Chapter 42

"Blame me for being useless. If it weren't for my poor talent and weak strength, how could you have suffered such humiliation? Among all the elders of the Sky-Cleaving Sword Sect, I am the only one at the True Qi Realm. The other elders don't even consider me an elder!"

After saying these words, Xiao Yashuang left without waiting for Ling Dao's response. Watching Xiao Yashuang's retreating back, Jiang Ren felt a deep sense of guilt. As an elder, Xiao Yashuang could completely ignore him.

Over the years, Jiang Ren had still not broken through to the True Qi Realm. Even among the inner disciples, many had already surpassed the True Qi Realm. It was normal for him to have no status.

"Grandpa Jiang, don't blame yourself. In the future, I will definitely make you the most powerful elder in the Sky-Cleaving Sword Sect. At that time, whoever dares to disrespect you, I will not be lenient with them!"

Ling Dao's words made Jiang Ren smile happily. However, Jiang Ren thought Ling Dao was just trying to cheer him up. He didn't really want to be the most powerful elder; he was already extremely satisfied with Ling Dao's filial piety.

"As long as you don't mind, let's go back!"

Jiang Ren didn't ask how Ling Dao planned to do it. Ling Dao was already grown up, and he must have a plan in his heart. Xiao Yashuang was right; Xia Xinyao was a genius with superior talent, and she had attracted the attention of the Sky-Cleaving Sword Sect's upper echelons as soon as she joined. Compared to Ling Dao, the sect clearly valued Xia Xinyao more.

"Can my fate be controlled by others?"

Looking in the direction Xiao Yashuang had left, Ling Dao said to himself. He wasn't afraid of a threat from Xiao Yashuang, let alone a threat from a deputy sect master. He wouldn't change his plans because of someone else's threat.

...

The next day, all the outer disciples arrived early at the training ground. No one wanted to miss the final match, which was sure to be a fierce battle. Even the True Qi Realm's Zhong Zhenhai had already been eliminated.

Deputy Sect Master Zhuang Xin sat in his seat, and the elders took their places. Master Ji Yuanliang of Teng Shaofeng and Master Xiao Yashuang of Xia Xinyao were both present. These elders all had seats, but Jiang Ren could only stand, showing that he indeed had no status.

As soon as Ling Dao entered the arena, he felt the gazes of many people converge on him. Xiao Yashuang looked at him coldly, her eyes clearly conveying her meaning. Ji Yuanliang had a dark expression, extremely dissatisfied with Ling Dao, but he couldn't act now.

Zhuang Xin's eyes, however, held a hint of admiration. In this outer disciples' competition, Ling Dao was the biggest dark horse. Especially with Ling Dao's repeated displays of extraordinary swordsmanship, he was highly impressed. Even if Ling Dao lost to Xia Xinyao, he wanted to take Ling Dao as his disciple.

"Today is the final match of the outer disciples' competition. The only ones who have made it this far are Xia Xinyao and Ling Dao. They are both young but very talented. The champion will be decided between them. Let's look forward to it! Please welcome the two of them to the stage!"

As the elder referee loudly announced, Xia Xinyao and Ling Dao walked onto the stage. The entire training ground erupted in excitement. The outer disciples supporting Ling Dao and those supporting Xia Xinyao all shouted wildly.

"Among all the outer disciples, the only one I can't see through is you. Everyone else, whether strong or weak, is clear to me, but I can't gauge your depth. It seems I will have to test you myself!"

Xia Xinyao's tone didn't sound like that of a fourteen-year-old girl, perhaps due to her role as the senior sister. It was indeed laughable that a fourteen-year-old girl was the senior sister of tens of thousands of outer disciples.

"To become the senior sister at such a young age, you are indeed very capable. Unfortunately, I am determined to win this championship and can't let it go to you!"

Upon hearing this, even Xia Xinyao was somewhat angry. The faces of the outer disciples were even more colorful. They had seen arrogant people, but never someone so arrogant. Did he really think he would win for sure?

"Scoundrel! If you dare to win, I will flay you alive!"

Xiao Yashuang gritted her teeth in her seat, but with the deputy sect master present, she didn't dare say anything to Ling Dao. As an elder, threatening a disciple would be a disgrace.

Only Ling Dao himself knew he wasn't boasting. If he revealed all his strength, defeating Xia Xinyao would be easy. With his swordsmanship and overwhelming power, Xia Xinyao couldn't resist.

"You are quite confident. Let me see your swordsmanship!"

"Ten Waves!"

Xia Xinyao smiled, holding a fine steel sword, and began to execute her sword technique. Ling Dao's original iron sword had broken into two pieces, but Jiang Ren had given him a fine steel sword, which was perfect for the battle.

The entire battlefield seemed to turn into a lake, with Xia Xinyao's sword becoming the waves. Wave after wave surged towards Ling Dao. After ten consecutive strikes, Xia Xinyao slowly exhaled.

A genius with superior talent was different. Each of Xia Xinyao's subsequent strikes pushed the previous one, and after ten strikes, Ling Dao felt like a small boat in a storm, swaying in the waves, on the verge of capsizing.

"Your swordsmanship is good, but it's not enough! You are the first person I will use this sword technique against, the Thunderbolt Shadowless Sword!"

Ling Dao couldn't reveal his overwhelming strength, but the Thunderbolt Shadowless Sword was fine. After all, it was a sword technique of the Sky-Cleaving Sword Sect, though no one had ever mastered it since the sect's founding.

"Thunderbolt Shadowless Sword? What kind of sword technique is this? Does our sword sect have this technique?"

"What? Did I hear that right? He is going to use the Thunderbolt Shadowless Sword?"

"How is that possible? Don't joke! No one has ever mastered the Thunderbolt Shadowless Sword, not even the top geniuses or the successive sect masters of the Sky-Cleaving Sword Sect. Could he really master it?"

Some outer disciples had never heard of the Thunderbolt Shadowless Sword. However, many of the elders and some outer disciples knew about it. Because they knew, they were shocked and thought they had heard wrong.

Even Deputy Sect Master Zhuang Xin stood up abruptly from his seat. If Ling Dao could use the Thunderbolt Shadowless Sword, it would be a groundbreaking event. Without exceptional swordsmanship talent, it was impossible to master the Thunderbolt Shadowless Sword.

"Little guy, you keep surprising me more and more!"

As Zhuang Xin muttered to himself, Ling Dao also drew his sword. The entire training ground was filled with the sound of thunder, rumbling loudly. A silver flash of lightning suddenly appeared, blindingly bright, causing many people to instinctively close their eyes!

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