Chapter Fifteen: Shameless

“Later, you all leave first. Their target is me…” Lin Cheng knew that this battle was inevitable. He turned and instructed the others.

“Nonsense! Am I, Fatty Lin, the type to shy away from trouble?” Lin Hu retorted, drawing his dark iron staff.

Niu Shisan stroked the great sword in his hand. “I’m a sword cultivator. Who would I fear?”

With a flash of light, Pang Bo gripped his long spear. “If I lose my head, at worst it leaves a scar the size of a bowl.”

Bai Lu hesitated for a moment, then said, “I’ll go to Sword-Hiding Peak to find Senior Sister Hanmeng.” With that, she slipped quickly through the crowd, running toward Sword-Hiding Peak.

Looking at his companions, Lin Cheng felt a warmth in his heart. A white glow flickered in his hand as he grasped the Sky-Pointing Sword, its tip slanting toward the ground, casting a sharp, cold gleam.

Seeing them draw their weapons, Zhang Yan sneered, leaping into the air and shouting:

“Heaven’s Generals Blaze Forth!”

In an instant, a sea of fire surged forward, within which a thousand phantom soldiers seemed to charge. The clamor of battle—metal against metal, shouts and hoofbeats—echoed endlessly. The sight was truly intimidating.

Watching Zhang Yan unleash such a deadly move from the start, Dongfang Yu smiled faintly. Noticing the interest of those nearby in Zhang Yan’s technique, he explained softly, “This must be the top-tier Yellow Rank technique, Heaven’s Generals Blaze Forth, taught to Brother Zhang by Elder Sun De. It appears Brother Zhang has truly mastered it. Impressive, impressive indeed.”

Faced with Zhang Yan’s overwhelming strength, the four felt a chill in their hearts. Among them, only Lin Cheng had barely reached the mid-stage of the True Qi Realm; Niu Shisan and Pang Bo seemed to be at the second level, while Fatty Lin had yet to even touch the first.

They could not afford carelessness.

“Mountain-Cleaving Strike!”

“Breaking Sword Style!”

“Straight to the Dragon’s Lair!”

“Threefold Staff Technique!”

The four shouted as one, throwing everything they had into the fight.

Swords, spears, and staff shadows crisscrossed in a storm of energy—an inspiring display. Yet before Zhang Yan’s Heaven’s Generals Blaze Forth, their efforts seemed insufficient.

“Hmph… mere ants.”

He looked at them, disdainful that they dared to resist. Though their attacks had some merit, his confidence in his own strength left him utterly dismissive.

Clash after clash rang out. In the blink of an eye, Fatty Lin, Niu Shisan, and Pang Bo were sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground and spitting blood.

Lin Cheng too was knocked back more than a dozen yards, bracing himself with one hand on the ground. His insides churned; though he forced down the blood rising to his throat, crimson still streaked his lips.

“Hmph… If not for the sect’s rule against infighting, with your measly abilities, none of you would have survived against someone at the eighth level of the advanced True Qi Realm.”

Zhang Yan’s voice brimmed with arrogance as he surveyed the four he’d subdued with a single move.

Wiping the blood from his lips, Lin Cheng slowly stood up.

“You shameless coward, flaunting your seniority and higher cultivation in front of us… Come and fight!”

He leveled the Sky-Pointing Sword before his chest, eyes narrowing as his full strength—True Qi Realm, fourth level—flared. He lunged forward in attack.

“Second Form of Listen-to-the-Wind Sword: The Dragon Soars!”

Sword thrust out, his body followed like a blue dragon leaping from the water, arrowing straight at Zhang Yan.

To Zhang Yan’s surprise, Lin Cheng still had the strength to attack. He met him head-on, fist swinging.

But with the Dragon Soars technique, Lin Cheng’s movements were elusive. He dodged the punch with ease, slipping behind Zhang Yan in an instant and thrusting his sword.

Sensing the chill at his back, Zhang Yan’s brow furrowed. He smashed his fist into the ground.

“Heaven’s Generals Blaze Forth!”

The shockwave sent Lin Cheng flying before his sword could find its mark.

Steadying himself, Lin Cheng sighed inwardly. The gulf between their realms could not be bridged by skill alone. If only he’d used the Five Clouds Sword of the White-Robed Swordsman—how would things be then? He needed to level up quickly; once he reached the higher stages of the True Qi Realm, he could finally practice the Five Clouds Sword.

“Hmph… such petty tricks, daring to show off before me… In the face of true power, everything else is illusion.”

Seeing Lin Cheng thrown back, Zhang Yan’s anger flared. He’d nearly been wounded by a moment’s carelessness—a humiliation he could not abide.

“Again!”

Despite repeated setbacks, Lin Cheng’s fighting spirit blazed. He launched another fierce attack at Zhang Yan.

“Mountain-Cleaving Strike!”

“The Dragon Soars!”

Sword techniques intertwined, light flashing in a relentless exchange. For a moment, the two seemed evenly matched.

Perhaps Zhang Yan was toying with Lin Cheng, not using his full strength. Yet it was clear to all: Lin Cheng grew fiercer with every bout, his reckless style even seeming to press Zhang Yan back.

Dongfang Yu frowned. “What a waste of time…”

Not far away, Fatty Lin and his two companions, having recovered a little, supported each other to their feet. Watching Lin Cheng’s desperate struggle, they felt powerless.

“It’s time to end this…”

Sensing the attention of the crowd, Zhang Yan’s expression turned cold. Suddenly, his attacks intensified—one punch sent Lin Cheng flying, and he pressed forward, giving no chance to recover.

“Heaven’s Generals Blaze Forth, Third Form: Tyrant Flame!”

With a quiet shout, Zhang Yan struck again. Before Lin Cheng could regain his footing, he was sent crashing onto the stone square, blood spurting from his lips. He tried to move, but his strength failed him.

Standing over him, Zhang Yan mocked, “Did you really think you could amount to anything? If I fought seriously, you couldn’t withstand even a single punch.”

“Then try me—let’s see if I can or not…”

At that moment, a rainbow light flashed. Hanmeng appeared in the arena.

She lifted Lin Cheng, tossed a pill into his mouth, then rose to face Zhang Yan with icy disdain.

Seeing Hanmeng, Zhang Yan shrank back slightly, a trace of fear in his eyes. He recognized her—a core disciple of Sword-Hiding Peak.

Everyone knew that, though Sword-Hiding Peak had few disciples, all of them were unmatched—of course, Lin Cheng and Niu Shisan being the exceptions for now.

He was far from confident enough to challenge a core disciple from Sword-Hiding Peak.

Awkwardly, he turned toward Dongfang Yu.

“Haha, Junior Sister Hanmeng, it’s been a while… Your temper is as fiery as ever.”

Dongfang Yu stepped forward, smiling gently at Hanmeng.

She glanced at him, arching an eyebrow with a mocking air. “So it’s you, the prodigy of Azure Sun Peak, who dares attack even disciples of Sword-Hiding Peak. What a spectacle…”

“Honestly, isn’t it shameless of you? The famed core disciple of Azure Sun Peak, accompanied by two high-level inner disciples, bullying a few novices who only just joined the sect. What, Senior Brother Dongfang, do you think Sword-Hiding Peak is defenseless?”

With that, Hanmeng’s delicate frame shook as she released the full pressure of her Earth Spirit Realm cultivation.

Dongfang Yu narrowed his eyes, flicked open his folding fan, and with a casual wave, dispelled Hanmeng’s aura. Straightening his collar, he replied calmly, “Junior Sister Hanmeng, you’re mistaken. Everyone here can attest—I did not act, nor would I stoop so low. If you must pursue this, perhaps Senior Brother Liu Feng should be summoned.”

“So, Senior Brother Dongfang looks down on me, does he? In that case, take a sword from me.”

With a flourish, Hanmeng produced her Azure Rainbow Sword. In a blink, she vanished, only to appear above Dongfang Yu’s head.

Without even looking up, Dongfang Yu snapped his fan closed and tapped upward.

Sword tip met fan. Waves of True Qi rippled through the arena. Hanmeng was knocked back, landing and retreating three steps before she could steady herself.