Holding the Sword to Carry Away Senior Sister (Transmigration) - Chapter 16

Within the massive arena, almost everyone’s face was filled with disbelief. Zhou Zhenlie, ranked 118th, had actually had his Qi Sea shattered by Fu Yan, who was ranked in the 600s.

“This is… absolutely insane!”

“Yeah, I still can’t believe my own eyes. If I hadn’t seen it for myself today, I wouldn’t have believed it even if I were beaten to death.”

“But Zhou Zhenlie’s second uncle is Elder Zhou of our inner sect. Now that word of this life-and-death challenge has gotten out, I’m afraid Junior Sister Fu is in for some trouble.”

“But… didn’t they say the sect can’t interfere in life-and-death challenges between disciples?”

As soon as the man finished speaking, the person beside him gave him a helpless look, as if to say, “You’re far too naive.”

At this moment, Fu Yan naturally had no mood to worry about the gossip below the stage. Although she had shattered Zhou Zhenlie’s Qi Sea, her current condition was not optimistic. Not only was the True Essence in her Qi Sea nearing depletion, but the collision just now had also caused her severe internal injuries.

Leaning on her Ling Long broken sword, Fu Yan finally managed to sit up slowly. She hurriedly took out a True Qi Pill and sat cross-legged on the arena stage to regulate her breathing; otherwise, she feared she wouldn’t even be able to make it off the stage.

After a long while, Fu Yan finally felt a bit of strength return to her body.

Soon, she sensed a change in her identity plaque. Pausing for a moment to check it, she saw her current rank at a glance.

Rank 118: Fu Yan.

Putting away the identity plaque, Fu Yan, having recovered slightly from the battle, did not linger. Soon, under the curious and complicated gazes of the crowd, she walked down from the arena.

Just as she came out, she spotted a figure leaning slightly against a tree ahead of her. The person wore the light blue sect uniform of the Shui Ling Sect and looked quite unremarkable in appearance, save for the long scimitar held in his arms.

He seemed to be waiting specifically for her. Seeing Fu Yan emerge, the person under the tree raised his eyes to look at her, his clear gaze filled with a burning… desire.

Fu Yan paused, a bit confused.

“Good sword technique, but…” the man spoke slowly. Though it started as a compliment, his tone shifted: “Cultivation is too poor.”

After saying that, the man didn’t care what expression Fu Yan had; he simply held his long blade and turned away unconcernedly.

Before Fu Yan could react to this mysterious person and his strange words, she heard someone nearby cry out in surprise: “Hey, was that person standing under the tree Senior Brother Chen Jun, ranked fifth?”

“Huh? It really does look like Senior Brother Chen Jun. Why would he be here? Was he also watching the life-and-death challenge just now?”

As soon as those words were out, someone immediately countered: “Impossible. Why would Senior Brother Chen Jun watch a match like that? He didn’t even show up for the spar between Senior Sister Bai and Senior Brother Yu Heng the other day.”

Hearing the name Chen Jun, a look of realization suddenly appeared on Fu Yan’s face. She had been puzzled by his gaze, but now she understood—it was a desire for battle.

Fu Yan still had a slight impression of the name Chen Jun; she remembered that this person had indeed appeared a few times in the early stages of the novel.

“Saber Maniac” Chen Jun—this was the nickname everyone gave him behind his back.

Calling him a saber maniac was no exaggeration. He was exceptionally gifted and obsessed with the saber. His attainments in the way of the saber were very high, and in the later stages, he even comprehended the dream of all saber users—Saber Intent.

However, this man was too single-minded; his entire being was focused on combat. When the male lead first started to show his talent, Chen Jun developed a desire to fight him, intent on defeating him.

Later on, of course, he became a minor stepping stone on the male lead’s path to godhood. His Dao heart was even crushed, and he never recovered from the setback.

Recalling this, Fu Yan roughly guessed what the man meant just now. He likely happened to see her fight with Zhou Zhenlie and felt a desire to challenge her sword technique, but upon seeing she was only at the Early Opening Light stage, he became deeply disappointed.

Fu Yan: “…”

“Truly quite strange,” Fu Yan thought, but she didn’t dwell on it.

Treating it as a minor interlude, she soon returned to her small wooden cottage. After all, given her current physical state, she likely wouldn’t recover without two or three days of rest.

For the next few days, Fu Yan devoted herself entirely to practicing the Frost Tempering Sutra, paying no mind to external affairs.

Three days later.

Fu Yan finally woke from her meditative state. She could clearly feel that not only were her internal injuries healed, but her physical strength had seemingly increased again. It seemed this body-refining technique was indeed extraordinary.

Realizing she hadn’t eaten in three days, she performed a simple wash, put on her sect uniform, and headed straight to the dining hall.

Perhaps because of the life-and-death challenge with Zhou Zhenlie, she felt many curious gazes on her along the way, but she didn’t take them to heart.

What she didn’t expect, however, was that while she was eating, someone came to challenge her.

Although she had learned the first form of the Illusionless Sword, she still hadn’t exerted its maximum power. Strength needed to be polished through combat, so Fu Yan agreed.

The match was fairly ordinary.

Over the next two days, people continued to challenge her. She finally understood that while it was easy to rise in rank, holding onto it was not so simple.

She was a rising star; even though she had defeated Zhou Zhenlie, many people still didn’t believe in her strength. They wanted to use her as a breakthrough point to raise their own rankings.

Since sparring easily promoted progress, Fu Yan didn’t resent it. She continued her cultivation while accepting challenges from those whose strength wasn’t far from her own.

After several days of this, her rank stabilized at 106.

On this day, just as Fu Yan emerged from the arena, she was blocked by someone. The newcomer wore a water-green dress, her jet-black hair held up by a jade hairpin. Her dark eyes were full of coldness.

“You are Fu Yan?” Shui Liuqing’s gaze swept up and down.

Fu Yan recognized her. She was a personal disciple of Elder Zhou of the inner sect, with a cultivation at the Late Opening Light stage. She ranked 37th in the inner sect and was an expert in poisons.

When she shattered Zhou Zhenlie’s Qi Sea, Fu Yan knew trouble would eventually find her. Recognizing Shui Liuqing, she wasn’t surprised and nodded: “Yes.”

Sensing that Fu Yan was only at the Early Opening Light stage, Shui Liuqing immediately became impatient. She couldn’t understand how that idiot Zhou Zhenlie could lose to someone at such a level.

Regardless, Zhou Zhenlie was from the same clan as her master; she had to vent this grievance. Having just returned to the sect today, she came straight for Fu Yan.

With that in mind, Shui Liuqing sneered: “I want to have a life-and-death challenge with you.”

“But I don’t want to,” Fu Yan said truthfully.

Shui Liuqing: “…”

She hadn’t expected Fu Yan to refuse so bluntly. Shui Liuqing was surprised; after all, she had investigated and found that Fu Yan hadn’t lost a single match lately. Few people could remain so calm and rational after a winning streak.

“How about this: I will suppress my cultivation to the Middle Opening Light stage.” Having said that, Shui Liuqing looked at Fu Yan with an amused expression. “What? Don’t tell me you’re afraid.”

Temptation plus provocation—Shui Liuqing felt that no normal person would refuse.

However, Fu Yan remained unmoved. “Sorry, Senior Sister Shui. If you want to spar, please find someone else.”

Shui Liuqing: “…” She felt like cursing.

Fu Yan wasn’t stupid. With her current strength, facing Shui Liuqing offered zero benefits and would likely lead to her death.

Having finished her piece, she ignored Shui Liuqing’s darkening expression and turned to leave. She was calm because she knew that as long as she didn’t accept the challenge, Shui Liuqing and Elder Zhou couldn’t do anything to her within the sect.

Of course, she couldn’t rule out underhanded schemes. But since they were under the sect’s watchful eye, murdering an inner disciple wasn’t that simple.

Returning to her cottage, Fu Yan realized her situation in the inner sect was precarious; everyone seemed to be eyeing her. She needed to increase her strength as quickly as possible.

Thus, she began another round of day-and-night cultivation. As for Shui Liuqing, she hadn’t appeared again since the day Fu Yan refused her challenge.

One day, just as Fu Yan emerged from the dining hall, she saw disciples running in groups toward the main peak, as if something had happened.

A disciple, as confused as Fu Yan, stopped someone to ask: “Hey, where are you going? What’s happened?”

“You don’t know? I heard that when Great Senior Sister Bai Yueli went to the Chihei Mountains for training, she killed two inner disciples of the Zilan Sect.” The person prattled on: “Now, an elder from the Zilan Sect has personally brought two corpses to our door for an explanation. They’re already at the main peak.”

“No way? Why would Senior Sister Bai go and kill their disciples?”

“Senior Sister Bai never kills easily; I don’t believe it either. But the Zilan Sect is adamant it was her and is demanding a resolution.”

“They must be slandering her! Come on, let’s go to the main peak!”

With that, the group hurried toward the main peak.

Having heard the origin of the matter, Fu Yan was stunned. If her guess was correct, those two were the ones she had killed. But she hadn’t left any traces—how could the Zilan Sect suddenly come knocking?

And why were they so certain it was Bai Yueli?

Fu Yan had no time for further thought and quickly flew toward the main square of the Shui Ling Sect’s main peak.