Meng Fan watched the sword technique with rapt attention. Without a doubt, it was a powerful technique, having originated from an elder.

However, Li Changqing clearly hadn’t mastered it to perfection yet.

At least from the first match, Meng Fan had already spotted three flaws in Li Changqing’s swordplay.

During the second match, he noticed two more.

Meng Fan took Liu Yanping to a secluded area once again for some last-minute cramming.

“Didn’t you say you haven’t learned the Surging Waves Sword Technique?” Liu Yanping asked with surprise when Meng Fan brought her there again.

Meng Fan replied directly, “Although I haven’t learned the Surging Waves Sword Technique, that doesn’t stop me from spotting its flaws.”

“I’ve found five flaws in his technique that you can exploit. Listen carefully!”

“The first one…”

…

Meng Fan spoke eloquently, leaving Liu Yanping utterly astonished.

Only now did she truly realize how much of a monstrosity Meng Fan was.

She had thought Meng Fan was bluffing when he said he hadn’t learned the Emerald Sea Tide Rises Sword Technique or the Bright Moon Sword Technique.

How could he be so familiar with these techniques without having learned them?

But now, she was beginning to believe it.

The junior brother standing before her might really have never learned those techniques.

The reason he could master them so well was purely due to his astonishing enlightenment. Just by watching the techniques a few times, he was able to identify their weaknesses and flaws.

Wasn’t that just monstrous?

Could there really be such a genius with such incredible enlightenment in the world?

Whether Liu Yanping believed it or not, such a genius was standing right in front of her, alive and well.

“Stop daydreaming, listen carefully!” Meng Fan chided Liu Yanping lightly, snapping her back to reality.

Liu Yanping sighed softly as she looked at Meng Fan.

After meeting him, she had investigated Meng Fan and learned that he was a menial disciple assigned to the Sword Pavilion as a Guarding Sword Disciple.

Most importantly, he had a Mixed Spiritual Root.

A genius with heavenly enlightenment, yet cursed with a Mixed Spiritual Root.

It was as if the heavens had opened a window for him but then welded the door shut.

It was hard to say whether this was fair or not!

Moments later, Liu Yanping’s match with Li Changqing began.

Meng Fan watched the match quietly. This time, he was much more at ease, not expecting Liu Yanping to actually win.

After all, even if she lost, he would still get ten Spirit Stones.

Contented!

In the end, Liu Yanping lost the match.

Although she nearly overpowered Li Changqing several times during the fight, she always fell just short.

There was no helping it; the gap was there.

Despite Meng Fan pointing out the flaws in Li Changqing’s swordplay, she couldn’t perfectly exploit them.

However, Liu Yanping was already very happy. Under normal circumstances, she would have been instantly defeated by Li Changqing.

Instead, she held on for a long time and even gained a slight upper hand at one point, making the match quite even.

Although she lost by a single move in the end, she was satisfied.

“Ten Spirit Stones, as promised.” Liu Yanping handed Meng Fan ten Spirit Stones immediately after descending from the arena.

She knew that’s what Meng Fan was waiting for.

“It’s a pity. If you had more time to prepare and study the flaws in his swordplay, you might have really won,” Meng Fan said with a hint of regret.

“Ha ha, one can’t be too greedy. I’ve already made quite an impression in this Clan Disciple Competition,” Liu Yanping said with a laugh.

Meng Fan nodded in agreement.

Liu Yanping’s ability to defeat Yang Xiaohua and hold her own against Li Changqing for so long was indeed impressive.

It was a pity that he himself had no chance to compete.

With his current cultivation level, he had already surpassed the menial disciple level and should have participated in the Outer Sect Disciple competition.

With his mastery of the sword, he could have fought even against disciples at the sixth or seventh level of Qi Refining.

Perhaps, he could have even hoped for a glorious ranking in the top fifty of the Outer Sect Disciples.

Shaking his head, Meng Fan cast these meaningless thoughts from his mind.

The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. It was good to cultivate quietly in the Sword Pavilion.

One day, he was destined to dazzle everyone!

Meng Fan reminded himself to be patient with solitude.

After Liu Yanping’s loss to Li Changqing, her matches for the day were satisfactorily concluded.

Meng Fan continued to watch the other matches. This Clan Disciple Competition allowed him to see many sword techniques he hadn’t seen before.

After all, once Shu Mountain disciples reached the True Martial Realm, they rarely returned to the Training Hall, so many sword techniques were not available to Meng Fan there.

This competition was indeed a feast for his eyes.

He also saw Li Xuerou’s matches.

Li Xuerou, the young lady who had come from the same village as Meng Fan.

When their village was massacred by the Skyhawk Demon Sect, only Meng Fan and Li Xuerou survived and joined the Shu Mountain Sword Sect.

During this time, Meng Fan had always been a menial disciple, while Li Xuerou had climbed step by step from menial disciple to Outer Sect Disciple, to Inner Sect Disciple!

Compared to Meng Fan, Li Xuerou’s talents were truly astonishing!

In this competition, Li Xuerou ultimately ranked seventh among the Inner Sect Disciples.

Top ten of the Inner Sect!

This young lady was truly outstanding, and Meng Fan smiled.

Meng Fan was paying attention to Li Xuerou, but she did not notice him in the crowd.

It couldn’t be helped; she was a Chosen Beauty, dazzling on the stage.

And Meng Fan was just an unnoticed presence in the crowd.

Apart from Li Xuerou, Meng Fan also paid attention to another person, someone who had previously tried to kill him.

Qian Lechi.

The son of Elder Qian.

It was Qian Lechi who had sent Steward Wang to deal with him and then had him sent to the Sword Pavilion as a Guarding Sword Disciple.

Little did this guy dream that Meng Fan would thrive in the Sword Pavilion!

Qian Lechi’s final ranking was thirty-eighth among the Inner Sect Disciples.

Not particularly high, but still within the top fifty of the Inner Sect, a person of some status.

Meng Fan gave Qian Lechi a few extra glances, especially observing his sword technique with great interest.

After all, this guy was hostile towards him, and if he came after Meng Fan with a knife one day, he needed to be prepared!

…

As the sun set in the west and dusk approached, the Clan Disciple Competition finally came to an end.

Meng Fan dusted off his sleeves, ready to return to the Sword Pavilion.

It had to be said, his gains today were dozens of times what he had achieved in the Training Hall!

Just as he was about to leave the Heavenly Sword Square, Meng Fan ran into Liu Yanping again.

Or rather, Liu Yanping had specifically come to find him.

“Sister Liu, is there something else?” Meng Fan asked politely.

Having earned forty Spirit Stones from Liu Yanping today, Meng Fan was naturally very courteous to her.

She was his benefactor, after all!

Liu Yanping spoke to Meng Fan, “I don’t have anything for you to help with this time; I’m here to help you.”

“Help me?” Meng Fan was puzzled, thinking that giving him Spirit Stones was the best help she could offer.

“Have you heard of the Sword God Temple?” Liu Yanping asked.

The Sword God Temple?

Meng Fan shook his head in confusion; he had never heard of it.

Liu Yanping said, “It’s normal that you haven’t heard of it. Usually, only Inner Sect Disciples have access to it.”

Meng Fan asked with interest, “Since Sister Liu mentioned the Sword God Temple, please enlighten me.”

Liu Yanping had come specifically to inform Meng Fan about this, so naturally, she wouldn’t keep him guessing.

“The Sword God Temple houses the Sword God Stele. The origin of this stele is unknown; nobody I’ve met knows where it came from.

Legend has it that there’s a divine sword hidden within the stele, but since no one has ever managed to break it, whether the legend is true remains unknown.”

Hearing Liu Yanping’s words, Meng Fan was baffled and didn’t understand why she was telling him this.

If no one from the Shu Mountain Sword Sect could break the stele, then he certainly had no chance.

“Why are you telling me this, Sister Liu, when even the Shu Mountain Sword Sect’s disciples can’t break the stele?”

“What’s the rush? Let me finish,” Liu Yanping rolled her eyes and continued.

“Although no one has been able to break the stele and obtain the divine sword within, those who have touched the stele have felt a Sword Intent.

Many disciples have improved their sword techniques significantly after sensing this Sword Intent.

Even some of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect’s experts have created their own sword techniques after experiencing it.

Everyone’s talents and enlightenment are different, so the insights gained from the Sword God Stele also vary.

Some benefit greatly, others only slightly.

You have the most exaggerated sword enlightenment I’ve ever seen, so I think you should go to the Sword God Temple and experience the Sword God Stele. I believe it will be greatly beneficial!

Don’t worry, sensing the Sword God Stele is only related to enlightenment, not to the Spiritual Root.”

Knowing that Meng Fan had a Mixed Spiritual Root, Liu Yanping took the initiative to reassure him.

The Sword God Temple?

The Sword God Stele?

Meng Fan was indeed interested after listening.

He asked curiously, “Can anyone sense the Sword God Stele?”

Such a thing should have conditions, right?

If anyone could sense it, that would be too good to be true.

Liu Yanping said, “Indeed, anyone can sense the Sword God Stele, even menial disciples. However, each sensing session costs a hundred Spirit Stones, and you can only sense it for one hour at a time!”

One hour for a hundred Spirit Stones?

That’s fucking robbery!

When he was a menial disciple, he had never even owned a complete Spirit Stone.

A hundred Spirit Stones was an astronomical figure.

Meng Fan suddenly lost interest.

“That’s too expensive. I’ll wait until I have Spirit Stones in the future.”