The Victor

Eldest Senior Brother stepped aside, blocking the sharp sword strike. His agile movements drew admiration from everyone.

Lun Heng spun around, using the momentum to turn his sword tip, shifting from a passive defense to actively controlling his opponent's blade.

From the blade, a pale yellow energy radiated. Eldest Senior Brother pushed Xuan Wei's sword, throwing him off balance.

Lun Peng unleashed a strike, swinging his sword to generate a majestic surge of immortal qi, sending Xuan Wei stumbling, nearly falling off the arena.

Fortunately, Xuan Wei drove his sword into the wooden floor to keep himself on the stage.

She noticed that up until now, the man named Xuan Wei had not used any techniques from his own sect. To fight on equal terms with Eldest Senior Brother without using them was truly not to be underestimated.

Xuan Wei smiled, a grin that breathed life into his cold, delicate face.

Wherever his fingers stroked the sword, spiritual power flowed along it. Xuan Wei muttered something, and suddenly, the sword vanished into the wind.

Everyone was astonished. Even she could not help but lean forward to get a clearer view of this magic art. Hao Qian, who was carrying her on his back, struggled under Wan Ru's sudden movement and said:

"Junior Sister, don't do that. You're going to make us faceplant in a moment."

She seemed not to care, her eyes glued to Xuan Wei. Her pupils suddenly dilated, and then Wan Ru pointed to the sky, shouting loudly to Eldest Senior Brother:

"Eldest Senior Brother, watch out! Above you!"

Hao Qian looked up in the direction she pointed and was also taken aback.

Above Eldest Senior Brother was a cluster of daggers pointing downward. Just as Eldest Senior Brother looked up, Xuan Wei waved his hand, sending the daggers hurtling straight down.

Eldest Senior Brother quickly dodged them, but in doing so, he exposed a vulnerability.

Xuan Wei seized the opportunity to rush forward and leap into the air. His hand was enveloped in a layer of spiritual energy. The power of this punch was as heavy as an elephant. If Lun Peng took the full force of it, there was no telling what the consequences would be.

Hao Qian cried out in panic, "Eldest Senior Brother!"

Eldest Senior Brother remained calm, his hand moving in a circle like a Yin-Yang Eight Trigrams Array. Lun Peng's sword hovered in mid-air, spinning with a wave of his hand. The sword flew up, deflecting all the daggers.

Xuan Wei did not stop, continuing his charge toward Lun Peng.

Lun Peng blocked the punch with one leg, causing Xuan Wei's surprise to turn into amusement.

Everyone around cheered and gasped in admiration.

"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!"

"Keep going, keep going!"

"How unexpected. You are stronger than I thought."

"My thanks."

A sudden thought crossed her mind: *Wait, isn't Eldest Senior Brother always someone who dislikes competing? Why the sudden change? Why am I only thinking of this now? This is highly suspicious. I must ask him after the tournament.*

Xuan Wei looked thoughtful and asked inquisitively:

"Why do you want it so badly? Care to share?"

Eldest Senior Brother suddenly laughed aloud, then covered his mouth to stop, looking away with a half-smile:

"Perhaps I simply want to defeat you."

This was the first time she had seen such a competitive side of Eldest Senior Brother.

Wan Ru looked down at her brother, only to find that Hao Qian was just as surprised as she was. She turned to look at Master, who was still intently watching the match.

She secretly guessed: *Perhaps this is also Hao Qian's first time seeing Eldest Senior Brother like this.*

Upon seeing Eldest Senior Brother's somewhat dismissive attitude and hearing his answer, Xuan Wei clenched his fist. Yet, no anger showed on his face as he merely said:

"Then you and I are different."

Eldest Senior Brother smiled, and his sword returned to his hand.

Eldest Senior Brother charged, and the two engaged in another dazzling display of swordplay.

After fighting for a long time, both began to show signs of exhaustion. Xuan Wei wiped his sweat and said:

"I find clashing swords like this too draining. How about we play a game?"

"What game?"

"We will throw our swords into the air, let them spin, and then stretch out our arms. If the falling blade cuts and injures you, you lose. What do you think of this idea?"

"Let's play."

The spectators whispered and debated who would win or lose, and some even asked the referee if this violated the rules. However, the two on the stage did not seem to care about those words at all.

Xuan Wei went first, tossing his sword into the air and extending his arm directly into the path of the falling blade.

Everyone watched Xuan Wei intently; if he were cut, the match would surely end early.

Yet the blade seemed to deftly glide around his arm, leaving him completely unharmed.

That single act made the entire arena erupt with cheers. The crowd chanted in unison:

"Xuan Wei, Xuan Wei..."

Eldest Senior Brother's gaze remained firm, unswayed by the external clamor.

Lun Peng picked up his sword, stared at it for a moment, and threw it upward.

The sword spun, and when it landed, there was a trace of blood on the blade.

The corners of Xuan Wei's mouth curled up to his ears. His victorious smile, combined with the buzzing whispers of the crowd, felt as though his laughter was echoing all around.

Eldest Senior Brother silently picked up his sword and walked down from the stage. Master approached to comfort him:

"You did very well."

She quickly slid off Hao Qian's back, walked over, and said:

"Eldest Senior Brother."

Hao Qian also felt regret for him and said:

"Reaching the final round is already an incredible feat, Senior Brother."

Eldest Senior Brother tilted his head and smiled gently:

"I am sorry. I promised to obtain the Tianshan Snow Lotus, yet I have failed you all."

Seeing him smile, she also cheered up slightly:

"We have no use for that Tianshan Snow Lotus anyway, so why bother? In short, it is not important, so Eldest Senior Brother..."

Eldest Senior Brother suddenly pulled her, Hao Qian, and Master into a tight embrace, saying:

"Thank you all for cheering for me."

Afterward, the award ceremony for the winner concluded. Everyone quickly packed their luggage to return.

She sat waiting on a stone bench while Master and her senior brothers prepared their belongings. As she was playing with a leaf, a familiar voice called out:

"Greetings, young lady of the Zhongxia Sect."

It was Xuan Wei. She had no idea where he had come from, having felt no footsteps at all. He truly was someone capable of competing with Eldest Senior Brother.

She stood up and bowed. Xuan Wei stared at her for a moment and said:

"Indeed, you are the junior sister of that white-clothed fellow. Quite pretty."

"My thanks for your compliment."

He stepped closer to her. She only reached Xuan Wei's waist; his towering figure made her seem small and fragile.

He leaned down, his handsome face almost pressing against hers, and said:

"Would you like to play a game with me?"