Chapter 372: Chapter 372: Seeing Leng Qingzhu Again
The stares of the surrounding disciples felt like needles, pricking his heart with sharp pangs of pain.
Xu Mingyu had never imagined things would escalate to this point.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to his feet despite his injuries and charged at Song Wanning once more.
A cold glint flashed in Song Wanning’s eyes. She unleashed the same move, but this time it came at him with an even fiercer aura.
His expression changed, and he hastily brandished other Magical Treasures to defend himself.
They exchanged another dozen or so moves before Xu Mingyu was sent flying again, collapsing to the ground and violently spitting up blood.
Yet Song Wanning, as if expecting Xu Mingyu wouldn’t give up so easily, continued to attack the rune.
And so, a strange scene unfolded on the battle stage.
Xu Mingyu was like a plaything, launching periodic attacks. Song Wanning would spare a moment to deal with him, but her primary focus remained on destroying the rune.
With each successive strike, the rune grew dimmer, while Song Wanning’s sword moves became increasingly refined.
The color drained from the faces of Xu Mingyu’s friends as they stared at him, their expressions a mixture of shock and disbelief.
"This is humiliating. Song Wanning is just using Xu Mingyu for practice..."
"Exactly. He’s trapped now. He can’t concede, but if he doesn’t, he’ll just face more humiliation..."
"It’s just tragic."
"It’s over... so much for my bet..."
"If I’d known, I would’ve bet on Song Wanning to win. Imagine the money I could’ve made!"
"Look, the rune is about to shatter!"
Following a disciple’s cry of alarm, the rune on the battle stage did indeed shatter.
A flash of sword light shot directly toward the nearby Xu Mingyu.
BOOM—
This sword strike carried the same aura as before, but its power had increased tremendously.
Xu Mingyu used a Magical Treasure to resist, but it was utterly useless. He was sent flying.
BANG—
Xu Mingyu crashed to the ground beside the stage, startling the crowd of disciples, who scrambled back to give him a wide berth.
The man who had been so arrogant just moments before was now a pathetic sight, covered not only in blood but also in wounds.
Furthermore, the rune’s destruction had caused a backlash, leaving him sprawled on the ground, unable to even get up.
"Song Wanning is the victor!"
The elder stepped forward to announce the result, his face filled with admiration. He had initially thought Song Wanning’s previous victory was a fluke, but now it was clear her strength was enough to rank in the top twenty.
HISS—
The announcement snapped the disciples back to reality. They stared at Song Wanning, their eyes wide with shock and fear.
’What kind of prodigy is she? Crushing a Late-stage Void Refining cultivator while only at the Early Stage of Void Refining... If her Cultivation were to advance, wouldn’t she be unstoppable?!’
"Mingyu, are you alright?"
Several of his friends rushed over to help him up, their eyes filled with concern for him and apprehension toward Song Wanning.
"I’m—I’m fine—"
BLECH—
As he spoke, Xu Mingyu coughed up another mouthful of blood. He swallowed a few Elixir Pills, which seemed to help a little.
He leaned weakly against his friends and looked up at the stage, only to meet Song Wanning’s coolly confident gaze.
He suddenly felt like a complete fool.
"I—I concede. I am utterly convinced of your superiority!"
Xu Mingyu felt aggrieved, but strength was what mattered most. He was simply no match for Song Wanning, a fact he had to accept.
"But I won’t lose forever! One day, I will challenge you again and reclaim my victory!"
A fighting spirit began to burn within his chest. The humiliation of this day would be a constant motivation for him to improve.
"I appreciate the match."
A faint smile touched Song Wanning’s lips. She gracefully sheathed her Longsword and leaped off the stage.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she walked toward the Bai Mu List, her gaze fixed on the forty-odd names ranked above her.
In the days to come, she would challenge them one by one.
After all, just from this one fight with Xu Mingyu, her Sword Dao True Realm had already advanced.
’If I fight my way through all of them, the improvement to my strength will be substantial.’
’As for winning or losing, I don’t care anymore. I’ve already secured a spot, so I can just fight to my heart’s content.’
...
After her battle with Xu Mingyu, word of Song Wanning’s prowess spread throughout the Sect. Many now understood her true strength and the Sect Master’s reasoning for making her a True Disciple.
Any Cultivators who had been thinking of causing trouble for her quickly abandoned the idea. After all, if even Xu Mingyu was no match for her, challenging her would only be asking for humiliation.
Song Wanning, however, did not rest. Starting the very next day, she began challenging the Cultivators ranked above her.
Meanwhile, Xu Mingyu began challenging disciples ranked below him. It was the only way he could reclaim a spot for the Secret Realm.
As a result, the once-stable rankings of the Ancient Cold Sect were thrown into chaos again. Defeated Cultivators had no choice but to challenge those ranked even lower.
A cascade of challenges rippled down the ranks, never ceasing.
...
Time flew by. Just as Song Wanning was about to challenge the disciple ranked thirtieth, Leng Qingzhu finally returned to the Sect.
Song Wanning hadn’t been informed of her return, so she was completely stunned when, in the middle of her sword practice, she saw the very figure she had longed for day and night.
She stared, frozen, at the figure etched into her memory, the person she had missed countless times. In an instant, her eyes welled up with tears.
"Master!!!"
Song Wanning flew toward Leng Qingzhu and threw herself into her arms.
Leng Qingzhu was travel-worn. The moment she had left the Secret Realm, she had received a message from the Sect Master informing her that her disciple had ascended. She had rushed back to the Sect without a moment’s rest and could now finally see her most beloved young disciple.
Holding her in her arms, the moment still felt unreal.
"Master, it’s so good to see you again..."
Tears welled in Song Wanning’s eyes as she hugged Leng Qingzhu tightly. At that moment, endless longing and all her pent-up grievances surfaced.
She was like a wronged child who had finally found solace in her parent’s embrace.
"Wan Ning, I missed you very much too..."
True to her name, Leng Qingzhu had a cold and aloof temperament; only when it came to Song Wanning did her emotions show more freely.
They held each other for a long while before they finally composed themselves and separated, a little embarrassed.
"Come, let’s go back to my place and talk."
Leng Qingzhu had so much she wanted to ask. ’Are the others in the Lower World all right?’
She took Song Wanning’s hand and led her toward her quarters.
Song Wanning followed, her expression complex. ’How am I going to explain what happened with Gu Qingyuan?’ she wondered.
But she had no intention of hiding the truth.
Inside her quarters, Leng Qingzhu took out a fruit she had found in the Secret Realm and handed it to Song Wanning.
It was just like old times; whenever she went away, she always enjoyed bringing something back for her young disciple.
It could be a treat to eat, a treasure, or sometimes just a local trinket.
Song Wanning accepted the fruit, a warmth spreading through her heart.
’Nothing has changed.’
She sat down beside her master just as Leng Qingzhu asked, "When did you ascend?"
"And where is Qingyuan? Why haven’t I seen him?"
Song Wanning’s expression fell.
"Master, Senior Brother... he..."
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