With a lift of the broadsword in his hand, Lei Zhenshan glanced briefly toward the sun, now high in the sky. The Martial Arts Assembly had been running for exactly half a day; it was now high noon, the sun blazing directly overhead. Seeing this, a smug smile crept onto Lei Zhenshan’s face.

"You little wench, first you killed Lei Mo, my only son, and now you’ve slain my disciple! If your life is not forfeited today, Lei Mo swears he will never rest!"

He intended these words to signal to the crowd that the girl and his Thunder Sword Gate shared a deep, blood feud, and that any ruthlessness he displayed moments later would be perfectly understandable, nothing to be remarked upon.

Yet, as soon as these words left his mouth, someone in the crowd scoffed disdainfully. "Sect Master Lei, you merely provoked a challenge against a mere girl, yet you stumble and fall, sending your own disciple to his death, and now you dare blame another?"

Little did Lei Zhenshan know how often the disciples of the Thunder Sword Gate had ridden roughshod over others, offending countless people over the years. Those people had previously dared not challenge the Thunder Sword Gate because they were too few and isolated to make any real impact.

Now, at the Martial Arts Assembly, with so many people gathered, shouting a single sentence from the crowd carried no fear of being identified. Moreover, the Thunder Sword Gate’s people were currently being handled by the experts from Mount Shu, so all they had to do was add fuel to the fire, and they could speak without inhibition.

Lei Zhenshan had initially intended to salvage some shred of his reputation, but the endless string of sarcastic remarks from below made him realize, with a jolt, that the Thunder Sword Gate didn't have a single friend in the entire martial world.

His gaze swept around, and he saw sects whose strength was comparable to that of the Thunder Sword Gate watching him with cold smiles, clearly judging the man reviled by the masses upon the stage. He didn't need to ask to know what thoughts were turning over in their minds.

Turning back, he saw Huang Rongrong standing there. Lei Zhenshan thought, If it weren't for you, girl, where would all this trouble come from? His hatred for Huang Rongrong intensified, and with a lift of his broadsword, he unleashed an attack.

This strike from Lei Zhenshan was not like the straightforward, speed-focused technique of the original Thunder Sword Style. Instead, he performed a flourish in the air before thrusting forward.

Bystanders watching this were utterly confused, wondering inwardly, Has Lei Zhenshan gone mad from anger? If you’re going to attack, just attack; why the pose before the strike?

Everyone racked their brains, finding Lei Zhenshan’s move completely baffling. The Thunder Sword Style relied on sheer speed for victory; by deliberately wasting time, wasn't he just offering his opponent a chance to adjust?

Everyone assumed Huang Rongrong would effortlessly dodge this incoming sword attack, yet it nearly cost the young woman her life. As Lei Zhenshan thrust, Huang Rongrong seemed frozen in place, showing no movement. It was only when the blade was inches from her chest that she swung her twin blades, barely managing to parry the blow.

"What's going on?"

Doubt surfaced in everyone's mind. With every sword strike Lei Zhenshan delivered, Huang Rongrong’s reaction seemed delayed by half a beat. Every time, she only managed to ward off the opponent's longsword just as the blade was about to make contact.

After several rounds of exchanges, Huang Rongrong was finally grazed on her left upper arm by Lei Zhenshan’s broadsword. Fortunately, Huang Rongrong's movement skills were superb, allowing her to leap aside quickly. It was only a graze from the broadsword that barely broke the skin.

"What trick is this? Does Lei Zhenshan know some sort of sorcery?"

The martial artists found Huang Rongrong's reaction baffling, unaware that she was suffering an unspeakable hardship. She glared at Lei Zhenshan with bitter resentment, gripping her twin blades tighter and muttering under her breath, "Gloating over such a low-down trick—what's there to be proud of?"

Lei Zhenshan followed up with several more strikes, forcing Huang Rongrong into a desperate dance of dodging and weaving, looking utterly battered. Given Huang Rongrong’s inherent power, even if she couldn't defeat Lei Zhenshan, she certainly shouldn't have been so utterly routed. However, since he unveiled this newly created sword technique, eliminating Huang Rongrong was now a matter of mere effort.

As Lei Zhenshan reveled in his success, he raised his broadsword. A flash of light shimmered off the blade, causing Huang Rongrong to involuntarily shut her eyes again. When she opened them, Lei Zhenshan’s longsword was already upon her. Furious, Huang Rongrong thought, I’ll fight you to the death today! She neither dodged nor retreated but rushed straight forward, intending to absorb the blow and fight Lei Zhenshan hand-to-hand.

However, Lei Zhenshan had anticipated this move. His broadsword flipped, and another burst of sword light erupted. Although Huang Rongrong resolutely kept her eyes open, her vision swam into a blinding white haze, obscuring everything. Relying on instinct, she swept her twin blades around, trying to locate the opponent’s presence, but the swing only met empty air; Lei Zhenshan was no longer beside her.

"Thieving girl, die!"

With a low snarl, Lei Zhenshan shifted his sword style, bringing out the long-lost Dragon Soaring Sword Art. Although this set of techniques was incomplete, it remained a secret treasure of the Thunder Sword Gate, and even with only a few moves remaining, its power was formidable.

Lei Zhenshan’s broadsword soared as if a flying dragon taking to the air, cleaving down toward Huang Rongrong’s side neck in a pouncing posture. This strike didn't need to land solidly; even a slight graze from the surging sword energy attached to the blade would sever the carotid artery in her neck, causing her to bleed out and die.

At this moment, Huang Rongrong’s eyes stung with white spots, rendering her sight useless. Although she heard a shout, she couldn't discern where Lei Zhenshan was attacking from. She could only whirl her twin blades into a protective vortex of steel light around her body, never expecting Lei Zhenshan’s strike to come from the upper side—precisely the area unguarded by her blades. She was moments away from having her head severed by Lei Zhenshan, destined to meet an untimely end.

Just then, a furious grunt cut through the air: "Do you ask my permission before intending to kill Rongrong?"

The voice seemed both distant and immediately adjacent, as if from tens of feet away and yet right beside her ear. Lei Zhenshan was profoundly alarmed. He looked up and saw a streak of red light hurtling toward him. Before he could process what was happening, the red light suddenly exploded, fracturing into dozens of sword energies that enveloped him entirely from above, below, and all sides. As shock struck his heart, Lei Zhenshan desperately drew his sword to defend himself.

A cacophony of clanging and ringing followed, culminating in a sound like a sudden downpour, and Lei Zhenshan was violently knocked backward through the air. He staggered several steps upon landing before planting his broadsword on the ground to barely regain his footing.

He looked up toward the sky. The expanse of red sword energy had dissipated, but the figure who launched it was nowhere in sight. While shielding himself with his broadsword, he had clearly felt his own blade struck countless times by the opponent’s sword. The metallic impacts were undeniable; someone had absolutely leaped into the air and exchanged over a dozen blows with him.

But why was no one visible now? As he pondered this in amazement, a sound of coughing reached him from ahead. Lei Zhenshan followed the sound and saw an exceptionally beautiful man standing not far away, covering his mouth and coughing. Were it not for the farce Liu Bixian had created earlier, Lei Zhenshan would have struggled to tell if the person before him was male or female. Based on his current appearance, he looked like the delicate, sickly young lady of some powerful noble family, inspiring pity.

Lei Zhenshan, however, had no such thought now; the exchange moments ago had already shaken him to his core.

Having witnessed Ye Wen’s prowess earlier, he hadn't expected Ye Wen’s junior brother to possess such considerable cultivation.

Xu Xian coughed several times before feeling much better. He had accidentally agitated the internal coldness in his body while channeling his zhenqi, causing the brief discomfort. Now recovered, he flicked his longsword and announced, "Next, it falls to this Xu to sample Sect Master Lei’s impressive skills!"

Only then did the surrounding spectators react to what had transpired. Many were still lost in the spectacle they had just witnessed.

"Am I seeing things? Hold out a finger so I can see how many there are!" The person next to him held out one finger. This man immediately replied, "One?" The other nodded, and the first man finally relaxed. "Good, my eyes aren't deceiving me!" But the man holding out his finger began shaking it while frantically rubbing his eyes. "However, I suspect it’s not just my eyes playing tricks; my mind might be foggy too..."

Lei Zhenshan, having been forced back by Xu Xian’s flurry of swordsmanship, hadn't seen clearly, but the crowd had observed the entire scene perfectly. They were still struggling to believe they hadn't dreamed it.

Before the crowd could fully process things, the sound of clashing weapons resumed in the air. Then, Lei Zhenshan was driven back again, and a graceful figure (truly difficult to discern the gender) drifted down. The right hand still held a longsword shimmering with red light, while the left hand continuously covered the mouth, stifling coughs.

While pondering exactly what had just occurred, Huang Rongrong’s voice drifted up from the Mount Shu contingent below the stage: "Junior Brother Xu!" Her tone held a mix of reluctance and deep concern. The onlookers turned to see that Huang Rongrong had somehow returned to the ranks of the Mount Shu disciples.

"Wow! What in the world was that?"

Those with lower cultivation levels couldn't grasp it, but the masters from the major sects saw everything clearly.

Lin Hai's eyes narrowed, and he stated simply, "This Xu Xian's qinggong is formidable..."

Moments ago, Xu Xian had leaped from the Mount Shu group, reaching Lei Zhenshan on the platform in the blink of an eye. Not only was his speed astonishing, but he hadn't used any intermediary support—it was a single, massive leap.

Then, he struck several initial blows, forcing Lei Zhenshan into a defensive posture. In that flurry, Xu Xian unleashed exactly twenty-one strikes; seven were real attacks, and the rest were feints. This accounted for the initial sounds of clashing steel.

Afterward, using the force generated by intersecting his longsword with Lei Zhenshan's, he bounced back to the ground, caught Huang Rongrong, leaped up again to deliver three more strikes, then turned and returned to the Mount Shu group. Setting Huang Rongrong down, he darted back onto the stage—this time, Xu Xian didn't need to split his focus. Giving his all, he unleashed an unknown number of strikes in rapid succession. Because the distance was slightly far, the experts couldn't clearly count the blows, and the speed made many sounds overlap. Thus, the final volley of strikes was intensely loud, resulting in Lei Zhenshan being driven flying backward.

This sequence of actions was executed at almost unimaginable speed, combining movement techniques and swordsmanship in a uniquely brilliant way, shifting seamlessly between substance and illusion. Many masters thought to themselves, If we could move that fast, with our own deep cultivation, it wouldn't be impossible. But to do it with the effortless grace Xu Xian displayed? That is utterly beyond us.

Furthermore, the technique that made Xu Xian appear to split into multiple figures was a trick none of them understood; it was likely some exclusive secret of Mount Shu.

They were unaware that Xu Xian was combining the Thirteen Forms of the Myriad Transformations Cloud Mist Art with the Unmarked Footprints qinggong, resulting in such astonishing effects. One was maximized speed, the other, ultimate variability between reality and illusion. Merged, they made it seem as if two or three Xu Xians were present simultaneously.

Even Heavenly Master Tianyi and Zen Master Huixin praised him: "Besides Ye Wen, Mount Shu harbors such an expert! Not only is his qinggong terrifying, but his rapid swordplay is also incomparably exquisite!"

Heavenly Master Tianyi stroked his beard and added, "Truly extraordinary. However, this young man's movement technique... I feel I've seen it somewhere before..."

Compared to them, the Tianshan Sect's reaction was far more complex. Li Xuan found Xu Xian’s movement slightly peculiar, feeling a sense of familiarity. But the face of a junior brother seated beside him suddenly changed drastically, his gaze toward Xu Xian becoming subtly complicated.

As Li Xuan pondered, he sensed a sudden shift in his junior brother's aura—not only was a chill emanating, but it was laced with a hint of killing intent. Ordinarily, such a minor change would be hard to detect, but what level was Li Xuan? Moreover, this junior brother was sitting right beside him, and since they both cultivated the Icy Soul Chill Art, any subtle change in aura was immediately perceptible.

"Interesting," a cold smile played on Li Xuan's lips. He leaned back into his seat, resting his chin on his left fist, casting a sidelong glance at his junior brother before returning his attention to Xu Xian on the stage. "This Mount Shu Sect is becoming more and more intriguing..."

Ye Wen secretly admired Xu Xian’s maneuver. He applauded the brilliance of the technique that had captured so many gazes. Turning to Huang Rongrong, he said, "Don't worry. With Junior Brother Xu’s skill, even if he is slightly unwell, Lei Zhenshan is no match for him!"

Huang Rongrong quickly cautioned, "Lei Zhenshan’s sword has something strange about it; tell Xu Xian to be careful!"

Ye Wen just smiled reassuringly. "It’s just some petty trick. Junior Brother Xu and I saw the key to it earlier. Such insignificant ploys are nothing to fear!"

Hearing this, Huang Rongrong finally eased slightly, though she kept her eyes fixed on the stage. Ning Ru Xue came over to offer a few comforting words: "Don't worry, Junior Brother Xu’s skills are very high! Didn’t you learn some techniques from him too?"

Back on the spectator stand, after a fit of coughing subsided, Xu Xian heard Lei Zhenshan mock him: "What sick crow is this, standing here getting in the way!"

He turned to look for Huang Rongrong again, only to find she had vanished. Alarmed, he glanced toward the Mount Shu ranks and saw her standing beside Ye Wen. He realized Ye Wen must have rescued her while he was occupied dealing with the 'sickly ghost.'

"What does your Mount Shu Sect mean? Do you swap fighters when you realize you’re losing?"

Xu Xian sneered back, "Your Thunder Sword Gate can swap fighters too! Tell me, Sect Master, what were you doing when your disciple was moments from death?" That hit Lei Zhenshan precisely where it hurt, but since his current position was unfavorable, he could only retort, "This was a matter between my Thunder Sword Gate and the Huang family. Does your Mount Shu Sect insist on interfering?" Lei Zhenshan knew he couldn't defeat Ye Wen. If Mount Shu insisted on supporting the Huang family, he wouldn't gain any advantage today. It was better to try and corner Mount Shu verbally first, framing the issue as a private vendetta with the Huang family, not a challenge to Mount Shu itself.

Hearing this, Xu Xian’s eyes turned cold, and the smile vanished from his face. He stated plainly, "Since you claim this is a private affair with the Huang family! Then I will tell you, Rongrong is the wife I am betrothed to. Is it not entirely reasonable for me to stand up for my future father-in-law today?"

The crowd below had been debating the exact capacity in which Mount Shu would intervene. Many thought that since Huang Rongrong was a Mount Shu disciple, it was understandable for her master to defend her.

However, generally in the martial world, when family feuds erupted, the kin usually took personal revenge. The sect would at most protect the disciple from death, later guiding them to seek vengeance on their own. Direct intervention was not unheard of, but it often invited scorn and gossip: If he cannot avenge his own blood, what face does he have left to live in this world?

But Xu Xian’s situation was different. Claiming to be Huang Rongrong’s fiancé meant he was effectively part of the Huang family fortress. If he stood up for his father-in-law, no one could reasonably find fault. A few sour murmurs drifted up: "Such a talent, how did that little girl manage to snatch him first..."

Even Lei Zhenshan was left speechless. He opened his mouth, then roared, "Good! I will deal with you, sick ghost, first, and then eradicate that Huang family girl!"

He gripped his broadsword, feeling a renewed surge of confidence. He thought that while Xu Xian's rapid swordsmanship earlier was powerful, it wasn't insurmountable. The young man had only managed to repel him by leveraging the advantage of a surprise attack; in terms of sheer destructive power, it wasn't necessarily overwhelming.

He failed to realize that in those mere few moments, Xu Xian had managed so many actions that he could have easily driven Lei Zhenshan back even while partially distracted—he had not exerted his full strength. This erroneous judgment led Lei Zhenshan to become less wary of Xu Xian.

"Let me show you my Sunbeam Sword Art!"

This newly created technique was still fundamentally the Thunder Sword Style, merely adding a few steps—using the broad surface of the blade to emit dazzling light to disrupt the enemy's vision. The stronger the sunlight, the more effectively he could employ this move. It was high noon, with no clouds obscuring the sun, making this the peak moment to unleash the Sunbeam Sword Art.

He was ignorant that his little trick had already been seen through. Not only did the masters of the major sects dismiss it with contempt, but even those less skilled than him cursed inwardly, "Lei Zhenshan is truly regressing as he ages!"

Compared to the others, Ye Wen was even less concerned. He had already discerned that Lei Zhenshan’s broadsword possessed some elaborate mechanism, likely acting as a focusing lens, which was why it blinded Huang Rongrong. However, using this trick against Xu Xian was pure fantasy. Given Xu Xian's movement skills, Lei Zhenshan might not even be able to locate him.