The sun rose crimson over Wind Shear Valley, painting the sky in blood and gold. The wind, ever restless, howled between jagged cliffs like the breath of some ancient beast.
Sixteen remained.
Where once the crowd murmured and whispered, now they stood in silence—disciples, elders, inner sect talents—all watching as the final day began. Above, the platform shimmered with reinforced barriers. The atmosphere was heavy, the tension palpable.
Li Qingyun stepped into the valley with quiet steps. His robes fluttered gently in the morning breeze, eyes calm and unreadable. No smile, no tension. Only clarity.
Xia Shuying walked a few paces behind, sword at her back, gaze steady. She did not look at the crowd. Her attention, like his, was fixed forward.
Elder Nie's voice rang out like thunder.
"Final stage of the Outer Sect Sword Trial begins now! Sixteen disciples remain. Duels will proceed by lot—there will be no rest between rounds. Endurance, control, and focus are as important as talent."
A disciple stepped forward, carrying a wooden box lined with sixteen carved jade tiles. Each participant drew one.
Matchups formed:
Round of Sixteen.
Xia Shuying dispatched her opponent with grace—three movements, no wasted motion, a clean draw to the quarterfinals.
Li Qingyun faced a youth named Han Feilong, known for his triple-blade technique. The match lasted forty seconds. Li Qingyun avoided all three strikes, countered with a single upward slash, and left Han unconscious before he hit the floor.
Two duels later, Lu Yifan stepped forward, drawing a sword in a slow arc. His opponent didn't land a hit. The air seemed to crackle around him, his presence undeniable.
Quarterfinals began. Eight remained.
Li Qingyun stood across from a tall girl clad in blue armor, her sword trembling with thunder spirit energy. Her blows were relentless, lightning coursing with each strike.
But Li Qingyun remained still.
He waited, watching.
Then stepped through her guard like wind.
His sword brushed past her shoulder. The strike left no wound—only left her sword trembling, her spirit energy disrupted. She fell to one knee, eyes wide with disbelief.
Elder Nie raised a hand. "Victory—Li Qingyun."
On the other side of the platform, Xia Shuying danced through flame. Her opponent wielded a fire-infused longsword, wild and explosive. But she never lost her rhythm—one strike, two, three—
He fell.
Then, silence.
The semi-final pairings appeared.
Match One: Xia Shuying vs Zhang Lei.
Match Two: Li Qingyun vs Lu Yifan.
Murmurs spread. The second match—the one all had waited for.
Lu Yifan walked to the platform slowly, dragging his sword along the stone, its edge sparking. His eyes never left Li Qingyun.
Lu Yifan laughed coldly. "So fate dares pit us together? About time."
Xia Shuying narrowed her eyes as her own match was drawn. She barely acknowledged her opponent—her attention had already drifted toward the match that truly mattered.
---
The barrier shimmered as Li Qingyun and Lu Yifan ascended the dueling platform.
Lu Yifan's golden robes billowed as he drew his sword with a flourish. "I've waited for this moment. I knew the rumors about you were just hot air. I will show everyone what real talent looks like."
Li Qingyun's gaze was calm, but cold.
"You've been barking long enough," he said. "Let's see if you can still speak after I knock the breath from your lungs."
Gasps rose from the crowd.
Lu Yifan's face darkened. "You'll regret that."
Lu Yifan coldly said. "Do you really think you belong on this stage with me? Your earlier fights were laughable. Tricks and cheap parlor footwork."
"You talk a great deal for someone who's never fought me before," Li Qingyun said, voice still calm. "But don't worry. You'll understand soon."
"Begin!"
Lu Yifan struck first—no posturing now. His blade blazed with golden spirit light, his Sword Intent sharp, deadly, proud. Each blow came with brutal weight, and yet… none found flesh.
Li Qingyun moved with uncanny calm. Each dodge, each parry, was just enough. Not an inch wasted. Shadowfang rang against Lu Yifan's blade with a clear, silver note.
Lu Yifan growled. "Why don't you fight back?! Afraid?!"
Then—
Li Qingyun stepped forward. The weight of his spiritual pressure shifted.
Gasps rippled through the spectators.
"That's…"
"Foundation Establishment Realm!"
"No—he was only at Qi Refinement during the last examination!"
Lu Yifan stumbled back a step. "You—you advanced?!"
Li Qingyun's voice was quiet. "I was always a step ahead. You just never noticed."
Fury twisted Lu Yifan's face. "Liar!"
He roared, unleashing his Sword Intent in full, his spiritual energy boiling. Blades of golden force rained down.
Li Qingyun stood still.
Then moved.
He didn't release Sword Domain. He didn't even unleash his full cultivation. He simply stepped into Lu Yifan's rhythm and unraveled it. One strike severed the flow of energy. A second knocked his blade aside.
The third—Shadowfang's flat edge—struck Lu Yifan's temple.
Lu Yifan flew back, eyes wide in disbelief, before crumpling.
Unconscious.
The crowd was stunned into silence.
Elder Nie stared long. Then: "Victory—Li Qingyun."
No cheers. Just stunned breath.
Xia Shuying, watching from the waiting zone, closed her eyes briefly.
So… that was his strength.
Moments later, she walked onto the platform and defeated Zhang Lei with swift, elegant strokes—her breathing sharp, movements cold.
The final was set.
Li Qingyun vs Xia Shuying.
The wind howled once more.
They stood at opposite ends of the dueling platform.
"Why don't you go all out instead of holding back~," Li Qingyun said, gaze steady.
Xia Shuying nodded. "You revealed yours. I'll show you mine."
The barrier closed.
She moved first—her blade moved like starlight, gliding in from multiple angles. Li Qingyun's Phantom Step dodged the first two strikes, but she pressed forward.
Then her sword aura changed.
Something surged within her.
Silver light poured from her body. Her bones shimmered faintly beneath her skin.
The winds themselves stilled.
"What—what is that?" someone whispered.
Elder Nie stood.
"She's awakened it… The Sword Bone Physique."
With it, her speed tripled. Her reactions became instinctual. Each slash pressed deeper, sharper.
For a moment, even Li Qingyun was pushed back.
He smiled.
Finally, he raised his blade—and with it, unleashed his full sword intent. A river of silent pressure flowed outward.
The storm returned.
The dueling platform cracked slightly beneath their clashing footwork.
They danced, blade against blade.
She cut his sleeve.
He grazed her shoulder.
For five full minutes, they crossed swords over a hundred times.
Each movement, a clash of worlds.
Her sword style was fast, reactive, born of grace and instinct. His was grounded, absolute, forged from suppression and momentum. Sparks danced between them as sword met sword, blow met blow.
They leapt apart. Breathing shallow. Swords up.
Then—final exchange.
Xia Shuying let a small shout, her blade shimmering with pure Sword Intent.
Silver light met crimson will.
But then… her breath faltered.
Li Qingyun saw it. He stepped through her guard and struck—not to wound, but to break her stance.
She dropped to one knee.
Her eyes widened as his blade reached her neck—and stopped.
She looked up—eyes shining not with defeat, but exhilaration.
"I awakened it… and still lost…"
"You didn't lose," Li Qingyun said softly. "You just helped me win."
The barrier dropped.
"Victory… Li Qingyun."
The valley thundered with applause.
Cheers erupted.
Some wept.
Others stood in reverent silence.