Chapter 33: First Glimpse of Brilliance

"Since our cultivation levels differ, let us compete with swordsmanship alone."

Ning Xue gazed at the small figure opposite her, her mind involuntarily drifting back to the instructions given by Gu Tiangang earlier.

'In the Xingwu Academy, all the children are noble offspring gifted with extraordinary talent.'

'There are a few among them whom you must instruct with special care.'

'The first is Du Yanqing, the heir to the Prince of Zhenbei. His destiny is noble, and he is brimming with innate purple energy; he is well-suited for the inheritance of the Taixu Dao.'

'The second is Gongye Shou, the heir to the Prince of Zhennan. His constitution is unique...'

'The last one, and the primary reason the sect specifically requested your presence—is Chen Yi!'

Upon hearing this, Ning Xue could sense Gu Tiangang's delight, perhaps even a hint of pride?

'Why?'

'A child who can catch a glimpse of sword intent at the age of three? I have only ever read of such things in the sect's ancient texts.'

'For at least a thousand years, the one with the greatest talent for the sword was your own master: entering the sect at five, achieving minor success at seven, and mastering the Way of the Sword by fifteen...'

Reflecting on this, Ning Xue brought her sword back, resting the hilt against her hand in a formal sword salute.

So solemn?

Chen Yi’s eyelid twitched, and he helplessly returned the gesture.

It seemed his previous guess was correct; the old Daoist regarded him differently because he had likely discovered his attainment in the sword.

In any case, it certainly wasn't because of some "late bloomer" talent.

"Be careful."

The two exchanged glances, and Ning Xue drew her longsword from its scabbard.

The crisp ring of the blade and her warning reached Chen Yi’s ears almost simultaneously.

Clang!

Facing her opening move, Chen Yi dared not be careless; he drew his Spring Rain sword to block the strike.

He knew well that even if Master Ning did not use her true energy to amplify her sword qi, her physical body, tempered by years of sword dancing, was far superior to his own.

Ning Xue did not pause; she flipped her wrist without hesitation, her footsteps weaving as she struck downward with her sword.

"The Hidden Sword Stance?"

Chen Yi recognized the technique; it was one of the sets they had practiced earlier, where the sword follows the body.

Counter-attack!

Ning Xue’s eyes narrowed. Instinctively, she tapped her toes and retreated abruptly.

She could not help but exclaim, "That last move... what was it?"

Chen Yi knew she had perceived the power of that strike—had she not dodged, that move would surely have pierced her defense and struck her throat.

A smile touched his small face as he shook his head. "Master Ning, if we are only comparing swordsmanship, I believe I can hold on for a while longer."

The implication was clear: please feel free to unleash your full technique; there is no need to hold back!

Hold on?

Ning Xue recalled the sense of crisis that had made her hair stand on end, and her eyes fell upon the Spring Rain sword in Chen Yi’s hand.

She had seen many swords without hilts, and had even sparred against those who wielded them.

Regardless of their swordsmanship, unless there was a vast disparity in skill, their style was almost always purely offensive.

For him to be so young, yet also...

As for the surrounding children, they were already wide-eyed with shock at what had just transpired.

Though they might not have understood the intricacies, or perhaps even seen the movement clearly, they knew that Chen Yi had forced the elegant Master Ning to retreat with just one strike.

"Brother Yi, that was amazing!"

Du Yanqing watched Chen Yi, his expression turning excited, his eyes burning with fervor.

He had never expected that Chen Yi, who spent every day with them, possessed such sword cultivation in silence.

"This guy, he’s too mean, keeping even us in the dark," Du Yan pouted.

"No, Brother Yi is just," Lin Xueru explained instinctively, "he just likes the quiet."

At her young age, she did not yet understand the concepts of "quiet," "keeping a low profile," or "hiding one's light," but she figured Brother Yi simply did not want to be disturbed.

Yet, as she thought this, another matter crossed her mind.

Since Brother Yi had revealed his sword cultivation, did that mean the events of that night were no longer their little secret?

If Chen Yi knew what she was thinking, he would likely be amused and frustrated at the same time.

But for now, he could not afford such distractions.

Since he had decided to act, he would no longer consider how to hide his skill.

After all, it was merely swordsmanship, not sword qi or sword intent.

Doing otherwise would only make him appear overly calculated for his age; it was far better to simply display his brilliance outright!

"Master Ning, be careful."

This time, Chen Yi initiated the attack.

However, compared to Ning Xue’s ornate footwork, he used a more direct sword-step.

With a stride forward!

His small figure, hands gripping the sword, unleashed a straightforward upward slash, aiming directly at Ning Xue’s face.

Clang.

Ning Xue set aside her earlier dismissal. With a slight movement of her feet, she dodged sideways while flicking her sword toward the hilt of the Spring Rain sword.

Or more accurately, toward Chen Yi’s hands.

"Oh?"

What surprised Chen Yi was not her evasion, but the fact that the tip of her sword moved with a trailing afterimage.

It carried a certain visual deception, making it impossible to predict exactly where the strike would land.

However, that was the extent of the flair.

Chen Yi shifted his momentum, his body turning abruptly, and the Spring Rain sword struck ahead of her.

Fast!

Extremely fast!

Fast to the point of extremity!

It was as if the blade had hidden itself in another dimension. By the time Ning Xue realized something was wrong, the tip of his sword was already hovering at her throat.

Time seemed to freeze.

Ning Xue’s eyes widened slightly as she looked in disbelief at the motionless blade and Chen Yi, who held it with steady hands.

After a long moment, she withdrew her sword and said calmly, "I have lost."

"Master Ning, you were too kind."

Chen Yi sheathed his sword and bowed with a smile, showing no signs of arrogance from his victory.

"Whoa—"

At this, the surrounding children could no longer contain themselves.

They scrambled to their feet, watching the two in the center, shouting in a mixture of surprise and delight.

Even the two imperial relatives, Wei Letian and Wei Xiaoyun, clapped excitedly, calling out how impressive it was.

"Brother Yi, you actually defeated Master Ning?"

"Still calling him Brother Yi? Call him Master!"

"I never imagined Master Ning would lose to Chen Yi. How can he be this good?"

Seeing the commotion among the children, and noting that Ning Xue did not stop them, Chen Yi offered an explanation:

"Don't say that; in truth, Master Ning was going easy on me."

"It was only my swordsmanship; I cannot compare to Master Ning in terms of true sword cultivation."

The noise paused for a moment before the children continued their praises.

In their simple understanding, a win was a win, and a loss was a loss. Talk of cultivation levels, techniques, or sword path depth was far less direct.

"That is all for today’s lesson. Return tomorrow."

Ning Xue pressed her lips together and, after speaking, turned to walk away.

Her slightly hurried footsteps betrayed that she was not as calm as she appeared.

To think she had lost to a three-year-old child...

"Huh?"

Chen Yi watched her retreating back, wondering if he had gone too far.

Perhaps he should have allowed her to land a few more strikes?

Before he could finish the thought, Du Yanqing and the others, who could no longer hold back, swarmed him.

They surrounded him with cheers and shouts, creating a lively scene.

With no other choice, Chen Yi had to play along with their excitement.

After all, when he chose to reveal a glimmer of his true edge, he had already anticipated this outcome.

It was fine.

With little time left before he headed to the Taixu Dao, it was appropriate to show a bit of his talent.

He just wondered how those people would react once they heard the news.