By the way, this is my Patreon! Please support it! With enough support, I'll upload more chapters each week (I plan to upload seven a day).
There are ten chapters available in advance!
https://patreon.com/Raven_Feather?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
----------------------------
Qing Xuanling's heart filled with fear at that moment, terrified they would kill her in a single blow before anyone could advocate for her. But luckily, she was not alone.
"Bei Shifeng, do you intend to break the rules so blatantly?! Is this old woman no longer in your eyes?!" Qing Meipon, with her wrinkled, hunched frame, appeared in front of Qing Xuanling with a fierce gaze. "We already stated that we cannot attack the participants! And that boy's death was clearly accidental!"
"Who could have guessed that the Ink Sword Sect's swords would be so inferior?!"
Although Qing Meipon had come to defend Qing Xuanling, she was clearly enjoying the moment. She had always been suspicious of the Ink Sword Sect, often having quarrels with their elders and disciples back when she was in the Qi Refinement realm.
The resentment accumulated over years of being held back by her juniors to avoid worsening relations between the two forces was finally being released!
Bei Shifeng's face turned green, as if he had been poisoned. But he found no way to respond. He hadn't imagined either that his sect's swords would be so inferior to those of the Qing clan.
Even if Zu Ning's death wasn't accidental, there was no way to confirm it!
"Hmph, if you want to put it that way, I'll leave it at that for now!" Bei Shifeng vanished into the air, leaving behind words laden with venom. "But don't come crying to me when the same happens to you!"
Qing Meipon laughed heartily. "As if my Qing clan people were so foolish! But rest assured, I won't say a word if one of my youngsters dies accidentally... But believe me, you won't want to see me if I discover you tried to intentionally kill my precious youths!"
Qing Meipon's voice, already grave with age, was cold, capable of freezing people's hearts.
Even Qing Xuanling felt her heart tremble at her voice. Qing Meipon, who didn't notice this, turned around with a smile. "Haha, Little Ninth, you have truly filled the clan's ancestors with pride! You did well!"
Qing Xuanling smiled awkwardly. "Elder Meipon, I really didn't do it on purpose..."
"Yes, yes, we never do anything on purpose!" Qing Meipon's smile was wide as she vigorously ruffled Qing Xuanling's hair. "And call me Grandma Meipon; calling me 'Elder' sounds so distant! Especially since I took such a liking to you!"
Qing Xuanling smiled bitterly. She felt like she was being framed when she was clearly innocent... She really hadn't wanted to kill Zu Ning.
Although she had fought with killing intent, it was simply to unleash her combat power more effectively. She would have stopped before killing him. But who would have imagined that his sword would break from just her physical strength and the edge of Memory?
'Well, I suppose I'll have to bear this crime...'
She smiled slightly. "Thank you, Grandma Meipon. I feel safer with you nearby protecting me."
Qing Meipon's withered eyes filled with joy at Qing Xuanling's words. "Such sweet words! My foolish grandsons aren't nearly as sweet as you! Fine, when we return to the clan, I will personally take you as my granddaughter! A lovely girl like you must be spoiled with a grandmother's love!"
Qing Xuanling's smile froze, but before she could say anything, Qing Meipon had vanished. She stood bewildered for a moment, feeling as though she had been dragged into something without even knowing it.
But she couldn't help the warm butterflies fluttering in her chest.
In the end, she simply shook her head. No matter how she felt now, she still had nine more battles to fight. These would likely be more dangerous than the previous ones. She didn't believe the Ink Sword Sect would maintain their previously relatively relaxed pace.
Most likely, they would attack her with full intent to pay a death with another death.
Her next match confirmed this.
The Mo clan people maintained the same attitude as before, although they were now more cautious around her. However, the story was completely different with the Ink Sword Sect cultivator.
The man, already in his forties, gripped his sword so tightly his palms seemed ready to bleed, staring at Qing Xuanling with a rare murderous fury. He seemed to have some relationship with Zu Ning.
Of course, the result didn't change no matter how much anger he felt.
Qing Xuanling won again with her agile movements and overwhelming strength, without needing to use Sword Qi. She was trying to conserve her Qi as much as possible. She had a feeling the Ink Sword Sect wouldn't let things end easily with her.
This second match lasted over fifteen minutes, much longer than before. But Qing Xuanling's breathing remained as steady as ever. The superhuman stamina of a body cultivator was no joke, after all.
The third match was slightly more difficult than the previous one. This time, she didn't emerge completely unscathed. The person sent by the Mo clan had managed to hide from her perception and launched dozens of poison-filled needles at her.
Of course, the needles failed to pierce her skin, so the poison had little effect on her... This resulted in the Mo clan cultivator calling her a monster, which ended with him being brutally beaten by Qing Xuanling...
The difficulty of the fourth match also increased. Qing Xuanling couldn't help but reinforce her body with Qi while fighting, but even so, she couldn't prevent the Ink Sword Sect cultivator from giving her a small cut on her arm.
The fifth match was even worse, receiving multiple wounds on her body. Although even then, they didn't force her to use Sword Qi. She simply accepted being wounded with a cold, impassive gaze, as if it weren't her own blood falling to the ground.
One of her most serious wounds, which was on her thigh, resulted from moment of distraction caused by something she noticed regarding the Ink Sword Sect and the Mo clan.
'They brought more people, and they looked quite elderly... I suppose they must be those talentless individuals who failed to pass the advanced stage barrier and focused on training their techniques. How troublesome.'
Qing Xuanling sighed. There were people like that in the Qing clan too, but the decision had been made not to bring them. She hadn't understood why that decision was made, but she understood after her conversation with the Young Master.
You couldn't demonstrate much potential by using those grumpy old folks whose strength was simply monstrous among their peers due to the passage of time. Every force had people like that.
That was also the reason the Ink Sword Sect and the Mo clan had only brought middle-aged people at first, as they were also trying to demonstrate their strength to the five Qi Refinement forces.
Which, of course, failed miserably upon Qing Xuanling's arrival.
"The Rainbow Swordswoman! The Rainbow Swordswoman! The Rainbow Swordswoman!"
A chorus, composed not only of Qing clan members but also of cultivators watching the spectacle, including several youths from the five Qi Refinement forces, shouted the nickname they had given her with force.
Strength was revered in this world, after all.
Especially when the display of strength came from the supposed weaker side, covered in wounds and blood, yet somehow still managing to reach victory.
These were the kinds of people usually called heroes, revered and acclaimed regardless of time or place.
And the Ink Sword Sect and the Mo clan could not let this continue.
So Qing Xuanling wasn't surprised when she saw that the cultivators sent to fight her were old men with faces more wrinkled than dried plums.
"I'm sorry, girl, but this is an order from the sect that I cannot disobey. Your path ends here..." The Ink Sword Sect elder spoke with humility, but the arrogance engraved in his bones was clear.
The Mo clan elder was at least more sincere.
"Brat, prepare to suffer! I've been wanting to test a new type of poison for a long time, and I think a strong, heroic young lady like you would be the perfect test subject!"
Qing Xuanling smiled. "You talk a lot even though the match hasn't even started. Let's see if you can keep talking in a few minutes."
Both elders filled with killing intent upon hearing those words.
The match began quickly.
The Ink Sword Sect elder advanced rapidly using footwork that seemed simple at first glance but grew deeper the more one looked. He arrived in front of Qing Xuanling in an instant.
The other elder, a poison expert, didn't fall behind. He joined both hands in front of his mouth and blew hard, creating two clouds of smoke that transformed into snakes three meters long and one meter wide!
Both snakes advanced at great speed toward Qing Xuanling.
Qing Xuanling's eyes widened at the joint attack. Even she was in a tight spot at this moment!
Her eyes narrowed, and she quickly blocked the attack coming from above by the Ink Sword Sect elder, holding her sword with both hands. The elder's physical strength had nothing to do with his withered, wrinkled physique!
Qing Xuanling gritted her teeth as she felt her feet being crushed downward. Her eyes sharpened, and she quickly rotated her sword to the side, deflecting the elder's blade and seizing the opportunity to counterattack.
But the elder dodged immediately, retreating several steps in an instant. Everyone already knew about the abnormal sharpness of Qing Xuanling's sword! However, that was exactly what Qing Xuanling had expected!
She took advantage of the Ink Sword Sect elder's retreat, she created pink fire at her feet, attacking the two snakes heading straight for her with open jaws using a spinning kick.
A sizzling sound came from the snakes when they touched the pink fire! They extinguished in an instant, unable to withstand the heat of the fire for even five seconds!
"Impossible! Are you also an expert in high-level fire?!" The Mo clan elder shouted in disbelief, expressing what most of the audience felt at that moment.
It was the first time Qing Xuanling demonstrated her mastery over Celestial Flower's pink fire!
She smiled slightly. She had never truly feared the Mo clan's poisons. After all, she possessed one of the best fires for purifying impurities from spiritual medicines, and poisons could be included in the category of impurities!
The Ink Sword Sect elder also gritted his teeth. It seemed the Mo clan people would be as useless as always. He sighed in annoyance and quickly attacked Qing Xuanling with ferocity again.
However, things did not go as he expected.
His eyes, full of spots, widened as never before in years as he saw the paper-white pure Qi beginning to surround Qing Xuanling's sword. Fear filled his face as he realized what it was.
"How can a brat like you master Sword Qi?!"
Qing Xuanling did not respond as she slashed at high speed, cutting through the elder's sword and his arm directly!
Qing Xuanling's eyes were filled with coldness. At first, she hadn't wanted to be so harsh, but since the Ink Sword Sect and the Mo clan wanted to play dirty, she would play along.
She slowly directed her gaze toward the Mo clan elder, but he had already abandoned the quadrilateral long ago...
Qing Xuanling's face filled with bewilderment for a moment, but in the end, she simply shook her head with a smile. Although cowardly, that elder's decision was quite wise. She wasn't going to be merciful with him at all.
While Qing Xuanling thought about this, the elders of the Ink Sword Sect and the Mo clan looked at her with killing intent. They finally realized Qing Xuanling's identity. The genius they had tried to assassinate and the original reason this tournament was being held!
Regret filled their hearts, but it was too late. Now, all they wished was that they had sent real assassins and not those imitations to smear others. They had truly shot themselves in the foot by being too greedy!
The look in the eyes of the elders of the two clans changed, and they quickly exchanged words through divine sense.
Meanwhile, the seventh match had already begun.
Qing Xuanling faced two elders again. The battle was even more difficult. Both elders were even more cautious now that they knew her abilities well. They began attacking her from a distance with various methods, forcing her to chase them.
The battle lasted thirty minutes, with Qing Xuanling spending most of the time chasing the elders.
The audience booed loudly. They weren't fools. They knew what the Ink Sword Sect and the Mo clan were trying to do. Tire Qing Xuanling out enough to defeat her in a final match. The chorus shouting Qing Xuanling's nickname grew louder and more intense as people realized this, to the displeasure of the Ink Sword Sect and Mo clan people.
But they could do nothing! Nothing could change the fact that what people loved to see most was someone overcoming an apparently impossible situation!
The eighth match was shorter, lasting about ten minutes, but of much greater intensity. The Mo clan elder was not a poison expert, but an expert in powerful hidden weapons, and he managed several combined attacks with the Ink Sword Sect elder that even Qing Xuanling found difficult to handle.
Although in the end, Qing Xuanling cut off the Mo clan elder's fingers and the other's leg. She was not a pusillanimous person who let herself be intimidated.
The ninth match increased in intensity again. This time, the elders were experts in movement techniques, appearing behind and at the sides of Qing Xuanling to attack her with swords, both of them.
The elder sent by the Mo clan was one of the rare sword experts of the clan.
The combination of the two elders, who had decades of experience, was enough to put Qing Xuanling in a difficult position even with her Sword Qi. In the end, she had to use the second move of the Wandering Sword to win.
But at the end of the match, she was leaning on her sword, which was stuck in the floor, breathing heavily. Her body was covered in blood, and her mind was exhausted at this point.
She no longer remembered how many hours she had been fighting. Even the stamina of a body cultivator wasn't enough to sustain such a battle, especially when she hadn't even reached the third layer of Body Refinement.
The chorus shouting "The Rainbow Swordswoman" was thunderous at this point. There were already thousands of people watching the match, attracted by the loud shouts. Everyone who heard of Qing Xuanling's feats shouted her nickname, their blood boiling at the young girl's great skill and determination.
Among them, the Young Master had his brow furrowed. He hadn't expected those scoundrels to be despicable enough to bring those grumpy old men to fight a young girl. He wouldn't have told Qing Xuanling to win all the rounds if he had predicted this would happen.
But it must be said that he was quite surprised by Qing Xuanling's performance. The girl was a born fighter, with the ability to adapt in the midst of combat, improving her experience by leaps and bounds.
Not many people were capable of facing those grumpy old men even with the great advantages like sword Qi or body cultivation she had.
He felt the urge to stop the intermediate league, since they had won the nine matches anyway. But...
'What a bright smile.'
Qing Xuanling, her face soaked in sweat and blood, wore the biggest smile possible. Her eyes, though somewhat clouded by fatigue, hid a shine as intense as the stars. Her sword, Memory, trembled with excitement!
The greatest pleasure for a sword was an intense, endless battle, but above all, that the wielder enjoyed the battle as much as the sword itself!
Bei Shifeng, in the sky, frowned as he looked at Qing Xuanling's state. 'Sword-human connection... Tsk, how annoying!'
Qing Xuanling's next opponents finally arrived. They were two elders, just like before, but Qing Xuanling's skin prickled as soon as she saw them. She realized immediately.
'They are on a completely different level than the previous ones.'
The Ink Sword Sect elder, Luo Zhi, was a man who seemed to be in his final years of life. His wrinkled face was full of black spots, and he was missing one eye. His hands, which weakly held his sword, looked like skeleton hands with a thin layer of skin.
And yet, Qing Xuanling felt from the depths of her being a profound sense of danger from Luo Zhi.
The old woman who came from the Mo clan, Mo Yuyun, had a withered body and skin full of green and purple patches. Her hands constantly held several small, sharp daggers that seemed capable of cutting anything.
Qing Xuanling realized this immediately and smiled in relief. Her effort to not use her sword techniques until now had not been in vain.
'If I hadn't done that, I would probably be dead.'
Qing Xuanling's eyes turned sharp as she straightened up and gripped Memory tightly. Memory began to tremble in rhythm with Qing Xuanling's heartbeat. She suddenly remembered something Qing Zizhai, her fencing master, had told her.
'Those destined to become sword cultivators will be, while those without that destiny will never be, no matter how hard they try.'
She finally realized how right he was.
Qing Xuanling couldn't imagine herself being anything other than a sword cultivator. A Qing Xuanling who didn't experience the slight tremor of her sword, one who didn't feel her heart beat with inexplicable excitement in a shitty situation, and one who didn't feel her blood burn! Something like that was simply impossible in her mind!
Memory seemed to roar as Qing Xuanling's emotions increased, shining intensely with five colors.
The elders announced the start of the match at that moment.