Upon announcing her name, Zhou Chan's body became surrounded by a red silk ribbon. She introduced the ribbon briefly, saying:
"The red silk is strong in offense, fast in speed, and not weak in defense. If you can't hold your own, Junior Brother, don't force yourself."
With that, she waved her hand to start the attack.
With a whooshing sound, the attack was upon Jiang Hao.
Clang. Jiang Hao blocked the attack with his crescent moon blade, but was pushed back by the force of the red silk. It was quite powerful, different from what he had faced with Senior Sister Xin. As expected of someone from the White Moon Lake.
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, the red silk came attacking again.
Jiang Hao used the Demonic Sound Slash technique to fend off the assault, and when the red silk moved like a flash of red light, he would dodge and counter with his own attack. However, Zhou Chan managed to evade each strike by a hair's breadth.
"Senior Sister Zhou is quite strong," Jiang Hao thought, realizing she was close to advancing to the later stage.
He couldn't stay on the defensive much longer unless their duel dragged on until she was exhausted, but Zhou Chan's skill was formidable and would require a significant amount of time to tire out.
In a flash, Jiang Hao shifted to an offensive stance. The Demonic Sound resonated as he launched the Demonic Sound Slash at every opportunity, managing to disrupt the red silk's assault. During this process, he noticed that Senior Sister Zhou lacked some experience in combat, though the Nameless Secret Manual gave him an edge.
Dodging two more red silk attacks, Jiang Hao found himself behind Zhou Chan, his crescent moon blade resting on her shoulder.
Seeing this, Zhou Chan relaxed her hold on the red silk.
Though she had a protective robe, she felt it wouldn't withstand much longer.
"I lost," she acknowledged.
"Thank you for letting me win, Senior Sister," Jiang Hao replied politely.
Zhou Chan did not seem upset about her defeat; she merely greeted Jiang Hao and went back to her duties.
"Senior Sister Zhou seems very approachable, not bad at all," he thought. Out of curiosity, he appraised her status.
[Zhou Chan: Inner disciple of White Moon Lake, exceptionally gifted, with a pure and kind heart, capable of sensing surrounding malice. Once she gains momentum, she can soar like a dragon.]
"Able to sense malice?" Jiang Hao was surprised by the appraisal. He thought back to how she evaded every attack, pondering whether Zhou Chan had also trained with a manual akin to his own or honed her personal sensing skills. Now he realized it was more about sensing malice.
"At the end, I just wanted to hold my blade at her neck, so she didn't sense it as malice?" The thought intrigued him.
The last part of the appraisal caught his attention.
"Once she gains momentum, like a fish leaping over the dragon gate. I wonder what kind of momentum is required."
Shaking his head, Jiang Hao decided not to dwell on it. Zhou Chan would probably thrive at the Vast Heaven Sect; it might be best for her.
Staying in the Demonic Sect might not offer her the opportunity for growth.
As Jiang Hao left the plaza, he noticed some Demonic Sect disciples in conflict. Their faces were tense.
Witnessing this, Jiang Hao reconsidered whether staying in the Demonic Sect might not be so bad for Zhou Chan. Whereas the so-called righteous sects could hide hypocrisy, the Demonic Sect accepted their nature openly, perhaps easing psychological burdens.
On his way back, Jiang Hao encountered Han Ming, who was all smiles.
"Senior Brother Jiang, I made it to the top four," Han Ming said joyfully, stepping up to Jiang Hao.
"Congratulations," Jiang Hao said calmly, after a glance at him.
"Did you advance too, Senior Brother?" Han Ming inquired with interest.
"Yes, I did," Jiang Hao nodded.
Upon hearing this, Han Ming didn't seem dejected; instead, he appeared pensive.
Once they reached Broken Hearts Cliff, their paths diverged. Han Ming walked to his own lodging, encountering some senior brothers and sisters from the inner sect along the way.
"Did you make it to the top four, Han?" a senior sister asked.
Han Ming nodded slightly, responding with a casual air, "Yes, I did."
Astonished, she continued, "Junior Brother Han just entered the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment and already fought his way into the top four. The future is bright for you."
Hearing this, Han Ming smiled again, accepting the praise openly.
—
Back at his place, Jiang Hao focused on studying the Nameless Secret Manual. Although recent appraisals showed no major changes, continuous study might lead to deeper insight. Apart from this manual, he wished to comprehend the third form of the Heavenly Blade, but his current cultivation of middle-stage Golden Core was insufficient.
Studying deep into the night, he switched to cultivation, restoring his strength after using divine abilities which consumed significant energy.
Every time he studied, he had to use the state of Clear and Pure Heart, which was draining.
The divine abilities offered many unforeseen benefits, but he lacked one more purple-colored bubble to acquire another.
The next day.
After gathering bubbles from the courtyard and the Spirit Herb Garden, Jiang Hao went to the plaza to check the match listings.
"Second platform, Broken Hearts Cliff versus Han Ming?"
Seeing this, Jiang Hao found it amusing, wondering how Junior Brother Han would feel.
After waiting at the second platform for some time, Han Ming arrived. His complexion was good, not at all disheartened.
He approached openly, declaring, "I know defeating Senior Brother Jiang is tough this time, but I won't give up."
"Name, please," asked the senior brother, guardian of the matches, giving Jiang Hao an appraising look.
After receiving names, Han Ming conjured lightning around him as his sword art took form—a surge of thunder cracking in the air as he launched himself at Jiang Hao.
Clang!
Blade and sword clashed; Jiang Hao took a step back, somewhat surprised by Han Ming's strength and the swirling force within his sword—possibly a great inheritance.
"An inherited power?" Jiang Hao guessed, unperturbed as he countered again.
The two exchanged blows in a storm of blade and sword, thunder resounding and demonic sound echoing throughout their duel.
After a close contest, Han Ming executed his most powerful move, a lightning-charged sword strike.
To this formidable strike, Jiang Hao feigned weakness, skillfully stepping aside to avoid the attack. In one swift movement, he positioned his blade at Han Ming's brow.
Caught off guard, Han Ming couldn't understand how Jiang Hao evaded his sword—a moment ago he'd believed victory was near.
But it was merely an illusion. Despite predicting this outcome, Han Ming knew given more time, he'd make Jiang Hao his defeated opponent.
"I lost," he conceded, sheathing his sword with equanimity.
"Thank you for letting me win, Junior Brother," Jiang Hao responded, withdrawing his blade.
Though some were spectating, no one was particularly surprised at the result, especially considering Jiang Hao was the senior. Those familiar with Broken Hearts Cliff and Han Ming felt a tinge of regret—as if the right person should have won.
Instead of rushing back, Jiang Hao stayed to watch other senior brothers' matches.
The battles between Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators were vast and awe-inspiring, with sheer power that astonished him.
He doubted whether he'd ever be able to slice through such overwhelming spells. However, he took note of these spells, gaining valuable experience for future encounters.
The next day he returned to the arena, observing Golden Core late-stage and consummate cultivators. He saw few Nascent Soul battles, as they were not within his immediate future.
Time constraints and fast-paced matches limited how much he could watch; seeing two matches a day was a good outcome.
On the third day, Jiang Hao appeared at the plaza once more.
Today was the finals.