"Qing Yi Sword Style · Dual Ring Mystical Sword," originates from the secret swordsmanship passed down through generations in her family—Qing Yi Sword Style, one of the most precious martial arts treasures of her family. The sword art was created hundreds of years ago by the family's ancestor, Qing Lan—a world-renowned sword master. By mastering the profound understanding of spiritual power and swordsmanship, he developed this technique that integrates spiritual energy with swordplay. This art has been passed down for over two hundred years.
The core philosophy of Qing Yi Sword Style is not just a display of swordsmanship skills but a philosophy of "the sword moves with the heart, and intention merges with spirit." It emphasizes integrating emotions and will into the sword, allowing the sword to resonate with the soul. In this sword art, each move depends on the perfect combination of the practitioner's emotions and spiritual energy. Thus, Qing Yi Sword Style is not just a means of killing enemies but also a way to express one's inner self, advocating "the sword moves with emotion, and the intent flows through." Each successor of the family's swordsmanship, in every generation, interprets their own unique style based on their emotional experiences and spiritual energy level.
When cultivating Qing Yi Sword Style, one can comprehend its ultimate technique by understanding its profound meaning. The ultimate technique consists of five moves, which are comprehended during the cultivation of spiritual practitioners from levels 3 to 7. Among them, "Qing Yi Sword Style · Dual Ring Mystical Sword" is the first ultimate move. It is extremely difficult, usually only achievable by those who have reached the peak of the third-tier spiritual practitioner. They are able to comprehend its true meaning not only because they have stronger spiritual energy reserves but also because their control of spiritual power and combat experience has reached the level necessary to master this complex sword technique.
When Qing Lan originally created Qing Yi Sword Style, she used this sword art in a revenge duel to defeat an opponent far stronger than herself. The key was that she completely integrated her emotions and will into her swordplay, which not only made her sword technique fluid in attack and defense but also mentally suppressed her enemy. The desire to avenge her brother drove her to execute a perfect sword strike.
----Nightfall----
As the night fell, the dormitory of Kion Academy was quiet. The team had won two matches in the group stage, successfully reaching the threshold of the top eight. Despite such a glorious achievement, the atmosphere was not relaxed. Qing Xiu'er, Lin Xuanwu, and Zhang Liya all showed signs of exhaustion, especially Lin Xuanwu and Zhang Liya, who were both seriously injured and unable to participate in the next round.
Chu Yi sat in the corner, his fingers gently tapping on his knee, thoughts racing through his mind. Although they had won the first two matches, the price paid was too high. Lin Xuanwu's arms were still heavily bandaged, and despite his steadfast expression, it was clear that his spiritual energy had been completely drained, and his body was at its limit. Zhang Liya's face was pale, and although her left leg wound had been bandaged, it still twitched slightly from time to time, indicating the injury was far more severe than it appeared.
Qing Xiu'er wasn't in a much better state. In the recent battle, she had used Qing Yi Sword Style · Dual Ring Mystical Sword to repel the furious Eric, which was her strongest move and also the one that consumed the most spiritual energy. Even now, her face looked somewhat pale, and a fine layer of sweat glistened on her forehead.
Qing Xiu'er was able to use the Dual Ring Mystical Sword now because of her affinity with the Beast Spirit. During their time together hunting spirit beasts, Qing Xiu'er had gained a valuable Beast Spirit after an accidental kill by the orange dog. The beast was a Vine Spirit Beast—a small but extraordinarily resilient spirit beast with unique survival abilities. Its appearance resembled a plant with thick vines, possessing limbs shaped like tendrils and buds, and it radiated a powerful natural aura.
The Vine Spirit Beast was a wood-type spirit beast, skilled in manipulating vines to bind its enemies. What was particularly special was that its core spiritual energy was not only wood-type but also fused with the power of nature and life, capable of gathering surrounding spiritual energy to heal itself. It only grew in bamboo forests with few predators, making its Beast Spirit extremely rare in the market, possessing unique self-healing abilities and delicate control over spiritual energy.
The spiritual energy of the Vine Spirit Beast not only helped Qing Xiu'er increase her spiritual energy reserves but also gave her a much faster rate of recovery. It was because of the Vine Spirit Beast's energy enhancement that she could, despite her fatigue, barely manage to perform such a powerful move.
"We're in a bad situation now," Chu Yi's soft voice broke the silence in the room.
"Indeed," Lin Xuanwu gave a bitter laugh. "Although we've won the first two group matches, if we fight in the third one, we'll definitely face huge risks."
Zhang Liya nodded gently. Though not one for words, she knew that they were in no condition to continue fighting.
Qing Xiu'er remained silent. Her gaze was calm, but the flicker of light in her eyes revealed her internal struggle. She knew that forfeiting the third match meant they would lose the chance for a perfect record, but it was also the wisest choice. Her spiritual energy was exhausted, and forcing herself to fight on would only drag down the team and be a loss instead of a gain.
"The situation is clear now. Lin Xuanwu and Zhang Liya are both severely injured, and I can't fight at full strength anymore. Continuing the battle is tantamount to suicide," Qing Xiu'er finally spoke, her tone calm but resolute.
Chu Yi nodded. "We've already won two matches. Even if we forfeit the third one, we still qualify for the top eight. Why risk it?"
Everyone fell silent for a moment before they all nodded in agreement. The matches were important, but they weren't at a point where they had to bet everything on it.
The next morning, the team from Kion Academy officially announced they were forfeiting the third group match. This news quickly caused a stir. After all, Kion Academy had performed remarkably well, especially with Qing Xiu'er's stunning performance in the last match, which had left many in awe.
However, just as the team thought they could rest, trouble appeared.
That afternoon, several people dressed in investigative committee uniforms arrived outside Kion Academy's dormitory. Leading them was a tall, thin man with sharp, eagle-like eyes, exuding a strong sense of pressure.
"We are members of the competition's investigation committee," the man spoke coldly. "We received a report suspecting that your team member, Qing Xiu'er, has violated the rules by using performance-enhancing drugs. Please come with us."
Upon hearing this, the mood among the team immediately tensed. Chu Yi furrowed his brow, deep in thought. This could be trouble—if someone behind the scenes was pulling strings to prevent them from competing, then going with them might be a trap.
"This is nonsense!" Lin Xuanwu couldn't help but speak out. "Qing Xiu'er would never do something like that!"
"In that case, you'll need to come with us so we can help clear your name," the investigator replied coldly.
At that moment, a voice cut through the tense atmosphere. "Wait!"
Everyone turned to see a middle-aged man in the event organizer's uniform walking over briskly. His arrival immediately changed the tone of the situation. The man looked at the lead investigator with a polite smile, but his eyes revealed an undeniable firmness.
"I can vouch, in the name of the event organizers, that this participating academy has not used drugs or committed any violations," he said.
The investigator's leader clearly didn't want to back down easily. He coldly retorted, "If that's the case, then why not let us conduct a test to prove she hasn't broken any rules?"
The middle-aged man smiled faintly. "No need for that. We can prove it on-site." He took out a Soul Revival Pill and handed it to Qing Xiu'er. "After taking this, you only need to rest for half an hour, and your spiritual energy and stamina will be fully restored."
The lead investigator looked skeptical but snatched the Soul Revival Pill from the man, inspecting it. Once assured there were no issues, he allowed Qing Xiu'er to swallow it.
Half an hour later, Qing Xiu'er's spiritual energy was fully restored. A surge of spiritual power stronger than her previous performances radiated from her, shocking even the investigators.
The investigator's leader's expression changed slightly, but he knew that continuing to resist would be futile. With a reluctant wave of his hand, he signaled his companions to leave.
For the moment, the matter settled, but Chu Yi felt a faint unease. He knew there was likely a deeper conspiracy behind the report against Qing Xiu'er.
With the investigation over, the team from Kion Academy could finally focus on resting. Qing Xiu'er regained some of her spiritual energy over the next few days, and Lin Xuanwu and Zhang Liya's injuries slowly healed. But Chu Yi knew they were far from being at their best.
Time flew by, and before they knew it, the date for the top-eight matches was approaching.
Outside the arena, the wind howled, and the clouds in the sky seemed to be gathering energy for the upcoming battle. Chu Yi stood by the window, looking at the distant arena. His heart was as calm as still water. A few days of rest had allowed him to reflect on his progress with spiritual energy, and he realized that the upcoming matches would be his true opportunity to showcase his strength.
The door to the room suddenly swung open, and the figure of Bi Hei, his mentor, appeared in the doorway. His gaze was deep and calm, with a faint, elusive smile on his face.
"Chu Yi," Bi Hei said as he walked over slowly, "the upcoming matches are crucial for us."
Chu Yi nodded. "I understand."
Bi Hei looked at him with a meaningful expression before breaking into a subtle smile. "Let the show begin."
These words were like a command, igniting the flames of battle within Chu Yi. He knew that the upcoming fight would be the moment to truly display his abilities.