When Fang Zhejun first faced Qin Ruqing directly, she found her quite unpleasant.

This dislike was not just due to their families’ grievances or any additional biases, but purely based on personality.

Qin Ruqing’s wild nature, lack of constraints, and unpredictability made her hard to handle and define.

Fang Zhejun perceived that Qin Ruqing was deliberately provoking her.

It seemed as though Qin Ruqing had come specifically to challenge her, possibly to elevate her own status by defeating someone of higher rank.

Fang Zhejun felt insulted.

She carefully chose her opponents based on their strength, reputation, and status because defeating them would add to her own achievements.

The fact that Qin Ruqing had chosen her as a target implied that Qin Ruqing was confident she could win.

Fang Zhejun questioned Qin Ruqing’s audacity.

How could Qin Ruqing be so confident that she could defeat her?

Did she truly think she was just an unknown opponent?

Fang Zhejun scoffed, “I originally had a change of heart, thinking you might not be as devious as rumored, that you were a genuine talent. But now, I believe the rumors about you are justified.”

Qin Ruqing responded with a bright smile, “Whether you change your view or not doesn’t matter to me.” She didn’t need to prove herself to anyone or seek anyone’s approval.

“And yes, your family’s assessment is pretty accurate—I am indeed devious and cunning, and I consider that a strength,” Qin Ruqing said cheerfully, summoning a fire sword.

She tested its weight and then, with a fierce look in her eyes, charged at Fang Zhejun with incredible speed, leaving a golden afterimage.

In her world, the idea that the first to strike always loses didn’t apply.

Qin Ruqing, having previously endured drinking a large dose of the Fierce Flame Tiger King’s blood, was not pleased.

She had drunk it to enhance her physique, so she needed to test its effects.

She decided to switch from a fragile mage to a combat mage and engage directly.

Fang Zekun, a top-tier swordswoman, instinctively blocked the attack.

There was no clashing sound of weapons because Qin Ruqing’s sword was entirely made of fire.

After the initial clash, the two separated.

Fang Zhejun looked down and noticed that the sword’s edge was still glowing red.

The fire was intensely hot.

Fang Zhejun looked at Qin Ruqing, who was eagerly brandishing her fire sword, clearly ready for more.

Fang Zhejun was confused.

At first, if Qin Ruqing had been challenging her, Fang Zhejun could understand it, even if she was angry.

Talents are often confident, sometimes even arrogant.

Fang Zhejun admitted that Qin Ruqing was indeed a top talent.

But even if she was arrogant, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to use her weaknesses against someone else’s strengths.

Qin Ruqing was a magic practitioner!

Why was she challenging a swordswoman like Fang Zejun with sword skills? And why was she engaging in close combat?

As the fight continued, Fang Zhejun’s expression changed.

She adjusted her sword grip because her palms were numb.

Qin Ruqing didn’t seem like a magic practitioner at all—she was as strong and wild as a beast!

This “strength” wasn’t about her physique but her overwhelmingly powerful and reckless fighting style.

What kind of magic practitioner fought like this?

Yes, Qin Ruqing’s sword skills were rough, but her brute strength was astonishing.

Fang Zhejun felt like she was fighting a physical practitioner instead of a magic practitioner.

Plus, Qin Ruqing’s fiery attacks were incredibly fierce and even countered metal, making it difficult for Fang Zhejun to handle her.

Fang Zejun paused, and Qin Ruqing was not pleased. “Oh, Zhejun, you seemed so offended earlier. Why have you stopped now? Aren’t you going to teach me a lesson?” she said with a very sincere expression.

Qin Ruqing’s words were provocatively annoying—she had a keen sense of how to get under people’s skin and aimed her taunts at Fang Zhejun’s sore spots.

Fang Zhejun’s breath momentarily halted. Even though it was a crude tactic, Fang Zhejun realized she almost fell for it.

She really, really wanted to give Qin Ruqing a good beating!

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Fang Zhejun frowned and said, “If you’re using me as a test subject, why should I cooperate with you?”

At this level, Fang Zhejun could clearly see that Qin Ruqing wasn’t using her full strength.

It seemed Qin Ruqing was testing something on her.

Ah, so she didn’t want to be a test subject.

Qin Ruqing understood and bowed slightly, stepping back. “Zhejun, I know you’re angry, but please don’t be. Let’s call it a halt here and have a proper match later.”

Fang Zhejun felt something was off about this statement but couldn’t pinpoint what. Her sharp gaze fell on Qin Ruqing’s sword.

Noticing this look, Qin Ruqing said, “This sword is just for show. You know my sword skills are poor; it’s just a medium for casting spells.”

After her previous fight with Fifth Youlin,

Qin Ruqing found that having a sword as a magic practitioner was quite useful.

It provided defense, aided in casting spells, and most importantly, it added a subtle touch of showiness without being too obvious.

Qin Ruqing could create many impressive effects with her fire spells, like conjuring a golden phoenix… but she found that a bit too melodramatic and not fitting her own righteous image.

But when it comes to using a sword, it’s different.

Swords, as a classic item in the world of martial arts, seem to naturally carry a sense of righteousness.

Inspired by the legendary Fifth Family’s Lin Qi, Qin Ruqing had also adopted this advanced fashion item and found it quite fitting.

To prove her point, Qin Ruqing actively used her sword and cast a fire spell, launching a vigorous attack towards Fang Zhejun.

Countless sword energies flashed through the air, shattering the fire spell into numerous fragments that gradually dissipated into the surroundings.

Qin Ruqing, with a serious expression, said, “See? It’s a spell. Fairy Fang Zhejun, I’m indeed a proper mage and would never forget my original skills.”

Fang Zhejun tightly pressed her lips together and decided to attack Qin Ruqing without further words.

She was resolved to defeat Qin Ruqing here and now.

She wanted Qin Ruqing to kneel and apologize to her, ultimately using her defeat as a tribute to her sword!

Qin Ruqing, though she might seem casual with her words, was on high alert.

Since she had promised to use spells, she was ready to experiment with her new techniques on Fang Zhejun.

The new technique Qin Ruqing used was an improved version of the Parasite Fire Seed.

The old Parasite Fire Seed was a powerful secret weapon, where the more seeds she planted, the stronger the effect.

However, the drawback was that it required Qin Ruqing to physically touch the target to plant the seed, which meant she had to risk herself in close combat.

Now, the improved version of the fire seed had overcome this limitation.

It no longer required direct contact; instead, it could be planted through fire.

In other words, as long as Qin Ruqing hit her opponent with a fire spell, the fire seed would successfully attach itself.

This was a result of her recent breakthrough in controlling fire elements from clearing the fire attribute rule cave.

However, against a top-tier genius like Fang Zhejun, even with a ranged attack, planting the seeds wasn’t easy.

Fang Zhejun’s sword was characterized by its speed and sharpness, and it seemed to be combined with a magical movement technique.

The more she charged, the heavier the sword became, but the faster it moved.

If Qin Ruqing couldn’t disrupt this technique, eventually, she wouldn’t be able to track Fang Zhejun’s movements and would be left at her mercy.

Qin Ruqing sighed inwardly, having only planted twenty seeds. It was a bit insufficient!

But she shrugged it off.

Even mosquito legs are meat; there wasn’t time to wait for more seeds to be planted.

Qin Ruqing quickly formed hand seals with her hands, her red lips curling into a smile, and she uttered a single word:

“Explosion!”

At the command, Fang Zhejun’s hand holding the sword suddenly vibrated.

She almost couldn’t maintain her grip.

Moments later, there was a sharp crack, and Fang Zhejun’s eyes widened in shock as she saw a crack appear in her sword.

Blood trickled from her mouth. The Qing Frost Spirit Sword was her primary weapon, and damage to it meant her heart vein was also affected.

Fang Zhejun slowly looked up at Qin Ruqing, wiped the blood from her mouth, and then smeared it onto her sword.

The sword, glowing with a ghostly blue light, began to repair itself slowly.

Seeing Fang Zhejun’s reaction, Qin Ruqing thought, “She’s really angry now—she’s about to go all out!”

Sword practitioners were always like that; if you damaged their cherished sword, they’d fight fiercely.

Fang Zhejun held the repaired sword and performed a sword technique with six moves, each move imbued with deep significance.

The resulting sword marks in the air formed a menacing “Kill” character.

The character’s golden light shattered the clouds above and twisted the surrounding space, demonstrating immense power.

After forming the “Kill” character, Fang Zhejun gave a soft exhale, and it entered her sword.

The sword hummed with a strong killing intent.

Fang Zhejun wielded the sword with incredible speed, creating a blur of motion.

She moved like a legendary female warrior, cutting through obstacles towards Qin Ruqing.

Qin Ruqing showed no sign of dodging or preparing any impressive spell.

She put away her fire sword and drew a long, slender sword given to her long ago by Ancestor, which she had kept carefully.

Though this sword had served her well before, it now felt a bit inadequate for this level of battle.

Qin Ruqing touched the sword lightly with her fingers, infusing it with the power of metal rules, and then charged forward calmly.

When their swords clashed, there was a clear metallic “clang.”

Qin Ruqing’s calm gaze met Fang Zhejun’s, who looked astonished and shocked.

As soon as Qin Ruqing landed, Fang Zhejun’s mysteriously enhanced sword suddenly snapped with a loud “crack.”

Fang Zhejun remained frozen in her sword-striking pose, like a statue.

After a long moment, Fang Zhejun slowly turned her head and looked at Qin Ruqing, swallowing hard and asking, “Why… why is your sword so much sharper despite your average sword skills?”

For a sword practitioner, this was a severe humiliation.

Qin Ruqing smiled at Fang Zhejun and slightly parted her lips.

Fang Zhejun held her breath, expecting an answer, but saw Qin Ruqing shake her head and say:

“…Not telling you.”

Fang Zhejun’s thoughts shattered like glass. She couldn’t control her expression or find her voice.

Qin Ruqing sheathed her sword and gave a polite bow to Fang Zhejun.

Even though she found the Fang family detestable, Fang Zhejun’s Dao heart was still pure.

This bow was a gesture of respect for her opponent.

As for why she didn’t reveal her secret, it’s simple: villains often fall due to their own words.

There was no need to explain her strength to an enemy.

Fang Zhejun’s sword required external sword intent to be effective.

Qin Ruqing’s didn’t.

What shattered Fang Zhejun’s sword could be either the sword given by her ancestor or Qin Ruqing herself.

It represented an absolute sharpness—a state of absolute perfection.