Chapter 111: Murderous Intent

“The duel begins!”

At the referee’s command, Li Jiaying swiftly moved to seize the initiative.

Actually, the reason she was able to gain this advantage was because Lin Cui had no intention of competing with her for it—this was probably what people commonly referred to as throwing the match.

Li Jiaying and Lin Cui.

There were some similarities between them, the most noticeable being that both had recently broken through to a new level.

The difference, however, was that Lin Cui had broken through to the peak of the Mortal Realm, while Li Jiaying had only reached its middle stage.

Lin Cui, having already broken through to the peak of the Mortal Realm, had long picked out and learned most of the family martial techniques that suited her. In contrast, Li Jiaying had practically no exposure to martial techniques at all.

Therefore, the outcome of this duel had been decided from the very beginning. But duels should have other meanings beyond just victory or defeat, shouldn’t they?

“Hah!”

Li Jiaying raised her sword with a childish cry. The sword was almost taller than her, creating an awkward impression, as if a child had stolen their parent’s sword to play with.

Therefore, many in the audience were in an uproar.

Some were surprised—how could such a young child participate in a duel?

Some questioned—had the Li family gone mad, allowing such a small child to step onto the stage?

Some mocked—clearly, the Li family had no capable individuals left, if even a child had to take the stage.

However, outward appearances were one thing; what others said was another matter entirely. Although these voices were loud enough to anger people like Li Hantian, Li Jiaying, at the center of all this discussion, remained as calm as Li Tan.

She simply didn’t care.

Let others say whatever they wanted.

That was always what Li Tan had told her.

Raise the sword, charge forward, cloud sword strike! A smooth combo flowed from Li Jiaying. Her sword carved a perfect arc through the air, surprising Lin Cui.

Such fluid sword techniques must be inseparable from her usual efforts. This little girl was probably more diligent and hardworking than most in the Lin family.

Thirteen years old and already at the middle stage of the Mortal Realm—this had already surpassed Lin Cui’s own record back then. If she continued like this, one day she might surpass Lin Cui, and the Lin family might be suppressed.

Upper hanging sword! Lin Cui suddenly executed a rising strike, precisely interrupting Li Jiaying’s combo mid-flow. The difference in strength between them was incomparable. It could be said that all the initiative Li Jiaying had previously gained had now been completely reclaimed by Lin Cui.

Rightward slash, followed by an upward thrust.

Still the basic sword techniques common across the Nine Provinces—simple, fundamental sword moves that everyone knew.

However, when performed by Lin Cui, the force was astonishing. Even though their understanding of the techniques was roughly equal, Li Jiaying’s palms still ached from the impact, nearly causing her to drop the sword.

Sister Lin Cui is amazing! However, Li Jiaying didn’t feel angry or wronged. She understood this was a duel, and besides, she had specifically requested that Lin Cui not hold back. Yet, from the audience, Li Tan’s expression subtly changed.

In his eyes, Lin Cui’s sword techniques were full of flaws, but that wasn’t what caught his attention. What concerned him was the ruthless intent in her moves—though somewhat restrained, that restraint seemed hesitant and uncertain.

Something wasn’t quite right.

The duel continued.

Although Lin Cui’s sword techniques were merely superficially impressive, they still looked quite elegant, drawing admiration from many in the crowd. In contrast, Li Jiaying’s sword strikes had already lost their coherence, appearing disjointed and unconnected.

Moreover, the two fighters’ conditions were vastly different.

It had only been two or three exchanges.

Lin Cui remained composed and at ease, while Li Jiaying was already drenched in sweat, her hand trembling slightly as she gripped the sword.

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, nearly everyone had already predicted the outcome of this duel. Perhaps even a routine gambling bet had already been placed. Probably very few people could understand Li Jiaying’s reason for stepping onto the stage for such a meaningless match.

But none of this mattered to Li Jiaying. Right now, she only cared about one thing: trying her best to hold out a little longer against Lin Cui.

Losing to someone at the peak of the Mortal Realm—especially a recognized genius like Lin Cui—wouldn’t bring any shame. Even without earning any brave reputation, no one would foolishly dare to mock her. Plus, it was great training. This was practically a no-loss situation.

Because Li Jiaying believed Lin Cui wouldn’t hurt her, she had always thought this way. But now, under the rapid flashes of sword light and the unbearable pressure, she began to feel confused and scared.

Sister Lin’s eyes looked a bit frightening—no longer the gentle gaze from the beginning. Now, Lin Cui’s eyes looked as if she were seriously fighting an enemy. Was this what a duel was really like?

Would everyone fight this seriously?

Would Brother Li Tan fight like this too?

In an instant, she thought of many things.

Below the stage, Li Yang clenched his fists tightly, anxiously observing the situation on the platform, his eyes following Li Jiaying’s every movement. He asked in confusion, “Is Lin Cui being a bit too serious?”

“There’s absolutely no sign of her holding back. Is this how Lin Cui always fights in duels?”

Li Hantian was also surprised. He had expected Lin Cui to deliberately give Li Jiaying some leeway, just as he himself would naturally hold back when facing a thirteen-year-old child from another family. However, people’s life attitudes always differed, inevitably leading to differences in behavior.

Li Tan, at this moment, was also seriously observing the situation on the stage. He could roughly understand what Lin Cui was thinking and was relatively tolerant of her actions.

The fear of being surpassed—this was a feeling everyone would have.

Therefore, he remained relatively calm.

Moreover, from another perspective, if Lin Cui fought seriously, Li Jiaying could better recognize her own shortcomings, preventing any arrogance, and thus work harder in the future, right?

On the stage, the duel had now reached its tenth exchange.

Below, many were praising Lin Cui for not using any martial techniques, claiming she was intentionally holding back to show courtesy to her opponent.

This wasn’t entirely incorrect. Lin Cui indeed hadn’t used any martial techniques, but not out of courtesy—rather, she dared not.

After all, using martial techniques against a child who hadn’t even learned any would be tantamount to disgracing the entire Lin family in front of Linjiang.

Therefore, this duel had become a contest purely of basic sword techniques, with minimal consumption of true energy. Lin Cui’s advantage lay in her more proficient sword techniques and greater strength.

However, even so, the gap between the peak and middle stages of the Mortal Realm remained very evident.

By the fifteenth exchange,

Although Lin Cui’s expression had grown somewhat gloomier, she still looked much the same as at the beginning, maintaining her condition. However, Li Jiaying’s clothes were now torn in several places, with faint traces of blood, clearly nearing her limit as she gasped for breath.

Every time she clashed swords with Lin Cui, she felt as if struck by something massive, an especially unbearable sensation.

The next move would likely determine the outcome.

The result was obvious, offering little to anticipate.

Such a challenge across cultivation stages was practically Li Tan’s exclusive specialty in Linjiang.

However, Li Jiaying had already performed quite admirably. If it were anyone else besides Li Tan, they would have been defeated within five moves.

Next, this duel would likely end with Lin Cui’s sword pointing at Li Jiaying’s neck, and Li Tan had already turned his gaze away.

But at this moment, something strange happened.

Li Jiaying was clearly exhausted, barely able to lift her sword, while Lin Cui’s next move wasn’t a side-thrust meant to point at her neck and declare her incapable of resistance—it was a thrust! As the name suggested, this was a swift and powerful lunge, sword tip aimed directly forward. She was aiming straight for Li Jiaying’s heart!