Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 186 Twelve People (Combined)

All the onlookers saw were two blood-soaked figures standing opposite each other.

Li Yi grinned, revealing a mouthful of blood-stained white teeth.

He struggled to raise his right hand: "Elder..."

Almost at the same moment, Song Yan also raised his left arm, which he could barely move.

Their hoarse voices overlapped: "I surrender."

"..."

Song Yan was slightly taken aback; he didn't understand why Li Yi had anything to admit defeat about.

It was clear that they had lost this battle.

Both of them appeared to be completely exhausted and unable to fight any longer, but Song Yan knew in his heart that he had truly reached his limit.

His right hand was severely injured and he was basically unable to move it.

Beneath the Zhendao Sword Mansion, there was nothing but emptiness. Not to mention sword essence, he couldn't even condense a single sword shadow at this moment.

The other person, however, was still able to walk normally.

High judgment.

"Cough cough..."

He coughed up a mouthful of blood, and the excruciating pain in his right arm made him involuntarily close one eye: "Hiss..."

“Senior Brother Li, a loss is a loss... If we both concede at the same time, it will be considered a draw, which is not very honorable for me.”

Unexpectedly, Li Yi shook his head: "Speaking only of this battle, I did win."

“But Junior Brother Song is only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, yet he has almost fought me to a draw.”

"Then when our levels reach a stalemate, I will no longer be your match."

"It seems I've lost again."

Li Yi looked at him and said, "I don't care about the sect rankings. What I want is to be invincible among those of the same realm."

Song Yan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

This person has his own views and practices regarding morality and justice.

She's really ruthless to herself.

Snapped.

Just then, the elder in charge clasped his hands together and spoke: "Gentlemen, please hear me out."

All eyes then turned to the elder in charge.

"There's no need to argue or be modest. Whether it's a draw or Li Yi wins, the final result is the same."

Amidst the puzzled looks of the two, the elder deacon pointed to the spiritual runes on the giant stone sword, which displayed the rankings of all the finalists.

Now, it's the last match of the final round for these two players, and everyone's scores have already been determined.

"Now that you two have reached a draw and have the same final score, you will be ranked according to the number of spirit runes in the first stage, which is the selection stage."

He looked the two bloodied figures up and down, his tone somewhat joking: "Could it be that you two can have another match now?"

Song Yan and Li Yi exchanged a glance and looked at each other blankly.

"If you two still have the will to fight, this old man can no longer sit idly by." The elder in charge smiled nonchalantly and turned to leave.

Immediately, his voice resounded throughout the entire dueling arena.

"Number nine, Li Yi, and number seventeen, Song Yan, are tied. Based on the number of spirit runes, Li Yi is ranked first, and Song Yan is ranked second."

wow——

As soon as the elder announced the results, the entire arena erupted in cheers.

"It's a draw!"

"It was Senior Brother Li Yi who won; it's just that geniuses appreciate each other."

"Because Song Yan was only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, he believed that he was inferior to his opponent at the same level, so he took the initiative to admit defeat."

In the stands, the cultivators were buzzing with discussion. Some were amazed, some were puzzled, and many more were utterly shocked.

"Senior Brother Li Yi... why are you admitting defeat? I've staked everything on you!"

"Brother Ye, nine out of ten gamblers lose."

Gu Qingqing jumped up excitedly: "A tie! Waaaaah, Senior Brother Song is so amazing!"

At this moment, Sun Zhengfu had already left the final disciple's preparation area and joined Li Qingfeng and Gu Qingqing.

He ultimately finished last in the standings and was the one among the eleven to be eliminated.

However, he did not feel regret; on the contrary, he felt at peace.

A complex smile played on Li Qingfeng's face, a mixture of relief, admiration, and envy: "Old Song, he..."

Sun Zhengfu and he said in unison, "They have always been remarkable."

In the West Observation Zone, Ju Luyi held a spiritual fruit, a gift from a deacon of the Dongyuan Sect, in her arms as if it were a precious treasure.

She stared blankly at Song Yan on the stage, lost in thought.

"Senior Song..."

"It's like being in a fairy tale..."

Soon, several disciples rushed onto the stage and carefully helped the two bloodied figures off the dueling platform.

Both of them were seriously injured, but the sect naturally had cultivators skilled in healing spells on standby at any time.

Xiang Zhaoling led Xiao He over, with Gu Qingqing, Li Pang, and Brother Sun following behind.

"Yanyan, are you alright?"

Xiao He, now in human form, looked worried and gently lifted Song Yan's arm.

"Ouch... Gently, gently..." Song Yan gasped, the sharp pain in his right arm causing cold sweat to bead on his forehead.

"Wow……"

Xiao He was so frightened that she loosened her grip and then let her hand fall down abruptly.

"Ouch me!"

Cen Qinghe, who was in the medical team, quickly came over to clean the bloodstains and treat Song Yan's injuries.

On the other side, Yuwen Yao walked over carrying a wine jug, chuckling.

They directly poured two mouthfuls of spiritual wine down each of their hands, one from the left and one from the right.

"Serves you right, for showing off."

Li Yi choked and coughed, but still grinned and said, "That felt great!"

Xiang Zhaoling squatted mysteriously next to Cen Qinghe, tilting her head to look at her: "Sister, he's in so much pain, should we try my paralysis technique on him?"

"No!" Song Yan quickly refused, "It's just a little pain, nothing at all."

Several people gathered together, chatting and laughing.

The period from the end of the final match until the announcement of the list and the distribution of rewards is reserved for the elders to discuss matters.

At the same time, this is also an opportunity for the representatives of Lingyuanze shops.

Many people are befriending the disciples who shone brightly in this battle of wits.

At this time, Song Yan, Li Yi, and others were receiving treatment, so this area was off-limits to non-disciples of the sect.

This also saved them from a round of polite refusals.

A moment later, the elders' meeting concluded.

The runes on the giant stone sword finally stopped changing, revealing the final list of the top ten.

"Position A: Li Yi. Position B: Song Yan."

"Position C is Yuwen Yao. Position D is Xiang Zhaoling."

"Position E: Han Yuan. Position F: Lin Qing."

"The Geng position is associated with Kong You. The Xin position is associated with Shao Sichao."

"Ren position, Chen Chen. Gui position, Zhao Xuan."

"After discussion and recommendation by the elders, the two disciples accompanying us have been decided as..."

"Sun Zhengfu, Qin Zhan."

Sun Zhengfu was one of the eleven disciples who were eliminated in the round-robin competition, and no one was surprised that he was among them.

Qin Zhan was one of the twenty-two people selected for his outstanding performance.

Song Yan and Li Qingfeng had encountered this person before; he was one of the disciples of Shijian Peak by Qingjiangping during the selection phase.

Unfortunately, he ran into Han Yuan during the elimination rounds and was blasted off the sword-wielding platform by a flurry of punches.

The selection results were good, and the performance in the final was also commendable, so no one had any objections.

"Surname Qin?"

He glanced briefly at the person in the crowd.

The surname "Qin" caught Song Yan's attention.

On the elders' platform, Luo Xiaming, the master of the Sword Wiping Peak, slowly stood up: "This Sword Wiping Tournament has now come to an end."

"Disciples from the Gui to Geng ranks will be rewarded with 300 low-grade spirit stones and one mid-grade magic weapon or item of the same rank."

"Up to the rank of Ji, the reward is 500 low-grade spirit stones, and three mid-grade magic artifacts or items of the same rank."

"Disciples of Rank B and Rank C will each receive 700 low-grade spirit stones, choose one high-grade magic weapon, and choose one cultivation manual from the inner sect library."

"The top-ranking disciple will be awarded one thousand low-grade spirit stones, one high-grade magic weapon of his choice, one cultivation manual from the inner sect's library of his choice, and..." "One Foundation Establishment Pill."

Foundation Building Pill? !

The announcement of this reward caused an uproar among the audience.

If Song Yan said she wasn't tempted, that would be complete nonsense.

This is a Foundation Establishment Pill!
A person at the tenth level of Qi Refining with decent aptitude will no longer be an ordinary person after taking one pill.

The difference between Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment is like heaven and earth.

Unfortunately, he was outmatched in skill; who could he blame but himself?

Everyone stared intently at Li Yi, making him a little embarrassed. He slapped the back of his head and burst into laughter.

"Disciples ranked from A to C can choose to join the Demon-Slaying Peak."

The Demon-Slaying Peak isn't all good; it represents even greater danger.

There are such people in the world: exceptionally talented, yet they dislike fighting and prefer a life of leisure and contentment.

Therefore, this reward is for the disciple to choose from.

"The other disciples who made it into the top twenty-two can collect their rewards at Tongchen Peak by presenting their disciple tokens."

"I will not say any more here."

"Alright, this sect's sword-testing session is now over."

"May you all prosper in the path of immortality."

Li Jun Dao Ren had already left after the decisive battle between Song Yan and Li Yi.

At this moment, all the elders also left the stage.

On the sword-fighting platform, the discussion about the ten disciples was far from over, with many cultivators chatting as they walked.

Regretting the past, embracing the future.

I hope that one day I can stand in the center of the arena and feel the gaze of everyone.

Song Yan and the others followed the path to the western spectator stands, preparing to leave the arena.

As they walked, Gu Qingqing asked, "Senior Brother Song, what are you going to do next?"

"I haven't decided yet, I'll focus on recovering first."

He said that, but in reality he was already planning his travel route.

After the sect's sword-testing ceremony ends, many sect disciples will likely go out to travel, and he also wants to go out for a stroll.

Hmm... I'll go to Beiya Mountain to find Liang Feng first.

I need to go and check on how my own Moon-Touching Ancient Lotus is growing, and it just so happens that I also plan to pick up the Dao of Alchemy again.

then……

Just as Song Yan was pondering his future plans, he saw representatives from many shops approaching from all around.

"Seniors, we are..."

Song Yan listened for a while; it was mostly about cooperation and the like.

He had no interest, and the others didn't feel the need to impose any constraints on themselves for some petty gains.

"Feel sorry."

Song Yan waved his hand, about to leave.

But then they saw Ju Luyi sitting on the edge of a banner that read "Seamless," holding a spiritual fruit in her arms.

Sensing Song Yan's gaze, she stood up respectfully and bowed.

Today, Senior Song is famous throughout the entire clan.

Perhaps one day, long afterward, he will become famous in the State of Chu.

Although there may be no chance to sew him a Taoist robe again in the future.

But could you tell others that you once sewed a Taoist robe for Senior Song, in order to attract customers?

As Xiao Ju thought this, her thoughts had already drifted far away.

However, an ordinary Qiankun bag flew in front of her, and she subconsciously reached out and caught it.

"?"

"Xiao Ju!"

Song Yan stopped at the exit where he was about to leave.

He pointed to his tattered Taoist robe.

"I want two, exactly the same."

"Uh..." After thinking for a while, he changed his mind: "Let's change it to black."

After all, they were going to join the Demon-Slaying Peak.

The rules had already been learned from Li Yi beforehand; the Taoist robes of Bamo Peak were black.

At this moment, everyone's eyes were focused on Xiao Ju.

Whispers rippled around them as everyone speculated about the girl's identity.

Why did he become acquainted with Song Yan?

However, she did not feel shy or back down; instead, she nodded with great joy.

For the first time, she let out an excited shout from her small chest...

"They're repeat customers!"

The skill of sewing clothes has finally been recognized, which is even more touching than earning spirit stones.

I learned this from my mother, which proves that her cooking skills are indeed excellent!

"We must not let our guests down!"

Watching Song Yan's departing figure, she was filled with determination.

……

On the mountain path leading down the mountain, the group chatted for a while.

"Who is that little girl?" Li Yi asked. "Is she your sister?"

Li Qingfeng and Gu Qingqing were also very curious.

Song Yan shook his head: "No, she is a very skilled tailor."

"Moreover, her attitude towards guests is extremely proper. I admire her very much."

Just a small recommendation.

"So, do you want her to sew your Taoist robes?"

Li Yi's martial attire had already been torn off and burned.

He was shirtless at the time.

Hearing Song Yan's question, he shook his head: "No."

"If it weren't for the sect's sword-wielding competition, I would rarely even wear close-fitting clothes. When fighting with others, I'm used to wearing armor."

"……I see."

I heard that he used to be a young general, the kind who actually led troops into battle.

Song Yan felt the name sounded familiar; perhaps he had heard it at a storytelling tea stall in Shiliang Town.

The cave dwelling is conveniently located on Sword Wiping Peak.

Taking this opportunity, Song Yan also led these people on a tour of his cave dwelling.

It wasn't until the hour of Xu (7-9 PM) that everyone dispersed.

After seeing his friend off, Song Yan entered the training room and sat down cross-legged.

He swallowed another healing pill and slowly circulated the Qi Condensation Scroll to refine the pill's medicinal power.

Most of the injuries were healed on the testing ground; the rest was just a matter of slow recovery.

Having gone through so many battles in one day, I'm truly exhausted.

An hour later, he exhaled a heavy breath and slowly opened his eyes.

After some recuperation, the injuries no longer affect his normal cultivation.

He didn't rush to continue his cultivation, but instead recalled his battle with Li Yi.

"What exactly is that aura?"

It's as if you already know how to do it, but you've just never used it before.

This aura comes from his natal flying sword, or more precisely, from his sword intent.

Why is something so important not mentioned at all in the sword techniques?

However, when he looks at the various sword techniques in the swordplay manual and the swordplay guide from the perspective of now possessing this "sword aura".

What was once inexplicable and obscure suddenly became clear.

Even the sword formation, which had always been a mystery, now had a direction for research and practice...

With each breath I took while pondering, my tense mind completely relaxed.

His spiritual energy, sword energy, and physical strength were all depleted, and an indescribable feeling of drowsiness washed over him.

He washed and bathed, undressed, lay down, and fell into a deep sleep.

(End of this chapter)