I Have a Sword

As soon as daybreak arrived, Ye Guan made his way to Wendao Peak. There was a lecture today, and he had to be there.

Meanwhile, Yang Yian returned to the back mountain with a bamboo basket on her back.

When Ye Guan arrived, quite a few people were already gathered. Among them, he spotted Tuoba Gu, whose expression changed instantly upon seeing him. Tuoba Gu quickly moved to the side, seemingly avoiding Ye Guan as if the latter were a plague.

"Brother Ye!" someone shouted. Ye Guan turned to see a young swordsman. It was none other than Lu Xuanfeng.

Ye Guan smiled. "Brother Lu."

Lu Xuanfeng returned the smile and asked, "Brother Ye, are you interested in participating in the Wanzhou Martial Contest?"

"Of course," Ye Guan replied.

Lu Xuanfeng nodded with a grin. "Then, Brother Ye, you'll also want to take part in the Inner Sect Martial Contest next month."

"Inner Sect Martial Contest?"

"I have no idea. Please enlighten me, Brother Lu."

Lu Xuanfeng explained, "Each state can only send five representatives to the Wanzhou Martial Contest. Our Sword Sect has two spots, and the Academy has two. The final spot goes to Ye Zhuxin from the Ye Clan, and it has already been decided.

"She's been training tirelessly for this contest and hasn't joined the Main Guanxuan Academy just so she won't have to compete for her spot. Besides, she doesn't need to participate in the Martial Contest; she's among the top talent in Qingzhou's younger generation."

"So if we want to participate in the Wanzhou Martial Contest, I have to go through the Inner Sect Martial Contest?" asked Ye Guan.

"Yes."

"Over seventy people are competing for two spots?"

"One spot," Lu Xuanfeng corrected.

Ye Guan was stunned.

Lu Xuanfeng smiled. "One of the spots has already been decided."

Ye Guan frowned. "The An Clan?"

"Yes, although Brother An will also compete in the Inner Sect Martial Contest, with his strength… It seems that only Brother Ye can rival him."

"So there's only one spot left?"

"Yes. Actually, everyone's real goal isn't one of those five spots, but rather the reserve spot."

"The reserve spot?"

"Yes, the five spots were pretty much decided from the start. No one will really fight for those. We need to choose the five strongest people to represent Qingzhou in the Wanzhou Martial Contest.

"Ye Zhuxin and Brother An are both the strongest of our younger generation in Qinzhou. If they go, Qingzhou will profit the most. This isn't just a personal battle for honor; it's a battle for Qingzhou's honor as well.

"As the people of Qingzhou, we naturally want the strongest to represent us.

"We all know our limits. None of us truly believe that we can represent Qingzhou in the Wanzhou Martial Contest. For most of us competing in this Inner Sect Martial Contest, our real goal is actually one of those two reserve spots.

"Those spots are for the backup talents. Those selected will also go with the main team to the Wanzhou Martial Contest. Although not as main contestants, they will go there for the sake of gaining experience.

"If they manage to return safely, those two reserve contestants will become main contestants for the Qingzhou Martial Contest, and they will have access to specialized training."

Ye Guan nodded slightly. "I see."

"Brother Ye, is your goal one of the five main spots?"

"Yes."

"Then let me wish you the best of luck in advance, Brother Ye."

Just as Ye Guan was about to respond, an elder approached from a distance. It was Elder Qiu Xiao, a Grand Elder of the Sword Sect, second in strength only to Sect Master Yue Qi.

Qiu Xiao looked over at the crowd and said, "Take your seats."

Everyone sat down.

Ye Guan glanced around and noticed, "It seems Brother An isn't here."

Qiu Xiao explained, "He doesn't need to attend the lecture. The An Clan has arranged for a private mentor to train him, and he even has his own special training grounds provided by the Immortal Treasures Pavilion."

"I see," Ye Guan replied. He looked around once more and frowned because Fu Ji was missing. Where did he go?

In the end, he set aside the thought and focused on the lecture. He wasn't pretending to be listening; he was genuinely paying attention. In the past, his cultivation base had advanced too quickly, leaving him without a deep understanding of each realm.

Since he was starting from scratch, he aimed to grasp every realm perfectly, including his Sword Dao Realm.

***

After venturing deep into the mountains, Yang Yian soon unearthed several more herbs, bringing a bright smile to her face. Soon, she reached the mountainside of a solitary peak. Looking back, she could faintly make out some of the Sword Sect's pavilions through the mist.

Occasionally, a flash of sword light would shoot up toward the heavens, creating a magnificent sight.

Yang Yian withdrew her envious gaze and continued climbing. Feeling a bit warm, she looked up to see that, at some point, a blazing red sun had appeared overhead, casting radiant light through the mist.

It was a beautiful scene.

Wiping away the from her forehead, she pressed on, gathering any spiritual herbs, flowers, or fruits she encountered along the way.

By noon, her bamboo basket was full of various herbs and flowers. She eventually found a rock to sit on, and she took out a flatbread for lunch.

It was the peak of midday, and the sun was beating down hard on the land. Despite the sweat on her face, Yang Yian was all smiles. Today's harvest was plentiful!

Just then, she turned and noticed a young man carrying a large stone on his back while running toward the summit. She took a closer look and was momentarily stunned. The young man was Fu Ji, and he was training hard!

Yang Yian looked away and glanced at her own little bamboo basket.

"I have to work hard, too!" she declared and hoisted her bamboo basket before continuing her climb toward the peak.

***

After the lecture, Ye Guan went directly to the Training Peak. After paying the necessary fees, he entered the ninth floor of the Gravity Tower. Glancing at his storage ring, he shook his head with a wry smile. Training here was truly expensive! At this rate, he would soon run out of money.

He really needed to find a way to earn more spiritual crystals.

Putting these thoughts aside, he focused on a golden puppet a short distance in front of him.

Swoosh!

The puppet disappeared, and a flash of golden sword light shot toward him.

Ye Guan sidestepped, but he was slow because the gravity here was nine times than that of the outside world. However, his movements were fast enough to avoid the strike.

When Ye Guan extended his finger to counterattack, the puppet evaded with a sidestep.

He hadn't managed to land a decisive blow!

The golden puppet spun around, launching another fierce thrust.

Ye Guan extended two fingers, gently pinching the sword's blade, but a burst of sword energy erupted from the blade.

Ye Guan let go of the sword and tapped the ground with his toes, retreating several meters to avoid the wave of sword energy. At that moment, however, another sword thrust came at him.

Remaining calm, Ye Guan pointed forward with one finger.

Bam!

The attack connected, and the golden puppet's sword trembled violently. The puppet staggered back several steps from the force.

Ye Guan closed in, striking out again with a single finger. But the golden puppet was quick to react and fiercely slashed down with its sword.

Just like that, Ye Guan relentlessly fought against the golden puppet despite the powerful gravity. Over the next month, he trained daily at the Training Peak, pushing every aspect of his abilities to the absolute limit. This time, he wanted both his swordsmanship and his cultivation level to be flawless.

While he was deep in his training, Yang Yian had been venturing into the mountains each day with her small bamboo basket. One day, she found herself in the depths of the mountains. Her luck wasn't great that day, as he had only managed to gather a few herbs by noon.

The Inner Sect Martial Contest was going to be held tomorrow!

Determined, she gritted her teeth and ventured deeper into the forest. After walking for a while, she arrived at a dense thicket where the trees were packed so closely together that sunlight barely filtered through. The dim light made the place feel stifling and ominous.

Though a bit nervous, Yang Yian pressed on. After a while, she suddenly spotted a massive lingzhi mushroom, one that was about the size of a pot lid and was entirely golden.

Even from a distance, she could smell a faint, enchanting fragrance emanating from it. Yang Yian's eyes lit up with excitement. She knew that the herb was extraordinary. She hurried over, but just as she was about to reach it, the ground in front of the lingzhi shifted.

The next instant,a black python burst from the earth, launching itself straight at her.

Bam!

Caught off guard, Yang Yian was blasted away, crashing hard against a tree, which split and cracked from the impact. She let out a pained cry, overwhelmed by the sudden agony.

Luckily, over the past few days, Ye Guan had been secretly teaching her how to cultivate and had even helped her absorb spiritual energy from spiritual crystals. The training gave her just enough cultivation base to survive.

Had it not been for those sessions, Yang Yian would have died on the spot.

Just as she hit the ground, the black python lunged at her again. Her face turned pale, and she instinctively raised her hoe and smashed it down with all her might. Unbeknownst to her, the hoe glimmered faintly with spiritual light.

Ye Guan hadn't taught her an ordinary cultivation method, after all!

Bam!

The blow sent the black python flying several meters away. It came to a stop with blood trickling from a crack in its forehead.

It cast a wary glare at Yang Yian but didn't retreat.

Meanwhile, Yang Yian stood up quickly and gripped her hoe while staring intently at the black python.

"I-I'm from the Yang Clan!" Yang Yian nervously stammered, "If you bully me, I'll call… I'll call everyone from the Yang Clan to come fight you!"

The black python was completely puzzled at her attempt to defend herself.

Seeing it hesitate but not retreat, Yang Yian swallowed hard and decided to try a softer approach. "If… If you spare me, the Yang Clan will remember your kindness… okay?"

After a tense pause, the black python suddenly spoke, startling her. "Fine, I'll show the Yang Clan some respect, but remember… the Yang Clan owes me a favor."

With that, it turned around and fled. The truth was, it felt uneasy around this little girl. After all, this was the Sword Sect's territory, and who knew if someone powerful was watching over her? It had spent ages cultivating to this point and had finally developed some intelligence. It had no intention of seeking a disaster.

As for the python's parting words, they were really just an excuse to back out gracefully. Although neither Yang Yian nor the python had meant anything by their actions, a link of karma was nonetheless forged.

Yang Yian was stunned that the python could speak.

Afraid that it would come back, Yang Yian wasted no time, hurrying over to the large lingzhi mushroom. She dug carefully around it before placing it into her basket.

When she tried to lift it onto her back, however, she gasped in pain. Upon colliding with the tree earlier, a long gash was made on her back. At this point, her back was dyed crimson from her own blood.

Ignoring the pain, she put the basket over her shoulders and took off running.

Just as night was about to fall, Yang Yian finally emerged from the mountains and arrived at the Task Hall. She placed a few miscellaneous herbs along with the golden lingzhi mushroom on the counter and flashed a big smile.

"How much are all these?" she asked.

The young lady behind the counter felt her heart skip a beat when she saw the golden lingzhi. Of course, she didn't show it on the outside. Instead, she furrowed her brows slightly while staring at the herbs.

Seeing this, Yang Yian immediately grew anxious. "Is there a problem?"

The lady glanced at her and then replied, "It's not worth much… but since you come here so often, how about this? I'll give you three spiritual crystals for it."

Yang Yian hesitated before asking, "Can you give me just one more?"

The lady shook her head. "No, these are only worth three spiritual crystals."

Yang Yian bit her lip and then nodded. "Alright."

The young lady took out three spiritual crystals and handed them to Yang Yian.

"Thank you!" Yang Yian exclaimed and left.

Once Yang Yian was out of sight, the young lady's eyes glimmered in excitement. She gently stroked the golden lingzhi mushroom and exclaimed, "It's actually the legendary Golden Lingzhi worth at least three hundred spiritual crystals! That girl is such a dumbass!"

Just then, an old man appeared before her.

The young lady was stunned. "Manager Wu?"

Manager Wu shook his head. "Greed truly has no limits. If you had given her even one more spiritual crystal when she asked for it earlier, I could have been lenient with you. Unfortunately, you were exceedingly cruel and greedy."

The young lady's face turned pale. "Manager Wu! I-I'm from the Qin Clan, and I—"

Smack!

Manager Wu struck her with his palm, interrupting her sentence. She collapsed to the ground, but she was still alive. However, her dantian had been destroyed, so she could only live life as a cripple from now on.

Manager Wu ordered, "Get the Qin Clan to come and take her away."

With that, he turned around and left.

***

Yang Yian left the Task Hall and rushed back to her courtyard.

She crawled under her bed, and after a bit of searching, she pulled out a bag containing spiritual crystals. She took them out and counted them one by one.

So far, she had accumulated a hundred and twenty-nine spiritual crystals. She counted them once again, but there were still only a hundred and twenty-nine spiritual crystals.

Gritting her teeth, she picked up the bag and left her room. Seeing that dusk was approaching, she slung the bag over her back and ran out. Soon, she arrived at the Spiritual Treasures Pavilion. Holding her bag, she ran inside and pointed to a sword hanging on the wall. "I want that one."

She was pointing at a sword that was three feet and seven inches long, two fingers wide. It was made of dark iron with no engravings on it. It was a simple and clean sword.

The old man glanced at the sword and said, "It's a Spiritual-grade Nameless Sword. A hundred and thirty spiritual crystals."

Yang Yian placed the bag on the counter and bit her lip. "I have only one hundred and twenty-nine spiritual crystals. Will that be enough?"

The old man shook his head. "The prices are fixed."

Yang Yian pleaded, "I'm just one crystal short. Can't you make an exception?"

The old man shook his head again.

Yang Yian clenched her hands, clearly going through an internal struggle. After a long pause, she took a deep breath and removed a necklace hanging around her neck. She stared at it for a long moment before shakily placing it on the counter. "Can I trade this for one spiritual crystal?"

Even when she nearly starved to death, she had never parted with her necklace, as it was the only thing her parents had left behind for her.

The old man glanced at the necklace and nodded. "Alright."

He put the necklace away and removed the Nameless Sword along with its sheath before handing them to Yang Yian.

Yang Yian accepted it and looked at it as if it were a priceless treasure. She glanced at the necklace in the old man's hand before running out with the sword in her arms.

It was already night when Ye Guan walked out of the Gravity Tower.

He had finally made a breakthrough into the Truth Realm. He smiled slightly and muttered to himself, "Now I can take that girl flying on a sword."

Ye Guan disappeared into the distance. When he returned to his courtyard, he saw that Yang Yian was waiting for him. She had her hands behind her back, and there was a smile tugging at her lips.

Ye Guan raised an eyebrow. "Yian…"

"Close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Don't ask, just do it!"

She's being mysterious now? Ye Guan smiled and shook his head but obliged.

Moments later, Yang Yian's voice echoed very close to him. "Open your eyes."

Ye Guan opened his eyes and watched as Yang Yian handed over a sword to him with a bright smile.

"This is for you."

Ye Guan was stunned, and then his face darkened. "Where did you get this sword?"

Seeing his suspicious and stern gaze, Yang Yian's smile froze. She felt like her heart was being torn apart, and tears welled up in her eyes. She threw the sword to the ground and roared, "Yes, yes, I stole it! I stole it!

"I'm a thief, and I stole it! I'm just a thief in your eyes!"

Yang Yian turned around and ran away.

Just then, Manager Wu walked over from the side. He stared at Ye Guan and said, "Young Lord Ye, I thought you knew…"

Ye Guan looked confused. "Knew what?"

Manager Wu then told Ye Guan about Yang Yian's trips into the back mountains to gather herbs. Ye Guan had heard just half of the story before he picked up the sword from the ground and turned around to chase after her.

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