Jade Shakes the Thousand Mountains - Chapter 7: Opponent - Might As Well Wish for Wei Shengming to Appear Personally

Chapter 7: Opponent – Might As Well Wish for Wei Shengming to Appear Personally

The next day.

The matches still followed a draw system, with one person getting a bye and automatically advancing to the next round.

In the morning match, Yan Yuge faced Wei Qingxia.

Lu Wenshu automatically advanced to the next round.

Wei Shengming’s “Annihilation” was immensely powerful. Wei Qingxia had practiced it countless times in private. When he unleashed “Annihilation,” Yan Yuge struggled to resist but ultimately lost.

Seeing this from the judge’s platform, Ye Pingzhou shook his head with helplessness in his eyes.

Although Wei Qingxia had won, he had exploited a loophole in the rules and used someone else’s killing move, making his victory dishonorable. The Sword Debate Tournament was indeed about discussing the Sword Way through swordsmanship and convincing others through martial prowess, but there were distinctions in how one achieved victory.

Being solely focused on winning caused one to lose the true essence of sword debate and exchange in the Sword Way.

Some Sword Cultivators who were eliminated early didn’t leave but stayed at Penglai to watch the matches. Many of them had suffered losses to Wei Qingxia. Seeing Wei Qingxia cut through all opponents and about to claim the championship, they were filled with indignation.

After Yan Yuge lost to Wei Qingxia, the watching cultivators couldn’t help but whisper among themselves, with some emitting meaningful cold snorts.

“I really wish Lu Wenshu would teach him a lesson.”

“Give it up. Expecting a young cultivator to break Wei Shengming’s killing move? He may have genius talent, but he still falls short compared to Wei Shengming in his prime. Having one genius like Wei Shengming in nearly a thousand years is already rare how could there easily be a second?”

“Might as well wish for Wei Shengming to appear personally and teach this Wei Qingxia a lesson.”

The stands buzzed with discussion. Lu Wenshu stood on the competition platform, the noise reaching his ears, yet his expression remained unshaken.

He never smiled, especially on the sword testing platform no one could tell what he was thinking.

Opposite him, Wei Qingxia already wore an expression of certain victory.

Wei Qingxia had no patience. He directly unleashed Wei Shengming’s killing move.

For this day, he had endured thirty days even three thousand years! He no longer wanted to prolong the fight, only wishing to end the match with one swift move, eagerly anticipating reaping his reward.

However, unexpectedly, the sword move he released didn’t break through as before but was effortlessly deflected by the young cultivator opposite him, like a feather falling on water, making no progress.

Wei Qingxia was shocked.

Gritting his teeth, he continued releasing moves while channeling all his spiritual power into his long sword, yet Lu Wenshu easily defended against each one.

Wei Qingxia retreated step by step, growing increasingly frantic.

Lu Wenshu remained methodical and unflustered throughout.

Suddenly, Wei Qingxia felt a sharp pain in his arm the three strands of Sword Qi he had sent out were precisely reflected back by Lu Wenshu without the slightest deviation.

Wei Qingxia was giving his all, but Lu Wenshu already had the measure of him.

Wei Qingxia had learned Wei Shengming’s killing move, but unfortunately, he wasn’t Wei Shengming himself. The same move yielded different effects when used by different people. In Wei Qingxia’s hands, the killing move likely didn’t even achieve half of Wei Shengming’s potency.

A piercing, dull pain spread the sword in his hand no longer obeyed his commands.

With a clang, Wei Qingxia’s sword flew from his grasp.

Losing his weapon meant complete and utter defeat with no room for recovery.

And it was the most humiliating way to lose.

Sword Cultivators their swords were more important than their lives. The match hadn’t even ended, yet he had already lost his sword. What dignity remained?

On the stands, silence fell first.

In the utter stillness, someone timidly asked, “Did he win?”

Someone answered: “It seems… he won.”

The crowd still found it hard to believe.

Later, at a certain moment, the spectator stands suddenly erupted with roaring cheers.

Lu Wenshu descended from the competition platform amidst this thunderous applause.

His expression remained as indifferent as ever, as if untouched by joy or sorrow, but his abruptly quickened pace and determined direction betrayed the turmoil within him.

Deaf to the resounding applause, Lu Wenshu moved as if in a world of his own, his mind occupied by a single thought: he must send a message to Azure Peak.

He had won, and he wanted to be the first to tell A-Chan.

Before Lu Wenshu could return to his room, Ye Pingzhou called out from behind him: “Young Sect Leader Lu, please wait!”

Lu Wenshu ignored him, but Ye Pingzhou shouted again: “Young Sect Leader Lu, please wait!”

Only then did Lu Wenshu pause slightly and turn around, seeing Ye Pingzhou’s face unable to conceal his excitement.

“Why are you leaving in such a hurry?” Ye Pingzhou said with a smile. “Young Sect Leader Lu, you’ve truly made everyone see you in a new light just now.”

Lu Wenshu said urgently: “I need to hurry back and tell this news to…”

He paused.

“Tell whom?” Ye Pingzhou asked curiously.

But Lu Wenshu suddenly calmed down.

He was startled by how close he had come to carelessly revealing Lu Chanji’s name to Ye Pingzhou without any precaution, breaking out in a cold sweat of fear upon reflection.

Lu Chanji’s identity was special her existence couldn’t be known by too many people. Especially those outside the Sword Inheriting Sect. This could potentially create great future troubles for him and the Sword Inheriting Sect. He had only just tasted victory, yet he was already becoming so carried away…

Lu Wenshu pinched his own palm, his restless heartbeat gradually settling back to reality, the excited blood throughout his body cooling considerably. He spoke again: “To tell our Sword Inheriting Sect’s sect leader.”

“Naturally, good news should be shared quickly with those close to you. Then I won’t disturb you further,” Ye Pingzhou said, understanding his feelings while simultaneously paving the way for Wei Shengming. “When you have the opportunity in the future, come to our Grand Micro Sect and exchange pointers with our sword cultivators.”

Lu Wenshu humbly agreed.

After Ye Pingzhou left, Lu Wenshu strode swiftly, avoiding the crowds who wanted to speak with him, and finally returned to his room. Before using the Sound Transmission Stone to contact Lu Chanji, for some reason he felt a sudden impulse and first opened his palm, releasing Lu Chanji’s Star Ruin Fate Chart.

At this sight, Lu Wenshu’s eyes shook violently, all color draining from his face.

In recent days, he had been busy with competition after competition, having not checked Lu Chanji’s fate chart for just a few days. Yet, during these very days, on the Star Ruin Fate Chart, beside the brilliant star that represented him, a star that had previously grown dim had lit up once again.

It was Lu Qi’s star.

He remembered this position.

Unnamed rage burned in his heart, completely dispersing the joy of winning first prize at the Sword Debate Tournament. As Lu Wenshu closed his fingers to retract the Star Ruin Fate Chart, he used almost enough force to crush it.

His face pale with anger, disregarding everything else, he immediately summoned his Natal Sword and then flew away on his sword, leaving Penglai without the slightest hesitation.

By the time the Sword Inheriting Sect members learned that their young sect leader had left Penglai, two hours had already passed.

When Lu Wenshu couldn’t be found anywhere on Penglai, someone sent a sound transmission to inquire, only to discover that Lu Wenshu had abandoned everyone and left alone.

Holding the Sound Transmission Stone, Ye Pingzhou lamented to Wei Shengming: “Don’t bother coming. He’s already gone.”

She couldn’t help but sigh into the Sound Transmission Stone, “This scene feels so familiar. Winning first prize at the Sword Debate Tournament – anyone else would’ve stayed to bask in the cheers and admiration of other cultivators, spending at least five to ten days leisurely touring Penglai. Yet you two fled faster than goblins.”

“Blame yourself for not attending the Sword Debate Tournament,” Ye Pingzhou finally said. “If you want to spar with him now, go to the Sword Inheriting Sect yourself.”

–

Sword Inheriting Sect.

The third, fourth, and fifth days after Lu Qi’s return.

He still came daily to challenge Lu Chanji.

And daily, he was defeated by Lu Chanji.

Lu Chanji could tell that Lu Qi was suppressing frustration inside.

Being defeated by a mortal like her must be deeply humiliating for an inner disciple of the Sword Inheriting Sect. His frequent challenges were likely just desperate to win at least once.

After all, defeating her should be a given.

Lu Chanji had considered whether she should hold back, pretending to be outmatched and letting Lu Qi win once. That way, he might stop bothering her.

But aside from Lu Wenshu, Lu Qi was the second person willing to spar with her using only sword moves, without spiritual power.

From the time Lu Wenshu began preparing for the Sword Debate Tournament until his actual departure, he had been busy training. Including the month before he left for the tournament, Lu Chanji had gone nearly half a year without speaking much to another living soul.

Perhaps Lu Qi’s presence made the Listening Spring Pavilion feel slightly livelier, so Lu Chanji tacitly allowed his challenges.

But by the eighth day, facing a Sound Transmission Stone that had remained silent for three full days, Lu Chanji had no patience left for dealing with Lu Qi.

The Sword Debate Tournament had ended three days ago. By all logic, Lu Wenshu’s message should have reached Azure Peak and her through the Sound Transmission Stone that very day.

Yet three whole days had passed since the tournament’s end, and the stone had never lit up.

Had something happened?

Lu Chanji asked Lu Qi, who stood in the courtyard, “How many days did you stay in Penglai?”

Lu Qi replied, “Eighteen days.”

Lu Chanji pressed further, “How was the Young Sect Master’s condition at that time?”

Instead of answering, Lu Qi asked, “If I tell you, will you spar with me today?”

Spar, spar, all he knows is sparring. Lu Chanji choked back her irritation and agreed, “Naturally.”

They say the Sword Way often produces obsessives. Though Lu Qi’s personality was irritating, his dedication to the Sword Way was genuine. That at least earned him some respect.

But now wasn’t the time to acknowledge his merits. Lu Chanji urged, “Hurry up and tell me!”

Lu Qi glanced at her. “For the first eighteen days, the Young Sect Master naturally won with ease, without any effort.”

Mentioning Lu Wenshu, his face glowed with shared pride, as if the gloom from his repeated defeats by Lu Chanji had dissipated somewhat.

Lu Chanji pressed, “And after the eighteenth day?”

“After that…” Lu Qi shook his head. “After that, I left the Sword Debate Tournament, so I know nothing more.”

“Though I didn’t follow it closely, the Young Sect Master must have achieved a high ranking,” Lu Qi declared with proud certainty.

Who cared about his “must”? Since when did his “must” make it true? Asking him was a waste of breath.

Lu Chanji stamped her foot in frustration. “Why couldn’t you have won a few more rounds?”

The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she grew. “Your talent isn’t that bad, yet this is all you can manage? Do you not practice your sword diligently enough?”

“Of course I’ve been studying and practicing diligently!” These words struck right at Lu Qi’s sore spot. She could say he lacked talent, but she couldn’t claim he wasn’t working hard. If he hadn’t wanted to properly assess his own abilities, why would he have rushed back so early from Penglai?

Just as Lu Qi was about to argue with Lu Chanji, the bell hanging under the eaves suddenly rang out. The clear, crisp chime cut off the words he hadn’t yet spoken.