My Master Is a Great Dragon, Clinging to Me Every Day! - Chapter 23

This move, “Wildfire Sweeping the Plains,”

Xu Zhiyi had demonstrated it before in her room. The sword stance changed extremely quickly, and every time the blade was swung down, qi had to be gathered first. Only then could one unleash the swift, accurate, and ruthless momentum of Wildfire Sweeping the Plains.

However, since Xu Zhiyi did not have a fire spiritual root, her knowledge of this move remained only at the level of understanding. She could not fully display even half of Wildfire Sweeping the Plains’ true power.

But understanding it was enough.

Xu Zhiyi knew very clearly what his next move would be. She turned her wrist and used her blade to block.

There was a crisp clang. The blade was knocked aside, and Ji Ming’s hand went numb at the webbing between his thumb and forefinger. He could hardly believe it. Because of that interruption halfway through, the entire momentum of Wildfire Sweeping the Plains collapsed just like that.

“How is that possible? How could you possibly block my move?!”

Ji Ming was so furious that hot breath came from his chest. In terms of swordsmanship, he was not beneath Eldest Senior Brother. In terms of spells, he might even be able to surpass Eldest Senior Brother.

How could he possibly fail to beat Xu Zhiyi, this waste?

“Hiss, what is going on?”

Xiao Ling sat below the arena, her brows lightly furrowed. She could hardly believe it. Since when had Xu Zhiyi possessed this kind of strength?

Her red lips lightly bit her fingertip as Xiao Ling thought. The sword-blocking move Xu Zhiyi had just used was not inferior to He Fengyue’s. Moreover, in every movement she made, she seemed extremely familiar with gathering and circulating spiritual energy.

It was not at all like the moves Xu Zhiyi used before. Back then, she had been completely like a village woman from the mountains, barely circulating any spiritual energy inside her body.

She had relied entirely on brute force, recklessly hacking and slashing.

How had that looked like a sword cultivator?

“She really has become somewhat different. Could it be that she has been preparing for battle all this time?”

Hua Yizhi also frowned. That move had been sharp, and her reaction had been swift. She had actually been able to quickly receive his junior brother’s attack, while her lower stance did not move in the slightest.

She looked as if nothing had happened at all.

This could not possibly be Xu Zhiyi’s usual level.

“Now it’s my turn.”

Xu Zhiyi swung her sword. That block just now had also made the webbing of her own hand ache faintly, but Xu Zhiyi did not show it.

If her momentum weakened, then one wrong move would ruin the entire game.

Her movements were sharp, and her attacks were swift.

In almost the blink of an eye, she arrived in front of Ji Ming. Because Shuanghan Peak had only two disciples, He Fengyue’s fighting style was completely different from Xu Zhiyi’s.

Yet both of them used sword formulas created by Lord Hanshan. It was just that He Fengyue leaned more toward a style of one sword, one defense, balancing attack and defense.

Xu Zhiyi was completely different. Every move struck at the vital points, leaving him almost unable to keep up. After receiving only three moves, a thin layer of sweat appeared on Ji Ming’s forehead.

He held the sword hilt with one hand and braced the blade with the other.

He refused to let that water vapor break through his barrier. He panted heavily, his face flushed red.

“This is… Ice Sealing Ten Thousand Miles…!”

Almost everyone could hardly imagine that Xu Zhiyi, as someone with a water spiritual root, could actually practice an ice-type sword manual to such perfection.

This move, Ice Sealing Ten Thousand Miles, was only suitable for people with ice or water spiritual roots, though an ice spiritual root was best. It was also the move that Lord Hanshan had used to stun everyone at the Hundred Immortal Sects Grand Competition after forming her Golden Core at one hundred years old.

With one sword, she had sent the young sect master of the Crescent Moon Sect flying. From then on, once bitten by a snake, he feared rope for ten years, and he even developed old cold legs.

Countless people had rushed to imitate it.

But none of them had obtained Lord Hanshan’s true teachings. They had the shape without the momentum, making it nothing more than an empty show.

An Chengxi stared in a daze for a moment. Tea spilled onto her fingers, and droplets of water slid down her pale skin before dripping onto the wooden table.

It felt like another lifetime.

At the Immortal Sects Grand Competition several hundred years ago, she had been much more high-spirited than she was now, and much more ambitious.

All because of one sentence from her master: she would win.

And so she had stood on the arena full of confidence.

A mountain was a mountain, water was water, and a person was a person.

The youthful heart was sincere and resolute.

Stepping on the shattered ice, Xu Zhiyi condensed a crystal gleam at the tip of her sword. The entire blade was wrapped in ice, with faint cracks appearing across it.

“You lost.”

There was a smile in her eyes. The blade swept past the tip of his nose and stopped there, touching only lightly.

Ji Ming, who had fallen onto the ground on his backside, angrily punched the ground with his hand. In the end, he sighed and supported himself with his sword as he stood up.

His master was still watching from the stage. Even if he lost, he could not show such an ungraceful attitude. Ji Ming swallowed his anger.

He came before Xu Zhiyi and bowed unwillingly.

“Today, I lost. We will fight again another day.”

“I definitely will not lose to you again!”

His hair was messy, with one strand hanging down. He pursed his lips, flicked his sleeve, and left.

Today, she only needed to fight this one match. Xu Zhiyi let out a breath. Just now, she had almost failed to block Ji Ming’s strike.

Xu Zhiyi felt the webbing of her hand aching faintly. Perhaps it had already split open. However, just now, she had defeated Ji Ming so easily.

No one noticed that the back of Xu Zhiyi’s hand was bleeding. They only sighed in amazement and whispered among themselves.

“She must have eaten some excellent pills to improve so quickly. I’m so envious of that waste Xu Zhiyi. Lord Hanshan must have given all her good things to her.”

“She didn’t even send Senior Sister He to this competition…”

Xu Zhiyi brushed past the rumors and gossip.

She did not care what those people were saying. No matter what, it could not change the fact that she had won today.

She walked into the shadow of the corridor and leaned her back against a vermilion pillar. Xu Zhiyi had endured the pain until now. Only then did she finally raise her hand. Sure enough, the webbing between her thumb and forefinger had split open, and bright red blood flowed down her palm, following the lines of her hand.

Originally, it had been fine when she had not looked. But now that she did, Xu Zhiyi only felt that it hurt even more. She sighed and planned to stop the bleeding first.

But before she could move, a cloud of white mist took shape in front of her. A slender hand grabbed her wrist. Master’s beautiful eyes changed in an instant from golden beast pupils back into black human pupils.

She walked out from the mist. Her hand carried an icy chill, making Xu Zhiyi shiver. Xu Zhiyi bit her lip, lifted her eyes, and looked at the person before her.

“Master… why are you here?”

“Hiss…”

Perhaps because the movement had been too large and tugged at her wound, Xu Zhiyi gave another soft hiss.

Seeing this made An Chengxi’s heart ache even more. Her other hand also reached out, and at some point, a small white porcelain bottle had appeared in it.

Feeling Xu Zhiyi’s body tremble slightly, she bent down and carefully looked at the back of Xu Zhiyi’s hand.

Her voice was gentle.

“Do not move. Let me sprinkle the medicinal powder first.”

The wound was covered with white powder, and in that instant, the sting became even sharper. Xu Zhiyi forcefully endured it and did not dare move.

She could only close her eyes, not daring to look at her wound again. As her vision sank into darkness, Xu Zhiyi smelled a pleasant fragrance.

It was like the faint fragrance of orchids, like secluded orchids in an empty valley amid morning mist.

“This is medicine to remove fire intent. If it is not applied, the wound will burn with pain for several days.”

“When that happens… you will suffer.”

Her tone was rather helpless, yet also like she was coaxing a child.