Rising with Strength, Astonishing Everyone

When Sun Henian truly stood before Ye Zhiqiu, he finally understood the kind of opponent he was facing this time.

Ye Zhiqiu stood in place, like an unsheathed sword—sharp, imposing, and awe-inspiring.

No flaws?

How could there be no flaws?

Sun Henian frowned slightly, not daring to act rashly, because Ye Zhiqiu appeared utterly flawless.

It gave Sun Henian the illusion that if he struck carelessly, he would immediately fall into a disadvantage.

You don’t move, I don’t move.

The two stood on the arena, and the first round became a battle of sheer presence.

“What’s going on? Why aren’t they fighting?”

“Damn, I thought we’d see some action. Why are they like two wooden statues? Does moving first mean losing?”

“This is so boring! Are they actually going to fight or not?”

“Can any of you understand what’s happening?”

“If I’m not mistaken, they’re currently testing each other’s presence. Neither has shown any openings, so neither dares to strike first.”

“How can there be openings if no one attacks? Just go at it—that’d be way more exciting.”

“That’s what reckless fools do, or those who completely overpower their opponent.”

“What? Are they evenly matched? Is Ye Zhiqiu really that strong?”

No one knew what these two were thinking at this moment. Those who knew Sun Henian were baffled, and those familiar with Ye Zhiqiu were equally confused.

Only Chen Chang’an could see what Ye Zhiqiu was truly aiming for.

A test!

Ye Zhiqiu wanted to probe Sun Henian’s limits. If this kid wanted to make a name for himself in one strike, there was only one way.

“He’s… smiling?”

“Why did Ye Zhiqiu suddenly smile?”

Ye Zhiqiu’s abrupt grin stunned everyone, even Sun Henian, who felt a surge of unease.

“So this is your limit.”

The moment these words left Ye Zhiqiu’s lips, Sun Henian’s expression darkened.

Bad news—this kid was about to strike.

In the next instant, an overwhelming sword intent erupted from Ye Zhiqiu’s body.

The moment they sensed it, the crowd’s hearts trembled.

“No—my sword is resisting my control!”

“Damn it, how can this kid have such terrifying sword intent?”

“How old is he? Not only has he comprehended sword intent, but it’s also this overwhelming?”

The moment Ye Zhiqiu unleashed his sword intent, every swordsman present felt their blades straining to leave their scabbards. Many had to exert all their strength just to keep their weapons in place.

“His talent and comprehension are simply heaven-defying.”

Even Lu Mengran and the others brightened, staring at Ye Zhiqiu as if they had discovered an unpolished gem.

Faced with Ye Zhiqiu’s sword intent, Sun Henian realized his own strength was being heavily suppressed.

Knowing things had taken a bad turn, Sun Henian prepared to strike—only to find Ye Zhiqiu had already vanished from his sight.

The next thing Sun Henian knew, his body was slowly lifting into the air, and the scene before him turned into the vast blue sky.

What… happened?

Why…?

These were the last questions in Sun Henian’s mind before he lost consciousness, collapsing off the arena in a daze.

“What just happened? I didn’t even see anything before Sun Henian was sent flying!”

“Damn, is Ye Zhiqiu defying the heavens? Sun Henian is the Qingyun Sect Master’s personal disciple, at the eighth level of the Divine Ability Realm, and yet Ye Zhiqiu defeated him in a single sword strike?”

“A single sword strike? Did Ye Zhiqiu even draw his sword?”

“I didn’t see it. Did any of you?”

“Honestly, I didn’t either.”

Most hadn’t seen how Ye Zhiqiu had won, but that didn’t mean no one understood.

“Unity of man and sword—so fast it’s nearly imperceptible. Ye Zhiqiu’s talent in the sword path is truly monstrous.”

“Could his physique be special? Some kind of sword-body?”

“Sect Master, this Ye Zhiqiu is extraordinary. He’d be perfect for our Dayun Peak.”

“Nonsense! He’s clearly better suited for Qinggang Peak!”

“You already have plenty of genius disciples. This time, don’t fight us Xiaoyun Peak for him.”

“Ridiculous. Are you ignoring our Red Luan Peak?”

“Your peak is all female disciples. Ye Zhiqiu is a man.”

“I don’t care. For a disciple like this, we can make an exception.”

Before anything else, the peak lords had already begun fighting over him—a sight that gave Lu Mengran a headache.

Every time a genius appeared, these people would cause a scene.

Meanwhile, not far away, Lu Yun and Cao Jinxiu wore grim expressions. They never imagined Ye Zhiqiu would be this monstrous.

Even the other peak lords were drawn to him. It seemed Ye Zhiqiu would indeed join the Qingyun Sect.

“Lu Yun, what… what do we do?”

“Are we really going to let Ye Zhiqiu join the Qingyun Sect?”

Cao Jinxiu held no personal grudge against Ye Zhiqiu, but every time she saw him, she was reminded of a humiliating past.

Now that Ye Zhiqiu was soaring to new heights, everyone would say she had been blind.

This was not the outcome she wanted.

Lu Yun gave her a faint smile and patted her shoulder gently. “Don’t worry. I’ve met Ye Zhiqiu—he has his own mind. I doubt he’ll even agree to join the Qingyun Sect.”

“Let’s wait and see.”

“Alright.”

Cao Jinxiu’s emotions were in turmoil. The last thing she wanted was to witness Ye Zhiqiu’s rise.

If she had known it would come to this, she would have had him assassinated long ago.

As Ye Zhiqiu stepped down from the arena, the way the crowd looked at him had completely changed.

Before, their gazes had been mocking, teasing, or dismissive. Now, no one dared to underestimate him.

With just this one battle, Ye Zhiqiu’s reputation soared. Defeating the Qingyun Sect Master’s personal disciple in a single sword strike—who would dare look down on him now?

And he was only nineteen years old!

“Sect Master, are you really letting Ye Zhiqiu leave just like that?”

“Aren’t you going to recruit him?”

“Is it because of Lu Yun?” The Dayun Peak Lord frowned.

“Do you think I’m that kind of person?”

“The tournament isn’t over yet. We can extend an invitation once it concludes.” Lu Mengran replied calmly.

“Fair enough. But regarding Lu Yun… shouldn’t we guide him a little?”

“If he can’t even tolerate something like this, then he doesn’t deserve to be the Young Sect Master.”

“Isn’t that… a bit too harsh?”

“When you hold a position, you must bear its responsibilities. He is my son, but he is also part of the Qingyun Sect. The Sect’s interests come first.”

This was the kind of man Lu Mengran was. If he weren’t, he wouldn’t have become Sect Master, nor would the others respect him so deeply.

Though they wouldn’t say it aloud, the various peak masters held Lu Mengran in high regard. He was not only strict with those around him but downright harsh on himself.

Ye Zhiqiu walked over and took a seat beside Chen Chang’an, his expression calm, devoid of excessive excitement.

“You were still too conservative,” Chen Chang’an remarked indifferently.

“Master, I simply didn’t know the limits of my opponent. I wanted to test them.”

“After all, I thought a one-strike kill would have been far more impactful.”

After speaking, Ye Zhiqiu stole a cautious glance at Chen Chang’an’s reaction, his heart tinged with trepidation.

Since becoming Chen Chang’an’s disciple, Ye Zhiqiu had grown increasingly aware of his master’s enigmatic and formidable nature, filling him with deep reverence.

“When I said conservative, I meant you underestimated your own strength.”

“Have you forgotten? You cultivate the Supreme Sword Emperor’s Art—an Emperor-tier technique—and have comprehended fifty percent of sword intent.”

“In terms of combat prowess, even those at the peak of the Divine Ability Realm’s ninth level are no match for you. What were you testing?”

The only thing Chen Chang’an found unsatisfactory was Ye Zhiqiu’s flawed perception of his own power.

Chen Chang’an had said that even a peak Divine Ability Realm ninth-level cultivator was no rival, but if Ye Zhiqiu fought with all his might, even an ordinary Divine Transformation Realm expert might suffer defeat.

“Am I… really that strong?” Ye Zhiqiu asked, astonished.

“You… lack real combat experience.”

“Do you know what to do in tomorrow’s battle now?”

“Master, I understand!”