Chapter Thirty-Seven: Long Yun, Challenging Across Ranks

As the words faded, a young man slowly emerged from the depths of the shaded forest and walked toward Xiao Leng.

“Who is this disciple? Why have we never seen him before?” The disciples of Jade Sword Sect erupted in excitement at the sudden appearance of Long Yun, whispering and speculating among themselves.

Long Yun had just entered the Jade Sword Sect and had devoted himself entirely to cultivation, so few within the sect had ever seen him; it was only natural that these disciples did not recognize him.

Upon seeing Long Yun, Xiao Leng’s expression relaxed somewhat. He understood his own condition: though the shock from Hua Longyin’s attack was not enough to injure him, it had left him unable to continue fighting without risking a disastrous defeat.

Although Long Yun had only just broken through to the Gathering Spirit realm, Xiao Leng had witnessed his uncanny technique and believed in his heart that Long Yun would not lose this battle.

“Long Yun!” Xiao Leng, ever perceptive, feigned a look of surprise, as though meeting Long Yun for the first time.

“Long Yun?” Hearing Xiao Leng’s words, some disciples finally recalled—the name Long Yun had been echoing throughout Jade Sword Sect for the past fortnight.

He had first defeated Pei Yue, then bested Quan Guanxin despite a difference in cultivation level, and was later rumored to have been punished by being sent to Monk Hill to eliminate bandits, mysteriously disappearing thereafter.

Even the Sect Master, Shangguan Yu, had left seclusion to personally search for Long Yun, showing just how much importance was placed on him within Jade Sword Sect, and leaving all the disciples with a lasting impression of his name.

“He’s the Junior Brother Long Yun, the genius of the Heart Sword lineage? Judging by his age, he’s just seventeen or eighteen! They say he broke through to the Gathering Essence realm only a little over a month after joining, and he’s the only prodigy in a hundred years to possess seven apertures for condensing energy!” The disciples cried out in astonishment.

Like a stone tossed into a still lake, the arrival of Long Yun stirred the entire sect. After days of anticipation, he appeared suddenly—and at that, was to face a challenger from the visiting Hua Ying Sect, a formidable opponent in the Bone Transforming realm.

All the disciples were thrown into a frenzy. If Long Yun could win, it would be even more inspiring than Xiao Leng’s earlier victory.

Upon seeing Long Yun, Xiao Yucheng’s expression shifted, his brows knitting in concern. Gathering Spirit realm? Did Jade Sword Sect have no other Bone Transforming experts?

He soon realized, however, that this youth must have a close relationship with Xiao Leng and had stepped forward to shield him—but he was overestimating himself.

Though he lacked the high-quality spiritual bones of Xiao Leng and Hua Longyin, his own spiritual bone was not to be underestimated. A mere Gathering Spirit disciple could be defeated in a single move.

Without further delay, he said, “Since this junior wishes to spar, as your senior, I ought to grant you this wish. Very well, I shall face you in battle—but you should be prepared for what’s to come!”

Under Long Yun’s steady gaze, Xiao Leng withdrew and began to channel his energy for healing.

Long Yun turned to Xiao Yucheng and said, “Senior Brother Xiao Yucheng, don’t forget what I said before. Senior Brother Xiao Leng didn’t send me here to die—he simply believes you’re not worthy of facing him. To deal with you, my Gathering Spirit realm is more than sufficient; I won’t even need the Bone Transforming realm!”

“Gathering Spirit realm?” The disciples of Jade Sword Sect inhaled sharply. In just over half a month, he had broken through once more—what kind of monster was this?

Hearing Long Yun’s words, Xiao Yucheng’s face grew grim. He drew the sword at his waist, sending sword energy whistling through the air, and said coldly, “Then let me test the peerless sword arts of Jade Sword Sect! Draw your sword!”

“My sword is never drawn lightly—unless you’re capable of forcing me to use it.” Long Yun maintained his harmless, gentle smile, fueling Xiao Yucheng’s fury.

“In that case, let me see what’s so unique about your Gathering Spirit realm!” Xiao Yucheng snorted, his sword moving first to attack.

He believed Long Yun was merely stalling for time. To ensure a swift victory before facing Xiao Leng again, he launched a preemptive assault.

Yet he withheld some of his strength, for Long Yun’s cultivation was too insignificant to warrant his full attention; this strike was executed with only sixty or seventy percent of his power.

Long Yun’s form remained unmoving, his gaze fixed intently on the approaching sword tip, as if oblivious to the impending danger.

“What’s he doing? Has he been scared senseless?” Both Jade Sword Sect and Hua Ying Sect disciples wondered silently as Long Yun remained passive.

Only Chu Huafei, Xiao Leng, Hua Longyin, and a handful of others sensed the gravity in the air. Though Long Yun had not yet acted, his vast sword intent was already gathering.

The immense sword intent seemed to transform into invisible, permeating droplets, enveloping the ten-zhang space around them. Though formless, sword intent was a unique power.

Masters like Chu Huafei and those familiar with Long Yun, such as Xiao Leng, could sense the unusual fluctuations in the space, especially Chu Huafei, whose shock deepened with each passing second.

Just as Xiao Yucheng’s blade was less than three feet from Long Yun’s chest, the gust from its force whipping his hair, Long Yun’s right hand, which hung loosely at his side, finally moved.

He struck out with his sword fingers, a faint sword energy drifting forth. Compared to Xiao Yucheng’s sword energy, Long Yun’s was like a flickering firefly.

So weak it was almost unbearable to watch, the outcome seemed certain; even Xiao Yucheng’s face wore a slight smile. But in the next instant, that smile froze.

At the moment their sword energies met, Xiao Yucheng’s dazzling blade was suddenly assaulted, as if beset by a raging blizzard.

In an instant, it crumbled and scattered, swept away like dead leaves. At the same moment, Long Yun let out a clear cry, and the light on his sword fingers flared visibly brighter.

“Not good—spiritual bone power!” Xiao Yucheng tried to change his technique, but it was too late. He could only force out the power of his spiritual bone to defend against the imminent crisis.

But before he could gather his spiritual bone’s strength, his mind was struck as if by lightning. That invisible force surged into his consciousness like a tyrannical wave, crashing furiously within his sea of awareness.

His senses stalled for an instant, his sword energy shredded by Long Yun, and he seemed entirely unaware—his eyes lost their vitality.

Yes, it was sword intent. In truth, Long Yun had prepared this strike long before, releasing his sword intent into the surrounding space prior to battle.

Though he had reached the Gathering Spirit realm, his opponent possessed a replaced spiritual bone in the Bone Transforming realm, so Long Yun dared not attack directly with sword intent for fear of alerting his adversary.

Thus, before the fight began, he spread his sword intent invisibly throughout the space, letting it seep gradually around his opponent. At the moment Xiao Yucheng’s mind relaxed, he unleashed his attack.

Xiao Yucheng had no idea Long Yun’s technique could be so strange, capable of directly affecting his very soul, and thus fell victim to it instantly.

When Xiao Yucheng snapped out of his daze, he found a golden sword light flickering before his eyes, and a harmless smile gazing gently back at him.

“No—this is impossible!” Xiao Yucheng could not process what had happened; his face was deeply contorted. Were it not for Long Yun’s sword energy pressed to his throat, he would have immediately leapt up for another round.

“Thank you, Senior Brother Xiao Yucheng, for your mercy!” Long Yun said calmly. He knew he had won this battle by a stroke of luck. Had Xiao Yucheng not underestimated him, using only sixty percent of his strength, Long Yun would not have seized such an easy victory—even if he could win, it would never have been so effortless.

The disciples of Jade Sword Sect erupted in excitement. From the moment the two exchanged blows to the instant the battle ended, it was all over in a flash. By the time they realized what had happened, Long Yun had already dispelled the sword in his hand and retreated!

“Long Yun actually won! He challenged across realms—he really did it!”

Voices rang out in surprise, mingled with envy and admiration, and of course, speculation among themselves.

With a metallic ring, a sword was suddenly drawn. Chu Huafei’s figure shot from the side, leaping into the air, his blade transformed into a streak of rainbow light, stabbing swiftly toward Long Yun’s back!