Not far away on the dueling platform, the purple-robed eunuch seated at the judges' table announced the winner. Ying Bing withdrew her gaze, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips.
At the same time, the raised Taibai Sword swung down—only to meet empty air.
This gave Tian Miao a moment to catch her breath.
Had this not been a sparring match, the narrow "gate of survival" in a near-death situation would have been right here.
Her entire aura suddenly became ethereal, her figure fading as if she no longer existed in this world. Whether observed by sight, sound, or even the heart’s perception, her presence was utterly undetectable.
If the Qinghai Remnant Sound Zither could manifest the intangible into form, then the martial arts of Tian Miao’s Yantian Sect specialized in dissolving the tangible into nothingness.
Tian Miao extended a single finger, carrying the intent of returning to obscurity—an attack without a trace.
"Did Miss Ying not notice?"
Before the thought could fully form in Tian Miao’s mind, Ying Bing’s ice-mirror-like eyes abruptly turned toward her, still calm and unreadable.
She can sense me?Then why hasn’t she moved?
A surge of alarm shot through Tian Miao, and she retreated violently.
Yet halfway through her retreat, a sudden chill pierced her back.
Tian Miao’s expression froze in shock as realization struck her.
Ying Bing’s earlier sword strike had not landed on empty air—it had landed on the "future" moments later.
This revealed two things.
First, Ying Bing had predicted her movements perfectly.
Second, Ying Bing could wield a sword from "then and there" to strike a person "here and now."
"Was the narrow path of survival I saw... something you deliberately left for me?" Tian Miao asked, her voice tinged with urgency.
"You honor me," Ying Bing replied with a slight nod before stepping off the platform.
The absence of an answer was, in itself, an answer.
"Since ancient times, who on the Hidden Dragon Ranking could possibly defeat her...?" Tian Miao murmured to herself, rooted in place.
"..."
"How did the Cold Fairy win just now?"
"After that one missed strike, she didn’t even attack again. Why did the Yantian Mystic Fairy concede?"
"I’ve crossed paths with Tian Miao before. She once spouted cryptic nonsense at me too. Serves her right to have a taste of her own medicine."
"Even if we don’t understand how the Cold Fairy did it, one thing’s certain—she’s invincible."
"Ying Bing, Ying Bing, first on the Hidden Dragon Ranking! Fairy, soar high, your icy fans will never say goodbye!"
The crowd below had already begun to erupt with fervent admirers, most of them young women.
After all, it was rare for a woman to claim the top spot.
Of course, mixed among them were a few shippers, led by none other than the chief fangirl Shang Qinqing.
"Li Mo wins! Ying Bing wins!"
After announcing the results, the purple-robed eunuch at the judges' table turned to Xie Xuan and Du Wufeng.
“May I ask how Ying Bing secured her victory just now? This humble one has trained in the chaste arts and has long been confined to the palace. I truly couldn’t discern the details.”
Du Wufeng cleared his throat. "This old man is just a blacksmith. I was busy watching to see if Li Mo would pull out a hammer. For matters of swordsmanship, you’d best ask Old Xie."
The eunuch’s gaze shifted to Xie Yiding.
The amplifying conch was thrust—swiftly and without warning—right up to Xie Yiding’s mouth.
On the grand tapestry of the realm, the scene focused squarely on the master of the Heavenly Mountain Sword Manor.
All awaited his profound insight.
"......"
After a long pause, Xie Yiding spoke slowly, "If this swordplay isn’t lacking... then it must be a good sword."
"?"
The eunuch was baffled. The nobility was baffled. The martial artists and common folk in the crowd were equally baffled.
What kind of non-answer was that?
Old Xie was suffering inwardly. That wasn’t swordsmanship at all—just the profound mystery of divine intent.
But Ying Bing’s spiritual will was unlike anything seen before.
She made her move, ended it in one strike—what more was there to say?
"Ahem. I believe our focus should now shift to the upcoming matches," Xie Yiding said, deftly steering the conversation elsewhere.
The eunuch picked up the roster and began to read aloud:
"At present, three individuals remain undefeated: Li Mo, Ying Bing..."
"And the crown prince of Great Yu, a peerless genius born divine, destined to inherit the throne..."
......
The next round of matchups materialized on the grand tapestry.
"So, whoever wins between Brother Li and Jiang Yu will face Junior Sister Ying next?" Xiao Qin muttered, scanning the updated rankings.
Looking down, he saw Li Mo sitting cross-legged, deep in conversation with his Divine Sword of Heaven and Man.
"Don’t you dare mess this up later, understand?"
"Or I’ll have Hammer Baby come have a ‘chat’ with you."
"......"
Murong Xiao, Huang Donglai, and Xiao Qin exchanged glances.
Brother Li... seemed unusually serious this time.
A moment later, Ying Bing returned, her gaze softening as she stood behind him, watching him psych himself up. It was almost amusing.
He seemed unusually invested in winning this time.
And yet, he also appeared... slightly lacking in confidence?
"Li Mo, whether you win or lose—"
"Stop right there!"
Li Mo snapped back to attention, his expression grave.
One must never casually set up death flags...
"Really won’t listen?"
"......" Under her teasing gaze, Li Mo hesitated before leaning in.
After a few whispered words, his expression shifted from shock to blazing determination. He sprang to his feet.
"So what if it’s Jiang Yu? I’ll take him down!"
With that, he grabbed his Divine Sword of Heaven and Man and strode onto the platform.
"Oi, what did you just say to him?" Shang Qinqing, having missed the exchange, felt like she’d lost out on a fortune.
"...Nothing much."
Ying Bing pressed her lips together, her face impassive—but her fingers and toes curled slightly, and her downcast eyes betrayed a flicker of disarray.
What had she been thinking, saying something like that to him?
And giving him a choice between "black" and "white"?
And how had the ever-righteous Li Mo responded?
"Only children choose. I’m a gentleman—I’ll take both."
The words he’d blurted out echoed in his mind.
Truly, Li Mo!
What a genius you are!
Above, beneath the brooding clouds, Jiang Yu stood with his hands behind his back, his dual-pupiled gaze cold and detached—like the heavens themselves casting judgment. He watched Li Mo in silence.
Li Mo, equally wordless, grew calmer with each step upward.
At this moment, his opponent was the undisputed leader of the Hidden Dragon Ranking.
Any distraction could shatter his focus.
"You should have saved those words for now," Jiang Yu spoke first, his presence towering like an indomitable peak. He seemed even stronger than before.
"Now you’ve lost your only sliver of hope. I thought you wouldn’t dare step up."
From his tone, it seemed Li Mo’s earlier remark—during Jiang Yu’s duel with Jiang Chulong—had stirred an anomaly in the Sword Bone. Such a phenomenon couldn’t be replicated easily.
If anything, Jiang Yu had since gained even greater mastery over it.
But Li Mo showed no fear. Instead, he laughed boldly.
"No need for that."
"This just makes it more exciting."