4: Chapter 4 Whose little girl is this?

"Thank you for your concern, Sir. Was that Sword Intent from last night released by you?"

"Oh, that? It was nothing more than a slight realization!"

Hearing Su Rui admit it himself, Li Hanyi was shaken to her core.

How could that be a mere "slight realization"? The edge of that sword strike felt as if it could split the heavens and shatter the earth!

"You should focus on mastering the Yue Maiden Sword Technique first; you must not rush for success."

"Yes!"

Li Hanyi replied and nodded earnestly.

"Go open the martial arts hall door; there seems to be some commotion outside."

At this moment, quite a few people had already gathered outside the martial arts hall. Their cultivation levels varied, but most were Martial Artists below the ninth grade, each carrying a look of appraisal and probing in their eyes.

They were all feeling somewhat puzzled.

"Is this the place we were looking for?"

These people were all sent by the various major factions in the city to scout the situation.

A strange Sword Cultivator, perhaps even an existence that had surpassed the Sword Cultivator Realm, had suddenly appeared. Would this trigger any turmoil?

This was the question in everyone's mind, which was why they had sent people to investigate.

Fortunately, Snow Moon City valued the martial Dao.

Ordinary sparring and competitions were not prohibited; only life-or-death duels were forbidden.

Competitions between martial arts halls were especially common.

However, everyone knew the score and dared not cross the line. The prestige of Snow Moon City made them understand that stopping at the appropriate point was the way to survive.

Therefore, although these people were curious, they were not worried about their lives.

The doors of the martial arts hall slowly opened. Li Hanyi saw a crowd of people outside, and her little face immediately tightened.

Seeing the doors open, the crowd outside quieted down, their gazes unanimously fixed on the entrance.

The young girl standing at the door left them feeling somewhat puzzled.

"Wasn't it said that there was only a refined and handsome young man in the martial arts hall?"

"Why has a young girl suddenly appeared?"

"Could the commotion last night have been caused by her?"

"That seems unlikely, right?"

In the crowd, Mu Liangyue quietly observed the girl in front of the martial arts hall, a flicker of doubt crossing her eyes.

Su Rui slowly walked to the door, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

He activated his Eye of Insight, and as his gaze swept across the circle, he felt a slight disappointment.

They were all mediocre!

Only that one over there was somewhat interesting.

[Mu Liangyue, 19 years old, Aptitude Score: 83, Aptitude Evaluation: Natural charming bones, intelligent and agile, meets the criteria for a martial arts hall Disciple.]

"Are you the owner of this martial arts hall? I wonder if you accept challenges?"

Someone spoke up, their voice drifting and indistinct, making it difficult to identify the source.

The corners of Su Rui's mouth curled up slightly, and Sword Intent flashed through his eyes. "If you want to speak, then stand out openly!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a young man walked out with a panicked expression.

He was one of the few ninth-grade Martial Artists among the group, yet he appeared incredibly uneasy at this moment.

"Teacher, I would like to accept the challenge!"

Li Hanyi suddenly spoke up, her eyes eager to try.

She had just mastered the Yue Maiden Sword Technique, and this was the perfect Opportunity to hone it in actual combat.

These people had come at just the right time.

Su Rui nodded slightly and looked at the crowd outside. His voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears:

"Challenges are allowed, but if you lose, you must leave behind the most precious thing on your person!"

As soon as these words were spoken, many began to hesitate.

But there were also some who, due to orders from the factions behind them, had no choice but to bite the bullet and go up.

The Yue Maiden Sword Technique was known for its lightning-fast speed and excelled in direct, powerful attacks.

These people were no match for Li Hanyi to begin with, and now that her sword momentum had increased, they couldn't even withstand a single move.

They could only watch helplessly as the tip of the sword rested against their throats, trembling as they handed over their personal weapons or Martial Skills.

"This humble girl, Mu Liangyue, has come specifically to seek instruction!"

Mu Liangyue stepped forward, her expression grave.

So many people couldn't last a single move. It seemed there was no danger to their lives, but she still couldn't afford to take the opponent lightly.

"Butterfly Dream Formation, rise!"

Pink mist filled the air, concealing the figures of Li Hanyi and Mu Liangyue.

...

Seeing this, a flash of interest crossed Su Rui's eyes.

"Interesting."

He could tell at a glance that this was a type of illusionary formation technique.

It was a pity that Mu Liangyue's own strength was insufficient.

Even with the secret technique in hand, it was unlikely she could defeat Li Hanyi; she couldn't even pose a real threat.

Sure enough, the next moment, a dazzling sword light suddenly shone, and the entire Butterfly Dream Formation was shattered by a single strike.

Mu Liangyue retreated several steps, her right hand pressing against her chest. Her face was pale, and her expression revealed a hint of terror.

She had actually broken through the Butterfly Dream Formation with sheer, sharp Sword Intent.

"You lost!" Li Hanyi said in a calm tone.

Her attitude toward Mu Liangyue was no different from her attitude toward the others.

Mu Liangyue's face was grim.

The bet was that the loser had to leave behind their most precious possession, and her most precious thing was her Family's Legacy, the Butterfly Dream Formation.

She dared not play any tricks in front of the person before her.

"The Butterfly Dream Formation is not uniquely mine; I hope I can use something else as a substitute."

Mu Liangyue spoke with a cautious tone.

Just as Li Hanyi was about to speak, she was stopped by Su Rui.

"Although the Butterfly Dream Formation is interesting, I haven't taken it to heart."

Seeing the hall owner, who had been watching from the sidelines, speak up, everyone turned their gazes toward him.

"You only need to join the martial arts hall."

Mu Liangyue's heart tightened.

"Join the martial arts hall?"

She had never imagined such an outcome.

The onlookers erupted into an uproar.

Several people who had been defeated earlier had all handed over precious items.

This "beauty" lost, yet only needed to join the martial arts hall.

Looking at the graceful Mu Liangyue, everyone found it difficult to judge whether she was lucky or unlucky.

"A bet is a bet."

Su Rui's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable firmness.

Mu Liangyue's eyes flickered, and eventually, she nodded gently.

"Mu Liangyue pays respects to the Hall Owner."

"It's Teacher."

"Pays respects to Teacher."

She bowed slightly to pay her respects.

[Mu Liangyue has joined the martial arts hall; imparting Opportunity can trigger Critical Return.]

"Rise."

Su Rui walked up to her and looked down at her as he spoke.

"Thank you, Teacher."

Mu Liangyue stood up nervously.

Su Rui raised his finger and lightly tapped her forehead.

Just like with Li Hanyi yesterday, Mu Liangyue was startled and instinctively wanted to dodge.

But her body was beyond her control.

In an instant, a vast amount of complex information flooded into her mind.

Su Rui withdrew his finger, turned around, and walked back to his main seat to sit down.

A trace of curiosity flashed in Li Hanyi's eyes.

She naturally understood that Teacher was imparting a Cultivation Technique, but she didn't know what it was.

At this moment, Mu Liangyue's mind was shaking violently.

Fire Charm Technique!

This was the Cultivation Technique that appeared in her mind.

After understanding the true nature of the Fire Charm Technique, Mu Liangyue suddenly widened her eyes.

When her Butterfly Dream Formation was combined with this Cultivation Technique, its power would more than double.

Even those stronger than her would struggle to escape the intrusion of the illusion and would eventually become lost within it.

She looked at Su Rui in shock.

She recovered from the shock of how perfectly the Fire Charm Technique fit her own abilities.

Then, she thought of the method of imparting the technique, and her heart began to beat like a drum.

Her hands subconsciously covered her chest, as if she were afraid her heart would jump out of her mouth if it beat too fast.

As a member of the Dark River assassin organization, Mu Liangyue considered herself to have seen a fair amount of the world.

But this kind of method was unheard of.

Even in the records of the Dark River, there was never any detailed account of such a method.

Perhaps the Buddhist Divine Ability of the Six Senses could achieve such a level.

But that kind of Divine Ability could only be mastered by high-ranking Buddhist monks.

After some contemplation, Mu Liangyue was secretly alarmed.

No matter what kind of method that was, it was not something they could provoke.

Let alone the Dark River branch in Snow Moon City, I fear even the entire Dark River would not dare to act rashly.

Looking at a leopard through a tube, one can see a spot!

However, now that she had mastered the Fire Charm Technique, upon returning to the Dark River, she would surely be able to suppress Su Hongxi and Su Ziyi of the Su Family.

[Imparted Fire Charm Technique to Mu Liangyue, triggered 50x Critical Return. Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the Sacred Heart Art.]

"It's actually this?"

Yesterday, after the Grass Character Sword Art critical hit, he obtained the Sacred Heart Art, and now it seemed pretty good.

Although it couldn't compare to the former, Su Rui currently had no main Cultivation Technique, so using this as a transition was not a bad idea.

In front of the martial arts hall, everyone saw that Mu Liangyue had truly joined the hall.

And seeing that after the hall owner tapped her forehead, she looked excited, they had no idea what had happened.

Outside the crowd, a petite young girl watched everyone gathering, curiously wanting to see what was going on.

Her figure was light as she hopped over the crowd, craning her neck to peer inside.

At the same time, her ears were also paying attention to the whispers in the crowd.

"Challenge?" Hearing this word, Sikong Qianluo's eyes immediately lit up.

Carrying her long spear, she leaped up from behind the crowd and landed in front of the martial arts hall.

"I, Sikong Qianluo, have come to accept the challenge!"

...

A crisp shout caused the entire scene to fall into silence.

Those Martial Artists who had just been defeated and hadn't left, still carrying their feelings of loss, as well as those who hadn't dared to make a move, all cast their gazes toward the petite figure at the entrance of the martial arts hall.

"Too brave!"

This was the only thought they could have at this moment.

Upon seeing the owner of the shout clearly, everyone was stunned.

"Where did this little girl pop out from?"

She was dressed in goose-yellow clothes, with her black hair tied into a ponytail.

Her figure was straight, and she carried a slightly slender long spear on her shoulder, her left hand pointing into the martial arts hall at this moment.

But this could not hide the fact that she was just a little girl.

By the looks of it, she was only about eleven or twelve years old.

"Whose little girl is this?"

Someone couldn't help but mutter in a low voice.

Sikong Qianluo heard it, her little head tilted sharply, staring at the person who spoke. A trace of dissatisfaction appeared on her face, and her brows knitted together.

"Sikong Qianluo!"

Someone saw the little girl turn her face and immediately recognized her identity, blurting it out.

Once this name was spoken, the crowd immediately stirred.

They were all too familiar with this name.

Wasn't she the daughter of Lord Sikong Changfeng of Snow Moon City?

It was said that back then, Lord Sikong had fought his way through the Ascending Heaven Pavilion, and after entering Snow Moon City, his progress was rapid. By now, he had likely stepped into the Zizai Earth Realm.

That was a prominent big shot in Snow Moon City!

His spear technique was said to have reached the Transcendent Realm, and some even called him the "Spear Immortal."

And his daughter, Sikong Qianluo, was also quite famous in Snow Moon City.

Two or three years ago, she had carried a wooden spear all over the city looking for people to spar with. Later, it was heard that she appeared less often, and rumors said it was because Sikong Changfeng had personally taught her, which was why she had settled down.

Unexpectedly, she had appeared again now, and everyone immediately became interested.