"Grandmaster, my ass!"
Claire Yue stood atop Wolf Thrall’s shoulders, sneering coldly. Wolf Thrall strode toward Quinn Shepherd, both hands gripping his twin demon blades, each whirling through the air. At the same moment, Claire’s body trembled; dozens of swords shot out from the sword case on her back in a synchronized flash. She sneered, "When rivals meet on a narrow road, the brave wins. On this alley, Wolf Thrall and I together are invincible! Junior Brother Quinn, your flaw is exposed—best crawl back to the Great Ruins!"
The two attacked from above and below—Wolf Thrall’s twin demon blades swept forward like a black storm, while behind Claire Yue, thirty-one swords pointed outward: one at the front, two behind, then four, then eight, then sixteen, forming a massive Drill Sword Form!
The swords spun in the air, stabbing toward Quinn Shepherd.
"Senior Sister Yue’s sword technique isn’t bad!"
Quinn praised with a smile, "But I’ve already mastered refining qi into threads. You’re no match for me!"
"Refining qi into threads?"
Claire Yue snapped angrily, "Are you trying to humiliate me?"
Quinn pointed forward; from his fingertip, hundreds of yuanqi threads burst out, each one joining end to end to form sword shapes—a Drill Sword Form as well, but much thicker, like a pillar as wide as a water jar. The sword tip led, the shaft widened behind, and it stabbed straight at Wolf Thrall!
Wolf Thrall's twin demon blades danced like black lightning, weaving and crossing as they clashed with Quinn's Drill Sword Form. Sparks burst and scattered throughout the alley; though Wolf Thrall was immensely strong, his arms went numb from the impact, and he lost control of his blades, leaving his center wide open.
Claire Yue’s heart jolted. Her Drill Sword Form stabbed at Quinn’s shoulder, aiming for the spot he’d surely defend, hoping to ease Wolf Thrall’s predicament.
Quinn chuckled softly. With a flick of his fingertip, his technique shifted into the Lift Sword Form. The Drill Sword Form he’d just used to attack Wolf Thrall suddenly transformed; countless sword lights spun directly into the Winding Sword Form, yet he was still executing the Lift Sword Form.
He actually fused two sword moves together flawlessly, not the slightest bit hindered.
His countless yuanqi threads coiled into Claire’s Drill Sword Form. Metallic clangs rang out in rapid succession as the flying swords making up the Drill Sword Form were instantly pierced through. In a flash, all thirty-one swords were riddled with tiny holes, like a sieve.
Claire barked an order. Instantly, Wolf Thrall tossed his blades aside and launched a heavy kick at Quinn. Quinn met him with a kick of his own—a thunderous boom sent Wolf Thrall’s massive body flying, while Claire, riding his back, seized the chance to leap up, forming a sword with her fingers and thrusting at Quinn’s shoulder.
Sword qi erupted from her fingertip, forming a blade about to pierce Quinn's shoulder—when suddenly a demonic chant rang out: "Maya Sa!"
Claire Yue's mind was shaken; she lost control for a moment. As music sounded, her sword qi scattered—she burst into giggles and began to dance and sing in front of Quinn.
But Claire’s cultivation was deep. She quickly regained her senses, steadied her mind, and retreated—only to feel warmth at her back. Her heart sank.
Boom.
Back to back with her, Quinn suddenly drove backward, slamming her into the nearby wall.
Behind that wall was Elias Yun’s quarters. Suddenly, the wall collapsed—Buddha light flared around Elias, sending Claire Yue flying. He laughed, "Senior Sister Yue, let me handle this!"
Claire, airborne, snapped, "Monk, you’re hopeless. Step up and you’ll just get beaten!"
His swords began to coil and spiral, executing the Winding Sword Form taught by the Imperial Preceptor. Since the sword lecture, many scholars had practiced these three basic forms—Winding, Roaming, and Drill—and Wes had clearly gained deep insight into them.
Elias’s anger flared. His moves were fierce and domineering, charging at Quinn Shepherd like a rampaging dragon-elephant. Stones shattered beneath his feet, smashed to dust by his wild strength!
"Senior Sister, don’t say monks are hopeless. This monk can fight!"
A heavy, earth-shaking thud rang out as Quinn and Elias's four palms collided. Elias laughed, "Quinn, you didn't expect this, did you? I've already fused the Imperial Preceptor's sword technique into my palm strength—my Great Strength Wutai Seal..."
He hadn't finished speaking when a force like a collapsing mountain crashed down, wild and irresistible, smashing through his yuanqi and shattering his Great Strength Wutai Seal.
Elias grunted and staggered back, unleashing the Dragon-Elephant Demon-Subduing Seal. A thunderous boom rang out; his robes exploded, fluttering like white butterflies in the air.
He was left nearly naked, not a scrap of clothing on his body—just a pair of tattered white shorts.
Quinn launched another punch. This one shattered the air, unleashing a deafening thunderclap—his fist crackled with lightning, like a bolt of thunder. As the punch landed, a cloud of white mist burst out, spreading in all directions.
"Oh no..."
That was his only thought as he braced for Quinn’s punch. Sure enough, his white shorts shredded to pieces, fluttering away like white butterflies—leaving him completely exposed.
Elias Yun was sent flying by that unstoppable force. Still, his cultivation was deep; midair, he twisted around, making sure to face the wall.
Smack—
He hit the wall face-first, his bare backside sticking out.
"At least it’s not my backside against the wall…" Elias thought with relief, happily passing out.
Quinn dusted off his clothes, shaking loose the grit. Just then, a timid voice quavered from behind him: "Brother Quinn..."
Quinn turned. Wes Young was wobbling up from the alley’s end, legs shaking, a sword case strapped to his back.
"Brother Wes, what’s wrong?" Quinn asked, puzzled.
Wes opened his sword case, voice trembling with a sob: "You’ve gone against the heavens—I must uphold justice and challenge you, so you know your place... No, that’s too harsh, I can’t say that..."
Quinn couldn’t help but laugh. "Brother Wes, you want to spar with me? Sparring between fellow disciples is normal, especially given our life-and-death bond. How about this: let’s keep it friendly and stop before things get out of hand."
Wes finally relaxed. His flying swords sprang from their case. He steadied himself, saying, "Brother Quinn, just don’t beat me up like you did that monk."
His swords began to coil and weave, executing the Winding Sword Technique taught by the Imperial Preceptor of the Everpeace Empire. Ever since the Preceptor’s sword lecture, many scholars had practiced the three basic sword forms—clearly, Wes had mastered them well.
[Irrelevant passage about reading the next page. Skip translation.]
The scholars of the Grand Academy weren’t fools—most grasped some of the sword’s mysteries. Wes, though a bit plump, was highly intelligent and gifted, with a deep understanding of the three sword forms.
His family background was rich in tradition, and his own strength was considerable—not inferior to Qin Yu. Quinn wanted to see how capable he truly was, so he didn’t go all out as he had against Qin Yu, but instead met Wes’s attack with his own Winding Sword Form.
Their swordplay intertwined, each adapting and evolving, displaying the subtleties they’d each discovered. Nearby scholars, ignoring their own injuries, watched intently, their eyes fixed on the duel.
Wes’s swordsmanship was truly exceptional. He hailed from the Wei Clan of Goldenridge, whose patriarch is the current State Duke Wei—a top official in the empire.
State Duke Wei is a leader on par with a sect master, renowned for his military exploits. He once destroyed the Tianyu Kingdom in a single campaign, annexing its lands into the Everpeace Empire and earning his noble title.
Wes’s standing in the family wasn’t high, but he’d worked hard since childhood. Thanks to the clan’s deep traditions, his skills ranked among the very best of the Wei family’s younger generation.