guidance

Ye Qin has been in a defensive state since his confrontation with Lin Feier began, looking somewhat embarrassed but still maintaining a relaxed expression.

As the art of war states, "First, attack with all your strength; then, weaken; and finally, exhaust."

When Lin Feier's spiritual energy was depleted, it was the time for Ye Qin to launch his attack. However, he didn't anticipate the presence of Jiang Yun on the sidelines.

Jiang Yun circulated his inner energy and transmitted a secret message to Lin Feier: "Pay attention to his right hand. If you can't make him surrender within ten moves, it will be his counterattack. Listen carefully to my instructions for your next moves."

Lin Feier's eyes lit up upon hearing Jiang Yun's message. Her long sword moved fluidly like flowing water, each move following the other seamlessly. Her swordsmanship became even more rigorous than before, leaving no room for error.

Ye Qin furrowed his brow, feeling the increasing pressure. Prior to this, he had already sensed the extraordinary nature of Lin Feier's swordsmanship. Although he didn't dare to act recklessly, he could still find some vulnerabilities.

But now he was completely suppressed by Lin Feier's sword aura, without any opportunity to strike. Even if he wanted to make a move now, it would be too late.

"Hua Qian Yue Xia" (Moonlight Blossom before a Flower)

Lin Feier danced with her sword, her sleeves fluttering like clouds. She resembled a colorful butterfly dancing among flowers, while her long sword swung back and forth. Ye Qin could only reluctantly defend himself, with a bitter smile on his face.

"Hao Wan Yu Zhuo" (White Jade Bracelet on Delicate Wrist)

Lin Feier executed a somersault, her long sword first slanting upwards to force Ye Qin to defend, interrupting his attempt to launch an attack. Then, taking advantage of the situation, she aimed the tip of her sword towards Ye Qin's wrist.

At this moment, Ye Qin felt bitter in his heart. He had the feeling that Lin Feier had transformed into a completely different person, her sword technique impenetrable. He tried to forcefully counterattack to turn the tide, but Lin Feier seemed to have seen through his intentions and directly attacked his chest. Helplessly, he could only defend himself, but then Lin Feier swiftly changed her move, targeting his right hand wrist.

As a result, Ye Qin could only press down his sword again to block the attack. He worried that Lin Feier still had further moves, which would leave him defenseless.

"Lang Ji Tian Ya" (Roaming the Ends of the Earth)

As expected, when Lin Feier's sword was about to touch Ye Qin's sword, she suddenly changed to a horizontal strike. Ye Qin helplessly closed his eyes, facing Lin Feier's unpredictable sword technique, knowing he was powerless.

After a while, Ye Qin opened his eyes and looked at the trembling blade in front of his neck. He sighed and said, "I didn't expect you to have grown to this level in the Purple Forest Sword Sect. I concede, Brother."

Lin Feier's chest also rose and fell with excitement. Seeing Ye Qin admit defeat, she smiled and said, "Brother Ye Qin, there's no need to be so hard on yourself. It was just my luck. If you had attacked earlier, I'm afraid I wouldn't have lasted until the end."

In fact, what Lin Feier wanted to say was, "You don't have to blame yourself too much. The person you lost to is not me, but a formidable martial artist, so it's not unjust at all."

Ye Qin displayed the demeanor of a true gentleman as he cheerfully said, "If I lost, then I lost. No matter how many excuses I make, it simply means that my skills were inferior. I, Ye Qin, accept my defeat wholeheartedly."

As his words fell, Ye Qin turned around and stepped down from the martial arts platform. His graceful and sportsmanlike act prompted applause from the audience. Some emotionally touched young women even wiped away tears.

Jiang Yun couldn't help but look at Ye Qin on the stage, starting to appreciate his straightforwardness.

After Lin Feier stepped down from the stage, she excitedly ran to Jiang Yun's side and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Brother Li Tao."

Jiang Yun waved his hand and replied, "No need to be polite. Let's see what happens in the next match."

The fifth match was the shortest of the day. As soon as the host announced the start, Xiao Dong's scabbard flew out and struck Jiang Zhe, sending him flying. Jiang Zhe landed with a mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot.

This swift and decisive move left the audience unsure whether to cheer or not. If they cheered, it would be because the match ended too quickly. Some spectators hadn't even had time to fully comprehend the situation before Jiang Zhe was already thrown out of the arena. It lacked the viewing experience. On the other hand, if they didn't cheer, it was because Xiao Dong's display of strength was terrifying.

Jiang Yun also realized that Xiao Dong simply didn't want to waste time and aimed to overpower his opponents with sheer strength. Jiang Yun assessed Xiao Dong's true strength in his mind and found that even he would face considerable pressure when confronting Xiao Dong.

The final match was between Lin Sen and Lu Yuan from the Ye family. Lin Sen wore a bitter smile. If he had encountered someone else, he might have had a chance to fight back, but facing Lu Yuan, he genuinely had no confidence.

Four years ago, Lu Yuan was already a contender for the top position alongside Xiao Dong. After four years, he must have made significant progress. Lin Sen had no chance against him.

"Don't be disheartened. Treat it as a normal sparring session," Jiang Yun patted Lin Sen's shoulder to comfort him.

With a beard on his face, Lu Yuan appeared somewhat intimidating. Lin Sen's strength was not low; at the age of twenty-seven, he was already a Qi Martialist at the seventh level, which was considered talented in the eyes of others.

However, when faced with Lu Yuan's attacks, Lin Sen remained on the defensive throughout the match. Lu Yuan's boxing style was extremely aggressive and fierce, surpassing Xiao Su by more than one realm, even though they both excelled in boxing techniques.

Against Xiao Su, Jiang Yun could easily toy with him even without a weapon. But when facing Lu Yuan, Jiang Yun, without weapons, might not be able to withstand him with his current strength.

After absorbing Xiao Su's spiritual energy, Jiang Yun's Jiuli Divine Drama had taken another step forward. Although he hadn't broken through to the first level of the sixth realm, he had solidified his position in the fifth realm. With enough spiritual energy accumulation, Jiang Yun was confident that he could break through to the sixth realm. By then, he might even be able to have a showdown with Xiao Dong.

With Lu Yuan's continuous onslaught, by the time Lin Sen conceded and left the stage, his arms were so swollen and battered that he couldn't even lift them up.

Jiang Yun examined Lin Sen's injuries and found that his arm bones were mostly damaged. Without a recovery period of two to three months, his hands would likely be rendered useless.

The match between Lu Yuan and Lin Sen was the last one of the day. When Lin Shenhe descended from the stage, he encouraged Jiang Yun and Lin Feier with a few words. He had originally been satisfied with the expectation that Jiang Yun would make it to the second round, but he was pleasantly surprised when Lin Feier also advanced to the second round, which made him even happier and gave him face. Naturally, he was in a good mood.

The audience in the martial arts arena also knew the routine. Today's matches were over, and everyone went their separate ways. They returned home to discuss the matches they had witnessed and planned to secure good seats for tomorrow.

When the Lin family returned home, they had already received news and prepared a feast. If it weren't for the remaining two rounds of the competition, they would have celebrated already.

Lin Yi didn't go to watch the matches today. After Jiang Yun and the others returned, he started bombarding Lin Feier with questions. When he learned that both Jiang Yun and Lin Feier had made it to the second round, he jumped for joy, even more so than Jiang Yun and Lin Feier.

During dinner, Jiang Yun and Lin Shenhe sat at the same table. Naturally, Lin Shenhe praised Jiang Yun highly and made a series of promises.

Jiang Yun didn't pay much attention to him and finished his meal before returning to his room. Instead of practicing, he pondered how to find a way to defeat Xiao Dong or Lu Yuan if he faced either of them tomorrow.

To be honest, Jiang Yun agreed to participate in the Yanjing Martial Arts Conference solely for the sake of the Qingyang Cave Mansion twenty days later. The Lin family would undoubtedly need assistance then, and Jiang Yun agreed to participate in order to gain Lin Shenhe's trust.

If he could shine in the Yanjing Martial Arts Conference, Lin Shenhe would surely think of him first when the time came. At that point, Jiang Yun would have the opportunity to infiltrate and investigate the connection between the Qingyang Cave Mansion and his father's death.