Jian Lin found the Ming Yue Sword Technique more natural than the techniques of the Guan Lan Sect.
After all, the Guan Lan Sect's martial arts were what her original body had learned, and using them felt like looking through a misty veil for Jian Lin.
The Ming Yue Sword Technique, however, was something she had learned diligently, move by move, with her own mind, under the strict guidance of the Demon Lord.
Jian Lin did not wish to recall the learning process. The Demon Lord, a perfectionist to the extreme, would monitor her with a bamboo stick, and if she was even slightly off, he would correct her unhesitatingly with physical force.
Jian Lin felt she had developed muscle memory for the Ming Yue Sword Technique; without conscious thought, her body knew how to respond.
On the second day of the competition, Jian Lin, holding her long sword, challenged opponents according to her ranking. She started with the tenth-ranked competitor.
The tenth-ranked opponent was a burly man who wielded his long saber with great force. Upon seeing Jian Lin's slender frame, he couldn't help but laugh arrogantly and taunt her, "Little lady, you look so delicate and tender. How could I bear to strike you? If you get hurt, I would feel so guilty!"
Huh? What nonsense was he spouting? Jian Lin tightened her grip on her long sword, preparing to teach this "brother" a lesson so he could only indulge in verbal abuse in the future.
Jian Lin smiled sinisterly and charged forward with an initial stance, adopting a wide and sweeping posture that caught her opponent off guard.
Once she gained the upper hand, Jian Lin aimed for the man's vulnerable spots and struck with lethal intent, causing the burly man to double over, protecting his crucial areas, and cry out in pain.
The male cultivators watching felt a pang of empathy and all stiffened. The female cultivators, however, covered their mouths and laughed with schadenfreude.
The man collapsed onto the arena, writhing. Jian Lin walked over, intending to kick him to secure her victory. Unexpectedly, the man was incredibly cowardly. Seeing Jian Lin approach, he panicked and rolled off the stage, drawing a chorus of boos.
After this battle, Jian Lin became famous. Those who understood sword techniques recognized the exquisiteness of her moves, which were certainly not something an ordinary rogue cultivator could access. It was more like a secret manual left behind by a master, which this unremarkable young woman had stumbled upon and practiced to achieve such refined skills.
As soon as Jian Lin stepped off the arena, those with ulterior motives immediately surrounded her, asking about her master and the sword technique she practiced.
"My master is nameless, and I practice a nameless sword technique," Jian Lin said proudly, then walked away, leaving them behind.
Her steps were light as she headed straight for the Demon Lord, who was leaning against the wall. She cheerfully asked, "Lord Chong Yuan, please evaluate it. How was my swordplay?"
"It was alright," the Demon Lord said casually, crossing his arms. "Better than I expected. You always dodged during training, so I thought you weren't practicing diligently."
"Heavens," Jian Lin couldn't help but complain. "Lord Chong Yuan, you can't compare everyone to yourself. You must admit, there are too many people weaker than you in this world. You should be gentle with me and not try to force my growth."
The Demon Lord glanced at her, his lips curling into a faint smile. "Seeing how you fight, I don't think you need me to be gentle with you."
Jian Lin understood what he was referring to. She leaned beside him, nudging his shoulder with hers, and said with a smile, "Lord Chong Yuan, don't worry, I promise I won't use that move on you, hahahahaha."
After a period of playful banter, Jian Lin continued her participation in the points competition.
She gradually discovered the joy of combat and felt increasingly immersed. Compared to practicing alone, sparring accelerated the fusion of her spiritual energy and sword techniques, far surpassing sitting alone in an inn and practicing.
By the end of the second day, Jian Lin had narrowly secured the tenth position. However, this was not a good thing, as it meant on the third day, she would be the first target, with everyone aiming to unseat her.
The Demon Lord also recognized the seriousness of the situation. That evening, upon returning to the inn, he began teaching her the second level of the Ming Yue Sword Technique.
This move made Jian Lin anxious. "There's no need to be so rushed. Even if I study all night, I won't remember much. Why don't we find some free time, and I'll learn it properly?"
"When will there be free time?" The Demon Lord moved the table and chairs to the corner, clearing a space. He turned to Jian Lin and said, "If you can hold onto tenth place tomorrow, you'll go directly to the secret realm the day after. You must remember one thing: opportunity waits for no one. If you don't seize this night to study well, you might lose a crucial chance."
What he said made sense. Jian Lin immediately became serious, her face solemn. She nodded and said, "Lord Chong Yuan is right. I was foolish. Tonight, I will do my utmost and diligently learn the second set of sword techniques."
That night, the Demon Lord taught Jian Lin the second level of the Ming Yue Divine Art's cultivation method and the second set of sword techniques in one go.
Jian Lin focused all her energy on diligent practice, to the point of exhaustion.
Not only was her body sore and aching, but her mind felt numb, her eyes vacant and unfocused, as if she had been completely drained.
As dawn broke and the sunlight streamed in, the Demon Lord opened the window to let in the breeze. Jian Lin's eyes flickered. She lay on the ground, motionless, and said in a hoarse voice, "Ah, it's morning."
"Yes, it's morning," the Demon Lord walked back, looking down at her, and unfeelingly urged, "Get up. We need to go up the mountain. Many people will challenge you today, so it's best to be prepared early."
Jian Lin clutched the hem of the Demon Lord's robe, her face pale as a ghost. "I... I have no strength. I'm finished. I don't remember anything."
Jian Lin was like a student who had crammed key points overnight, only to discover on the morning of the exam that she had forgotten them all.
The Demon Lord squatted down, pulled Jian Lin up, and patiently said, "Trust me, you haven't forgotten. When you need it, you will naturally recall everything you've learned."
Jian Lin collapsed into the Demon Lord's arms, hugging his arm and staring blankly. "Don't try to comfort me, I don't believe you."
The Demon Lord sighed in exasperation. He reached into his robes, fumbled for a moment, and produced a black pill, holding it out to Jian Lin. He coaxed softly, "Then how about I give you a divine pill? After taking this, I guarantee your spiritual power will double, and you'll be invincible."
"You just know how to coax me," Jian Lin said weakly. "There's no such thing as effortless gain. What divine pill can double my spiritual power? It's all fake."
This wouldn't do, and that wouldn't do. The Demon Lord lost his patience and directly popped the pill into Jian Lin's mouth, saying forcefully, "You'll know once you eat it. I'm not lying to you. Go wash your face quickly, and let's set off."
Jian Lin didn't know what it was for, but the divine pill was extremely bitter. She immediately felt more energetic and hopped around looking for water to rinse her mouth.
After she finally recovered, she turned to look at the Demon Lord and found him wearing a look of smug satisfaction.
"So this isn't a divine pill at all, is it?" Jian Lin was furious. "You deliberately played a trick on me!"
"You'll know if it's real in a moment," the Demon Lord grabbed her shoulders and pushed her outside. "Let's go, we're running out of time."
Indeed, time was short. Jian Lin washed up and then ate breakfast steadily before heading up the mountain. By the time she arrived, the rogue cultivators had already completed a round of matches.
As soon as Jian Lin appeared, she attracted many gazes. The tenth-ranked competitor had arrived, and an opponent was already waiting for her, requesting a match.
Jian Lin's gaze sharpened. She recognized the female cultivator before her as one of the group involved in the organized sale of victories. Jian Lin had avoided their challenges for the past two days, but it seemed she could no longer evade them.
However, she was curious to see if this group was all show and no substance, and how much real skill they possessed.
On the third day, the rogue cultivators were either injured or disabled, and the number of people gathered in the main hall's plaza dwindled, making the competition even more intense.
With fewer participants, each victory became extremely precious.
Soon, it was Jian Lin's turn. She and the female cultivator stood on the arena together. Both holding long swords, they moved in unison, attacking each other.
The moment their blades clashed, Jian Lin's hand went numb. She felt the opponent's formidable spiritual power. They were not just for show; those individuals were powerful rogue cultivators.
Jian Lin retreated a step, giving herself a moment to breathe. She flicked her wrist, creating a sword flower, and attacked again.
While her opponent's spiritual power was stronger, Jian Lin had the advantage in swordplay.
The two were evenly matched, and in the blink of an eye, they had exchanged over a dozen blows on the arena. Sweat beaded on Jian Lin's forehead. She hadn't expected her first opponent of the morning to be so formidable.
The female cultivator was also struggling. Her chest heaved. She raised her long sword again, and while Jian Lin was still catching her breath, she prepared to force her off the stage in one go.
She unleashed her spiritual power to suppress Jian Lin and launched a series of continuous attacks. Jian Lin had nowhere to retreat, her heel touching the edge of the arena.
The tip of the sword lunged towards her eyes. Jian Lin had to duck to evade, her balance shifting. She was about to fall off the stage.
She twisted her body sideways, her gaze sweeping across, and suddenly saw the Demon Lord's face.
It was a fleeting moment, but Jian Lin clearly saw his lips form words: "Black clouds press down on the city."
"Black clouds press down on the city" was the first move of the second level of the Ming Yue Sword Technique, which she had learned last night. She remembered it! She remembered it all!
Jian Lin reversed her grip, plunging her sword into the edge of the arena. The sword body bent, and she used the spring to dodge, simultaneously grabbing her opponent's collar. With a push of her foot, she flipped over her opponent's head, finding a sliver of opportunity.
She extended two fingers, using her hands as swords, and found the opportune moment to unleash the second move, "Azure Clouds Ascend."
Jian Lin, fighting with bare hands, consecutively employed her cunning techniques, turning the tables and forcing the female cultivator to the edge of the arena. She then delivered a palm strike, knocking her directly off the stage.
"Good!" Someone in the crowd applauded, igniting the atmosphere, and cheers erupted.
After two days of chaotic and messy fighting, the match on the third day was the real battle.
Both combatants had similar cultivation levels and were serious in their approach, not holding back. They fought with gusto, and the spectators below watched with even greater enjoyment.
Jian Lin looked at the crowd below and couldn't help but smile. She jumped off the arena, pulled up the female cultivator, and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "This battle, though you lost, you also won. Do you understand what I mean?"
The female cultivator smiled calmly, seemingly unconcerned. "In this world, strength alone isn't enough to go the distance. If you don't believe me, we'll see."
What did she mean by that? Just as Jian Lin was about to retort, the female cultivator picked up her long sword and returned to her group.
For some reason, Jian Lin recalled the upright female cultivator from two days ago. She suddenly felt a strong desire to prove one thing: that with strength alone, she could reach the end.
In this world, after all, evil could not triumph over good.
Jian Lin drew her long sword, gazing at its sharp blade, a yearning for power surging within her. She wanted to win, she wanted to prove everything.