[Vol. 6] Chapter 214: The Silver Sword
The competition was ruthless, offering no easy way forward.
From 216 contestants to 108, then to 54, and finally to 27. The rounds of intense battles continued to eliminate participants. As the number of competitors dwindled, the fervor in the city celebrating the grand event only grew more intense.
Le Qiaoqiaoqiao, a small-time thief who barely managed to sneak into the tournament through tricks, was eliminated in the second round. Even disciples from the prestigious [Shocking God Sect], who had guaranteed spots, were almost entirely wiped out.
In reality, the competitors who made it this far were almost all incredibly strong, with few below the [Seeker of Immortality] level. Violet had already encountered at least ten competitors as strong as Bai’er, who had placed third in the last Tournament.
The intensity of this [Four Saints' Immortal Selection Ceremony] was unmatched.
One lucky participant drew a bye in the current round, allowing them to advance without fighting. However, it wasn’t Violet. Instead, the fortunate one was a certain "Miss Silver Cat," who also made it to the finals. Whether it was sheer luck or something behind the scenes, it didn’t matter much.
Meng Rui’s earlier concerns about Violet being deliberately targeted by the Eastern Kingdom Holy Sect turned out to be unfounded. Violet faced opponents of varying strengths, just like most other competitors.
This was exactly as Violet had predicted.
With the continent’s political situation unstable, the Eastern Kingdom Saint was unlikely to blatantly target someone as untouchable as Violet. Making such a reckless move would have been both foolish and unnecessary. It was a basic matter of priorities. Someone like Shangguan Qiuyue, who had held a high position for 200 years and governed effectively, would never make such a clumsy mistake.
At most, the Eastern Kingdom Holy Sect might probe Violet’s strength and intentions subtly, hoping to push her into revealing her trump cards. This would help them learn more about the enigmatic priestess.
And so, in the fourth-to-last round of the tournament, the girl known as the [Red Sleeves Hidden Sword], Hongyan, once again stood before Violet.
“We meet again, huh?”
Amid the cheers of the crowd, Violet stepped onto the stage and nodded with a smile at the gray-haired swordswoman approaching her from the other side.
In terms of raw strength, Hongyan wasn’t particularly outstanding among the finalists. Judging by her precise level, she was likely below LV35, still some distance from the [Seeker of Immortality] level, and on par with most disciples of the [Shocking God Sect].
Their strength lay in their youth and boundless potential. However, that same youth was also their greatest vulnerability.
[Four Saints' Immortal Selection Ceremony] is a stage where the strongest from across the world gather. Some of the older competitors have lived ten or even a hundred times longer than the younger participants, making them old enough to be their teachers or even ancestors. Naturally, competing on the same stage as such figures is highly unfair.
This is likely why disciples of the [Shocking God Sect] are given guarantees by the Holy Sect to ensure that the less experienced competitors have a fair chance to advance to the Immortal Island. However, such special treatment is rare. For 99% of participants under the age of 30, reaching the finals is nearly impossible, let alone advancing this far through multiple rounds.
Hongyan’s journey to this stage is a miracle, forged by a mix of luck and skill.
But unfortunately, this is as far as she can go. Even if Violet decided to go easy on her, Hongyan wouldn’t stand a chance against the opponents in the next round. The gap in strength is simply too vast.
“Please guide me,” Hongyan said calmly. She placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, her face emotionless, assuming a battle-ready stance.
She was as silent and serious as ever.
Despite having encountered Violet multiple times in the tournament and knowing full well the unfathomable depth of her opponent’s strength, Hongyan discarded all doubts the moment she stepped into battle. Her focus was entirely on the sword.
Perhaps it was this unwavering dedication that allowed her to reach this stage despite being at a disadvantage. If she could maintain this determination and continue to refine her skills, it was not impossible that this young swordswoman might someday break through the limits of humanity and ascend to the [Eternal Life] level, where one is said to be eternal, living as long as the heavens and earth.
The premise, of course, is that...
“Are you ready?” Violet asked, her tone calm yet sharp. “You should know what this fight means. It’s not too late to step down now.”
Hongyan bit her lip and nodded firmly.
“It’s already too late to quit. I… must overcome my inner demons.”
A sword must endure endless hammering and tempering before it reveals its true edge. The same applies to a swordsman.
After her first match against Violet, Hongyan had sent a letter to her master, who was far away, asking why she had been unable to draw her sword during that critical moment. Her master, after reading the detailed account in her letter, sent back a reply consisting of just one word.
[Fear]
Yes, it was the shadow called [Fear].
It is the barrier every human must face when they seek to approach and surpass the mysteries far beyond their own existence.
For swordsmen, the heart must be cultivated before the sword. This gives them an awareness far sharper than that of ordinary seekers. With Hongyan’s level of mastery in swordsmanship, she had already sensed during their first encounter that Violet carried an essence that was far from ordinary, something beyond the bounds of typical life.
That innate [Fear], etched deep within the hierarchy of beings and species, prevented her from drawing her sword. No, it made her afraid to even try. Such a failure would inevitably become a swordsman’s inner demon. If Hongyan could not overcome it, she would never in her lifetime break through to the supreme [Eternal Life].
This mental confrontation was bound to happen eventually, and Violet’s presence simply made it manifest in a more direct, undeniable way.
Noticing the determination in Hongyan’s eyes, the priestess smiled, her expression gaining a hint of satisfaction.
“In that case, give it everything you’ve got and move forward. You don’t want to lose, do you?”
“?!”
Hongyan’s pupils instantly contracted, but before she could respond…
The dark-haired girl took a single step forward.
“Whummmmm—!!!!!!”
The world around her abruptly fell silent.
She saw a blazing sun rise in the distance, its blood-red radiance rippling outward like waves in a storm.
The cheers of the passionate crowd, the commentator’s rousing shouts, and the feverish anticipation of the upcoming battle. All of it faded away, unable to reach Hongyan’s ears.
No one else could understand what she was experiencing at this moment.
The overwhelming pressure, as though it came from a god itself, bore down solely upon the young swordswoman.
The scene of their first meeting replayed in her mind, but now in reverse.
“Cough…”
A trickle of crimson blood escaped from the corner of her lips. One drop, then another. Her pupils had lost their focus, yet the hand gripping her sword remained unwavering.
This was a display of absolute power beyond description. Hongyan’s mind understood this undeniable fact in some distant corner, yet she couldn’t utter a single word of admiration. Instead, she was consumed by an unprecedented fear, a fear that threatened to crush the unbreakable resolve of her swordsman’s heart.
Her very soul quaked.
Before her eyes, the radiant figure of Violet burned so intensely it hurt to look, forcing hot tears to stream down her cheeks.
And in that moment, Hongyan’s instincts, the primal core of her humanity, suddenly became aware of a profound truth.
She wasn’t worthy of gazing directly at her opponent. Even the mere act of lifting her eyes to look at Violet was an act of defiance that brought pain and the threat of destruction. Fear and awe surged like a tidal wave from deep within her soul.
As an ordinary human girl, Hongyan could barely resist the overwhelming urge to lower her head and crumble to the ground. The fact that she was trembling visibly was already the limit of her resistance.
Hongyan didn’t have the luxury to wonder what kind of being stood before her or the true extent of Violet’ power. Instead, she focused all her strength on keeping her tear-filled, burning eyes wide open, forcing herself to meet the black-haired girl’s gaze, eyes as deep as silver gemstones, exuding an icy and distant chill.
She couldn’t look away. She couldn’t bow her head.
If she did, this fear would become a nightmare that haunted her forever, shattering her swordsman’s heart.
She could feel her soul fracturing and splintering, the inevitable result of a mere mortal trying to withstand the pressure of a godlike force. But even so, Hongyan refused to give up.
Because she had to surpass that person. To achieve what even he couldn’t.
And then… she would bring him home.
Draw the sword.
She gripped the hilt of her blade, her partner, her other half.
Her body felt as though it were crushed under a thousand-pound weight. Her bones creaked audibly under the strain as she forced herself to move. Her jaw clenched tightly, and crimson streaks ran from her lips, ears, nose, and eyes, adding a tragic edge to her determined face.
Violet, the black-haired girl, had only taken a single step forward and then stopped, still standing over ten meters away. Yet the once-lively crowd grew quiet. Even the commentator, who had been tirelessly hyping the atmosphere with endless chatter, fell into an unexpected silence.
The giant screen above the main arena broadcasted every detail of the match.
Though the audience couldn’t feel the crushing pressure focused solely on Hongyan, they could sense something extraordinary. The eerily still arena, where even the wind had stopped blowing, and the sight of the young swordswoman’s bloodshot eyes and the red streams pouring from her nose, mouth, and ears, told them everything they needed to know.
—The battle had already begun.