincibility?
Who dares speak of never falling?
This miss here will take you both on!”
The next moment, sword aura swirled through the air, and a figure in purple appeared before the crowd.
She was a young woman with a sharp sword at her waist, dashing and valiant — her mere appearance drew gasps from the crowd.
“It’s Long Lingyun — she actually came too!
Word has it she inherited the Sword Saint’s legacy and has already fully mastered it — she’s truly unfathomable!”
Someone revealed the girl’s origins, drawing countless gasps.
“I’ve heard of her as well — they say her sword talent is unrivaled in the world.
Never mind her peers — even the strongest of the older generation are no match for her.
If these three were to contest the sword together, it’s hard to say who’d come out on top.”
The crowd whispered among themselves, but Long Lingyun was the first to step onto the stage, facing both Zhou Tong and Tang Qi.
The moment he laid eyes on her, admiration flashed across Tang Qi’s face, and wheels began turning in his mind.
“So the two of you think you’re something?
My hands happen to be itching — come one at a time or both together, I’ll take you on either way!”
The crowd perked up at once.
This girl was truly confident — her strength must be considerable.
“Allow me to go first.
Once I’ve dealt with you, it won’t be too late to take care of him.”
Tang Qi stepped forward, elegant and graceful.
“You think you can beat me?”
“I don’t think I’ll lose.
If I win, the young lady must agree to one condition — join the Yuqing Sect, how about it?”
“It’s a deal.
Though I do hope you won’t lose too miserably.”
Long Lingyun was brimming with high spirits, an unshakable conviction of invincibility gathering between her brows.
Zhou Tong had already stepped down from the stage.
Frowning, he felt that this woman’s sword intent was somehow familiar.
“Sword Saint…
Sword Saint…
I remember now.
So Long Lingyun inherited his legacy.”
In Zhou Tong’s mind surfaced a towering figure — the Sword Saint himself.
In his past life, the two of them had crossed swords.
The reason he remembered was that the Sword Saint himself, facing a Zhou Tong who was on the verge of attaining the Dao, had held out a full three moves before falling!