The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

Lu Sangjiu lied through her teeth. ”It’s called the Extreme Minimalist Sword Technique, designed specifically to counter your Fast Sword.”

She had just made up the name on the spot, but to the crowd, it sounded perfectly reasonable. ’Hmm... it certainly is minimalist. The name is a perfect fit!’

Yang Cheng’s expression grew grim. ”I never imagined you’d be so accomplished in Swordsmanship... I underestimated you.”

He had investigated the Cultivation Techniques and other techniques Lu Sangjiu had used since the Sword Seizing Conference began. He knew that in addition to the abilities of a Magic Cultivator, she was also skilled in Sound Attacks—and was quite formidable with them.

He had assumed those were all the aces up her sleeve. He never would have imagined she was skilled with a sword, too!

’A person’s energy is finite. She looks so young... how could she have learned such a diverse set of skills and mastered every single one?’

”But... if you think you can defeat me in my own domain, this isn’t enough.”

As he finished speaking, his aura abruptly shifted, and a wave of fighting spirit, far more intense than before, erupted from him.

Golden Spiritual Energy flowed onto his longsword, plating it in a shimmering coat of gold. In an instant, the entire Spirit Sword seemed to grow immensely more powerful.

Lu Sangjiu’s expression tightened. ”...Sword Body Attachment Spirit?”

She was surprised. She hadn’t expected Yang Cheng to have a move like this.

The so-called Sword Body Attachment Spirit was a technique where a cultivator materialized their own Spiritual Power and attached it to their sword, greatly increasing the Spirit Sword’s power for a short period.

The exact degree of enhancement, of course, depended on the user’s own strength.

Yang Cheng’s use of Sword Body Attachment Spirit was quite proficient. Moreover, his Spirit Root was a Metal Spirit Root, the most suitable type for this technique.

However, limited by his cultivation, the increase in the Spirit Sword’s power was clearly not yet at an earth-shattering level.

His Spirit Sword had originally been an ordinary Mid-grade Treasure, but now it displayed the power of a High-quality Middle Grade Treasure.

This technique wasn’t rare among Sword Cultivators, but very few could master it during the Foundation Establishment Stage.

It seemed Lu Sangjiu had also underestimated Yang Cheng.

At that moment, Yang Cheng’s black hair stirred despite the lack of wind, and the longsword in his hand radiated a golden light, causing his entire aura to surge.

With a flash of movement, he brandished his longsword, which now carried a razor-sharp aura, and slashed toward Lu Sangjiu at a blinding speed!

Everyone could tell that this strike wasn’t just more powerful—it was also much faster.

Lu Sangjiu raised her sword and barely managed to block the attack, but it was clear she had lost her earlier, effortless composure.

’Tsk. I’m still more comfortable with a saber, after all.’

’Swordsmanship isn’t my strong suit. If I had to win this with just the sword, I could, but I’d risk revealing too much.’

So, after blocking Yang Cheng’s seventh strike, Lu Sangjiu decisively used the momentum to retreat. She put away her Spirit Sword, her hands flying through a series of seals. Smoothly changing tactics, she unleashed Starry Sky upon Yang Cheng.

Yang Cheng was startled. He never expected her to suddenly stop using her sword mid-fight. Caught completely off guard, his rhythm was broken.

He was a victim of his own rigid thinking. Back in the Lingjian Sect, when he sparred with his fellow disciples, it was always a contest of Swordsmanship from beginning to end.

As he got caught up in the thrill of his duel with Lu Sangjiu, he subconsciously started treating it as a battle between two Sword Cultivators. He never considered that she might suddenly switch to the fighting style of a Magic Cultivator.

He tried to dodge as quickly as he could, but Lu Sangjiu’s control over Starry Sky was incredibly agile. It gave him no chance to evade, pursuing him relentlessly and cutting off all his escape routes.

Seeing no way to escape, Yang Cheng’s eyes hardened. ’I’ll bet it all!’

As the points of light converged on him, Yang Cheng swung his longsword, intending to meet Starry Sky head-on!

A blinding flash of light, followed by a massive wave of energy, erupted on the stage. The crowd stared with wide, nervous eyes, trying to see what was happening.

The last time Lu Sangjiu used this move, she had held back, allowing Shi Feng to surrender. No one had been able to gauge the true power of Starry Sky.

This time, Yang Cheng had chosen to meet the attack head-on. If Lu Sangjiu wanted to win, she couldn’t hold back as she did before. Everyone was eager to see what would become of Yang Cheng after taking the full brunt of the attack.

Soon, the curtain of light dissipated, revealing Yang Cheng’s figure.

He was on one knee, leaning on his sword for support. His body was covered in wounds. He tried to hold it back, but finally coughed up a large mouthful of blood.

But his gaze was still resolute as he stared at Lu Sangjiu. ”I... haven’t lost yet!”

He struggled back to his feet and pointed his longsword at Lu Sangjiu. ”That technique is truly powerful. Even using everything I had, I couldn’t block it completely.”

”But... you always save that technique for last. I’m guessing... it’s because you don’t have much Spiritual Power left after using it, right?”

”Do you still have the strength to fight me like you did just now?”

A flicker of panic crossed Lu Sangjiu’s face, but she forced herself to remain calm. ”How is that possible?”

”You’re already severely injured. I suggest you surrender now. I don’t want to hurt you any more than I have to!”

But the way she said it only made it seem like she was bluffing.

A slight smile touched the corner of Yang Cheng’s mouth. ”...You’ve given yourself away.”

Without another moment of hesitation, he unleashed the last of his strength, charging at Lu Sangjiu with his most powerful strike!

Many in the crowd had the same suspicion as Yang Cheng, so when they saw this, they all subconsciously thought Lu Sangjiu was finished.

CLANG!

The sharp ring of metal on metal echoed in everyone’s ears.

To everyone’s astonishment, Lu Sangjiu had steadily blocked Yang Cheng’s explosive final strike!

Yang Cheng’s pupils shrank. ”This... How is this possible!” he exclaimed in disbelief.

For a normal Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, being able to use Starry Sky after expending so much energy already made her one of the elite.

’So how could she possibly have enough strength left to block my sword?’

Yang Cheng couldn’t believe his eyes, but the truth was unfolding right in front of him.

Lu Sangjiu gave him a small smile. ”My apologies... Mr. Yang.”

There was no need for any flashy techniques now. Lu Sangjiu simply raised her left hand and struck Yang Cheng’s chest with her palm.

Yang Cheng coughed up another mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward.

He had already been a spent force after taking the brunt of Starry Sky. Unleashing that final, explosive strike had drained him completely. Now, with no strength left to resist, he fainted the moment he hit the ground.

The referee’s voice rang out. ”First match, Lu Sangjiu is the victor.”

After a moment of stunned silence, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause and cheers.

Lu Sangjiu’s expression remained calm; she didn’t let her joy show on her face.

However, when she saw a few of Yang Cheng’s fellow disciples step onto the stage to help him, she gave them a slight bow. ”I may have been a bit heavy-handed. It was not my intention to injure him. Please forgive me.”

They were all reasonable people and knew that in a duel, it was inevitable for things to get a little out of hand. As long as there was no malicious intent, there was nothing to blame her for.

The disciple returned her bow with a neutral expression. ”We understand. My junior brother’s skills were simply not as good. You need not worry, Ms. Lu.”