Sui Lin's paintbrush appeared, amazement could be seen in every disciple's eyes around. Even Mua Lin marveled at the peculiar weapon.

"Sorry for the waiting, Mua Lin. Now we can get serious?"

If Sui Lin was intimidating before, now that she had traded her junk blade for her proper weapon her aura grew a dozen times thicker.

If Mua Lin wasn't too impressed by the radical change in atmosphere, it was only because she was completely immersed in her own will to fight. Her Despairing Blossom was pointing straight at Sui Lin, ready for the second exchange of blows when she suddenly paused.

"Hey hang on. No matter how I look at it, a paintbrush isn't a weapon. If you plan on using spirit formations on me you don't deserve to be in the Star-Sword Pavilion."

Mua Lin was right, it was also something Shin Sumi was wondering about. She knew better than anyone else what it meant, being in both pavilions at the same time.

"Don't talk idly during a fight or you will regret it. Star-Sword Canon First Form: Cleaving Meteor...!"

The tip of Sui Lin's brush now glowed with a bright yellow light. No matter how she looked at it, Mua Lin couldn't deny that this was indeed the Star-Sword Canon's first technique.

Used with a low level blade, Cleaving Meteor's devastating strike was reduced by a large margin. The power behind the technique was directly linked to the swordsman's strength as well as the weapon used.

And yet when Sui Lin released the yellow light, the pressure from the impending Cleaving Meteor was definitely not fake.

"It's the real deal... I need to evade that" Mua Lin realized. From an outsider's perspective it seemed as if she had been mocking her opponent when in reality she was probing Sui Lin.

If she was able to release the Star-Sword Canon through her paintbrush, her weapon was truly terrifying. What else was she capable of?!

Mua Lin who was very familiar with Cleaving Meteor evaded the strike easily. Locking eyes with Sui Lin, both girls knew that all of this was simply a demonstration and no real intent at a strike.

"Show me the worth of your paintbrush in close combat!" Mua Lin jumped forward, pressing on the offensive.

Nevermind the techniques Sui Lin was capable of using, she was only brandishing a large paintbrush after all. It wasn't a blade or an offensive weapon.

With a deep confidence in her own Despairing Blossom sword, Mua Lin struck down against the wooden paint brush.

A loud metal-on-wood bang resounded but the paintbrush remained unscathed. Forcing the pinkish blade to run along the leather wrap around the pole of the paintbrush, Sui Lin pushed the brush tip down.

Sui Lin took great pride in her weapon. If it weren't capable of deflecting a sharp edge, how could she be using it for combat?

Imbuing Shinsoo on the silk like hair of the brush, the writing tool immediately became as sharp as any sword. By the time Mua Lin realized what was happening to the paintbrush, the tip was already brushing against her shoulder.

Both weapons were interlocked, but Sui Lin had the advantage of range.

"WUAAAAH!" Mua Lin let out a scream. Forcing her arm to push harder than before, she finally shoved Sui Lin to the side, allowing her to take a step back.

Under her fingers, her shoulder was gushing out blood. She hadn't felt the tip of the brush enter her flesh and yet she had been cut deeply by Sui Lin's peculiar weapon.

"You're asking for death. And when this is over I will break your brush in half!"

Mua Lin was enraged now. It was clear that in one encounter Sui Lin had managed to take the advantage and hurt her.

On the side of the platform opposite Shin Sumi, Mua Lin's twin brother Mua Jin was gnashing his teeth. His fingers were digging deep into his crossed arms, leaving red marks on his biceps, and yet he tried to remain calm as his sister was being hurt.

With a battle cry, Mua Lin lunged forward once more. It seemed as if she had gone crazy from shock, swiping her pink sword horizontally.

Sui Lin defensively slammed the ground with the end of the paintbrush pole, intent on blocking the horizontal strike. And yet her eyebrows were furrowed. "Something doesn't feel right."

Despite appearing to be attacking without restraint, the cunning Mua Lin was in fact very calm. What bothered Sui Lin was the sensation of Shinsoo being condensed, that her divine sense was picking up subconsciously.

"Star-Sword Canon Second Form, Piercing Heavens!"

At the last moment, the crazed Mua Lin suddenly changed stance. Despairing Blossom accelerated in a straight line like a comet, going straight towards her opponent's chest.

It was too late for Sui Lin to block with her weapon, the speed of Piercing Heavens ever growing. The only solution that would allow her to escape her predicament was...

'CAGE'

Faster than a sword technique, manipulating Shinsoo in the way that was most familiar to her, Sui Lin summoned the Shinsoo cage from her Character Formation technique on herself.

"The air is the canvas. The blood is the link. The energy is the ink." Sui Lin's voice spoke softly as a small cloud of dust receded.

Her breathing had gone a bit heavy and irregular but she was completely unscathed. Around her, the 'cage' character that had shielded her from Piercing Heavens was slowly fading.

Even Shin Sumi took a few seconds to understand what had transpired. From having experienced first hand, she obviously knew what the Character Formation technique was, and she had seen and felt the 'cage' before.

"She attacked in order to protect herself? She used her Character Formation without the paintbrush? She was faster than Piercing Heavens?!" Shin Sumi didn't know what was the most impressive thing about what just happened.

"I'm glad she's the only one that ever completely beat me. Sui Lin is terrifying." She recalled the fight in the last stages of the Rising Star Tournament. Even then without having condensed her Shinsoo Sea, Sui Lin was strong and she could use her technique almost perfectly.

Now that she had opened her Shinsoo Doors and reached the Liquid Realm, her affinity with Shinsoo had changed entirely. It made sense that the same technique she could use previously would now be easier for her to execute.

And yet she had done so with perfection at the right moment. It only served to wonder what she was now capable of 'writing' with her paintbrush.

"This is my Character Formation technique. I had no choice but to use it, I was surprised by your Piercing Heavens. I hope you don't consider this cheating, I was using magic after all but on myself. This is the equivalent of using a spirit pill in my opinion."

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Sui Lin and Mua Lin were staring at each other's eyes from across the platform. From their looks alone, it was obvious that Mua Lin was in worse condition.

The petite girl's shoulder was torn open and the gushing blood had only now stopped to flow. She was breathing heavily and her face was pale from having her Piercing Heavens, undoubtedly one of her strongest attacks, stopped at the last moment.

And yet Sui Lin was the one who suddenly started talking. Every disciple watching the fight thought she should attack now in order to not let Mua Lin rest even an instant but still she was the one biding her time.

Shin Sumi squinted her eyes a little. She knew something was off. Had Sui Lin been a little late in writing her 'cage' on thin air? Did using her ability without the brush cost too much Shinsoo that she had to wait and restore a bit of energy?

Many questions remained, even after the fighting resumed at a slower pace. A few blows were exchanged in a quick succession, both girls keeping from using big finishers for the time. It seemed like they were both running low on stamina after the last showdown.

After being in a stalemate for a while, it was Mua Lin who took the offensive position.

She raised Despairing Blossom with her right hand, chanting something unintelligible in a low voice. The pink sword suddenly started vibrating. The beautiful weapon transformed before Sui Lin's eyes.

Despairing Blossom was a needle-like sword, very thin and pointy, but now thorns were appearing along its sides and a small bulb at the tip was blowing and blooming.

Like a rose unfolding during spring time, the weapon now resembled a flower complete with sharp petals capable of slicing the air itself.

In Mua Lin's hand, the name of the sword fully reflected its existence.

"It is time to finish this, Sui Lin. You were a worthy opponent but this is your loss."

Observing silently the fight, Mua Jin suddenly opened his eyes wide and tried to interrupt his twin sister. "Lin'er, don't use that!! You can't be thinking of the Da-"

"Shut up, Jin'er! I've made up my mind!!"

Never had Mua Jin wanted to stop a fight this much in his life. Whatever Mua Lin was intent on doing seemed life threatening and yet Mua Jin knew it was too late.

Being his sister and his twin, they were tuned in such a way that he could feel her intentions and the movement of her Shinsoo much better than anyone else.

Opposed to her, Sui Lin the cold looking woman in white was eyeing Despairing Blossom with a lot of deep thoughts. "She is going to attack me with all her might and I can't use 'cage' a second time. I have to use an attack of my own to block her attack."

With the quick strokes of an experienced writer, Sui Lin drew invisible lines in the air. A blue glow started shimmering along the paintbrush, accompanied by a peculiar crackling.

"Ice Scythe" she said softly, her paintbrush now being claimed by a thin layer of ice, the brush tip covered by a long curved ice blade.

Both weapons had completed their transformation in the time it takes to blink.

Knowing fully well that this was the climax of the fight, the two fighters unleashed one of their most powerful attacks at the same time.

"Dance of the Flowers, Sunlight Petals!" shouted Mua Lin.

Sui Lin answered, "Cold Star Ice Whistle!"

The two techniques clashed at an insane pace. On one side, a tornado of sharp petals swirled in the air, each petal blade dancing in the wind in the direction of Sui Lin.

On the other side, the powerful ice scythe was cutting relentlessly the incoming petals, freezing the air with each swing and sending shards of transparent ice in a straight line, whistling like the blizzard in the trees.

Even the disciples watching, more than a few meters away from the platform had to cover their eyes and faces from the small snowstorm that was being unleashed in front of them.

Both attacks lasted the same amount of time and when they finally ended, cold mist was escaping both girls' lips.

"You... can't... escape" said Mua Lin in a hoarse voice. Facing her, Sui Lin was silent, her eyes expressing her complicated thoughts.

Mua Lin was the first to cough up blood as well as fall down on the ground. Sui Lin's pure white robes were now tainted by her blood in multiple places.

Despite the powerful Cold Star Ice Whistle, the assault of the Sunlight Petals had managed to come through on multiple occasions.

Falling on one knee, Sui Lin bowed once to the unconscious Mua Lin. The victory was hers but she knew how to respect a powerful opponent.

The crowd that had grown silent to watch the issue of the fight suddenly burst with enthusiasm, having watched one of the best fights their eyes ever laid upon.

Only one person wasn't sharing the global frenzy.

Mua Jin's fingers had dug ten bloody holes in his own arm, watching his sister using one of her most powerful moves while already injured and short of energy.

He had warned her not to do it, knowing full well what would happen if she didn't outpower her opponent. And yet it wasn't her fault. "It's all because of YOU!" he shouted.

Eyes blinded with rage, Mua Jin's hand slapped his bag of holding, producing a large two-handed sword that was red in color.

Before anybody could realize, Mua Jin's Blood Blade tip was glowing with the yellow light of a star and he was pouncing on the exhausted and injured Sui Lin.

He was at the apex of his jump above the platform when a grey silhouette disappeared from the crowd on the opposite side, reappearing next to him.

"White Claw Dusk Cleaver" said the blurry figure in an imperceptible voice.

Before it could even form completely, Mua Jin's Cleaving Meteor was interrupted by Shin Sumi. In a split second, the ground underneath them turned completely black.

A white crescent moon rose from the darkness, swinging vertically towards Mua Jin. "No, not a crescent moon. A white claw." Mua Jin thought before the large object slammed against him.

The Blood Blade didn't last an instant against the massive claw coming out of the darkness that barely slowed before descending on Mua Jin's abdomen.

The haunting cry of despair that then escaped his lips froze everybody's heart, as the White Claw Dusk Cleaver ripped half of Mua Jin's midriff.

Only a split second had passed, not many observers aware of what had happened. One moment Sui Lin was the winner of her fight and Mua Jin was seeking revenge for his sister, the next he was screaming on the ground, half his side turning into a bloody mush at the feet of Bai Fulong, next to his sword in pieces.

"What was that attack?!" the onlookers asked themselves. "Did you see anything?" "No, Mua Jin jumped and then this guy blocked and destroyed him." "I've seen him before, he's Bai Fulong, number five of the Star-Sword Pavilion ranking!"

Shin Sumi stopped breathing for a moment. For once, she was completely depleted of energy. Only one attack from White Claw Dusk Cleaver and yet her entire body was left without an ounce of Shinsoo.

But what left her even more stumped was the result of her attack.

"Crap, have I killed him??! Oh no, this is bad, hang on Mua Jin!"

Keeping a straight face, Bai Fulong immediately took out a few medicinal herbs, products from Shin Sumi's own courtyard.

Applying the medicine the best she could, she called out for Shinsoo-Medicine Pavilion disciples.

The latter were always lurking around the various Star Arenas, looking for potential business to grow their names and make a few spirit stones out of others' fights. They were quick to react, taking care of both Mua Jin and Mua Lin.

When the panic of the scene died down, only a few people remained at the Third Star Arena. The truth was, as brutal as that had been, it was just a fight between cultivators. Now that the action was over, people were going back to their own cultivation.

"Bai Fulong, you... We've fought before." Sui Lin addressed Bai Fulong, her expression returning to the coldness of ice.

"Yeah, you wiped the floor with me, Sister Sui," Shin Sumi replied with a tired smile. It was unnecessary to reprise the circumstances of the fight, though. The simple fact that Sui Lin knew Bai Fulong's name already meant he had left quite an impression on her.

"Why did you intervene just now? And what was that crescent moon... You know what? Forget it. We will see each other at the Cross Branch Arena."

"Heh. Too cold for a single 'thank you for saving my life'. She sure seems lonely." Shin Sumi looked at the white figure leaving the arena. It was time for her to leave too. Shin Sumi was exhausted and needed some time to meditate, replenish her energy and reflect on the technique from the Ghost Pavilion she had used for the first time.

"I didn't have enough time for anything else. White Claw Dusk Cleaver was my only option. I hope nobody caught on and that the Patriarch will never now..."

According to the white scroll it came with, White Claw Dusk Cleaver was a two-step technique. The reason why Shin Sumi had no choice but to use it was mainly because the technique allowed the caster to materialize instantly next to the target.

As long as it was within a few meters, Nuan's book ability had even informed her that she would be capable of traversing magical obstacles and Shinsoo barriers.

As for the second step of the technique... Shin Sumi had never experienced its destructive power before. She knew it ought to be strong, but this was completely out of what she had expected.

Reflecting on it back in the peace of her home, she was glad she hadn't killed Mua Jin by using a move she didn't completely understand yet. He was alive, the rest didn't matter.

Attacking an opponent that was already down, by surprise and for a simple ranking matter, like a coward. He had gotten what he deserved.

For the next two days, Shin Sumi hoped the entire time that the Ghost Pavilion would not catch on what she had done. Was using the White Claw Dusk Cleaver like revealing the existence of the Ghosts ?

She was right about to think she had gotten away with it when she entered her home after visiting Xiao Yue and she saw a piece of jade on her tea table.

The jade was shaped in a perfect square, and semblance of a formation could be seen on one surface. In one glance Shin Sumi knew what it was.

"An Imagery Stone!" She had learned a light transmitting formation herself, and the pattern on the jade seemed very similar. "This is used to record a divine sense image. Who left it here?"

Despite asking that question, she knew it could only have been a ghost.

Sending her own divine sense into the jade, a bright image immediately appeared in her mind.