This lusterless black sword started to tremble, not because of Xie Rou’s nervousness this time, but because her vital energy was surging into the black sword.

Huang Jinlian’s pupils contracted sharply.

He did not see any vital energy moving on the surface of the black sword. Xie Rou’s vital energy was flowing along the hand into the sword!

At the same time, he saw purple gas start to rise from the tip of the black sword.

Small needle-thin purple mist spewed quickly from the black sword tip. In a flash, a purple mist formed in front of him and Xie Rou’s figure disappeared within it.

He shouted.

He held the Seven Luminaries sword in front of him and pushed it out.

The seven lights shining on the blade connected together to form a moving wall of light in front of him.

This was the famed defense sword form of the Iron Screen Sword School, “Horizontal Mountain Break”.

When Xie Rou’s vital energy had streamed into the black sword, he was certain that this black sword wasn’t made from ordinary steel but an astounding and famed sword. In a situation when he did not know the effects of Xie Rou’s sword, he would naturally adopt a defensive and reliable stance.

The purple mist was weak and instantly dissipated by his horizontal sweep. Xie Rou’s figure once again appeared in his sight.

Yet, at the same time, a thread of sweetness hit his head, he suddenly felt heavy.

“Poison!”

Huang Jinlian immediately reacted. He shouted urgently, and expelled all the air he had inhaled along this shout.

At the same time, he swung the shining golden sword in his hand forward with great will.

The air in front of him shook, and then there was an enormous roar like multiple warriors were carrying an iron pillar and charging towards Xie Rou.

This was the “Mountain Beating Form” of the Iron Screen Sword School. This was not the most refined and malicious sword form of the school but was definitely the most violent.

Regardless of what kind of poison was in the purple mist, he was confident he could defeat Xie Rou before the poison took effect.

Xie Rou paled slightly. She swung her lusterless black sword, not forward, but behind her. Her body flew behind the sword along the slash like a sparrow.

Many students were surprised.

Besides their surprise at Xie Rou’s sword, they discovered that Xie Rou was not as weak as they had imagined. This “Sparrow Flying Slash” was originally used for a rapid attack, but she used it to jump backwards. It was so clever that most people could not have responded as well and as fast as she did.

And yet, in most people’s minds, Xie Rou still couldn’t win.

Huang Jinlian also changed moves quickly and before the roar had faded from everyone’s ears, the sound of cloth tearing rang in the air.

Huang Jinlian’s head was held high. The sword in his hand moved in a parry. A crimson flame left his blade, flying upwards towards Xie Rou who was flying backwards.

This sword flame looked like a burning cloud and the move was also called the “Burning Cloud”. The sword essence was dozens of meters across, and even if Xie Rou had winds, she could not dodge in time.

Xie Rou could only receive it.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Yi was extremely nervous and even stopped breathing.

He felt that Huang Jinlian was extremely strong. If he was the one in Xie Rou’s situation, he might not be able to withstand this blow.

Wind and rain roared, followed by thunder.

In everyone’s sight, Xie Rou ignored her falling body, allowing herself to fall naturally. But she furiously swung her sword a dozen times in front of her.

The spraying sword energy pulled in the primal energies of the universe to form wind and rain, and then purple lightning.

Many spectating students were even more amazed.

This was the Mount Guan Wind Thunder Sword Form of Guanzhong.

This strike was extremely strong. Especially in presence.

Never had they imagined that a young woman like Xie Rou could display such a sword essence like the heroes of Guanzhong.

Even Huang Jinlian had never predicted this. Even so, he did not think he would lose.

Thinking of Geng Ren’s past warnings, he took a deep breath. He once again sent vital energy into the Seven Luminaries Sword in his hand, careful not to stir his vital energy.

Zzt zzt zzt zzt …

Dense piercing sounds reverberated. The wind and rain met the burning clouds.

Boom!

In this instant, the wind, rain, and thunder all dissipated. Xie Rou, who had been falling downwards, flew upwards, and then flew away in a strange posture like a kite with a broken string.

Many people watching stopped breathing completely. They looked with narrowed eyes at Xie Rou’s body, wondering how Huang Jinlian would end this battle.

And yet, at this time, Huang Jinlian’s charging body abruptly stopped. The soil under his feet dampened by the fine rain, he suddenly stopped, two bursts of dust suddenly exploded under his feet.

He once again gave a shout. This time, his shout was filled with strong shock.

There were hundreds of fine black lights headed towards him within the mixture of scattered red flames, wind, rain, and lightning!

Only now did he detect these black lights as thin as hair. And only now could he clearly sense that these small lights came from Xie Rou’s sword.

These fine black lights came from within Xie Rou’s body and had flown out as her vital energy surged!

Even more importantly, these fine black light gave off a powerful, sweet yet noxious smell. Just a moment was enough for his sight to blur.

As the dust exploded under his feet, his right wrist suddenly turned softly, and his entire arm swung in a circle.

The sword light spun in front of him and expanded. The burning sword light seemed to form an open umbrella in front of him.

“What sword form is this?”

A student shouted in shock.

This was a defense form more stunning than the “Horizontal Mountain Break.” But he had never heard of it before. It must be one of the secret sword forms of Iron Screen Sword School.

The incoming fine black lights were stopped by Huang Jinlian’s blow.

Yet, Huang Jinlian’s face quickly paled.

A flow of black energy wound along the sword in his hand, onto the sword hilt, and then flowed onto his hand. His body quickly felt weak as though he had not eaten for many days. Then his sight completely blurred. He could not see.

There was a bang ahead of him. He knew that was the sound of Xie Rou hitting the ground. He tried to lift his hand, wanting to throw his sword out. Yet, his strength appeared to have been emptied. When he lifted his hand, he sensed that his throw would not reach Xie Rou.

“How is this possible!”

His remaining strength turned into a disbelieving shout.

The Seven Luminaries Sword in his hand quickly dimmed and fell to the floor.

He powerlessly fell forward and knelt on the ground.

“What kind of sword is this?”

Many exclamations sounded in unison. Even the cultivation teachers were among those who had spoken.

Everyone could see that Xie Rou’s sword contained powerful poison, and there were many fine holes in her sword tip that produced the poison. What puzzled them was since the sword contained such a powerful poison, Xie Rou should also be similarly affected. In a collision of energy, the poison should have also spread around her.

Yet, Xie Rou was standing up from the ground. She was shaking all over, but her figure was intimidating nonetheless.

“Poisoned Dragon Water! It’s Poisoned Dragon Water!”

A shout came from somewhere, the voice enough for people to clearly feel the terror the speaker felt.

“It’s Poisoned Dragon Water!”

“It really is …!”

Many teachers and students inhaled sharply at the same time, their bodies stiffened.

“Someone finally recognized this sword,” Jing Liuli smiled coldly and said from inside the hut.

Tantai Guanjian looked over with emotion towards Ding Ning who was sitting in the falling dusk.

This sword was a legend. It had been the personal sword of the strongest cultivator of the Zhao Dynasty, Lian Po. Hidden within the seemingly plain iron blade was a crystal core that had been taken from the body of a true poison dragon. Based on the strength of the vital energy, the crystal core would produce different poisons. The handle of this sword was made from the horn of a yellow dragon that could easily remove the threat of these poisons.

In the last wars between the Qin and Zhao, this sword had once killed tens of thousands of Qin soldiers in one battle. However, because this was an event from dozens of years ago, this sword had faded from the sights of cultivators due to the passing away of its master, and people rarely recognized it.

But this wine shop youth remembered it.

Had he known that this sword landed in the hands of Chengping Pass’s General Zhao Kuo after the death of Lian Po, and then ended up in Min Mountain Sword Sect’s Sword Valley after the Qin army took Chengping Pass?

“She won …”

Zhang Yi looked at Xie Rou standing with her sword and was unable to believe it for a moment. Even as he spoke in a trembling voice, he started to understand how Xie Rou was able to easily pass the previous trial than most students present.