A max-level player in Jade Dynasty: Awakening the Innate Dao at the start.

"it is good."

Zhang Xiaofan answered crisply, his voice echoing on the bluestone slab.

Like a small pebble thrown into water, creating a tiny echo.

He turned to look at Tian Ling'er, a flicker of something in his eyes: "Senior Sister, want to come along?"

Tian Ling'er was staring at Lin Jingyu when she heard this and exclaimed "Ah!"

He immediately realized what she meant, and raised his chin: "Of course I'll go! I'll support you!"

When she said "to support the party," her eyes glanced at Qi Hao.

Those eyes clearly showed vigilance, like a mother cat protecting her kittens watching a stray dog ​​wandering in the distance.

Zhang Xiaofan's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile.

Tian Buyi stood in the shadows by the second-floor window, his hands behind his back.

The window was half open, and the morning breeze blew in, ruffling his graying temples.

Su Ru stood beside him, twisting a plain handkerchief in her hands.

The bamboo leaf pattern embroidered on the edge of the handkerchief was slightly wrinkled from being twisted by her fingers.

The bluestone slabs in the plaza downstairs were wet with the morning dew, giving them a damp, grayish-white hue.

A few clumps of wild grass sprouted from the cracks in the stone slabs, water droplets clinging to their blades, rustling as the wind blew.

"It's been three years," Tian Buyi suddenly said, his voice a little hoarse.

Su Ru didn't reply, but just looked down at the boy downstairs wearing a faded, somewhat old Taoist robe.

"Back then in the Jade Purity Hall, out of seven people, six looked at him like he was trash."

Tian Buyi continued, his eyes fixed on Zhang Xiaofan's retreating figure.

"Me too. I feel like that bastard Cangsong dumped all the trouble on me."

She was seething with anger and found fault with everything he did.

He paused, his throat bobbing, "Now it seems... we're the ones who are blind."

Su Ru sighed softly, a sigh so faint it was almost inaudible in the wind:

"Xiao Fan is a child who keeps things very secret."

"It's not hidden." Tian Buyi shook his head.

"It's because we didn't look carefully at all."

They focused their attention solely on their physical constitution and innate talent, believing that was the true path.

There are three thousand paths to success; who says someone with average talent can't go far?

He turned around and looked at Su Ru, his eyes holding a complex light, a mixture of emotion and pride:

"Jingyu is destined to lose today's match."

Su Ru raised an eyebrow:

"Are you so sure? Jingyu is at the fifth level of the Jade Purity Realm. Reaching the fifth level in three years is top-tier even in the entire Qingyun Realm."

"Top-tier?" Tian Buyi chuckled. "That depends on who you're comparing me to. Compared to Xiao Fan..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but he conveyed the meaning.

Downstairs, Lin Jingyu had already reached the center of the square.

He took the sword off his waist.

The scabbard was an ordinary steel scabbard, but the hilt was wrapped with brand-new dark blue silk ribbon.

The end of the ribbon was tied in a rather complicated knot, with a small piece of warm, white jade hanging from the knot.

As the sword was drawn, it flashed with a sharp, cold light.

The blade was as thin as a cicada's wing, and in the morning light, it shimmered with a cold, autumn-water-like hue.

"Xiao Fan." Lin Jingyu gripped his sword, his body ramrod straight, like a javelin.

"Three years ago in Caomiao Village, I made a vow to become strong enough to protect the rest of the people."

For the past three years, I've practiced day and night.

None of my fellow disciples from Dragon Head Peak could withstand ten moves from my sword.

He raised the tip of his sword, pointing it at Zhang Xiaofan:

"Today is no different."

Zhang Xiaofan remained silent.

He casually picked up a wooden training sword from the weapon rack next to him.

The sword was carved from ordinary green bamboo, its blade mottled and its edge so blunt it could be used as a ruler.

He held it in his hand, weighed it in his hand, and then raised it, the tip of the sword level with his shoulder.

The movement was as casual as picking up a chopstick.

Lin Jingyu frowned: "You're going to use this?"

"That's enough," Zhang Xiaofan said.

Lin Jingyu's eyes sharpened, and he said no more.

With a powerful push of his feet, the bluestone slab thudded with a dull thud, and his body transformed into a streak of blue light as he charged straight forward!

The sword is in front, the man is behind, man and sword are one, the speed is so fast that it leaves afterimages in the air.

The sword tip pierced straight for Zhang Xiaofan's throat.

On the second floor, Tian Buyi narrowed his eyes.

This sword strike was fast, ruthless, and cunningly angled; it was something no fifteen-year-old boy could possibly wield.

The swordsmanship of Dragon Head Peak is indeed as good as its reputation suggests.

Zhang Xiaofan moved.

He didn't dodge or flinch, he simply thrust the broken wooden sword in his hand forward.

The movements are very slow.

So slow that everyone present could clearly see the trajectory of the wooden sword's movement.

It sweeps diagonally from the bottom right to the top left, like a farmer digging the ground with a hoe—casual, even a bit clumsy.

But this clumsy flick happened to block the path of Lin Jingyu's sword move.

"Ding!"

The blades of the wooden sword and the steel sword clashed together, producing a crisp metallic sound.

Lin Jingyu's forward momentum abruptly stopped.

It felt like I had crashed into an invisible wall, and I was abruptly stopped in my tracks.

His expression changed, and he flipped his wrist, changing his sword move from a straight thrust to a horizontal slash, aiming to cut Zhang Xiaofan in half.

Zhang Xiaofan pressed the wooden sword down.

Another "ding" sound.

The wooden sword pressed down on the steel sword, and at the point where the two swords met, a thin crack appeared in the green bamboo, but it did not break.

Lin Jingyu's arm jerked, his hand went numb, and he almost dropped the sword.

He abruptly took three steps back, his left hand instinctively pressing against his chest—

There hangs a protective jade pendant there, a treasure bestowed by Cangsong, capable of warding off a fatal blow.

Zhang Xiaofan's two casual sword strikes just now almost forced him to use something to save his life.

Qi Hao stood on the sidelines, his pupils suddenly contracting.

He saw it very clearly.

Zhang Xiaofan's two sword strikes, though seemingly casual, were actually extremely exquisite.

The timing, angle, and force of each sword strike were precisely timed to coincide with the exact moment Lin Jingyu switched sword techniques, as if it had been calculated in advance.

This isn't something you can achieve through hard work; it's... comprehension.

Understanding the most fundamental aspects of Kendo.

Qi Hao had cultivated for a hundred years, and he felt that he had only just begun to grasp the basics of this realm.

Zhang Xiaofan is only fifteen years old and has only been a disciple for three years. How is that possible?

Inside the arena, Lin Jingyu took a deep breath.

He knew he could no longer use his usual sword techniques.

He sheathed his longsword, formed a hand seal in front of his chest, and a bluish halo emanated from his palms.

That was the true essence cultivated from the "Taiji Xuanqing Dao," which he was now fully activating, condensing into a palm-sized Taiji diagram in his palm.

The pattern slowly rotated, the yin and yang fish head to tail, radiating a chilling spiritual pressure.

"Xiao Fan, be careful," Lin Jingyu said in a deep voice, pushing out with his right palm.

The Tai Chi diagram flew out of his hand, growing larger with the wind, and in the blink of an eye, it became as big as a millstone.

With a whistling sound, it slammed straight into Zhang Xiaofan's chest!

The air distorted wherever it passed.

The water on the bluestone slab was whipped up by the strong wind and turned into a fine mist.

He used half of his strength in that palm strike.

Fifty percent of the power of the fifth level of the Jade Purity Realm is enough to split stone tablets and shatter rocks.

Zhang Xiaofan still didn't move.

He didn't even use his internal energy to defend himself; he simply straightened his chest and took the blow head-on.

"boom!"

The Tai Chi symbol was firmly imprinted on his chest.

The energy exploded, kicking up a cloud of dust that enveloped Zhang Xiaofan completely.

The bluestone slab cracked open with a "crack," sending fragments of stone flying everywhere.

The dust dispersed.

Zhang Xiaofan stood still, not even the hem of his clothes was ruffled.

He looked down at his chest; there wasn't even a mark left on his Taoist robe.

Lin Jingyu froze.

He looked at his hands, then at Zhang Xiaofan, his face drained of all color.

"No...it's impossible..."

"Nothing is impossible."

Zhang Xiaofan spoke, his voice calm, "You used half your strength, right?"

Lin Jingyu nodded mechanically.

"Now, go all out," Zhang Xiaofan said.

Lin Jingyu's eyes sharpened.

The young man's pride was completely ignited. He held nothing back, and the true energy within his body began to circulate wildly, causing a surge of azure light to erupt around him!

With his hands moving swiftly in front of his chest, he formed a hand seal. This time, there were not one Tai Chi symbol, but three!

Three yin-yang symbols, each the size of a millstone, rotated in front of him, echoing each other and forming a stable triangular formation.

The air was compressed, emitting a low buzzing sound, and the pebbles on the ground began to bounce, as if an invisible giant hand was shaking the earth.

"go!"

Lin Jingyu pushed with both palms!

The three Tai Chi symbols shot out in a triangular shape, blocking all of Zhang Xiaofan's escape routes!

This time, he used all his strength, a full-force attack from the peak of the fifth level of the Jade Purity Realm!

Zhang Xiaofan finally moved.

He raised his right hand, palm up, fingers slightly curled.

It wasn't a hand seal; it was just a simple gesture of raising a hand.

In the palm of his hand, a ball of cyan-gold light quietly condensed and took shape.

The ball of light was small, only the size of an egg, but it was filled with electric light and made a crackling sound.

On the surface of the sphere, cyan and gold colors intertwine and flow, like a living thing breathing.

He gently pushed forward.

The ball of light drifted out slowly and collided with the first Tai Chi diagram.

There was no loud noise, no explosion.

The bubble in the Tai Chi symbol was popped, and with a "pop," it dissipated into the air.

The ball of light continued forward, colliding with the second and third.

With each collision, the Tai Chi symbol dissipates, melting away silently like snow under the sun.

The three Tai Chi diagrams were completely destroyed, and the light sphere also exhausted its energy, exploding with a "pop" and turning into specks of light that drifted in the air.

Zhang Xiaofan withdrew his hand and looked at Lin Jingyu: "My turn."

He took a step forward.

Raise your right hand and push out with the same palm strike.

There were no hand seals, no Tai Chi diagram, just an ordinary palm strike.

His palms were tinged with a faint bluish-gold hue, a sign that he had suppressed his power to the fifth level of the Jade Purity Realm.

The wind howled through the palm.

Lin Jingyu gritted his teeth and struck with both palms to meet the attack head-on!

"Bang!"

The moment their palms collided, Lin Jingyu's expression changed drastically.

He felt as if he had been hit by a mountain. The force was incredibly powerful, something that shouldn't be the quality of a fifth-level Jade Purity cultivator!

He desperately tried to circulate his true energy to resist, but the bones in his palms, arms, and shoulders were creaking and cracking, as if they were about to fall apart.

He held on for three breaths.

"boom!"

He was sent flying backwards, like a kite with a broken string.

It traced an arc in the air and crashed with a "bang" onto the bluestone slab several dozen feet away.

The stone slabs shattered, and dust rose up.

As he landed, he felt a sweet taste in his throat, and a mouthful of blood welled up, but he forced it back down.

He struggled to get up, but his arms were weak and he couldn't get up after two attempts.

A hand was stretched out in front of him.

Lin Jingyu looked up and saw Zhang Xiaofan squatting in front of him, his hand...

His eyes were outstretched, calm, without the arrogance of a winner, nor any pity.

It was very calm, like helping a friend who had fallen down.

Lin Jingyu stared at the hand for two seconds, then grabbed it and used it to stand up.

"You..." his voice was hoarse, "What level have you reached now?"

Zhang Xiaofan didn't answer, but only asked, "Are you hurt?"

Lin Jingyu shook his head and wiped away the blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

He looked at Zhang Xiaofan with a complex expression, a mixture of shock and resentment.

Yet deep within, there is a sense of relief, a feeling of letting out a sigh of relief.

"Xiao Fan." He suddenly smiled, a smile that was somewhat tragic, yet very genuine.

"You've become stronger. That's great."

Zhang Xiaofan was stunned for a moment.

"Really." Lin Jingyu patted his shoulder lightly.

"No one can bully you in Qingyun Sect anymore. I... I'm relieved."

Zhang Xiaofan's heart skipped a beat.

On the sidelines, Qi Hao's face was so gloomy it could drip water.

He saw it very clearly.

Zhang Xiaofan's final palm strike was indeed only at the level of the fifth level of Jade Purity, but its quality... it was not at all the quality that the fifth level of Jade Purity should have!

It is profound, solid, and carries the deep and powerful foundation of Buddhist martial arts.

Practicing both Buddhism and Taoism?

The thought made his heart clench.

If that's really the case... then Zhang Xiaofan's actual cultivation level is definitely more than just the fifth level of Jade Purity.

Six floors? Seven floors? Even...

He dared not think any further.

He himself was stuck on the seventh to eighth level of Yuqing for a full sixty years.

What about Zhang Xiaofan? Three years... if he truly practiced both Buddhism and Taoism...

Qi Hao dug his fingernails into his palm.

His goal in the Seven Sects Martial Arts Tournament is to be number one.

But now, this unexpected variable has suddenly appeared.

"Xiao Fan! You're amazing!"

Tian Ling'er's cheerful voice broke the silence.

She skipped and hopped to Zhang Xiaofan's side, her eyes sparkling like they were filled with stars.

She turned to look at Lin Jingyu, tilting her chin up with a hint of smugness:

"Now you know how powerful we are, right? Do you still dare to underestimate our Dazhu Peak?"

Lin Jingyu frowned: "Junior Sister Tian, ​​I have never underestimated Dazhu Peak."

"Then who were you trying to impress with that 'I'm the best in the world' attitude you were just showing off to?"

Tian Ling'er, hands on her hips, said, "A loss is a loss. Not convinced? Then let's have a match!"

Lin Jingyu's eyes flashed sharply: "Let's compete!"

He just lost to Zhang Xiaofan and is feeling frustrated with himself, with nowhere to vent his anger.

Tian Ling'er's provocation was exactly what he wanted.

The two started fighting immediately.

Tian Ling'er didn't use the Amber Crimson Silk, and Lin Jingyu didn't use a sword either; it was purely fist and foot techniques.

Red-clad figures and green shadows crisscrossed the arena, their fists and kicks creating a series of cracking sounds.

Tian Ling'er moved nimbly, like a butterfly flitting among flowers;

Lin Jingyu's moves were fierce and powerful, with wide, sweeping movements.

After dozens of moves, neither side could gain the upper hand.

Lin Jingyu grew increasingly anxious as the fight progressed.

He lost two matches in a row—to Zhang Xiaofan, and now he can't even beat his senior sister? Where does Longshou Peak put its face?

He suddenly took three steps back and made a hand seal with his right hand.

"Clang—"

The long sword at his waist unsheathed itself and hovered in front of him.

The sword's blade emitted a burst of blue light and a buzzing sound.

The surrounding air began to distort, forming a visible vortex centered on the longsword.

The cyclone spun faster and faster, sucking up pebbles and grass clippings from the ground, making a whooshing sound.

Lin Jingyu's eyes were icy cold as he pointed his sword at Tian Ling'er:

"Take this sword!"