Chapter 18

At the same time, Ye Qiao had already encountered a group of demonic beasts. She continuously recalled the imposing manner in which her fourth senior brother wielded his sword. With the wind beneath her feet, she swiftly dodged the swooping locusts.

When she couldn’t avoid being caught, Ye Qiao remained calm. She swung her wrist, cutting with the sword hilt, and rolled downwards as the beast roared, opening its mouth wide to swallow her.

Ye Qiao kicked up from the ground with force but was still hit by the beast’s wings and thrown to the ground. Seeing it about to pounce again, she slashed her dark sword in its direction.

The gentle sword wind fell on the beast like a sharp blade, piercing its tough flesh. The beast let out a wail, struggling even more violently.

Ye Qiao thrust the sword tip hard into its soft abdomen, fearing it might not die, and stabbed twice more.

She tirelessly fought, repeatedly correcting her mistakes, gradually realizing that the speed and lightness of her sword strikes were increasing.

Like the wind, like a knife, she pierced through the demonic beast group, stabbing into the huge yellow beast’s abdomen, which fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.

Ye Qiao bent over, gasping for breath, her whole body exhilarated. Although she couldn’t match Mu Zhongxi’s power to kill dozens of beasts with one strike, she had mastered about seventy to eighty percent of the sword technique.

Xue Yu was secretly amazed at this sight, rarely offering praise, “Not bad for adapting. Including the time in the outer sect, Little sister has been in the sect for less than half a year. In just a few months, she has grasped seventy to eighty percent of the first form of the Qingfeng Technique. It seems her talent in swordsmanship is not inferior to yours.”

What puzzled Xue Yu was that if she could truly understand the first form of the Qingfeng Technique, why did Little sister always perform averagely in the outer sect?

Mu Chongxi fell into a contemplative doubt.

After a long time, he spoke slowly, “But the problem is… Little sister hasn’t had the chance to learn the first form of the Qingfeng Technique yet.”

In the past two months of lessons, Elder Duan only had Ye Qiao practice the basics of stepping on the wind, and had not yet taught her the first form of the Qingfeng Technique.

Ye Qiao had learned the basic sword forms of the Qingfeng Technique at first glance, but to avoid drawing attention, she had only gone through the motions during tests and had not had a chance to practice them fully.

Elder Duan had not yet had time to teach other sword forms. Ye Qiao knew this was a great opportunity for training. Whether before or after her transmigration, her principle had always been: learn what you can, and if you can’t, just wing it.

Fortunately, everything she had learned so far wasn’t too difficult.

Song Hansheng watched Ye Qiao moving through the demonic beast group, his eyes darkening. Ever since he knew these people were from Changming Sect, he had to take them seriously.

In future competitions, they would be Yueqing Sect’s opponents.

Especially the girl fighting the beasts; his judgment of talent was accurate, and hers was definitely not lacking.

As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. With a thick skin, as if the previous friction hadn’t existed, Song Hansheng walked up to Ming Xuan, trying to probe for information indirectly.

“Where did your Changming Sect find such a disciple? Is she a sword cultivator?”

Ming Xuan was shocked by his audacity. Frankly, Changming Sect and Yueqing Sect were not familiar, especially since Song Hansheng had just attacked their little sister. Ming Xuan’s mouth twitched, ready to curse him, but was pulled back by Xue Yu.

Xue Yu smiled slightly, “She’s not as talented as your little sister.” His voice was gentle, “Ye Qiao is a little sister we picked up from the outer sect.”

“She can’t compare to those with exceptional spiritual roots; at most, she has a good memory.” Xue Yu lowered his head thoughtfully for a moment, “She just has an eidetic memory.”

Su Zhuo was stunned.

Ye… Ye Qiao?

Is it a coincidence with the same name?

He vaguely sensed something was off.

Come to think of it, that girl’s voice was somewhat similar to Second Senior Sister’s.

After Second Senior Sister went down the mountain, she disappeared without a trace. Given her talent, at most, she would be an inner disciple in a small sect. Su Zhuo never considered she might be Ye Qiao.

But now, it seemed hard to deny.

How could there be so many coincidences, with the same voice, same name, and both being sword cultivators?

Yun Que’s pupils trembled slightly, also caught off guard by this news.

She had seen Ye Qiao’s face and confirmed she was indeed Second Senior Sister…

Yun Que’s voice was weak, she pursed her lips, unwilling to give up, and tentatively asked, “So Senior Sister Ye Qiao is also a direct disciple of Changming Sect?”

“Who else do you think we would call Little sister?” Ming Xuan’s tone was surprised. Then he looked at Yun Que’s fleeting look of unwillingness and laughed, “No way, no way, you can’t seriously think being a direct disciple is a big deal, right?”

Yun Que indeed thought this way, or rather, she couldn’t accept that someone who was inferior to her in every way had suddenly become her equal, both becoming personal disciples.

Her eyes darted away. “Senior Brother Ming Xuan, why be so aggressive? I’m just asking.”

Ming Xuan spread his hands with a faint smile. “If that’s what you think, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

These words caused a great commotion.

The onlookers outside the barrier, including the scattered cultivators who were munching on sunflower seeds, were stunned by what they heard.

“A direct disciple of the Changming Sect? Have these major sects gone mad? They’re all crowding into this small secret realm.”

“I know the four direct disciples of Mu Chongxi, but where did this little litte sister come from?”

“Newly accepted, perhaps? She’s been so low-key; I only found out now that the Changming Sect also accepts disciples.”

“But isn’t the Changming Sect famous for its kind and gentle image? How could they do something like occupying a medicinal field…?”

A cultivator from the Changming Sect timidly raised his hand. “Well, it may be a bit unethical, but it’s quite satisfying to watch.”

“Moreover, this new litte sister from the Changming Sect is quite impressive.”

Although Ye Qiao’s swordsmanship was still a bit unpolished, her flowing sword aura was pure and dense, not inferior to the sword strike of Mu Chongxi just now.

“What’s so great about that?” A scattered cultivator scoffed, “If Litte sister Yun Que were to step up, she’d be just as good.”

Yun Que wasn’t the only one who thought this way; Song Hansheng did too.

Song Hansheng didn’t know Ye Qiao, but he was furious.

Isn’t it just a photographic memory?

He was deeply provoked by Xue Yu’s show of Versailles. Who didn’t have an exceptionally gifted litte sister?

Song Hansheng grabbed Yun Que, his voice cold. “Litte sister, you should go too. This is a good opportunity for training.” He added, “There’s no danger; those demonic beasts are of low cultivation.”

“Senior Brother Song, I don’t want to go… I’m scared.” Yun Que clung tightly to Song Hansheng’s sleeve, shaking her head with teary eyes, “They’re too disgusting.”

Song Hansheng was exasperated. Didn’t she see that the Changming Sect was already on a rampage? If she didn’t go out and show off now, the Changming Sect would steal all the limelight.

Seeing this, Su Zhuo quickly spoke up for her, “Senior Brother Song, Litte sister is still young.”

“She’s sixteen and still young?” Song Hansheng couldn’t bear it anymore, “Is she a giant baby?”

As the two argued, the cultivators who had just spoken up for the Yueqing Sect fell silent.