Lin Che stared at the empty cave entrance in disbelief. A demonic beast comparable to a Spirit Vein Realm cultivator had been erased by a single glance from her.
He turned toward Yu Shiqian. Her expression remained cold and indifferent.
Standing so close to her, Lin Che could even catch the faint fragrance surrounding her.
Suppressing the turmoil within his heart, he forced himself to remain calm.
The girl before him was undoubtedly an extraordinary figure. Since she had asked about the Hidden Spirit Grass, he could not answer carelessly.
He knew very well that his teacher was far more than a mere elder of the Xiaohanshan Sect. If this woman harbored ill intentions, he absolutely could not expose his teacher's secrets.
"My master asked me to collect it," Lin Che replied calmly. "He said that Hidden Spirit Grass can conceal the spiritual energy of clones, which may prove useful while traveling through the martial world."
Yu Shiqian frowned slightly.
For ordinary cultivators, Hidden Spirit Grass could indeed conceal part of one's cultivation.
"Do you know the consequences of lying to me?" she asked with a faint smile.
Yet the feeling of familiarity in her heart only became stronger.
Suddenly, an invisible Sword Intent appeared before Lin Che's chest. It was as though one more inch would pierce his heart instantly.
Lin Che looked directly into her eyes without changing his expression.
The Sword Intent seemed to embody the will of the ruler of all swords beneath the heavens. All the spiritual power within his body seemed to submit before it.
This woman's swordsmanship was absolutely heaven-defying.
Shocked inwardly, Lin Che maintained his composure.
"I'm merely a boy at the Qi Refining Realm. How would I dare deceive someone as supreme as you?"
Yu Shiqian looked at his calm expression and nodded faintly.
"What level of cultivation does your master possess?"
"The late stage of the Spirit Vein Realm," Lin Che answered truthfully.
The Sword Intent disappeared instantly, allowing him to breathe in relief.
Yu Shiqian continued gazing into his eyes.
From beginning to end, his gaze had never wavered.
Looking into those strangely familiar eyes, she asked softly,
"Why did you freeze when you first saw me?"
Lin Che was slightly stunned.
How was he supposed to answer that?
"I've never seen someone as beautiful as you before, so I was stunned for a moment."
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he swallowed nervously.
Yu Shiqian chuckled softly.
Then, with a playful expression, she raised a jade-like finger and gently tapped his forehead.
"Lying to me comes at a price."
The moment those words fell, Lin Che felt a violent explosion inside his mind.
A terrifying Sword Intent surged directly into his Sea of Consciousness.
Like a dragon entering the ocean, the Sword Intent stirred violent waves throughout his entire consciousness.
At that instant, he seemed to witness the sword strike that had annihilated the tiger beast.
He also saw endless Sword Intents descending from the heavens and converging toward a single point.
His head throbbed violently.
The profound sword aura filled his Sea of Consciousness, overwhelming his mind.
Unable to endure the pain, Lin Che clutched his head and collapsed to the ground.
Before losing consciousness, he vaguely saw Yu Shiqian.
Within her cold and beautiful eyes, there seemed to be a trace of expectation.
The next morning, Lin Che rubbed his aching head and slowly opened his eyes.
Seeing the rising sun outside the cave, he quickly stood up.
Today was the day of the sect competition.
Yet he was still over a hundred miles away in the Wanling Mountains.
This is bad!
Just as he prepared to circulate his spiritual energy and rush back to the sect, he discovered something astonishing.
Inside his Sea of Consciousness floated a delicate little sword containing immense spiritual power.
Early that morning, the Xiaohanshan Sect was already bustling with excitement.
After all, today was the annual sect competition and the event that would determine the new True Disciple.
The arena had been magnificently prepared, surrounded by a huge viewing platform.
Many influential figures of Yulin City had already arrived.
Patriarchs of noble families, elders, presidents of merchant guilds, powerful managers, and renowned independent cultivators had all gathered.
For them, this competition represented an excellent opportunity to discover and recruit talented youths.
While the dignitaries exchanged polite words on the stage, the participating disciples below wore solemn expressions.
However, not everyone was nervous.
Among them stood a handsome young man dressed in spotless white robes.
His posture was upright and proud, and his eyes radiated confidence.
"Is that the Chen family's genius, Chen Yifeng?" an old man with a rosy face asked.
"Indeed. That old fellow from the Chen family truly has good fortune to have such an outstanding grandson," another elder replied.
The round-faced old man nodded while touching the jade ring on his thumb.
"Not bad. If he becomes a True Disciple, invite him to join the Yu Xiao Merchant Guild."
It was no wonder Chen Yifeng had become the center of attention.
At only seventeen years old, he had already reached the peak of the Tendon Transformation Realm, and his swordsmanship was said to be extraordinary.
Among all the participants, only Lin Muxue could rival him in popularity.
At that moment, Lin Muxue stood quietly among the crowd.
Her expression was calm, though she occasionally glanced toward the arena entrance, seemingly searching for someone.
"My goddess Mu Xue seems thinner recently. She's become even more beautiful," one male disciple sighed dreamily.
"Save your breath. No matter how much you admire her, she'll never notice you," another disciple mocked.
"Hmph! I don't need her to know me. I just need to support her from afar and watch her win first place."
"With Chen Yifeng present, that's unlikely. Besides, Elder Lin always favored that useless Lin Che and never properly guided your goddess."
"That good-for-nothing makes my blood boil. I heard he's participating today. I can't wait to watch him embarrass himself before the entire sect!"
Meanwhile, Hua Que, the guide responsible for Lin Che, anxiously searched the surroundings.
"Lin Che!"
The referee called out loudly.
Hua Que hurried forward with a forced smile.
"Hehe, Elder Chen, Lin Che has been cultivating so diligently that he forgot about everything else. Since it isn't his turn yet, please wait a little longer."
The old referee's expression darkened.
"Is the sect competition some kind of joke? If Lin Che doesn't arrive within a quarter of an hour, he will be considered to have forfeited!"
His voice echoed throughout the entire arena.
"As expected of a piece of trash. He stole a place in the competition and then ran away because he was afraid."
"After all these years of Elder Lin's teachings, he only reached the Qi Refining Realm. Did anyone seriously expect him to compete?"
Laughter and ridicule spread across the arena.
Seated in the front row, Lin Tianran frowned slightly.
He understood his disciple better than anyone.
Lin Che was always careful and punctual.
Oversleeping was impossible.
Could something have happened?
In the blink of an eye, a quarter of an hour passed.
Lin Muxue stared at the empty entrance, disappointment flashing in her eyes.
She had desperately wanted to fight Lin Che.
Not only because of the resentment accumulated over the past ten years, but also because she wanted to prove to Lin Tianran that his judgment had been wrong.
Just as Lin Muxue shook her head and smiled bitterly
A white figure flashed across the arena and instantly appeared before the referee.