The Hehuan Sect Was Squeezed Dry for Ten Thousand Years, but It Became a Sacred Ground?-Chapter 21 - Dont Worry, I’ll Win!
Chapter 21: Don’t Worry, I’ll Win!
The sect leaders or elders accompanying their disciples took their seats around the arena in positions arranged according to their sect’s rankings.
Tian Yue Zhenren, the Grand Elder of Yuandan Academy, retrieved a bronze mirror from his sleeve and tossed it into the air.
The mirror expanded against the wind, quickly covering the entire sky.
Swoosh!
A light screen appeared, displaying the lower arena’s events for all to see.
“Let the competition begin!”
Tian Yue Zhenren’s voice echoed throughout the venue as the proceedings began in an orderly manner.
Senior disciples of the academy, those over fifty years old who exceeded the competition’s age limit but were highly skilled, acted as enforcers, ensuring the competition’s rules were followed.
Above the lower arenas, a hollow spherical device, about the size of a person, spun rapidly.
Its intricate design, fueled by spiritual energy, occasionally spat out numbered tokens.
Each pair of tokens corresponded to two opponents for the next match. The mechanism had an integrated detection feature—tokens associated with disciples who failed to reach the arena’s height would automatically void and remain inside.
Soon, match pairings were finalized, and the enforcers began calling out names to summon participants to the arena.
The rules were strict: no killing, no crippling injuries, no stepping out of the arena’s boundary. Fighters had to stop if an opponent surrendered. Consuming pills during the fight was prohibited, as was using treasures or *talismans beyond the Jindan realm’s power.
[*A talisman is any object ascribed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made.].
After all, allowing some privileged disciples to wield Nascent Soul-level treasures would completely disrupt the competition’s balance. If that were the case, it would simply become a contest of who had wealthier or more influential parents.
The arena’s inverted mountain structure provided ample space, dividing into many smaller arenas to accommodate simultaneous matches.
Nangong Ling idly fiddled with her token. She drew an opponent from another first-rate sect, which she found boring. Uninterested in the ongoing matches, she closed her eyes and began meditating.
In stark contrast, the other Qinglian Sect disciples were a bundle of nerves:
“Thank goodness! My opponent is from a second-rate sect—I’ve got this!”
“A first-rate sect? This will be tough!”
“Oh no! I’m up against one of the Twelve Great Sects!”
Excitement, apprehension, and fear mixed among them, exposing the fragile foundation of their young sect.
Meanwhile, the bronze mirror—referred to as the Tai Xu Mirror—allowed viewers to focus on any part of the competition. Naturally, sect leaders and elders paid the most attention to their own disciples.
Liu Ruyan, the Qinglian Sect’s leader, also watched intently. Seeing her disciples’ hesitation, losses, and even the few narrow victories, her face darkened.
How embarrassing!
The icy aura radiating from her made nearby sect leaders from other first-rate sects shiver. They silently activated defensive barriers and inched their chairs farther away.
The aura left no doubt—this was the power of a cultivator at the Nascent Soul realm. They dared not provoke her.
Though Liu Ruyan had expected only Nangong Ling to advance far in the competition, she hadn’t anticipated that point would come so soon. The condescending glances from others felt like mockery of her leadership.
Finally, Nangong Ling’s turn arrived.
“Qinglian Sect’s Nangong Ling versus Bawang Gate’s Yang Zhen!”
At the announcement, a shadow leaped onto the central platform, landing heavily.
The man, Yang Zhen, was tall and muscular, bare-chested, with bronze-colored, scar-riddled skin that radiated brute strength and confidence.
Opposite him, Nangong Ling ascended the platform calmly, long sword in hand.
Upon seeing his opponent, Yang Zhen furrowed his thick brows and muttered in his gruff voice, “A blind woman? This feels like bullying.”
“If you won’t fight, concede,” Nangong Ling replied curtly.
As a sword cultivator, she never bothered with pleasantries. The only exception was when speaking sweetly to her senior brother to earn his approval.
Although she had recently developed new techniques, Nangong Ling had no intention of abandoning her sword path. Sword hearts came in many forms, and with her past experience, she believed she could one day forge a new one.
Visit ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience.
“Fine, you asked for it!” Yang Zhen roared, eyes wide, and readied himself.
“Yang Zhen is the strongest of Bawang Gate’s younger generation! At only forty, he’s already at Jindan Second Stage. Against someone from a newly risen first-rate sect, he’s guaranteed to win!” declared the disciples of Bawang Gate, prematurely celebrating.
However, as soon as the enforcer signaled the start of the match—
Swoosh!
Nangong Ling swung her sword once. The blindingly bright white sword aura was like a blazing sun, so intense it forced anyone looking at it to avert their gaze.
Yang Zhen instinctively closed his eyes but didn’t evade. With his mastery of body refinement techniques, he trusted in the strength of his physique.
As the sword strike passed, he felt no pain and confidently assumed it had been a mere show of force.
Yet when the light faded, Nangong Ling’s blade was already at his neck.
The sword’s edge, coated in an invisible qi, easily pierced his skin, drawing a thin line of blood.
“Winner: Qinglian Sect’s Nangong Ling!”
The match was over in the blink of an eye.
Even as his fellow disciples helped him down from the platform, Yang Zhen was too stunned to comprehend what had just happened.
The other sects’ disciples broke into hushed discussions:
“She’s got some skill!”
“Skill? That light was blinding—only a blind girl could avoid its effects!”
“Exactly. She just got lucky her opponent relied on his body instead of his spiritual sense!”
Nangong Ling paid no attention to their chatter.
It was just a test—her integration of divine abilities into swordsmanship.
No one could withstand staring directly at the brightness of the sun at close range!
“Qinglian Sect’s Nangong Ling versus Qianyuan Sect’s Wu Tianlei!”
“She’s up! This time, her opponent is from one of the Twelve Great Sects. That blind girl is definitely going to lose.”
But before anyone had even finished sipping their tea—
“Winner: Qinglian Sect’s Nangong Ling!”
“Qinglian Sect’s Nangong Ling versus...”
“Winner: Qinglian Sect’s Nangong Ling!”
One opponent after another, Nangong Ling effortlessly defeated them all.
After a year of steady cultivation and nourishment, her strength had grown far beyond her current realm, even without activating her divine abilities.
Her performance finally earned recognition from most of the participating disciples.
High above, Liu Ruyan’s smile grew warmer and more radiant, a stark contrast to her earlier grim demeanor.
Though she felt a bit annoyed that she couldn’t monopolize Ah Chen’s attention, the results made it all worthwhile.
“We underestimated her! She even managed to defeat a disciple from Daoran Sect, one of the top three sects.”
At the Yuandan Academy’s seats, Nangong Ling’s display left a deep impression on the elders and disciples alike. They couldn’t help but comment.
Even the grumpy, small-eyed cultivator—who had been sulking after being knocked out early by several strong disciples from the Twelve Great Sects—stopped complaining.
***
Soon, a new match was announced:
“Yuandan Academy’s Zhao Ming versus Qinglian Sect’s Nangong Ling!”
The challenger this time was Zhao Ming, who had once claimed to have met Nangong Ling before.
“Senior Brother Zhao, can you win?” one of his fellow disciples asked nervously.
Zhao Ming, dressed in a refined scholar’s robe, smiled faintly. His handsome and confident demeanor exuded certainty.
“I’ve seen her fight before. I already have a plan,” he said, standing up straight and walking toward the arena with an elegant air.
“Don’t worry. I’ll win.”
His voice carried an inspiring determination that left his peers filled with hope.
A few moments later—
“Winner: Qinglian Sect’s Nangong Ling!”
