Jiang Linglong's crisp and melodious voice sounded over the storm.

Her voice drowned out the other noises as the words registered in Fang Lang's ears.

A storm, a lady and an oil-paper umbrellathe three elements would make a beautiful ink wash painting.

Fang Lang lowered his blade, a smile spread across his face.

"Jiang Linglong What a beautiful name," Fang Lang said softly.

He stared straight into her starry eyes.

He had seen her on the practice grounds of Luojiang Academy, in the Spring Cloud Chamber of the Jade Pavilion and in the battle ring of Mount Shu.

Finally, Fang Lang had earned the right to know her name.

He could not help but laugh.

Originally, Fang Lang had decided to bind Lin Yun. In spite of the bad blood, Lin Yun was the disciple of Donglu's God of Bladessurely, his talent would be impressive.

If Lin Yun had avoided Fang Langwho pretty much cheated with the System to obtain multiple Sword Mastery Specialitieshe might have stood a chance in winning the team combat.

Furthermore, the fact that the God of Blades took Lin Yun as his disciple meant the boy's core was decent.

However, a sudden turn of events led to Fang Lang learning Jiang Linglong's real name.

He did not wonder if the given name was real or fake. After all, there was no reason to lie at this juncture.

The battle drained most of Fang Lang's energy but at the end of the day, it was worth it. Fang Lang's heart was filled with satisfaction and delight.

Between Jiang Linglong and Lin Yun, who would Fang Lang choose?

It was not a valid question.

Of course he chose Jiang Linglong. Old Jiang was a fifteen-year-old sword master!

Her core must be freakishly strong!

Besides, Lin Yun had lost to Fang Lang

The storm raged on and Fang Lang did not insist on continuing. His hands were shaking and his palms were bloodied. He had poured all his energy into the fight with Lin Yun and was utterly drained. If Lin Yun had not underestimated him at the very beginning, Fang Lang might not have won.

Moreover, the pressure that came from Lin Yun was immense.

It was the first time Fang Lang felt such intense pressure from a fellow sword disciple since gaining the Sword Mastery Specialities!

If he carried on fighting the other students from Donglu Academy, there was a high chance he would lose.

Perhaps Old Jiang noticed it too and decided to step in.

An uproar broke out both inside and outside the ring. The chatter from the crowd overshadowed even the noise of the torrential rain.

Fang Lang of Luojiang Academy defeated Lin Yunit was truly the most astonishing outcome in the whole competition!

The disciple of the God of Blades was defeated by a no-name student in one-on-one combat!

It was unthinkable!

Endless debates and discussions filled the crowd.

Mentors from other academies recognized Fang Lang's Dual Sword Technique, Sword Draw Technique and Spirit Step. Their interest was piqued.

'He must be the academy's hidden ace!'

'Luojiang Academy might stand a chance at winning this year!'

At that moment, countless pairs of eyes were fixed on Fang Lang, who was calmly exiting the ring.

Among the crowd, Song Qingyun of Beijiang Academy stared at Fang Lang intently.

His intentions were unclear.

In the battle ring.

Jiang Linglong slowly unsheathed her steel sword. She held her umbrella in one hand, providing shelter from the pouring rain. Calm and composed, she stared at her opponent from Donglu Academy.

"Donglu Academy, Liu Xuan, ninth-grade sword disciple!" declared the student from Donglu Academy.

His voice sounded amidst the storm.

Jiang Linglong held on to her umbrella. Her veil fluttered gently in the air currents formed by the falling raindrops. She had no intentions of reciprocating her opponent's formalities.

The lady was as cold as an iceberg. The aura she gave off served as a clear warning for others to stay away.

"Little lady, are you going to fight me while holding an umbrella?"

A grim and disdainful expression appeared on Liu Xuan's face as he glared at Jiang Linglong through the curtain of rain.

'How arrogant!' he thought.

The fact that Jiang Linglong did not bother to introduce herself indicated that she did not take him seriously.

Liu Xuan might not be as strong as Lin Yun, but to make it onto Donglu Academy's team meant he was no weakling either.

Whoosh!

Liu Xuan lifted his sword and charged at a steady yet lightning-fast pace.

His footsteps left a trail of splashes behind him. Light reflected off his blade, penetrating the curtain of rain.

Dense blade energy shot through the air toward Jiang Linglong's pale neck.

Her bright eyes were still fixed on Liu Xuan.

She still held her umbrella in one hand and her blade in another.

She lifted her blade and the rainfall suddenly diminished. A moment later, all the rain poured down at once!

Liu Xuan felt as if his blade was drowning in quicksand. Every drop of rain was infused with Jiang Linglong's blade energy.

Tch!

Liu Xuan took off but the ripples he made in the puddles became smaller and smaller. Finally, his body froze.

Everything went silentall that was heard was the sound of raindrops being sliced in half.

The next moment, Liu Xuan was kneeling on the ground, his eyes wide in disbelief. Countless miniature cuts opened all over his body. Blood spewed out from every corner.

Jiang Linglong lowered her blade.

Her umbrella was still in her hand.

The boy knelt at her feet like she was an esteemed yet arrogant empress.

"Next," Jiang Linglong requested coolly, her long lashes fluttering.

The audience went silent again.

It seemed Luojiang Academy had more than one ace on the team.

Outside the ring.

Mentor Wen handed Fang Lang a recovery pill. Fang Lang hesitated.

"Don't worry, taking recovery pills to treat injuries won't affect your assessment during the Imperial Examination," Mentor Wen assured.

Fang Lang took the pill and swallowed it. In no time, an icy feeling spread across the wounds on his palms. His wounds started to heal at a pace observable by the naked eye.

The healing effects of the pill were incredible.

As expected from an expensive item.

"This medicine was made by a medicinal spell master from the Taihe Court. Its healing capacity is truly impressive. Each pill costs ten gold coins," Mentor Wen said laughingly.

Fang Lang turned to Mentor Wen.

"Don't worry, it's not my money anyway. The academy will reimburse the cost." Mentor Wen winked at him.

Fang Lang could not help but chuckle.

Mentor Wen was loaded anyway.

Money was not an issue.

"Liu Bubai's injuries are minor. After taking the pill, he'll be as lively as ever tomorrow but his performance will be weaker than usual," Mentor Wen explained.

The two chatted for a while. They saw Jiang Linglong's clean victory in the ring.

Suddenly, Mentor Wen exhaled loudly. "You must have suffered a lot while training, huh?"

His sudden inquiry caught Fang Lang off guard. He did not know how to reply.

He could not say it was easy, right? All he had to do was interact with Little Wen and he would obtain a new skill.

Of course, Fang Lang had to keep the truth hidden.

"Yeah," Fang Lang replied tactfully, tilting his head and nodding.

'I guess it's kinda hard?' he thought.

It was a white lie.

Mentor Wen grinned. "Ah, I knew you were a promising fellow. There's no glory without hard work. Your core may be weak, but your talent in sword mastery puts you above other ordinary students. It's alright even if you don't pass the Imperial Examination

"You've already proven your worth at the Gathering of Swords

"The Sword Guild is likely to recruit you as one of their outer sect disciples."

Fang Lang was shocked to hear that. Rain continued to pour, battering the limestone flooring of the plaza like marbles falling onto a jade plate. Fang Lang's heart thumped rapidly to the rhythm of the rain.

In truth, Mentor Wen was quite surprised. Fang Lang had pulled himself out from a hopeless situation. Judging from his results in the academy, there truly was no hope of him joining the Sword Guild.

Even with the seventh grade, it would still be difficult for him to score well in the upcoming Imperial Examination and gain a spot in the Sword Guild.

All in all, Fang Lang would be extremely lucky to be recruited early. His efforts in pursuing sword mastery would finally pay off.

"The outer sect?" Fang Lang murmured under his breath.

Shocked, Mentor Wen turned to Fang Lang.

Fang Lang raised his head. Rain dripped onto his face and hair, obscuring his vision.

In the ring, Jiang Linglong defeated the third participant from Donglu Academy with ease. Fang Lang stared as she sauntered down from the ring, umbrella in hand like a haughty empress. He smiled softly.

The outer sect was not enough.

"I'd like to sit for the Imperial Examination anyway. I don't want to be a mere outer sect disciple. I want to earn my way into the sect into the inner sect.

"If I'm getting in I only want the best."

Fang Lang's voice was soft, yet filled with determination.

The rainstorm continued. Even so, Mentor Wen heard the boy's seemingly delirious words.

For a moment, Wen Ting saw his younger self in Fang Lang.

Young and brazen.