Volume One, Chapter 12: The Rematch with Ren Yanyu

“Ren Guoshi…”

Guo Baihe, furious moments before, immediately became obedient the instant he saw the newcomer.

The anger on his face vanished entirely, as if it had never existed.

“Mu Yi, I vouch for you. You may leave now.”

Ren Yanyu’s beautiful eyes were like a clear spring under the moonlit night—pure, serene, captivating anyone who glanced at them, drawing them in irresistibly, as if possessing a mesmerizing power.

“Miss Ren, this Mu Yi killed my disciple Mu Liancheng. He was newly admitted to the Great Qian Academy, and I…” Guo Baihe was naturally unwilling to leave so easily.

“I have said, Mu Yi, I vouch for you.” Ren Yanyu had already turned away without another glance at Mu Ling.

“If the Great Qian Academy seeks revenge, let your dean, Wen Lingzun, come to me personally.”

Having spoken, Ren Yanyu made no further move.

Then, as a gentle breeze stirred, Guo Baihe’s body was struck as if by lightning!

He spat blood wildly, his body flying like a sandbag, landing over a hundred meters away.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Guo Baihe was a formidable Yuanfu Realm expert, yet Ren Yanyu, so young, with just a turn and seemingly no visible action, dealt him a grievous blow that sent him flying a hundred meters.

Such power! Such incredulity!

Rumor had it that at sixteen, when Ren Yanyu was bestowed the title of Peerless National Scholar by the Great Qian Emperor, the dean of the Great Qian Academy, Wen Lingzun, personally visited her residence, hoping she would join the Academy.

They fought an unknown battle, but afterwards, Wen Lingzun never mentioned the matter again.

From that moment, Ren Yanyu became a living legend throughout the Great Qian Dynasty.

Guo Baihe struggled to rise from the ground, coughing up blood repeatedly, then turned and left without a word.

He didn’t even dare utter a harsh remark.

As an elder of the Great Qian Dynasty and head of its foremost academy, facing such humiliation in silence was truly rare.

“Miss Ren, thank you for your rescue.”

Mu Yi cupped his hands in thanks, knowing that without Ren Yanyu’s timely arrival, he could hardly have withstood Guo Baihe.

After all, Mu Yi’s cultivation was only at the first level of the Heavenly Gang Realm. With his Royal Way Overbearing Fist, he could slay a first-level Divine Transformation Realm opponent like Mu Ling, but facing a Yuanfu Realm powerhouse like Guo Baihe, hope was slim.

“No need for thanks. Don’t forget, we have an agreement. Today, right here on this martial stage, our duel will begin.”

Ren Yanyu’s clear eyes fixed on Mu Yi with a faint smile.

That smile was fleeting yet radiant, like a hundred flowers blooming at once, draining the colors from the world.

“Of course I haven’t forgotten. Since that is so, please, Miss Ren, teach me.”

Mu Yi returned the smile with ease. This was indeed the pact they had made.

“Last time, your ultimate technique had no effect on me. I wonder if you’ve prepared new moves this time?”

The sky shifted; a soft drizzle fell, veiling the earth in mist, washing away the bloodshed, rendering everything beautiful once again.

“Naturally. I specially prepared a sword technique for our battle today.”

In Mu Yi’s hand appeared a long sword.

The blade bore a dragon motif, emitting a dazzling golden light, no ordinary weapon. It was a divine sword lent to him by a mysterious woman in the Divine Demon Tower, intended for his duel with Ren Yanyu.

The sword’s name was War Dragon.

“Heavens! What am I seeing? National Scholar Ren is about to duel Mu Yi?”

“Look, Ren Guoshi’s cultivation is now suppressed to the same level as Mu Yi’s—the first level of the Heavenly Gang Realm. But even so, there’s no way Mu Yi can rival him!”

“It is said that within the same realm, no one in the Great Qian Dynasty can best Ren Guoshi. Why would Ren Guoshi seek to compete with Mu Yi?”

The crowd was left agape, utterly shocked.

They had all witnessed Ren Yanyu’s earlier display: a mere turn, no obvious move, yet Guo Baihe, a Yuanfu Realm expert, was bloodied and blasted a hundred meters away.

Such strength—though suppressed to the same realm as Mu Yi—still left a chasm in combat prowess.

“Hmm? So hot! Everyone, look at Mu Yi’s body…”

Just as confusion and disbelief gripped the crowd, a chill passed through the misty rain, but suddenly, the temperature began to rise sharply, growing scorching.

They realized Mu Yi’s body was glowing fiery red, as if a blazing furnace burned within, scorching everything.

White steam steamed up from his head, coalescing without dispersing, like the legendary Three Flowers Ascent.

“Hmm?”

Ren Yanyu’s clear and calm eyes flickered with emotion.

She saw the extraordinary Mu Yi emerging.

Rumble!

Behind Mu Yi, a great sun gradually formed!

This fiery orb, formed from his true qi, stretched ten zhang high.

The Great Sun rose.

Instantly, the sky behind Mu Yi blazed fiercely, the sun’s rays illuminating mountains and rivers, golden lotus blossoms blooming everywhere.

The crowd witnessed an unimaginable sight.

The world seemed split into two realms: the side with Mu Yi basked in blazing sun; Ren Yanyu’s side remained shrouded in misty rain.

Two utterly different worlds, two distinct individuals.

At this moment, fierce battle intent shone brightly in both their gazes.

“Miss Ren, this is the sword technique I prepared for you—the Great Sun Universe Sword Technique. It comprises six swords, but I have only mastered three. I hope it will prove worthy.”

Mu Yi held the divine sword War Dragon, backlit by the blazing sun behind him, resembling a celestial war god descending, emanating an overwhelming, awe-inspiring presence.

In that instant, many felt Mu Yi’s momentum even surpassed the Peerless National Scholar Ren Yanyu.

“Great Sun Universe Sword Technique?”

Ren Yanyu’s clear eyes shimmered like autumn waters: “Its name befits it—like the bright sun illuminating heaven and earth, supremely vigorous and domineering. Very well, I sought this battle with you, so it shall not be in vain.”

Amidst the azure mist, Ren Yanyu raised her jade hand, and in it appeared a sword of pure jade, as clear as a pool of pristine water.

“This is my divine sword, Tianwen. In the entire Great Qian Dynasty, it has been drawn only twice—once against Emperor Chu Xiaoran, once against Academy Dean Wen Lingzun.”

“You, Mu Yi, are the third worthy to wield this sword.”

Her calm words carried a stunning revelation.

The crowd listened in awe, feeling everything was surreal.

“Hahaha! Since Miss Ren holds me in such high regard, I shall not disappoint.”

Mu Yi laughed heartily, a young hero’s spirit burning bright.

Today’s battle would be a life-defining moment.

“Miss Ren, receive my first sword!”

Mu Yi drew the War Dragon sword, and instantly, a dragon’s roar echoed through the sky, sword energy crackling like lightning snakes darting overhead.

“The First Sword of the Great Qian Universe: Nine-One, Hidden Dragon in the Abyss, Abyssal Dragon Sword!”

Mu Yi’s thrust changed the atmosphere dramatically, evoking the image of a deep pool, still as an ancient well, beneath which a divine dragon lurked—silent for now, but once unleashed, destined to shake the heavens.

A storm was brewing.

This sword was like a divine dragon breaking its seal, soaring from the depths!

“Excellent swordsmanship!”

Ren Yanyu’s bright eyes emitted praise.

“Concentrate intention into spirit, spirit into sword. Humanity is fleeting; man and sword become one!”

With a flick of her jade hand, her divine sword Tianwen transformed into a flowing azure stream, merging seamlessly with the surrounding world, carrying her essence into the heavens and earth, inseparable.

This sword was not like Mu Yi’s fierce and domineering style; it was the ultimate grace, gentle as water nourishing all silently.

Bang!

The two swords clashed.

Both Mu Yi and Ren Yanyu’s bodies trembled violently, each flying back two zhang.

“An even match!”

The crowd was shocked senseless.

Ren Yanyu’s renown was great—rumored to rival Emperor Chu Xiaoran and Dean Wen Lingzun.

Though she had suppressed her cultivation to Mu Yi’s level, no one believed Mu Yi could withstand even one of her strikes.

Especially since she was using her famed technique, the Heaven-Earth-Man Three Swords.

“Miss Ren, receive my second sword!”

Mu Yi’s blood boiled, surging to his throat. He let out a resounding roar that echoed through the mountains and stirred the birds in flight.

“The Second Sword of the Great Qian Universe: Nine-Two, Dragon Seen in the Fields, Dragon-Seen Sword!”

This second strike was entirely different in spirit from the first.

The first sword, Nine-One, Hidden Dragon in the Abyss, was concealment and emergence.

Now, the second sword, Nine-Two, Dragon Seen in the Fields, brought the dragon forth onto the land, revealing its might.

Just as Mu Yi now did.

This second sword blazed like the scorching sun, the blade seeming to gather the boundless fire of the great sun, determined to incinerate all beneath heaven.

The entire arena transformed into a giant forge.

Even Ren Yanyu’s forehead broke into a thin sheen of sweat.

“Man follows earth, earth follows heaven; the vast wilderness is boundless—Earth Sword!”

For the first time, a fierce passion ignited in Ren Yanyu’s eyes. This battle clearly exceeded her expectations.

Man and sword as one, like a celestial immortal flying beyond.

In the misty rain, Ren Yanyu became a graceful fairy on rippling waves, her sword flashing forth.

The two swords collided again, cold light scattering like stars across the stage.

Bang!

Mu Yi and Ren Yanyu were blasted back once more, each retreating to the edge of the arena.

These two swords were once again evenly matched.

“Miss Ren, now comes my final sword.”

Mu Yi was undeterred, roaring loudly once more. His internal power surged to its peak, a boundless torrent sweeping all before it.