Raise a sword!

Ni Chang's actions embarrassed Li Xiangui, but that was the end of it.

Her action was a response to Li Xiangui's words about being a coward. The Spirit Transformation Pool was a matter of cooperation among the three sects. It didn't matter if they fought to the death elsewhere, but there was no need to tear off the mask here.

This has been the case for hundreds of years in the three sects of the northern foothills, and there are unwritten rules governing how each side conducts its affairs.

Moreover, even if Ni Chang were to defeat Li Xiangui, it wouldn't be anything to boast about if word got out.

She is the daughter of a Golden Core cultivator, while Li Xiangui is just a mortal.

When she first made a name for herself in the Cangshan Sect, Li Xiangui's grandmother had probably just gotten married.

Their backgrounds and ages are vastly different. Although they address each other as fellow cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage, they are actually not on the same level at all.

However, if the elders are defeated, the sword cultivators of Jade Pavilion will have to give up, and then they will no longer be Jade Pavilion.

The leader of Li Xiangui's three disciples drew his sword and stepped forward.

"Senior Ni Chang is renowned, but I wonder how many more figures like her the Cangshan Sect could find! Wu Ke seeks guidance from the esteemed disciples of the Cangshan Sect!"

This is what Ni Chang had reminded me of earlier.

As expected, the three sects couldn't resist sparring once they met.

Those selected to enter the Spirit Transformation Pool are all geniuses from various sects, and as such, their ambitions are naturally quite high.

Seeing the provocation from the Sword Pavilion disciples, Sun Yinxi calmly took a step forward.

Faced with this situation, even she wanted to give it a shot.

Cheng Kaihai, standing next to him, grinned and rubbed his hands together, eager to try his hand at it.

Both of them looked at Peak Master Ni Chang, waiting for her to appoint them.

But Ni Chang's gaze bypassed the two of them and instead fell on Jiang Peng, who remained silent at the back.

Ni Chang lowered her voice slightly.

"Ever since you boarded the airship, you've become much quieter, and your aura has sharpened... Are you gathering your strength?"

Jiang Peng nodded gently.

"My senior brother has keen insight."

"If I draw my sword..."

"It is no weaker than Dacang City."

"Go, but don't kill him."

Jiang Peng responded and slowly walked to the open space in front, standing opposite Wu Kexun.

"Jiang Peng greets Senior Brother Wu."

Wu Kexun, sitting opposite Jiang Peng, sized her up and said with a hint of disdain, "Jiang Peng? There's no one like you among the powerful true disciples of the Cangshan Sect. Where did you come from?"

"Within the sect, I am not considered a significant figure."

Wu Kexun grinned.

"Those chosen to enter the Spirit Transformation Pool are not easy to deal with. Although I could kill you with a single sword strike, I also know that you must have some skills to resist."

Jiang Peng was completely confused by what he heard.

One sword strike could win, but winning with just one sword strike is a bit unlikely, isn't it?

"Senior Brother Wu is quite confident," Jiang Peng could only reply casually.

Wu Kexun was still probing Jiang Peng's true intentions; his disdain was genuine, but so was his caution.

But no matter how he looked at her, he still couldn't figure out anything about Jiang Peng.

"Why did you, Senior Sister Ni Chang, choose to fight me? Explain your abilities clearly beforehand, lest I lose control and hurt you!"

"Perhaps it is because Jiang also wields a sword?"

"You also wield a sword?"

"Um."

"Show me your skills. If you have potential, I won't hesitate to give you some pointers! If you truly have talent, wouldn't it be more promising to train at my Sword Pavilion than at the Cangshan Sect?"

Jiang Peng never expected that the other party would try to poach her right in front of her.

After thinking it over, Jiang Peng decided not to waste any more words with the other party.

He bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"I've made a fool of myself."

The moment the words left his mouth, Jiang Peng clenched his right hand in mid-air, and the Xuanyuan Sword flew out of his sleeve, shrinking to its normal size, and was held in his hand.

During this process, a scorching heat spread out from Jiang Peng.

For a moment, the Qi Refining disciples present didn't think anything of it, but Feng Feiyan and Li Xiangui immediately changed color.

The Qi Refining disciples only felt the intense heat because Jiang Peng was too concealed and showed no signs of it.

However, Jiang Peng's concealment of his true strength could not be hidden from the Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The moment he gripped the sword, both Foundation Establishment cultivators felt a real threat.

At the same time, Jiang Peng had already raised his hand and then casually swung his sword towards the empty space beside him.

Just as he raised his hand, Li Xiangui appeared in front of Wu Kexun in a flash. His expression only eased slightly when he saw Jiang Peng swing his sword towards the empty space to the side.

Wu Kexun still didn't understand what had happened.

Just as he was about to ask, he saw Jiang Peng's sword finally fall.

With a clang from the black sword, its blade broke free, unleashing a burst of visible blue-red flames that swiftly sliced ​​through everything in its path.

A strong wind rose, whipping up dust that filled the sky and obscured the view of everyone present.

After a few breaths, as the dust was either ignited by the flames and turned into ashes, or slowly drifted away, everyone's vision finally returned.

On the ground before them, there was a straight sword mark that stretched for more than ten feet and was more than two feet deep. The area around the sword mark was completely charred.

A straight fire broke out in the nearby forest, but the fire continued to spread to the surrounding areas.

A boulder blocking the sword mark was cut in two, the cut smooth but also covered with traces of burning.

Gazing at the horrifying sword marks, an eerie silence fell over the mountains and forests.

It wasn't until the Peak Master of Rainbow Peak used a nearby waterfall to extinguish the forest fire that everyone seemed to finally come to their senses.

Feng Feiyan narrowed her eyes slightly, her phoenix eyes filled with seriousness.

"Jade Pavilion Sword Cultivation Technique? Your Cangshan Sect poached disciples from the Sword Pavilion? Good heavens, the Sword Pavilion was just talking, but the Cangshan Sect didn't say a word and actually did it!"

Li Xiangui's gaze was now focused on Jiang Peng.

"Such exquisite sword nurturing technique. You even possess sword intent within you, and your mind has already begun to connect with your own magical sword... I only achieved this level of sword nurturing mindset after breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage."

"You flatter me, senior. I am humbled." Jiang Peng said he was humbled, but his expression remained neither humble nor arrogant.

Li Xiangui shook his head and said, "What praise is too much? Young man, there are similarities among different sword-raising techniques. Why not come to my Jade Pavilion Sword Pavilion..."

Before she could even begin to speak, Peak Master Ni Chang silently stood before Jiang Peng.

Li Xiangui could no longer speak, but his gaze toward Jiang Peng was incredibly ardent.

"That's enough for now. The Illusionary Sound Sect has been playing both sides lately, and it doesn't seem like they intend to reveal their true strength." Peak Master Ni Chang concluded the test with these words.

Then, her gaze turned to the nearby forest.

"If you don't come out now, there will be no more spots in the Spirit Transformation Pool for you."

Hearing this, Jiang Peng realized that there was someone else hiding nearby.

He turned his head and saw a commotion coming from the nearby forest. After a few breaths, two white apes jumped out.