With an urgency, the Yin Spirits of the three individuals hurriedly returned to the Law Sky Secret Realm. As expected, Zhang Yan was right outside Yu Ci's secluded cultivation stone chamber, leaning against the door in a half-asleep state. When the three Yin Spirits entered, he merely lifted his eyes without any reaction.

Hmm, it seemed the visitor bore ill-intent?

For a Golden Elixir cultivator like Zhang Yan, the restrictions of the Law Sky Secret Realm were practically non-existent. He could come and go as he pleased, a privilege of the powerful. Even though Zhang Yan was on the brink of degeneration, the rule still applied.

The Tu Brothers were somewhat intimidated by him. They hastily greeted, "Senior Brother Zhang," before their Yin Spirits returned to their bodies. From an etiquette perspective, it was somewhat impolite to meet others in the form of a Yin Spirit. As for the Flying Sword in Zhang Yan's hand, the two brothers dared not utter a word, placing their hopes on Yu Ci.

"Senior Brother Zhang, please come in."

After his spirit returned to his body, Yu Ci opened the stone door and invited Zhang Yan in. Aside from Li You and Meng Wei, this was the first time someone had visited him at the Sect's Mountain Gate. Moreover, it was Zhang Yan, a former gambling opponent, and the meeting place was the Law Sky Secret Realm, which felt quite peculiar. Therefore, Yu Ci was exceptionally polite:

"Senior Brother Zhang, what brings you here?"

As it was a place of cultivation and sometimes used for practicing external swordsmanship, the Stone Chamber was relatively spacious. However, there was no place for guests to sit. Just as Yu Ci was considering whether to offer a cup of water, Zhang Yan casually tossed his Flying Sword aside, and a gleam of light flashed in his deep-set eyes.

"Junior Brother Yu, I have come to ask a favor."

"Uh, I am honored, Senior Brother Zhang. Please speak."

"I would like to gamble with you again."

"Ah, what?"

Yu Ci was momentarily stunned. It was only when he saw Zhang Yan directly revealing his Treasure Sword that he understood Zhang Yan's intention, leaving him scratching his head in confusion. Had Senior Brother felt humiliated after conceding defeat that day and now come to regain his dignity?

If they were to compete again, Yu Ci felt that he might be in trouble.

After all, a Golden Elixir cultivator was a Golden Elixir cultivator. Lately, many Golden Elixir cultivators had fallen at the hands of Yu Ci, some of whom were even stronger than Zhang Yan. However, it should be noted that none of them were in peak condition and had directly clashed with Yu Ci.

Yu Ci possessed an extreme sense of self-confidence. However, confidence alone was insufficient to penetrate the thick wall separating the Golden Elixir and the Nature-Connecting Cultivator. That night on Touching Sky Peak, Yu Ci launched a relentless attack, eventually forcing Zhang Yan to concede. Yet, hadn't he failed to inflict even the slightest injury on his opponent?

After rapidly weighing the reasons in his mind, he reached a conclusion: he didn't have the slightest chance of winning.

Nevertheless, his response soon resonated in Zhang Yan's ears:

"Alright, let's have another round."

Regardless of the hundreds or thousands of reasons he could conjure for losing, since someone had directly challenged him, and it wasn't a life-or-death vendetta, Yu Ci had no reason to refuse. As for victory or defeat, that was even less of a determining factor.

Zhang Yan didn't care about the changes in Yu Ci's heart. Seeing his agreement, the sword in his hand hummed, emitting a ring of cold light. The room's temperature seemed to plunge to the depths of winter. He raised his sword towards Yu Ci, gently saying:

"Please!"

Yu Ci was straightforward and not coy, also raising his Xi Guang Sword. The Sword Energy burst out from both sides, directly colliding. The previously spacious Stone Chamber suddenly seemed cramped.

"Here?"

Yu Ci spoke casually, as if making a final confirmation. The moment Zhang Yan nodded, he let out a sudden fierce cry, and the sword aura permeated from the Central Palace. Almost simultaneously, the opponent's sword aura aimed at his neck. Both had resorted to a mutually destructive tactic.

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Just as they were about to bleed, Yu Ci's figure blurred mysteriously, and he escaped from under Zhang Yan's sword. At the same time, Zhang Yan twisted his body, breaking through the weakest part of his sword momentum. Both, with a shared intention, switched positions in the sparks of the intense Sword Energy collision.

Several faint sounds of tearing silk echoed in the Stone Chamber. However, Yu Ci and Zhang Yan did not stop, their speed even faster than before. In a blink, they crossed paths again, their Sword Energy colliding with a hissing sound. The residual force splattered like a blade, tearing the limited furnishings in the Stone Chamber to shreds. Even the scroll of "Comprehensive Treatise on the Sword of Enlightenment" didn't escape, its fragments fluttering like butterflies.

Such an intense collision, even if both were careful, inevitably disturbed the nearby seclusive cultivators. Some rushed over hastily, but before they arrived, Yu Ci and Zhang Yan had already clashed twice more. The Sword Energy became increasingly sharp, and Yu Ci even suffered a wound on his shoulder, unable to block the opponent's surging Sword Energy.

Then, a surge of True Sha emanated from Zhang Yan.

With a loud "thud", reminiscent of the night he crashed into the cliff wall, Zhang Yan's Protective True Evil erupted. Yu Ci was forcefully slammed against the stone chamber wall, the violent shockwave reverberating through his internal organs. Even though he was uninjured, the discomfort was intense. For a while, he didn't want to stand.

The light dimmed momentarily as Zhang Yan approached, looking down at him. Yu Ci managed a wry smile and was about to speak when a hand extended towards him. Startled, Yu Ci extended his own hand and used the offered support to stand. At this moment, Zhang Yan's pale face twitched slightly. He spoke in a weak yet clear voice:

"Taking chestnuts out of the fire, reaching the height of perfection!"

There was no doubt that this was praise, and there was more to come. "Your grasp on the critical changes in Aura is truly remarkable. In this respect, I am not your equal. Not once, not twice, but every time. But what impresses me the most is your courage. You constantly take risks, life and death hanging by a thread, yet you still manage to grasp those subtle changes, without the slightest deviation. It's no wonder you were able to cut my collar that day. If our cultivation levels were equal, or if you had a sharper weapon..."

The more he spoke, the more color returned to Zhang Yan's face. Hearing his words, Yu Ci glanced at the Xi Guang Sword, the Treasure Sword given to him by the Thousands Spirits Sect. The quality of the sword was indeed mediocre. The sword, especially the close combat sword he used, was different from the Flying Sword and Sword Ball that controlled the sword. It emphasized material over refinement, and finding a suitable one was indeed difficult.

However, recently, Yu Ci had put a lot of effort into the "Comprehensive Treatise on the Sword of Enlightenment", which had greatly broadened his horizons. He said, "If it weren't for the small size of the Secret Chamber and Senior Brother's sword control, with its radiant light, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to get within a mile. No matter how precise my Aura control, what use would it be?"

Zhang Yan shook his head and said, "Junior Brother, you're not one to belittle yourself, why be overly modest? Besides, swordsmanship is the least of it. What I admire is your courage, determination, and judgement, all combined into one, taking risks as if walking on flat ground. Today, I finally know that what Junior Brother said that night was indeed true. I admire your bold strategy and daring nature!"

For a moment, Yu Ci was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He didn't believe for a second that Zhang Yan didn't know he was bluffing that day. Just as he was thinking about how to respond, he saw Zhang Yan hold his sword and bow deeply to him in a genuine gesture of respect.

"Junior Brother Yu, could you please enlighten me on your gambling technique?"

"Eh?"

Yu Ci's eyes widened in surprise, unable to comprehend the request when the sound of the door interrupted them.

"Senior Brother Zhang, what are you..." The eldest of the Tu Brothers entered, only to be dumbfounded by the scene before him.

Zhang Yan remained bowed, but Tu Rilun felt as if needles were pricking his face, regret gnawing at him.

Despite his reluctance to let go of his Flying Sword, after his Yin Spirit returned to his body and his emotions stabilized, he hurried over with his brother. At that time, Yu Ci and Zhang Yan were engaged in a fierce duel, attracting most people in the Law Sky Secret Realm. However, the Stone Chamber was tightly shut, leaving everyone in the dark about what was happening inside.

After the commotion died down and no one emerged from the chamber, everyone feared something had gone wrong. Encouraged by others, Tu Rilun, banking on his slight acquaintance with Yu Ci, pushed open the stone door, only to stumble upon this unexpected situation.

"Senior Brother Zhang is bowing to that youngster?"

This Senior Brother Zhang, although hopelessly addicted to gambling, always appearing half-dead, still held a high status. Whatever he did in private was his business, but now being seen in this state, how could Tu Rilun not feel awkward?

Chaos reigned in Tu Rilun's mind as he stood at the doorway, unsure whether to enter or leave.

Yu Ci reacted swiftly, understanding that any further delay would make the situation more awkward. He quickly reached out to lift Zhang Yan: "Senior Brother Zhang, there's no need for this. It's only natural for us brothers to exchange skills."

While speaking these pleasantries, Yu Ci gave Tu Rilun a meaningful glance. The boy wasn't so foolish as to miss the hint. He exclaimed, "My sword!" and with a Manipulation of Divine Consciousness, retrieved his Flying Sword that had been blown into a corner. Then, with a loud bang, he shut the stone door, separating the inner and outer worlds.

Zhang Yan didn't persist in formalities with Yu Ci. He straightened up, his deep-set eyes burning with an intense light. "Junior Brother Yu, I need this!"

His words carried a weight Yu Ci had never seen in him before.

At that moment, Yu Ci didn't fully understand the true meaning behind his words, but he found himself nodding in agreement.

After nodding, Yu Ci had an inexplicable feeling that the man before him was about to make a drastic change. The helm of this change was in his hands, but as for the other half...

Yu Ci shook his head, sheathing the Xi Guang Sword.

Truth be told, it was a strange feeling.

...