Chapter 454: Chapter 208: Sharpness
Three days slipped by quietly, amidst a restless stir of frustration and anticipation among the disciples of both the Inner and Outer Sects.
On the third day, as the morning sun began to rise.
The Inquiry Platform.
The Inquiry Platform was situated on a wide, open terrace halfway up one of the main peaks.
It was fashioned entirely from polished Mountain Guardian Green Jade, forming a perfect circle roughly fifty zhang in diameter and rising three feet from the ground.
The surface was as smooth as a mirror, with complex Array Patterns faintly visible within, serving both to reinforce the structure and to contain the shockwaves of any duels fought upon it.
Nine jade pillars, carved with archaic cloud patterns, stood at the platform’s edge. Rumor had it they were connected to the Mountain Defense Array, adding to the site’s solemn and majestic atmosphere.
...This was the official venue where disciples of the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect resolved their disputes, sparred to hone their skills, and even held important internal sect competitions.
Though it was still early, the slopes, stone steps, and even the air in the distance surrounding the Inquiry Platform were already packed with a dense crowd.
They were all disciples, here to watch the fight!
Though the crowd deliberately kept their voices down, their murmurs still merged into a low, droning hum.
All eyes were fixed on the empty center of the jade platform, their gazes burning with a mixture of patience and anxiety as they waited.
The Hour of Chen arrived.
A piercing whistle suddenly tore through the air, rapidly approaching from the distance with a unique sharpness that seemed to cleave the very air.
The crowd’s spirits lifted, and all heads snapped in the direction of the sound.
Several streaks of sword light appeared in the southeastern sky, descending gracefully. They landed swiftly but smoothly on one side of the Inquiry Platform.
The sword light receded, revealing five figures.
The one in the lead...
It was Zhao Yuanling!
Today, Zhao Yuanling wore a sharp, silver-white swordsman’s uniform. A sheathed longsword hung at his waist, its archaic scabbard bearing faint, dark-gold patterns.
His handsome and severe face was expressionless. Only when his eyes swept over the dense crowd below did they flash with an almost imperceptible, cold light.
He became the focus of all attention just by standing there. The sharp aura he exuded—restrained, yet impossible to ignore—made the skin of the disciples closest to him prickle.
Half a step behind him stood the stunningly beautiful woman with the frigid demeanor.
She too was dressed in the uniform of the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect, cradling a sheathed longsword with a placid expression.
The other three were elite disciples of the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect who had accompanied them. Each had a steady aura and sharp eyes, and they stood in silence behind Zhao Yuanling and Liu Qingshuang.
Their arrival caused the noisy crowd to fall silent for a moment.
The eyes of every Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect disciple were fixed on Zhao Yuanling, their expressions a complex mixture of indignation, scrutiny, and, above all, long-suppressed battle intent and expectation...
...the expectation that someone would finally shatter the suffocating pressure that this outside sect had imposed on them for months!
Zhao Yuanling seemed oblivious to the surrounding stares. He lifted his gaze to the empty opposite side of the platform, then frowned slightly.
"Weren’t we supposed to meet at a quarter-hour past Chen? Is this how your Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect disciples keep time?"
He suddenly said, his voice cold.
His voice wasn’t loud, but amplified by his True Essence, it carried clearly to everyone present.
The expression on every disciple’s face changed.
A few hot-tempered disciples were about to retort.
A gentle voice rang out. "My apologies for keeping you waiting."
As the voice faded, a figure landed steadily on the opposite side of the Inquiry Platform.
Everyone looked up, their eyes instantly brightening.
"Senior Brother Qin!"
"Senior Brother Qin!"
They shouted.
...Who else could it be but Qin Fang?
With a gentle expression, Qin Fang gave a small wave to the disciples cheering for him below before turning his attention to the five figures ahead.
Today, Qin Fang was once again dressed in the magnificent, wide-sleeved Infinite Star Armor.
The Infinite Star Armor automatically conformed to his frame, creating a slender, flattering silhouette. On Qin Fang, it highlighted his broad shoulders and narrow waist, creating a fluid line. As he moved, the wide sleeves billowed gently, revealing a subtle, flowing inner light.
An aura of profound depth, nobility, and grace emanated from him, seeming to pass right through the robes.
He was already exceptionally handsome to begin with.
Unlike Zhao Yuanling’s cold, sword-like sharpness...
The past few years of tranquil life in the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect, combined with cultivating his character in Guiyuan Valley—a place that embodied the principle of Hidden Blade and Simple-mindedness—had changed him. Qin Fang’s appearance and temperament had gradually shifted from his initial, overt sharpness to a warm and refined elegance.
His features were well-defined, his brow open and clear, his nose straight and high.
As he stood there now upon the Cyan Jade Platform, clad in the Infinite Star Armor, the morning sun gilded his silhouette in pale gold. The dark, starlit patterns on his robes shimmered, making him look like a banished Immortal who had stepped out of an ancient scroll...
His bearing was tranquil, his grace, extraordinary.
Just by standing there, he naturally neutralized most of the sharp, aggressive aura radiating from Zhao Yuanling.
Even the beautiful woman behind Zhao Yuanling seemed momentarily dazed; her gaze, as she looked at Qin Fang, held a hint of surprise...
Zhao Yuanling’s gaze darkened, becoming as sharp as a knife.
Qin Fang met his stare, his own gaze calm and unyielding.
One was like a drawn sword, menacing with his cold glint of steel. The other was like the silent abyss of the deep sea, vast and unfathomable.
Qin Fang’s calm gaze fell upon Zhao Yuanling. After a moment, he nodded slightly. "I am Qin Fang, here as promised. You, I presume, are Senior Brother Zhao Yuanling of the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect?"
...Zhao Yuanling was older than him and had entered the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect earlier. Furthermore, the two sects had amicable relations, so it was natural for them to address each other as senior and junior brothers of the same generation.
Zhao Yuanling’s blade-like gaze lingered on Qin Fang’s face for a moment. An almost imperceptible light flashed deep in his eyes before his expression returned to one of cold indifference.
"I am."
His voice was cold and devoid of pleasantries. "I have heard your name often these past few months. Now that we meet... I hope you’re not just for show."
The words were utterly discourteous.
This immediately provoked an uproar and furious glares from the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect disciples below!
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