NOVEL NEXT Chapter 27:
Chapter 27:
On the Sword Platform, the fiery bird formed by Wang Ao’s Sword Qi clashed violently with the fierce tiger formed by Lin Wangchuan’s Sword Qi.
Buzz!
The void trembled as the firebird and tiger exploded simultaneously, dissolving into the air.
The two flying swords spun wildly before retreating, releasing countless sharp Sword Qi waves that swept outward, accompanied by piercing whooshes.
Everyone was stunned by this sight.
Both Lin Wangchuan and Wang Ao were forced back several steps by the impact of each other’s Sword Qi.
Lin Wangchuan chuckled and beckoned with his right hand, summoning his flying sword, which immediately began circling him, emanating a cold, sharp Sword Qi.
Wang Ao also retrieved his flying sword, glaring intently at Lin Wangchuan.
“This…”
The spectators were shocked beyond words.
Lin Wangchuan, the eccentric fool, had gone head-to-head with Wang Ao and ended in a draw?
No one had expected that Lin Wangchuan, known for his playful and carefree nature, would have the strength to stand against someone like Wang Ao.
For the first time, everyone realized Lin Wangchuan’s extraordinary talent.
Xiao Yang watched the two on the Sword Platform with interest.
Wang Ao had already allied himself with Qin Fei and would eventually become one of his loyal lackeys.
On the other hand, Lin Wangchuan, despite his quirky personality and childlike playfulness, was fiercely loyal to the sect.
In Xiao Yang’s past life, Lin Wangchuan had bravely confronted Qin Fei for the sect, even knowing he was no match for him, and had tragically died at Qin Fei’s hands in an agonizing manner.
Though Lin Wangchuan appeared carefree and unserious, he was a true warrior at heart.
Good men like him deserved to live. Scoundrels like Qin Fei belonged in hell.
“Lin Wangchuan, will you step down yourself, or shall I knock you off?” Wang Ao asked coldly, staring at Lin Wangchuan from across the platform.
Outwardly composed, Wang Ao was inwardly shocked.
Was this fool merely pretending to be crazy all this time?
To him, Lin Wangchuan had always seemed like an oddball, either chasing wild beasts in the mountains or wandering aimlessly. No one had ever seen him practice seriously.
That Elder Gu Feng had chosen Lin Wangchuan as his first disciple had shocked everyone back then.
“Heh, if you want to knock me off, you’ll need the skill to do it,” Lin Wangchuan replied with a grin.
“In that case, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
Wang Ao activated his martial arts, generating a powerful gale around him. A searing Sword Qi erupted from his body.
His earlier attack had merely been a test of Lin Wangchuan’s strength.
When Li Xingyao had challenged the Azure Sun Mountain Sword Platform, she had casually knocked him off with one move—a humiliation he still couldn’t live down.
But seeing Li Xingyao utterly crush Qin Fei without even drawing her sword had left him both shocked and secretly relieved. At least his defeat hadn’t been as embarrassing as Qin Fei’s.
Still, Li Xingyao’s public defeat of him had cost him his reputation among his fellow disciples.
Today, he intended to redeem himself and show everyone what he was capable of.
In the crowd, Qin Fei and Jiang Ting appeared, standing together.
He was dashing and elegant, while she was as beautiful as a flower. Among the disciples, they stood out like a pair of cranes among chickens.
They looked like a match made in heaven.
Xiao Yang glanced at them with a calm heart.
In his past life, the sight of them standing so intimately together would have filled him with jealousy. He had experienced more than enough of that.
But in this life, he had no intention of indulging those feelings.
Jiang Ting raised her head, and her gaze met Xiao Yang’s.
“Hmph!”
She turned her head away angrily.
Xiao Yang, however, remained indifferent, withdrawing his gaze without a word.
Qin Fei’s eyes turned icy as he looked at Xiao Yang.
He had hoped to use the Liu family incident to embroil Xiao Yang in a conflict with the Guiyuan Martial Sect. To his frustration, Xiao Yang had shown no concern for his parents’ plight and had refused to act.
This had completely derailed Qin Fei’s plan.
Now, Xiao Yang’s parents and sister were living in his residence.
Though he wanted nothing more than to kick them out, he couldn’t afford to. He had to maintain the facade of a dutiful adopted son, serving them with apparent devotion.
After all, the entire Azure Sun Sword Sect knew how well the Xiao family had treated him. He couldn’t let anyone call him ungrateful.
The Xiao family’s kindness toward him was widely recognized, and the image of a loving family was perfect for his reputation.
So, he endured, suppressing his frustration.
On the Sword Platform…
Buzz!
A sharp sword hum echoed as Wang Ao’s flying sword turned into a blazing streak, piercing toward Lin Wangchuan.
The fierce, scorching Sword Qi surged outward, triggering the platform’s protective formation.
A glowing barrier enveloped the entire platform.
Lin Wangchuan laughed playfully before releasing a surge of powerful Sword Qi. It transformed into a golden dragon that lunged toward Wang Ao’s blazing sword.
“Sword Qi forming a dragon?”
The crowd gasped in astonishment at the sight.
But Xiao Yang remained unfazed, already knowing how the battle would end.
The golden dragon formed by Lin Wangchuan’s Sword Qi swiped its claws, knocking Wang Ao’s flying sword away before pouncing on him and pinning him to the ground.
The dragon opened its maw, poised to bite.
“I surrender! I surrender!” Wang Ao shouted in terror.
The golden dragon dissipated instantly, vanishing as though it had never existed.
Wang Ao broke out in a cold sweat.
He could never have imagined that the usually carefree Lin Wangchuan could possess such formidable strength.
“You, a fool who only knows how to play, how can you be so strong?” Wang Ao stammered, his disbelief evident as he scrambled to his feet.
Lin Wangchuan didn’t seem to mind, smiling brightly.
But Elder Gu Feng, Lin Wangchuan’s master, was far from pleased.
“Sect Master, what’s with your disciple? Losing and then calling mine a fool? If he can’t handle defeat, he shouldn’t be on the Sword Platform,” Gu Feng retorted angrily, protective of his prized first disciple.
Jiang Qitian’s expression darkened, his displeasure evident.
“Wang Ao, step down!” Jiang Qitian commanded sternly.
“Yes, Master!” Wang Ao hastily bowed to Jiang Qitian and the elders, then retrieved his sword and descended from the platform.
No one had expected Lin Wangchuan to upset the odds and defeat Wang Ao.
The way everyone looked at Lin Wangchuan changed.
To them, he had always been like an overgrown child.
Who could have guessed he was this powerful?
Wang Ao had been at the peak of the Divine Ability Realm.
If Lin Wangchuan could defeat him in one move, was his cultivation already at the threshold of the Sky Martial Realm?
The crowd was astounded.
“Anyone else want to play?” Lin Wangchuan called out, his hands on his hips, grinning as he looked down at the inner disciples.
The disciples exchanged nervous glances.
If Wang Ao had been defeated in one move, who would dare challenge him?
“Senior Brother Lin, I’ll play with you!”
A crisp voice rang out, and a figure leaped onto the platform.
It was none other than Jiang Ting.