Chapter 1979: Identity Guessed

Shaking her head, Bai Ruanqing came to her senses. She hesitated for a moment where she sat, then pushed the door open and walked out.

In the courtyard, Shan Xiaotian was still practicing his sword.

Dozens of meters away, Cao Chengli had a nut balanced on his head, his legs trembling.

Whoosh!

A longsword flew over, and the next moment, it lodged in his head, just a few inches from the nut, blood spurting out.

"I think I'm hurt..." Cao Chengli said, touching the blood on his head.

"It's nothing, who doesn't get hurt!" Shan Xiaotian smiled faintly. "Keep balancing it..."

"I'm really hurt..."

Before he could finish, another longsword lodged in the same spot.

Watching blood flow from his face to the ground, Cao Chengli went berserk: "Ah, I'm going to die..."

"Don't worry, I controlled the force accurately this time. It only pierced the scalp, didn't harm the bone, let alone the brain..." Shan Xiaotian said with a faint smile, walking over and pulling out the swords one by one.

Sure enough, as he said, it only pierced the scalp, not even the bone, so naturally he wouldn't die.

After the teacher's guidance, he had been practicing control, and now he had achieved some success; otherwise, he wouldn't have used Cao Chengli's head for an experiment.

Watching with a tingling scalp, Bai Ruanqing approached and said somewhat apologetically, "Junior Brother Shan, could you... teach me your sword-throwing technique?"

Shan Xiaotian was taken aback for a moment, then nodded: "Sure..."

He hadn't spent much time with the teacher, but he knew the teacher was broad-minded. This sword technique, though named after himself, had also been taught to Cao Chengli, Old Yi... Teaching one more person probably wouldn't matter.

He was such a broad, powerful person who regarded fame and fortune as dirt!

"This technique is called 'Third Young Master's Sword.' You might not learn it all at once, but you can start by learning the method of exerting force and circulating true qi to execute the sword technique. As for the variations and responses in combat, we can study them slowly later..."

Shan Xiaotian said.

This technique, 'Third Young Master's Sword,' was very simple in terms of throwing force; that was why he could learn and execute it at the Saint level.

With guidance, within three minutes, Bai Ruanqing had already understood.

Whoosh!

The longsword trembled, turning into a cold gleam, and the next moment it appeared on the wall beside Cao Chengli.

"Ah..."

Steward Cao collapsed to the ground, utterly broken.

With the speed and force of this sword, if it had struck his head, he might have died outright.

"With 'Third Young Master's Sword,' if you don't strike, it's fine; but once you do, you must achieve a one-hit kill. How to kill, how to anticipate the enemy, predict their moves in advance, find flaws and exploit them—that's most important..."

Seeing she had learned the force technique, Shan Xiaotian explained.

The reason this technique was powerful wasn't just the speed of the flying sword, but the ability to anticipate the enemy and attack their flaws.

That was the true inner technique; throwing the sword was merely a superficial move.

"How long will it take to learn?"

Seeing he was about to explain in detail, Bai Ruanqing frowned.

There was a large group waiting for her at the Divine Communication Hall; learning in detail would take too long, which wasn't suitable.

"If the teacher explains, it can be done in half an hour. But since my own understanding isn't comprehensive, if I teach you, it might take two days..." Shan Xiaotian scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.

Although he had practiced this technique for over ten days and had achieved initial results, he was still far from the teacher's level.

They weren't even on the same level.

When the teacher explained, he used profound words with deep meaning, building a vast system with simple principles. For him... it wasn't that easy.

"Forget it, I'll learn later. Let me try first..."

Hearing it would take that long, Bai Ruanqing shook her head and returned to her room.

She was inherently impatient and lacked patience; otherwise, she wouldn't have earned the nickname 'Female Tyrannosaurus.' Having others wait while she spent days learning a sword technique was definitely out of the question.

Whoosh!

Returning to the previous dueling ground, she indeed saw Tang Yan and the others standing there, not having left.

"I'm here. Let's continue..."

Holding her longsword, Bai Ruanqing assumed a stance.

Seeing that she had come and gone in less than five minutes, Tang Yan showed a hint of doubt, but still nodded, shook his longsword, and once again executed the Dustless Sword.

The sky was filled with sword marks, like smoke enveloping everything.

"Whatever, let me try..."

Although she hadn't learned the 'inner technique' corresponding to this sword technique, Bai Ruanqing was already strong in swordsmanship. Moreover, since her grandfather was an elder, she knew a lot about many sect sword techniques, and he had explained the flaws and weaknesses of this technique to her.

It was just that she hadn't been able to break it before.

It was like knowing that boxer Tyson could be killed with one bullet, but... facing him, you might not be able to do it.

Previously, to exploit these flaws, she would have to charge through the smoke-like sword marks, and if she did, she would be attacked first like that bird and severely injured.

But now... with the flying sword technique, it was different.

Without further hesitation, she flicked her wrist.

Whoosh!

The longsword left her hand and flew.

"Threw the sword?"

Tang Yan was startled. Just as he was about to block the incoming sword, he felt a pain in his head.

Whoosh!

A longsword was lodged on top, his body swayed, and he fell to the ground.

Dead!

"He died just like that?"

"Tang Yan was also killed with one sword?"

"That sword just now was so fast, it was stunning... It doesn't seem to be a sword technique from the Lingyun Sword Pavilion!"

"I've never heard of it either. Not just this one, the technique that killed us before also seemed unfamiliar..."

...

The crowd buzzed with discussion.

"It worked?"

Everyone was speechless, and Bai Ruanqing was also startled.

She had only learned this technique for a few minutes, hastily. She had only intended to scare the opponent into retracting his power and then find an opportunity to attack... She hadn't expected that with just one strike, he was dead...

Too powerful!

"Continue..."

Her eyes shining, Bai Ruanqing regained her confidence and continued to challenge the sixth-ranked.

...

Elder's Courtyard.

"How did it go?"

Elder Bai Ye looked at Bai Feng before him.

"I followed the young lady and indeed saw her go to an inner disciple's courtyard. But this inner disciple is not named Zhang Xuan, but... Shan Xiaotian!"

Bai Feng handed over a jade token: "This is his information."

"Shan Xiaotian?" A hint of doubt in his eyes, Elder Bai Ye quickly scanned it: "I know this person. He was recruited by Elder Lu Yun, who reported it specifically during the Elder Council. Although I didn't attend the meeting, I saw the meeting records. He's at the Ancient Saint First Level, yet his sword intent can spread 499 meters, just one step away from Sword God!"

"It's him... According to my investigation, he also brought a friend into the sect. This friend is named Zhang Xuan, but his cultivation is at the initial stage of Shattering Void, which doesn't quite match."

Bai Feng handed over another set of information.

With Elder Bai Ye's status, investigating someone was very simple.

Zhang Xuan, as a follower, followed Shan Xiaotian into the Lingyun Sword Pavilion. Although it hadn't been long, he had been registered and recorded.

"It should be him..." After reading the content, Elder Bai Ye nodded. Although he didn't know why the registered information differed from reality, all other details matched.

It should be the same person.

"Ruanqing went to Shan Xiaotian's courtyard, probably to find this Zhang Xuan... Keep watching. This Zhang Xuan is not an inner disciple but is impersonating one; I'm afraid he has ulterior motives..."

Elder Bai Ye said.

"Yes!" Bai Feng stood up. Just as he was about to leave, he saw an old man hurrying in: "Elder Bai Ye, we're all glad you've recovered from your injuries, but... you need to control your granddaughter!"

"Granddaughter? What's wrong?"

Elder Bai Ye was taken aback.

"Don't play dumb here. She entered the Core Divine Communication Hall and started challenging from the sixteenth rank. All who fought her were killed in one strike... She's already killed her way into the top five!"

The old man waved his hand.

"Killed into the top five?"

Elder Bai Ye and Bai Feng were both stunned.

They knew Bai Ruanqing's strength best. Rank seventeen was already a stretch... Killing her way into the top five in one go?

How was that possible?

"This is a recording of her duels. See for yourself..."

The old man tossed over a recording crystal.

Elder Bai Ye quickly opened it and watched.

He saw Bai Ruanqing, holding a longsword, killing core disciples one by one with a single strike, making them doubt their own existence.

His granddaughter only used two moves: one was a horizontal sword, and the other was throwing the sword. If hit, the head would inevitably fall to the ground.

These two moves were profoundly exquisite... Who taught her?

"It's... his techniques!"

Bai Feng's pupils contracted from the side.

"Who?"

Elder Bai Ye looked over.

Bai Feng quickly transmitted: "This horizontal sword technique was performed by that 'I'm Very Low-Key.' I studied it specifically and even explained it to the young lady... But I didn't expect her use to be even more profound than my understanding. It feels, it feels..."

"Feels what?"

"It feels as if 'I'm Very Low-Key' performed it himself!"

Bai Feng said.

The deeds of 'I'm Very Low-Key' were known to everyone in the Lingyun Sword Pavilion. Although Elder Bai Ye had been injured at home, he had long heard about his granddaughter being cut down twice and his old servant being killed once.

This person was likely a top figure who had comprehended the Sword Intent of the Gods. As one of the three great elders, how could he not pay attention!

Now, the sword techniques his granddaughter displayed were exactly the same as his...

"Do you mean... it's possible that this 'I'm Very Low-Key' personally taught Ruanqing the sword techniques, and then... she challenged the core disciples?"

His pupils contracted, and Elder Bai Ye realized.

There was no other explanation.

"Yes!"

Bai Feng nodded.

"The entire sect is looking for this 'I'm Very Low-Key,' but he taught Ruanqing sword techniques and used her hand to challenge the core disciples... Interesting, interesting!"

Elder Bai Ye smiled bitterly and looked over again: "Tell me... who do you think this person could be?"

"I don't know..."

Bai Feng shook his head, but before he could finish, his eyes widened as he looked at the master before him, his lips trembling involuntarily: "Master, are you suspecting... Zhang Xuan?"

"Other than him..."

Elder Bai Ye nodded: "Who else could it be?"