222: despicable means

On the Qiongyu Platform, a sudden change occurred.

Su Mengyao achieved a Breakthrough during the battle, stepping into the Spirit Transformation Realm, which introduced an irreversible variable to the previously one-sided situation.

Shen Lian lightly shook his Folding Fan, a slight smile playing on his lips.

“Now, this is the true decisive kill.”

Cold wind swept across the Qiongyu Platform.

Xiao An and Su Mengyao had vastly different mental states.

One was hesitant, the other was convinced of victory.

Just as Xiao An was wavering, Su Mengyao fiercely raised her famous blade and proactively thrust a sword strike forward.

Ding~

Xiao An blocked with difficulty and immediately retreated several steps.

At this moment, he clearly felt that Su Mengyao's power and Sword Light were fundamentally different from before.

“Standing Alone, Reflected Moon, Gaoyue Deriving Heavenly Pass!”

The Songyue Sword Canon rose again; majestic and fierce Sword Qi swept through, blooming into a dazzling cold light upon the Sword Platform.

“Six Extremes Seal of the Grand Void.”

Xiao An countered with his sword to defend, transforming the vast to guard the small.

However, as the two streams of Sword Qi collided, the dispersed Sword Light spread out over a hundred miles.

Xiao An's hand immediately split open, and a streak of red appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Regaining his focus, the famous blade approached a second time, forcing Xiao An to raise Purple Radiance and defend with all his might.

When White Eyebrows saw this scene, he knew that if the fight continued, Xiao An would surely lose.

Thus, he used Secret Sound Transmission to send a message to Gu Xichao.

Gu Xichao slightly furrowed his brow, having not expected the battle situation to evolve to this point.

Looking at the two fiercely fighting on the Qiongyu Platform, he knew that if no action was taken, Xiao An would certainly be defeated within twenty moves.

With this thought, he glanced around at Yue Jingfeng and Xie Xiaofeng on the Arbitration Platform.

Seeing that their attention was fully focused on the Qiongyu Platform, he decisively performed a Secret Art.

The next moment, the sky suddenly changed color.

Amidst the lightning and thunder, a vortex circled in the Void Realm.

Shen Lian looked up, letting out a sneer.

“Looks like someone couldn't sit still, eh?”

Just then, a sharp Holy Radiance flashed within the vortex.

A Holy Sword was seen slowly descending and floating above the Qiongyu Platform.

“Look quickly, it's the Heavenly Sword~”

Someone in the crowd gasped, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

When they saw the Heavenly Sword in the Cosmos, expressions of astonishment immediately filled their eyes.

Meanwhile, on the Qiongyu Platform, Xiao An, who was cornered by Su Mengyao's Chain Sword Momentum and was about to be defeated, heard White Eyebrows' voice again in his ear.

“An'er, quickly seize the Heavenly Sword. This is your chance to turn defeat into victory. Hurry, delay will cause complications.”

Hearing this, Xiao An decisively activated all his Spiritual Power and gathered it on his sword, using one strike to block Su Mengyao's incoming Sword Light, then leveraging the force to leap towards the Void Realm.

“Trying to run!”

With victory in sight, how could Su Mengyao miss this chance? She stomped her foot, soared into the air, and pursued Xiao An.

But ultimately, Su Mengyao was one step too late.

Xiao An managed to grasp the Heavenly Sword first.

The instant the Heavenly Sword was in his hand, Xiao An felt a surge of Mighty Power boiling within his body.

“Get back!”

Instinctively, he swung the sword down, and an extreme Sword Light infused with Dao Rhyme shot straight towards Su Mengyao.

Su Mengyao's beautiful eyes suddenly narrowed, and she swung her sword back to block.

Clang——

A deafening roar sounded, and Su Mengyao immediately had blood at the corner of her mouth, her body uncontrollably plummeting downward.

The moment she landed on the Qiongyu Platform, the surrounding Sword Qi became unbalanced, triggering a Chain Shockwave that threatened to collapse the Qiongyu Platform entirely.

The unexpected outcome directly stunned everyone present.

“How could this happen?”

Xie Xiaofeng suddenly stood up, unable to believe the scene he had just witnessed.

“Why did the Heavenly Sword Manifest early? This is completely illogical!”

Yue Jingfeng also voiced his doubts.

Gu Xichao, however, wore a smile: “The Heavenly Sword is inherently unpredictable. Since it chose Xiao An as its Revered Master, the outcome of this battle was inevitable.”

As he spoke, Xiao An, holding the Heavenly Sword, slowly floated down onto the Sword Platform, adopting the posture of a victor, looking down at Su Mengyao, who was kneeling on one knee.

“The Heavenly Sword has recognized its Revered Master. I am the Sword Champion of this session. Su Mengyao, you have lost.”

With the Heavenly Sword pointed at her, Su Mengyao's face was deathly pale.

At the same time, Gu Xichao stood up and announced: “The winner of this year's Sword Show Assembly, who has seized the Sword Champion title, is the esteemed Disciple of Daoist White Eyebrows of the Jade Void Palace, Xiao An!”

Cheers immediately erupted, and Xiao An raised the Heavenly Sword high to acknowledge the crowd.

Only Su Mengyao, with a look of dejection, walked down the High Platform.

Even if her heart was filled with intense unwillingness, a loss was still a loss.

But now, what face could she use to meet her Revered Master?

Unconsciously, she had walked behind Shen Lian.

“Revered Master...”

She softly called out, and with a thud, she knelt down.

“This Disciple has disappointed you...”

Shen Lian did not reply, merely shaking his Folding Fan lightly with his eyes closed.

The silence made Su Mengyao even more terrified.

Just as she braced herself to be struck dead by Shen Lian's palm, Shen Lian finally spoke.

“Now do you understand why we repeatedly reminded you of the importance of actual combat?”

Su Mengyao froze, gently bit her lower lip, and slowly lowered her gaze.

“You can only learn and grow by experiencing things firsthand. This world is far more treacherous than you imagine; what you experienced in the Chess Sword Pavilion was merely a gentle breeze and light rain.”

“From now on, I hope you forever remember today's humiliation. It was your over-focus that caused you to miss the opportunity for victory.”

A line of disappointing tears fell from the corner of Su Mengyao's eye.

“Revered Master, don't you blame me?”

“Blaming you, does it change the current outcome?”

Shen Lian turned and said: “Su Mengyao, listen to me. Your defeat today was not due to insufficient strength,

but because your Heart-Nature was immature, and you lacked sufficient foresight when facing schemes and calculations.

Had you been able to seize the Heavenly Sword first when it appeared, the outcome would have been entirely different.”

“This Disciple will firmly remember this.”

After going through this Sword Showcase Grand Competition, Su Mengyao's Heart-Nature had indeed matured significantly.

And this was the result Shen Lian wanted.

He never expected Su Mengyao, the Daughter of Destiny, to win the Sword Show Assembly; he only wanted her to learn a lesson from it and avoid making the same mistakes again.

“Get up.”

“Yes.”

Under Shen Lian's guidance, Su Mengyao's mood eased considerably.

“The Sword Showcase Grand Competition is over. You should return to Buming Peak first.”

“Then what about Revered Master?”

“Do I need to tell you my whereabouts?”

Scolded by Shen Lian, Su Mengyao immediately shut up obediently, not daring to ask another word.

“I have important matters to attend to. During this time, properly consolidate your cultivation. When I return, I will personally test you.”

“Yes, this Disciple will not disappoint Revered Master again.”

“Hmph.”

With a cold snort, Shen Lian put away his Folding Fan and walked down Divine Sword Peak... That night, in a small grove along a Winding Path, White Eyebrows, Xiao An, and Gu Xichao walked side by side.

“Thank you, Fellow Daoist Gu, for your assistance. The Jade Void Palace will surely remember this kindness.”

“Elder White Eyebrows, you exaggerate. The Sword Sect and the Jade Void Palace are generational friends; offering assistance is only right.”

White Eyebrows continuously thanked Gu Xichao and instructed Xiao An to bow to him.

Just then, a cold wind blew, carrying solemn Killing Intent toward the three of them.

“Who is it!”

White Eyebrows and Gu Xichao became alert simultaneously.

The next moment, Shen Lian, lightly shaking his Folding Fan, slowly appeared.

“Arbitrators who claim absolute fairness and justice, yet commit such despicable and filthy acts. What price must you ants pay to quell my wrath?”