Myriad Plum Manor.
"The Single-Edged Sword Technique? What kind of sword style is that? I've never heard of it!"
"To think that a princess of a royal dynasty possesses such sword talent. I'd like to meet her someday."
"To see whether she's worthy of making it onto the Hidden Dragon Ranking."
Ximen Chuixue had little interest in the so-called Hidden Dragon Ranking.
But he did care deeply about the swordsmen listed on it.
New names kept appearing, swordsmen he'd never heard of before.
Unfortunately, those ranked so far were merely Innate sword cultivators and no match for him.
Once Grandmaster swordsmen started appearing, he would definitely go challenge them to discuss the true path of the sword.
As for the Heavenly Dao rewards, he completely ignored them.
The Five-Leaf Sword Grass may be powerful, but to him, it was unnecessary.
His path of the sword needed no external aid.
It was a journey walked by one's own effort. Honest to the sword, honest to oneself.
———
Outside Qixing Pond in Jiangnan.
In a secluded forest by the mountains and water, the scenery was serene and picturesque.
"Qiudi!"
"Qiudi, so this is where you've been. I've been looking all over for you!"
A young man with elegant bearing and a refined smile approached a beautiful woman by the riverbank.
"Young Miss, it's the third young master of Divine Sword Manor, Xie Xiaofeng. He's here again."
"Hmph, even the elegant and graceful third young master has fallen for our lady. Seems like he's not that impressive after all!"
"Too bad, no matter how exceptional he is, our lady will never fall for someone like him."
The two maids beside the beautiful woman shook their heads and sighed.
Over the years, their young lady had become increasingly mysterious.
She had never practiced martial arts before, yet now her strength had grown tremendously.
"Young Master Xie, why have you come?"
Soon, a stunning woman in a pale lilac-white dress stepped into view.
She had a tall figure, delicate features, and a calm, ethereal aura.
Her presence seemed to be veiled in soft mist, like a celestial maiden descending to the mortal realm.
Xie Xiaofeng was stunned.
He had seen many beautiful women in his life.
But compared to the one before him, they were mere fireflies to her radiant moonlight.
Not even worth mentioning.
His heart trembled.
He wanted to marry her.
Only a woman like this could be worthy of becoming his wife.
But first…
He had to defeat her and make her yield.
Only then could their future marriage be led by him.
With his confidence and pride, he believed he could definitely make that happen.
"Young Master Xie, why are you here again?"
"This is within the sphere of Qixing Pond's influence. Unless absolutely necessary, you really shouldn't come again."
"If my father sees you, he might think Divine Sword Manor is up to something."
Facing Xie Xiaofeng, Murong Qiudi gave a polite nod.
Then, in a calm voice, she responded.
"Qiudi..."
Just then, the ranking list in the sky refreshed again.
When they saw Princess Yun Luo's name appear, both sighed inwardly.
She was a woman, and a princess no less.
Even more surprising, she was skilled in swordsmanship.
But the Single-Edged Sword Technique was something neither of them had ever heard of.
"It's a pity. Though Yun Luo is impressive, she's still far from your level, Qiudi."
Xie Xiaofeng shook his head with a confident smile.
If Princess Yun Luo were a Grandmaster, he might take her more seriously.
But at the mere Innate realm, he didn't regard her as a threat at all.
Xie Xiaofeng was confident that he would appear in the middle ten of the ranking.
He had become famous young and had never been defeated.
He had reason to be proud.
But this was the Nine Provinces World.
He couldn't remain unbeatable forever, as he had in the original story.
The Nine Provinces held countless geniuses and hidden powerhouses.
Even reaching the Great Grandmaster realm, or becoming a Land Immortal realm, would not guarantee invincibility.
"Princess Yun Luo made the list. She is no ordinary figure."
"Young Master Xie, she too walks the path of the sword. One day, you may fall to her."
Murong Qiudi shook her head, unconvinced by his bravado.
"You may be right."
Xie Xiaofeng said this, but his expression betrayed his disbelief.
He had always surpassed others. How could someone overtake him so easily?
Qiudi was clearly underestimating him.
He had to show her his true strength.
"Qiudi, I came to tell you something joyful."
"My father agreed that if I become a Great Grandmaster, I can immediately marry you. You'll become the wife of Divine Sword Manor's third young master, admired by all."
Xie Xiaofeng beamed with delight.
But Murong Qiudi didn't hesitate.
She simply shook her head.
"There's no need."
"Reaching Great Grandmaster is your own accomplishment. It has nothing to do with me."
"As for marrying you, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."
"Unless it's truly important, please stop coming to see me."
"After all, we've only met a few times. We're not that familiar."
Murong Qiudi coldly rejected him.
She turned to return to Qixing Pond.
Xie Xiaofeng stood frozen, as if struck by lightning from a clear sky.
She rejected him.
How could that be?
From childhood to now, he had never been refused anything.
Any woman he desired would come when called, leave when dismissed.
Hadn't he heard that the young lady of Qixing Pond, Murong Qiudi, had admired him since childhood?
What was going on?
Why was she treating him so coldly?
She had even asked him not to visit again.
"Qiudi!"
Xie Xiaofeng began to panic.
This time, he was truly serious.
This wasn't just a passing fancy.
"Qiudi, do you think I'm not sincere enough? If…"
Before he could finish speaking, a soft sigh echoed around them.
Xie Xiaofeng's inner energy suddenly stalled.
His expression turned to disbelief.
"Young Master Xie, you still don't understand what I mean."
"Are you that confident in your strength?"
Murong Qiudi turned slightly, glancing sideways at him.
"Of course. Since I began practicing the sword, I've never lost. Even renowned figures of the martial world have fallen before me."
Xie Xiaofeng replied proudly.
"In that case, Young Master Xie, why not attack me with your strongest sword technique? Be sure to give it your all."
"What? Qiudi, you…"
Xie Xiaofeng was stunned. Then a flash of anger crossed his face.
She was looking down on him.
And not just anyone, but the woman he liked.
This was a grave humiliation.