Chapter 22: How Pretentious!

“I wanted to give you another beating, but it seems that you’re not even worthy of it,” said Siao Ge while shaking his head. He dusted off his clothes before turning around to leave.

Nan Xuan stood frozen, and his expression turned extremely ugly.

…

Two days later, late at night. Ye Guan was lying on the stone steps in front of his palace’s grand hall. He rested his head on his hands, and he looked up at the sky to see a full moon surrounded by countless stars.

Ye Guan’s heart became filled with longing as he stared at the starry sky. He truly wanted to soar through the galaxies using Sword Travel, but it was a pity that he still wasn’t strong enough to do so.

Ye Guan’s nose twitched upon catching a whiff of a fragrance.

Fei Banqing walked over to Ye Guan and sat down next to him. She looked up at the sky as well and asked, “Are you confident about your match on the Life or Death Stage tomorrow?”

Ye Guan chuckled at the question. “Of course!”

Fei Banqing said, “Do not underestimate your opponent.”

“Understood,” said Ye Guan.

There was a moment of silence before Fei Banqing said, “After that match, we can start preparing to head for the Upper Realm.”

Ye Guan turned to look at Fei Banqing. “Upper Realm?”

Fei Banqing nodded. “The decennial martial contest will take place in three months, and we have to be at the Upper Realm before it starts.”

Ye Guan nodded. There was another moment of silence before Ye Guan muttered, “Tutor Fei, what do I have to do to be a student at the Main Guanxuan Academy?”

Fei Banqing shook her head and said, “It can be done, but it’s extremely difficult.”

“Why?”

Fei Banqing smiled at him and explained, “The Guanxuan Academy has countless branches throughout the vast universe, and every student of those branches aspires to become a student of the Main Guanxuan Academy. In other words, you have to defeat the heaven-defying talents of the other branches to become a student of the Main Guanxuan Academy.”

Ye Guan was silent. That is indeed quite difficult...

Fei Banqing continued. “You’re extraordinary, but don’t even think about the Main Guanxuan Academy just yet. You just have to do your best and tackle every issue one by one.”

Ye Guan nodded. “Understood.”

Fei Banqing flipped her palm open, and a golden armor appeared in front of Ye Guan.

Ye Guan was stunned.

Fei Banqing explained, “This is a Sky-grade armor, and it’s my one and only armor. I’ll lend it to you for your match tomorrow.”

Ye Guan took a closer look at the armor and realized that it was still giving off a faint alluring scent. Ye Guan shook his head and muttered, “I don’t need it, Tutor…”

Fei Banqing raised an eyebrow and stared at him.

“Didn’t I tell you not to underestimate the enemy?” she asked.

Ye Guan chuckled hollowly. “I…”

Fei Banqing shoved the armor into Ye Guan’s hands before she got up to leave.

“I’m looking forward to your performance tomorrow,” she said.

Ye Guan blinked, and Fei Banqing disappeared.

Ye Guan looked down at the armor in his hands, and he eventually put it away.

He lay down once more and continued looking at the starry sky. Ye Guan seemed to have thought of something as he muttered, “Master Pagoda, what was my mother like?”

Little Pagoda’s reply was a bit late. “She’s very capable!”

“Really?”

“Yes, and she was admirable as well.”

“Is she currently imprisoned at the Ye Clan?”

“Yes.”

Ye Guan went silent for a moment before asking, “How powerful must I become to rescue her?”

Little Pagoda’s reply was a bit late once more. “You’d have to become a Great Sword Immortal at the very least.”

A Great Sword Immortal?! Ye Guan was startled, but he soon closed his eyes and said with determination, “In that case, I will become a Great Sword Immortal, then!”

Little Pagoda hesitated for a while before saying, “Don’t resent her. She had no choice but to let you go. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have made me follow you around.”

“I knew it...” Ye Guan nodded slightly. If his parents were truly heartless, they wouldn’t have sent Master Pagoda to look after him, and they wouldn’t have left a sword dao inheritance for him.

Little Pagoda was relieved, and it reminded Ye Guan. “Focus on cultivating. When the time is right, I’ll bring you to the Inheritance—Cough, I mean, I’ll bring you there so you can rescue your mother!”

Ye Guan nodded. “All right…”

…

Nan Xuan was sitting cross-legged on a certain mountain peak when an old man suddenly appeared in front of him.

The old man bowed deeply toward Nan Xuan and exclaimed, “Young Master!’

The old man handed over a black box to Nan Xuan and explained, “Master heard that you’re going onto the Life or Death Stage, so he ordered me to come here and give this to you.”

Nan Xuan opened the box, and his eyes narrowed upon seeing the armor in the box.

“Isn’t this a Sky-grade armor?” he muttered in shock.

The old man explained, “This is a Sky-grade Black Tortoise Armor, and it’s made from a hundred and eight pieces of Black Tortoise scales. A Rune Master engraved a defensive rune on it, and it can withstand a full-power attack from a Divine Soul Realm cultivator.”

Nan Xuan was thrilled upon hearing the old man’s explanation. “Uncle Nan Zheng, I didn’t know that our Nan Clan has such a precious treasure!”

Nan Zheng chuckled. “There’s a reason why our Nan Clan is one of the top three clans in Nanzhou.”

Nan Xuan looked down at the Black Tortoise Armor in his hands and said coldly, “There’s no way I’ll lose to him with this!”

Nan Zheng nodded before taking out another small box and giving it to Nan Xuan.

Nan Xuan looked confused as he asked, “What is this?”

“Open it and see for yourself,” said Nan Zheng with a chuckle.

Nan Xuan opened the box and saw two pills. They looked smooth and glossy, and they gave off a delicate, relaxing fragrance. Nan Xuan’s eyes narrowed while looking at the pills, but he soon exclaimed, “Are they Sky-grade pills?”

Nan Zheng nodded. “They’re Sky-grade Rejuvenation Pills. You just have to avoid instant death, and those pills will help you recover completely in a few moments. The Nan Clan is influential and powerful, but even our clan only has a total of five Sky-grade Rejuvenation Pills.”

Nan Xuan sounded serious as he said, “Ye Guan will definitely die tomorrow!”

“The clan leader believes in your abilities. Ye Guan’s talent will be worthless once he’s dead. Our Nan Clan will be able to get rid of Ancient Desolate City’s Ye Clan by then,” said Nan Zheng. A sinister glint flashed in his eyes as he continued. “We want others to know that those who are daring enough to mess with our Nan Clan will die without a doubt!”

Nan Zheng put the two pills and the Black Tortoise Armor away. “I was honestly only seventy percent confident, but now, I’m a hundred percent confident in killing Ye Guan!”

In addition to the two Sky-grade Rejuvenation Pills and Sky-grade Black Tortoise Armor, Nan Xuan also had a Sky-rank cultivation method. Nan Xuan was well-equipped and powerful enough to kill any Divine Path Realm cultivator, and he also stood a chance against a Divine Soul Realm cultivator.

Needless to say, the Sky-rank cultivation method and the Black Tortoise Armor had truly empowered him.

After all, fights between cultivators could easily tip in the favor of those with better equipment. However, decent equipment was expensive, and Ye Guan was from a small clan, so how could he have any decent equipment?

Nan Xuan’s lips curled up.

Nan Zheng said, “Young Master, Master also told me to remind you not to underestimate your opponent, even if you’re confident in your chances of winning.

“Fei Banqing decided to take him as her disciple, so he has to be an extraordinary individual. You must not underestimate him because there’s a chance that he’ll turn the tables around.”

Nan Xuan nodded his head slightly. “I understand! Rest assured, I will not underestimate him. I will do my best in tomorrow’s battle, and I won’t give him any chance to retaliate!”

Nan Zheng boisterously laughed. “Great! I’m happy to hear that, Young Master.”

Nan Xuan closed his eyes slowly. “I can’t even wait for tomorrow to come.”

Nan Zheng nodded upon sensing Nan Xuan’s excitement. “The Nan Clan can’t wait for tomorrow to come as well. The moment Ye Guan dies, the cultivators of our clan will head toward Ancient Desolate City to eradicate the Ye Clan!”

Nan Xuan frowned slightly. “What about Tutor Fei…”

Nan Zheng smiled. “Don’t worry. Tutor Fei will not find trouble with us over a deceased talent. It’s simply not worth it to do so.”

“You’re right.” Nan Xuan agreed. He turned and smiled coldly while staring at Mount Banqing.

…

The next morning, the students of the Guanxuan Academy rushed to the Life or Death Stage. Daybreak had just arrived, but the seats around the Life or Death Stage had already been occupied by tens of thousands of students.

A white-robed young man descended on the Life or Death Stage with his hands behind him. The white-robed young man was none other than Nan Xuan, and his supporters in the crowd cheered upon seeing him.

He was one of the top three talents of Guanxuan Academy, so it wasn’t strange that he had fans from both genders.

Nan Xuan closed his eyes and silently stood on the stage.

Meanwhile, the stone pillars around the Life or Death Stage were finally occupied by people. Fei Banqing stood on one of the stone pillars as well. Her eyes were closed, and it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

Not far away from Fei Banqing was Nan Xuan’s tutor, Xiao Ge. He was staring deeply at Fei Banqing. Song Ci was also present, and he was looking at Xiao Ge with hostility. Nan Xuan’s instigation almost led to Sun Xiong’s death, and Song Ci vowed to never forget the matter.

Meanwhile, an old man suddenly appeared in the midst. The tutors and staffers bowed politely toward him and exclaimed, “Greetings, Academy Chief!”

“Don’t stand on ceremony,” said Song Fu with a smile. He glanced at the stone pillar not too far away on his right and saw Siao Ge standing on it.

All of a sudden, there was a huge commotion as a young woman descended on a stone pillar. The young woman was none other than Nalan Jia, and she immediately attracted the eyes of countless male students.

Of course, it was only natural that she was capable of turning heads. After all, she was the top beauty of Guanxuan Academy, and many students had a crush on her.

She landed coolly on a stone pillar and looked at the stage with a placid demeanor.

The crowd’s focus was stolen away by a young man who descended on the stage and landed right in front of Nan Xuan.

The young man couldn’t be anyone else but Ye Guan. The crowd boiled over upon seeing Ye Guan; they were excited to witness the upcoming battle!

Nan Xuan opened his eyes slowly upon sensing Ye Guan’s arrival. He smiled coldly while staring at Ye Guan, but the latter remained calm.

Song Fu suddenly appeared between the two of them.

He looked at them and said, “Either of you can still back out; it’s not too late yet.”

Nan Xuan let out a sardonic laugh and said, “Won’t I become the biggest joke throughout the Guanxuan Academy’s history if I were to back out at this point?”

Nan Xuan glanced at Ye Guan.

Ye Guan bowed slightly toward Song Fu and said, “Academy Chief, allow us to begin!”

Song Fu nodded and said, “Since neither of you wishes to back out, then the two of you will fight to the death here. The heavens will decide your fate!”

With that, Song Fu vanished into thin air.

Nan Xuan stared deeply at Ye Guan and chortled. His hands were still clasped behind him as he said, “Ye Guan, today will be your death anniver—”

A strand of sword energy flew at lightning speed. Ye Guan didn’t bother talking or listening to what Nan Xuan had to say as he immediately made a move!

Squelch!

Nan Xuan tried to take on a stance upon seeing Ye Guan’s attack, but it was too late.

The strand of sword energy lacerated his throat, and fresh blood spurted out, staining the ground crimson. Nan Xuan trembled, and his mouth fluttered open, but he couldn’t make a sound.

The sight was so sudden and shocking that everyone went silent and froze.

What just happened?

Fei Banqing stared at Ye Guan in disbelief. She didn’t expect that Ye Guan would attack immediately the moment the life-or-death battle started.

Everyone was in a trance, including the tutors and even Academy Chief Song Fu.

Song Fu’s expression turned serious when he snapped out of his trance, while Tutor Xiao looked beyond pallid as he stared at Ye Guan in disbelief.

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Ye Guan shook his head and said, “Why do people always like to mock their opponents rather than just immediately duking it out? Does mocking your opponents increase your strength or something? Were you trying to kill me with words?”

Nan Xuan grabbed his throat with both his hands in an effort to stop himself from bleeding out. He stared incredulously at Ye Guan and muttered hoarsely, “You… swordsman…! Sneak attack… S-shameless…”

Squelch!

A strand of sword energy pierced Nan Xuan’s forehead, and he collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.

Ye Guan shook his head and said, “The esteemed Academy Chief has already announced the start of our battle, but you started spouting nonsense rather than fighting me, so why are you saying that I’m shameless?”

In Ye Guan’s eyes, talking in the middle of a fight was foolishness!

Ye Guan walked over to Nan Xuan’s corpse and collected his spoils. Ye Guan’s eyes lit up when he discovered the Black Tortoise Armor and two Sky-grade Rejuvenation Pills, and he didn’t hesitate to put them away.

Jackpot! Ye Guan chose not to fight a long, drawn-out battle against Nan Xuan because there was no need to do so. If the battle could be decided by just one sword move, why would he waste his energy to fight a drawn-out battle? It would be an utter waste of time. It was better to be ruthless and decisive.

“Swordsman! He’s a swordsman!” someone exclaimed.

The crowd snapped out of their trance and gasped in shock.

A swordsman!

The crowd exploded into a cacophony of murmurs and exclamations.

The reveal was simply unbelievable and shocking.

However, Ye Guan ignored everyone and jumped onto the stone pillar where Nalan Jia was standing. He raised his right arm and shouted, “Sword, come!”

Whoosh!

The Path Sword emerged from his glabella and drew a few arcs in the air before hovering next to Ye Guan’s feet. Ye Guan stood on the Path Sword and extended his right arm over to Nalan Jia.

Nalan Jia smiled lightly and placed her hand on his palm before stepping onto the Path Sword.

Ye Guan wrapped his left arm gently around Nalan Jia’s waist.

He pointed at the sky with his other arm and shouted, “Rise!”

Whoosh!

The Path Sword turned into a beam of light that soared into the sky and pierced the clouds.

The crowd looked up at the clouds. Envy was visible in the eyes of the female students while Siao Ge chided Ye Guan under his breath. “How pretentious!”