"You want to learn swordsmanship?"
This blond brat… wasn't that Yanqing?
Now this really was three generations under one roof…
Since Su Ran had learned swordsmanship from Jingliu, then technically speaking, he could also be considered her disciple.
"Yes! Can I learn from you?"
Yanqing stared at Su Ran with burning eyes.
Exactly like the way he had looked at Jingliu earlier that morning.
"…Why do you wield the sword?"
Su Ran suddenly put on the air of some mysterious reclusive master who loved speaking in riddles.
"Because… I want to become the next Sword Champion of the Luofu!"
Yanqing still held immense admiration for the title of Sword Champion.
It was precisely because he had heard the legends of the former Sword Champion that he was now so fascinated by the path of the sword.
"If you can defeat her, then you shall become the Luofu's next Sword Champion."
Su Ran pointed toward Jingliu.
At that moment, Jingliu was still meditating quietly to recover her exhausted strength.
Then she heard Su Ran say that.
So she turned to examine the suddenly arrived youth.
Though still immature, he was indeed a fine piece of jade.
If polished properly, his future accomplishments in swordsmanship would certainly be extraordinary.
"But I haven't learned from you yet."
Even if he aspired to become Sword Champion, his current strength still wasn't enough!
Didn't he still need training first?
"You can just learn from her."
Su Ran still had no interest in taking in a disciple.
Though he had just mastered swordsmanship, he was far from being a qualified teacher.
Besides, teaching disciples sounded exhausting.
His main persona was a genius.
The peerless sword immortal thing was only the side gig.
"But…"
Yanqing was visibly reluctant.
Probably because he had watched Jingliu forced into constant defense beneath that overwhelming storm of sword qi and subconsciously judged her to be weaker.
"What is it, little brother…?"
"Are you looking down on my swordsmanship?"
Jingliu's sword intent began to rise.
After being thoroughly "tormented" by Su Ran earlier, she still had plenty of pent-up frustration.
After all, she'd been suppressed the entire time.
And at first, she was the teacher.
Yet her dignity as a master hadn't even lasted five minutes.
Utterly humiliating…
Thankfully, there was no longer anyone nearby openly laughing at her.
"Uh… no, that's not it. I can tell your swordsmanship is also incredibly refined, Miss, but Senior's strength is obviously greater…"
How could Yanqing fail to recognize that Jingliu and Su Ran used the same sword style?
Learning from her was basically the same as learning from Su Ran.
Still, if given the choice, naturally he wanted the stronger teacher.
"Then how about this…"
"Little brother, take one of my sword strikes."
Jingliu's sword aura surged skyward.
Faced with such terrifying sword intent, Yanqing became even more aware of how frightening this master-disciple pair truly was.
The master's strength was completely unfathomable.
And even the disciple's sword intent was this overwhelming?
"Is this… a duel invitation?"
Yanqing's competitive spirit instantly ignited.
He swiftly drew his personal sword.
"You may think of it that way."
Jingliu leapt into the air.
As her body spun gracefully, a moonlike sword arc descended from the heavens.
Staring at that horrifying blade of light—
Yanqing's eyes filled with shock.
Yet he still gritted his teeth and gathered every ounce of his strength into a single thrust.
Just like Su Ran earlier, Jingliu slowly descended from above.
Yanqing, after receiving that sword strike, ended up in no better condition.
In fact, he looked even more miserable than Jingliu had earlier.
Watching Su Ran swing a sword from afar—
And personally experiencing one of Jingliu's attacks—
Those were two entirely different things.
Only the one receiving the strike could understand how terrifying Jingliu's sword truly was.
"There are five people."
"You've already challenged one of them."
"Keep working hard~"
Su Ran walked over and patted Yanqing on the shoulder.
Still gasping violently for breath, Yanqing finally collapsed onto the frozen surface from sheer exhaustion.
"He's good jade."
"If he can continue like this, surpassing me and becoming the next Sword Champion of the Luofu is only a matter of time."
Jingliu was extremely satisfied with Yanqing's performance.
"What about me then… teach~er~?"
Su Ran leaned in curiously.
"…Why even ask me that?"
Jingliu rolled her eyes.
Though she claimed never to judge students by talent, even she had to admit she was shaken by Su Ran's aptitude.
She had never seen anyone possess talent on this level before.
It was as though he belonged to an entirely different dimension.
"That's because Teacher taught me so well~"
Su Ran casually slung an arm over Jingliu's shoulder while looking at the collapsed Yanqing.
"There are five people."
"He has to fight three of them."
"After this, he'll probably clash with Dan Feng and Yingxing too."
Jingliu: …
What kind of sins had this child committed?
Or rather—
What grudge did he have against the High-Cloud Quintet?
He was seriously planning to challenge three of them in succession?
"He's still too young."
Whether it was Dan Feng or Yingxing—
This kid had absolutely no chance against either of them.
Dan Feng's strength needed no explanation.
He had once been the High Elder who guarded the Ambrosial Arbor itself.
As for Yingxing—
After enduring countless deaths, his swordsmanship had long since reached perfection.
There was no way this brat could defeat him so easily.
Especially considering Yingxing possessed an immortality far beyond ordinary Xianzhou natives.
—
"Mm… General?"
Upon waking from unconsciousness, Yanqing saw a familiar figure.
Jing Yuan sat beside him calmly sipping tea.
"You've got quite the courage."
"You actually dared to duel with her? Even I consider that an extremely dangerous thing."
After learning that Yanqing had crossed swords with his own master, Jing Yuan felt genuinely relieved Su Ran had been present at the time.
If Jingliu's mara had suddenly flared up—
Yanqing likely would have died on the spot.
"General, you know that big sister?"
Yanqing scratched his head awkwardly.
After witnessing that sword strike, his mood had plummeted into the depths.
Jingliu's sword had simply been too dazzling.
One strike alone had nearly shattered his sword heart.
"That's my teacher."
"Show some respect."
Jing Yuan flicked Yanqing on the forehead.
"Ah? The General's teacher?"
"Then wouldn't that make her my Grandmaster?!"
Yanqing cried out in shock.
But after learning Jingliu's identity, he actually felt a little better.
"Wait! The General's teacher?!"
"Then doesn't that mean she's… a wanted criminal of the Luofu?!"
Only now did Yanqing finally realize what kind of person he had encountered.
Hadn't the General said that person had already fallen to mara?
Then why did she seem completely normal?
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