[Hope you’ll gift this work one more castle or a spaceship before June starts. And I’ll upload total of around 100 Chapters today before June starts. Hope you all will like it.]

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The originally noisy area around the Sword Debate Platform suddenly quieted down.

To the onlookers, that seemingly loose azure Sword Qi, almost instantly, dispersed the water curtain in front of Senior Brother Kong You.

Zhao Mian was watching the battle from below, initially estimating how this person would be ’guided’.

But now, he was dumbfounded.

He had just fought with Senior Brother Kong You and clearly understood the toughness of that water curtain. How could it be broken through so easily by this person?

"..."

"This..."

A group of Cultivators stared, dumbfounded. Coming back to their senses, they looked at each other, unable to utter a complete evaluation for a long time.

Kong Yun was even more surprised.

He also knew very well that among these Inner Sect Disciples in the Qi Refinement Stage, his Senior Brother was not without rivals.

But those few were all the renowned contemporary prodigies within the Sect.

Where did this person come from?

"Song Yan?"

Among the crowd, someone muttered, "Could it be that Song Yan who publicly massacred a Profound Origin Sect Inner Sect Disciple in Changping?"

"Ah..."

At this, quite a few people finally remembered.

Yes, it must be him.

It was just that this person lived in seclusion, with almost no news of him within the Sect.

On the Sword Debate Platform, Senior Brother Kong You had just steadied his mind and eased his Spiritual Qi when the second azure Sword Qi shot towards him.

He spread his hand, and the teardrop-shaped pendant on his chest erupted with a flash of lightning.

The violent lightning Spiritual Qi instantly scattered the Sleeve Green Snake Sword Qi.

"...Such pure lightning Dao."

Song Yan thought to himself that this person indeed had some skill.

The third azure snake Sword Qi, which had already condensed, was casually dispersed by him.

With a flick of his sword-finger, several white sword lights, trailing afterimages, leaped out from the sword box behind him, whistling and circling around Song Yan.

Wind and thunder flashed, making it impossible to look directly at them.

"..."

The violent Sword Qi generated by Cloud Piercing Sword surged throughout the entire Sword Debate Platform.

A full eighteen sword shadows!

Yuwen Yao’s eyes widened. Her previously slightly tipsy expression was now perfectly sober.

"Sword Shadow Split Light, what terrifying power..."

While her mouth spoke of terror, her heart couldn’t help but feel excited.

Good, good, good.

Unexpectedly, among the current Inner Sect Disciples, there was another opponent who could make her feel excited.

Yuwen below the stage was secretly pleased.

Senior Brother Kong You on the stage was lamenting endlessly.

Not to mention the Qi Refining Stage Seventh Level Realm, where would such powerful Divine Sense come from? With the Spiritual Qi reserves of the Qi Refinement Stage, such a sky-filling Sword Qi must be extremely draining.

Casually casting some area-of-effect spell could easily scatter it.

But was that really the case?

Senior Brother Kong You’s lightning power surged to its peak.

On the Sword Debate Platform, countless Sword Qi spiraled and flew.

Yet, Senior Brother Kong You was forced to stumble backward by this chaotic Sword Qi.

At this moment, he had a body full of Spiritual Qi Cultivation but was completely overwhelmed by the sword lights, unable to find any opportunity to counterattack.

He had underestimated his opponent from the start. With Song Yan’s complete suppression and relentless pursuit, trying to make a desperate comeback... there was no longer any chance.

Four sword lights successively shattered Senior Brother Kong You’s protective Spiritual Qi. At the same time, the other white sword shadows circulated and converged in the air, forming a beam of light.

Song Yan’s sword-finger pressed down slightly, and he softly uttered a single word: "Fall."

The beam of light suddenly dropped.

Senior Brother Kong You looked up at the sky in astonishment, only to see the sword light, grand in its momentum, already before his eyes in an instant.

However.

As it fell, it disintegrated and dispersed inch by inch.

Until it landed on his glabella, cool and refreshing.

It was a drop of rain.

"..."

Countless sword shadows returned to the sword box one by one, and precisely at this moment, the sky cleared.

Cloud Piercing Sword fell, and heaven and earth returned to peace.

Senior Brother Kong You stood there blankly, then slowly opened his mouth and said, "I lost."

"You’re too kind."

Song Yan did not linger. He bowed and then turned to walk off the Sword Debate Platform.

The entire eastern side of Wipe Sword Peak was now silent.

The Cultivators below the stage all made way, watching this person leave the Sword Debate Platform.

At the edge of the Sword Debate Platform, Gu Qingqing stared blankly at Song Yan’s retreating figure, unable to speak.

Her heart, however, was not calm: "In just one year, Senior Brother Song has actually improved to this extent!?"

"Not only has he been promoted to Inner Sect, but he can even defeat Senior Brother Kong in a spar."

In contrast, she herself... was still very far from breaking through to the Qi Refining Stage Seventh Level.

She couldn’t help but feel a little lost.

However, she quickly regained her spirits.

"Complaining is meaningless; working hard to catch up is the real task."

Coming back to her senses, she found Yuwen Yao staring at her with a suspicious expression.

"This girl is on and off, what is she muttering about?"

"No... nothing, Senior Sister Yuwen, let’s quickly return to the peak. I want to Cultivate diligently!"

"Alright, alright, alright..."

Yuwen put the large wine jar back into her qiankun bag and, holding Gu Qingqing’s small hand, walked towards Lianyou Peak.

"Speaking of which, do you recognize that Disciple named Song just now?"

"Yes, Qingqing and Senior Brother Song have completed many missions together before, in Jiran Valley, Peach Blossom Dock, and we even went to Bei Ya Mountain together."

Gu Qingqing indicated that they were quite familiar.

Yuwen Yao pondered for a moment: "What Dao does he primarily Cultivate?"

Gu Qingqing thought for a moment, then shook her head: "Qingqing isn’t quite sure what Cultivation Technique Senior Brother Song primarily Cultivates, but Senior Brother Song’s sword control technique is extremely exquisite, he..."

"..."

As Gu Qingqing spoke, she suddenly paused, as if remembering something.

"..."

Yuwen Yao also looked at her, saying nothing.

She had, of course, heard the name Song Yan from the Sect’s rumors.

No matter how exaggerated the rumors were, there was one thing that all versions of the gossip shared.

That was, this person named Song Yan was skilled at wielding Flying Swords.

But... where were the Flying Swords?

"..."

Yes, where were the Flying Swords... The Cultivators gathered around the Sword Debate Platform also realized it at this moment.

Throughout the entire duel with Senior Brother Kong You, he had only manipulated Sword Qi.

The azure Sleeve Sword Qi, the white Wind and Thunder Sword Shadows.

His Flying Sword had remained in its box, never once unsheathed.

Some things cannot withstand close scrutiny.

In fact, because Song Yan was already accustomed to giving his all, even if he had planned it out in his mind, telling himself this was a’spar’ or ’bout’ and not a life-and-death struggle.

He would still exert his full strength while restraining his methods.

Only after confirming his inevitable victory, or when the opponent lost their Battle Intent, would he slowly withdraw.

Senior Brother Kong You had many intentions of underestimating his opponent.

This was the most important reason why he lost so completely. The moment Song Yan made his move, Senior Brother Kong You had already lost.

Song Yan naturally knew this as well.

So this match, in fact, had little reference value.

If Senior Brother Kong You were given another chance, the outcome might not be the same.

However, in Senior Brother Kong You’s heart, this was a lesson Song Yan had taught him.

— If it were a life-and-death struggle, no one would give you a second chance.

"..."

He slowly stood up, exhaled a mouthful of turbid Qi, and walked off the Sword Debate Platform.

"Brother..."

"I’m fine."

There was no such talk as "I could have won."

Strength, luck, mentality... The result of failure encompassed all aspects.

Song Yan... Senior Brother Kong You secretly pondered this name in his heart, then took his younger brother and left Wipe Sword Peak.

Around the Sword Debate Platform, discussions finally began to rise like a tide.

But the clouds on the peak dispersed, a ray of sunlight broke through the clouds and shone down, and as Song Yan walked down the stone steps, the discussions behind him grew fainter and fainter.