Chapter 512: A Contest of Swordsmen

’None of the others have Crystal Stones. Only the leader has two.’

Ye Xuan didn’t spare the others a glance and directly chased after the young man in the lead.

’That damn Xuan Ye! Why is he only targeting me? Of all these people, he’s only chasing me. How unlucky can I get?’

Seeing Ye Xuan closing in, the young leader trembled with rage. Out of so many people, he was the only one being pursued; his luck was just that bad.

In just a moment, Ye Xuan caught up to the young leader, landing right in front of him.

"Stop running. You can’t escape from me. Hand over the Crystal Stones you have, and I’ll let you go," Ye Xuan said indifferently.

It had to be said, the young man’s change in demeanor was incredibly fast. A moment ago he looked ferocious, but now he was putting on a pitiful act. "Senior Brother Xuan Ye, I meant no offense just now. I was truly blind not to recognize you. I hope you, in your magnanimity, will not hold it against me. As for the Crystal Stones you mentioned... I really don’t have any on me."

His pathetic appearance was a stark contrast to his earlier arrogance.

"You don’t have any?" Ye Xuan scoffed. "I don’t want to waste any more words. Hand over the two Crystal Stones on you, and you can leave."

"How did you know..."

The young man trembled, staring at Ye Xuan in horror. No one knew he had two Crystal Stones. Even his junior brothers who followed him only knew he had gotten one. ’How could Xuan Ye possibly know?’

’Damn it, is this guy trying to bluff me?’

The young man’s eyes darted around, and he said tearfully, "Senior Brother Xuan Ye, you’re really putting me in a difficult position. I truly don’t have a single Crystal Stone on me."

He was filled with regret now. ’Why didn’t I split up the two Crystal Stones and have someone else hold one? Instead, I hoarded them all myself. Now it’s over.’

Ye Xuan shook his head. ’This guy really won’t give up until he’s staring death in the face.’

WHOOSH!

Tired of wasting his breath, he raised his hand. But before he could make a move, the young man who had been pleading moments ago suddenly shot backward.

It turned out that while begging for mercy, he had been ready to flee at a moment’s notice. The instant Ye Xuan raised his hand, he broke into a frantic sprint, using every last ounce of his strength.

During the elimination tournament, he had been in the same group as Ye Xuan. He was nearby when Ye Xuan fought Chu Jian and had witnessed the entire battle, not missing a single detail.

With his strength at the Tier Six First Layer Peak, encountering Xuan Ye was a certain death sentence.

So he ran for his life.

But Ye Xuan’s speed was incredible. In a flash, he used his Soaring Void Wings and caught up.

The young man’s heart sank. ’It’s over.’

SWISH!

Suddenly, a sharp sword light shot over from the distance. The sword was so fast that the young man had no time to resist. Before he could even react, a spray of blood erupted from his chest.

PUCHI.

The young man fell to the ground, spitting up blood, his face a mask of terror.

"Lin Yuan."

Standing before him was none other than Lin Yuan, the most famous of the new students besides Xuan Ye.

He held his sword, just standing there quietly. The Sword Qi radiating from his body was so oppressive and terrifying that the young man couldn’t even think of resisting.

A bitter smile touched the corners of the young man’s mouth. ’How can I be so unlucky? First I run into Xuan Ye, and now Lin Yuan, too.’

He gave a self-deprecating laugh. If he were just facing Ye Xuan, he might have had a chance to escape. But now, facing both of them, he didn’t even have the will to resist.

"Here are my two Crystal Stones. I surrender."

Placing the two Crystal Stones on the ground, the young man turned and left without looking back.

He was smart. He knew that if he continued to resist, the outcome would be the same, and he might even be severely injured, losing his chance to enter the inner courtyard directly.

That being the case, he might as well hand over the Crystal Stones obediently and look for another opportunity in the coming days.

Seeing the young man leave on his own, Lin Yuan, who had struck earlier, remained expressionless and did not stop him.

He also made no move to take the two Crystal Stones lying on the rock nearby. His eyes were fixed coldly on Ye Xuan as he landed.

"Xuan Ye."

He spoke in a raspy voice, his eyes blazing with fierce battle intent.

Ye Xuan frowned. ’I don’t think I’ve ever provoked this Lin Yuan, have I?’

However, Ye Xuan wasn’t about to give up his spoils of war.

WHOOSH!

He moved in front of the two Crystal Stones and immediately reached out to grab them.

SWISH!

A brilliant beam of sword light, like a viper, shot toward him with lightning speed. The light moved like a thunderclap, striking the ground in front of Ye Xuan in an instant and stopping him from taking the stones.

CRACK!

A winding crack spread out from Ye Xuan’s feet, releasing sharp streams of Sword Qi.

Ye Xuan narrowed his eyes. "Lin Yuan, he was my prey. Don’t you understand the principle of first come, first served?"

His tone was indifferent, his voice chillingly cold.

These two Crystal Stones were something Ye Xuan had to have. If Lin Yuan dared to interfere, Ye Xuan certainly wouldn’t be polite.

Lin Yuan acted as if he hadn’t heard Ye Xuan’s words. He just stared, his cold and unfeeling eyes fixed on him as a strange battle intent surged and grew within them.

’Hm?’

Ye Xuan frowned. ’This Lin Yuan is too strange. He defeated the other guy but didn’t take his Crystal Stones, and now he won’t let me take them either. Instead, he’s just staring at me, full of fighting spirit. What the hell is he up to?’

After a moment, Lin Yuan finally spoke. "Xuan Ye, I saw your fight with Chu Jian. You are very strong, strong enough to be my opponent. I don’t care about these Crystal Stones, but you and I must fight today. If you win, take these two Crystal Stones. If you lose, they belong to me."

As his voice fell, the longsword in Lin Yuan’s hand hummed, pulsing with a stunning sword glow.

"Sorry, I’m not interested."

A sword fight with this Lin Yuan? Perhaps Lin Yuan found it exciting, but to Ye Xuan, it was like asking an adult to compete against a child. He couldn’t muster the slightest bit of interest.

"Whether you’re interested or not is not up to you."

Lin Yuan said coldly as powerful Sword Qi erupted from his body. Above his head, a sword-shaped Martial Soul faintly began to form.

’A Sword Martial Soul?’

Ye Xuan said with a hint of surprise. Someone who possessed a Sword Martial Soul would naturally have an understanding of the way of the sword far beyond that of an ordinary person. ’No wonder Lin Yuan’s Sword Qi is so profound.’

"Rest assured, our battle today will be purely a contest of Swordsmanship. I will not use my Martial Soul, nor will I suppress you with my Profound Power. I won’t even use any sword techniques. The only thing we will compete with is our Sword Dao."

As his voice fell, Lin Yuan’s longsword suddenly slashed down. A powerful sword beam formed, transforming into a brilliant sword glow that shot toward Ye Xuan like lightning.

Just as Lin Yuan had said, he did not use his Martial Soul for this strike, nor did he infuse it with terrifying Profound Power. Only his sharp Sword Intent bloomed in the air—a manifestation of his understanding of the Sword Dao.

Back in the elimination tournament, during his battle with Chu Jian, Ye Xuan had displayed astonishing Sword Dao techniques.

As for Lin Yuan, he had practiced the sword since childhood. Possessing a Sword Martial Soul, his insight into and obsession with the way of the sword were far beyond ordinary people. It could be said that he was interested in nothing but the sword.

Therefore, after seeing the match between Ye Xuan and Chu Jian, his heart had begun to pound with excitement.

Among all the participating students, only he had perceived just how profound Ye Xuan’s attainments in the path of the Sword Dao truly were.

So his only thought was to have a battle with Ye Xuan.

This was the kind of blood-boiling battle intent that ignited when one Swordsman met another.

’Hm? This Lin Yuan’s understanding of the Sword Dao is indeed extraordinary.’

An expert sees the technique where a layman only sees the spectacle. With his sharp perception, Ye Xuan understood Lin Yuan’s intentions the moment he struck.

’In that case, let me show you just how ridiculous your so-called Sword Dao is.’

"Break!"

Ye Xuan moved, as ethereal and nimble as a shadow in the wind. The Dictator Sword on his back was suddenly unsheathed.

The black longsword slashed upward diagonally, instantly striking the weakest point of Lin Yuan’s Sword Qi.

With Ye Xuan’s powerful perception, the weak and strong points of the Sword Qi Lin Yuan had unleashed were as clear as if they were being examined under a magnifying glass.

CRACK!

A sharp crack echoed as Lin Yuan’s Sword Qi shattered in an instant. The longsword in his hand froze in mid-air, unable to advance even a fraction of an inch.

"Good move!"

Lin Yuan’s eyes suddenly lit up as he let out a low cry.

Just then, the Dictator Sword in Ye Xuan’s hand erupted with a startling aura. The terrifying aura surged upward, heading straight for Lin Yuan.

With no time for shock, Lin Yuan’s expression hardened. His right hand, gripping the sword, trembled slightly, and his longsword once again burst forth with a brilliant glow, pressing down on Ye Xuan’s blade.

BOOM!

The two streams of Sword Intent collided again. The power of the two strikes was ordinary, but the aura they unleashed was so powerful that no one dared to look directly at it.

Like the wilting of death’s flower, Sword Intent crisscrossed the area. In an instant, all the surrounding trees, rocks, and plants exploded, unable to withstand the pressure of the Sword Qi, turning into layers of fine dust.

’Lin Yuan and that Xuan Ye are terrifying! Is this still a competition between students?’

In the dense forest not far away, the young man who had left the two Crystal Stones hadn’t gone far. Instead, he stood atop a large tree, watching the confrontation in horror.

That clash of Sword Intent against Sword Intent sent a chill through him with just a glance, as if he were facing a mortal threat.

The silent yet deafening clash made his scalp tingle. It took a great deal of courage just to watch, and he couldn’t even begin to imagine what it must be like to be in the middle of such a confrontation.

He gave a helpless, bitter laugh and muttered to himself, "We’re all students of the outer courtyard. How can the gap between us be this enormous..."

Meanwhile, dozens of miles away, one of the young men who had scattered and fled earlier carefully scanned his surroundings. After confirming that no one was around, he furtively took out a jade tablet and entered some information into it.

After doing this, he looked in the direction where Ye Xuan had disappeared, and a strange smile quietly appeared on his lips.