Shui Huanmeng let out a muffled groan. The moment she thought of the precious Golden Lantern Flower in the hands of Xue Zeyang's master, Lang Yu Zhēnrén, a spark of interest stirred in her heart.
The Golden Lantern Flower, once in bloom, would not wither for a hundred years. It had the power to ward off evil, suppress malice, and maintain clarity of mind. It protected the bearer from malevolent spirits and stabilized a cultivator's spiritual awareness.
"I've been wondering what to gift that little girl Jinshu... Might as well go with this Golden Lantern Flower."
Her gaze lowered slightly. She turned to Lang Yu Zhēnrén not far away and said with a soft smile,
"Lang Yu Zhēnrén, would you care for a wager? I'll trade you this piece of Guiyuan Bamboo for your Golden Lantern Flower."
She had always known that Lang Yu Zhēnrén was gathering Guiyuan Bamboo to forge a superior spirit sword for Xue Zeyang. But her piece of bamboo was a rare treasure, not something she would part with lightly.
Lang Yu's brows lifted slightly at her words, and his eyes gleamed with interest upon seeing the Guiyuan Bamboo. A peak Qi Refining stage against a mere sixth-level Qi Refining—such a gap was not easily bridged.
"Very well!"
"Shall we have the sect master and the elders as witnesses?"
"Since you two are in such high spirits, I shall be your witness," said the sect master, now intrigued. "Let's see what's so special about this new disciple Shui Huanmeng took in."
"Junior Sister, you'd better admit defeat. You're only at the sixth level of Qi Refining—getting this far is already impressive!"
"Yeah!"
"Junior Sister! You can do it! Senior Brother is rooting for you!" shouted Senior Brother Zheng Shaosi in encouragement.
Chen Jinshu ignored the surrounding jeers, merely offering a soft smile and nodding to those who cheered her on. She was determined to defeat this peak-stage opponent today. Anyone who stood in the way of her path would meet the same fate—defeat.
Soon, the referee called both participants to the stage.
"Be careful, Junior Sister. I won't go easy," Xue Zeyang said flatly, giving her a light cupped-fist salute.
He didn't believe she got here by luck. She clearly had some real strength, and something about her told him that her abilities were more than they appeared.
"Same to you," Chen Jinshu replied, placing her Lüqi Zither before her.
"Begin when ready!" came the referee's voice.
Without hesitation, Xue Zeyang charged toward her. His longsword carved three golden cross-shaped sword slashes into the air—all aimed at her zither.
Chen Jinshu hadn't expected him to target her instrument so quickly.
Ding ding...
Her left hand plucked the strings with trembling resonance, while her right hovered midair in a ghostly brushstroke. Her black hair lifted with the soundwaves, though no wind blew.
A fierce breeze surged, and three thousand frost leaves spiraled into a storm. Every leaf shimmered with sharp, icy sword energy, hissing as they sliced through the air.
Clang clang...
The golden slashes shattered seven meters away from her, breaking into drifting shards of icy crystal.
She had integrated the Snow-Brushing Soaring Swan movement from Nineteen Phrases of Falling Notes into her Autumn Dance of Frosted Leaves, giving the frosty leaves both weighty chill and sharp sword intent.
Though the attack was blocked, she did not stop.
Her right index finger strummed seven strings, while her left pressed the gong and shang notes, fully unleashing Snow-Brushing Soaring Swan.
Facing an opponent of peak Qi Refining stage, she had no choice but to use her strongest technique from the start—or she'd have no hope of victory.
A drawn-out battle would drain her spiritual energy, and her sixth-level Qi Refining reserves could not compare to his. Frost rapidly spread from her feet outward, freezing the entire arena.
Swish swish!
From her zither table, a volley of frost-hued sword energy erupted like countless white arrows, flooding the air and surging toward Xue Zeyang.
No room to dodge.
His expression shifted. He had never imagined that zither music could launch sword energy—utterly unheard of.
Still, he didn't panic. His fighting spirit surged. Aside from Feng Lingchuan, this was the first time a fellow outer disciple had truly posed a threat to him.
Golden aura wrapped tightly around him, forming a thick golden shield. His golden sword moved in sweeping arcs, weaving a massive net of sword energy to intercept her onslaught.
Chen Jinshu launched her second technique. Her pinky plucked the jiao string, while her palm hovered over the harmonic point.
The zither's tone abruptly quickened. She lightly tapped the ground and leapt backward, carrying the instrument with her. Her dress fluttered, scattering ice blossoms.
Twang twang… ting ting!
With the new melody, giant vines erupted from the ground beneath Xue Zeyang's feet, like sword-laced whips, attempting to ensnare him.
Green sword energy grazed his robes, leaving fine cuts. He froze momentarily, then raised his golden shield just in time to block the incoming whips.
"Her spiritual energy must be nearly depleted! I just have to wait her out!" he thought.
Both pieces had threatened him, and with only sixth-level cultivation, she couldn't possibly maintain them long. Indeed, Chen Jinshu was nearing her limits—but she never intended to play anything other than the Nineteen Phrases of Falling Notes.
If she could push this peak-level opponent to the point where she could complete all three sword-style melodies she had devised herself, that alone was a victory.
Clang clang!
Xue Zeyang's golden sword clashed with her white sword energy, deflecting most but not all. Several strands still struck his shield.
His face remained calm as he held his golden shield with one hand and defended with the other. But once the frost swords passed, the sword vines coiled tightly around his shield.
Then—Chen Jinshu changed the rhythm again, plucking rapidly with the backs of her fingernails.
The world around her shifted.
The stage became a deep, dark pool. Water ripples spread from her feet as she stood poised atop the surface like a water fairy, each step sending gentle waves. Even many audience members below Qi Refining late stage felt the illusory chill of the pool. The referee immediately activated the arena's defensive formation, isolating the duelists.
Yet the spectators could still see the now-bottomless pool. With a final pluck, she triggered seven lingering vibrations. The surface of the pool shimmered with the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper, their light emerging from the water.
They illuminated Xue Zeyang's face.
Before he could react, his consciousness was drawn in. Enveloped by the golden starlight, he became immobilized—his mind trapped in a different spiritual realm.
Swish swish!
Above Chen Jinshu's head, a massive black vortex opened, firing down streams of sword energy like falling meteors toward the pool where Xue Zeyang stood frozen. The illusion of the Seven Stars held him still as the deadly barrage approached. In the center of the arena, Master Lang Yu's expression turned dark.
"A mere sixth-layer Qi Refining using such advanced zither techniques... Impossible."
"Xue Zeyang has lost!"
His voice rang out across the arena.
The incoming meteor-like sword energy froze in midair—the match was over.