Chapter 289

Of course, everyone was looking at Jiang Tu, which made the usually lively little one unusually quiet, "Why are they looking at me?"

Jiang Bai pushed through the crowd: "Jiang Yu, Jiang Tu, Senior Brother Lu is currently sparring with someone."

Someone asked: "Junior Brother Jiang, who is this junior sister?"

Jiang Bai introduced openly: "Jiang Yu, she is my and Senior Brother Lu's close junior sister; she just left seclusion not long ago."

As Jiang Yu also cupped her hands toward the onlookers, a Nascent Soul cultivator approached, saying, "Senior Brother Lu's and Junior Brother Jiang's swordsmanship is excellent; I wonder if Junior Nephew Jiang cultivates the sword path."

The Golden Core cultivators nearby who had been knocked off the stage by the two also began to inquire, clearly intending to stir up Jiang Yu to go on stage for a fight.

"I am not a sword cultivator, but I use a sword." Jiang Yu would not be intimidated; she spoke frankly.

The Nascent Soul cultivator felt a bit regretful, still wanting to add another able hand to Sword Peak: "Very good; if Junior Nephew wishes to practice swordsmanship in the future, you may also come to Sword Peak's training ground."

"'We here not only have sword formations, but also true-person sparring.'"

"Thank you, Uncle Master." Jiang Yu had not yet been assigned to a peak; her residence remained near Transmission Peak.

Just then, Lu Zhou knocked his opponent off the stage, and the crowd once again clamored for Jiang Yu to go up and fight.

Jiang Bai sent a mental message: "This is a defeat at our hands; some individuals are unwilling to accept it and want to use you to make up for it."

"'But more so, it is the sect disciples discussing superiority; we newcomers, in order to contend for more cultivation resources, also need matching strength.'"

After winning, Lu Zhou flew down and said, "Junior Sister, what do you think?" He believed that regardless of win or loss, one should go up for a try, but it depended on whether the junior sister agreed.

Jiang Yu nodded to the two senior brothers, handed Jiang Tu to Jiang Bai, turned and flew onto the stage, cupping her hands: "I am Jiang Yu; I don't know which fellow disciple wishes to practice with me."

"Me."

"Me."

Many responded, but a mid-stage Golden Core female cultivator was the first to fly onto the stage and bow, saying, "Junior Sister Jiang, I am Pan Yue; please advise."

"Please." Jiang Yu returned the salute, indicating to the referee to prepare to strike the opening gong.

The disciples below instantly fell silent, with a few shouting, "Junior Sister Pan, you've taken the lead again."

Pan Yue merely gave a light smile: "Who let you only shout but not go up on stage."

Who knows which few onlookers shouted loudly, "Senior Sister Pan, we're optimistic about you; we place bets on your victory."

At that shout, disciples below immediately raised a long banner: Pan Yue wins pays 1 to 2, Jiang Yu wins pays 1 to 5.

Jiang Tu saw this contrast and immediately bet on Jiang Yu winning: "Who to look at? Even the two senior brothers would choose Jiang Yu."

Lu Zhou and Jiang Bai naturally supported their own, while the other disciples, aside from those fond of gambling, all bet on Pan Yue.

When, with a sound of the opening gong, the two on stage simultaneously produced their natal swords.

Jiang Yu even seized the initiative; as she infused spiritual power into her sword, she slashed toward Pan Yue with a bolt of lightning trailing sparks.

"Lightning spiritual root?!" the crowd below exclaimed.

Pan Yue also had a moment of surprise, but only a moment, and she had already brought forth her sword condensed with wood spiritual power, engaging Jiang Yu in battle.

Ding ding ding

The sword cultivators' contest is plain and unadorned; both prefer close combat, comparing the unity of body and sword, and whose sword is faster.

After several clashes of the blades, both felt numbness in their tiger mouths and marveled at the opponent's profound spiritual power.

You come, I go, flying up and flipping down; after several moves, sword qi each sent the opponent flying, then landing back on the stage, where they simultaneously unleashed their natal swords, pinching sword seals with their hands.

Both swords, azure in color, brimming with spiritual light, converged in midair.

Clang

Sword tip met sword tip; both continuously poured spiritual power into their blades, locked in a stalemate where neither gained the upper hand.

The spectators below held their breath, knowing full well that this could not last long, since in actual combat, both sides would usually employ other means to assist.

However, today is a sword cultivator's duel; besides the sword, no talismans or formations are used.

But that Jiang Yu could hold out against Pan Yue for so long was beyond everyone's expectation; those who had bet on her victory clenched their fists, hoping she would defeat Pan Yue.

The Nascent Soul cultivator who had previously questioned sent a doubtful mental message to Jiang Bai and Lu Zhou: "Junior Nephew Jiang, are you truly not a sword cultivator?"

"No." The two replied with certainty.

Looking again at the stage, Jiang Yu deliberately shifted her sword tip and changed her spell seal.

Pan Yue simultaneously sheathed her sword; as her spell seal changed, her sword transformed into an azure dragon that roared, "Ang," and lunged toward Jiang Yu's sword.

Jiang Yu flew up, spinning to slash the dragon, but to no avail; instead, she was violently flung away by the dragon's tail.

Just as everyone thought Jiang Yu's sword would be swallowed by the sword dragon, she pointed with two fingers; her natal thunder-dragon sword burst with spiritual light in midair and flew voluntarily into the dragon's mouth.

Pan Yue felt not joy but surprise; as she sought to withdraw the sword dragon, Jiang Yu had already formed hand seals, and her thunder-dragon sword cracked within the dragon's mouth, releasing a blaze of thunderous light.

Countless lightning bolts instantly shattered the sword dragon, and the sword body plummeted to the ground.

Pan Yue's qi and blood surged; she forcibly suppressed a mouthful of essence blood, and her cultivated sword-dragon manifestation was for the first time briefly broken by someone.

She took a deep breath, raised her hand to retrieve her natal sword, and cupped her hands toward Jiang Yu: "I lost."

"I accept your concession." Jiang Yu immediately sheathed her sword and returned the salute.

At that moment, the referee struck the gong, announcing Jiang Yu's victory, which immediately drew a chorus of cheers; those who had bought her at 1 to 5 odds made a killing.

"Jiang Yu, you're the best!" Jiang Tu shouted loudly; Jiang Bai quickly covered its mouth, saying, "Don't provoke people."

When yet another person wanted to fight Jiang Yu, Lu Zhou stepped forward to politely decline: "Senior Brother, Jiang Yu has only just recovered her cultivation a few days ago; could we let her rest a bit?"

That person agreed: "Alright, I'll arrange another match in half an hour."

Afterward, another challenger appeared, but Lu Zhou made clear he would only fight mid-stage Golden Core cultivators, and regardless of victory or defeat, only three bouts.

Subsequently, more people bought Jiang Yu to win, but some firmly believed she would not win three in a row; however, the fact is, Jiang Yu won both of her next matches outright.

This stirred up the competitive spirit of Sword Peak peers of the same rank, who successively challenged Jiang Yu.

She used the insight gained from today's duel as an excuse, accepting none of the challenges; displaying her strength was enough, there was no need to contend with others.

Meanwhile, the Spirit Void steward of Sword Peak received a message, instructing Nascent Soul disciples to earnestly invite Jiang Yu to join Sword Peak.

But by then, Jiang Yu had already, under the protection of her senior brothers, slipped away from Sword Peak, and at top speed reached the Inner Sect, producing the talisman she herself had drawn, seeking entry into Talisman Peak.

The Taiyi Sect had countless capable disciples; the Inner Affairs Hall naturally could not let disciples go wherever they wished.

Jiang Yu had not yet finished a month of ideological studies in the Skill Transmission Hall; normally disciples must complete it before being assigned according to ability.

Of course, there were also those who excelled in both talent and ability, and they were earmarked early.

But when the Inner Hall's Nascent Soul Executive finished examining the talismans, every single one was top-grade, and she couldn't help but smile, saying, "Junior Nephew, would you like to draw talismans right here?"

"Yes." Jiang Yu didn't draw anything else; she simply drew ten of each Five Elements Spirit Talisman, all of them top-grade.

Meanwhile, Jiang Bai, who had come along, sent a message to Lu Zhou, and the two of them mobilized their current connections, passing the news to the Spirit Transformation Executive of Fu Peak.

By the time she handed in her paper, the Spirit Transformation Executive of Fu Peak had already received the news and rushed over, immediately saying, "Jiang Yu may join Fu Peak; take this token, and after completing the Skill Transmission Hall examination you can come to report."

"Disciple accepts the order." Jiang Yu happily accepted, and over the next month she studied diligently, passed the examination, and as wished became a disciple of Fu Peak, also becoming good friends with Pan Yue.