“It turns out, you are my whetstone, but I am not worthy to be yours.”

As Dan Qing’s sword shattered, he didn’t focus on the sword for the first time but spoke these words with an incredibly calm tone.

However, Qin Ruqing could detect the sorrow in his voice.

For a true prodigy, the greatest blow is not the ranking or the win or loss, but realizing that there is someone who makes you realize that you are nothing special.

Nothing special.

Qin Ruqing raised an eyebrow and softly asked, “Brother Dan, what does it mean to be worthy or unworthy?”

Dan Qing was momentarily stunned, and his usually sharp and keen eyes as a swordsman softened with confusion and bewilderment.

“Brother Dan, shouldn’t you be happy for your breakthrough in sword intent today?”

When she asked this, Qin Ruqing had a smile on her lips.

She gently clapped her hands and said, as if suddenly enlightened, “I suppose Brother Dan is kind-hearted, feeling that personal progress is not enough and hoping that your opponent also makes progress; otherwise, you would feel that your own strength is inadequate…”

“Ah, the troubles of a genius.” Qin Ruqing shook her head playfully but looked at Dan Qing with a serious gaze. “I can tell Brother Dang that today I also touched upon a realm I had never touched before, and this experience came from our battle.”

“It is Brother Dan’s own progress that has driven my progress. I should thank you.”

Qin Ruqing was sincere.

Although she had just felt frustrated for not breaking through after touching the barrier, she quickly adjusted her mindset.

She wasn’t a divine being, and sudden enlightenment wasn’t something that happened just because she wanted it.

If it didn’t work this time, then she would try again next time.

Maybe the timing just wasn’t right.

Dan Qing thought that her lack of breakthrough was due to his own insufficiency, but Qin Ruqing felt that was overthinking it.

Hey, relying on others to refine oneself to assist in breaking through—that’s not really Qin Ruqing’s style.

If she wanted to break through, she would rely entirely on herself!

Sprouting alone, growing alone—being beautifully solitary!

Thinking this way, Qin Ruqing immediately felt a sense of beauty and anticipation, believing that a great enlightenment was waiting for her ahead.

Seeing Dan Qing’s sword shattered on the ground, she bit her lip, feeling a bit guilty, and walked over to pick up the broken sword, standing in front of Dang Qing.

“Um, Brother Dan, I heard that sword practitioners treat their swords as companions. This… well, it’s broken. Should I compensate you?”

Oh no, compensation.

The sword of the Sword Sect’s eldest senior brother must be very expensive…

Although Qin Ruqing herself was wealthy, she, like this senior brother, had a big family to support.

Paying a large amount of money all at once would still be quite painful.

Dan Qing felt as if his mood had dropped like a small stone falling into the sea.

As it descended rapidly, his heart felt heavy and kept falling, almost doubting himself and beginning to affect his sword heart.

In the end, the stone plopped into the sea, supported by the vast, soft water, slowing its descent and giving a feeling of being embraced, even feeling relaxed and joyful.

Dan Qing slowly took the broken sword from Qin Ruqing’s hand.

Seeing her with a pitiful look, he deliberately pondered, “This sword…”

Qin Ruqing nodded eagerly, pressing her hand to her chest, “Dan Qing, just tell me how much it costs!”

Only then did Dan Qing smile and say, “There’s no need for payment. This sword has already fulfilled its mission and found its best resting place.”

“Really?” Qin Ruqing’s disappointed face lit up with surprise.

Dan Qing nodded and continued, “There is a divine weapon at the Sword Sect’s Cliffwind Peak in the Northern Domain. With my sword intent breakthrough, I now feel qualified to draw that sword. Once I have drawn the divine weapon, I will come to spar with you again.”

Qin Ruqing nodded vigorously, “Alright, alright, no need for money! I understand!”

Seeing Dan Qing’s gaze, she immediately corrected herself, “Ah, a sparring match, of course! We’ll definitely spar!”

Dan Qing laughed again.

He recalled his master’s words before he set off:

“A sword cultivator cannot simply isolate themselves and focus on hard practice. One must engage with the world, experience the vastness of the world, and only then can they achieve the highest realm.”

Now, Dan Qing felt his master was right.

Coming to the Hundred Clans Conference and meeting Qin Ruqing was indeed the right choice.

The four directors on the top looked at the scene with smiles.

The Western Domain Director, with his hands folded in his robe, suddenly asked the Northern Domain Director, “Is that sword valuable?”

The Northern Domain Director replied calmly, “The Sword Sect always ranks swords based on strength. As the eldest disciple, Dan Qing’s sword is naturally the best among his peers. Though it’s not on par with a divine weapon, it is indeed a divine weapon prototype.”

A divine weapon prototype.

The bald Western Domain Director scratched his head, “I really don’t understand the younger generation these days~”

Director Feng glanced at the area affected by the miasma, which was now very close to the White Tower, and calmly said, “The rankings are settled. It’s time to leave.”

The rankings were settled.

There were no further disputes:

First place on the Golden List: Qin Ruqing. The champion of the conference is Qin Ruqing!

The Hundred Clans Conference had ended.

Oh no, it should be said, the most-watched martial arts competition track had ended.

The remaining competitions in the alchemy, talisman, and artifact fields were still ongoing with intense competition.

However, in the recently concluded Martial Power track, the most heated discussion wasn’t about the tournament rankings.

The top positions were pretty much determined, and there wasn’t any intense competition with narrow margins or repeated back-and-forths.

With the rankings not in suspense, the discussion lacked intensity.

Now, all the focus of the tournament discussions has shifted to two main topics.

During the Hundred Clans Conference, there was an attempted assassination of a prominent family contestant which failed.

The assailant has fled, and while the exact identity is uncertain, it is suspected to be someone from the Yingzhou Fang family.

This news has become the top headline in the Eastern Region.

It’s being talked about in every street, alley, teahouse, and tavern.

The source of the news came from the Hui Cui Building.

Normally, the audience wouldn’t see the second round’s footage; they would have to wait for the Xianpin Department to announce the final rankings.

However, Hui Cui Building somehow obtained internal footage of the second round.

They then discovered the assassination attempt.

A mysterious figure in black openly tried to assassinate the number one on the gold list, Fairy Ruqing!

This mysterious person is suspected to be related to the Fang family of the Eastern Region’s Golden-Ranked families.

Hui Cui Building, unafraid of stirring trouble, broadcasted the assassination footage across all their stores.

With Hui Cui Building’s stores spread throughout the Eastern Region and its significant influence, combined with the topic involving the Hundred Clans Conference, Golden-Ranked families, and the top of the gold list, the hype exploded.

The entire Eastern Region is discussing this incident, and it’s spreading rapidly to the other three regions, almost like a plague.

The Xianpin Department has intervened, stating that a thorough investigation will be conducted.

However, the Fang family has not yet responded to the situation.

As for the second point of public discussion, it’s the decisive battle between Qin Ruqing and the Sword Sect’s eldest senior brother.

In fact, the Xianpin Department also released footage of the contestants from each stage when they announced the final rankings, including the final battle between Qin Ruqing and Dan Qing.

However, the hype didn’t match the impact of Hui Cui Building’s direct release.

After all, Hui Cui Building is professional with its various editing and camera techniques, giving the viewers the pleasure of watching a blockbuster.

At this moment, Hui Cui Building’s No. 1 building had already rebroadcast the battle between Immortal Qing and Dan Qing for the fifty-third time.

Don’t think it’s too many times, because the footage of Qin Ruqing’s previous encounter with the mysterious figure in black, showing her coldly lifting her eyes amidst the golden flames, had been rebroadcast over a hundred times.

Every time it was rebroadcast, Hui Cui Building charged more money, but the audience still eagerly paid.

It is said that the edited version of the footage of her eyes lifting in the fire is currently being produced at full speed, and it will soon be available for sale, expected to be another big hit.

The battle between Qin Ruqing and Dan Qing is also quite a high-threshold match, requiring viewers to have a certain level of skill to understand it; otherwise, it’s completely incomprehensible.

Thus, it has only been rebroadcast about fifty times.

“It’s starting, it’s starting. Qin Ruqing has adjusted her breathing.”

The person was excited for a moment but quickly became concerned for their idol. “Ah, I must say, she was just chased by the figure in black and is still injured. She shouldn’t be fighting right now. According to Director Feng, her score is certain to be first place. With the tournament’s incident, the ranking might be based entirely on scores, so there’s no need to compete with Dang Qing. If she loses, all the glory she accumulated before will be lost!”

“The spectators are already doubting before the match even begins. When has Qin Ruqing ever lost?”

“I’m just providing a rational analysis. Why are you so impatient? She’s injured and still recovering, and Dan Qing is the Sword Sect’s eldest disciple, a well-established genius. With these two factors combined, it’s possible that Qin Ruqing might lose!”

Two first-time viewers of the video, who were fans of Qin Ruqing, started arguing.

Standing nearby was a casually dressed young man in a green robe.

With an air of knowing the outcome, he looked at them with a superior gaze and confidently said, “Don’t worry. You’ll be satisfied with the result.”

The image in the crystal began to play.

The red-clad female immortal, surrounded by golden flames, charged forward, opting to engage in close combat with a sword cultivator.

“Wow, they’re going straight into battle! Qin Ruqing’s combat style really doesn’t match her appearance!”

Someone chuckled, “Did you just notice? I saw it long ago. She likes to fight aggressively and directly, without any flashy tricks. Only against opponents with a significant strength gap does she use more indirect, skillful tactics.”

“She really doesn’t look like a mage!”

Someone disagreed, “What about the spells she’s using? Their power? Many mages would dream of such abilities!”

Powerful spells and impressive displays (flashy tricks) are exactly what mages aspire to.

It’s like a mage’s dream.

“You can’t deny she’s a mage just because Qin Ruqing has the physique of a warrior. Qin Ruqing is the strongest mage!” The person spoke proudly, unsure if they were more proud of the mage category or Qin Ruqing herself.

At the beginning, the direct clash between the golden light and sword shadows was visually satisfying, but as the fight continued, viewers became puzzled.

“Hey, you’re competing for the first place in the Hundred Clans Conference! The reputation and rewards are at stake. Why are you trading blows like it’s a performance?”

This segment required viewers to have a higher level of understanding because they couldn’t appreciate how challenging it is to engage in a mutual (temper and hone) to explore the Extreme Realm when facing a evenly matched opponent.

But it didn’t matter; as always, Huicui Building provided professional commentary.

For this battle, they even had a dedicated commentator.

It was the third elder of Huicui Building, who was also a storyteller!

He pointed to the crystal image, his face serious as he said, “Pay attention. These two are not merely playing around; this is a true battle between geniuses. They’ve abandoned all extra spells and sword moves to explore the limits of their physical capabilities. They are pursuing the Extreme Realm, a level sought only by those beyond the Nascent Soul stage.”

“Wow, Nascent Soul! Even though they don’t know what the Extreme Realm is, the mention of Nascent Soul immediately raises the stakes.”

As Dan Qing’s sword techniques grew faster and more fluid, displaying levels of skill far beyond earlier, and even managed to injure Qin Ruqing, the spectators were increasingly captivated.

“Does this mean Dan Qing is going to win? Fairy Ruqing is injured, so does this imply that Dan Qing has comprehended the Extreme Realm while Fairy Ruqing has not?”

Indeed, Third Elder explained, “Dan Qing has clearly just entered the Extreme Realm and made a breakthrough in sword intent, while Qin Ruqing… is still lacking in this regard.”

Wow!

This is basically saying that Qin Ruqing isn’t strong enough!

What Dan Qing can comprehend, Fairy Ruqing cannot?

But how could this be?

Qin Ruqing’s public persona is carefully managed not only by herself but also with the strong support of Third Elder.

How could he be ruining his own reputation?

As expected, Third Elder stroked his beard with an enigmatic smile, “The core of exploring the Extreme Realm is actually pushing one’s physical limits. Fairy Ruqing can push Dan Qing’s limits, but Dan Qing hasn’t pushed Fairy Ruqing’s limits. Isn’t this something that speaks for itself?”

Indeed, the final move between the two decided the outcome.

Dan Qing’s sword shattered, and as he looked at Qin Ruqing, he said, “…I am not worthy to be your whetstone.”

The meaning of this statement was that Dan Qing admitted he was inferior to Qin Ruqing!

The audience acknowledged that, even though they didn’t fully understand, they felt inexplicably satisfied!

The atmosphere at Hui Cui Building reached its peak when Dang Qing said that.

Hui Cui Building even intentionally cut out Qin Ruqing’s subsequent comforting words to Dan Qing, clearly aiming to create this effect.

After enjoying the moment, Hui Cui Building began charging for the rebroadcast…

Third Elder leisurely left the stage and took the tea offered by a servant.

The servant whispered, “Elder, won’t this broadcast affect the reputation of the Sword Sect in the Northern Region?”

Third Elder remained calm, “The facts are as they are. He lost, after all.”

“Is Dan Qing really that weak?”

“Weak?” Third Elder chuckled, “He’s only at the Core Formation Realm yet touched upon the rules. Dan Qing is undoubtedly the top sword of the Sword Sect.”

“Then why degrade him so much?”

“Hey, kid, let me teach you something. At Hui Cui Building, we don’t study the truth; we study what the audience wants and what they want to hear.”

“Like the segment we cut out—Qin Ruqing comforting Dan Qing, resolving Dan Qing’s emotional issues, and fulfilling their mutual bond. For our Hui Cui Building audience, this would have significantly reduced the excitement.”

“Isn’t this arrangement better?” Third Elder shrugged, “Dan Qing gets the substance, Qin Ruqing gets the face, and both sides are satisfied.”

The servant, hearing this, felt sorry for Qin Ruqing, “But isn’t Fairy Ruqing at a disadvantage? The substance was taken by someone else.”

Third Elder glanced at the servant’s expression and realized that Qin Ruqing’s influence had even permeated their own ranks.

He sighed with an enigmatic air, “How do you know she’s at a disadvantage?”

“Just because she comprehended the rules first doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. Perhaps she has something significant planned for the future?”

---

“Sister, where should we go next?”

After leaving the Martial Power track, Qin Ruqing and Qirong headed straight to the arena for the third sister and Tang Zifeng.

They discovered that with only four days into the tournament, the events for weapon forging and alchemy were taking too long, and the steps had only reached the middle stage.

Qin Ruqing and Qi Rong decided to stroll through the streets, taking advantage of the time while all the tournament tracks were finished, allowing them to rest.

But Qi Rong noticed that their direction was not towards the accommodation provided by the Xianpin Department, the Junying Courtyard, but rather towards Hui Cui Building?

As expected, Qin Ruqing said, “We’re going to Hui Cui Building!”

“Huh, going to listen to books again?”

Qin Ruqing didn’t hide it; she smiled and said, “We’re going to discuss matters regarding the Fang family.”

“But hasn’t the news about the Fang family’s assassination attempt already spread throughout the streets and alleys?” In the short time they had rested, he had already heard at least three groups discussing the matter.

Qin Ruqing glanced at him and said, “Did I go through all this trouble and risk my life just to make the Fang family look bad?”

Qi Rong, now thinking for himself rather than just following Qin Ruqing’s words, pondered and said, “The Celestial Bureau will definitely investigate this matter. Once evidence is found, they will impose punishment. For the Fang family, it would then be more than just a scandal.”

Qirong’s words did make sense, but for some reason, Qin Ruqing’s lips curled into a smirk.

She looked ahead and said, “Qi Rong, you place too much trust in the Celestial Bureau. I don’t believe they will provide any real resolution. Not to mention that the Fang family hasn’t really exposed any substantial flaws, even if the Celestial Bureau finds some clues, they likely wouldn’t dare to make them public.”

“Even though both factions are trying to win me over, when it comes to crucial matters, they naturally prioritize their own interests and what they consider the greater good.”

After hearing this, Qi Rong’s mood darkened.

However, Qin Ruqing began to smile, “So, it’s better to rely on oneself than on others. The things I want to achieve and the goals I want to reach will be accomplished through my own means.”

“Making the Fang family’s assassination attempt known throughout the city is just the first step.”

“The second step is to make the feud between the Yingzhou Fang family and the Yingzhou Qin family known to everyone!”