A peach blossom branch pressed against the martial artist's throat—just one more inch, and blood would spill.
"Gulp—" The man swallowed hard.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Did I... scare you...?"
Jiang Chulong hastily withdrew her sword and bowed in apology.
The arena fell silent at first, then erupted into uncontrollable murmurs.
That Xuan Dan realm martial artist was no nobody—he was a seasoned bounty hunter with extensive experience in the jianghu.
And yet, this young girl had ended it with just one strike?
On the high platform, the elders of Hengyun Sword City slammed their hands on the table, their eyes blazing with astonishment.
Judging by her age, she couldn’t be more than fourteen or fifteen.
Since ancient times, they had never heard of anyone comprehending Sword Intent at such a young age.
Moreover, her swordsmanship lacked any trace of artificiality—it was flawless, as if carved by the heavens themselves.
If she were to witness the Hengyun Sword Mark...
"Does she have a master?"
"What if she does? There isn’t a single swordmaster in Yunzhou I don’t know."
"Exactly. It’s best if we take her under our wing. If her master objects, we’ll just... reason with him together!"
The elders of Hengyun Sword City—all at least Outer Scenery realm—began arguing loudly.
But suddenly, one elder who had remained silent spoke up:
"I think... I’ve seen her at the Tianshan Sword Manor."
The elders fell silent.
"Junior Brother Bai, do you want to switch opponents with me?"
Cao Mu asked solemnly. He was a sword fanatic who had challenged nearly every young talent in Yunzhou.
"I don’t want to fight her either, but..."
Bai Jinghong glanced at Li Mo and Ying Bing on the stage, then gritted his teeth.
Wu Chushu blinked, suddenly viewing Bai Jinghong in a new light.
He had assumed Bai Jinghong had grown timid and hesitant.
Turns out, he still had some backbone.
"Impressive, Chulong."
Li Mo gave her a thumbs-up before turning to his own opponent.
A young, delicate-looking girl stood before him, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Jiang... Jiang Chen, big brother."
"...Actually, my name is Li Mo."
"Okay, Jiang Chen big brother! Can I... can I have your autograph?"
After signing, the girl immediately jumped off the stage.
Wait, at least exchange a few moves!
I’m here to test my sword against the world, not hold a signing event!
This probably wouldn’t last long.
After all, standing on this stage meant earning the right to enter the Sword Tower and study the Hengyun Sword Mark.
Ying Bing’s situation was different.
It came down to their personalities.
In The Tyrannical Empress Falls for Me, Jiang Chen was a gentle, slightly naive scholar.
Liu Wuyan, however, was the opposite.
"It’s an honor to cross blades with the Snow Moon Empress!"
"Even if I die in defeat, I’ll have no regrets!"
Her opponent was a martial artist at the third aperture of Observation Divinity realm.
He spoke with solemn fervor, as if he truly believed he was facing an empress.
Without a word, she lightly raised her sheathed sword, Tianshuang, gesturing for him to attack.
The man was no pushover.
The moment he drew his sword, a surging tide-like momentum erupted, his blade gleaming with dazzling variations.
Anyone watching would have praised it as "excellent swordsmanship."
The Raging Waves Sword Art—a high-tier technique—had been mastered to perfection by this man.
Nearby, Li Mo shook his head slightly:
Amid the roaring waves of swordlight—
A single cold gleam shot forth, domineering and severe, like divine retribution.
This strike made resistance seem unthinkable.
The swordlight dispersed, and the man collapsed to his knees, his face pale.
Drenched in sweat, he finally saw clearly—
Ying Bing’s sword had never left its sheath.
Just the opening stance alone made him feel as if he were facing a deity, shattering his will to fight.
An opening stance—also called a preparatory gesture.
Whether this counted as an "exchange" was debatable, but one thing was undeniable...
This aloof girl was terrifyingly strong.
Jiang Chulong’s talent was shocking, but Ying Bing’s strength defied all logic.
"What kind of sword energy is this? What kind of sword momentum?!"
"What sword art is she even practicing? It doesn’t seem like a supreme technique..."
The elders slammed the table again.
The azurite table groaned, fissures spreading before collapsing entirely.
Clearly, they were stunned.
Also clearly, Outer Scenery experts had quite the grip.
Wu Chushu scratched his chin.
"How about... we switch?"
Sword fanatic Cao Mu agreed instantly.
"Good. Then I’ll take on that... Jiang—Li Mo."
Wu Chushu finally exhaled in relief.
He wouldn’t have to face Ying Bing or Jiang Chulong—his pride was saved.
Unbeknownst to him, Bai Jinghong leaned back in his seat, his gaze now filled with reverence.
"What’s wrong, Xiao Bai?"
"Nothing. By the way... do you have any unfinished business? You can leave it to me."
Puzzled, Wu Chushu looked up at the stage.
There, the white-robed youth seemed tired of signing autographs. He pulled out a wooden board from his spatial artifact, scribbled something, and displayed it:
‘100 taels of gold to anyone who challenges me seriously.’
‘10,000 taels to anyone who defeats me.’
Paying for a beating?
10,000 taels of gold—not silver—was a considerable sum even for Observation Divinity realm martial artists.
Martial artists without backing were always short on funds.
"What’s Junior Brother Li doing?" Shen Yunfei, standing on another stage, frowned.
Most fighters aimed to conserve their strength.
After all, no one could endure endless wheel battles, and nighttime wouldn’t be enough to recover depleted energy.
Was Li Mo planning the same as him—not aiming to last till the end?
Even Zhong Zhenyue from a neighboring stage turned to look.
"100 taels? For real?"
"Jiang—Li Mo, big brother, is your hand sore from signing?"
"I’ve been wanting to challenge him! I just couldn’t get a chance earlier!"
"Hmph, pretty boy, I’ll take you on!"
A burly man leaped onto the stage, wielding a halberd, his torso bare and muscles bulging.
Disciples of the Gangdou Sect believed in fighting like real men!
They despised weakness and pretentiousness.
Li Mo recognized his style.
Instantly, he deduced that this man was a body-refining martial artist. The best way to deal with him would be to go all out with his Extreme Soldier Slaughter Body.
Ahem! The main issue was—it wouldn’t help him improve!
The thought of playing the role of a swordsman, showing off—no, humbling himself—before all the heroes of Yunzhou... actually excited him a little.
"That’s right! Tie Qi is my sworn brother!"
The man declared proudly.
Li Mo smiled, flicked his sleeve with effortless grace, and gestured invitingly:
"Then let us stop when the point is made."
Young Li itched to draw his sword, his fingers twitching with anticipation!