From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 33 First Test of Skill

My fingertips touched the cool wooden plaque, and I silently prayed: It must be the best possible fortune. I pulled out the plaque and looked closely; the two characters "丙午" (Bingwu) were clearly engraved on it.

"Xiao Yao, who did you draw?" Sun Yue asked impatiently.

Before I could answer, I heard a commotion in the crowd.

"Bingwu? Isn't that against Zhao Meng?"

"Zhao Meng is one of the best among the outer disciples. It is said that he has already reached the ninth level of Qi Refining. He is a favorite to win the championship in this Immortal Sect Competition!"

"Sigh, this girl is really unlucky. She encountered such a strong opponent in the first round. It seems like she's in big trouble."

The surrounding whispers reached my ears, and my heart sank. I had long heard of Zhao Meng's reputation; he was a notorious cultivation fanatic, incredibly powerful, and even more arrogant and domineering.

"Xiao Yao, don't worry, just do your best," Sun Yue patted my shoulder and comforted me.

I forced a smile and tried to calm myself down. I knew that fear and retreat wouldn't solve anything; only by facing it bravely could I create a miracle.

The competition was held on a martial arts arena, surrounded by a huge crowd, creating a lively atmosphere. I took a deep breath and stepped onto the arena. There stood a burly man opposite me, his gaze sharp as knives, radiating a powerful aura.

"You're Xiao Yao?" Zhao Meng looked me up and down, a disdainful sneer curling at the corner of his mouth. "I heard you've made rapid progress lately, but in my opinion, you're nothing special."

I gripped the Azure Cloud Sword tightly and said coldly, "Enough with the nonsense, let's see who's the best!"

Before he finished speaking, Zhao Meng transformed into a blur and pounced towards me. I was prepared and dodged his attack with a quick movement. Zhao Meng was not discouraged by his missed strike; instead, his attacks became even more ferocious. He swung his giant axe with tremendous force, carrying an overwhelming momentum, as if he wanted to tear me to shreds.

I dared not be careless, dodging Zhao Meng's attacks while searching for an opportunity to counterattack. However, Zhao Meng's strength far exceeded my expectations. His attacks were like a storm, leaving me overwhelmed and gradually putting me at a disadvantage.

"boom!"

Zhao Meng punched me in the chest, and I immediately felt a surge of blood rushing to my chest, a metallic taste rising in my throat. I staggered back a few steps, almost falling to the ground.

"With this little strength, you dare to challenge me?" A hint of contempt flashed in Zhao Meng's eyes. "I advise you to obediently admit defeat, lest you humiliate yourself!"

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth, a resolute glint in my eyes, and sneered, "It's too early to draw conclusions about who won and who lost!"

Seeing that I still refused to admit defeat, Zhao Meng was enraged. He roared and charged at me again, this time with even greater ferocity and speed, leaving me no way to dodge... A biting gust of wind swept over me, and I could almost feel the violent power contained in Zhao Meng's attack. I had no way to avoid it! Was I really going to be defeated here?

No, I can't give up!

In that critical moment, a thought flashed through my mind, and I frantically poured my spiritual power into the Azure Cloud Sword. The Azure Cloud Sword emitted a clear and melodious sword cry, and its blade shone brightly, forming a barrier in front of me.

"boom!"

Zhao Meng's attack slammed into the sword energy barrier with a deafening roar. I was jolted awake, my blood surging, and a metallic taste rose in my throat, but the Qingyun Sword remained firmly protecting me, showing no signs of breaking.

"Huh?" Zhao Meng was clearly surprised that I could block his full-force attack. He raised an eyebrow in astonishment. "Looks like I underestimated you! But do you think you can stop me like that? How naive!"

Before he finished speaking, Zhao Meng swung his giant axe again. This time, his attack was even more swift, each strike carrying immense force, as if he wanted to cleave me and the Qingyun Sword in two.

I dared not relax for a moment, and focused all my attention on dealing with Zhao Meng's attacks. I gradually realized that although Zhao Meng's attack power was strong, his moves were somewhat monotonous, and his body was too clumsy, making speed my weakness.

With this in mind, I had an idea and decided to use my advantages to fight him. I stopped confronting him head-on and instead used my agile movements to constantly dodge and weave, looking for his weaknesses.

"A mere trick!" Zhao Meng was furious when he saw that I was as slippery as an eel. He roared and poured all his spiritual power into the giant axe, then chopped it down at me.

I felt a chill run down my spine. This attack was more powerful than any I had ever taken before. If I were to take it head-on, I would likely be seriously injured, if not killed.

"I'll risk it all!" I gritted my teeth and pushed my spiritual power to its limit. The Azure Cloud Sword in my hand shone brightly, and sword energy swept towards Zhao Meng like a storm.

"Overestimating yourself!" Zhao Meng sneered, his giant axe continuing its momentum, actually managing to shatter all my sword energy.

The giant axe was about to fall on me, and I had nowhere to hide. At that critical moment, the Qingyun Sword in my hand suddenly trembled violently, and a powerful force surged from its blade, enveloping me…

“This is…” Zhao Meng’s expression changed, his gaze fixed on the Qingyun Sword in my hand, “Impossible!”

A powerful force enveloped me, and I felt as if I had become one with the Azure Cloud Sword. A sudden realization dawned on me. I instinctively swung the Azure Cloud Sword; its blade was light yet possessed unparalleled speed, drawing a perfect arc in the air and directly deflecting Zhao Meng's attack trajectory!

"Boom!" The giant axe cleaved through the air and slammed heavily onto the arena, creating a deep crack in the solid surface and sending debris flying.

I stood there, still shaken, staring at the Azure Cloud Sword in my hand as its light gradually faded, my heart filled with disbelief. I had actually triggered the Azure Cloud Sword's special skill!

The audience, who had been holding their breath, erupted in deafening gasps after a brief silence.

"My God! Am I seeing things? Xiao Yao actually blocked Zhao Meng's attack!"

"Incredible! What grade is the sword in her hand? How can it possess such power!"

"This girl is really hiding her true strength! It seems this match is getting more and more interesting!"

Listening to the murmurs of the audience below, I took a deep breath, suppressing my excitement, and looked intently at Zhao Meng. I could sense that the Qingyun Sword's special skill consumed a lot of energy; I only had one chance.

Zhao Meng was clearly startled by my move; his face was ashen, and his eyes were filled with fear. But he quickly calmed down, gripped his giant axe tightly, and charged at me again.

"I refuse to believe you can hide forever!"

This time, Zhao Meng's attack was more cautious. He no longer sought to defeat the enemy with a single blow, but instead pressed forward step by step, giving me no chance to breathe.

The match reached a fever pitch, with both Zhao Meng and I giving it our all. My swordsmanship was light and graceful, while his attacks were powerful and heavy. Sword shadows and axe flashes crisscrossed on the arena, and the two powerful forces collided constantly, producing deafening roars.

Time passed second by second, and my physical strength and spiritual energy were being consumed rapidly, while Zhao Meng remained aggressive and seemed tireless.

"No, I'll lose if this continues!" I was extremely anxious, but I still couldn't find a way to break through Zhao Meng's defense.

Just when I was about to despair, I suddenly noticed that Zhao Meng's movements had slowed down slightly...

I held my breath, keenly seizing the momentary opening in Zhao Meng's defenses! It must be that the prolonged, high-intensity attack had depleted a large amount of his spiritual energy!

There's only one chance! A glint of light flashed in my eyes. Without further hesitation, I mobilized the last bit of spiritual power in my body and poured it into the Azure Cloud Sword.

"Azure Cloud Technique, Second Form - Flowing Cloud Crossing!" I shouted, and my figure shot out like an arrow. The Azure Cloud Sword transformed into a dazzling stream of light, piercing straight into Zhao Meng's chest!

Zhao Meng clearly did not expect me to launch such a fierce counterattack at this moment. In his haste, he only had time to raise his giant axe to defend himself.

"clang!"

A piercing metallic clang echoed throughout the arena as my sword cleaved Zhao Meng's giant axe in two!

"Pfft!" Zhao Meng spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes widening in disbelief, and his body fell backward limply.

I staggered back a few steps, knelt on one knee, and gasped for breath.

"The outcome is decided, Xiao Yao wins!" Referee Xu announced loudly.

The audience was silent for a moment, then erupted in thunderous cheers and applause.

"She won! Xiao Yao actually won!"

"Absolutely amazing! This is a visual feast!"

I slowly stood up, gazing at the now dull and lifeless Qingyun Sword in my hand, my heart filled with emotion. This match was far from easy; it was, in fact, a gamble. If I hadn't seized that final opportunity, I would be the one lying on the ground now.

I took a deep breath, suppressed the surging emotions in my heart, and turned to walk off the ring.

"Congratulations, Junior Sister Xiao, you are truly amazing!"

"Junior Sister Xiao, that sword strike of yours was so cool! Could you teach me?"

"Junior Sister Xiao..."

The other participating disciples surrounded me, offering their congratulations and admiration. I smiled and responded to each one, but I knew perfectly well that this competition was just the beginning, and the challenges ahead would only be more severe.

"Xiao Yao, congratulations on advancing to the next round." Referee Xu walked up to me and said seriously, "However, I must remind you that your next opponent will be much stronger than Zhao Meng, so you should be mentally prepared."

I nodded to show that I understood.

"The next round of the competition will be held in three days. I hope you prepare well." After saying this, Referee Xu turned and left.

As I watched his departing figure, a strange unease suddenly welled up inside me. I had a feeling something was about to happen…

Just then, a commotion suddenly arose in the crowd. I turned to look and saw several disciples dressed in uniform enter. The one in the lead held a golden scroll and announced loudly:

"By order of the sect leader, the rules for this sect competition have been changed..."