Chapter 10: The Lord of the Fiery Star Sword?

"Begin!"

As Cong Shiyun loudly announced the start of the match, Zhou Yan and Li Guanqi both stepped forward. Their movements were swift, yet they lacked the explosive surge of an all-out charge. Both held their swords in one hand, their arms, wrists, and the orientation of their blades shifting constantly with every stride. They were adjusting their stances based on each other's posture, seeking to secure a tactical advantage for the moment of engagement.

Cong Shiyun watched from the sidelines, a faint smile playing on his lips. He had carefully studied both of their previous matches. Li Guanqi was undeniably a prodigy, blessed with innate talent and tutored by the Sword Sovereign; his Southern Brilliance swordsmanship had reached a level of mastery that could only be described as consummate. However, no matter how formidable Li Guanqi was, he remained an outsider—a talent parachuted into Yicheng by the arbitrary whim of the Sword Sovereign. Even if he were to win, he would not stay in Yicheng. Ultimately, he was far less appealing than Zhou Yan, who had been brought in by his subordinate, Luo Xuan.

Zhou Yan was different. He was an elite brought up by Luo Xuan, a junior whose background and character were well-known to him. After the exchange tournament, he would officially join the Demon Extermination Division of the Lihuo Pavilion under Luo Xuan. He was, in every sense, a future protégé. Moreover, with his sharp eye, how could Cong Shiyun fail to notice that ever since the melee began, Zhou Yan had displayed greater momentum in every single match? The speed of this young man’s growth was simply incredible. Naturally, he hoped for Zhou Yan to win.

While these thoughts raced through Cong Shiyun’s mind, Zhou Yan and Li Guanqi collided. They raised their hands almost simultaneously, their metal blades catching the white light and clashing in an instant.

*Clang!*

The blades rebounded upon impact. Li Guanqi’s eyes flickered. *Zhou Yan, your strength has truly reached the peak of the Fierce Grade! But, so has mine!*

A faint smirk appeared on his lips. He flicked his wrist, and his right hand, gripping the longsword, dissolved into a blur.

"Raging Crows!"

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.*
*Clang, clang, clang.*

In a heartbeat, Li Guanqi’s torrential assault was countered and parried by Zhou Yan using the exact same stance. Both had unleashed the same secret sword technique simultaneously. Suddenly, the audience saw a brilliant, silvery-white web of steel woven between them, accompanied by a shower of sparks from the rapid-fire collisions.

"So fast!" Many students in the stands turned pale, feeling a deep sense of inadequacy.

"So fast!" Several dojo masters looked on in shock, feeling that the swordsmanship of these two youngsters might even surpass their own.

"Has Zhou Yan really grown to this extent?" Luo Xuan stared at Zhou Yan with total focus, not even bothering to scold her sister, Luo Ke, who was pinching her thigh in excitement. She felt that she had misjudged him far too many times lately. *Is there really such a thing as a genius who goes from an ordinary person to the peak of the Fierce Grade in just over a month? No, if Zhou Yan is merely a "genius," then what does that make those of us who have been called "once-in-a-century" talents by the big shots? A joke?*

As the crowd marveled, the "Raging Crows" duel between Zhou Yan and Li Guanqi reached its crescendo. Even though they were using specially made competition swords, the force—at least four times that of an average person—exerted by both combatants at the peak of the Fierce Grade caused the high-speed collisions to leave numerous tiny nicks along the blades, despite them being unsharpened.

Li Guanqi felt a slight numbness in his right wrist. While marveling at the sheer dominance of Zhou Yan’s strength, he revealed a burning, eager smile. *Zhou Yan, you must have noticed it too... the gap in our swordsmanship. The warm-up is over. I won't hold back anymore!*

As he thought this, Li Guanqi’s presence shifted. In an instant, the same move, the same person, and the same sword suddenly took on a different nature. How could someone handpicked by the Sword Sovereign to be a personal disciple, despite being past the ideal age, be ordinary?

"Here it comes!" Cong Shiyun’s eyes flashed. "The boy with the 'natural sword bones' is getting serious. Zhou Yan, can you block this?"

Li Guanqi’s longsword paused mid-torrent, then darted toward Zhou Yan’s chest from a diagonal angle with the grace of an antelope hanging by its horns. This transition from extreme motion to absolute stillness and back to extreme motion caught the exact moment when both had recoiled from their previous clash. In the next instant, the blade was already before Zhou Yan’s exposed chest, pushing him into a desperate situation.

In the blink of an eye, the two had shifted from high-speed clashing to a decisive strike. The transition was so fast that most of the audience couldn't even react. Those who could were left with one thought: *Li Guanqi has won!*

In a flash of lightning, Zhou Yan performed a wide, sweeping upward parry, and a flash of silver light erupted.

*Clang!*

A massive, ringing sound filled the air. The two battered blades met—and snapped in half on the spot!

Li Guanqi was stunned by the unexpected turn of events. He instinctively looked at the broken half of his sword flying away, but he recovered in a split second. *Oh no!*

Before he could move, his body froze. Another broken blade was pressed against his throat. The hilt was held firmly in Zhou Yan’s hand. Li Guanqi looked up to meet Zhou Yan’s eyes, seeing the bright glint within his left eye behind the mask—an eye filled with a faint sense of amusement.

"Who says a broken sword can't kill?"

"You lost."

With that, Zhou Yan slashed his throat without hesitation and turned away. Behind him, Li Guanqi, having taken a heavy strike to the throat, felt the protective gear lock his joints. Abandoning any attempt to resist with his superior constitution, he resignedly collapsed backward. The two broken halves of the blades flew high into the air before falling to the ground.

Most people finally reacted and looked toward the two combatants, seeing only Li Guanqi lying helplessly on the floor.

"First round! Zhou Yan wins!" Cong Shiyun shouted, his voice tinged with excitement. A native sword-wielder from a small city dojo under his Lihuo Pavilion had just defeated a genius parachuted in from the Vermillion Bird Palace headquarters!

The entire arena erupted in an uproar. In the stands, Luo Ke hugged the stunned Luo Xuan. "Sister! Look! Zhou Yan won!"

Luo Xuan was dazed. "He didn't hesitate for a second to follow through and slash the throat with a broken sword... So, was this outcome also within Zhou Yan’s calculations?" Such tactics would be understandable from a battle-hardened veteran, but why did Zhou Yan possess such cold resolve?

On the arena floor, Cong Shiyun stepped forward and knelt to unlock Li Guanqi’s protective gear. "Guanqi, don't be discouraged by a momentary defeat. Your foundation in swordsmanship is superior to Zhou Yan’s; keep at it."

To his surprise, Li Guanqi, now free to move, removed his mask and shook his head at Cong Shiyun with a smile. He stood up, made a series of gestures toward Zhou Yan, bowed slightly while holding his sword hilt, and left the arena. He had conceded.

Before entering the tunnel, Li Guanqi glanced back at Zhou Yan, a look of unyielding determination flashing in his eyes. *I lost this time, and I have no excuses. But there is plenty of time; we both have room to grow. There will be plenty of chances to compete again in the future.*

Zhou Yan watched Li Guanqi’s brisk departure with a slight pause, then shrugged indifferently. That was fine; he would have won regardless. Even without the "accident" of the broken swords, and even though Li Guanqi had practiced for nearly a year longer than him despite his peerless talent, Zhou Yan had secured this victory while deliberately limiting his own physical attributes to the Fierce Grade. He hadn’t taken advantage of Li Guanqi at all.

He wasn't a pedantic person. If Li Guanqi hadn't conceded and had chosen to continue, intending to crush him with his superior experience, Zhou Yan would not have hesitated to unleash more of his strength. If a "40" physique at the peak of the Fierce Grade wasn't enough, he would use "50," "60," or even "70." If his technique couldn't keep up, he would unlock even greater acuity and mental focus, crushing his opponent in reaction and body control. After all, if his opponent could reach the peak of the Fierce Grade in a year, wasn't it because he enjoyed resources that ordinary people could only dream of? If those talents could enjoy such convenience, Zhou Yan would certainly accept it with a clear conscience!

His own power was earned by risking his life in the Calamity World; he would use it whenever necessary without any psychological burden. If they had kept fighting, Li Guanqi would only have lost even more miserably.

After this brief reflection, Zhou Yan turned to leave the arena, only to be stopped by Cong Shiyun. The Pavilion Master looked at him as if he were a priceless treasure.

"Zhou Yan, well done! You’ve preserved the glory of our Yicheng." Cong Shiyun’s voice was crisp. "Make sure you give it your all when you face Nie Luo from the military tomorrow."

"Nie Luo..." Zhou Yan repeated softly, then laughed. "Is that the big guy with the short hair the Pavilion Master is talking about?"

"That’s him. Have you met?" Cong Shiyun asked curiously.

"Yes." Zhou Yan nodded. "He’s the first one at the training ground every morning. I bet he’s the last one to leave, too."

"Indeed, that boy is very diligent." Cong Shiyun sighed, looking at Zhou Yan. "Don't let your guard down. Nie Luo may not be a genius in terms of swordsmanship, but he is a genius of hard work. Plus, being in the military, his daily training simulates death matches. He won't be caught off guard at a critical moment like Li Guanqi was."

"Understood." Zhou Yan didn't argue, listening obediently.

And so, with Li Guanqi’s concession, Zhou Yan successfully secured the position of top elite student among the many sword dojos under the Lihuo Pavilion in Yicheng. Perhaps because this was a small internal competition and the audience consisted mostly of fellow disciples, the final battle didn't cause much of a stir. There wasn't even a formal award ceremony or commendation meeting. The only difference was that when Zhou Yan left the arena and headed to meet Luo Xuan, he was no longer ignored. From time to time, people he knew—and some he didn't—would take the initiative to greet him. Most were students, but there were a fair number of dojo masters as well.

Zhou Yan responded politely all the way until he reached the top floor of the Lihuo Pavilion office building. He glanced at the sign on the door: [Pavilion Master — Cong Shiyun].

Luo Xuan had indeed asked him to meet at the Pavilion Master’s office. *It seems that after this exchange tournament, Luo Xuan has successfully squeezed into the inner circle of the Lihuo Pavilion,* Zhou Yan thought, knocking on the door.

"Is that Zhou Yan? Come in!" Cong Shiyun’s smiling voice came from within.

Zhou Yan opened the door and entered. As he looked up, he froze. The room was filled with familiar faces. Cong Shiyun, Luo Xuan, and Luo Ke were there, and Li Guanqi’s presence was understandable. But the other person in the office caught him off guard. He opened his mouth to greet him, but saw the man secretly wave him off. He shifted his tone sharply, nodding to Cong Shiyun. "Pavilion Master Cong, we meet again."

"Haha," Cong Shiyun smiled. "Zhou Yan, I brought you up here not only to discuss your future compensation but mainly to introduce you to a very important person." He gestured toward the old man beside him. "This is Guanqi’s master, one of the Great Elders of the Vermillion Bird Palace, the Fluorescence Sword Sovereign—Elder Zhang."

Zhou Yan steadied his expression and bowed to Elder Zhang. "Greetings, Elder Zhang. I am Zhou Yan."

"My pleasure." Elder Zhang looked at Zhou Yan with a beaming smile. "To think you could defeat my beloved disciple; Zhou Yan, you have truly exceeded my expectations! By the way, I haven't introduced myself properly. My name is Zhang Daosheng."

Indeed, this legendary Fluorescence Sword Sovereign was the mysterious old man who had visited him that night. Seeing Zhang Daosheng’s jovial expression, Zhou Yan nodded. "Elder Zhang, I have long admired your name."

After the greeting, he couldn't help but glance at Luo Xuan and Luo Ke. Luo Ke looked completely clueless, while Luo Xuan, as expected, maintained a cold expression.

***
A bit late, my apologies to everyone!
8K tomorrow as well!