Gong Muyu was even more shocked.
He looked at Ding Ning’s calm features and the deep red long worm that Ding Ning gripped in his hand and felt extreme absurdity. Yet, hearing the hissing sound as his blood brushed against the icicle, he felt that his body had been robbed of its strength. His feeling of absurdity was quickly replaced by terror, he let out a harsh scream.
As he screamed, Ding Ning took several steps back.
The burning hot blood melted the icicle piece remaining in Gong Muyu’s body, yet no drop of blood touched Ding Ning’s body.
With a hiss, Gong Muyu’s Gold Python Sword fell from his hand, stabbing weakly into the ground in front of him. As he fell backwards, a Min Mountain Sword Sect cultivator appeared by his side, supporting him with a hand on his back, and started to stop the bleeding.
Losing the sword, falling to the ground, and the arrival of the cultivator meant the end of this battle.
Gong Muyu’s shrill scream seemed to echo in everyone’s ears. Looking at Ding Ning who was calmly putting his sword away and placing down the deep red black ice worm in his hand, Xu Lianhua refocused and shook his head in mockery. “Is this still one attack… but is it the sword or the worm?”
Xu Lianhua’s volume was not low, and in the pin drop silence, almost everybody could hear.
More students came out of their daze.
“Is this not against the rules?”
A student could not help but shout.
“Moron!” Xu Lianhua sneered in disdain. “How is it against the rules?”
Lin Suixin looked interestedly at Xu Lianhua and that student, but did not speak.
The student stilled. He looked at the deep red long worm shrinking behind Ding Ning and did not know how to begin.
Xu Lianhua looked down upon the student even more and said, “If you are able, you could have also grabbed some of the insects from the previous event, have the insect obey and follow you, and then use them as swords against your opponents.”
Seeing that student pale, and his lips tremble, Zhang Yi coughed. He hoped that Xu Lianhua would stop now and leave some face for the student.
But Xu Lianhua did not! He laughed coldly and said, “If you are capable, you could have that army swarm of insects work for you. If you bring the swarm out, no one will have to compete in this competition, you will definitely be the victor.”
At Xu Lianhua’s ruthless mockery, many students on the other side of the hut were furious, but could not find a counterargument.
Ding Ning’s victory was not due to using the power of this black ice worm. The key was he possessed this black ice worm and could use it like a sword. The key was that he could accurately judge that Gong Muyu’s attack would be weaker than the black ice insect after his own attack dissipated some of Gong Muyu’s power. The key was that he could successfully and smoothly complete these actions with perfect timing.
When these students thought back to how Ding Ning had used the sword and the worm to win, they felt fear of him. They sensed how relaxed he g was, and even felt that everything was within his foresight and control.
The wrath of the teacher from Eastern Sky Sword Sect transformed to respect for Ding Ning. In his mind, regardless of how hard Gong Muyu worked, he could not be a match for Ding Ning in this battle. He had never seen a terrifying person like Ding Ning or such terrifying talent.
“No more questions?”
Lin Suixin looked at the student who had hung his head. He flashed a small rare smile and said, “Then continue.”
At Lin Suixin’s aloof words, many almost groaned in pain. They thought about what Lin Suixin had said before. They remembered that Ding Ning would enter the top ten of the Min Mountain Sword Trials after this victory.
Even with the public attack from Palace Attendant Rong, even with the obstruction from them, Ding Ning still became the first student to reach the top ten, and the first one to obtain the chance to study in Min Mountain Sword Sect!
In a shadowy part of the mountain path, the middle-aged man who had been reporting to Palace Attendant Rong was momentarily dazed. He had never thought Ding Ning would reach this stage. Having a cultivator like Ding Ning enter the top ten first was great glory to White Goat Cave. And yet, looking at Ding Ning’s retreating back, he knew this wineshop youth would not stop here.
“But can you really succeed?” This yellow-robed middle-aged man had complicated expressions in his eyes.
In the resting tent, Place Attendant Rong could see everything happening in the mountain valley and did not need the reports from the yellow-robed middle-aged man. Many people in the valley thought she would be angry because Ding Ning had been the first to enter the top ten. But this Palace Attendant Rong only showed a hint of disdain on her cold face.
Just children’s horseplay.
She said coldly to herself as she watched Ding Ning calmly walk back to Zhang Yi and the others and as Xu Lianhua mocked the other student.
This was her true thought. In her view, regardless of how outstanding these young people performed, this was all horseplay of children compared to the tactics and power of an adult’s world.
On another cliff on the opposite side, Fu Su trembled as he looked at Ding Ning and the deep red long worm behind him. He was both worried and sad, but also happy for Ding Ning.
“Why do you not say amazing this time?” Pan Ruoye turned to Huang Zhenwei whose eyes were full of emotion.
Huang Zhenwei smiled embarrassedly and said, “When one says praise three times, they will become sentimental.”
**
“Yi Xin!”
Lin Suixin’s voice sounded in the valley.
Everyone stopped breathing.
Regardless of which side Yi Xin belonged to, he ranked seventh on the Book of Talents and was an important factor in who would win in the end.
Many students on the other side of the hut started to tense, afraid they would hear their names next.
“Bye!”
Lin Suixin’s gaze flicked past them and then he spoke expressionlessly.
These students immediately relaxed.
“Yi Xin! Another bye!” Lin Suixin said indifferently to everyone’s surprise.
An uproar started!
The students knew that interrogating someone like Lin Suixin would not get any answers, but some students could not stop themselves from shouting.
“How can someone have a bye twice?”
“Why not?”
Lin Suixin looked casually at the students, and said without emotion, “If you have any objections, I can give you an opportunity. I can take away Yi Xin’s bye if any of you is willing to fight Yi Xin.”
The students were so furious they trembled all over. Their swords rang in their scabbards, yet no one dared to accept. Even those who thought they could fight someone as strong as Yi Xin were not willing to fight an extra battle against an opponent like Yi Xin.
“Since some people will have byes, as the last judge of Min Mountain Sword Sect, if I am unable to pick suitable people for byes, then I should be blind.”
Lin Suixin looked emotionlessly at those students. He turned around and said sarcastically, “You are not willing to face Yi Xin. It is a wise choice at this moment. But you have no bravery or fighting spirit. Do you still dare to hope that I will arrange byes for you?”
Hearing these words, many were so enraged they could not breath. Nonetheless, even the teachers of the cultivation places did not feel that Lin Suixin’s actions were unjust right now. Even they felt that these students were far lesser than Yi Xin, and even lesser than those eliminated such as Nangong Caishu and Xia Wan.