Chapter Eight: Duel with the First Disciple of Penglai

Hearing the derision in Bai Shaohua's words, almost all the disciples were filled with indignation.

Mo Wantian sighed inwardly. If Bai Shaohua was not defeated, the loss of face would be a minor matter; he feared that the confidence of the younger generation of Kunlun would be shattered.

"Have at you!" Xuan Lei shouted, his hands moving rapidly through a series of incantations.

"Thunder-Summoning Art!"

A sudden bolt of thunder struck down upon Bai Shaohua. With a swift shift of his stance, Bai Shaohua easily evaded the strike, leaving a crater in the ground where the lightning had landed. It was then that everyone realized his true cultivation level: he had reached the third stage of the Nirvana Realm, while Xuan Lei was only at the second. The gap between them made it difficult for Xuan Lei's techniques to land.

Yet, Xuan Lei refused to give up. "Draw thunder into the body!"

Arcs of electricity surged toward him from the surrounding air. His aura began to fluctuate violently, and his expression turned ghastly. Bai Shaohua did not intervene, merely wearing a playful, mocking smile. Soon, Xuan Lei’s face distorted as he endured excruciating agony.

"Xuan'er, that is enough!" Peak Master Lei Ba warned anxiously. "If you continue to absorb it, your body will collapse!"

Xuan Lei ignored him, gritting his teeth and persisting. After three breaths, his cultivation was forcibly pushed to the third stage of the Nirvana Realm. This was only temporary, however; once the lightning dissipated, his cultivation would regress to the first stage. Such was the side effect of the secret technique.

"Since you are ready, it is my turn," Bai Shaohua said. A sword appeared in his hand, radiating an extreme sword momentum. "Heaven-tier mid-grade martial art: One Sword Settles the Mountains and Rivers!"

*Whoosh!* A beam of sword light shot forth with immense power.

*Boom!* Despite his best efforts to block, Xuan Lei was sent flying. He crashed into the wall behind him before sliding to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. The audience erupted in an uproar; they had not expected Bai Shaohua to have mastered a Heaven-tier mid-grade martial art.

On the ground, the electricity in Xuan Lei’s body dissipated rapidly, and his cultivation grew unstable—dropping to the second stage, then the first. Because of the severity of his injuries, it threatened to fall even further. Lei Ba hurriedly stepped forward, feeding him a high-grade Earth-tier pill to stabilize his condition. Once the youth was stable, Lei Ba prepared to confront Bai Shaohua.

"Senior Lei, my apologies," Bai Shaohua interjected first. "I truly did not expect him to be unable to block even a single move."

This remark silenced Lei Ba. What could he say? The opponent had indeed used only one move.

Just then, Yan Qingsi entered slowly. Seeing her, the crowd’s eyes lit up. "Senior Sister Yan is becoming more beautiful by the day." "I heard Senior Sister Yan has touched upon the realm of Sword Intent; let's see how Bai Shaohua acts arrogant now."

Her arrival was like a stimulant to the crowd. She walked up to Mo Wantian and bowed respectfully. "Master."

Mo Wantian nodded slightly, saying gravely, "Do not be careless."

"Yes!"

Yan Qingsi examined Bai Shaohua carefully. As a sword cultivator on the verge of breaking through to Sword Intent, she was extremely sensitive to it, and she sensed danger from him.

"Master, to be safe, we should call Junior Sister An here as well," she transmitted her voice to Mo Wantian.

"What use is calling her? She is much younger than you," Mo Wantian replied, puzzled.

"If she had a few more years, she would be unrivaled among the younger generation. But as of now, she might still lack a little seasoning."

Yan Qingsi continued, "Master, you do not know. Ten years ago, when I went to Hidden Sword Peak to deliver pills for you, I saw our Junior Uncle teaching Junior Sister An the way of the sword. I felt Sword Intent from her then, and it was that realization that allowed me to glimpse the threshold of Sword Intent myself. I am confident I will fully grasp it after another year of practice."

The stoic face of Mo Wantian finally showed a trace of shock. "Qin Tian is teaching swordsmanship, and An Miao-ling has grasped Sword Intent? Are you certain?"

"Certain!" Yan Qingsi replied earnestly.

*So that is why I always felt that boy was strange; he was hiding his true depth,* Mo Wantian thought. He immediately sent a message to Qin Tian. After all, one who has grasped Sword Intent can challenge those in the Creation Realm even while in the Nirvana Realm.

After receiving the message, Qin Tian called An Miao-ling to go to the main hall. He still felt the need to uphold the reputation of the sect.

In the hall, after Yan Qingsi finished speaking, she stepped forward to face Bai Shaohua. He did not rush, instead saying, "You must be the head senior sister of Kunlun. Since you have stepped forward, why don't we make a wager? The Xiaoyao Secret Realm is about to open. Our three sects each have three quotas; why don't we use one as a stake? If anyone from Kunlun can defeat me, I will give you my quota. Conversely, if you lose, you give me one of yours."

Yan Qingsi looked to Mo Wantian for a decision. He nodded; Bai Shaohua's words confirmed his earlier suspicions. They were indeed here for the quotas of the Xiaoyao Secret Realm.

With Mo Wantian’s consent, Yan Qingsi said, "I agree. If I lose, my quota goes to you, and vice versa."

Just as they were about to begin, Qin Tian arrived with An Miao-ling. Upon seeing their Junior Uncle, Yan Qingsi’s eyes filled with adoration, and the other female disciples found it hard to look away. Bai Shaohua, however, was deeply captivated by An Miao-ling’s beauty. He had seen many beauties in his life, but never one with such an ethereal temperament. He decided then and there that he had fallen in love at first sight, and he resolved to confess to her once he won the duel.

Seeing the greed in Bai Shaohua's gaze, Qin Tian was displeased. "Why are you standing there like a fool? If you are going to fight, get on with it."

Bai Shaohua frowned and looked at Qin Tian. He scanned the young man—*Spirit Initiation Realm?* *This kind of trash is lecturing me?* If they were outside, he would have slapped him to death already.

Suppressing his anger, Bai Shaohua asked, "Who are you? So ill-mannered!"

"You are the one who is ill-mannered," An Miao-ling and Yan Qingsi said in unison.

*This is my Master!*
*This is my Junior Uncle!*

Both women stood forward to defend Qin Tian. Bai Shaohua was stunned for a moment, then recalled the rumors he had heard: Kunlun had a useless Junior Uncle, and it must be this man. *The two women are protecting him like this because they have been bewitched by his looks. I must save them. I must show them that in the world of cultivators, strength is the only truth.*

With that, he challenged Yan Qingsi once more. Wanting to impress her Junior Uncle, she prepared to give it her all.

On the side, Qin Tian whispered to An Miao-ling, "Beat him hard later."

Both were sword practitioners. Once their sword momentum was fully unleashed, sword light flickered across the arena. Both had pushed their momentum to the limit, just a hair’s breadth away from Sword Intent. Since both were at the third stage of the Nirvana Realm and both possessed Heaven-tier martial arts, they remained at a stalemate.

Bai Shaohua knew that if he continued to hide his strength, the match would be declared a draw. If that happened, he would lose the quota and the girl would not look at him with admiration.

"You are indeed impressive, worthy of me using my true strength."

As soon as he spoke, a spectator called out, "Anyone can boast! Show us, then!"

No sooner had the words left the spectator's mouth than he was proven wrong. A piercing sound of a sword rang out across the hall. Bai Shaohua unleashed his Sword Intent, and Yan Qingsi’s momentum was instantly shattered.

Silence fell over the arena. Almost all the Kunlun disciples wore expressions of defeat.