Teacher Shangguan was defeated!

Almost everyone from the Imperial Academy couldn’t help but shut their eyes. They were afraid of witnessing a beautiful life cut short. One look at Night Owl was enough to know he was a cold and ruthless man; how could he possibly show mercy?

Night Owl let out a sinister chuckle. He planned to give Shangguan Yutong a good scare. Making a top-tier, beautiful female Martial Artist submit at the point of his sword was a very satisfying accomplishment.

Nearby, Da Hu was panting heavily. He felt like his lucky day had finally arrived. The leader had promised to give him this chick as a wife! ’My god,’ he thought, ’I’d give up ten years of my life just to sleep with this chick once!’ As he mused, Da Hu even felt the pain in his arm lessen. ’If I can marry this woman, it’ll all be worth it!’

Killing intent!

Though reveling in his victory, Night Owl hadn’t let his guard down. Who knew if there were other masters hidden among this group from the Imperial Academy? Suddenly, he felt a piercing aura lock onto him. A cold chill shot up from the base of his spine to the back of his head, making him shiver involuntarily.

He didn’t even dare to turn and look, afraid that the slightest movement would result in his opponent’s sword mercilessly piercing his heart.

He hadn’t felt this sensation in nearly ten years. The last time was when he was still a Great Sword Master and had encountered a mysterious expert. Thinking back on it now, that expert must have had the cultivation of a Sword Sect master. A single glance from him had been enough to make Night Owl feel as if he had been plunged into an icy abyss.

And today, that feeling had actually appeared once more!

Under everyone’s stunned gaze, Ling Xiao walked out, one step at a time. He moved slowly, as if each step required immense effort. The Imperial Academy students all thought Ling Xiao had gone mad. Even Yisha, who had always held an almost blind faith in Ling Xiao, wasn’t on his side this time.

She shouted anxiously from behind, "Brother Ling Xiao, come back quickly! It’s dangerous over there!"

Even Mary, who had always looked down on Ling Xiao, couldn’t help but yell, "You madman! You’re just a waste, what are you doing getting involved?!"

Many people glanced sideways at Mary. She replied nonchalantly, "I’m just telling it like it is!"

Xie Xiaoyan was hidden within another group. The groups weren’t positioned very far from each other, precisely so they could support one another in case of danger.

With a complex expression, Xie Xiaoyan watched the somewhat gaunt figure walk step by step toward the black-clad man holding a sword to Teacher Shangguan’s throat. She still couldn’t understand any of it. ’Why is all this happening? How did he suddenly become a completely different person? Where did this inexplicable strength of his come from?’

’Is he not Ling Xiao?’ The thought suddenly flashed through Xie Xiaoyan’s mind, but then she felt it was too ridiculous. ’If he isn’t Ling Xiao, who else could he be? Ever since that day Ling Xiao so easily defeated Qin Kang, I’ve seen a lot in his seemingly chaotic footwork!’

Her title as a young genius wasn’t just for show!

Xie Xiaoyan could tell it had to be some kind of Cultivation Technique. And although Ling Xiao hadn’t used a sword in his hand at the time, she was certain that the way he’d slapped Qin Kang was, in fact, a sword technique!

It was a sword technique she had never seen before, and she had never even heard of such a terrifying sword technique and Cultivation Technique existing in the world. It had actually allowed a Tier Five Sword Attendant to defeat a Sixth Level Sword Master. And yet, he had never revealed even a hint of it in front of her!

This was the root of Xie Xiaoyan’s constant worry. She was certain of one thing: Ling Xiao was no longer the same Ling Xiao who had been so infatuated with her. He had even indifferently told her that day that he would one day settle the score between them. He could clearly defeat her now. Although she was unwilling to admit it, Xie Xiaoyan had to concede that while a fight between her and Qin Kang would be an uncertain match, Ling Xiao could defeat Qin Kang with ease.

The difference in their levels was clear at a glance!

’A person with limitless potential and countless hidden secrets has become my enemy. And what’s more, I’m the one who created this situation. If it weren’t for my meticulous scheming, the person standing by Ling Xiao’s side right now should be me, Xie Xiaoyan! Not Yisha...’

She suddenly recalled something her father had said to her with some distress the night after she broke off the engagement: "Are Celestial Vein Masters necessarily useless? Think about Chancellor Constant, Xiaoyan. You are too willful! Don’t underestimate anyone in this world."

At the time, Xie Xiaoyan’s ears had automatically filtered out her father’s words. She was completely immersed in the joy of her newfound freedom. The shackles of more than a decade were finally gone, and she wanted to prove herself—to show everyone that women were no worse than men!

A few days ago, she had intended to kill Qin Kang for insulting her, but she changed her mind after slapping him. If she could make a deal with the Bauhinia Clan and become Qin Kang’s fiancée—a nominal one, of course—then she, Xie Xiaoyan, could completely escape from Ling Xiao’s shadow.

As for what the Qin Family would gain? ’What does that have to do with me?’ she had thought. She was confident in her own charm!

But in the end, she failed. That man, beaten until his face was swollen like a pig’s head, had actually rejected her so arrogantly. He didn’t even give her a chance to continue speaking before striding away.

Qin Kang’s words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Xie Xiaoyan’s head.

"I don’t like women like you!" That man, whose self-respect, face, poise, and pride had all been utterly shattered by Ling Xiao, had actually said that to her with such arrogance. And... the contempt in his eyes at that moment—it all drove Xie Xiaoyan nearly insane.

’Aristocrats! Damn aristocrats! I will become someone above all others and trample all of you damn aristocrats under my feet!’

Looking again at Ling Xiao, who was walking step by step toward the black-clad man, Xie Xiaoyan suddenly felt a sense of relief. ’If he wants revenge, then let him try! Who do I have to be afraid of?’

...

Shangguan Yutong, whose heart had sunk to its lowest point, suddenly felt that something was wrong. She opened her eyes and saw Night Owl’s sword pressed against her throat, but she couldn’t feel any killing intent from his blade—not even the slightest bit.

Night Owl’s eyes, on the other hand, were filled with terror. He didn’t look like a victor who had subdued his enemy at all; he looked completely stupefied with fear.

Shangguan Yutong looked behind Night Owl and saw a young man approaching with a very peculiar gait. Each step seemed to be a struggle, yet his eyes were resolute as he walked toward them. The Fine Willow Sword in his hand was held so tautly that it looked like it might snap at the slightest touch.

A strange light suddenly flickered in Shangguan Yutong’s eyes, then softened.

As Xiao Lin watched Ling Xiao’s footwork, he grew more and more astonished. It was as if he had grasped something, yet it was completely untraceable. In that instant, the bottleneck that had plagued him for so long suddenly broke open. He was so overjoyed he almost threw his head back and roared!

"You’ve lost," Ling Xiao said in a low voice as he came to a stop behind Night Owl. If Night Owl were to turn around at that moment, he would have undoubtedly slashed out with his sword without hesitation. But alas, he didn’t dare!

"Sword Intent!" Night Owl stammered. The sword in his hand finally slipped from his grasp, falling to the ground with a CLANG. All the fight in him was gone.

Ling Xiao’s face was pale. He gave Shangguan Yutong a slight smirk, then spat out a mouthful of warm blood with a "PFFT." Yet, he managed a grin and spoke with difficulty to the dumbfounded Night Owl, who had turned to face him. "If you pledge your allegiance to me, I will teach you Sword Intent!"

Without waiting for Night Owl’s reaction, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed, completely unconscious.