Staring at Da Gongji across the ring, Hui’s hands trembled. He curled them into fists and uncurled them, glancing behind him at Zhang Zhisho. I don’t have a choice. I have to fight. But the only sword technique I know is too high realm… and I barely know it, to boot!

Wait, wait. I do have Starbound Sect’s fundamental sword technique. That’s right! I learned basic sword fundamentals from them! It’s not a technique I can use against other high-realm cultivators, but I can use it against low level cultivators. Perfect, it’s perfect! Hui reached for his sword.

His hand came empty. He looked down. Patted his left hip. Patted his right. Looked at both his hands.

No sword. I don’t have a sword?

Opposite him, Da Gongji brandished a sword and charged at Hui. “If you’re not going to attack, then I will!”

Hui operated his footwork technique, slipping away from Da Gongji. My storage ring—I have all the loot from the Eight Tiers Palace cultivators I defeated! They must have a sword!

A sword that Eight Tiers Palace would surely recognize! A sword that’s as good as admitting that I defeated their cultivators! No, no, that’s no good!

But I don’t have anything else. I left all the rest of it in the mausoleum with my old body.

I’ve made mistakes, critical mistakes! What can I use as a sword? Think, think!

He cast about the platform. Perfectly smooth, freshly graded stone stretched in all directions. Not a single piece stood out as something he could pick up and use as a weapon.

Hmm. Yep. To the left… to the right… yeah, uh huh. I’m seeing a whole lot of nothing.

Da Gongji chased after him, slashing out. “Draw your weapon!”

Backstepping, Hui neatly avoided his attacks. “I would love to, Elder Brother.” But there’s nothing to draw!

Draw… wait, that’s it! Hui’s eyes lit up.

Lifting his hand, he drew a talisman formula on the air. Light formed the talisman formula. He pressed his palm out, and the talisman activated. Wind twisted, then condensed, forming a thin, flexible, transparent blade in his hand.

Use the wind blade spell, but harden the qi construct that forms the blade. Make the construct more permanent, in return for only generating a single blade. Then the simple part: reshape the construct to form a sword blade instead of a fully-sharpened arc. Blunt one end, stretch it out just above my hand for a bit of a crossguard, and straighten the arc to a line. And there. A wind sword!

Both Yuan Qiu and Zhang Zhisho stared. Yuan Qiu cut his eyes at his fellow instructor. “You’re teaching them qi techniques already?”

She shook her head. “He must have learned that technique in his home sect.”

“At his age? But that looked like… rather than a technique, as if he crafted it on the fly,” Yuan Qiu commented, stroking his plump chin. The way the construct wobbled and shifted, the amorphous wind blade changing into a sword-like form as he called it forth… it wasn’t a learned technique, but a pure manipulation of qi constructs to create a new shape in the very moment of battle!

Zhang Zhisho hummed, deep in her throat. “He is the one who exploded the crystal and caught the attention of every Tier Master. Perhaps his potential truly is unrivaled under heaven.”

On stage, Hui blushed. Ahhh, don’t use that term to refer to me! I’m not unrivaled, I’m merely an adult pretending to be a child! Did I make a mistake in creating a wind blade? Maybe I should dismiss it. I don’t want them to put too much belief in me… The wind blade wobbled in his hand.

“If not, then that Southern Sect Conference… we’ve been underestimating it,” Yuan Qiu muttered.

Oh wait, hold on! Yes! Overestimate the Southern Sect Conference! That’s exactly what I want! Build us up to be a truly terrifying force in your mind, one that can’t be overestimated. Treat us as a power you can’t afford to attack! The wind blade grew solid once more as Hui firmed up his grip on the qi construct.

And, well… I might as well… Hui cleared his throat. Looking at Da Gongji, pretending as if he didn’t hear the instructors, he brandished the sword. “Startled?”

“By a pathetic qi blade?” Da Gongji scoffed.

“Ha! A pathetic qi blade?” Hui swung his arm. A wind blade separated from the wind sword’s blade and hurtled at Da Gongji. Da Gongji’s eyes widened. He raised his sword and executed a neat slash, barely cutting the wind blade before it cut him. “Indeed! Indeed, it is no more than a pathetic qi blade, the kind every second realm cultivator in the Southern Sect Conference can easily produce! Ha, even a spell-favoring cultivator such as myself can produce a qi blade. Da Gongji, take me seriously. Bring out your qi blade!”

Stolen story; please report.

Da Gongji’s eyes narrowed. He raised his sword instead.

Hui grinned internally. As I thought. Bullies can talk a good game, but they rarely have the skill to back it up. ‘Pathetic qi blade?’ I couldn’t produce such a thing until I was at least third or fourth realm. If you could, I’d call you grandpa! Even a true protagonist like Ying Lin would struggle to produce such a thing at such a low realm!

Of course, I’m flagrantly cheating here, but since they know so little about my home region, I can simply pretend like this is normal where I’m from. Build up my Southern Sect Conference as a place where monsters dwell!

“Can’t even create a qi blade? Still fighting with steel like a mortal?” Hui laughed, shaking his head. He pointed his blade at Da Gongji. “Then I suppose I’ll try to lower myself to your level, so we can have a fair fight.”

Li Xiang would kill me if she heard that. ‘Still fighting with steel?’ Ahh, I’ve insulted all sword cultivators everywhere! I apologize, I apologize! If it wasn’t for this extreme circumstance, I would have never said such a thing!

In any case… I suppose I’ve given up on not creating a lifelong grudge between myself and Da Gongji.

Hui considered for a moment, then shrugged. Oh well. Is a second-realm cultivator likely to catch up to me? Wait, he’s third realm… well, same difference, really. I only have average cultivation speed, but four realms is a great number of realms. Unless he has Ying-Lin- or Master-like Heaven-defying talent, I’m safe. Even if he does… mmm, as long as I quickly ascend to Heaven, I can clutch Master and Ying Lin’s golden thighs once more.

And after all, between avoiding grudges and keeping Eight Tiers Palace from assaulting the Southern Sect Conference… preventing the destruction of my homeland is far more important!

Da Gongji’s eyes glittered with murderous light. He changed his stance. “I’ll make you swallow your words.”

Hui returned with a stance of his own making, holding his sword high with a flourish. I don’t really know martial arts, so let’s just look cool instead. He harrumphed. “Let’s see you try.”

Da Gongji rushed him. Before he even got close, Hui swished his sword. Another wind blade slammed into Da Gongji, knocking him back.

“What was that? Eat my words?” Hui asked, swishing his sword left and right. Channel Bai Xue! Er, at least… channel their Young Master-ness!

Wind blade after wind blade crashed into Da Gongji’s sword. He slipped backward with each blow, his feet scudding over the slick, freshly-cut rock. He dug his toes in and tried to step forward, only for yet another wind blade to force him back. His heels slid off the stage.

There, Hui suddenly relented. He lowered his wind sword and gestured to Da Gongji. “So? Show me your skills.”

Gritting his teeth, Da Gongji rushed Hui, sword raised to strike. He has to be out of qi!

Hui watched him come. I really feel bad about doing this, but, well, he’s a bully. If he doesn’t learn what it’s like to be on the other end of bullying, he’ll simply become an adult bully, and be a problem for everyone. Behavior must be corrected young, before it becomes an ingrained pattern.

In any case, if I don’t toy with him now and show off the extent of, ahem, ‘what a normal cultivator from the Southern Sect Conference can do,’ then when will I get another chance? This is my time to shine! I begin my path of intimidating an entire sect from here!

A hair’s breadth before Da Gongji’s blade reached Hui, Hui swished his sword. A massive wind blade emerged, larger than all the previous blades.

Da Gongji barely lifted his sword in time to block. He flew backward, lifted off his feet, and barely landed inside the ring. Screaming, Da Gongji charged Hui again, his face red with rage.

Hmm. Well, the fight’s over for him, now that he’s lost his cool. Hui flicked his eyes toward the instructors.

“He’s toying with him.” Yuan Qiu drew a slow breath and shook his head.

“Your strongest disciple?” Zhang Zhisho chuckled under her breath, cutting her eyes down at Yuan Qiu.

Yuan Qiu snorted. “It seems I’ve made a fool of myself today.” Despite his apparent cool, a vein throbbed in his forehead, and behind his back, his hands clenched. His eyes, locked on Da Gongji, burned with anger and humiliation.

That seems like enough provocation for today. Let’s not be too over the top. Better to let my legend grow slowly and naturally, rather than drawing too much attention immediately and getting attacked by someone so powerful that I get forced to reveal my hand.

Hui flicked his wrist, sending a final blast of wind at Da Gongji. This one lifted the boy off his feet and sent him tumbling far beyond the barrier of the ring. At the last second before he struck the ground, Hui swished his sleeve. Da Gongji slowed, landing gently on the ground. Like the girl with the needles, I should take care to avoid actually harming the children. Up until that point, I’m merely teaching a lesson.

Da Gongji jumped to his feet and raced at Hui again. Hui balked, backing away. Hey hey, that’s a ring-out! Do I have to keep sending him flying? Someone!

Yuan Qiu snapped his fingers. Da Gongji froze in place. Face red, Yuan Qiu stomped over and grabbed Da Gongji by the collar, dragging him away. “You’ve done enough to humiliate me today.”

Da Gongji glared at Hui even as he was dragged away. I won’t forget this. I remember your face, Gui Hui! I’ll stomp you into the dust one day!

Hui cupped his hands to Da Gongji’s frozen form, formal-as-you-like, then turned and walked back to Zhang Zhisho, careful to greet her with a salute as well. “Many thanks for allowing this small disciple the opportunity.”

She nodded once, immediately turning away.

Allowing me the opportunity, my ass. You meant to humiliate me. Ah well, it’s only natural. If I’m the lesser, then naturally, those who think themselves greater would wish to humiliate me. Hmm hmm, too bad for her that I’m used to such treatment. Opportunities are opportunities, whether they’re intended as such or not! It’s my job to grasp whatever crumbs I’m given, and turn them into gold.

He sat down by the tree to meditate once more, keeping a bare eye on the other disciples’ battles. I’ll give some time for the rumors to spread before I take my next opportunity. I need to move things at just the right pace, after all.

And if all goes according to plan… I’ll build up the Southern Sect Conference into such a horrifying region that the Eastern Alliance won’t dare dream of provoking us!