Sun Nian endured for the time it takes two incense sticks to burn, but ultimately, he lost.
Before he fell unconscious, he was still looking at the Luoning Inn's window, but he never saw his Master's gaze.
Seeing his Senior Brother lose so badly, Lin Xuanye quickly ascended the arena to help Sun Nian off the stage.
After settling Sun Nian in an unnoticed corner, Lin Xuanye walked towards the Luoning Inn. He wanted to question his former Head Disciple about what she was doing, not even bothering to watch her Disciple's match.
Entering the Luoning Inn, before he could even reach the third floor, Lin Xuanye was blocked by an invisible barrier.
He couldn't see what was inside the barrier, nor could he hear any sounds from within.
He knocked on the barrier, but there was no response.
A ridiculous thought suddenly occurred to Lin Xuanye: Luo Ningshuang, she wouldn't have gotten involved with that Young Peak Lord of Yin Yang Peak again right after coming out of seclusion, would she?
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Before Luo Ningshuang went into seclusion, she had told them that she had already recognized Zhou Fan as her Dao Companion and forbade them from showing any disrespect to that Young Peak Lord of Yin Yang Peak.
Lin Xuanye felt a surge of anger whenever he thought of this matter. According to his understanding, Luo Ningshuang and his former Head Disciple had only known each other for about a month.
Yet, in such a short time, Luo Ningshuang, the renowned Sword Immortal, had her body and mind completely taken by that scoundrel Zhou Fan.
They had been Master and Disciple for nearly a hundred years, and Luo Ningshuang had never shown any affection for any man.
Now, after being coerced and having her body taken, not only did she not seek revenge on Zhou Fan, but she even recognized him as her Dao Companion?
Lin Xuanye stood outside the barrier, imagining how happy the two inside must be, completely disregarding the Disciples' matches on the arena.
As he thought, Lin Xuanye's face flushed with anger.
He silently cursed them as a 'dog couple' in his heart, then quickly calmed his mind and left the Luoning Inn, which filled him with resentment.
On Arena No. 3, the first match concluded, and Yu Xiaotang, holding wooden Card No. 13, ascended the arena.
Her luck was good; her opponent was a Loose Cultivator also in the Middle Stage of Qi Condensation.
Without using the sword technique her Junior Brother taught her, Yu Xiaotang successfully defeated her opponent with her solid swordsmanship, passing the first round of the elimination tournament.
That afternoon, Qin Li and Lin Xuanye took to the stage, both easily defeating their respective opponents.
At noon on March 2nd, with the conclusion of the 503rd match, the Trial of the Dao Heroes Assembly's second round of elimination tournaments was in full swing.
The rules for the second round were slightly changed: 256 wooden Card s displayed numbers 1-256, and another 247 wooden Card s displayed numbers 1-247.
This meant that nine people would receive a bye in this round.
The number displayed on Qin Li's wooden Card was 6, Lin Xuanye's was 90, and Yu Xiaotang's was 254, receiving a lucky bye.
All three successfully advanced.
On the morning of March 3rd, the third round of elimination tournaments began.
Qin Li was 1, Yu Xiaotang was 33, and Lin Xuanye was 91.
Qin Li only revealed his cultivation at the early Foundation Establishment Realm, easily defeating his opponent with a single Autumn Wind style.
Facing an opponent in the early Foundation Establishment Realm, Yu Xiaotang seized the opportunity while he was still underestimating her, unleashing the sword technique Lin Xuanye had taught her with all her might in the very first move.
She severely wounded her opponent, who looked on in shock, and Yu Xiaotang won. After she struggled off the arena, she immediately collapsed with a 'thud'.
Luo Ningshuang, who was pressing against the window sill, noticed this scene. She couldn't understand where Xiao Tang had learned such a dangerous sword technique.
After grinding the ink and asking her good husband Zhou Fan to slow down, Sword Immortal Bu Yu used her magical power to pull the unconscious Yu Xiaotang into the adjacent room, planning to treat and question Yu Xiaotang after this piece of music concluded.
At noon, Lin Xuanye ascended the stage, once again defeating his enemy with a single move.
He saw Qin Li, who had been on stage in the first match of this round, but he didn't pay it much mind.
A year had passed, and Qin Li's cultivation was still in the early Foundation Establishment Realm, the same Realm as him.
Lin Xuanye recalled how Qin Li's cultivation had completely overwhelmed him during the Nine Peaks Grand Competition, preventing him from reaching the top nine. Now that his own cultivation had also risen to the early Foundation Establishment Realm, Qin Li was certainly no match for him.
Silently praying that his next opponent would be Qin Li, Lin Xuanye was already eager to defeat Qin Li and avenge the obstruction of his Dao from a year ago.
Inside the Luoning Inn, Yu Xiaotang slowly regained consciousness.
She looked at her Master, who was diligently treating her injuries, and was deeply moved. She tried to sit up, but heard her Master say:
"Don't move around. Your current physical condition is very bad. All your Meridians are in disarray, and your Dantian also has problems."
"I'm not skilled in healing Spells. Here are two second-grade Medicinal Pills and three first-grade Medicinal Pills. Take this first-grade one first and see if you can still refine and absorb the medicinal power within it."
Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaotang looked inward and only then realized that her body was already riddled with holes.
If not for her Master constantly sorting out her Meridians and stabilizing her Dantian, Yu Xiaotang might never have woken up after performing that sword technique.
Luo Ningshuang had already used a Spell to greatly reduce Yu Xiaotang's pain, so Yu Xiaotang was able to endure the pain coming from all over her body.
Taking the Medicinal Pill her Master brought to her lips, Yu Xiaotang tried to control the magical power within her body to refine it. Luo Ningshuang also helped from outside Yu Xiaotang's body, doing her best to assist Yu Xiaotang in refining the Medicinal Pill.
Half an hour later, this first-grade Medicinal Pill was finally refined within Yu Xiaotang's body through their combined efforts, like silk being meticulously peeled from a cocoon.
However, Yu Xiaotang's injuries had not improved much. Her internal injuries were too severe; a first-grade healing Medicinal Pill simply couldn't cure them.
Afterward, the two tried to refine a second-grade Medicinal Pill together, but after only refining one-tenth of it, Yu Xiaotang's currently fragile Meridians couldn't withstand the medicinal power of the second-grade Medicinal Pill and almost ruptured.
Seeing this, Luo Ningshuang had no choice but to cooperate with Yu Xiaotang to spit out the second-grade Medicinal Pill. She looked at her Disciple's severely injured body, feeling a sense of self-reproach.
If she hadn't indulged in pleasure and had come to treat Yu Xiaotang immediately after she was brought into the Luoning Inn, perhaps Xiao Tang's internal injuries wouldn't have been so severe.
Yu Xiaotang noticed her Master's low spirits. Although she was also in great pain, that sword technique was, after all, wielded by herself; no one forced her. Therefore, Yu Xiaotang didn't blame anyone, but only said in a weak voice:
"It's alright, Master. For me to be able to cultivate on Lingjian Peak and become a Disciple of such a peerless Sword Immortal as you is already a very fortunate thing."
"That sword move was something I learned on my own from a sword Dao Secret Manual sold at a street stall. I didn't know the side effects of this sword move were so great. If Master wants to blame someone, then blame me for being too foolish."
"Xiao Tang…"
Luo Ningshuang felt even more self-reproach. She felt that she was truly an incompetent Master.
Just as the Master and Disciple were at a loss and about to embrace and weep, the room door was pushed open, and Zhou Fan walked in with a bottle filled with viscous liquid.
"If you have no other solution, you can try taking this."
Handing the medicine bottle to Luo Ningshuang, Zhou Fan said earnestly: "This thing has excellent healing effects for low-Realm Cultivators, and its potency is very gentle. Even a first-grade Cultivator can absorb it."