CHAPTER 217: CHAPTER 213: THE SAME QUESTION

Ren Yu raised his head and glanced upward, feeling a bit disinterested.

From the fight thus far, he held the advantage.

But this was never meant to be a fair duel. He should have overwhelmingly defeated Lu Yuan, a woman who followed Zuo Tu, but this very woman had managed to push him to this level of combat.

And even now, he hadn’t defeated her.

Remarkably, five questions had been asked by the Seven Swords.

Those five swords accompanied their combat, their successive sword cries resounding as questions were asked. Ren Yu even began to ponder, *if the battle continued, would a sixth sword emerge?*

*It was not entirely impossible.*

*So then, even if he eventually claimed victory, what of it?*

*Truth be told, he had already lost.*

He was questioning Zuo Tu, yet Zuo Tu hadn’t even made a move. Instead, he had his sharpness suppressed by the woman by Zuo Tu’s side.

Suddenly, Ren Yu’s Sword Intent faded into nothing, dissipating in an instant. Lu Yuan, witnessing this, was caught off guard. Could it be—Ren Yu had abandoned the fight?

Ren Yu turned and walked toward the dojo’s entrance, his voice carrying, "See you in the Secret Realm."

Continuing this battle held no meaning. What mattered now was the opportunity to compete in the Secret Realm. That was the true battlefield, while this moment—this moment was merely an ’entryway.’

Though defeated in this fight, there was still room for redemption.

If he suffered another failure in the Secret Realm, however, then all hope would be lost, including his chance to gain acceptance as a disciple of Li Chengying.

People looking on were momentarily surprised by what they saw, but quickly came to terms with it. It was as if this outcome had been inevitable all along.

For Ren Yu, there was no point in continuing the battle.

Lu Yuan had prepared to keep fighting, but seeing Ren Yu surrender, she sheathed her fighting spirit as well. Everything returned to tranquility. Lu Yuan cast a glance toward Li Fan.

Li Fan smiled at her and nodded, his expression revealing something that seemed to be admiration.

*That expression stirred a ripple in Lu Yuan’s heart.*

*Li Fan, could he truly admire her?*

*A Li Mountain Sword Cultivator utterly overshadowed by his brilliance?*

Her mind drifted back to Li Fan’s words, "Lu Yuan, Lu Yuan of Li Mountain."

Lu Yuan’s beautiful eyes turned toward Li Fan, and suddenly she broke into a radiant smile. That smile left many spectators momentarily entranced, its power seeming to exceed even the destructive force of the sword she wielded—a smile that could topple cities.

Lu Yuan turned away, as a gentle breeze tousled her hair, dancing through the air. She rode her sword and moved toward the entrance, her figure vanishing from sight.

Even now, many people didn’t even know her name. All they knew was her surname: Lu.

"Lu Yuan,"

Li Fan murmured softly in his heart.

After this battle, it would be impossible for the identity of them as Li Mountain disciples to remain concealed. By then, the world wouldn’t merely know the name of Li Fan of Li Mountain.

They would also come to know that Li Mountain had another transcendently gifted female Sword Cultivator—Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan had asked five questions, yet whether that was her limit remained unknown.

If she reaped rewards in the Secret Realm and her cultivation advanced further, then at the Foundation Establishment realm, she would encounter few worthy opponents. Lu Yuan’s name would likely grace the forefront of the Green Cloud List.

Though, they did not care for the Green Cloud List.

The Green Cloud List had never been their true aspiration.

The Sword Ranking, and the Sword Saint List, were the pursuits of Li Mountain Sword Cultivators.

Even higher.

The Old Blind Man, senior brothers, and senior sisters had expectations for him—to be the number one swordsman in the world.

The Sword Master of Li Mountain must, of course, be the best in the world.

It had been so in the past, and it would be so in the future.

Afterward, others stepped forth to inquire swords in succession, leading the observing crowd to realize that those on the Green Cloud List were not the brightest stars of the day. The strongest was Ying Ze, the first-ranked cultivator on the Green Cloud List. Aside from him, none had caused a resonance with four swords.

However, among older cultivators who had previously graced the Green Cloud List and had reached the Peak of Foundation Establishment, two extraordinary figures emerged, stirring the resonance of four swords.

Beyond the Green Cloud List, both new and old Sword Cultivators—those hailing from distant regions—performed on par with the Sword Cultivators of Chi Xiao City.

Yet none achieved more than the resonance of four swords. No one equaled Lu Yuan’s accomplishments.

Clearly, this did not entirely reflect innate talent; some did not have the chance to fully showcase their Sword Dao potential. For instance, certain cultivators won their matches effortlessly, treating their inquiries as casual tests, paying little attention to how many questions they asked.

Ultimately, for cultivators not affiliated with Chi Xiao City forces, the number of questions asked in the inquiry mattered only to themselves.

At that moment, amidst the crowd, a figure stepped forward, silencing the surroundings for a moment—even Cang Yunxuan’s gaze turned solemnly toward that person.

"Mei Qingzhu."

Not only Cang Yunxuan recognized this man, but almost everyone in Chi Xiao City knew precisely who he was.

The Mei Family of Chi Xiao City—there was no one unaware of them.

The Mei Family leader was an exceptional Great Sword Cultivator, with the potential to challenge the Sword Saint List. Beyond Chi Xiao City, in the broader world, the Mei Family was the epitome of elite Sword Dao, capable of founding the most renowned Sword Gate sects.

Mei Qingzhu was the most brilliant talent among the Mei Family’s younger generation.

Many believed that the number one spot on this year’s Green Cloud List would not signify the strongest contender due to Mei Qingzhu’s presence.

In the previous iteration of the Green Cloud List, Cang Yunxuan ranked first, Mei Qingzhu second.

And in Sword Dao talent, many considered Mei Qingzhu superior to Cang Yunxuan.

Yet, as a Mei Family Disciple, Mei Qingzhu would never seek entry to the Shadow Bearing Sword Sect.

Nor had he carved his name onto that wall.

Otherwise, whether the character "Cang" would have been the most radiant inscription was uncertain.

"Mei Qingzhu of the Mei Family, second on the last Green Cloud List. His current strength surpasses Ying Ze, without question."

Standing beside Li Fan, Lu Yuhuan whispered.

Li Fan was not deeply familiar with the Sword Cultivators of Chi Xiao City, but Lu Yuhuan knew them well.

Mei Qingzhu would undoubtedly be a formidable rival in the battle for supremacy within the Secret Realm. His threat was equal to that of Ying Ze and his fellow disciples of the Shadow Bearing Sword Sect.

Li Fan nodded lightly. Hearing the murmuring voices of those around, he surmised the man’s ability.

As Mei Qingzhu entered the Sword Domain, he turned back, his gaze sweeping across the crowd before settling unexpectedly on Li Fan.

"Hmm?" Li Fan’s expression shifted. Why was Mei Qingzhu looking at him?

He and Mei Qingzhu were strangers.

Mei Qingzhu spoke, "During my secluded cultivation in Chi Xiao City, I heard rumors of a brash prodigy who claimed seven parts of the world’s Sword Dao fortune. Curious, I investigated your story: a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator who defeated top ten Green Cloud List contenders; exceptional combat prowess surpassing the Shadow Bearing Sword Sect; unparalleled talent."

"Yet your cultivation is only at Foundation Establishment Early Stage, so an outright challenge might seem unfair."

"I agree with your claim that heroes rise amidst the winds of the world. So I propose this: asking how many questions you can complete out of the seven. I invite you not to fight, but to inquire swords alongside me, to see if you are worthy of this so-called claim to three parts of Sword Dao fortune. What do you say?"

He refrained from speaking about seven parts. To Mei Qingzhu, seven parts was nothing more than a dreamer’s foolishness.

Three parts were already unparalleled.

A low-profile yet supremely talented member of a Sword Dao family, Mei Qingzhu possessed extraordinary talent without an ounce of arrogance.

And yet, his Sword Dao still carried an undeniable sharpness.

Thus, he extended his invitation to Li Fan for a mutual inquiry of swords.

Mei Qingzhu—a Sword Dao genius—inviting Li Fan to inquire swords together.

Li Fan looked toward Mei Qingzhu’s direction and nodded, responding, "Alright."

With a composed gait, he stepped forward, causing yet another stir within the crowd.

Ying Ze hadn’t prompted Li Fan to step forward, but Mei Qingzhu had.

Li Fan entered the Sword Domain, his eyes fixed on the Seven Swords. Mei Qingzhu asked, "Shall I begin, or will you?"

"You go first," Li Fan answered.

"Very well," Mei Qingzhu nodded, his gaze shifting toward the Seven Swords.

A gleam emanated from the center of his brow, a radiance swallowing and emitting sword light.

In an instant, the sword representing the Sword Seed emitted a cry.

The first question was answered.

Sword Intent swirled around Mei Qingzhu as he stepped into the Sword Domain. Strands of sword light encircled him, forming a personal Sword Domain. The second sword emitted a cry.

The second question, representing Sword Intent, was answered.

Beneath his feet, Sword Intent materialized as a series of blades suspended in midair. Step by step, he ascended as his Sword Intent grew increasingly powerful. His body resonated with sword cries from within.

The third sword resonated in harmony.

"Three swords..."

"Mei Qingzhu, asking swords alone, completes three questions in a single thought."

He did not offer a direct challenge to Li Fan but invited him to inquire swords simultaneously.

As a member of Chi Xiao City’s Mei Family, the more swords he inquired, the more individuals he could bring into the Secret Realm. Hence, Mei Qingzhu chose not to hold back, desiring to answer as many questions as possible.

Sword Aura soared as Mei Qingzhu raised his hand, a single sword appearing within it. He swung out, causing the fourth sword, representing Swordsmanship, to resonate in a cry.

The fourth question was answered.

This confirmed that Mei Qingzhu’s Sword Seed, Sword Intent, Sword Bone, and Swordsmanship were all exceptional.

Mei Qingzhu stood before the Seven Swords, appearing as though he were communicating directly with the swords themselves, genuinely asking them questions.

The Seven Swords radiated brilliant sword light.

Moments later, the sword representing Sword Heart emitted a resonant cry.

This was the fifth sword.

Only Sword Gall and Sword Soul remained.

He became the second person after Lu Yuan to achieve the resonance of five swords.

*Had Li Fan begun to feel the weight of this pressure?*

The moment felt frozen in time. Mei Qingzhu appeared to still be attempting, as though he were conversing with the Seven Swords.

The last two swords seemed to tremble, causing the crowd to hold their breath. Yet, although the swords quivered, they never fully emitted a resonant cry.

Mei Qingzhu fixed his gaze upon the two swords, muttering, "Is my Sword Soul insufficient?"

As for Sword Gall, he couldn’t discern the proper method to ask its question.

His Sword Soul, it seemed, wasn’t strong enough, failing to achieve success.

Although he had inquired five swords, he didn’t seem fully satisfied.

*And this was done without combat.*

Eventually, Mei Qingzhu abandoned his attempt, turning to Li Fan and saying, "Your turn."