Qin Xiaowan lifted her hands slightly, shifting her longsword half a foot to the left before its tip stabbed directly into the youth's shoulder. If she hadn't moved it, the blow would have likely pierced his heart, killing him instantly. She had no desire to be the first person to kill someone on the tournament stage.
Qin Xiaowan completely dodged the youth's Sword Qi attack. Although Sword Qi was impossible to see with the naked eye, it could be sensed. To Qin Xiaowan's Perception Power, his Sword Qi was clearly visible. In that brief moment, her Perception Power had become incredibly strongāperhaps not even Ye Tian could compare.
This phenomenon was, in fact, related to the Dragon Pearl inside Qin Xiaowan's body. Although she had not yet awakened her Bloodline Power, she was able to absorb the Energy of the Dragon Raceāand at a rate even slightly faster than Ye Tian's.
As a result, she had also obtained some information about the Dragon Pearl. 'I must become stronger, and stronger still. It's the only way to avenge the Qin Family. I know Ye Tian has a Dragon Pearl too. To make the Ye Family pay, I have to surpass him.'
Qin Xiaowan's strike pierced straight through the youth's shoulder. Swiftly withdrawing her longsword, she flashed to the side. Her face remained cold, but her movements were so fluid and graceful that the crowd below couldn't help but cheer.
"What a formidable woman! I never thought she'd have such precise judgment!" someone below the stage couldn't help but exclaim.
"She really is incredible. She spotted his flaw in a single move and won so easily! And remember, that youth is at the same Power Realm as her. This woman is truly something else," another person added.
"Now *that's* a true genius! And she's so beautifulā¦ how great would it be if she were my woman!" another man fantasized.
"Get lost! You think someone like you can have Fairy Qin? Even if she were to choose, it would be a man of talent like myself. Who the hell are you?!" someone immediately shot back, indignant.
The man who had first spoken was about to lash out, but when he saw the new speaker's strength was at the One Vein Ninth Layer, he could only swallow his words. The look in his eyes, however, could have killed the man dozens of times over.
On the stage, Qin Wushuang stood still, not moving. She had no desire to attack him again. It wasn't that she was merciful or soft-hearted; her heart had long since grown cold. The Qin Family's tragedy had transformed her. The once-innocent girl was now a woman consumed by hatred.
At that moment, the youth was filled with regret. The instant Qin Xiaowan pulled her longsword from his shoulder, blood spurted out. He grimaced in pain but made no sound.
He had been careless, underestimating her because she was a woman. He never imagined her judgment would be so precise. His own attack hadn't harmed her in the slightest, yet he was the one who ended up wounded. It was a turn of events he had never anticipated.
With his arm injured, his combat effectiveness had plummeted. His opponent's Power Realm was about the same as his, yet her judgment was frighteningly accurate. Continuing to fight would only lead to his own humiliation. But surrendering immediately felt like a great loss of face, and he seethed with anger.
The middle-aged man on the stage also had a look of disbelief in his eyes. He never expected Qin Xiaowan to possess such precise judgment. She hadn't revealed this ability during the qualifying rounds. 'She really has been hiding her true strength.'
'If this woman receives the academy's focused training, she might even be able to enter an academy in the Imperial City for further Cultivation. Her future would be limitless.'
"Do you want to continue?" Qin Xiaowan asked, unable to stop herself as she watched the blood stream from his arm. She really didn't want to linger on the stage; being stared at by the crowd was unnerving. However, she also didn't want to take advantage of his weakness, so she spoke up.
"Don't celebrate too soon! I was just careless earlier," the youth retorted, suddenly defiant. "I can still defeat you, even with this injury!" 'How arrogant!' he thought. 'She's actually telling me to surrender.'
"Then try," Qin Xiaowan said. This time, she didn't attack first. The sensation from before, of seeing through her opponent's opening, was a curious one. 'My Perception Power has grown so much,' she mused, 'but perhaps I can only perceive the flaws of those within the same Realm as me.'
'It would probably be a different story against an expert at the Second Vein.'
The youth's heart, meanwhile, burned with rage. 'Even if I can't defeat her, I have to at least land a blow! I have to injure her!' He had completely forgotten any notion of showing mercy to a fair maiden. He was the genius of his family! It might be a small family, but all their hopes rested on him.
'But of all people, I had to run into *her*. If I fail to get into the academy, my family will be terribly disappointed. My status will plummet.' Thinking of this, his rage intensified.
With a flick of his longsword, he charged at Qin Xiaowan like a bolt of lightning. This strike filled the air with a flurry of sword-shadows, a world apart from his previous attack. The surrounding space began to tremble violently, and a fierce galeāformed by the immense Sword Qiāwhipped across the stage.
Qin Xiaowan watched his attack without blinking. Once again, the flaw in his technique appeared clearly in her mind. This time, however, the opening was minuscule. It would be difficult to exploit it with ease.
'If I were willing to accept a minor injury, I could probably kill him,' she thought. She was, of course, unwilling to get hurt. Still, there was a way to neutralize the attack.
After tracing a swift, flower-like pattern with her longsword, her figure flashed. Powerful Sword Qi erupted from her blade, and in the next moment, their attacks collided.
Qin Xiaowan could clearly sense the distribution of her opponent's Sword Qi, making it easy for her to dodge. The youth, however, had no such perception of her attack. His only thought was to inflict a grievous wound upon her, even if he was injured in the process.
BOOM! A deafening roar erupted as their powerful Sword Qi attacks collided. Qin Xiaowan's figure danced like a butterfly. Instead of being thrown back by the force of the impact, she swept gracefully to the side, emerging without a single scratch.
The youth, however, was not so lucky. Several gashes had been torn open on his body, two of them deep enough to expose bone. The impact sent him stumbling back dozens of steps before he could regain his footing. His face was a ghastly, purplish-red, and his clothes were soaked in blood. At that moment, he felt nothing but pure terror.
In that last exchange, he had clearly felt her accurately dodging his Sword Qi. He couldn't understand how it was possible. It was as if she could see the attack perfectly. Attacking her again was now out of the question.
Cheers erupted from the crowd below. Qin Xiaowan had once again left them in stunned amazement. She now stood quietly on the stage, looking just like a celestial Fairyā¦