Ding Ning took a step forward. The remnant sword with flying small white flowers cut towards Ye Ming’s wrist.

Because Ding Ning had been pushed back a step previously, his counterattacking blow was not fast. However, Ye Ming’s movements were slow due to his shock.

He wanted to pull his sword back. But in this moment, he found Ding Ning’s edge was cutting towards his fingers. He had no time to make any more changes with such a short distance.

He could only let go of his sword.

Ding Ning’s sword edge stuck the hilt of Ye Ming’s sword, causing it to fly to the side and completely out of Ye Ming’s range. Ding Ning stopped advancing. He looked apologetically at Ye Ming and said, “Apologies, Senior Sect Brother Ye Ming.”

Due to his great shock, Ye Ming didn’t even mind that Ding Ning had defeated him during his moment of inattention. He stared with wide eyes at Ding Ning and asked again, “Junior Sect Brother Ding Ning , you just had a breakthrough, why is your cultivation near Energy Refinement first class?”

Ding Ning could understand the other’s feelings. He explained calmly, “Nangong Caishu gave me a pill medicine that I consumed when I fought He Zhaoxi. So I had this kind of cultivation advancement.”

He really defeated He Zhaoxi?

Nangong Caishu and Ding Ning had only met each other when they were studying in the Library Cave but the two already had a relationship where Nangong Caishu would give Ding Ning a pill medicine that advanced cultivation?

Ye Ming started to believe what Ding Ning had said before was true. He looked dazedly at Ding Ning. He couldn’t help but say, “No wonder you did not hesitate when refusing Xie Rou. You have this kind of relationship with Nangong Caishu.”

Hearing this, Ding Ning suddenly frowned and said, “Senior Sect Brother Ye Ming , your thoughts leap too far for me. If you are like this, I cannot talk with you.”

“Only now do I understand what you meant in your words.” Shi Xia walked next to Ding Ning and bowed seriously to him. He said softly, “Before I fought you, I said I would do my best to control my power below Energy Refinement third-class. You said if I did that, I would have more chances to gain experience. Your true cultivation has been above mine. If we both used full power, you could easily and quickly defeat me. But your purposefully kept your strength below Energy Refinement third-class to fight me using pure swordsmanship. You let me learn many things, so I must thank you.”

Ding Ning said calmly, “I made a choice like that because you made the choice first. You do not need to thank me.”

Shi Xia bowed again and turned to leave without speaking.

“You defeated him with swordsmanship?” Ye Ming looked at the departing Shi Xia with disbelief. “Junior Sect Brother Ding Ning, how did you cultivate in this month?”

“Senior Sect Brother, you have too many questions. I cannot explain to you right now. Why don’t you ask what happened after reaching the viewing platform.” Ding Ning really could not stand it any longer. He reached out a hand to Ye Ming. “Give me the token!”

Not far from where Ding Ning and Ye Ming fought, Zhang Yi and Su Qin stood on top of two old vine-covered pine trees.

“Junior Sect Brother, Little Sect Brother Ding Ning is a one in ten thousand genius. As his seniors, we should help him as best we can. How can you do the opposite and work against him?”

Seeing Ye Ming leave after surrendering his token, Zhang Yi turned and sincerely conselled Su Qin who had an icy expression.

Su Qin glanced at him coolly. His body moved and dropped down the old pine. He was going to leave.

Zhang Yi finally became slightly annoyed. He stomped his foot and the dried needles of the old pine under him flew outwards.

“Junior Sect Brother Su Qin! What are you thinking?” he said angrily.

Su Qin turned to look at him and sneered. “You have known me before today. You know that I, Su Qin, has never given up halfway.”

“Do not think to drive other people to fight Little Sect Brother Ding Ning.” Zhang Yi floated off the top of the old pine tree and landed near Su Qin. He said, emphasizing each word, “I will not allow you to do this.”

Su Qin’s eyebrow rose.

Zhang Yi looked at him and said with a determined expression, “If you commit an action like that, I will act.”

“You will want to protect him even if you may not win in the end?” Su Qin said with slight disdain after a moment of silence, “If so, then I will let him go for one more day.”

Feeling the irrevocability of Su Qin’s tone, Zhang Yi’s brows furrowed deeply.

Su Qin turned and left.

Su Qin stared expressionlessly at the fallen leaves under his boots. He looked at these leaves that were forced deep into the mud due to his steps. They would mix with the mud, and become a part of the mud. A colder smile appear on the corners of his lips.

He and Zhang Yi had innately different perspectives on Ding Ning and the other disciples of the sect.

Zhang Yi said they had to help each other … while in his eyes, and in this cultivator world, there were only two possibilities: step on others, or be stepped on.

If one could not step on others to go up, they would be like these fallen leaves pressed into the mud. They would slowly rot and become ordinary and mediocre.

People who were extraordinary and conspicuous like Zhang Yi and Ding Ning had to be stepped on as soon as possible.

He envied talents but did not fear becoming enemies with them.

If he feared his opponents’ talent, how would he have the courage to win against strongest opponents and overcome those dangerous hurdles in the journey of cultivation?

Four pillars of smoke ignited.

Su Qin slowly walked towards the area marked by the smoke.

At the same time, an inconspicuous Green Vine Sword School student who had an ordinary appearance was slowly walking towards the area marked by the smoke pillars.

His right hand occasionally went into his robe to touch the small sword wrapped in cloth.

The presence the sword gave off caused waves of heat inside his body. He even forgot his thirst and hunger.

He was Mo Chen.

Suddenly, he stopped. Another student in the uniform of Green Vine Sword School appeared out of the thin mist ahead of him. This was a tall youth who carried two golden longswords on his back.

“Senior Sect Brother Mo, apologies.” The youth apologetically bowed when he faced Mo Chen. He pulled out the two swords he carried. “I have not yet fought today. Senior Sect Brother Mo, you know that there are few opponents and it is hard to find them.”

Mo Chen recognized this youth. This youth was Li Danxia. He had the highest chance of entering the last three other than He Zhaoxi. His cultivation was not as high as He Zhaoxi and Zhang Yi but he was in Vital Energy Realm.

Knowing that this was an opponent that he could not face with his actual strength, Mo Chen took a deep breath. His right hand reached inside his clothes to tightly grip the hilt of the small sword. Then he bowed to Li Danxia and said softly, “Junior Sect Brother Li, apologies.”

Li Danxia stilled slightly. He thought Mo Chen misspoke because he was experiencing such heavy disappointment. He coughed awkwardly and didn’t respond. He raised his two swords, and made a motion of invitation

Mo Chen lifted his head.

His heart beat like a drum. His eyes had never shone with such light.

Li Danxia suddenly felt a strong anxiousness at such an odd gaze.

Mo Chen took a deep breath. A wave of physical energy flowed out of his energy sea. He channeled it out through his hand without any reservation!

Li Danxia’s pupils contracted violently.

The cloth covering of the small sword was torn to pieces by Mo Chen’s physical energy. The moment the small silver sword appeared in the air, the physical energy surrounding the sword was consumed by the densely packed seals.

Boom.

The small silver gave off a shining light. Threads of light floated up like the snowy white dandelions. The quickly expanding presence even shook loose Mo Chen’s hair tie and caused his long hair to fly behind him.

In this moment, this Green Vine Sword School student, who was unremarkable and subdued, gave off an intimidating air.

Li Danxia instinctively swallowed. Feeling the terrifying presence given off by the other’s sword, he channeled all of his vital energy into the two long swords in his hand.

The hilts of Li Danxia’s swords were golden, but the blades were crimson red. As his vital energy entered, gold and red light mixed together. The two swords looked like burning sunsets.

Mo Chen flew up and swung his sword towards the sunsets.

As he swung the sword, many scenes appeared in his mind.

He saw the people of the Mo Marquessate Establishment ignore his existence and walked past him. He saw the Mo Family of An City living frugally. He saw the anticipatory gazes of numerous people when he left An City for Changling. He recalled how he kept on meeting dead ends in Changling. He couldn’t pass the exams of the many schools he wanted. He saw the shadow of the Mo Establishment over him. He saw himself writing a letter of helplessness to send to his family in An City. He saw his family members beg for dried medicinal grasses that could have been used to increase the longevity of the elders of the family. He saw them place the grasses into a jade box to send to an important person in Changling. He saw himself finally enter Green Vine Sword School but he remained unaccomplished.

In the end, he saw this small sword that gave off countless white dandelions.

He was filled with indignation.

He wanted to cut through these unjust scenes.

The flying white dandelions and the burning sunsets finally met.

In Li Danxia’s eyes, the color of the sunsets immediately disappeared. He saw countless white dandelions fly towards him.

His breathing completely stopped.

A powerful force came. His two swords were cut in half. The spinning blades reversed and cut towards him.

Two sprays of blood came out of his body.

In the next moment, he uncontrollably took a dozen steps back and fell dispiritedly to the ground.

Translator Ramblings: Mo Chen’s got a lot of family pressure going on here to succeed. But he essentially isn’t talented enough to make something of himself in Changling and he wants to grab this sword and opportunity because it may be his only one. He’s barely keeping his head above the water. On the other hand, Su Qin’s doing really well for himself but he wants even more.