Duan Fenhaiâs complexion was extremely poor as he leaned in and said in a low voice:
âDo you really think after snatching away my second place on the Immortal Sword Ranking, youâll be able to keep it?â
âThis spot isnât so easy to keep.â
âNot to mention, everyone from the third to the sixth place on the Immortal Sword Ranking, Lin Duanshan, Guan Shanyue, Sima Changyan, and Bi Sheng, who doesnât want to move up the ranks?â
âPreviously they couldnât beat me, let alone dare to challenge your Senior Sister An. But now itâs you sitting in this spot.â
âWhen the time comes and youâre brought down by a series of challenges, how long do you think you can keep it hidden?â
âThatâs no problem at all.â Ling Yunpo, with many trump cards up his sleeve, was not afraid at all, and he said righteously, âSenior Brother Duan, you worry too much!â
âWe, as Sword Immortals, ought to wield our swords and press forward, cutting down all obstructions and Heart Demons in our path!â
âAs for those demons, whether the swordsmanship is sharp, or the Daoist Magic powerful, can I possibly walk around them?â
âSenior Brother, youâre overly concerned with so-called intelligence, to the point where it seems like a hesitation to move forward, a sign of inferiority.â
[Unyielding character established, Synchronization Value +1.]
[Unyielding character established, Synchronization Value +1.]
[Unyielding character established, Synchronization Value +1.]
â¦â¦â¦
With every sentence Ling Yunpo uttered, the Kunlun Mirrorâs Synchronization Value increased by +1.
Duan Fenhai almost spat out blood hearing this; just as he was about to burst out, a flash of light appeared in the distance. Having just finished her battle, An Zhisu, controlling her sword, rushed to the two, enveloped in an ascent of murderous aura. She pointed her Frostfall Sword at Duan Fenhai from afar and shouted:
âDuan Fenhai! If you dare harm a single hair on my junior brother, I swear to run you through with my sword and cast you up into the Nine Heavens to suffer the torment of the whipping winds!â
Duan Fenhaiâs eyes twitched as he said coldly:
âAn Zhisu, what does your junior brotherâs sword match have to do with you?â
An Zhisu rushed in front of Ling Yunpo, grabbed his right hand, and checked him over with her Divine Sense, the color of anxious concern clear on her face.
Standing opposite, Duan Fenhai took in the expression on Senior Sister Anâs face and was taken aback.
Isnât this Qingluo Peakâs killing god supposed to be inherently cold and heartless?
How come sheâs showing such an indecisive expression of a tender-hearted woman?
Could it be that sheâs been possessed by a soul?
Once she thoroughly examined him with her Divine Sense, confirming that her junior brother indeed had not a single injury inside him, An Zhisu finally let out a sigh of relief as if a weight had been lifted.
Turning her head, her eyebrows sharply raised, she reverted to the familiar cold-blooded killer the others knew and coldly said to Duan Fenhai:
âIt appears you were sensible enough this time to hold back. But thatâs beside the point. This attempt to ambush and kill Junior Brother Ling is a grudge I will have to settle with Yellow Dragon Peakâs folks when I have the time.â
Duan Fenhai let out a breathless laugh:
âAn Zhisu, youâre probably just too consumed by your killing intent, nearing Deviation.â
âMy Yellow Dragon Peak and your Qingluo Peak have always had no quarrels. Iâve had nothing to do with your junior brother prior to this, why would I look for an opportunity to plot against him?â
âThe real adversary who manipulated the drawing of the sword match is someone else. Donât you have any clue who it might be?â
âJust now, dragging out the sword fight with me was none other than your own Yellow Dragon Peakâs Xue Qianchao!â An Zhisu scolded him angrily, âAnd youâre saying Yellow Dragon Peak isnât involved?â
âJunior Brother Xue? Impossible!â Duan Fenhaiâs face went completely pale. âHe was gravely injured during an expedition last month and has been recuperating deep in Yellow Dragon Peak. He didnât even register for the sect competition this time!â
âWhether itâs true or not, youâll find out once you go back and ask,â An Zhisu said, no longer engaging with him, grabbing Ling Yunpo by both hands. âJunior brother, letâs go.â
The two of them conjured their Sword Light and departed into the distance, leaving Duan Fenhai standing there with a face alternating between pale and green.
After a long moment, despite the severe injuries on his body, he also summoned his badly damaged Stellar Dark Iron Sword and conjured a Sword Light to escape.
On the way back to Qingluo Peak, An Zhisu rode her sword above the floating clouds with a grave expression and said to Ling Yunpo:
âJunior Brother, fortunately, you were not injured this time. Otherwise, if anything had happened to you, I truly do not know how I would explain it to our master.â
âAlthough you were defeated in the sword fight this time, your defeat was not unjust.â
âYour opponent Duan Fenhai is ranked second on the Immortal Sword Ranking, has reached perfection in the Refining Mansion Realm, and wields the Twin Fairy Swords. He is indeed a formidable figure, second only to those with the Shushan Golden Core.â
âEven I wouldnât be confident in claiming a sure victory against him. After this defeat, you should return to Qingluo Peak and recuperate well to avoid being targeted.â
âWhen the sect competition is nearing its end, Iâll find an opponent who matches your strength on the Immortal Sword Ranking and let you challenge and defeat them.â
âSenior Sister, I won,â Ling Yunpo touched his nose and said.
âHmm, winning is good. Losing to that Duan Fenhai is no big deal; there will always be a chance for you to win next time.â An Zhisu kept rambling on, suddenly coming to her senses.
âWon⦠You won? Who did you win against?â
âI won against that Duan Fenhai.â Ling Yunpo said helplessly.
With a whoosh, An Zhisuâs sword light suddenly went out of control, and the two of them plunged into the clouds.
Less than ten seconds later, they emerged from beneath the clouds, both drenched in moisture from the clouds, their clothes and hair wet.
An Zhisuâs eyes widened as she stared at her junior brother, asking in alarm:
âYou⦠won the fight just now?â
âYes,â Ling Yunpo said.
âYou defeated Duan Fenhai?â
âRight.â
âHow did you win?â
âWith a sword,â Ling Yunpo said vaguely.
An Zhisu fell silent for a moment, then suddenly reached out her slender hand and placed it on Ling Yunpoâs forehead.
âYouâre not feverish, and it doesnât seem like youâre speaking nonsenseâ¦â she mumbled, her eyes beginning to redden, âAre you really not deceiving your senior sister?â
âIâm not.â
âThis is just tooâ¦â An Zhisu wanted to say it was unbelievable.
But upon reflection, how many unbelievable things had her junior brother done since he started his training?
Slaying Lou Zhizheng, advancing rapidly through Marrow Cleansing â werenât they all beyond belief?
Master often said that geniuses of extraordinary talent were common in this world.
If the junior brother was a swordsmanship genius, whatâs so surprising about him defeating Duan Fenhai, who is second on the Immortal Sword Ranking?
With this thought, An Zhisuâs protective instincts kicked in, and she immediately discarded any sense of rationality.
My junior brother is the best in the world, unrivaled by anyone!
âJunior Brother, you did very well.â Adjusting her damp hair slightly, Senior Sister An said with a beaming smile, âWith this, you are now second on the Immortal Sword Ranking.â
âThe third seat is Lin Duanshan, weâve already given him a heads up, so he definitely wonât make a move against you.â
âThe fourth seat is Guan Shanyue, whose thoughts run deep; she likely wonât risk provoking my anger by challenging you for the seat.â
âWith Duan Fenhai defeated by you and off the rankings, he must be both shocked and afraid. Given his character, he wonât rush to reclaim the second seat without being certain of victory.â
âBut you need to watch out for those further back in the rankings; with dozens of people, there will inevitably be some bold enough to test your strength.â
As she spoke, she made a cutting motion with her hand, and a flash of fierceness passed through her eyes.
âIn the upcoming drawing of lots for sword fights, you must win decisively, slaying any Life-bound Sword Artifacts that should be slain, and quickly establish the majesty of a second seat Sword Immortal!â