Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

A Tier Six Sword Master’s attack was truly extraordinary. He already carried the faint air of a Great Sword Master. Moreover, the Qin Family was a major clan, and as its first-in-line successor, Qin Kang used a High Tier of the Earth Level sword skill! It was called the Storm Sword Skill, with a total of one hundred and eight forms! When executed, man and sword became one, moving like a raging storm—incredibly fast, almost purely offensive with no regard for defense! Paired with his family’s inherited Middle Tier of the Earth Level Cultivation Technique, the Thunderbolt Technique, he was even more formidable. Although Qin Kang was currently just a Tier Six Sword Master, he had already grasped the essence of the Storm Sword Skill. The inherited Thunderbolt Technique had a total of six layers, and he had already cultivated it to the second. Among the younger generation of the entire Bauhinia Clan, Qin Kang was deservedly ranked number one!

This was the source of his constant pride. To be so thoroughly toyed with today by someone he saw as trash—if the proud and arrogant Qin Kang could endure this without retaliating, it would be truly bizarre.

Amid a collective gasp from the crowd, Ling Xiao leaned to the side, his feet sliding as he seemingly dodged Qin Kang’s sword strike by a hair’s breadth. Then, with incredible agility, he closed the distance. To the onlookers, it looked as if he was rushing forward to his own death.

A cold sneer appeared on Qin Kang’s lips. ’Die, you good-for-nothing braggart!’

He smoothly retracted his sword and, with a flick of his arm, swept it toward Ling Xiao’s neck!

"Ah!" Many in the crowd cried out in alarm, and some of the more timid girls even squeezed their eyes shut. Qin Kang’s sword glinted with a cold light, its sharpness sending a chill down one’s spine just by looking at it. Besides, the strength of a Tier Six Sword Master was immense; if he wished, he could slice off his opponent’s entire head!

Even Yisha, who had absolute faith in Ling Xiao, couldn’t help but feel her heart leap into her throat. She stared at the two men in the center without blinking.

SLAP!

"Ah!"

It happened so fast that most people couldn’t see what had occurred between them. They only saw the two clash and then separate. Ling Xiao stood there, perfectly fine, an indifferent expression on his face.

A bright red handprint was emblazoned on Qin Kang’s fair face!

A Tier Six Sword Master! A Tier Six Sword Master who had mastered a High Tier of the Earth Level sword skill and a Middle Tier of the Earth Level Cultivation Technique had been slapped, loud and clear, across the face by an unarmed Tier Five Sword Attendant!

Qin Kang froze for a moment, stunned. Then, he went berserk, unleashing a rain of sword flashes as he attacked Ling Xiao with reckless abandon.

But the result was exactly the same. He didn’t even touch the corner of Ling Xiao’s robes before another crisp "SLAP!" rang out.

He attacked again—and was slapped!

He attacked yet again—and was still slapped!

In moments, Qin Kang’s once-handsome face was red and swollen, puffed up like a steamed bun. He now truly lived up to Ling Xiao’s nickname for him; he had become a pig-head!

The Imperial Academy students, who should have been cheering for Qin Kang, were all dumbfounded. More and more of them began to wonder if they were sleepwalking.

Toying with a Tier Six Sword Master as if he were a child! And the one doing it was a Tier Five Sword Attendant! Could there be anything more bizarre in this world?

A chubby guy in the crowd turned dazedly to a girl he didn’t know next to him and said, "Pinch me, see if I’m dreaming... Ah! Why’d you pinch so hard?!"

The girl, who had a few cute freckles on her face, replied sheepishly, "Sorry. I wanted to see if I was dreaming, too."

Xie Xiaoyan stood frozen as well. She finally understood the source of the unease that had been nagging at her. ’That guy... He... he was hiding his true strength all along! And he hid it so well! He let me insult him without a single word of explanation.’ Then she recalled Ling Xiao’s past devotion to her, how it had always been without regret or complaint. For a moment, Xie Xiaoyan’s mind went blank.

Shaking her head forcefully, Xie Xiaoyan felt the concerned gazes of her companions and forced a smile. They thought she was worried that Ling Xiao had become too strong.

One of them comforted her, "Xiaoyan, don’t be afraid. No matter how strong he is, he’s just a Celestial Vein Master. The highest he can ever reach is Tier Six Sword Master!"

The other girls chimed in with agreement. Unlike the other students, they were Xie Xiaoyan’s close companions. Having never heard a good word about Ling Xiao from her, their prejudice against him ran deep. Even just now, though they hadn’t shown it, they had been secretly hoping for Qin Kang to teach Ling Xiao a harsh lesson.

Xie Xiaoyan happened to glance over and see the blissful expression on Yisha’s face. Her own pretty face twitched. "I’m tired," she said. "Let’s go back to the dorm."

The group departed quietly, attracting no one’s attention, as by now, all eyes were fixated on Ling Xiao.

If defeating Wulan Tuo last time could be attributed to incredible luck, then what did you call this? Ling Xiao, with his bare hands, had brutally slapped a Tier Six Sword Master.

Was it still luck? Anyone who really still thought it was luck would be called a pig-head! The gap between a Tier Five Sword Attendant and a Tier Six Sword Master was comparable to the difference between a seven-year-old child and a full-grown adult! If this could still be written off as luck, then everyone present must have been blind!

「In a tall building in the distance.」

A man and a woman stood by a window, observing the situation. Although they were far away, their cultivation levels were so high that they could see every move with perfect clarity. Qiu Jianhua smiled at the beautiful, middle-aged woman beside him. "That little fellow is quite interesting! A real talent!"

The middle-aged woman’s exquisite figure was wrapped in a long black dress, and she exuded a graceful and noble air. She spoke softly, "Big Brother, is that little one Yutong’s student?" This was none other than the woman who had appeared with Shangguan Yutong the other day—the very woman Shangguan Yutong called Master!

Qiu Jianhua was taken aback. "Yue Yao, you know him?"

Qiuyue Yao smiled and shook her head. "That Yutong girl was desperately acquiring High-Tier Magical Beasts a few days ago, wanting to refine them into medicine to help this kid. She said he’s a Celestial Vein Master. However, judging from the strength he just displayed, that Tier Six Sword Master is clearly no match for him. The gap is simply too wide! What’s more, I can’t discern what Sword Skill or Cultivation Technique he’s using. Or perhaps... since he’s bare-handed, he isn’t using a Sword Skill at all?" Her voice was filled with confusion.

Qiu Jianhua chuckled lightly. "Just now, he was the one who alleviated Father’s pain. He even said he’s very confident he can get Father back on his feet again. So, I don’t think our Tong Girl needs to worry about his ability to protect himself. This little fellow... he’s not like his father. He’s quite shrewd."

"What?" Qiuyue Yao stared at her brother in astonishment. "Is that true? Can Father really recover?" As she spoke, a layer of mist clouded her beautiful eyes. She bit her lower lip, trying to control her emotions, but tears began to fall anyway.

A woman’s heart is naturally sensitive. Even though Qiu Chen had driven them away every time his illness flared up over the years, the bond between father and daughter is strong. How could Qiuyue Yao not feel her heart ache over her father’s suffering? At the sudden news that her father’s illness could be cured, the inner turmoil caused her to lose control of her emotions.