Fairy, Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Blind

Chapter 117: The Spirit of Bixi; The True Successor of Lotus Peak

“Shi Yan… being able to withstand that sword strike is already a remarkable improvement. Don’t push your luck.”

Facing Shi Yan, who was determined to continue the fight, Elder Liu spoke softly, as if trying to persuade a wayward son to return to the right path.

“Elder Liu! I really haven’t lost yet! Let me keep fighting!”

Hearing this, Elder Liu sighed helplessly and glanced at You Su. You Su sensed the gaze and understood that Elder Liu was seeking his opinion.

Shi Yan, though seemingly honest, was like a stubborn piece of sticky plaster. He didn’t take the initiative to attack but instead clung to You Su, almost as if he was begging to be hit.

At this point, You Su couldn’t help but feel a bit of resentment, suspecting that Shi Yan had been sent by some influential figure to deliberately annoy him. He refused to believe that someone capable of withstanding his sword intent could only be an outer sect disciple.

He stepped forward, his expression darkening, and asked in a low voice:

“Who sent you here?”

“Elder Liu, is he talking to me?” Shi Yan scratched his head, looking confused.

Elder Liu glanced at him and explained softly on his behalf:

“You Su, no one sent him. Keep fighting. He won’t admit defeat until he’s completely knocked down. I’ll explain everything to you after the match.”

You Su was taken aback, realizing that he had misunderstood. He quickly adjusted his mindset and focused on his opponent.

Elder Liu nodded slightly and stepped out of the arena, leaving the two to continue their tense standoff. Shi Yan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, still eager to fight.

You Su found it difficult to gather his sword intent again in such a short time, unless he used the Nurturing the Sword technique to release the accumulated divine energy from the past few days. Sensing that Shi Yan’s steps were unsteady, You Su decided to hold back. The Thirty-Six Forms of the Yuan Sword alone would be enough to defeat this stubborn man.

Several more sword flashes followed, and though Shi Yan managed to block them all, he was far less composed than at the beginning of the fight.

You Su could tell that Shi Yan was at the end of his strength.

But You Su couldn’t understand what deep-seated resolve was driving this man to fight to the point of exhaustion in what was supposed to be a routine spar.

As Shi Yan fell and got up again and again under the sword, You Su was reminded of himself back in Chuyun City, gritting his teeth and persevering against insurmountable odds.

If he had given up easily when facing Elder Ling, Sect Leader Qi, or City Lord Liu, how could he have seized that slim chance of survival?

Refusing to give up in the face of a strong opponent wasn’t his exclusive right. In this world, there would always be others who would persist to the end for the sake of their convictions.

Thinking this, You Su felt a sense of respect for his opponent and even a hint of mutual appreciation.

But even so, he absolutely could not concede this victory.

Snow Mud and Swan’s Traces.

Glimpses of Radiance.

Crane Calls Over Magnificent Pavilions.

These three moves from the Yuan Sword were not the most powerful, but when combined, they formed an unstoppable, step-by-step assault.

The sword wind howled, and Shi Yan gradually showed signs of exhaustion. Despite the spar being a friendly match, no one called for a stop even as Shi Yan sustained multiple injuries.

Many in the audience were familiar with Shi Yan, the oddball who had challenged core disciples repeatedly over the years, only to lose every time. The core disciples he challenged despised him, and the outer sect disciples he represented looked down on him even more. At first, some had praised his courage for daring to challenge authority, but after repeated failures, Shi Yan had become nothing more than a laughingstock in the eyes of others.

Elder Liu, however, was different. As the elder in charge of core disciple affairs, he was quite familiar with Shi Yan. Unlike others, who increasingly looked down on Shi Yan, Elder Liu secretly admired him more and more.

In every challenge, Shi Yan was as stubborn as he was today, refusing to admit defeat even when the frustrated core disciples used him as a punching bag. He endured the blows, only to be left with injuries and ridicule, retreating to a corner to heal in silence while waiting for the next prospective core disciple to appear.

But few noticed that this “punching bag” was becoming harder and harder to break. It was as if every blow he endured was digested and transformed into his own strength! His keen insight into others’ techniques didn’t come from instinct but from the sheer number of beatings he had suffered!

In terms of defensive abilities alone, Shi Yan had long surpassed the level of an ordinary core disciple. The reason no elder had promoted him to core disciple status, aside from the fact that all his talent was focused on defense, was another, less spoken reason…

Elder Liu sighed silently as he watched Shi Yan teetering on the edge of collapse, almost calling an end to the match. But in a flash, his old eyes gleamed as he keenly noticed something unusual!

In the arena, Shi Yan’s legs were buried in the shattered stone floor, his arms raised and crossed as a thick earthen wall stubbornly resisted You Su’s decisive sword strike, though it was on the verge of collapse.

Behind Shi Yan, the hexagonal magic array that had helped him withstand You Su’s sword intent reappeared! But this time, the array was rotating in the opposite direction!

Elder Liu didn’t recognize this technique, but he understood what Shi Yan was trying to do.

The first time the array appeared, it had clearly helped Shi Yan dissipate most of the sword’s force. Now, with the array reversed, a vast and complex energy surged from the array into Shi Yan’s limbs, causing every blood vessel and muscle in his body to swell to the point of near explosion!

What filled this burly man’s body wasn’t just You Su’s sword intent but also every blow he had ever endured!

Shi Yan was like a rubber ball rebounding from the bottom or a volcano finally erupting after years of buildup. This seemingly simple man, who had always been the one taking hits, was finally baring his fangs! And the way he bit back at his opponent was by returning all the pain he had suffered!

The wall blocking the sword shattered, and a massive shadow of an ancient divine beast appeared behind Shi Yan, radiating a sacred golden light!

This was a strike seven years in the making, the spirit of Bixi that this fool had somehow obtained!

The golden divine turtle, with its sharp fangs and said to be the sixth son of the dragon, opened its bloody maw toward You Su! In the face of this shadow, You Su was like a lone willow in the wind. This was not a move that a mere Spirit Platform Realm youth could withstand!

Even Elder San, high above in the clouds, was shocked. What she had thought would be an ordinary fight had taken unexpected turns. Having stood atop the mountain for over a century, she was only now realizing how terrifying the younger generation had become.

Elder Wu, who was also watching from the side, had a hint of regret in his eyes as the crimson light around his flying sword flickered.

Elder Liu was already halfway into the arena, determined to stop the fight, but someone was faster than him—Heavenly Maiden Wangshu, her sword unsheathed!

Heavenly Maiden Wangshu’s blue eyes were fixed on You Su, her sword as bright as moonlight. She would not allow her junior brother to suffer even a scratch.

Suddenly, a thunderous shout echoed through heaven and earth, halting Heavenly Maiden Wangshu and Elder Liu in their tracks and freezing the minds of everyone present—

“Don’t come!”

You Su, drawing on some inexplicable divine strength from within, leaped to a height that no one could have imagined.

In the storm, his black robe billowed with the airflow, and the Black Pine Sword was raised high above his head, its sound roaring like ten thousand bells ringing in unison!

…

“The sound of swords and blades is one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. Though they are man-made iron tools, they evoke the true music of nature.”

An elderly woman in the crowd squinted her eyes, savoring the intense sword resonance as she spoke to her disciple.

She was Elder Zhai of the Mystic Firmament Sect, a minor elder who had cultivated through music and was one of the most senior elders in the sect.

The young girl, still naive, tried to imitate her master by closing her eyes to feel the sound, but she couldn’t help sneaking glances at the god-like youth floating in the air.

Not everyone could enjoy the sound as Elder Zhai did. The disciples in the front rows covered their ears, unable to bear the noise.

But You Su was immersed in the tranquility of heaven and earth.

The vibration in his flesh and blood, brought about by the Tai Sui meat, reappeared, far more intense than on the night he killed Elder Ling. It felt as if there were countless hearts within his body, all beating in unison until their rhythms synchronized.

And that moment had arrived.

A flash of black light streaked across the sky, as if a literary giant had left a bold stroke of ink on the white clouds.

The massive shadow of the divine beast still maintained its posture, ready to devour everything, but a large hole had been torn open in its golden-scaled forehead. Starting from this point, the shadow began to crumble, piece by piece, until it completely vanished.

The audience forgot to breathe. The intensity of this battle was unprecedented on this arena, which was meant for outer sect disciples to practice martial arts.

This country bumpkin, who had become a laughingstock in the sect for constantly seeking beatings, actually carried the inheritance of a divine beast comparable to an innate Dao body!

Everyone wanted to see the legendary story of an underdog rising to the top. Just as they were feeling the sting of Shi Yan’s hidden strength, You Su’s sword told the world why he was a true successor of Lotus Peak and why others were not worthy. It also made all those who had once thought themselves exceptional but were rejected by Lotus Peak feel ashamed.

As the dust settled, the arena was in ruins, reduced to a pile of rubble.

Shi Yan was buried under the debris, his eyes vacant.

He had given his all in this fight, enduring for seven years. Today was supposed to be his triumphant battle.

He had a reason for needing to become a core disciple. Since no elder had chosen him, he decided to fight for it himself. As long as he defeated a core disciple, he believed he would have a chance to be noticed by the elders.

But he couldn’t win. That was fine; he could endure. He would keep enduring until he felt he could win, then turn the tables in one fell swoop.

But all the effort he had accumulated over seven years had been reduced to nothing under this young man’s sword.

He was already twenty-four years old. Once he turned twenty-five, it would be nearly impossible to become a core disciple, as his bones would have solidified. If he hadn’t been chosen before, he certainly wouldn’t be chosen later.

Having expended all his accumulated strength today, he no longer had a chance. With only a year left, others would surely avoid attacking him recklessly now that they knew about his unique technique. Without any offensive skills, he would never be able to accumulate such a surprising counterattack again.

Having left his hometown seven years ago to come to the Divine Mountain, a land of hope, he now realized that this place didn’t belong to him.

The disappointment and frustration only lasted a moment in Shi Yan’s heart before a shadow from his memories surfaced.

If there was a reason he had to persist in becoming a core disciple, then giving up before utter despair was an act of cowardice. He had lost all along, so what was one more defeat? Even with only a year left, it wasn’t necessarily hopeless.

Reinvigorated, Shi Yan’s eyes regained their focus. He tried to clench his fist but couldn’t due to his injuries. He couldn’t even push aside the rubble covering him to crawl out. He had always struggled to his feet after each defeat and slunk away, but now he could only lie there and recover. The only trouble was that he couldn’t escape the gazes of the crowd.

Even with his resolute conviction, he couldn’t help but sigh.

Just then, the weight on his body lightened, and a flood of light poured in, forcing him to squint. Dizzy as he was, he couldn’t see who had moved the stones for him.

It must be Elder Liu… Over the years, the stern but kind Elder Liu had secretly helped him many times, though he had never heeded his advice.

As his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw the figure before him—a black robe torn in many places, hair disheveled, and face dusted with dirt, adding a touch of unyielding perseverance to his already handsome demeanor.

The person who had cleared the stones and extended a helping hand to him was none other than his opponent today—You Su.

Shi Yan was momentarily stunned. In the past, after beating him, the core disciples he had challenged would simply walk away, indifferent at best or leaving behind a few insults only he could hear at worst.

He held no grudges, as these core disciples, who were once full of pride, must have felt humiliated to be challenged by an outer sect disciple like him. Even those with better temperaments were likely annoyed by his relentless fighting style.

You Su was the first core disciple to show him kindness.

But after making this confident Lotus Peak core disciple look so disheveled, wasn’t he angry?

“If you can’t get up, take my hand.”

You Su wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his left hand while keeping his right hand extended.

The sun was behind You Su, its light shining through his body onto Shi Yan lying in the pit.

Shi Yan grinned, revealing a set of dust-covered white teeth, and mustered all his strength to reach out and grasp You Su’s hand.

Elder Liu floated nearby, his gaze filled with undisguised admiration for You Su.

As the two protagonists stood up from the ruins, sparse applause broke out among the spectators, growing louder until it became deafening. Both men in the arena deserved this applause.

Shi Yan seemed a bit awkward, unused to such a situation. In contrast, You Su appeared like a seasoned veteran, offering Shi Yan a warm smile.

Shi Yan scratched his head and said to You Su:

“Thank you.”

You Su smiled and sincerely praised, “Your defense is incredible. You shouldn’t be an outer sect disciple.”

Shi Yan was momentarily stunned, then replied with a hearty laugh, “You’re even more impressive!”

Elder Liu’s withered lips also curled into a smile as he stood between the two, suddenly straightening his back and declaring in a loud voice:

“This spar ends with You Su’s victory! Shi Yan’s objection is invalid!”

“Elder Liu, don’t be so quick to conclude…”

From the crowd, a female immortal in golden robes and a crown slowly rose into the air, smiling as she looked at the group in the ruins.