**Chapter 16: So What?**
Outside the Trial Tower, dead silence!
Apart from the faint sound of Jian Wushuang sliding his sword back into its sheath, not a single sound could be heard.
Ignoring the countless shocked gazes around him, Jian Wushuang turned and slowly departed. But before leaving, his steps paused for a moment as he glanced at Jian Lin and said coldly, "This strike of mine cut your shoulder. Next time, what I cut will be your head."
Hearing these words, Jian Lin froze on the spot, overwhelmed by shame and indignation.
As for the many Marquis Manor disciples present, they only came back to their senses after Jian Wushuang had completely vanished from their sight.
Immediately, the scene erupted like a boiling pot.
"He lost—Jian Lin actually lost!"
"One strike. Just one strike!"
"The gap is too great! Not only in spiritual power burst, but in martial techniques, the gap is even greater!"
Indeed, it was great.
Jian Wushuang could absolutely crush Jian Lin even in spiritual power burst. As for martial techniques... one must understand that Jian Meng'er, currently hailed as the number one genius of the entire Sword Marquis Manor, possessed sword arts so high that they had already astounded and won the admiration of everyone in the Manor. And her sword arts were taught to her by Jian Wushuang himself.
In terms of martial techniques, even Jian Meng'er knew full well she had no right to compare herself with Jian Wushuang!
In fact, within the entire Sword Marquis Manor, there was probably no one whose martial techniques surpassed Jian Wushuang's.
It was precisely because the gap in martial techniques was so enormous that Jian Wushuang defeated Jian Lin with just one strike, even wounding the latter's shoulder. And if Jian Wushuang had wished it, that strike just now could have already killed Jian Lin.
...
Jian Wushuang had cleared the seventh floor of the Trial Tower and, crossing swords with Jian Lin, defeated him with a single stroke. This news, like a hurricane, instantly swept through the entire Sword Marquis Manor—impossible to stop even if one wanted to.
For a time, the entire Sword Marquis Manor was shaken.
This news naturally reached Jian Meng'er's ears at the very first moment.
"Meng'er, something happened at the Manor today." The one informing Jian Meng'er was her father, Jian Lan. "That Jian Wushuang has condensed spiritual power and become a martial artist. Not only that, he already possesses the cultivation of the sixth level of the Spirit Dao. Just today, he cleared the seventh floor of the Trial Tower and crossed swords with Jian Lin, defeating him with only one strike."
"Oh?"
Even Jian Meng'er was quite astonished upon learning this news.
"Back when I hadn't yet fallen out with him, he often said he would soon become a martial artist. At the time, I thought he was just comforting himself. Now it seems that wasn't the case." After a moment of mild surprise, Jian Meng'er smiled faintly, clearly not taking it too seriously.
"Meng'er, you may need to pay this matter a bit of attention after all." Jian Lan, however, said gravely, "Although many in the Manor now believe that Jian Wushuang had been hiding his strength all along, you and I both know very well that a month ago, he truly did not possess a single wisp of spiritual power!"
Over these four years, Jian Wushuang had been by Jian Meng'er's side, so the father and daughter knew his situation better than anyone.
"In just one month, he went from an ordinary person without a trace of spiritual power to the sixth level of the Spirit Dao, and he can even easily defeat Jian Lin. That speed is simply terrifying." Jian Lan said.
"It is indeed terrifying." Jian Meng'er nodded in agreement. "But so what?"
Jian Lan was taken aback.
"Father, you're worried that at the Contest a month from now, he will become my great enemy, right?" Jian Meng'er asked.
Jian Lan could not help but nod.
Jian Wushuang had made a blood oath to compete against Jian Meng'er at the Contest, and this matter had long since spread throughout the entire Sword Marquis Manor. At first, no one took that oath seriously, but now things were different.
If, at that time, Jian Wushuang truly defeated Jian Meng'er in front of everyone in the Sword Marquis Manor and the various powerful figures coming to watch, then not only would the position of Sword Pavilion Master slip away into nothing—the father and daughter would both become an enormous laughingstock.
The Manor's universally acknowledged number one genius, completely surpassed by someone in a mere two months—if that wasn't an enormous laughingstock, what was?
"Father, you worry too much." Jian Meng'er still showed not the slightest concern. "Jian Wushuang spent nearly four years building up his foundation, and now he has finally condensed spiritual power. After such long accumulation, a sudden burst of unusually rapid improvement in spiritual power is perfectly normal. However, even if he could rise from an ordinary person directly to the sixth level of the Spirit Dao within a single month, does Father believe he can raise his spiritual cultivation to the seventh level in the month that remains?"
"One month, to the seventh level?" Jian Lan was first stunned, then shook his head without hesitation. "Impossible. Absolutely impossible!"
"The gap between the sixth and seventh levels of the Spirit Dao is enormous. Never mind ordinary people—even a cultivation genius like you, Meng'er, took a full half a year back then to advance from the sixth level of the Spirit Dao to the seventh, and that was with the aid of large quantities of pills and various heaven-and-earth treasures. As for this Jian Wushuang, no matter how extraordinary his cultivation speed, advancing to the seventh level of the Spirit Dao within one month is absolutely impossible."
Jian Lan spoke with absolute certainty.
And indeed, the facts were just so. The gap between the sixth and seventh levels of the Spirit Dao was not small; wanting to break through in a single month could only be called wishful thinking.
"Exactly. A month from now, for him to break through to the seventh level of the Spirit Dao is nearly impossible. Moreover, even if he really did reach the seventh level of the Spirit Dao, so what?" Jian Meng'er said with disdain.
Jian Lan's brows lifted, and a smile soon appeared on his face.
Indeed, setting aside whether Jian Wushuang could actually reach the seventh level of the Spirit Dao in a month—even if he did, so what?
Don't forget, Jian Meng'er had already reached the Great Accomplishment stage of Sea Transformation. No matter how superb Jian Wushuang's swordsmanship was, to contend with Jian Meng'er he would at the very least need cultivation at the Sea Transformation level.
"It seems I was overthinking. This Jian Wushuang simply has no qualifications to threaten you." Jian Lan smiled faintly. "Enough about him. Let's talk about the one behind you. You sent word to inquire earlier—any news yet?"
"There's news already." Jian Meng'er's expression immediately filled with anticipation. "My master said that at the Contest a month from now, she will appear in person to witness me take the seat of Sword Pavilion Master!"
"Haha, excellent! With that one present in person to back you, there will be no unexpected developments at the Contest." Jian Lan was evidently overjoyed to hear that she would come personally.
Within the Sword Pavilion, the four great Elders, led by Hong Lao, had all gathered.
"Haha, he cleared the seventh floor and even defeated Jian Lin with one strike. Our Young Pavilion Master is formidable."
"It's only been how long, and the Young Pavilion Master's strength has improved this much?"
"If he continues progressing at this rate, a month from now at the Contest, the Young Pavilion Master may well have a chance to fight it out with that Jian Meng'er."
The Elders chatted and laughed, all having heard the news.
"Big Brother, before this, the Young Pavilion Master wasn't even a martial artist, which is why we kept that matter hidden from him. Now, should we find an opportunity to tell him?" one Elder suddenly said.
"No rush." Hong Lao shook his head. "Telling him now is still too early. Let us wait a while longer."
"Right, in a bit I'll write a letter and send it out, to be delivered to that one in the Golden Dragon Hall. With the Young Pavilion Master growing at such an astonishing rate, that one should be very pleased indeed."
...
The entire Sword Marquis Manor had been shaken by the battle between Jian Wushuang and Jian Lin, yet the protagonist of this sensational affair, Jian Wushuang himself, couldn't be bothered to pay any attention to it. Having obtained his slot in the Contest, he set out directly, heading toward Nine Wolves Mountain.
He longed greatly for that full pond of Innate Spiritual Liquid.