Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

On the first day, Zhu Wuyao only accepted challenges from ten people.

But to Xu San'er's surprise, Zhu Wuyao actually used that sword strike every time.

One's own family knows one's own affairs.

Logically speaking, the stability of this passive strike should not be strong, especially since this is not a life-or-death battle.

Xu San'er had even thought about how to deal with the situation if Zhu Wuyao failed to unleash the sword strike.

To everyone's surprise, there was absolutely no chance for an emergency plan to be implemented.

After stepping off the battle platform, Xu San'er and Hua Yingting quickly came to greet them.

Zhu Wuyao felt a gentle wood elemental energy brush against her body, as if checking for injuries. Hearing Xu San'er's concerned voice beside her, she smiled and said to the two of them:

"Don't worry, it's okay."

She is indeed fine.

I'm just a little mentally exhausted.

As Xu San'er had predicted, a passive sword strike was indeed not something that could be easily executed.

Although she knew there was a contingency plan to deal with the mess caused by her failed sword strike, Zhu Wuyao didn't want anyone to discover that the Wufeng Sword was unstable.

Therefore, she used some methods to forcibly activate the sword.

"Sister Zhu, how did you do that?"

Zhu Wuyao did not answer. This sword strike was something she had comprehended from Qi Jianxian's "All Beings" sword intent. Her cultivation and life experience were insufficient to support her in fully comprehending the "All Beings" sword intent that she should have.

Therefore, this passive sword strike, which seemed to be executed with great speed and efficiency, was actually a deliberate and unorthodox move.

It was not the kind of magnificent sword intent that Qi Suowei possessed.

She wasn't confident that she could completely conceal the key to this sword strike.

If others see it too often, they might start to guess what's going on. Therefore, this foolproof "little trick" should be kept secret.

Elder Wu, who guards the battle arena, is one of them.

After guarding the battle stage for three days, he finally understood how that sword strike was made.

In the Elders' Court.

Elder Wu stood with his sword in hand, surrounded by countless mechanical puppets. He had just been bombarded with a volley of arrows.

"How strange! Before the sword was even unleashed, a wisp of sword intent was hidden in the heart, instantly revealing the flaws in the killing intent around him, and breaking the whole situation with a single move."

"In other words, one can only be moved by the intent to kill."

"Absolutely right!"

"How come others can kill, but I can't?!"

He wondered if the killing intent around him wasn't strong enough to ignite his sword intent to probe the enemy.

No, no.

If that's the case, then the battle on the stage wasn't a life-or-death struggle, but just a friendly exchange of blows. How could Zhu Wuyao have managed to unleash such a powerful attack?

Let alone Elder Wu daring to actually use a potentially lethal threat to test his reasoning.

Let's say Zhu Wuyao was on the opposite platform—

Even if you were hit, it wouldn't be a fatal attack.

It shouldn't be possible to cut through it every time.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Public opinion is a double-edged sword. After the theft was exposed, it could ruin Zhu Wuyao's reputation.

But when the rumors of her breaking the deadly trap with a single sword emerged, countless people began to uphold her reputation. Whether it was her former title of "Autumn Leaves Inviting the Fallen Leaves" or her current fame, both are significant achievements.

And those words spoken in front of the teaching hall that day—

He clearly appeared fearless and extremely confident.

At least for now, she's riding high.

In the eyes of the people, Zhu Wuyao is like a gyrfalcon that roams the heavens and the earth, unruly and unpredictable, with a ruthless side as well as a glorious side.

As long as she can hover atop countless mountains when she flaps her wings, as long as the gap between her and the "mediocre" is large enough to be unattainable.

Therefore, her fame can suppress the rumors.

Her despicable behavior and unscrupulous methods will be praised by the public as those who achieve great things without being bothered by trifles.

Her youthful arrogance and ignorance of the immensity of the world would be described as lofty ambitions and heroic spirit.

Subsequently, she was no longer a petty person, but a person of integrity.

All of this is based on the premise that she has to be strong enough.

Zhu Wuyao is now in the eye of the storm; a slight misstep could lead to a devastating fall.

Xu San'er noticed this trend and was extremely worried.

This was not part of the three's plan.

Because he knew that Zhu Wuyao was not as strong as he seemed, and even if he could transform a fake into a real person, it would still require the tempering of time.

And now.

What is fake cannot be true.

If you didn't have such a great reputation, it wouldn't matter if that sword was actually broken. We are all disciples of the Star-Picking Tower. If you can break that sword, then you are considered amazing.

However, this was fueled by those with ulterior motives.

May Wuyao's fanbase grow ever larger.

This is a case of flattery leading to destruction.

Because Shen Xun didn't believe Zhu Wuyao was that strong.

They also do not believe that a single sword can solve all problems.

At some point, doubts began to spread in people's minds.

Something seems off about this sword strike.

Especially Shen Xun's line—

"I don't believe she's that strong."

This further shook everyone's confidence in Zhu Wuyao's true strength.

"It seems... she only unleashes that sword strike when the attack is right up to her?"

"What do you know! This is called masterful composure! Remaining calm under pressure!"

"No, you didn't understand what I meant. Zhu Wuyao has never drawn his sword first..."

"Are you saying... that Zhu Wuyao couldn't unleash that sword strike before the opponent even launched an attack?"

"That's right!"

At first, such speculation was met with skepticism, because Zhu Wuyao did indeed appear to be very strong.

But the number of people raising these questions is growing.

Those who disdained Zhu Wuyao's actions and had even been on the battlefield felt even more cheated after coming down.

That sword strike looked too ordinary.

"However, in my opinion, it's just a coincidence."

Some people found these words sour and retorted sarcastically:

"Can a single coincidence lead to repeated coincidences?"

"Ha, ignorant fool! There is no such thing as a perfect sword strike in this world. Zhu Wuyao's sword moves must have a fatal flaw!"

"Could it be that she couldn't unleash this sword strike before the enemy made their move...?"

"So what! Even if it's a sword strike that can only defend and not attack, it can still protect her safety, making her unassailable and impossible for anyone to injure."

Upon hearing this seemingly defensive statement, the expressions on everyone's faces became somewhat strange.

If that's the case...

Someone scoffed and said:

"A dog that can't bite on its own can hardly be called a gyrfalcon that can soar into the sky; at best, it's just a turtle hiding in its shell."

"A turtle's shell may be hard, but it poses no threat to you or me."

Someone shook their head and laughed.

This is the truth.

If Zhu Wuyao's sword strike can only defend herself and cannot kill enemies, then her reputation is far from being genuine.

"I think you're just jealous. Who said she couldn't bring herself to unleash that sword strike?"

“We cultivators should be like the fallen leaves that invite autumn, not burdened by empty fame, and able to defeat ten thousand enemies with a single sword. Are you perhaps inferior in skill and here trying to smear her?”

"Why all this fuss? Whether he's a fake expert or a true hero, we'll find out soon enough."