Chapter 38: An Unbeatable Opponent

Mò Kǎimíng.

A cultivation genius who had been famous ever since he entered the Tianfeng Sect.

The youngest son of the Mò family, one of the four great families of Chang Lezhou. At the young age of sixteen, he had already stepped into the Faint Star realm.

If the initial Stargazing and Star-like levels were something that ordinary cultivators could achieve, then from the Faint Star realm onwards, things were different.

Cultivation itself was an act against the heavens. When breaking through from the Star-like realm to the Faint Star realm, one would attract heavenly lightning to temper the body, also known as a lightning tribulation—

This was a trial.

If you could withstand it, you would enter the Faint Star realm and achieve a qualitative leap.

If you couldn’t, at best you would be injured and your spiritual meridians damaged; at worst, you would be struck dead by lightning on the spot.

It could be said that the Faint Star realm and the Star-like realm were worlds apart.

And Mò Kǎimíng, who had reached the Faint Star realm at the young age of sixteen, could only be described with one word:

A cultivation monster.

Meng Yingxing would never have imagined, not in his wildest dreams, that his opponent in the second battle would be this guy, who was very likely to win the Divine Weapon Trial.

The joy that his victory in the morning had brought him was instantly doused with a basin of cold water. The joy was gone, replaced by a bone-chilling cold.

Meng Yingxing lowered the hand holding the bamboo slip, his eyes downcast, not saying a word.

“Hmm… Faint Star Lower-grade, he is indeed a very difficult opponent.” Xiu Qingcheng tapped her disciple on the back, signaling him not to be so dejected.

“My dear disciple, are you scared? Facing such an opponent?” Xiu Qingcheng tried to make her voice as gentle as possible, so as not to startle her disheartened disciple.

Meng Yingxing came back to his senses and gave a wry smile, “I thought I would only run into him later on. I didn’t expect… to run into him now.”

Meng Yingxing silently found an empty corner and sat down on the ground.

“Scared…” Meng Yingxing looked at his hand, then suddenly clenched it into a fist. The confused look in his eyes from a moment ago also vanished. “No, I’m not scared.”

“As long as Master is here, there is nothing that can make me afraid!”

Meng Yingxing’s sudden surge of awareness surprised Xiu Qingcheng, and it also made her feel even more satisfied with him.

‘Indeed, with someone to rely on, anyone will become resilient.’

‘Sigh, having become my disciple’s pillar of support, I am truly a one-thousand-percent qualified, good master!’

Meng Yingxing continued, “Just as Master said before, what genius? We’re here to beat geniuses!”

“That’s right! We’re here to beat geniuses!” Infected by Meng Yingxing’s words, Xiu Qingcheng’s heart also began to pound with excitement. “In our dictionary, the word ‘retreat’ has never existed!”

Running away will only get you one thing, but if you advance, you’ll get two!

“So when is the second round? Is it later today?” Xiu Qingcheng wasn’t very familiar with the schedule of the Divine Weapon Trial.

“Tomorrow.” Meng Yingxing stood up, patted the dust off his back, and prepared to return to his small courtyard immediately to rest and recuperate, so he could face the legendary genius in his best condition.

On the way back to the small courtyard, Meng Yingxing happened to run into Mò Kǎimíng.

He was wearing a gray robe, his long ink-black hair draped over his shoulders. His eyes seemed to hold nothing, and his entire being exuded an otherworldly aura, like a banished immortal.

Mò Kǎimíng brushed past Meng Yingxing without a moment’s pause, as if he hadn’t seen him at all.

However, Meng Yingxing’s figure froze for an instant.

“What’s wrong?” Xiu Qingcheng found it strange that Meng Yingxing had suddenly stopped.

“Master, the one who just walked past me was Mò Kǎimíng.”

The famous genius and the famous good-for-nothing of the new generation of the Tianfeng Sect.

Meng Yingxing knew Mò Kǎimíng, and there was absolutely no reason why Mò Kǎimíng wouldn’t know him. Moreover, the results of the draw had been announced, so it was impossible for him not to know that his next opponent was Meng Yingxing.

But even so, he had ignored Meng Yingxing on the road, not even willing to spare him a single glance.

He was just like his name as a genius, high and mighty, with no one in his eyes.

“He’s quite arrogant,” Xiu Qingcheng immediately lost any good feelings for this impolite fellow. “He didn’t even say hello? Is he looking down on my disciple? Be careful, or my disciple will beat you until you’re looking for your teeth all over the ground!”

Xiu Qingcheng looked at Mò Kǎimíng’s retreating back and clamored viciously.

Meng Yingxing was a little embarrassed, “It’s alright, Master. Maybe that’s just his personality. Besides, I didn’t greet him either.”

“I don’t care about that. He’s just impolite!” Xiu Qingcheng’s words were exceptionally forceful.

Meng Yingxing could only smile along with her, then hurried back home.

After spiritual power cultivation came the study of sword techniques.

In the small courtyard, Meng Yingxing held the Ting Tian Sword and took a deep breath.

He could still recall Mò Kǎimíng’s empty eyes from just now. But they weren’t empty; it was the arrogance in his eyes that had made everything he saw different.

In Mò Kǎimíng’s eyes, he, Meng Yingxing, was just another stepping stone, no different from anyone else.

Mò Kǎimíng was very strong, but he, too, did not want to lose.

Meng Yingxing silently practiced his sword, with Xiu Qingcheng in his hands, always watching him.

Although Meng Yingxing had said he wasn’t afraid of Mò Kǎimíng and had shown a fighting spirit, Xiu Qingcheng knew very well that deep down, he was still afraid.

Faced with an enemy several times stronger than oneself, no one would not be afraid.

In a match between Meng Yingxing and Mò Kǎimíng, the chances of losing were nine out of ten. It was a qualitative difference in level, a chasm that could not be filled by any sword technique or magic weapon.

Unless she could take over Meng Yingxing’s body and fight for him like last time.

But the trigger conditions for the substitute mechanism were unknown, so she probably couldn’t help him much.

Perhaps failure was destined.

But it didn’t matter. Even if he lost, he had to lose with a bang. Besides, losing one match didn’t matter. As long as he continued to win later, it would be fine.

No matter what Meng Yingxing did, she, his master, would always be at his back, never leaving his side.

Xiu Qingcheng was thinking rather optimistically.

The next day, the second round of the Divine Weapon Trial, Meng Yingxing versus Mò Kǎimíng, was held as scheduled.

The famous genius of the Tianfeng Sect versus the famous good-for-nothing of the Tianfeng Sect.

Although in the eyes of many, the outcome of this match was already predetermined, it was undoubtedly an excellent show, and the number of onlookers was countless.

“Junior Brother Meng is that unlucky? He ran into Mò Kǎimíng in the second round?” Liu Chenxin’s first reaction to hearing this was shock, followed by regret.

“It seems Junior Brother Meng’s happiness won’t last long before he takes a hard fall.”

Liu Chenxin silently sighed.

Divine Weapon Trial, second round, arena number three.

Meng Yingxing stood on the arena, looking at the immortal-like youth in the distance, his palms slightly sweating.

Just by standing there, Mò Kǎimíng exuded an indescribable pressure.

“My dear disciple, don’t be afraid.”

Xiu Qingcheng pressed against Meng Yingxing’s back, trying to ease his tense state of mind.

“You just need to do your best.”

Meng Yingxing gave an imperceptible nod and reached out to grip the hilt of the Ting Tian Sword.

Faced with an unbeatable opponent, he would absolutely not retreat in the slightest.