She Dominates the Immortal Realm with Her HP Bar-Chapter 75

As a disciple of the Sword Peak, he was intimately familiar with this trial—having traversed it once or twice every month.

Noticing Yan Luoyue’s assessing gaze, he explained,

"Junior Sister Yan has already completed a third of the mountain path. The remaining two-thirds are equally dense with sword formations."

He paused, then added with emphasis,

"But the further you go, the stronger the sword energy becomes. If you feel overwhelmed, call for me immediately. Though I may not yet match Senior Brother Jiang Tingbai, I can at least handle a single sword formation."

Yan Luoyue smiled, her eyes curving. "Understood. Thank you, Senior Brother Yuan."

"No need for thanks," Yuan Feiyu replied calmly. "This is my duty. Great Junior Sister Yan is being too formal."

Yan Luoyue: "…"

She gave Yuan Feiyu a deep look.

This once-proud and aloof young swordsman had picked up her teasing habits far too quickly!

Meanwhile, Yuan Feiyu was preoccupied with another matter.

As he gazed at the remaining two-thirds of the path, his mind flashed back to a recent memory.

Back then, he had accompanied a Golden Core senior brother from neighboring Qinglian Peak through this very trial.

In the first third of the sword formations, that senior brother had performed admirably.

Though lacking the swordsman’s indomitable resilience or Great Junior Sister Yan’s sheer tenacity, he had relied on nimble footwork, talismans, and clever techniques to navigate the path—emerging with only a frayed hem on his robe.

But beyond the first third, things changed.

The sword energy grew denser and sharper.

And as the senior brother’s focus waned, his progress slowed.

Before ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‍even reaching the halfway point, he had been forced to retreat.

Recalling this, Yuan Feiyu glanced at Yan Luoyue beside him.

He remembered her earlier signs of fatigue.

How much longer could she last?

Yan Luoyue answered that question with her actions.

—She could last a very long time.

Yuan Feiyu’s estimation had one critical flaw.

Namely, Yan Luoyue’s endurance wasn’t dictated by exhaustion—but by the length of her health bar.

After all, her strategy for tackling the sword formations was utterly devoid of finesse.

She simply activated her Turtle Shell Art to its limits and charged forward, heedless of the damage markers flashing above her head.

True, the later formations dealt heavier blows.

Yan Luoyue soon noticed her health draining faster than before.

Now, her HP was decreasing at a slow but steady pace.

And yet…

Yan Luoyue: Huh, still over 80%!

With such a generous buffer, she had no worries—she forged ahead!

Yuan Feiyu, who had been monitoring her condition with increasing disbelief, watched in astonishment as:

Not only did Junior Sister Yan show no signs of struggle, but she actually sped up, her steps growing lighter and more spirited—as if she were about to take flight!

Anyone watching might think she wasn’t being slashed by swords but fed stimulants instead.

Yuan Feiyu: "…"

Wait a minute, Junior Sister Yan, aren’t you a turtle?

High defense was understandable for your race.

But running this fast, as if possessed by a rabbit’s soul—wasn’t that just unfair?!

That day, Yuan Feiyu’s entire understanding of turtle-kind was single-handedly—no, single-shelledly—overturned by Yan Luoyue.

His gaze was filled with awe as she crossed the yellow marker line—signifying she had passed the halfway point.

"Junior Sister Yan, how are you holding up?"

"Still at seventy-five percent!"

"…Pardon?"

Yan Luoyue snapped back to reality and swiped at an incoming sword energy—or rather, she didn’t bother dodging, relying on her sheer durability to tank the hit—before correcting herself:

"Don’t worry, Senior Brother Yuan. I’m confident I’ll reach the summit!"

Staring at her determined profile, Yuan Feiyu fell silent for a long moment.

A pressing question arose in his mind—had their Sword Peak ever seen a disciple charge straight to the summit on their very first attempt?

—Oh, actually, yes.

—Though that time, it wasn’t called a trial exchange.

That precedent was named Jiang Tingbai.

Yuan Feiyu: "…"

Are all disciples from Sulu Hall just monsters in disguise?!

At this point, Yuan Feiyu was no longer concerned for Great Junior Sister Yan’s safety.

He was worried about the Sword Peak’s dignity!

By the time Yan Luoyue, battered by the gales and down to sixty percent health, cleared two-thirds of the path, she suddenly heard Yuan Feiyu take a deep, shuddering breath beside her.

The sound was so pronounced, so laden with emotion, that even the howling winds couldn’t drown it out.

"…Senior Brother Yuan," Yan Luoyue called hesitantly, "are you alright?"

Judging by the intensity of his breathing, he seemed almost… oxygen-deprived?

Perhaps it was her imagination, but at this moment, standing amid the sword formations, Senior Brother Yuan looked slightly pale—even desolate.

Yuan Feiyu gave a weak chuckle. "As expected… of Jiang Tingbai’s junior sister."

Yan Luoyue: "?"

Ignoring her puzzled expression, Yuan Feiyu waved a hand.

Swordsmen moved with the swift grace of shooting stars, and Yuan Feiyu, as a young and spirited practitioner, was no exception.

Yet this time, his gesture seemed oddly feeble.

A deflated Yuan Feiyu weakly reminded, "The sword aura will grow even stronger than before for the remaining third of the journey."

"Ah, got it."

Yan Luoyue responded and took a step upward, then suddenly felt something was off.

"Little Yuan-shixiong, why didn’t you tell me to be careful this time, or to call for you if something feels wrong?"

Yuan Feiyu murmured with a dazed look, "I don’t know why, but I just feel like... you don’t need me anymore."

Yan Luoyue: "..."

Once stimulation exceeds a certain threshold, even additional conditions only leave one numb.

For the remaining third of the journey, this shixiong, who was never good at hiding his emotions, radiated an otherworldly calm from the inside out.

At one point, Yan Luoyue even clearly saw a faint, dreamy smile tug at Yuan Feiyu’s lips.

Yan Luoyue: "?"

She cautiously asked, "Little Yuan-shixiong, are you...?"

Good heavens, had accompanying her through the sword array driven him mad?

Yuan Feiyu smiled with an air of transcendent detachment.

The once lively and proud young boy now bore a trace of Zen-like serenity—albeit the sword cultivator version, tinged with bloodlust.

Gnashing his teeth, he declared with resounding conviction:

"If I must descend into hell, I’ll drag every fellow disciple of Sword Peak down with me—Da Yan-shimei, don’t mind me! Hurry to the summit. I refuse to suffer this torment alone!"

Such rare shock, disbelief, and self-doubt—how could he be the only one to experience it?

This heaven-defying feat had to be shared with all his Sword Peak comrades!

Yan Luoyue: "Uh... alright then."

Truly, the camaraderie among Sword Peak disciples is enviably profound...

Finally, with her vitality reduced to a mere fifteen percent, Yan Luoyue took the last step.

She crossed the red line marking the end and stood atop Sword Peak, gazing at the mountains below.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, she let out a long exhale.

It was over.

Just then, she heard Yuan Feiyu utter a questioning sound behind her.

Yan Luoyue turned. "Little Yuan-shixiong?"

Yuan Feiyu’s eyes flickered with curiosity as he pointed at her back. "Yan-shimei, what are those on your back?"

"Hm?"

Yan Luoyue reached behind and felt a few hard, flat, armor-like objects through her tattered robes.

Yuan Feiyu clung to one last shred of hope. "Yan-shimei, defensive artifacts aren’t allowed in the sword array..."

"...Huh? But I didn’t bring any."

Yan Luoyue was equally confused.

After a few more pats, realization dawned.

She shifted into her turtle form and back again, causing the hard pieces to shake loose and fall to the ground. Picking them up, she waved them before Yuan Feiyu’s eyes.

"See? I really didn’t bring any artifacts. These are just my molted shell fragments."

Yuan Feiyu: "..."

He stared, utterly dumbfounded.

"Wait... turtles molt?"

"What a strange question. Of course we do—it’s a normal biological process."

Yan Luoyue gave him a pitying look. "Shixiong, at my age, you probably lost baby teeth too."

"...Oh."

Yuan Feiyu responded vacantly, his gaze distant.

......

"I’ll take you to meet the Peak Master first," Yuan Feiyu said, outlining their next steps.

Oddly, his voice carried a hint of glee—like an umbrella-less pedestrian reveling in the schadenfreude of watching everyone else get equally drenched in a downpour.

"No one on Sword Peak expected you’d clear the array so quickly, Yan-shimei."

—To be precise, Yan Luoyue hadn’t "cleared" the array. She’d simply endured it.

But who cared about technicalities?

As they walked, Yan Luoyue struck up casual conversation.

"My shixiong Jiang Tingbai, he..."

The moment Jiang Tingbai’s name was mentioned, Yuan Feiyu sprang back to life, nearly jumping on the spot.

"I’ll surpass Jiang Tingbai!" he blurted reflexively.

Yan Luoyue stifled a laugh. "Yes, Little Yuan-shixiong is impressive. I never said otherwise... I just wanted to ask if Jiang-shixiong had ever visited Sword Peak before."

"..."

For some reason, Yuan Feiyu didn’t answer directly.

Instead, he fixed Yan Luoyue with an inscrutable look, as if Jiang Tingbai’s shadow loomed behind her.

"...Why are you looking at me like that, shixiong?"

Yan Luoyue even glanced over her shoulder to confirm no one was there.

Baffled, she spread her hands. "Did Jiang-shixiong never come to Sword Peak?"

But Jiang Tingbai was a purebred sword cultivator. With Sword Peak’s unparalleled resources, even if he wasn’t a disciple here, he could’ve audited classes.

Yuan Feiyu spoke, his tone laced with subtle resentment.

"Nearly a century ago, Jiang Tingbai came once."

Yan Luoyue mulled over the timing. "Nearly a century ago..."

"Yes." Yuan Feiyu’s voice turned hollow. "Just like you, Yan-shimei, he cleared our sword array on his first attempt... Oh, and back then, Jiang-shixiong was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage. And—what a coincidence—it was the same Golden Core-level array you just passed."

Yan Luoyue: "..."

Suddenly, she understood Yuan Feiyu’s bitterness all too well.

Clearing her throat, she changed the subject.

Pointing to the back of a massive stone stele nearby, she asked, "Little Yuan-shixiong, what’s that place?"

Strangely, this topic darkened Yuan Feiyu’s mood further.

Through gritted teeth, he said, "That... is the Great Dao Azure Sky Stele."

"Oh, I know!" Yan Luoyue brightened. "One of our lecturers mentioned it in class."

The Great Dao Azure Sky Stele was famed for the sword intent carved into its surface, depicting the line: "The Great Dao stretches like the azure sky, yet I alone find no path out."

Its sword intent was uniquely potent—legend claimed it was left by the Sword Ancestor during a bottleneck, his frustration etched into the stone.

For tens of thousands of years since its erection in the Guiyuan Sect, the sword intent had never faded.

Because it captured the Sword Ancestor’s struggle, the stele’s aura was both fiercely aggressive and heavy with melancholy.

Low-level cultivators would faint from the pressure mere zhang away.

Sword Peak disciples measured their progress in chi—starting from ten zhang, each step closer was a record.

It is said that the most outstanding disciples of Sword Peak can not only withstand the oppressive aura emanating from the Great Dao Azure Sky Stele and approach its inscriptions but also leave a sword mark upon it.

Just as Yuan Feiyu had introduced himself earlier—he claimed he could leave a three-foot-deep sword mark on the Great Dao Azure Sky Stele.

With just this single strike, even among all the disciples of Sword Peak, Senior Brother Yuan would undoubtedly stand out as one of the finest among the younger generation.

Yan Luoyue rephrased the above words, praising Senior Brother Yuan in a more poetic manner.

She had assumed that, given Yuan Feiyu’s tsundere personality, he would brush it off with a "This is nothing," while his eyes would inevitably gleam with pride.

However, to Yan Luoyue’s surprise, upon hearing the praise, Yuan Feiyu only managed a strained smile.

"This is nothing."

There wasn’t a trace of pride in his tone: "Compared to Jiang Tingbai, I’m still just…"

Hmm? Could it be that Senior Brother Jiang had also left a mark on the Great Dao Azure Sky Stele?

Very likely.

According to Senior Brother Yuan, nearly a century ago, Senior Brother Jiang ascended from the Golden Core Sword Formation in one leap. It was possible that he had also comprehended the contents of the Great Dao Azure Sky Stele and left his own sword mark upon it.

—Ah, nearly a century ago.

Wasn’t that also around the time Senior Brother Jiang mentioned "accidentally damaging an important sect artifact"?

Yan Luoyue blinked, a subtle premonition rising in her heart.

Soon, she formulated a bold conjecture.

Maintaining a composed expression, she asked in an utterly neutral tone, "Oh, was that the incident where Senior Brother Jiang was punished for a hundred years?"

Yuan Feiyu gritted his teeth. "Yes, that very incident."

Yan Luoyue was astonished. "Senior Brother Jiang actually damaged the Great Dao Azure Sky Stele?!"

Back then, Jiang Tingbai had only been at the early Foundation Establishment stage. The fact that he could even approach the stele was surprising enough—yet he managed to damage it? How did Jiang Tingbai accomplish that?

Yuan Feiyu took a deep breath, his expression tinged with reluctant resentment:

"Well, it wasn’t exactly damage… but it might as well have been!"

After all, almost every sword cultivator, upon their first glimpse of the Great Dao Azure Sky Stele, would feel a profound sense of awe—a realization of "Life is finite, yet learning is boundless."

They endured layer upon layer of pressure from the locked sword intent within.

Just as a whetstone is used to sharpen a blade, sword cultivators honed themselves against the sword intent of their predecessors.

To approach the Great Dao Azure Sky Stele and leave one’s own sword mark upon it was the romantic ideal of every Sword Peak disciple.

But Jiang Tingbai’s first encounter with the stele… was anything but ordinary.

When the young Jiang Tingbai first laid eyes on the sword stele, what surged within him wasn’t enlightenment—it was an indomitable defiance that erupted from the depths of his soul.

Similar incidents had occurred a few times in Sword Peak’s history.

After all, the sword stele had been inscribed by the Sword Ancestor during a time of impassable bottleneck, its sword intent infused with a lament and fury directed at the heavens.

Thus, it wasn’t unusual for exceptionally gifted disciples to interpret a rebellious defiance against fate from the stele.

…The problem was, Jiang Tingbai’s defiance wasn’t aimed at the heavens.

His defiance was directed at the Sword Ancestor who had inscribed those words.

According to eyewitness accounts, Jiang Tingbai, under the crushing weight of the sword aura, spent an entire day and night advancing step by step from thirty meters away until he stood before the stele.

For a Foundation Establishment cultivator setting foot on the mountain for the first time, the oppressive aura of the Great Dao Azure Sky Stele was no trivial matter.

In the final ten meters, Jiang Tingbai had to pause for fifteen minutes after every step. His sword served as a crutch, supporting half his body. By the end, the corners of his eyes had split, and blood trickled from all seven orifices.

Yet, Jiang Tingbai still reached the Great Dao Azure Sky Stele.

With a fearless draw of his sword, he left his own mark upon it.

It was at that very moment that Jiang Tingbai, a mere early Foundation Establishment youth, awakened his first layer of sword intent—"Cultivate Our Generation."

The story left Yan Luoyue’s blood boiling with excitement, her fists unconsciously clenching. "This… is truly stirring."

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

Moreover, from what she could see, the Great Dao Azure Sky Stele showed no signs of damage. Why, then, had Senior Brother Jiang been fined?

Hearing Yan Luoyue’s question, Yuan Feiyu chuckled dryly.

"—Because what Jiang Tingbai left on the stele wasn’t a sword mark. It was a sentence."

Yan Luoyue: "…"

A sense of foreboding slowly crept into her heart.

She asked softly, "What sentence?"

It couldn’t be something like "Jiang Tingbai was here," could it?!

Yuan Feiyu fixed Yan Luoyue with a deep gaze. "Do you remember the inscription on the Great Dao Azure Sky Stele?"

"'The Great Dao is like the azure sky, yet I alone cannot break free.'"

"Exactly." Yuan Feiyu recited Jiang Tingbai’s addition flawlessly from memory. "And Jiang Tingbai’s words were—'Then don’t break free. Stop worrying about the sky—worry about what’s around you first.'"

Yan Luoyue: "…"

Ah, no wonder Senior Brother Jiang had been fined by the sect.

No wonder Jiang Tingbai himself couldn’t bear to recall the cringeworthy antics of his youth.

Leaving aside the matter of defacing a cultural relic… just that single sentence alone diluted the original profound meaning of the Great Dao Azure Sky Stele.

At that moment, the two arrived at the side of the sword stele. Yan Luoyue cleared her throat, about to circle to the front to witness Senior Brother Jiang’s legendary act firsthand.

But the moment she lifted her foot, Yuan Feiyu swiftly grabbed her arm.

"Wait—as an outer-peak disciple, visiting the sword stele costs five spirit stones."

Yan Luoyue: "…"

She was utterly shocked. "Is the Great Dao Azure Sky Stele some kind of tourist attraction now? Why are you charging admission?"

"Originally, it wasn’t. Originally, it wasn’t open to the public either."

Yuan Feiyu explained, "Aside from Sword Peak disciples, disciples from other peaks might not even withstand the stele’s oppressive aura. But ever since Jiang Tingbai left his sword intent on it, the Sword Ancestor’s original aura was diluted by his influence, making it suitable for public exhibition."

In other words, it became possible to charge an entrance fee.

Thus, on the first, third, and fifth days of every month, disciples from other peaks could line up to visit the sword stele.

This innovation had significantly boosted Sword Peak’s revenue.

Yan Luoyue: "…"

She asked weakly, "Then what about Sword Peak disciples who come to meditate on it?"

Yuan Feiyu replied matter-of-factly, "Actually, the Peak Master commissioned Sulu Hall’s master to forge a magical artifact. Normally, it conceals Jiang Tingbai’s sword intent and inscription. On exhibition days, the artifact automatically retracts."

Yan Luoyue: "…"

Well, wasn’t that a blessing in disguise?

But if that was the case…

Yan Luoyue couldn’t help but protest on behalf of her senior brother: "Since Sword Peak is profiting from this now, fining Senior Brother for a full century seems a bit excessive, doesn’t it?"

A decade or two should have been enough.

Yuan Feiyu: "…"

He gave Yan Luoyue a strange look, his tone laced with irony:

"Who do you think came up with the idea of charging admission for public visits to the sword stele?"

Yan Luoyue thought for a moment, then choked on her own words: "…My master?"

Yuan Feiyu nodded and then asked, "Do you know what condition the master of Sulu Hall set for forging that artifact for Sword Peak?"

"...What?"

"Thirty percent of the ticket revenue for the next hundred years will go to Jiang Tingbai."

As he said this, Yuan Feiyu couldn’t help but let a tone of irrepressible envy seep into his voice!

Yan Luoyue: "..."

Yan Luoyue coughed lightly. "Then, the thirty percent from the past hundred years..."

That should be enough to cover the compensation for Jiang Tingbai accidentally damaging the sword monument, right?

Indeed. Yan Luoyue still felt that sentencing their eldest senior brother to poverty for a hundred years was downright inhumane.

Yuan Feiyu closed his eyes in anguish. "The thirty percent from the first hundred years was the master of Sulu Hall’s payment for forging the artifact..."

Yan Luoyue: "..."

At that moment, she suddenly understood why Yuan Feiyu’s voice had been so cheerful when collecting her admission fee earlier.

—It had been a hundred years!

For a century, Sword Peak had finally found an opportunity to earn some ticket money from you brats of Radish Peak!

Thinking of this, Yan Luoyue suddenly reached out and took back one and a half spirit stones from the five in Yuan Feiyu’s palm.

She explained, "This should be Radish Peak’s share of the profits. I’ll hand it over to our master myself when I return."

Yuan Feiyu: "..."

Though Yan Luoyue looked exactly the same as she had a second ago, he couldn’t help but feel that she had suddenly exuded an infuriating, uniquely Sulu Hall-esque aura of punchability.

...

What followed was a whirlwind of chaos as Yan Luoyue proceeded to the main hall of Sword Peak to pay her respects to the peak master.

Yuan Feiyu, seemingly spurred by some unknown stimulus in the sword formation, made a point of "casually" introducing Yan Luoyue’s identity to every acquaintance they encountered.

"This is Yan Luoyue, the inheritor disciple of the Artifact Dao."

"Huh? You’re asking why I brought her up so quickly? We didn’t take the guest path."

"Yan Luoyue walked straight up the mountain through our sword formation—fair and square."

"—Which sword formation, you ask?"

At this point, Yuan Feiyu would deliberately pause, savoring every subtle shift in the listener’s expression.

Then, in a tone so calm it practically dared the other person to be impressed, he would say:

"The same Golden Core sword formation that Jiang Tingbai cleared in one go."

The Sword Peak disciples who heard this: "!!!"

Afterward, most of the sword cultivators would drift away with expressions that screamed, "Do I even deserve to call myself a sword cultivator anymore?"

As for Yuan Feiyu, though his face remained impassive during these moments, Yan Luoyue noticed the faint traces of smug satisfaction flickering at the corners of his brows and eyes.

—Good. Now they were even.

Yan Luoyue: "..."

After making their way to the main hall, Yan Luoyue formally greeted the Sword Peak master according to protocol.

The current master of Sword Peak was a sharp-eyed middle-aged woman who sat as immovable as a mountain on the central seat, with the elders arranged on either side.

A single glance from her felt like a blade of frost pressing against one’s skin.

Compared to the Sword Peak disciples whose hearts had been thoroughly shattered by Yuan Feiyu’s earlier antics, the peak master carried herself with dignified composure.

She studied Yan Luoyue for a moment before speaking.

"To the surprise of myself and the elders, you’ve completed your exchange of teachings at Sword Peak quite swiftly," the peak master said.

"So, do you wish to proceed with the sparring match against Feiyu now, conclude the exchange, and move on to the next peak? Or would you prefer to wait for the inheritor disciple of the Formation Dao?"

The inheritor disciple of the Formation Dao, of course, was Wu Manshuang.

Without hesitation, Yan Luoyue replied, "Manshuang and I advance together. I’ll wait for him to finish this round of sword dao exchange."

Hearing this answer, the Sword Peak master gestured for her to rise.

"In that case, I’ll have Feiyu escort you down the mountain."

After a pause, she added, "If you’re interested, you may explore the other sword formations in the meantime."

Only after Yan Luoyue and Yuan Feiyu had left the hall did the peak master exchange meaningful glances with the elders.

Truth be told, everyone had let out a small sigh of relief upon hearing Yan Luoyue’s choice.

To their surprise, Ji Qinghong’s newly accepted disciple was quite considerate of the bigger picture—nothing like her scoundrel of a master!

—After all, Sword Peak had its dignity to uphold.

If the exchanges at the other peaks proceeded normally while theirs ended abruptly on the first day, it would seem as though Sword Peak was deliberately making things difficult.

However, the sword cultivators tactfully avoided mentioning this and instead focused on praising Yan Luoyue.

"This child has boundless potential."

"She does carry some of her eldest senior brother’s virtues."

"Hmm, I heard Jiang Tingbai raised her... No wonder she hasn’t been tainted by Ji Qinghong yet."

"Who would’ve thought such a fine shoot could sprout from a crooked bamboo?"

A brief silence followed this last remark.

Then, someone muttered under their breath, "Junior Brother Xia, must you state the obvious?"

...

The descent still required traversing the Golden Core sword formation.

As Yuan Feiyu put it, unless a sword cultivator had lost all four limbs, there was no excuse for taking the guest path.

This time, however, Yuan Feiyu insisted on clearing the path himself rather than letting Yan Luoyue challenge the formation.

He took the lead, his sword flashing left and right like a streak of lightning, its aura as radiant as a rainbow. Every strike embodied the unyielding spirit of a young swordsman.

Not only did he prevent Yan Luoyue from lifting a finger, but he also ensured she didn’t lose a single drop of blood, carving out a smooth path down the mountain for her.

Yan Luoyue had a faint suspicion that Yuan Feiyu was trying to salvage something—perhaps Sword Peak’s nearly lost dignity.

Or maybe, in front of Jiang Tingbai’s junior sister, he felt compelled to prove himself no less impressive than Jiang Tingbai.

Watching Yuan Feiyu’s spine remain as straight as a sword scabbard the entire way, Yan Luoyue couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.

—Ah, Senior Brother Yuan, ever the overachiever...

Wu Manshuang had been waiting at the foot of the mountain for some time when Yan Luoyue and Yuan Feiyu finally returned.

The moment he saw Yan Luoyue’s smile, he knew her venture into the sword formation had yielded satisfying results.

Before he even realized it, the corners of his lips had already curled upward.

He stepped forward to meet them, immediately tugging at Yan Luoyue’s sleeve and giving it a slight shake.

It wasn’t a gesture of acting coy, but a silent understanding between them.

—Success?

Yan Luoyue gave a light, cheerful nod.

—Success.

Wu Manshuang then turned to Yuan Feiyu and asked politely, "Senior Brother Yuan, may we rest for a while? After that, I’d like to attempt the sword formation. Would that be alright?"

He had lingered at the mountain’s base long enough.

So the phrase "take a rest" was obviously not for Wu Manshuang's benefit, but rather a considerate gesture to give Yuan Feiyu an out.

Yuan Feiyu, touched by Wu Manshuang's thoughtfulness, bristled with competitive spirit and stubbornly straightened up.

"Junior Brother Wu, you're too polite—your Senior Brother Yuan doesn’t need rest! Since you’re eager, let’s enter the sword formation now!"

Wu Manshuang: "…" This was unusual.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Wu Manshuang glanced at Yan Luoyue and lightly brushed his fingers against his temple in an offhand gesture.

—What’s going on? Did something just provoke Senior Brother Yuan?

Yan Luoyue spread her hands and shot Wu Manshuang a look that spoke volumes.

—It’s complicated… Honestly, the entire situation might have been one big provocation.

In any case, Wu Manshuang finally stepped into the sword formation.

The moment his feet crossed the threshold, a fierce sword aura surged toward him.

Just before the blade’s edge could graze his skin, Wu Manshuang abruptly retreated, completely evading the formation’s attack range.

Yuan Feiyu, standing guard nearby, inwardly nodded in approval.

Now this was the normal reaction for a Foundation Establishment disciple facing the sword formation…

Wait, no—this wasn’t normal at all!

An average early-stage Foundation Establishment disciple could take at least two or three steps inside. For someone like Wu Manshuang, who was at the mid-stage, seven or eight steps should’ve been possible!

Unable to hold back, Yuan Feiyu asked, "Junior Brother Wu, why did you retreat just now?"

Wu Manshuang answered succinctly, "It would draw blood."

So far, Wu Manshuang had only managed to control the toxins seeping from his skin.

If his blood spilled into the sword formation, this wouldn’t just be an ordinary exchange between disciples of the Guiyuan Sect’s sword peak.

It would become an unsolved mystery—a Core Formation-level sword formation wiped out without a trace.

Unaware of the truth, Yuan Feiyu frowned slightly at Wu Manshuang’s answer.

As a sword cultivator who charged forward without hesitation, Yuan Feiyu earnestly advised, "Junior Brother Wu, don’t be so delicate."

He had been about to say: Look at how Senior Sister Yan performed earlier—she even…

Then, Yuan Feiyu suddenly recalled Yan Luoyue’s earlier display in the sword formation.

There was an old saying in the cultivation world: "When push comes to shove, spellcasters fight like swordsmen, and swordsmen fight like beasts."

By that standard, Senior Sister Yan’s performance could only be described as "a swordsman among swordsmen, a beast among beasts."

At this moment, Yuan Feiyu came to a realization: Tortoise clans should be excluded from all comparative standards.

Wu Manshuang studied the sword formation before him, replaying his earlier observations in his mind.

After a brief pause, he said thoughtfully, "Senior Brother, please keep watch. I’ll try again."

This time, the moment he stepped into the formation, he took a firm stride forward.

A faint smile tugged at Yuan Feiyu’s lips: Good, this is the spirit befitting a disciple of the Guiyuan Sect—

Wait, no!

The thought hadn’t even fully formed before it was abruptly cut short.

Yuan Feiyu’s smile froze as he watched in stunned silence—

Wu Manshuang, without using any tools, simply reached out and dismantled the first section of the sword formation with his bare hands!

Yuan Feiyu: "!!!"

Then, this junior brother—no, this senior brother Wu—

Holding the remnants of the sword formation in one hand, he turned to Yuan Feiyu with impeccable politeness and asked in a perfectly courteous tone:

"Senior Brother, since the goal is to break the formation, any method should be acceptable, right?"

Yuan Feiyu: "…"

Suddenly, Yuan Feiyu remembered a conversation from the past, when his peak master had once commented on the notable figures of the Guiyuan Sect.

Speaking of Ji Qinghong, the peak master had said, "Your Uncle Ji… I’d rather not comment on him. If you ever need to discuss important matters with their peak, just go to Jiang Tingbai instead."

After saying this, the peak master had pressed a hand to his stomach and held it there for a long, long time…

Now, Yuan Feiyu found himself clutching his own stomach in the exact same way.

He felt his spiritual state suddenly align with that of his most revered peak master—in a way he never expected.