“Hehe, one day you’ll willingly call me Senior Brother!” Meng Fan joked casually, not meaning anything serious by it.

Yet, Liu Yanping’s face inexplicably flushed red.

At this moment, another disciple from the Kunlun Sword Sect ascended the Heaven-Connecting Platform.

The Kunlun Sword Sect was, in fact, the most mysterious among all the sects.

Unlike the Shu Mountain Sword Sect or the Limitless Sword Sect, whose disciples often ventured out to slay demons and perform exorcisms, the Kunlun Sword Sect preferred isolation, seldom sending disciples out for training, choosing instead to seclude themselves within the Kunlun Mountains.

Therefore, Meng Fan was quite interested in the disciples of the Kunlun Sword Sect.

He had already discerned some patterns in Li Xuerou’s sword techniques, and in this match, his main focus would undoubtedly be on the Kunlun disciple.

Moments later, Li Xuerou was defeated.

This time she didn’t use the technique that explosively increased her True Qi, whether by choice or inability was unknown.

Meng Fan planned to find time to ask Li Xuerou how she managed to burst her True Qi’s intensity.

As for the Kunlun disciple, his victory was simply due to his higher realm overpowering Li Xuerou.

There was nothing particularly impressive about his swordplay.

Of course, it was also possible that he hadn’t gone all out!

But to use True Qi to so thoroughly overpower Li Xuerou indicated that the disciple’s realm was quite high, likely at the third level of the Heavenly Origin Realm.

If he was hiding his true strength, then stepping up so early in the competition seemed a bit like bullying, and not a good look.

Meng Fan continued to watch the matches.

Next up was a disciple from the Limitless Sword Sect.

The Kunlun disciple who had defeated Li Xuerou was now the one to fall.

Clearly, he hadn’t been concealing his strength; he simply lacked it!

To be honest, this wasn’t exactly something to be proud of.

Taking advantage of a higher realm to bully someone weaker, only to be immediately defeated by another, was quite shameful!

The matches continued one after another, with increasingly stronger competitors taking the stage.

Meng Fan watched their swordplay closely, silently studying.

The opportunity to observe the elite disciples of various sects and their sword techniques was indeed rare.

After about a dozen more matches, those now ascending the platform were likely the elite disciples of their respective sects.

At the level of the Heavenly Origin Realm, they should be among the strongest.

“Senior Disciple Nie, Senior Disciple Nie is up!” Liu Yanping suddenly shouted excitedly, frantically tapping Meng Fan’s arm.

Meng Fan rolled his eyes.

He was, of course, familiar with the Senior Disciple Nie that Liu Yanping mentioned.

Back in the Training Hall, when Ye Feng was pursuing Liu Yanping, she had expressed her fondness for Senior Disciple Nie.

She even told Ye Feng to keep his distance, so as not to create a misunderstanding with Senior Disciple Nie!

Meng Fan had heard the name Senior Disciple Nie more than once from Liu Yanping.

The girl was a typical fangirl of Senior Disciple Nie.

Unfortunately for her, unrequited love was all it was; Senior Disciple Nie treated Liu Yanping as if she were thin air, paying her no attention.

Liu Yanping was purely one-sided in her affections!

In fact, it wasn’t even one-sided affection; based on Meng Fan’s observations and understanding, Liu Yanping’s feelings for Senior Disciple Nie were like those of Earth’s fangirls chasing after celebrities.

It seemed familiar, yet in reality, there was no connection at all.

“What’s Senior Disciple Nie’s name?” Meng Fan asked Liu Yanping.

He had often heard the name Senior Disciple Nie but didn’t know his actual name.

“You don’t know Senior Disciple Nie’s name? How can you be so out of the loop!” Liu Yanping looked at Meng Fan with disdain.

Meng Fan just glanced at her indifferently.

She suddenly felt a bit embarrassed, lowering her head and whispering, “Senior Disciple Nie’s name is Nie Bing, ‘bing’ as in warrior.”

“I know, ‘bing’ as in soldier,” Meng Fan nodded.

“Not soldier, warrior!” Liu Yanping corrected.

“…” Meng Fan couldn’t be bothered to argue.

However, this Nie Bing was indeed strong.

Upon taking the stage, he resolved the match with a single move.

To release two types of Sword Intent simultaneously in a single move was indeed skillful.

Murmurs of admiration rippled through the crowd.

From Meng Fan’s perspective, though, this was just basic skill; after all, he had once released two types of Sword Intent simultaneously even while in the Qi Cultivation Realm.

“Senior Disciple Nie is so powerful!” Liu Yanping exclaimed excitedly.

Meng Fan smiled without contradicting her.

Truth be told, Nie Bing could indeed be considered very strong.

To master two sword techniques in the Heavenly Origin Realm and use them simultaneously showed Nie Bing’s proficiency.

If that didn’t count as strong, then there wouldn’t be many strong disciples in the Shu Mountain Sword Sect.

After all, not everyone was a monstrosity like Meng Fan.

One shouldn’t expect too much!

After three matches, Nie Bing was also defeated.

Every competitor gauged their own strength before stepping up, only challenging if they believed they were stronger than their opponent.

Thus, holding the stage was a difficult task unless one was excessively strong.

But here’s the paradox: those who were excessively strong wouldn’t step up so early!

To last three matches was already an impressive performance by Nie Bing.

“That Kunlun disciple was too much; if not for his sneak attack, Senior Disciple Nie wouldn’t have lost at all!” Liu Yanping fumed.

Meng Fan shook his head; there was no such thing as sneak attacks in these matches.

Everyone faced each other and bowed before the fight began; it wasn’t as if someone suddenly appeared from the shadows to assassinate you.

It was just that Nie Bing was outmatched, though indeed, he could have been more cautious.

The Shu Mountain Swordsmanship Competition lasted over three hours, only concluding as the sky began to darken.

The final victor turned out to be that very disciple from the Kunlun Sword Sect, Jiang Poyue.

That morning in the Scripture Pavilion, Senior Disciple Jin had mentioned that Jiang Poyue was the likely winner of the competition.

Who would have thought that Senior Disciple Jin, a social recluse who rarely ventured out, would have such insight into world affairs?

Impressive!

“That Senior Disciple Jin from the Scripture Pavilion really knows his stuff, to have guessed it right,” Liu Yanping said somewhat helplessly.

She had previously asked Meng Fan which sect would win, and Meng Fan had relayed Senior Disciple Jin’s opinion to her.

“Which sect wins isn’t really important, but it’s a pity you lost a thousand Spirit Stones!” Meng Fan sighed.

Although it wasn’t his loss, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Liu Yanping.

A thousand Spirit Stones!

Meng Fan couldn’t even imagine how he’d react if he lost that many; he’d probably be devastated.

“Yeah, it is a pity; that was two months of my allowance!” Liu Yanping said with a pained expression.

Hearing this, Meng Fan suddenly fell silent.

Two months’ allowance?

To be honest, Meng Fan felt quite struck, even a little inferior.

Could a kid from a working-class family really afford to play with the children of capitalists?

“But then again, that Jiang Poyue is really handsome, and so powerful too. Senior Disciple Nie seems completely outmatched by him!” Liu Yanping gazed at Jiang Poyue from the Kunlun Sword Sect, utterly infatuated.

Meng Fan could even see little red hearts in her eyes.

“What, you don’t like Senior Disciple Nie anymore? Starting to fancy this Senior Brother Jiang?” Meng Fan teased.

To his surprise, the girl shamelessly retorted, “When did I ever like Senior Disciple Nie? Don’t talk nonsense and tarnish my reputation, especially in front of Senior Brother Jiang!”

Meng Fan stared at Liu Yanping in astonishment, giving her a thumbs up.

Honestly, he was somewhat impressed.

Could there really be such a shameless person in the world?

And a woman at that!

This truly broadened Meng Fan’s horizons.

Liu Yanping continued to swoon, “Senior Brother Jiang is not even thirty yet and has already reached the Condensation Pill Realm. There’s no one else in the Shu Mountain Sword Sect with such dazzling talent.”

Meng Fan rolled his eyes and casually countered.

“There is someone.”

Liu Yanping looked surprised, “Who? I don’t know of anyone.”

“Kuang Tianyou, Senior Brother Kuang,” Meng Fan replied, parroting what he had learned from Senior Disciple Jin that morning.

“You actually know about Senior Brother Kuang?” Liu Yanping gave Meng Fan a surprised look.

Senior Brother Kuang had been missing for a long time, probably since before Meng Fan joined the Shu Mountain Sword Sect, or just as he joined.

But indeed, Senior Brother Kuang was a prodigy, and it was normal for Meng Fan to have heard of him.

“Pity, Senior Brother Kuang, he…” Liu Yanping shook her head and sighed.

If Senior Brother Kuang were still in the Shu Mountain Sword Sect, perhaps the Kunlun Sword Sect wouldn’t have had their moment in the spotlight this time.

After the competition ended, as people were about to disperse, the victor Jiang Poyue suddenly stood up and announced loudly, “I, Jiang Poyue, am the winner of this Shu Mountain Swordsmanship Competition.”

“But this was merely a Martial Arts Competition. I will hold the stage here for three days and initiate a Literary Competition!”

Hearing Jiang Poyue’s declaration, many murmured in surprise, looking at him curiously.

But given his recent victory, his presence commanded respect, and many held him in high regard.

“What’s a Literary Competition?” someone in the crowd asked loudly.

Jiang Poyue’s voice boomed like thunder, “A Literary Competition is a pure contest of sword techniques. I will not use my cultivation level, and neither will you. In my view, this is the true essence of a swordsmanship competition!”

Hearing this, Liu Yanping instinctively glanced at Meng Fan, feeling that Jiang Poyue’s so-called Literary Competition seemed tailor-made for Meng Fan.

Wasn’t this just perfect for Meng Fan?

“Meng Fan, are you considering giving it a try?” Liu Yanping couldn’t help but ask.

“He’s at the Condensing Elixir Realm, and I’m in the True Martial Realm. Am I looking to get thrashed?” Meng Fan rolled his eyes.

“But he said he won’t use his cultivation level, just pure swordplay. Your sword techniques are so formidable, maybe you really could spar with him,” Liu Yanping’s voice trailed off, growing fainter.

Okay, she was losing confidence in her own suggestion.