Second Challenge

A hush fell over the entire convocation. Even the sounds of nearby duels seemed to dim. The gathered sword cultivators of the subcontinent were all stunned by Wu Qianyu's sheer might, by her sudden victory.

Mortal sword experts couldn't understand how Zhang Han had lost so easily when he had been defending with everything he had. Wu Qianyu's moves hadn't been anything special. Such a simple attack, even if it the difference of a lesser realm, should not have been this exaggerated.

Even more so, the immortal sword masters amidst the audience were all astonished. They could sense the profound sword might behind Wu Qianyu's attack even if they didn't know what it was. But one thing was clear, this sword art was several steps above an already impressive one like the Sword of Tranquility.

"Chen Wentian…" Peng Yuefeng growled under his breath.

The sect master of the Tower of Swords glared at the playboy immortal across the distance. He had never seen Dugu's 10th Sword in action before but he could recognize it instantly. It contained an unmistakable sword energy, one that was also present within his Desolate Sword.

He had always wondered how powerful senior Dugu's sword art was. This was finally proof before his eyes. Wu Qianyu's meteoric rise, her tremendous power, all had to be because of that. There was no other explanation, no other way a useless pervert like Chen Wentian could produce such an amazing disciple!

"Master, rest assured." Peng Shuya said in a low voice beside him, "Ten Thousand Flower Valley's glory will be short-lived."

Peng Yuefeng snorted but remained gloomy and silent.

All across the convocation, there were similar reactions from other immortals though they did not know about Dugu's 10th Sword. When Chen Wentian had stolen the sword art, only Peng Yuefeng had been present. Thus, not even the Four Greats of the Eastern Sword Alliance knew about the matter.

However, there was one additional person who felt that there was something wrong. That person was Immortal Tempest Badger Qiu Chuyi, representative of the Beast God Sanctum. He had also watched the entire duel between Wu Qianyu and Zhang Han.

Qiu Chuyi was a beast transformation cultivator but he was also a sword cultivator. In his transformation as a tempest badger, his claws were long and sharp, each one as deadly as a sword. He appreciated Zhang Han's well-practiced sword art like the others. But unlike the others, he felt something different about Wu Qianyu's performance.

This was because her sword was eerily similar to the sword of another person, a hated enemy of the Beast God Sanctum. That criminal had slain one of his brothers. That criminal's name was Lin Huzhong, a sword master and a despicable bandit. Wu Qianyu's attack had a strange quality to it that he had never seen before, except the day that Immortal Berserk Ox Ji Tiangu was slain by a single sword strike.

Qiu Chuyi furrowed his brow as he studied Chen Wentian from a distance. It was difficult to explain how Wu Qianyu would wield a sword style similar to that of Lin Huzhong. Could Chen Wentian and Lin Huzhong be allies? But why would Lin Huzhong teach Chen Wentian's disciple? It seemed impossible. It was a mystery he could not figure out at the moment. But he swore to himself, he would investigate this matter as soon as the convocation was over.

Five minutes passed in a blur and the first round of the challenge tournament came to an end. Wu Qianyu had already rejoined her sect in the stands and so had others that had already finished. One duel was still ongoing but they were forced to stop. Since the challenger was unable to defeat their opponent, their challenge failed and the person on the ranking pillar got to retain their position.

The second round immediately followed. Yang Kaitian pulled out nine more names from the cauldron. Those that failed their challenges or those who had been kicked off the ranking pillar had their name plates put aside.

Those that had made a challenge would not be selected again until the next day. Those that lost to a challenger would be put back into the caldron after three rounds so that they could make their own challenge. Those that had received a challenge but prevailed also could not be challenged for another three rounds.

"… Su Yue of Ten Thousand Flower Valley!"

"Eh?" Su Yue looked around in momentary confusion.

Chen Wentian prodded her, making her jump.

Su Yue tried to hide her embarrassment as she stood up straight. She found her challenger below, a sturdy male cultivator with two sword swords strapped to his waist. That person was named Peng Junqi, an older man around fifty with a head of graying hair.

His cultivation was at the 10th Level of the Spirit Initiate Realm. Although he was unremarkable in terms of talent compared to others due to his age, his strength was still considerable due to his cultivation age and his years of experience.

"Ehh?" Su Yue repeated.

She glanced at Chen Wentian with a tinge of panic in her eyes. She was still at the 8th Level of the Spirit Initiate Realm. The difference of two levels was substantial. The challenge was quite unfair and what little confidence she might have had at the beginning of the day had completely disappeared.

Chen Wentian could guess her thoughts. He was also peeved by the challenge but there wasn't much that could be done. Only those that the ability to defend their position could remain on the ranking pillar.

"Yue'er." He said, his voice gentle but firm, "You can't give up before the fight has even started. You'll never grow if you back down like this. You have to have faith in your own strength. The eyes of the continent are on us and on you. The worst you can do is lose an unfair duel. Nobody will look down on you for that. I won't either as long as you gave it your all."

Su Yue's expression changed and she nodded seriously. She turned and faced the plaza with renewed strength, her spirits lifted by her master's words.

She leaped off the stands and landed on the edge of the plaza, leaving behind her a trail of glittering glacial ice.

"Su Yue present!"

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