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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 4: Insights
To be honest, although Xiao Chengzhong was broad and stout, his movements were surprisingly agile. In battle, he moved as lightly as a swallow, with astonishing speed, and both his evasions and attacks were precise and cunning. Many elders had already recognized the excellence of this disciple.
When they heard that an outsider like Lian Yun claimed Xiao Chengzhong would lose, many were somewhat displeased. However, before anyone could voice their objections, they heard Xiao Jun speak up, and it seemed that he also acknowledged Lian Yun's words, leaving others speechless.
Yet some elders remained puzzled. "If he excels, how can he be unsuitable? If he is unsuitable, how can he excel?"
"Indeed, and what exactly is unsuitable about him?"
At that moment, Elder Mei sighed with some relief. "He has been trapped here for nearly ten years. I intended to offer a reminder but feared his youthful rebellion, so I refrained from doing so, hoping he would come to understand on his own. Now that he is still young, I worry that if this continues, he may sink deeper into his predicament."
"Now that both of you have noticed his unsuitability, perhaps you should remind him later; he might actually listen to you."
"Rebellious? Would he defy what the Master says? That can't be true. I've interacted with Xiao Chengzhong a few times; he's quite an approachable fellow."
"Hmph! This fat boy is quite stubborn; otherwise, how could he excel yet still be unsuitable?"
Several elders stood up, staring in disbelief at Elder Mei.
The fact that Xiao Chengzhong had been trapped for ten years indicated that the Grand Elder had been paying attention to him for a decade. While this was astonishing, the other elders did not find it particularly surprising because he was the Grand Elder—the one who once hoped not to let a talented swordsman go unnoticed within the Sect.
Even if someone knew that the Grand Elder was aware of every person's appearance and name within the Sect, they would not be surprised.
However, it was absolutely rare for a disciple to provoke such anger from the Grand Elder. From Elder Mei's tone, it seemed he even harbored thoughts of taking Xiao Chengzhong as his apprentice.
In the past or present, the Grand Elder's two disciples—Xiao Jun and Yao Yun'er—were both among the Top Ten of the Kings.
Being favored by the Grand Elder undoubtedly meant that one was another presence among the Top Ten of the Kings.
In an instant, the other elders began to entertain different thoughts.
Meanwhile, Yao Yun'er was quite puzzled; she did not understand where Xiao Chengzhong's stubbornness lay.
At that moment, Xiao Chengzhong's opponent, Yu Chengfeng, suddenly executed a Flying Swallow, sweeping his sword across an empty space, and Xiao Chengzhong happened to be right in the path of the attack.
Although Xiao Chengzhong was as light as a swallow, he was unable to react in time.
Thanks to Yu Chengfeng's timely withdrawal, Xiao Chengzhong was unharmed but still unwilling to accept defeat.
"Please have Brother Baiyun intervene! He won't listen to me either," Xiao Jun said.
The elders, who had previously been lively with thoughts, seemed doused with cold water and instantly lost their enthusiasm.
Xiao Chengzhong refused to listen to both the Grand Elder and Xiao Jun; many felt they could not manage such a disciple and abandoned their thoughts of taking him under their wing.
However, they overlooked an important point: Xiao Jun had likely been paying attention to Xiao Chengzhong all along. Given Xiao Jun's temperament, it was clear that their relationship was not merely that of distant relatives.
At this moment, Lian Yun flicked his fingers and sent forth a Soul Sword, which instantly appeared before Xiao Chengzhong, who was about to step down from the Arena.
Xiao Chengzhong instinctively stepped back and raised his sword to block. However, the Soul Sword simply sank downward, evading his guard and continuing its thrust toward his body.
Xiao Chengzhong indeed proved himself capable; he swiftly turned with Sword One and narrowly avoided disaster.
Yet the Soul Sword seemed relentless, not flying away but instead following the curve of Xiao Chengzhong's long sword and once again lunging toward him. It appeared as if it had never left at all, closing in another inch in the blink of an eye.
Xiao Chengzhong was taken aback, instinctively raising Sword One to shake it off, but when that failed, he quickly adjusted his strategy. His thoughts seemed to come alive as he pulled down, bringing Soul Sword closer to his body.
However, it appeared that Xiao Chengzhong had already devised a countermeasure. The tip of the sword remained almost stationary while his arm swung vigorously, entangling with Soul Sword.
Although this tactic had some effect, it wasn't long before the tip of Soul Sword maneuvered its way to his wrist.
At this point, Xiao Chengzhong suddenly stopped moving, and Soul Sword did not advance any further; instead, it flew back to Lian Yun's side.
Xiao Chengzhong fell silent for a moment, seemingly pondering before looking up at Lian Yun and asking, "Brother Baiyun, do you think I am suited for entangling sword techniques?"
Lian Yun shook his head.
Xiao Chengzhong lowered his head in contemplation again and after a long while asked, "Then what sword technique should I cultivate?"
"Great wisdom appears foolish! Understand it yourself! If you cannot comprehend it within a year, then consult Elder Mei!"
Xiao Jun nodded naturally, while Elder Mei was slightly taken aback and then helplessly remarked, "Great wisdom appears foolish—this hint nearly caught me off guard."
Lian Yun smiled lightly and said, "As the Grand Elder has suggested, I hope Brother Chengzhong can come to understand on his own. Thus, this hint that isn't really a hint is also my hope that Brother Chengzhong can discover a sword path that suits him."
Xiao Chengzhong's eyes were already filled with confusion, but he still cupped his hands in salute towards Lian Yun and all the elders before stepping down from the Arena.
After the top ten came the top five, followed by a round-robin among the top three. Lü Yue took first place, while Gao Yuanyuan and Sweet High secured second and third respectively. The beautiful sisters certainly made many male disciples swoon.
However, although the sisters only ranked second and third, when Qiu ChujI took out ten long swords to reward them, he said, "According to your rankings, I should reward you with the two best swords after Feihong. However, since your strength lies in dual strikes, I will instead reward you with the lesser twin swords Azure Sea and Blue. What do you think?"
"We will follow the Sect Master's arrangements."
"No, suitability does not necessarily mean satisfaction. This time, it mainly depends on your own wishes, sisters." With the leader's words, any dissatisfaction seemed to fade away.
The two sisters bowed slightly and said, "We wish to have the Azure Sea Blue Twin Swords."
In truth, Lian Yun also felt that these twin swords were extremely suitable for the pair of sisters. In a way, if they faced off against two opponents like Lyu Yue, they would likely emerge victorious.
The ten swords were quickly distributed, and the competition came to an end.
However, one of the core disciples immediately stood up and cupped his hands toward Lian Yun, saying, "I have heard that Brother Baiyun's swordsmanship is exceptional. May I spar with Cai Dongjie?"
"Cai Dongjie is one of our Sect's top ten young disciples and is very skilled in swordsmanship," Yao Yun'er explained to Lian Yun.
"Junior Sister Yao praises me too highly. Your swordsmanship surpasses mine. I merely wish to see how formidable the swordsmanship is of someone whom Xiao Jun holds in high regard," Cai Dongjie replied, his demeanor somewhat arrogant but with a seemingly good attitude.
Lian Yun nodded and after a moment of silence said, "Three days later, at Azure Cloud Peak."
Suddenly, Lian Yun felt a bit embarrassed as he pressed his forehead. It felt as if Azure Cloud Peak was his territory.
(End of Chapter)
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