Holding the Sword to Carry Away Senior Sister (Transmigration) - Chapter 14

Fu Yan accepted Qin Xinrui’s challenge. Although she wasn’t someone who enjoyed looking for trouble or showing off, she wasn’t about to act like a “soft persimmon” when trouble came knocking at her door.

In the massive arena, disciples of all kinds conducted challenges and matches daily, so Fu Yan and Qin Xinrui standing on the stage didn’t attract too much attention at first. After all, their ranks were low; most people didn’t feel like watching a match between “nobodies.”

“Sigh, Junior Sister Fu, why are you so impatient? Junior Sister Xinrui is ranked nearly two hundred spots higher than you. What are we to do now?” Below the stage, Zhou Zhenlie acted as if he didn’t realize the gravity of the situation, maintaining his “kind-hearted” persona while calling out advice to Fu Yan.

Fu Yan couldn’t be bothered to spare him a glance. Her eyes were fixed on Qin Xinrui. She spoke calmly: “Begin.”

With that, she drew her Ling Long broken sword.

For a moment, everyone present was stunned. It was the first time they had seen someone use a broken sword as their weapon for a match. Some even rubbed their eyes in disbelief.

“What’s going on? Why is this Junior Sister holding a broken sword?”

“No idea. I just got here. Looks like another two beauties being toyed with by Senior Brother Zhou.”

“I mean, why do the new Junior Sisters get fooled by Senior Brother Zhou every year? This is the third time I’ve seen girls fight over him.”

“Well, he’s good-looking, knows how to please people, and his strength isn’t bad. Plus, his family has an elder in the inner sect. What do you expect?”

“Heh, he hasn’t even broken into the top hundred. Is that ‘not bad’?”

When Zhou Zhenlie saw Fu Yan draw a broken sword, his heart leaped with joy. He looked at her with feigned concern and drew his own sword. “Junior Sister Fu, how can you fight with a broken blade? If it’s inconvenient, why don’t you use my sword instead?”

Today’s match was, of course, arranged by him behind the scenes. Qin Xinrui was someone he had already “played with,” so she no longer interested him. Fu Yan, however, was increasingly to his taste.

In his mind, Fu Yan was guaranteed to lose today. That would be his moment to strike. After all, what moves a woman most is a man who unconditionally stands by her side when she is helpless. Even if she won by some miracle, she would feel a sense of superiority, and he would only need to act completely infatuated with her to draw her in.

Seeing Zhou Zhenlie offer his personal sword to Fu Yan, Qin Xinrui felt like she was going to explode with rage. She forgot the customary pre-match bow and lunged directly at Fu Yan.

“Junior Sister Fu, watch out!” Zhou Zhenlie shouted quickly.

Fu Yan found it laughable. Watching the charging Qin Xinrui, she didn’t panic at all. In the next second, she moved. Sweeping across the edge of the arena, Fu Yan performed a tilted spin, easily dodging the attack.

Learning a movement technique was indeed a good idea, she thought. Although her Wind-Shadow Steps hadn’t reached the “Small Success” stage yet, her speed had visibly improved after three days of relentless effort.

Seeing her attack evaded so easily, Qin Xinrui pursued her, slashing again. The sharp blade whistled toward Fu Yan, who shifted her weight. This time, the blade almost grazed her. Indeed, my current speed is still far from enough.

Enraged by the repeated misses, Qin Xinrui lost her patience. She unleashed her strongest move, rushing toward Fu Yan: “Let’s see you dodge this! Tenfold Sword!”

As she spoke, the sword in her hand blurred into ten identical blades, sealing off every one of Fu Yan’s paths of retreat.

Fu Yan had intended to use Qin Xinrui’s attacks to practice her footwork a few more times, but since the opponent wanted to end it quickly, she would meet her head-on. She gripped the Ling Long broken sword as True Essence surged within her. The next moment, she struck.

A powerful shockwave exploded on the stage. Qin Xinrui felt as if her blade were being physically torn apart. In the next second, her sword was sent flying, and she was blasted backward by a massive force of True Essence.

The audience gasped. They watched as Qin Xinrui spat out a mouthful of blood and flew off the stage like a kite with a broken string, falling into a dead faint.

Meanwhile, Fu Yan landed steadily on the stage, her crimson skirt fluttering in the wind.

Silence fell over the arena.

After a long while, someone finally reacted: “Wait, the fight ended in one strike? Where did this Junior Sister come from? Is she that strong?”

“It’s surprising, but I remember Qin Xinrui was only ranked in the 600s. Her strength was mediocre. This Junior Sister in red is likely new, so we didn’t know her depth. This result is actually quite normal.”

“True. Someone with Top 400 strength can definitely end a fight with Qin Xinrui in one move. It seems our new Junior Sister is at that level,” someone analyzed.

Fu Yan didn’t care about the chatter. She knew her current display wasn’t that impressive—there were plenty of people at this level in the inner sect. She glanced at her wooden plaque; her rank had updated from 832 to 643.

She had only knocked Qin Xinrui unconscious without damaging her cultivation base. Sect rules forbade killing in normal matches, and she had no desire to do so, but a lesson had to be taught.

Below the stage, Zhou Zhenlie was stunned. He hadn’t expected Fu Yan to be this formidable. Recovering quickly, he walked over with a look of admiration. “Junior Sister Fu, you are amazing!”

At that moment, several female disciples who knew Qin Xinrui walked over, looking indignant. “This was just a peer match. You didn’t have to be so heavy-handed. What if you damaged her foundation?”

Zhou Zhenlie immediately jumped in to defend Fu Yan. “No, it’s not like that. This started because of me; it’s my fault. Quick, take Junior Sister Qin down to rest.”

He then turned back to Fu Yan. “I am so sorry, Junior Sister Fu. This misunderstanding was all because of me. If you need anything, just let me know. Consider it my apology to you.”

Fu Yan actually nodded and looked at him, suddenly smiling. “Since you want to apologize, how about you cripple your own cultivation right here? Only then can I forgive you for what you’ve done.”

“What?” Zhou Zhenlie’s face filled with disbelief, as if he couldn’t trust his own ears.

Fu Yan shrugged helplessly. “Forget it. I know you wouldn’t be willing to part with it. In that case, I challenge you to a Life-and-Death Duel. Ten days from now, we meet here.”

Ignoring the collective gasp of shock from the crowd, she sheathed her Ling Long broken sword and walked away from the arena.

In a place with nearly a thousand disciples, friction was inevitable. To resolve deep grudges, the sect allowed “Life-and-Death Challenges.” Both parties had to be willing; rank and strength didn’t matter. The sect would not intervene even if someone died.

Usually, only those with blood feuds chose this path. Fu Yan’s sudden challenge to Zhou Zhenlie sent shockwaves through the crowd.

“Did I wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Did she just say ‘Life-and-Death Challenge’?”

“Are newcomers this crazy nowadays?”

“Looks like we’ve got a real show coming up!”

Fu Yan’s words caused a massive stir, but she didn’t look back. She didn’t worry about whether Zhou Zhenlie would accept. A man like him loved his “face” above all else; if he didn’t show up, he wouldn’t be able to survive in the inner sect any longer.

The reason she set it for ten days was that she wasn’t yet fully confident in defeating him. That “Heart-Piercing Strike” she used to kill Liu Chuanyuan was powerful, but it had been a fluke of potential. She couldn’t replicate it at will yet. She needed to grow.

For the next ten days, Fu Yan didn’t slacken. She practiced her footwork in the mornings, the Illusionless Sword in the afternoons, and refined her True Essence at night. Zhou Zhenlie was smart enough to stay away, giving her peace.

Soon, the day of the duel arrived.

Early that morning, Fu Yan dressed in her crimson robes and walked toward the arena with her broken sword. Word had spread, and a massive crowd had gathered. Humans love a spectacle, and the word “Life-and-Death” made it the talk of the sect.

Fu Yan walked onto the stage and waited quietly.

“She actually came. Zhou Zhenlie is ranked 118th; a life-and-death struggle might bring out his worst. Can she really win?” some wondered.

“The last life-and-death duel ended with one dead and one injured. The one before that, both died. I wonder what the outcome will be today!”

“Don’t you think this Junior Sister is incredibly beautiful? I think she’s almost on par with Senior Sister Bai. Especially in that red dress—it’s so vibrant and bold.”

“Watch your mouth! Don’t compare anyone to my goddess. No one is more beautiful than Senior Sister Bai.”

Amidst the chatter, the other protagonist, Zhou Zhenlie, finally appeared. He walked slowly onto the stage.

“Junior Sister Fu, do you truly not regret this?” Zhou Zhenlie looked at her and smiled. “In a Life-and-Death Duel, I will not show any mercy.”

A few strands of hair blew in the wind. Fu Yan looked at him, her voice cold.

“Begin.”