Chapter 81: Can She

Zhang Yunlu’s heart trembled, her hesitation vanished, and her gaze turned cold once more.

Facing the approaching tip of the cold iron spear, she directly raised her sword to meet it, then sidestepped at the last possible instant.

Unlike the cautious style of the Tai Shang Dao Sect, Sword Sect cultivators excel in taking risks—Yu Ming was not surprised by this.

He slammed his left hand hard against the spear shaft.

Roar! A thin layer of spiritual light coalesced into a striped ferocious tiger, the spearhead resembling its tail, sweeping again toward Zhang Yunlu’s throat.

Yet Zhang Yunlu seemed to have anticipated it—before the spearhead could slash toward her, she leaned backward, and just as her body neared the ground, she slapped the earth with her palm.

Spiritual power erupted, propelling her body upward again.

Taking advantage of Yu Ming’s exhausted old force and unformed new power, she raised her sword and stabbed toward his third eye; the blade glowed with a faint crimson aura, then vanished mid-air.

“Good!”

Yu Ming had seen this move during the combat trial—he wouldn’t be unprepared.

He released the spear, twisted his head to dodge the sword aura, then reached straight upward.

His right hand seized the sword’s blade, which sliced through his palm, cleanly severing his thumb—blood gushed freely.

Yet Yu Ming paid no heed; he drew a short knife from his waist and thrust it toward Zhang Yunlu’s throat.

Who said he only used the spear! Sword cultivators excel in taking risks—wasn’t he playing the same game? The short knife flashed with icy light, reaching the pale, delicate skin, piercing it effortlessly; crimson droplets trailed down the blade, about to pierce through her throat.

Puff! A swift sword aura pierced through from behind Yu Ming’s head, spilling brain matter and blood together.

There, Zhang Yunlu’s other hand held a second short sword.

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

Close-quarters combat among Qi Refining cultivators is brutally straightforward—every strike and parry is a dance upon the blade’s edge.

Yu Ming slowly collapsed, dissolving into specks of starlight.

Zhang Yunlu retracted her short sword; the wound on her throat healed at a visible rate, and the spiritual power she had expended was instantly restored to full.

After being tricked during her first encounter with the Sword Sect phantom, she had kept a short sword on her person ever since.

Had Yu Ming not used such risky tactics, but instead fought her head-on with his vast battle experience, the outcome might have been uncertain.

The surrounding gray mist gradually faded, as if everything were returning to its original state.

In an instant, Zhang Yunlu reappeared within the secret realm, standing at the foot of the mountain.

“Teacher…” she sighed softly.

After a long while, she calmed her emotions and gazed toward the central sword peak.

Scenes of her battle with Yu Ming replayed endlessly in her mind.

Many, many things could be improved.

When she struck with her sword, she should have hesitated less.

Somewhat faintly, Zhang Yunlu seemed to sense a subtle, intangible yet profoundly important stirring, as if right within reach yet also impossibly distant and untouchable.

“Wu Li…”

If she claimed she had never entertained such thoughts, that would be false.

But “Wu Li” was too ethereal and elusive—no matter how hard she tried, she could never grasp its essence.

Now, it seemed she had finally touched a thread of it.

…

…

In a quiet chamber of the Third Middle School of Xuanjian City.

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

Suddenly!

He opened his eyes.

Before him, where nothing had been, a beam of light suddenly flared—just like the guiding light that had descended earlier.

Soon, the light faded, revealing a figure within—it was Yu Ming, defeated by Zhang Yunlu in the trial.

His eyes still held traces of shock; the moment the light vanished, he immediately raised his hand to touch his forehead—but found no wound as expected.

Moreover, the sensation of unceasing spiritual radiance and surging insight had vanished; his thoughts now felt sluggish and dull.

“Old Yu?” The principal watched his actions, puzzled. “Is the trial over? Why did you exit so quickly?”

Is the trial over?

Yu Ming fell silent, then after a pause said: “The trial isn’t over—I was eliminated.”

“Did you face a ruthless disciple of the Immortal Sect?”

In the principal’s view, only a powerful Immortal Sect cultivator could defeat Yu Ming so swiftly. “No, not an Immortal Sect disciple—a student from our own school,” Yu Ming said with a bitter smile.

“Huh?!”

“Zhang Yunlu.”

Zhang Yunlu? The principal blinked.

That little brat who ranked first in the combat trial?

“She defeated you?” His tone carried unmistakable disbelief.

The principal knew Yu Ming’s abilities better than anyone.

Had his foundation not been damaged, Yu Ming’s current realm would surely rival—or even surpass—his own.

His piercing spear techniques were unmatched even by the finest disciples of the Immortal Sect.

“Though I hate to admit it, I did underestimate her.”

He couldn’t help recalling the final sword aura that had pierced through his third eye.

Sigh~ All his life he’d hunted geese—and now the geese had pecked out his eyes.

Had he not sought a quick victory, he might not have fallen so soon.

In the end, it was his own underestimation that led to his swift defeat.

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

Unbelievable.

Hmm…

This means my teaching ability must still be quite good.

By the way, isn’t Xiao Fan also a student here?

After all, if Old Yu’s foundation could be repaired, turning a pseudo-Foundation Establishment into Qi Refining ninth layer doesn’t seem so impossible.

After the trial ends, should I summon them back for a commendation ceremony? Just then, something suddenly fell from thin air.

Upon closer inspection, it was two stalks of Tongxuan Grass with sword-shaped leaves! “…”

Yu Ming was speechless.

What’s this? A consolation prize?

…………

“Brother Dao, do you think this young one can break through this step?”

Zhang Yunlu’s battle with Yu Ming and her behavior afterward had naturally been seen by Huo.

“Perhaps,” Xu Xing said coolly.

As always, whether she could “Wu Li” ultimately depended on herself.

“Little one, what do you think?” Huo turned to Chi Jiuyu.

“Huh?” Chi Jiuyu turned around. “Elder, are you asking me?”

“Yes.”

Who else is here? Would I dare address Brother Dao like that? Chi Jiuyu set down the plate of beans she was holding and thought for a moment.

“I think this isn’t really that hard—so Xiao Yunlu has a very good chance, at least better than everyone else in the secret realm.”

Is this hard? When she “Wu Li,” she was only Qi Refining eighth layer! Back then, when she “Wu Li” and advanced to Qi Refining ninth layer, completing the Cai Lian Fa cultivation and forming her Zao Hua Dao Base, she rushed to show off to all her senior brothers and sisters.

But they had all left the sect ahead of time—giving her no chance at all.

She nearly died of rage!

“...That’s true.”

Huo ignored Chi Jiuyu’s first half, but agreed with her second half.

Among all the trial participants, Zhang Yunlu was indeed the closest to “Wu Li.”

Among all the trialists, Zhang Yunlu was indeed the one closest to “awakening to principle.”

After all, among five hundred trial participants, there were only two Qi Refining cultivators.

One was Zhang Yunlu; the other was Xiao Fan.

Zhang Yunlu had at least touched a thread—while Xiao Fan… he didn’t even know what a Zao Hua Dao Base was.

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