Time Travel: I'm a Flower Thief

After the murmurs outside the arena subsided, Situ Rui announced loudly, "Please take a moment to catch your breath. The first round of sword duels will begin in half an incense stick's time!"

As the words spread, the four people each found a corner to stand on the brocade platform on the west side.

Lu Fang leaned against the railing, propping his chin up with one hand, his eyelids half-raised, and said lazily, "That saves trouble, saves me the trouble of picking opponents one by one."

The tiger-like creature sat cross-legged, hands clasped together, eyes lowered, and murmured:

"A flower is a world, a tree is a fleeting life, a blade of grass is a paradise, a leaf is a Buddha."

A grain of sand holds a paradise, a place holds a pure land, a smile holds a karmic connection, a thought holds a moment of tranquility.

Xie Xiaoyi ignored the two others; his eyes were already completely captivated by Xue Xiaoqi, glued to her eye-catching red dress.

His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, and he murmured a line of poetry:

"Her eyebrows outshine the daylily's color, and her red skirt outshines the pomegranate blossom."

Xue Xiaoqi's ears twitched. Upon hearing the poem, she suddenly looked up and exclaimed, "Oh, is this describing me? It's quite a nice-sounding poem."

Xie Xiaoyi, with a roguish smile on his face, shamelessly replied:

"Of course, looking around this brocade platform, besides you, young lady, whose red dress outshines all others, who else is worthy of these poetic verses?"

Xue Xiaoqi smiled slightly: "Then thank you, Young Hero! It's fate that we're all on the west side!"

Lu Fang leaned against the railing, his fingertips slowly tapping the bluestone surface, the sound casual, tinged with a hint of mockery:

"Fate? This kid came to our west side because you brought him here. If you had gone east just now, his fate would probably have gone east too."

Xie Xiaoyi turned his head and rolled his eyes at Lu Fang, his roguish grin undiminished:

"What do you know? This is called pre-battle relaxation and mental well-being. It's better than you standing here like a boneless block of wood."

Lu Fang's lips curled up:

"Raise them yourself, just don't let Xiao Lingyun and Luo Yidao's internal energy overwhelm you!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Xue Xiaoqi burst into giggles, her red dress swaying gently with her laughter.

A gentle breeze swept past the petals by the brocade table, brushing against Lu Fang's drooping sleeves and brushing against Hu Si's fingertips as he twirled the prayer beads.

Xie Xiaoyi continued bickering with Lu Fang, while Xue Xiaoqi occasionally chimed in with a witty remark.

Even the tiger-like creature chanting sutras couldn't help but raise its eyes to look at the three playful individuals, then quickly lowered its head and whispered "Amitabha."

The four people, who were originally each on their own, started chatting and became quite familiar with each other.

Before long, half an incense stick's time had passed.

Chuan Wujie looked at Situ Rui, and seeing Situ Rui nod in agreement, he understood.

He leaped forward and said loudly:

"The Number One Manor Under Heaven, a Swordsman's Quest in the Martial World, First Battle—Xie Mo vs. Xiao Lingyun!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a figure darted to the center of the martial arts arena; it was Xiao Lingyun.

Xie Xiaoyi touched his shoulder, recalling the two sword wounds from before.

That was left to him by Xiao Lingyun. If Hua Lingshu hadn't passed by, he would have been dead.

Although his cultivation level has improved, he is still apprehensive when facing Xiao Lingyun again.

Just as he was pondering, a hand slapped him on the shoulder. Lu Fang smiled, his eyes narrowing, "Good luck, Brother Xie! Take down that guy surnamed Xiao!"

Xie Xiaoyi's lips curled slightly: "Then I'll take your kind words, Brother Lu!"

Having said that, he lightly touched the ground with his toes and darted like a swallow to the center of the training ground.

Xiao Lingyun clasped his hands in a respectful greeting: "Brother Xie, have the injuries inflicted by the Qi Refiner on your body healed?"

"It's all done, thank you for your concern, Brother Xiao."

"Brother Xie, being able to enter the 'Hidden Dragon List,' the number one manor in the world, means your cultivation must be progressing by leaps and bounds."

"You risked your life to save my junior sister before, so today, in our sword duel, I'll give you a head start."

These words immediately caused an uproar among the audience, who began to discuss the matter animatedly.

"Xiao Lingyun is far too arrogant, actually letting the opponent land a single sword strike!"

"Isn't this looking down on Xie Mo? Which of the top ten on the Hidden Dragon Ranking is an easy target?"

"Yes! Are all the people from the Heavenly Sword Sect this arrogant?"

At this moment, Hu Si shouted from a distance across half of the training ground:

"Thank you, benefactor. He said he'd let you have a chance with one sword strike, so hurry up and attack!"

Lu Fang was taken aback, then smiled lazily.

Ha ha!

This little monk is quite impatient and seems to favor Xie Mo.

Little did he know that Hu Si was simple-minded and straightforward, and already remembered the favor Xie Xiaoyi had given him for the thousand taels of alms.

He developed a strong liking for it and unknowingly became biased, forgetting the Buddhist precept of impartiality.

Xie Xiaoyi was overjoyed.

He clasped his hands in a respectful bow, then drew his longsword "Viewing the Vast Ocean" from his back. "Since Brother Xiao insists on yielding, then I shall accept it without further ado!"

Xiao Lingyun extended his right hand, "Please!"

Before he finished speaking, Xie Xiaoyi used his light footwork to shoot straight out, skimming the ground of the training ground.

His right hand drew a cold arc with his longsword, which was the first sword move from the "Eight Sword Styles".

"Whoosh—"

The sword wind was so sharp it cleaved through the air, piercing straight at Xiao Lingyun's heart!

The sword strike was faster than anyone could have imagined. Xiao Lingyun's pupils dilated, and he hastily parried with his sword.

To everyone's surprise, Xie Xiaoyi's swordplay was incredibly fast; it came fast and ended even faster.

Xiao Lingyun's block missed completely, the force dissipated too quickly, and his body swayed.

Before he could regain his balance, the second sword came, aimed straight at his waist.

Xiao Lingyun gritted his teeth and twisted his body, trying to block with his backhand, but the tip of the sword grazed his clothes, leaving him with another opening.

He swung his sword repeatedly, but missed every time. His heart skipped a beat, and just as he was about to change his move, Xie Xiaoyi's sword returned and thrust straight at his face.

Xiao Lingyun hurriedly raised his sword, but the opponent flipped his wrist and the sword tip suddenly retracted, causing the block to miss completely.

A roar of applause erupted from the audience: "Such a fast sword! That movement and that sword speed are absolutely amazing!"

Lu Fang leaned against a pillar with his arms crossed, and chuckled softly:

"I only thought his internal energy cultivation method was unique, but I didn't expect his swordsmanship to be so decent as well."

A hint of approval flashed in Situ Rui's eyes from afar.

Indeed, he is a fine piece of jade, and his cultivation level is even higher than when he faced Su Mubai in Qingjiang City.

Luo Yidao, who was on the east side, suddenly spoke up because he could see that his senior brother, Xiao Lingyun, was already showing signs of defeat.

"Senior brother, you can't hold back anymore. The opponent's moves are sword intent that can kill in an instant. If you continue like this, you will lose."

Xiao Lingyun shuddered, cold sweat dripping down his jawline, a storm raging in his heart—

How long has it been? Xie Mo's movement technique has improved to this extent.

Previously, out of gratitude for his saving her junior sister, she had held back in every move, only intending to defeat him with a slight touch.

Who would have thought that I would be forced into such a miserable situation?

Losing face is a small matter, but if we continue to be passive like this, we might be defeated on this training ground!

With this thought in mind, he suddenly lowered his waist and assumed a horse stance, his palms surging with internal energy, and his powerful inner force flowed wildly into the sword through the hilt.

"Brother Xie, be careful—"

With a loud shout, he raised his sword and slashed horizontally, unleashing a fierce sword aura that hurtled towards Xie Xiaoyi!

As Xie Xiaoyi saw the sword energy rushing towards him, a cold glint flashed in his eyes—

The two sword wounds on my shoulder were caused by this domineering sword energy!

Instead of retreating, he advanced, his wrist suddenly twisting.

"Sword Two, Break Wood."