Chapter 528: Rivals

" Well they are rivals in a sense.."

The crowd was getting excited and it was expected. Previous fights of Sun Xiurong were pretty much one sided but this time it wouldn’t be the case.

Ruolan Xin wasn’t just some ordinary disciple, she was the top genius of Saber Pavilion and if Sun Xiurong wasn’t present in the sect, she would have been considered the top genius of the sect in the current generation.

...

In few moments, Sun Xiurong and Ruolan Xin were standing in front of each other, with elder waiting for them to take their stance.

Ruolan Xin bowed with respect," It’s been a while sister Xiu, please enlighten me.." she immediately took out a saber which looked quite big and heavy for her frame.

Sun Xiurong bowed with her usual small bow," Sister Xin, please.." she took out her graceful ordinary sword.

"Begin.."

The moment the signal was given, Ruolan Xin moved.

Her foot slammed against the ground as she shot forward, her saber descending toward Sun Xiurong with overwhelming force. A fierce Saber Qi followed the blade, tearing through the air with a sharp cry.

Sun Xiurong calmly stepped aside.

The saber struck the ground where she had been standing, splitting the stone beneath their feet.

Before Ruolan Xin could retract her weapon, Sun Xiurong’s sword flashed.

A thin strand of Sword Qi shot toward her shoulder.

Ruolan Xin twisted her body, allowing the Sword Qi to pass by. At the same time, she used the momentum of her previous attack to rotate her body and swept her saber horizontally.

Sun Xiurong lowered her body.

The saber passed above her head.

She immediately thrust her sword toward Ruolan Xin’s abdomen.

Ruolan Xin hurriedly pulled her saber back and blocked.

Clang!

The collision forced both women apart...as for those ethereal unpredictable sword qi strands. they all got destroyed by the heaviness of the saber qi, making it impossible for them to reach Ruolan Xin.

Ruolan Xin changed her stance and advanced again, but this time she didn’t attack immediately. She circled Sun Xiurong, her saber held low while Saber Qi slowly gathered around the blade.

Sun Xiurong remained motionless.

Her sword was pointed toward the ground, yet a faint sharpness had already begun spreading from her body.

Suddenly, Ruolan Xin stepped forward, swinging her saber from below in an upward arc.

Sun Xiurong moved at the same instant, attacking at different angle instead of blocking.

Ruolan Xin’s saber passed dangerously close to Sun Xiurong’s waist, while Sun Xiurong’s sword stopped just short of Ruolan Xin’s throat.

Both withdrew at the same time.

The exchange had lasted only a breath, yet a shallow cut had already appeared on Ruolan Xin’s sleeve. She glanced at it before tightening her grip.

She stomped the ground, and a powerful burst of Saber Qi erupted from her body. Her saber descended again, but this time the attack was accompanied by several smaller arcs of Saber Qi that spread outward, blocking Sun Xiurong’s possible escape routes.

Sun Xiurong’s expression became slightly more serious. The Sword Qi around her blade suddenly became extremely concentrated.

A single sword flash swept through the incoming Saber Qi.

The smaller arcs shattered one after another.

Ruolan Xin had already appeared behind them.

Sun Xiurong turned around and raised her sword just in time.

Boom!

The force of the collision pushed her several steps backward and Ruolan Xin pursued without stopping.

Her next strike came from the side.

Then from above.

Then from below.

This time, Sun Xiurong no longer tried to counterattack immediately. She continuously shifted her position, allowing the saber to pass by her body by the narrowest margins.

A piece of her sleeve was cut.

Then another.

Yet none of the attacks managed to touch her.

Ruolan Xin suddenly changed direction.

Instead of continuing forward, she abruptly stopped and thrust her saber.

A concentrated stream of Saber Qi shot toward Sun Xiurong.

Sun Xiurong’s sword flickered.

The Saber Qi was split apart.

But Ruolan Xin had already used that moment to close the distance.

Her saber struck again.

Sun Xiurong expression didn’t changed at all, She stepped inside the saber’s range without ounce of fear.

The weapon was now too close to Ruolan Xin’s body to be swung effectively.

Sun Xiurong’s sword swept across.

Ruolan Xin hurriedly used her forearm to redirect the sword.

The blade passed beside her body.

She immediately kicked toward Sun Xiurong’s abdomen.

Sun Xiurong retreated several steps, her expression finally showing a trace of surprise.

Ruolan Xin didn’t hesitated and rushed forward again.

This time, the Saber Qi around her blade became noticeably stronger. She had been accumulating it throughout the battle.

The saber descended heaviness of Mountain and Sun Xiurong raised her sword.

Boom!

The ground beneath them cracked.

Ruolan Xin’s arms trembled, but she gritted her teeth and poured more Saber Qi into the attack.

For the first time, Sun Xiurong was forced backward for few steps against her will..

Ruolan Xin’s eyes flashed with determination.

However, just as she thought she had gained control, Sun Xiurong’s sword suddenly changed.

The sword that had been resisting her saber abruptly slid along its edge.

Sun Xiurong turned her wrist, pushing the saber away and before Ruolan Xin could recover, Sun Xiurong stepped forward and thrust.

Ruolan Xin’s pupils contracted, She twisted her body desperately.

The sword passed across her side, cutting through her robes and leaving behind a shallow wound.

Blood slowly seeped from the cut and Ruolan Xin retreated immediately.

Sun Xiurong didn’t pursue, She simply stood there with her sword lowered. The calmness in her eyes made Ruolan Xin understand the difference between them.

Their cultivation was similar but Sun Xiurong’s comprehension was clearly deeper.

However, Ruolan Xin refused to accept defeat. She raised her saber once more. The remaining Saber Qi gathered toward the blade.

Sun Xiurong also raised her sword.

Neither moved for several breaths. Then both disappeared from their original positions.

The final exchange happened so quickly that lower realm spectators could barely follow it..

Two streaks of Qi crossed.

Ruolan Xin’s saber stopped inches from Sun Xiurong’s shoulder while Sun Xiurong’s sword had already reached her chest.

The battle was over.

Ruolan Xin sighed and lowered her weapon...

Although Sun Xiurong had won, her breathing was slightly heavier than before, and several cuts could be seen on her robes.

"It was good battle sister Xin.." Sun Xiurong put her sword away.

"Thankyou for showing mercy sister Xiu.." Ruolan Xin didn’t know why but she felt that there was something which Sun Xiurong was still hiding.

The thought was bit unsettling for her pride but she cannot just deny the truth.