Chapter 81: Can One 'Comprehend the Principle' (First Update)

Zhang Yunlu's heart jolted; the hesitation in her eyes scattered, and once more they turned cold and piercing.

Facing the ever-closer cold-iron spear tip, she actually raised her sword to meet it head-on, then at the very last instant twisted her body to dodge.

Unlike the steady style of the Supreme Dao Sect, Sword Sect sword cultivators were especially fond of taking risks—Yu Ming was not surprised by this.

His left hand suddenly slapped the spear shaft.

Roar! That thin layer of spiritual light condensed into a mottled fierce tiger, the spearhead like a tiger's tail, sweeping once more toward Zhang Yunlu's throat.

Yet Zhang Yunlu seemed to have foreseen it long ago; before the spearhead swept across, she fell backward, and the instant she was about to hit the ground, her palm slapped the floor.

Spiritual power burst forth, propelling her body up once more.

Taking advantage of the moment when Yu Ming's old force was spent and new force had yet to be born, she raised her sword and thrust toward his brow; a thin layer of blood-light gleamed on the blade, then vanished mid-flight.

"Good!"

Yu Ming had seen this move during the sparring test—how could he not be on guard against it?

The long spear left his hand; he twisted his head to dodge the sword-light, then reached up with a grab.

His right hand caught the reappearing blade; the edge sliced open his palm, shearing off his thumb outright, blood streaming.

Yet Yu Ming paid it no heed; his left hand drew a short blade from his waist and thrust toward Zhang Yunlu's throat.

Who said he only knew how to use a spear! Sword cultivators were skilled at taking risks—wasn't he playing the same game! The short blade flashed with cold light, reached that fair, delicate skin, and pierced it with ease; drops of crimson ran down the edge, about to pierce through the throat.

Puh! A swift sword-light pierced straight through from the back of Yu Ming's head, brains and blood mingled together.

Only then was it seen—Zhang Yunlu's other hand also gripped a short sword.

In the blink of an eye, victory and defeat were decided!

The close-quarters killing of Qi-Training stage cultivators was just this plain and unadorned—every move a dance on the blade's edge.

Yu Ming slowly fell, dissolving into scattered starlight.

Zhang Yunlu sheathed the short sword; the wound on her throat healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and even the spiritual power she had just expended was fully restored.

When she had first crossed blades with that sword-cultivator phantom and been tricked once, she had begun carrying a short sword on her at all times.

If Yu Ming had not used this risk-taking method, but instead fought head-on with his rich combat experience, the outcome would have been hard to say.

The surrounding gray fog gradually thinned, as if everything were returning.

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Yunlu had returned to the Secret Realm, appearing at the foot of that mountain.

"Teacher…" she sighed softly.

After a long while, she finally steadied her emotions and looked toward the central sword peak.

The scenes of her fight with Yu Ming kept replaying in her mind.

There were many, many areas that could be improved.

When she struck with her sword, she should have had a little less hesitation.

Vaguely, Zhang Yunlu seemed to sense a stirring that was invisible and untouchable, yet extremely important—as if it were close at hand, yet also seemed to be far beyond the horizon, unable to be grasped.

"Comprehending the Principle…"

If she said she had never entertained such thoughts, that would be a lie.

But 'Comprehending the Principle' was simply too ethereal and elusive, so no matter how she tried, she could never grasp the key.

And now, it seemed she had finally caught a faint thread of it.

……

……

Xuan Sword City No. 3 Middle School, inside a quiet room.

The principal sat cross-legged with closed eyes, his breathing long and steady, as if waiting for something.

Suddenly!

He opened his eyes.

Before him, where there had been nothing, a beam of light suddenly appeared—like the guiding light that had descended before.

Quickly, the light faded, revealing a figure within—none other than Yu Ming, who had been defeated by Zhang Yunlu in the trial.

His eyes still held a trace of astonishment; the moment the light faded, the first thing he did was raise a hand to feel his forehead, yet he did not encounter the wound he had expected.

Moreover, that feeling of inexhaustible spiritual light and surging thoughts had also vanished; his thinking seemed to have become incomparably sluggish.

"Old Yu?" The principal watched his actions, somewhat puzzled. "Has the trial ended? Why did you come out so quickly?"

Has the trial ended?

Yu Ming was at a loss for words; after a pause he said, "The trial hasn't ended. I was eliminated."

"Did you run into some tough character from the Xian Sect?"

Defeating Yu Ming so quickly, in the principal's view, was something only some of the formidable figures in the Xian Sect could manage. "No, not a disciple of the Xian Sect—a student from our own school." Yu Ming gave a wry smile.

"Huh?!"

"Zhang Yunlu."

Zhang Yunlu? The principal was taken aback.

That little whiz who placed first in the sparring test?

"She could defeat you?" His tone clearly carried a note of disbelief.

As for Yu Ming's ability, the principal knew it all too well.

It could be said that, had his foundation not been damaged, Yu Ming's current realm would absolutely be no lower than his own, and might even surpass it.

His fierce spear techniques were in no way inferior to the outstanding disciples of the Xian Sect.

"Although I don't want to admit it, I did indeed underestimate her somewhat."

He could not help but recall that final sword-light that pierced through his brow.

Sigh~ Hunting geese all day, only to have a goose peck his eye.

If he hadn't been thinking about ending the fight quickly, he probably wouldn't have lost so fast.

In the end, it was his own underestimation of her that let him fall to her so easily.

Seeing him like this, the principal finally believed it — a student had actually defeated Old Yu.

Truly unbelievable.

emm……

Looking at it this way, his own ability to educate and nurture students was still pretty good.

Speaking of which, that Xiao Fan wouldn't also be a student of this school, would he?

After all, if Old Yu's foundation could be repaired, a pseudo Foundation Establishment turning into Qi Refining Layer Nine didn't seem impossible to understand.

After the trial ends, should he find them and hold a commendation ceremony? Just then, something suddenly fell from thin air.

On closer look, it was actually two stalks of Tongxuan Grass with sword-shaped leaves! "……"

Yu Ming was a bit speechless.

What is this supposed to be? A consolation prize?

………

"Dao Brother, do you think this junior can see through this step?"

Zhang Yunlu's battle against Yu Ming, and her performance after coming out, naturally fell into Huo's eyes.

"Perhaps." Xu Xing said lightly.

It was still that same saying — whether one could 'comprehend the Principle' depended most importantly on herself.

"Little one, what do you think?" Huo looked again at Chi Jiuyu.

"Huh?" Chi Jiuyu turned her head, "Senior, are you asking me?"

"Yes."

Who else? Besides you, there's no one else here.

Would I still dare to address Dao Brother like that? Chi Jiuyu set down the plate of beans in her hands and thought for a moment.

"I think, this kind of thing isn't really that hard to begin with, so little Yunlu's hopes are still pretty big — at least bigger than everyone else in the Secret Realm."

Is this kind of thing really hard? When she 'comprehended the Principle,' she was only at Qi Refining Layer Eight! Back then, after she 'comprehended the Principle' and advanced to Qi Refining Layer Nine, completed the Cai-Refining Method's cultivation, and built her Creation Dao Foundation, she couldn't wait to run off in front of a bunch of senior brothers and sisters to show off.

As a result, they each and every one left the sect ahead of time, not giving her the chance at all.

She almost died of anger!

"……That is true."

Huo ignored the first half of Chi Jiuyu's words, but agreed with the second half.

Among all the trial participants, Zhang Yunlu was indeed the one closest to 'comprehending the Principle.'

emm……

After all, out of five hundred trial participants, there were only two Qi Refining cultivators in total.

Besides Zhang Yunlu, there was Xiao Fan.

Zhang Yunlu had at least grasped a few threads of it, while Xiao Fan… he didn't even know what a Creation Dao Foundation was.

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