Chapter 81

Chapter 81: Duel

In the past, Bai Yang had heard plenty about Lu Xing Yao and knew he didn’t get along with his master. But when he saw him in person, he realized it was all rumors.

He heard that Lu Xing Yao came every day to spar with his master, leaving each day in high spirits.

His master also didn’t seem to dislike him. The two fought so intensely, their battle intent razor-sharp.

When he saw them today after coming out of seclusion, he didn’t even dare approach from afar.

But after his master stopped, her face was full of joyful smiles.

That smile was dazzling and refreshing.

Bai Yang hadn’t seen it in a long time.

Jealousy crept up, and he silently hoped Martial Uncle Gu would win this match.

“Gu Qing Yuan still isn’t here?”

With a long sword on his back, Lu Xing Yao asked bluntly, “I’ve waited half a month for him. Is he going to stall again?”

“Fellow Daoist Lu, don’t worry. Junior Brother Gu has something to do, so he’ll be delayed a bit.”

The Sect Master explained with a smile, while cursing Gu Qing Yuan again in his heart.

“Oh? So Fellow Daoist Gu is confident about today’s match—confident enough to do other things.”

Lu Xing Yao’s smile wasn’t a smile, and the long sword on his back hummed.

Gu Qing Yuan’s behavior was basically not taking them seriously at all.

His battle intent flared instantly. He wanted to see just how strong Gu Qing Yuan really was.

He sat down with force, his anger impossible to ignore.

Song Wan Ning only smiled and said nothing. She sat down gracefully, then took out the snacks she had prepared lately and ate them slowly in front of everyone.

She knew exactly what Gu Qing Yuan went to do. Today should be the day Ye Chu Xue came out of the Eroding Wind Cave.

What “deep master-disciple affection,” huh…

…

Gu Qing Yuan arrived at the sparring platform with Ye Chu Xue, and countless eyes turned to them at once.

Probing, curious, mocking, disdainful…

All those looks made Ye Chu Xue feel awful.

She pressed her lips together and only felt it was ridiculous.

Gu Qing Yuan liked her because she was charming.

Why were these people looking at her like that?

Face dark, she held her head high and strode after Gu Qing Yuan toward the front of the high dais.

“Tsk, am I seeing wrong? Wasn’t Ye Chu Xue punished to face the wall in the Eroding Wind Cave? How did she advance instead?”

“Unbelievable, unbelievable. Anyone who goes into the Eroding Wind Cave gets tortured into a mess. She didn’t suffer at all, and she even advanced. Isn’t that infuriating?”

“Hmph, so what if she’s strong? She got involved with her own master. Who knows what tricks she used to advance?”

“True. Look at how Grandmaster Gu protects her. He’s basically advertising his illicit love for his disciple!”

“In a match this big, Grandmaster Gu could still ditch it just to go pick her up. True love!”

The onlooking disciples were jealous of Ye Chu Xue’s improved cultivation.

Song Wan Ning, who was eating, also stopped chewing at that moment. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

Heh.

So she really was the Heavenly Dao’s own daughter.

Even after stealing the stone, Ye Chu Xue could still advance inside. Even though she only reached late Foundation Establishment Stage, far from her previous life at Golden Core Stage, it still made Song Wan Ning furious.

Song Wan Ning stared at Ye Chu Xue’s figure and curled her lips with an unreadable look.

“So Fellow Daoist Gu went to pick up his sweetheart!”

Lu Xing Yao glanced at Gu Qing Yuan and tore off the fig leaf from him.

Gu Qing Yuan’s face sank. “Lu Xing Yao, watch your words. This lord was only bringing my disciple back.”

“Fellow Daoist Gu, stop pretending. Who out there doesn’t know you, Gu Qing Yuan, are tangled up with your own disciple? Everyone is congratulating you two.”

As soon as that sarcastic teasing came out, the watching disciples couldn’t help laughing.

Who hadn’t cursed their disgusting behavior in private? Congratulate them?

Lu Xing Yao really knew how to sting people.

The Sect Master’s face twitched too. Lu Xing Yao wasn’t usually a chatterbox, so why were his words so nasty?

“My private matters don’t need any explanation to you.”

With a dark face, Gu Qing Yuan settled Ye Chu Xue into the seat that belonged to him, then turned and jumped onto the sparring platform.

“Enough nonsense. If you want to fight, then fight!”

“Good! I’ve long heard Fellow Daoist Gu no longer needs to live off a woman. Today I’ll take a good look at True Lord Gu and see just how capable you are.”

Lu Xing Yao leaped onto the sparring platform and smoothly drew the long sword from his back.

His momentum shot into the sky.

On the sparring platform, the defensive formation flashed brightly, and the air seemed to grow heavy.

Gu Qing Yuan struck first. He swung the Red Hare Sword in his hand, runes flowing along the blade with a faint hum.

He lifted his hand, and in an instant, a golden sea of mountains surged toward Lu Xing Yao.

It was the third move of Supreme Sword Art: Mountains and Seas.

Within that mountain-sea, countless strange lights took the shape of ferocious beasts, roaring as they lunged forward.

Lu Xing Yao, dressed in snow-white robes, held his sword upright before his chest. Like a white ribbon, it deftly coiled around the incoming shadows. With a single turn of his body, he defused the fierce blow.

The beasts lunged at empty air and dissolved into unwilling spiritual qi.

Gu Qing Yuan flicked his wrist, and the Red Hare Sword shot into the sky with a piercing, long cry.

A sword light in the air turned into countless sword shadows. They shimmered, and in a single breath they wove together into a complex formation pattern.

The formation descended, enveloping Lu Xing Yao on the platform.

“Tsk, he turned a sword into a formation? Grandmaster Gu is amazing!”

“Yeah. Formations are already hard and complex, but Grandmaster Gu merged the two into one. How are people supposed to live?”

“I told you Grandmaster Gu would be fine! You didn’t believe me. Now watch how he cleans up Lu Xing Yao!”

“Hahaha, Grandmaster Gu is mighty!”

The disciples below immediately boiled over, cheering with full confidence.

On the high dais, the Sect Master and several elders also looked excited, secretly clenching their fists and silently cheering him on.