She turned slightly, glancing at Xiao Bieli behind her.

Xiao Bieli took the hint and stepped forward, his presence as keen as an unsheathed blade. He announced in a clear, resonant voice, "This junior, Xiao Bieli, is here on my master’s orders to complete my Lifeng—to nurture my path through battle and hone my sword-heart. I was previously fortunate enough to cross swords with your esteemed sect’s Senior Brother Yan Yaoyang, and I learned a great deal. However, my Lifeng remains incomplete, a matter of great regret to me."

His voice was clear and carrying. His gaze swept across the members of the Wutai Sect before finally landing on He Yuzhou. He bowed slightly, but his tone was sharp and demanding.

"Returning to this Treasure Mountain today, I dare to ask Sect Leader He to grant me the honor of once again testing my skills against the finest of the Wutai Sect’s younger generation! With this battle, I hope to bring my journey of Lifeng to its perfect conclusion. I pray Sect Leader He and all the seniors here will grant me this lesson!"

As his voice faded, the entire arena fell silent.

All eyes were fixed on He Yuzhou, waiting to see how he would respond to Cold Jade Valley’s undisguised aggression.

The smile on He Yuzhou’s face tightened, and a cold glint flashed deep in his eyes.

He was long accustomed to Leng Qianqiu’s relentless pressure, and at this moment, he saw her intentions with perfect clarity.

’Leng Qianqiu is using Xiao Bieli, her sharpest blade, to publicly crush the morale of the Wutai Sect’s younger generation. She’s doing it to establish her absolute dominance in the upcoming alliance negotiations.’

’This was a blatant power play—tyrannical, yet unavoidable.’

Seeing this, Commander Zhao chuckled and stroked his beard, whispering to the young man beside him, "It seems we have a nice appetizer before the main course."

The young man, clad in a Jingwu Guard uniform, had sharp, competent features. He heard the comment and replied in a low voice, "Commander, the Four Sects Alliance is a matter of utmost importance to Yunlin Prefecture. With such a grand assembly, do you think... the Demon Sect might secretly send people to cause trouble? Or perhaps..."

Commander Zhao slowly shook his head. "Absolutely not," he said in a low voice. "Those from the Demon Sect, especially Heart Devourer, are meticulous schemers who act with the utmost caution. With experts from the Four Sects gathered here today, this place is a dragon’s pool and a tiger’s den. Even if Heart Devourer came in person, I doubt he’d dare to force his way in."

"Besides, forming a Four Sects Alliance is no simple matter. Look at them. The pact isn’t even settled, and already daggers are drawn. If the Demon Sect were to interfere now, not only would they fail, they’d inadvertently force the four sects to unite against a common enemy. They would temporarily set aside their differences and join forces. As I see it, the Demon Sect won’t cause any trouble today. On the contrary, they’ll lie low, hoping we start fighting amongst ourselves so they can swoop in and reap the benefits."

Understanding dawned on the young man. He quickly lowered his voice and said, "Your insight is brilliant, Commander. I was being shortsighted."

Meanwhile, on the high platform, He Yuzhou’s expression remained calm, but he used a Secret Transmission to say to Chu Jinyun, "Let Shanshan go."

Chu Jinyun nodded, then turned to Nie Shanshan beside her and said softly, "Go on. Be careful. Winning or losing is secondary; your safety is the priority."

Nie Shanshan took a deep breath, suppressing the mix of nervousness and excitement welling up inside her.

She stepped out from the crowd and walked steadily to the center of the arena. Her moon-white disciple’s robes fluttered in the breeze, and her delicate features were a mask of icy calm.

She gave Xiao Bieli a cupped-fist salute, her voice clear and carrying. "Nie Shanshan of the Gui Water Institute. I await your instruction, Senior Brother Xiao."

"Good!"

A sharp glint flashed in Xiao Bieli’s eyes. "Then I won’t hold back," he said with a smile.

’Compared to defeating an acclaimed genius like Yan Yaoyang, he relished the process of crushing a heaven-blessed maiden like Nie Shanshan far more. To watch her confidence shatter bit by bit in the face of absolute power... that was undoubtedly more interesting.’

"Senior Sister Nie is up! She was in seclusion for over a month and had the help of the Three Hundred Years Earth Core Milk. She’ll definitely avenge our last defeat!"

"Hard to say. Xiao Bieli’s aura feels even more potent than last time."

"Gui Water True Qi overcomes hardness with softness. Maybe it can counter his Langyue True Qi?"

"It all comes down to whether Senior Sister Nie’s Thousand Layered Wave Sword Technique can break through Xiao Bieli’s Flowing Cloud Sword Technique."

The experts from the various sects watched with rapt attention, and the atmosphere grew heavy.

Shi Kaishan whispered to Shi Ziyi, who was beside him, "Miss Nie has an impressive presence, but unfortunately... Xiao Bieli came prepared this time. His momentum is even stronger."

Shi Ziyi nodded silently.

Over with the Cold Jade Valley contingent, Ye Qingyi watched her senior brother’s back, her eyes filled with a unique confidence.

Her senior brother was, to this day, undefeated.

"Please!"

Before the word had even faded, the two of them moved almost simultaneously!

Nie Shanshan’s long sword left its sheath with a hum, as if pulled by the tide. The surrounding air instantly grew moist and heavy as streams of Gui Water True Qi rolled toward Xiao Bieli in invisible, overlapping waves, attempting to slow his movements and find an opening.

It was a move from the Thousand Layered Wave Sword Technique—Vast Jade Waves.

Xiao Bieli, however, was like a weightless, flowing cloud. His Body Technique was ephemeral and unpredictable, his long sword tracing profound arcs through the air. His Langyue True Qi, as cool and pristine as moonlight, seemed gentle, yet it sliced precisely into the gaps between the waves, diverting and neutralizing them one by one.

In his hands, the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique had reached the Great Success Realm, and his defense was impenetrable.

HISS!

Nie Shanshan’s Sword Momentum abruptly shifted, her wide assault condensing into a single point. With one thrust, her Sword Qi shot forward like a highly compressed torrent with extreme penetration power, aimed straight for Xiao Bieli’s wrist.

Wave Crashes the Reef!

Unperturbed, Xiao Bieli gave his sword tip a slight tremble, tracing a small arc. His Langyue True Qi formed a miniature vortex that deflected the fierce, concentrated Sword Qi. Simultaneously, he executed a backhanded slash, silent as a cloud of silk brushing one’s cheek, as he aimed for Nie Shanshan’s ribs.

He handled the exchange with effortless grace.

Both combatants were at the Late-stage Embracing Pill Cultivation level, their True Qi abundant and solid. Swords flashed back and forth; in the blink of an eye, they had already exchanged more than twenty blows.

Nie Shanshan’s swordsmanship at times resembled a raging tempest, wild and surging; at others, it was like the undercurrent of a deep pool, treacherous and unpredictable.