The First Summoner - Chapter 85

The braided girl stepped down from the stage and collected her hundred-tael prize. The two hundred taels she had deposited before the fight were also returned.

Shen Yan’s gaze remained fixed on her.

“Who are you staring at so intently?” Noticing her distraction, Zhuge Youlin leaned closer and asked.

Shen Yan withdrew her gaze. “I think I saw a… friend.”

“A friend?” He looked surprised. “Do you want to go say hello?”

“No need.”

If Shen Yan was not mistaken, the braided girl on the seventh stage had been Jiang Xianyue of Xuanwu Kingdom.

There was something unpredictably dangerous about Jiang Xianyue.

Shen Yan did not trust her completely, but she did pay more attention to her than she would a stranger. Jiang Xianyue had shown her goodwill twice.

Shen Yan owed her a favor.

Zhuge Youlin did not ask any further.

He looked toward the sixth stage. Seeing that its fight was nearly decided, he caught Shen Yan by the arm.

“Come on. I’m going to fight. Remember to bet on me. Guaranteed profit!”

His voice brimmed with confidence.

Shen Yan calmly brushed his hand away and nodded. “All right.”

The air reeked of blood and the sour stench of sweat, an unpleasant mixture.

They moved quickly through the crowd to the sixth stage.

Zhuge Youlin soon registered for a fight. Trusting his strength, Shen Yan wagered three thousand taels of gold on his victory.

Before taking the stage, he secretly pressed a storage ring into her hand and told her to bet another ten thousand taels for him.

Shen Yan gave him a complicated look.

He grinned. “This young master has confidence in himself.”

“Don’t die up there.”

His smile faded. “Fine.”

For the sake of his money, he could not possibly die. If he did, all his wealth would fall into someone else’s hands!

Just imagining it made Zhuge Youlin feel he might resurrect from sheer fury.

He soon stepped onto the stage.

The crowd immediately began discussing him. His hair was simply too conspicuous, and many of the young people who had come to apply to Western Region Academy could guess his identity.

His opponent was a young man.

The instant the match began, the man charged with his sword. Zhuge Youlin merely raised one hand.

Clang—

In that instant, a bloody line abruptly appeared across the man’s neck.

His pupils contracted. Pain tore through his neck, while another sharp agony stabbed through his chest as though his heart had been gouged out.

Clatter!

His sword fell to the ground.

Then the man collapsed with a heavy thud.

The spectators stared in shock.

What had just happened?!

Shen Yan had seen it clearly. Zhuge Youlin’s two fingers had manipulated a pair of semitransparent threads. One sliced open his opponent’s carotid artery. The other pierced his heart.

It was formidable.

Were Zhuge Youlin her enemy, he would be an exceptionally troublesome and powerful opponent.

Every one of his attacks was utterly unexpected.

Quite a few people had managed to discern his technique, and wariness rose in their hearts—especially among the young cultivators applying to Western Region Academy.

Zhuge Youlin stepped down, collected his prize, and swiftly rejoined Shen Yan.

Both of them had won money.

Zhuge Youlin was delighted.

After putting away her winnings, Shen Yan said, “I’m going to enter a match too.”

Then she deliberately asked, “Will you bet on me?”

Zhuge Youlin stiffened and gave an awkward laugh. He had no desire to risk his precious money. More importantly, he did not yet trust Shen Yan’s strength completely.

He blinked. “You know money is what I love most.”

“Fine.”

Neither took offense over such a small matter. After all, they were merely a little more familiar than strangers.

They moved to the ninth stage. This time, Shen Yan entered.

Her opponent was a young woman whose cultivation appeared to be at Mystic-rank level one.

The woman was extremely confident.

Neither wasted words. At the referee’s cry of “Begin!” they attacked simultaneously.

Shen Yan summoned the Spirit Phoenix Divine Sword. She did not intend to end the fight quickly. What she needed was a sparring partner.

The young woman was also a sword cultivator.

Their blades collided in midair.

The impact jolted the woman’s arm violently. Her expression shifted, and her gaze locked involuntarily on the Spirit Phoenix Divine Sword.

That was an excellent sword!

Covetousness filled her eyes.

She wanted to kill Shen Yan and seize the treasure.

Excitement surged through her, and her sword techniques became fiercer and faster.

Shen Yan remained unhurried, countering technique with technique. She had already seen through the woman’s intentions.

“If you want my sword, show me some real skill!”

The young woman narrowed her eyes. Spiritual power instantly shrouded her blade, releasing a sharp and dangerous aura. As she flicked up its tip, streaks of sword light appeared all around the stage.

Most were illusions. Only a small fraction were real!

Shen Yan immediately became vigilant. She searched with her mental power and, at the critical instant, swept her sword sideways.

A gale erupted and exploded outward.

The opposing sword lights shattered. At the same moment, the young woman closed in, raised her sword in both hands, and hacked down toward Shen Yan’s head.

Clang—

Shen Yan snapped up her sword and blocked.

The young woman unleashed the full pressure of the Mystic-rank realm, intending to crush her opponent. To her shock, Shen Yan remained entirely unaffected!

Behind the blue, fanged mask, sword light reflected in Shen Yan’s killing-intent-filled black eyes, sending a chill down the woman’s spine.

Shen Yan tightened her grip on the Spirit Phoenix Divine Sword, abruptly retreated one step, then counterattacked. Her blade stabbed toward the woman’s heart.

The woman raised her sword to block.

She was still a fraction too slow.

The Spirit Phoenix Divine Sword pierced her chest, though not deeply. At the final instant, she had managed to knock it aside.

They exchanged dozens of moves in rapid succession.

The young woman had suffered far more sword wounds than Shen Yan.

The spectators marveled.

“Who would have thought someone at Yellow-rank level ten could suppress a Mystic-rank level-one opponent?”

“Anyone who can fight above their realm is a monster. A young man who came here two days ago could do the same—and he was already at the Earth-rank realm! He fought like he didn’t care whether he lived or died!”

“Who was he?”

“He wore a mask. How should I know?”