Chapter 27: Change of Circumstances

Someone’s getting on the stage again so soon.

I thought everyone else would hesitate after hearing that Leitai ’s honeyed words.

‘Is it her?’

Li Fengping on the judging panel quickly recognized Zhang Yunlu—the Qi Refining cultivator whose presence stirred his sword intent, the very one who’d gotten beaten black and blue for following her.

Last time he saw her, she was only at Qi Refining eighth layer; now she’s already ninth—and her spiritual power isn’t weak even among Qi Refining ninth-layer cultivators!

Her progress is astonishing.

“Nephew, do you know this student?” the principal asked.

As one of the top cultivation experts among Soul Transformation cultivators, even with bandages wrapped around his head, Li Fengping sensed something unusual.

“We’ve met once.”

“If you take notice, she must be a promising talent.”

Huh? I didn’t say anything.

Zhang Yunlu stepped forward, walking slowly across the courtyard, passing the outer rings of platforms, until she arrived beside the largest one, under everyone’s gaze.

Wow! So confident? She’s choosing the biggest platform outright!

“Zhang Yunlu, I humbly ask for your guidance, fellow students!” Zhang Yunlu held her sword in her left hand, expression calm.

If she’d felt a hint of nervousness before stepping onto the platform, now, standing upon it, her heart was utterly serene.

Fang Chi’s face darkened.

The previous two had announced their classes; Zhang Yunlu only named herself—this was clearly aimed at him.

But fine, better than letting that honey-tongued Leitai deliver some humiliating judgment and make him look foolish.

He turned to look at Fang Lin, who was already staring at Zhang Yunlu on the platform.

‘Should I go up now?’ he hesitated.

Everyone only gets two chances, so choice matters. Though most students here are beneath his notice, a few still command his caution.

While he hesitated, someone else stepped forward.

Pale gray eyes shimmered with spiritual light, his spiritual power so abundant it nearly overflowed—the same boy who’d discussed “Cang Jiezi” in class.

He hurried past platform after platform, his target unmistakably Zhang Yunlu! Good, let’s see what they’re capable of.

At this point, Fang Lin no longer cared about Fang Chi’s earlier instructions—who knew Zhang Yunlu would climb the largest platform so fast? Protecting his own ranking mattered more.

“Class Three, Hou Xiang, I humbly request your guidance, Miss Zhang.”

Hou Xiang also held a longsword, blade bright and gleaming with cold light—yet still just an ordinary weapon.

The two faced each other, each gripping a longsword.

Zhang Yunlu leaned forward slightly, then in the next instant, shot straight toward her opponent, a thin layer of spiritual light spreading over her blade as she charged.

Hou Xiang swiftly retreated, channeling spiritual power, forming a hand seal with his left hand—misty water began to coalesce into a water shield.

Just as the water shield was about to fully form, Zhang Yunlu was already upon him, her eyes blazing with ferocity and killing intent, making Hou Xiang’s heart tremble.

Fuck! Is this what a student’s eyes should look like? His thoughts flashed—he made his decision instantly, swinging his sword toward her waist, aiming to force her back, then using the water shield to create distance.

CLANG! His swing was blocked by a short sword; Zhang Yunlu’s blade tip had already pierced through the mist, mere inches from his brow.

A sting shot through him, blinding white light swallowed his vision—he snapped his eyes shut and scrambled backward.

THUD! A dull impact, sharp pain at the back of his skull—he’d hit something.

Hou Xiang blinked, dazed, to see Zhang Yunlu looking down at him, surprised.

Only then did he realize he’d somehow ended up off the platform; the object he’d hit was another Leitai .

【In a single sword strike, victory and defeat are decided, life and death are sealed.】

【The defender who defeats an opponent with one sword shall be rated Excellent.】

【The attacker, though rich in spiritual power, lacks decisiveness—defeated in one strike, overestimates himself; calls himself a cultivator, yet is nothing but a meat pig.】

You’ve got quite the vocabulary for insults! Hou Xiang thought he’d prepared himself mentally, but hearing this still rattled him—especially remembering how he’d scrambled off the platform like a clown… Fuck! Stupid Leitai ! Zhang Yunlu sheathed her short sword, thoroughly satisfied with the bout.

Though the opponent was weak, to defeat him head-on would’ve taken at least three strikes.

That monster in the trial was sneaky, but its techniques were still useful.

…………

“Nephew’s discernment is truly sharp—no wonder you’re from the Sword Sect.” The principal praised.

Others might think Zhang Yunlu got lucky, but he knew better—even if Hou Xiang had dodged the first strike, once she seized the initiative, he couldn’t have avoided the second.

Who knew the school had such a gifted combat prodigy?

“Principal, you flatter me.”

So her ability to stir his sword intent wasn’t coincidence—this girl truly has the potential to become an outstanding sword cultivator.

He’d suspected before that the body cultivator who attacked him might be connected to this girl, so he’d sent someone to investigate.

But he found her parents were dead, and her only brother was merely a Golden Core cultivator—and the very first to discover the elder who’d just emerged from seclusion.

Recently, aside from reporting to the two senior elders of the Xiang Tai Shang Dao Sect, these two siblings had no contact with any cultivators above Nascent Soul.

The courtyard.

Zhang Yunlu soon faced several more challengers—after all, to others, her first win seemed lucky.

Result? Every challenger was defeated by a single sword strike.

Most were even weaker than Hou Xiang had been.

Fang Lin’s expression grew grim—he no longer dared underestimate Zhang Yunlu. One win could be luck, but this many? That was pure strength.

But what confused him more was—had his uncle lost his mind?

To target such a powerful student over a little tutoring fee? I wonder if he regrets it now.

Fang Chi didn’t just regret—he regretted so deeply his heart ached.

Last year, a teacher from the neighboring class produced the city’s top student; the school rewarded him with a massive amount of cultivation resources, directly propelling him from Golden Core late stage to Nascent Soul.

That student later joined an Immortal Sect in his second year, his future boundless—and the teacher was promoted to Deputy Director of the Student Affairs Office.

For teachers like him, reaching Nascent Soul and securing a promotion was already the pinnacle of their lives.

Fang Chi could already picture how many teachers would rush to recruit Zhang Yunlu into their classes after this combat test.

…………

“The sword technique she uses—I’ve never seen it before.”

Zi Huan Zhenjun, seated high among the clouds, observed Zhang Yunlu—he knew every sword technique recorded in every middle school of Xuanjian City.

But the sword technique Zhang Yunlu now used was entirely unfamiliar to him.

‘Could it be connected to that sword cultivator who just emerged from seclusion?’

He recalled this young cultivator had a brother pretending to be a Golden Core—clearly not ordinary. After this combat test ends, I should ask about it.

Suddenly, Zi Huan Zhenjun’s spirit sense tensed—he extended his divine perception swiftly toward a location in Xuanjian City.

He sensed a hidden, overwhelming, terrifying demonic aura surging skyward.

A demon cultivator—and a Dao-Union elder demon!

“No!!!”

A scream of utter despair followed.

What could cause a Dao-Union elder demon to feel such despair?

At that moment, Xu Xing also turned toward the source of the demonic aura.

“What a nuisance. Guess I’ve got to go pick him up.”

Please collect, please follow!! (End of Chapter)