Chapter 169
Looking at the towering mountains and roaring seas before him, Xiao Li never imagined that one day he would be struck on the forehead by his own boomerang.
Nor did he expect to become a rising star in the online world...
“Wow, is that Jiang Chen?”
“He really looks gentle and handsome, definitely a gentleman.”
“Wait, so ‘The Overbearing Empress Falls for Me’ is based on those two?”
“Waaah, I want to have babies with Brother Jiang Chen!”
...
The crowd was not just made up of martial heroes, but also included onlookers from all over Yunzhou, both commoners and nobles alike.
The serious atmosphere of the sword trial had vanished.
On the high platform of Sword City.
“What have you done in the External Affairs Hall?!”
Elder Zeng slammed the table in anger, causing the fruits to bounce into the air before falling back down.
“Elder, we can’t help it,” the steward of the External Affairs Hall said with a bitter face. “We invited over a hundred storytellers to promote the three true disciples, and even the price of Fat Dahai has skyrocketed.”
Storytelling can’t compare to their illustrated books, can it?
“You don’t know, but at the major bookstores, there are lines every day, and people are offering a hundred taels just to read the latest chapter of ‘The Overbearing Empress Falls for Me.’”
“Our methods of promotion are way too outdated!”
“Outdated methods…”
Elder Zeng snorted coldly, glancing at Wu, Cao, and Bai, who were standing there.
“Just some petty tricks. In the end, it’s all about showing true skill in combat.”
“You three must display your might and elegance later!”
“Yes.”
The three of them cupped their hands in response, while Bai Jinghong sighed.
Once they descended from the high platform, Elder Zeng squinted at the steward again.
“By the way, how do you know there are lines at the bookstores?”
“Uh, I just happened to stroll by, and...”
“As the steward of Sword City, don’t you feel ashamed? Hand it over!”
“Ah? I haven’t finished reading it yet…”
In the end, the steward obediently handed over the illustrated book.
Elder Zeng took the book and, seeing the steward leave, quickly flipped it open, as if he had found the antidote to a poison.
“Hehe, the latest chapter... hehe…”
Elder Zeng was a good elder.
He kept his personal life and work strictly separate.
...
On the platform.
The ten high stands were finally filled.
The rules of the sword trial were very simple~
Each person could only go on stage twice, and if their cultivation exceeded a major realm, they had to suppress it to the same level. After all, this was about making friends through martial arts, not about who had the higher realm.
Among the ten people on stage, nine were at the Observation Realm.
Only Princess Jiang was at the Inner Breath Realm.
Naturally, many aspiring challengers turned their gazes toward her.
“Whose child is this?”
“She looks like a little beggar. I saw her feeding stray cats outside last night.”
“Hey, kid, get down! You’ll get scared and cry later.”
A swordsman at the Xuan Dan Realm jumped onto the stage.
This was a challenge.
Jiang Chulong, holding her jade sword and peach blossom branch, stood there timidly, looking a bit lost and helpless.
She could only bite her lip and glance at the arena.
Then she saw Li Mo smiling slightly, giving her a thumbs-up from beneath his robe.
Suddenly, Jiang Chulong felt a surge of confidence and asked softly, “Is it starting?”
“Yeah, it’s started.”
Swish—
The peach blossom branch seemed to spring from nowhere, and before anyone knew it, it had struck.
But she was determined not to look back, her intent unyielding.
Like a spring breeze.
It was over.
---
Chapter 176: How about we switch places? Xiao Li was itching to try.
On the platform.
The peach blossom branch was pressed against the warrior’s throat; just an inch more, and he would bleed out on the spot.
“Gulp—” the man swallowed hard.
“I’m sorry... I’m sorry... Did I scare you...?”
Jiang Chulong quickly retracted her sword and bowed in apology.
“....”
The scene fell silent for a moment before erupting into a frenzy.
That Xuan Dan warrior was no nameless figure; he was an experienced blade-for-hire in the martial world.
And that little girl ended it with just one strike?
...
“Sword intent?!”
On the high platform, the elders of Hengyun Sword City slammed their hands on the table, their eyes shining with intense excitement.
Looking at her age, she was at most fourteen or fifteen.
Throughout history, they had never heard of anyone comprehending sword intent at such a young age.
Moreover, the girl’s swordplay was free of any clumsiness, as if it had been sculpted by divine hands.
Such talent.
If she were to touch the Hengyun Sword Marks...
“Does she have a master?”
“So what if she does? I don’t know any sword masters in Yunzhou.”
“Exactly! It’s better for us to teach her. If her master objects, we’ll go reason with him together!”
The elders of Hengyun Sword City, all at least at the External Realm, began to shout.
But suddenly, one elder who had been silent spoke up:
“I think... I’ve seen her at Tianshan Sword Manor.”
The elders fell silent.
...
“Bai Shidi, do you want to switch places with me?”
Cao Mu asked solemnly. He was a sword fanatic, and almost everyone in the younger generation of Yunzhou had been challenged by him for sparring.
“I don’t want to fight her either, but…”
Bai Jinghong glanced at Li Mo on the platform, then at Ying Bing, gritting his teeth and said, “Let me handle her!”
“Feeling so tough, huh?”
Wu Chushu was taken aback, seemingly looking at Bai Jinghong with new eyes.
He thought Bai Jinghong had become timid and cowardly.
But it turned out he still had some backbone.
...
“Impressive, Chulong.”
Li Mo gave a thumbs-up in her direction.
Then he turned to look at his opponent.
It was a young girl, delicate and beautiful, who was now looking at him with excitement, her eyes sparkling with hearts.
“Jiang Chen... Brother Jiang Chen.”
“...Actually, my name is Li Mo.”
“Okay, Brother Jiang Chen, can you give me an autograph?”
“Ah?”
After signing, the young female warrior jumped off the stage.
Li Mo: “....”
Wait, at least exchange a few moves first!
I came here to test my sword skills, not to hold a signing event!!
Forget it.
This situation shouldn’t last too long.
After all, standing on the platform meant qualifying to observe the Hengyun Sword Marks in the Sword Tower.
...
The situation on Ying Bing’s side was a bit different.
This was a matter of character.
After all, in ‘The Overbearing Empress Falls for Me,’ Jiang Chen was a gentle gentleman, a bit silly even.
Liu Wuyan, on the other hand, was the opposite.
“It’s an honor to spar with the Snow Moon Empress!”
“Even if I lose or die, I’ll have no regrets!”
The challenger was a warrior at the Observation Realm, Three Apertures.
He was generous and serious, as if his opponent were truly a martial emperor.
Ying Bing: “....”
She remained silent, her unsheathed sword, Tian Shuang, slightly raised, signaling her opponent to make a move.
The man indeed had some skill.
As soon as he drew his sword, he unleashed a wave of courage, the sword light dazzling and shifting.
Anyone watching couldn’t help but exclaim, “What a great sword technique!”
The Chaotic Waves Sword Technique, a superior sword style, was executed perfectly by this man, having grasped its essence.
Not far away, Li Mo shook his head slightly.
“Twelve flaws.”
Amidst the surging waves.
A flash of cold light surged forth, domineering and severe, as if it were divine punishment.
This strike made it hard for anyone to think of resisting.
As the sword light spread, the man’s face turned pale, and he collapsed to the ground.
In a cold sweat, he finally saw clearly.
The girl’s sword hadn’t even been drawn.
With just a starting stance, he felt as if he were facing a celestial being, his defenses crumbling without a fight.
The starting stance could also be called the initiating gesture.
Whether this counted as having exchanged a move was uncertain, but there was no doubt that... this cold girl was terrifyingly strong.
Jiang Chulong was astonishingly gifted, while Ying Bing was frighteningly powerful, strong to the point of being unreasonable.
...
“What incredible sword energy, what sword momentum!”
“What sword technique is she practicing? It doesn’t seem like a secret art…”
Smack—
The elders once again slammed their hands on the table.
Crack!
The lapis lazuli table let out a mournful cry, appearing with cracks, and then collapsed with a loud crash.
It was clear they were shocked.
And it was also evident that the strength of the External Realm warriors was indeed quite formidable.
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