The moon shines brightly over the empty mountains, and flowers fill the sky

Chapter 52

"plum bossom……"

"Can she do it?" Jing Shan couldn't help but ask.

Although Plum Blossom's agility and alertness led them to witness and acknowledge that this was her first time venturing into the martial world, and her opponent was none other than the renowned Deputy Lord of Flying Eagle Fortress, who had been famous for over a decade. Even if they were to defeat her, Plum Blossom would likely be left with less than half a life.

"I also won the title of the Wind Belt Pavilion's century-old arena right after entering the martial arts world!" Shuang Jing said with a shrug.

But your master is the invincible heroine, Fu Ping! Everyone stared at her, thinking.

"Plum Blossom, what do you say?" Xuan Sheng turned around and asked calmly.

The eighth master of Tianxia Inn moved his lips slightly, and after a long while, he said seriously but pretending to be calm: "I will definitely avenge my third sister!"

To be honest, she was also nervous facing such an opponent. However, her third sister's face and words seemed to be right in front of her. Her painstaking teachings and strict training were still firmly in her mind. She could not back down in the face of this woman who had erased everything about her mentor!

If I were to back down, I would be unworthy to be the eighth master of Tianxia Inn, unworthy to stand tall in the martial arts world, and even less worthy to be a disciple of Lin Shaoyao.

"Then, go, Plum Blossom." Shuang Jing said calmly, patting her shoulder with a relaxed and gentle smile: "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Use everything you've learned over the past few years and everything you've seen on this trip. Don't treat this challenge as your first battle; treat it as your last. That way, you will definitely win!"

"Anyway, we're not leaving." Jing Shan shrugged nonchalantly. "If you really die, we'll take your place!" She received a warning look from Xuan Sheng, then snorted coldly and turned to say casually, "Of course, it's best if you don't die!"

"What kind of encouragement is this, Catwoman!" The Lord of Chongchonglou shook his head, but also looked at her sternly. Gone was his usual playful smile. Instead, he said coldly and aloofly, "Remember what you just said to me."

Plum blossoms were taken aback for a moment, then smiled.

Three years from now, I will surpass you, so survive and see how I fare.

Her gaze swept over everyone standing around her, and she saw that they were all looking at her solemnly and firmly, their eyes filled with trust and encouragement. The wind blew, and the leaves and grass rustled, as if, if she turned around, she could still see Peony's sharp and piercing gaze, just like during their training sessions, quietly scrutinizing her.

Mei Hua gripped her twin swords tightly and walked step by step toward the fighting platform in front of her.

I can't lose. My third sister is watching. No matter what, I can't lose.

First Battle: The Student Surpasses the Master 3

Xi Quan stood in the center of the circle, watching them discuss for so long only to send Plum Blossom, whose martial arts were the weakest, to the stage. She couldn't help but sneer, her voice soft and coquettish: "Hmph, after discussing for so long, you actually sent up the most useless person. Do you really not want to pass, or do you want to kill this guy?" With that, she suddenly unfurled her wide-sleeved robe, the Kunming Blade gleaming with a silver luster: "Very well, let's use this person to test his skills first!"

It was dusk, and a bird broke the silence as it flew across the purple sky.

Everyone around felt the air grow even heavier and more solid, as the two people stared intently at each other.

A tense atmosphere can be broken with a sword.

"Eighth Hall Master." Xi Quan smiled alluringly, tilting her head slightly as a gesture of respect.

"Hmph..." Plum Blossom gritted her teeth, but still followed the rules, taking a step back with her right foot and lowering her eyes: "Greetings, Deputy Fortress Master."

"please!"

"please!"

Suddenly, Xi Quan took two steps forward and, with a whoosh, thrust horizontally at her chest. Mei Hua dodged to the side, but the fierce woman launched three more attacks with a combination of thrusts and parries. Mei Hua blocked each attack with the clanging of her twin swords, maintaining her agile movements as she dodged them all. Seeing this, Xi Quan sneered and swung his sword back, aiming straight for her left arm. Sure enough, the sound of tearing clothes was heard, and a lock of Mei Hua's hair was cut off. She parried with her sword, but Xi Quan pressed on relentlessly. Mei Hua was no match for the fierce woman, who hadn't been traveling and had been caught in the storm, and could only retreat repeatedly. Her opponent continued to advance with thrusts and parries, and suddenly it seemed as if sword light and killing intent were coming from all directions. Mei Hua was trapped in the center, and although she tried her best, her cheeks were still being slashed from time to time. Xi Quan sneered triumphantly, but then he heard Mei Hua suddenly shout loudly. She turned sideways, pressed herself against the opponent's blade, bent her body slightly to the side, and thrust her short sword upwards with her left hand, aiming straight for Xi Quan's left shoulder. The opponent let out a muffled groan, and the Kunming Blade almost fell to the ground.

"Hmph, not bad!" Xi Quan's expression changed slightly, but she immediately regained her alluring smile and shouted, "But it's still not enough!"

After speaking, she immediately spun her cleaver and slashed horizontally at the waist. Plum Blossom bent down to dodge, but was still grazed at the waist, her clothes torn and a bloody gash appearing. The Eighth Hall Master gritted her teeth and endured the pain. She turned around and used her right hand to thrust her short sword like a dragon soaring into the sky, aiming for an opening to stab the opponent's left shoulder. Xi Quan raised the hilt of her sword to block, and with a bend of her left hand, she blocked Plum Blossom's weapon and slashed down. Just as she was about to break the short sword, Plum Blossom forcefully lifted her arm upward, causing her right shoulder to hurt. She had no choice but to leap into the air and spin backward.

"Plum blossoms... they're really quite beautiful!" Jing Shan said, her eyes glued to the blossoms, her brows furrowing slightly.

“But there are still differences.” Che Shui frowned, able to see that the Eighth Hall Master was giving his all in the battle, while Xi Quan was handling it with ease. Moreover…: “Don’t you think that the fierce lady is… strange?”

"Faster speed, more accurate strikes, and much stronger internal energy," Xuan Sheng said, watching the battle intently, with a hint of doubt and worry in his voice.

“Especially her speed…it seems like she can predict Plum Blossom’s next move. But she’s a bit distracted right now. If she goes all out, Plum Blossom will be in danger,” Shuangjing said, frowning.

“They must have taken some ‘longan’,” Long suddenly spoke up beside him.

"Huh?!" Everyone turned to look at her at the same time: "What did you take?"

"I think... they should have already found part of the Thousand Heroes Pavilion's secret manual." The white-haired girl gently tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ear and said calmly, "She wasn't this fast before!"

At this moment, Xi Quan thrust his weapon through the air. Mei Hua gritted her teeth and blocked with her right-hand dagger, but the fierce lady's weapon seemed deeply embedded in the dagger, impossible to separate. For a moment, the two advanced and retreated, both using their inner strength to clash. The two weapons were stuck together, neither able to loosen nor break. Xi Quan smiled slightly, raised his weapon and swung it, instantly throwing Mei Hua away. He then quickly withdrew his weapon, turned around and thrust it heavily with the hilt, aiming for Mei Hua's chest. The Eighth Hall Master groaned, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He was sent flying, rolling several times on the ground before slowly getting up.

"Plum blossom!" everyone exclaimed. Che Shui wanted to rush forward, but Shuang Jing held his shoulder down.

"Don't move!" the Seven Stones Sect Master shouted sternly. "This is her battle!"

At this moment, Mei Hua also stood up slowly, supporting herself. Seeing this, Che Shui had no choice but to give up, clenched her fists, and stood still.

"Tell me, what is that 'dragon eye'?" Shuangjing asked Longye.

"Qianxia Tower has created three sets of fist techniques, five sets of saber techniques, and seven sets of sword techniques. To learn the most difficult moves, one must practice for several days and nights without rest or sleep, to master them in one go. 'Dragon Eye' is a kind of elixir that our sect has refined, taken to prevent physical fatigue in the last few days of training, allowing one to continue practicing." Long Ye looked at Xi Quan calmly and said, "If you take it, you will not feel thirsty, hungry, cold, hot, in pain, or itchy, and you will always maintain the best condition for practicing martial arts. Your mind will be clear, your vision sharp, your hearing keen, and your spirit exhilarated."

"So you're saying she got too excited, right?" Che Shui thought for a long time before finally blurting out this sentence, then gritted her teeth: "Then Mei Hua is doomed, isn't she?"

“That’s not necessarily true.” Xuan Sheng frowned slightly, looking calmly at Long Ye: “Every medicine has side effects, even the most miraculous ones. Isn’t that right? Is there anything wrong with this longan?”

“Of course there is.” Long Ye remained expressionless, but a glint of light flashed in his eyes: “Longan is actually just creating an illusion, making people ‘feel’ like they are in their best condition, but the body will always get tired.”

Before her, Mei Hua clutched her left arm, a wound on her shoulder already stained with deep blood. Suddenly, two whooshing sounds came from behind. Xi Quan had appeared behind her without her noticing. The Eighth Hall Master leaped several feet to dodge the blade and landed, panting. Then, a flash of silver light appeared before her eyes, and another cleaver came hurtling towards her. She gritted her teeth and raised her right arm to block the blow, but it was a feint. The cleaver actually came down from her right side, slashing at her shoulder. She took a step back to avoid it, but Xi Quan flipped his weapon and swung the hilt again, striking her waist forcefully. With a muffled groan, Mei Hua staggered back several steps, but the fierce lady stabbed at her lower body with the cleaver, aiming straight for her calf. Mei Hua had no time to dodge and was immediately thrown to the ground.

"...Such speed!" Even Shuangjing couldn't help but say, frowning: "Madam Han is skilled in head-on combat. She made a few mistakes earlier because she underestimated her opponent. Now that she's serious, I'm afraid Plum Blossom will have a hard time dealing with her."

"But the other party... is the enemy who killed my sister, who was like a mother and a teacher to me, right?" Che Shui murmured. "With this guy's fiery temper and vengeful nature, how could he possibly admit defeat?"

The plum blossoms before them could no longer hear their voices.

She was breathing heavily in pain, blood was flowing from her forehead where she had been hit, and the scenery before her eyes had all turned scarlet.

This person is incredibly fast.

She could see through my moves before I even made a move, as if she had already read my mind.

but……

She gritted her teeth and propped herself up again.

How could she lose!

No, no, I must stay calm.

If you are intimidated by the opponent and lose morale, then you have already surrendered in terms of momentum.

If you feel you can't do it, then you've already failed before you even try.

If she doesn't stand up, it proves that Third Sister's death was because Lin Shaoyao wasn't as powerful as Xi Quan.

We cannot lose.

We absolutely cannot lose.

He lay on the ground, panting, sweat dripping onto the smooth marble.

"Hehehe... For your sister's sake... I'll play with you a little longer." Xi Quan laughed smugly.

"Why..." Plum Blossom wiped the blood from her eyes, clutched the wound on her shoulder, and stared intently at the shrew, asking, "Why did you kill her?"

"Why?" Xi Quan frowned, seemingly not understanding her question. He looked her over for a moment before tilting his head and chuckling, "Because she talks too much nonsense."

"What?"

"'If the treasure of Qianxia Tower is revealed, the martial world will surely be thrown into chaos. I cannot let such a thing happen.' The fierce lady rolled her eyes, laughing maniacally, mimicking Shaoyao's tone: 'Do you think that if Flying Eagle Fortress obtains these things, it can dominate the martial world? To stand out in the martial world, skill alone will never succeed!' She laughed loudly, then suddenly her gaze turned cold, staring sternly at Meihua, her tone filled with excitement and madness: 'And now? Hahaha, aren't you so-called legendary figures trapped here too?! Hahaha... And isn't Lin Shaoyao's disciple about to die by my hand?!'"

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly appeared in front of Plum Blossom, grabbed the Eighth Hall Master by the hair and pulled her off the ground. She swung her cleaver and thrust the hilt hard against the Eighth Hall Master's chest, sending Plum Blossom flying. Xi Quan flashed past her and appeared behind her before she hit the ground. With a sharp push from her left palm, the Eighth Hall Master spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying several feet away.

"Plum blossoms!" Even Shuangjing couldn't help but shout it out along with everyone else.

"No, she'll die!" Jing Shan exclaimed without thinking, and immediately rushed onto the stage.

"Wait a little longer...!" Che Shui pressed one hand down on her, clenching his other fist, and said through gritted teeth, "Wait a little longer. We have to... believe in her."

I believe this person isn't that fragile.

The student surpasses the teacher.

Lin Meihua became the eighth hall master of Tianxia Inn at the age of sixteen; she couldn't possibly have no extraordinary abilities. She simply wanted to completely shed the negative feelings of hatred and pressure.

First Battle: The Student Surpasses the Master 4

I believe this person isn't that fragile.

The student surpasses the teacher.

Lin Meihua became the eighth hall master of Tianxia Inn at the age of sixteen; she couldn't possibly have no extraordinary abilities. She simply wanted to completely shed the negative feelings of hatred and pressure.

"Get up quickly... Plum Blossom..." Shuangjing murmured beside her, clenching her fists as she looked at the person in front of her.

"You think!" Xi Quan kicked, sending Mei Hua flying far away. "You think following this little girl who hasn't been out in the martial world for years for a few months is enough to fight me?" She quickly caught her before she hit the ground, grabbed her wrist and swung her upwards. As Mei Hua fell, she struck her chin hard. "Don't get too cocky!"

“Even your master couldn’t beat me!” She slapped her shoulder with the hilt of the Kunming Blade, and the sound of bones breaking rang out. Plum Blossom swallowed a muffled groan: “Tianxia Inn is just a place that sells information…! What right do you have to stand here!” After saying that, she struck her chest again, and this time the other party finally couldn’t help but groan and fell to the ground, unable to speak.

"Heh..." Xi Quan looked at her coldly, slowly approaching with a sneer: "It seems that you haven't learned anything in the past few months... Oh well, you can't learn anything from those people anyway."

"..." Plum Blossom's fingers twitched. She lay on the ground, barely managing to control her limbs. But she only felt waves of overwhelming pain, sharp and piercing, coming from every corner of her body.

"What?" Thinking she had said something, Xi Quan asked with a smile.

"I said..."

Damn, that really hurts!

Meihua felt dizzy and couldn't see anything in front of her. All she felt was pain, but her thoughts were elsewhere: "I said...you're wrong..." she said slowly, but unconsciously, she laughed. She turned her face away, looking through the blood covering her skin, and grinned.

Then, swaying and stumbling, he stood up.

What is Tianxia Zhan? It is a place that trains the fastest, most secretive, most vigilant, most capable of concealing themselves, most observant, and most exceptionally skilled spies in the martial arts world.

therefore……

Gritting her teeth, she gripped the two swords and straightened her back.

"What is she doing?!" Jing Shan exclaimed in surprise as she looked at the person in front of her.

Mei Hua rushed forward, much faster than before. Holding a knife in her right hand, she thrust it forward with the gesture of a sword. Taking advantage of Xi Quan's sidestep, she turned and began to attack from both sides. Her silver-white short knife danced flawlessly, and for a moment, the air around her formed different vortexes in the air with her weapon. The stones and sand outside the platform were stirred up in circles of whirlwinds.

"That is...that is..." Even Lian Cheshui couldn't help but be surprised, taking a step forward to see more clearly.

Shuang Jing, however, recognized it. Her eyes sharpened, and she blurted out, "The 'Lotus Emerging from Water' of the Ye Family Boxing Technique!!"

There are three basic requirements for spies in Tianxiazhan.