To have a Mastered Spell Technique meant one had cultivated a skill to its absolute peak. To advance further was only to grasp its true meaning and achieve a complete and thorough understanding. All the Ninth-Layer Qi Refinement cultivators on the stage had at least one, or even several, mastered spell techniques.
Even among those at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement, some had reached the stage of major achievement. But Zhao Chun was only at the Mid Qi Refining Stage and had been in the sect for less than three years! She had entered the Way of the Sword, and her sword technique was at major achievement!
In terms of cultivation realm, she was perhaps only in the middle to upper echelons, yet who would have thought that in the cultivation of the sword, she possessed such astounding talent! Guo Leng crossed his arms to block, but how could a mastered sword technique be so easily defended against?
Zhao Chun's attacks were cunning, striking directly at the vulnerable joints. A single successful strike could immobilize half his body! His arms, the backs of his knees, his torso—Guo Leng's mountain-like body crashed down onto the platform, his pair of large, gong-like eyes wide with unwillingness.
The person judging the match waited for three breaths, and seeing Guo Leng still unable to rise, raised a hand and shouted, "The victor of this battle is Zhao Chun!" The surroundings first fell silent, then erupted as if struck by thunder.
Guo Leng, at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refinement, who could even trade blows with Eighth-Layer cultivators, had been defeated by Zhao Chun, whose cultivation base was still inferior to his! She had not used any unorthodox tricks, but had defeated a powerful opponent head-on with her own skill. How could such a feat not earn people's praise?
Zhao Chun silently left the stage and returned to her seat. Quite a few people were sizing her up. In the remaining matches, another Sixth-Layer Qi Refinement disciple also defeated a Seventh-Layer disciple, crossing realms.
However, that Seventh-Layer disciple had suffered minor injuries in their previous fight and had consumed a great deal of True Qi, so it wasn't as direct a victory as Zhao Chun's against Guo Leng. By the time the final forty people were selected, Zhao Chun's luck seemed to have improved.
Not only did she draw a disciple of the same rank once, but even the Seventh-Layer Qi Refinement opponents she faced were much weaker than Guo Leng. As for those eliminated, all the Sixth-Layer Qi Refinement disciples besides Zhao Chun had left the stage. The numbers of Seventh and Eighth-Layer Qi Refinement disciples were also greatly reduced.
There was even one match where two Ninth-Layer Qi Refinement cultivators fought, with one ultimately being defeated. Fortunately, there was still one more round, allowing for another challenge to seize a spot. Among the forty people who entered the second round, the rankings were determined by cultivation base, so Zhao Chun was naturally placed at the very end.
The rankings among cultivators of the same realm were determined by Du Fanzhi and the Foundation Establishment cultivators based on performance in the first round. The top seven were Ninth-Layer Qi Refinement cultivators, followed by thirteen at the Eighth Layer. From rank twenty-one to thirty-nine were all Seventh-Layer Qi Refinement cultivators.
According to the rules of the second round, those ranked lower would challenge those ranked higher, and the rankings would shift accordingly. After the great drum was struck, the gazes from the spectator seats inevitably turned towards the few seated at the very end.
These twenty spots happened to perfectly match the number of cultivators at the Ninth and Eighth Layers of Qi Refinement. This meant that to break into the top twenty, one had to defeat an opponent of a higher cultivation realm! Everyone knew that Zhao Chun, ranked fortieth, could contend with a Seventh-Layer Qi Refinement cultivator.
However, even if she defeated every Seventh-Layer cultivator present, she still wouldn't be able to secure a spot. They sighed inwardly, thinking it a pity her cultivation time was still so short. If she were given a few more years, she would surely be able to seize a place for herself.
Du Fanzhi observed Zhao Chun's calm expression, devoid of any disappointment or frustration, and nodded to himself. Perhaps he could report this to his Master and make an exception to bring her along. He was already thinking about how to approach her and pull her to his side.
The Seventh-Layer Qi Refinement cultivators ranked twenty-second and twenty-sixth both challenged Xia Shende, who was ranked twentieth. However, both fell short by a narrow margin and were defeated. Seeing this, the disciple ranked twenty-first became even more cautious, his brow furrowed as he considered whether to make a move.
Before he could come to a decision, a clear female voice suddenly rang out from the very last position.
"Zhao Chun, ranked fortieth, wishes to challenge Senior Brother Shen Youzhen, ranked seventeenth. I hope Senior Brother will not be stingy with his guidance!"
The arbiter was slightly stunned. Seeing her earnest expression, which did not seem fake, he finally dared to raise his hand and announce, "Zhao Chun, ranked fortieth, challenges Shen Youzhen, ranked seventeenth!" Everyone else was speechless, falling into a profound silence.
"How reckless..."
Du Fanzhi sighed softly. Liu Xuan at his side, however, smiled.
"The fight hasn't even begun, Junior Brother. How do you know it's reckless?" she said gently.
"Before, when she faced that Body Cultivator, some also thought our junior sister would surely lose, yet she won completely unscathed. Now that she has chosen this Shen Youzhen herself, she must have some plan in mind."
"Guo Leng only has some reputation among the Seventh-Layer Qi Refinement cultivators. How can he compare to Shen Youzhen? If she had chosen Xia Shende, she might have actually had a chance to win. But Shen Youzhen is stronger than Xia Shende by more than a small margin. Her temperament... it's truly too unyielding."
Du Fanzhi felt it was a pity, already pondering how to correct her stubbornness, fearing that despite her great talent, she was too rigid and would easily break. However, since Zhao Chun dared to challenge Shen Youzhen directly, she did indeed have her own reasoning.
If she only defeated Xia Shende, others ranked below might harbor hope for a lucky break and challenge her repeatedly, which would be quite a drain on her energy. This was because Xia Shende was ranked last among the Eighth-Layer Qi Refinement cultivators, and in his two previous matches, two Seventh-Layer disciples had only lost by a hair's breadth.
Furthermore, Xia Shende's rank was in danger of falling out of the top twenty. If she could secure a higher rank, it would naturally be better. During the first round of battles, she had already made her assessment.
Among the thirteen Eighth-Layer Qi Refinement cultivators, the top five were people she would have difficulty defeating, so she did not consider them. Among the remaining eight, the strengths of those from rank thirteen to sixteen were very close, so their rankings were sure to see a major shuffle.
From Shen Youzhen at seventeenth down to Xia Shende at twentieth, their strength decreased like steps on a ladder, with the gaps being rather obvious. They were unlikely to challenge each other rashly. She intended to defeat Shen Youzhen with overwhelming force to awe those ranked below her.
This way, her position would be much more stable. As long as others were not confident of victory, they would not waste their energy on her. To be able to avoid a string of battles with this method, why wouldn't she do it?
Those with sharp minds understood her purpose. Some might laugh at her for not knowing her own limits, while others might praise her boldness. Shen Youzhen's face, however, turned livid, feeling deeply offended.
In his view, cultivators below the Eighth Layer mostly chose to challenge Xia Shende. A more arrogant and confident one might challenge Gan Yuan at rank nineteen. He never thought he would be looked down upon to this extent, that a mere Sixth-Layer Qi Refinement disciple would dare to challenge him.
He strode onto the Martial Arts Platform, a long saber held horizontally before his chest. He was a blade cultivator! Zhao Chun had watched him fight others.
When he swung his saber, it already carried a faint radiance; he was not far from entering the Dao of the Blade. Aside from being on the verge of entering the Dao realm, he also had a mastered blade technique. His strength among cultivators of the same rank was second only to a few top geniuses of the Inner Sect.
Based on the strength Zhao Chun had displayed earlier, her defeat was indeed a certainty. However, was what they had seen the whole truth? She leaped onto the Martial Arts Platform, held her head high, and pointed her sword at Shen Youzhen.
In her heart, she declared with soaring spirit, "After this battle, I, Zhao Chun, will be the foremost person in the Way of the Sword among all the Qi Refining disciples of the True Spirit Sect!" A thousand rays of light converged at the tip of her sword. In an instant, its peerless edge was fully revealed!
(End of Chapter)