Chapter 13 - Are You Underestimating Me?

Lin Zhange's face instantly paled.

Yan Zyer was already in the 2nd tier of Foundation Establishment Realm and Li Dao was only in the 6th tier of Body Reinforcement, the difference was stark and even though they only dueled with sword skills, Lin Zhange didn't see his disciple losing.

"Master." Noting Hua Lin Chong who had a deep frown on her face, she called out. "May I ask you a question?"

He looked at her and nodded his head indicating yes.

"You are in the legendary Realm of Saints, a cultivation that even in the middle sky is difficult to achieve, why did you become Zheng Xiang's servant?"

Originally, Hua Lin Chong was someone very proud, he would fight anyone who annoyed him, and even though people had different identities that would protect them, he didn't bow down to anyone.

As soon as she saw him apologize, she was shocked.

"I'm not his servant, I'm his guard." Taking his eyes off the arena, he stared into Lin Zhange's eyes. "You may not believe it, but I didn't have the talent to reach the realm of the saints. Do you think that this place has the talented ones? In the middle sky there are several monsters of cultivation, and one of them is the thunder king, Zheng Xiang's father."

"He helped me with resources and purifying my talent, all I had to do in return was protect his son, but I don't protect him just for that." He turned around and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Lin Zhange, there are thousands of cultivators stronger than me who would die to protect both Zheng Xiang and Li Dao, because these boys who are the symbol of a sect have become the monsters of the future."

Hua Lin Chong watched Lin Zhange's silence and her expression of doubt.

He sighed and returned his gaze to the arena. "You'll understand when the combat starts."

She also turned to the arena and muttered. "I don't see Yan'er losing."

"Neither do I, but if your disciple doesn't take this combat seriously because of Li Dao's cultivation, she will die."

The silence lasted as Lin Zhange faced the battle that was about to happen with several thoughts in his mind.

[..]

Even though he had Hua Lin Chong to lend credibility to his identity, Li Dao was afraid that in time they would find out it was a lie. So he wanted to prove to people and to himself that he was someone strong, so he decided to face cultivators with higher cultivation than himself.

He knew it was almost impossible to defeat Yan Zyer, her cultivation was much greater than his and she could move her Qi at will, not like Li Dao who could only use it in a sword technique.

Yan Zyer's fighting style was extremely straightforward. She prioritized speed and continuous attacks, giving her opponent no chance to counterattack.

Since the match started, he was on the defensive.

Yan Zyer looked like a delicate girl with her short stature and childlike features, but her every move went against that very image. She moved like a raging beast that abandoned all concept of defense. Each blow of her rapier seemed to be able to break the delicate rapier in her hand like glass.

Li Dao felt the difference in strength as with each encounter of their swords he was pushed back.

He didn't immediately attack like he did in most battles he took part in. On the one hand, his opponent was someone with a higher cultivation than him, and despite already encountering this situation, he felt something different than before when he faced Yan Zyer.

He didn't feel excitement like before, his heart was racing and he yearned for battle, but more than that.

He didn't want to lose.

And after the first exchange of moves, he felt it was almost impossible to win.

He gripped the hilt of his sword and decided to attack. Even though he almost always started on the defensive, he refused to do so at the moment.

The distance between the two narrowed as Li Dao advanced. He found himself in Yi Kum's place as he watched their swords collide and Yan Zyer not moving.

Yan Zyer was bored. She wanted to fight Li Dao as she saw him copy her moves so perfectly they almost looked the same.

But looking at her current movements, she saw several flaws.

Clang!

A wave of shock swept through the arena as the elders and even Lin Zhange were confused.

"I've seen him practice his sword before, so why his movements look so sloppy?" she focused her attention on the confused fight.

"Is that young master Li's power? I sincerely expected more." One of the elders who was in the next room said aloud.

"Aren't you noticing?" Arms crossed, Hua Lin Chong interrupted. "He's getting better as the battle goes on."

Back in the battle, Li Dao decided to retreat when he realized that his sword skills weren't enough.

He felt his hands tremble as he loosened his grip on his sword, the next moment he felt an indescribable sense of danger, and pain erupted from his cheek as he felt a gash open.

'Which!? When did she attack me!?'

He placed his hand over the cut and stared at Yan Zyer's foil with a little blood. 'I couldn't see your counterattack! Even though it all seemed so slow, I couldn't see it!'

Li Dao was surprised by Yan Zyer's deep frown.

He knew.

Even though he enveloped his sword with fire elemental Qi, he was not able to land even a single blow on his opponent.

She wasn't worried, she was disappointed.

He looked at Lin Zhange's room when he saw her with a bored look.

He watched the audience's expression filled with disappointment.

'Are you... underestimating me?'

What is a young master? Someone who naturally has a high arrogance for the way people treat him.

Li Dao was always focused on his goals, but as he progressed, he realized that he started doing things he wouldn't have considered before.

Without realizing it, he became confident.

He really thought that he was special, that he had something special that would make him defeat even those with higher cultivation than himself.

He knew that his only differentiator was the ability of his system, as even his talent for cultivation was mediocre, but when he watched even Hua Lin Chong treat him with respect, he forgot about it.

'It looks like I've bitten off more than I can chew!'

Realizing his mistake, he faced Yan Zyer who finally got into a fighting stance.

"You didn't use your full ability in your previous fight." He also got into a fighting stance. "I admit, you are the strongest cultivator I've fought so far."

"Yes, you can copy my moves, so I didn't use everything." She covered her sword with Qi. "But it looks like I don't need to use it against you either."

With speed she charged forward, swiftly attacking Li Dao. Even seeing and managing to stop his attacks, Li Dao took a step back with each hit defended.

Yan Zyer swung his sword towards Li Dao. A blue wave of water Qi transformed Yan Zyer's Qi.

Li Dao swallowed hard. He quickly lowered his body causing the blow to hit nothing.

Bam!

A resounding vibration erupted from the wall behind Li Dao as he watched the water Qi form a blade and hit the wall hard.

"You are weak." Yan Zyer coldly spat, as he got into a fighting stance again.

'Qi control outside the body!?' Li Dao observed the mark on the wall. 'I will lose!?'

He backed away when he again sensed danger. Pulling his head out of combat, a thought pounded through his mind.

'I will lose!?'

Her heart began to race as fear began to build up inside her. He remembered his memories when the man swung his sword looking for something to help him.

That time, he had focused his attention on the sword, but watching the man's behavior, he was confused.

There was nothing different than what he did, so he came to a conclusion.

The difference was cultivation.

'Really, I'm going to lose!' Bit her lower lip until it started to bleed. "I can not lose."

A murderous intention began to emanate from him, he closed his eyes, opened his legs a little and went on guard.

Slowly, an illusory figure behind Li Dao began to appear. A large black circle started to rise showing more than halfway, but the appearance of the circle made Yan Zyer wary.

The circle was black and slowly a white light began to envelop it.

Realizing that Li Dao was giving it his all, Yan Zyer also decided to use his strongest blow, she raised her foil to the sky and Qi from the water surged up her blade in the form of a dragon.

Sword arts are classified just like cultivation manuals, from Rank 1 to 9.

In this era, public knowledge was that the highest rank sword art was 6! Only a few people had arts above that and those who did, wouldn't say.

Sword arts from the seventh rank are called ancient age arts.

The pressure of two ancient sword arts being used was so great that Hua Lin Chong erected a barrier around the arena.

"This boy... that's a spiritual projection, that scary!" He said as he faced the circle behind Li Dao.

Li Dao was acting extinct, he put all his remaining Qi into this blow, his blade started to catch fire as he felt the fire change.

If he could see, a system interface was in front of him.

[The admin 'The Invincible of Mount of Death' responds to his will!]

[The admin 'The Invincible of Mount of Death' decides to help him!]

[Congratulations! You have acquired the 'Ego of a Young Master' trait!]

[Congratulations! You have increased your understanding of the 'Sword Art Breaking the Red Sky' technique Your blows reach a new realm!]

Sword Art Breaking the Red Sky - Eclipse!

Yan Zyer watched Li Dao's black blade heat up to red.

Sword Art Brandishing the Ocean - Dragon!

Both advanced, Li Dao with his high guard, lowered his blade carrying the full power of a spiritual projection. The path his blade took seemed to distort the air around him.

Lowering his rapier, Yan Zyer on low guard attacked from below, colliding with Li Dao's flaming sword.

Feeling the power of Li Dao's blow, in the private room, Lin Zhange sighed, "I understand what you mean, master. It seems my disciple lost."

"No, there's a way for her to win." He stared at the moon behind Li Dao in awe. "The sword Li Dao is using cannot withstand the full force of a Spirit Projection!"

In the arena, a great noise swept through the place.

CLANG!

Yan Zyer only felt his hands burn when the temperature behind Li Dao's sword strike went down his sword and into his hand.

Having used her knowledge and experience as a sword cultivator, she focused her strikes from the start of the combat on the part of Li Dao's sword that was broken.

Li Dao's sword broke in half as the pressure of Yan Zyer's blow combined with the force of the spirit projection causing it to shatter.

Yan Zyer smiled when he saw Li Dao's sword break. However, her eyes widened in surprise as she watched the same thing happen to her foil.

Losing the protection of her blow, she felt the spiritual pressure of the projection wash over her body before disappearing.

The arena fell silent as they watched Li Dao and Yan Zyer collapse into the arena.