I am dying of old age, and I have awakened to the character of longevity.

Deathly silence!

The entire living room fell silent.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at Xie An in disbelief, as if they could hear each other's heartbeats, the bubbling of boiling water in the kettle, and the crackling of the oil lamp's wick.

Liang Zhi instinctively opened his mouth, wanting to dissuade Xie An from wading into this muddy water. However, seeing Lin Yun and Zhang Lin, these two "outsiders," present, he had to give up.

Liang Zhi knew very well: he could show his closeness and loyalty to his boss in private. But with Grand Supervisor Lin present, he couldn't reveal this sentiment. Although Grand Supervisor Lin wouldn't mind, it would make people uncomfortable.

Zhang Lin also sensed Liang Zhi's thoughts.

Some things could be said in private, but publicly… no.

Lin Yun stared at Xie An for a long time, then suddenly slammed his hand on the tea table, making the teacups jump.

"This is simply absurd!

Even if I participate in the examination, my chances of winning are less than twenty percent. What are you going to do there? The Blood Ridge Black Market is in a precarious state right now; this is not the time for recklessness. Don't mention this matter again; quickly pack your things and get out."

Xie An took it and handed it to Lin Yun.

Lin Yun's pupils shrank. "What do you mean by this?"

Xie An said, "Brother Lin's chances of winning the examination are only twenty percent. Coincidentally, I've recently gained some insights into martial arts and would like to ask Brother Lin for guidance, to see what my chances of winning the examination are."

Lin Yun narrowed his eyes, sizing up Xie An.

He had a bit of a swordsman's aura now.

Although he knew that Xie An had mastered the Saber Pressure Technique, he didn't think Xie An was his opponent.

After all, Xie An had only mastered the Saber Pressure Technique for a short time, and in his impression… Xie An was only at the Copper Skin Realm. How could he possibly be a match for him?

However…

"Your courage is commendable."

Lin Yun gave a high evaluation. "Since that's the case, then before you leave, I will give you some pointers."

…

In the courtyard.

Snowflakes flew, and the twilight was gloomy. Only the light from the corridor lamps illuminated the two swordsmen in the courtyard.

Xie An stood on the left with his saber, while Lin Yun stood on the right, gripping his saber.

Their eyes met.

Although it was just a spar, both men looked very serious, clearly intending to take it seriously.

In fact, Jianghu wanderers more or less had an obsession with martial arts.

Those who practiced martial arts had dignity, and so did the sabers in their hands.

Both men seemed to be gathering their Qi, not rushing to make a move.

Zhang Lin, Wang Xiang, and Liang Zhi stood under the corridor, watching.

For some reason, all three of them were quite nervous. Strictly speaking, they were all Xie An's men, so naturally, they hoped Xie An would win.

However, Lin Yun had served as the Grand Supervisor of the Blood Ridge Black Market for many years, and his authority was still there, making the three of them feel a lot of pressure.

"Brother Liang, do you think our boss can win?"

"He should be able to. Our boss has always been cautious; he wouldn't make a move without considerable certainty."

"But Grand Supervisor Lin is also a cautious person."

"That's true…"

"Then can our boss still win?"

Liang Zhi was annoyed by the questions and glared fiercely at Wang Xiang. "Why are you talking so much? Just watch and you'll find out."

Wang Xiang said "Oh" and turned to look at the courtyard.

The cold wind howled, whipping up their long hair.

Xie An took the lead in breaking the silence, "Brother Lin, since we're comparing sabers, why not add some stakes?"

Lin Yun held his saber, and his heroic spirit naturally flowed out, "Hahaha, Brother Xie seems very confident. What kind of stakes do you want?"

Xie An slowly explained, "If I'm lucky enough to win against Brother Lin by even half a move, then I'd like Brother Lin to give up the stage and let me take his place."

Lin Yun laughed, "Half a move won't do. In that case, there's no difference between you and me going on stage, unless you can convince me completely."

Even with the duel imminent, Lin Yun still maintained considerable rationality.

Which Xie An admired. "Alright. Please, Brother Lin, draw your saber."

Lin Yun laughed, "It's better for Brother Xie to draw your saber first. If I draw my saber first, I'm afraid you won't even have a chance to draw yours."

Xie An said, "Elder brother first, you go first."

"Alright. Then let me see how capable your Saber Pressure Technique is." Lin Yun didn't hesitate either. With a deafening "clang," he drew his saber and, with several leaps, rushed in front of Xie An, directly slashing down.

The entire movement was smooth and fluid, all in one go.

The speed, strength, and angle of the strike were all very particular, seemingly completely sealing off Xie An's chance to draw his saber. At this moment, Xie An's best course of action was to avoid the brunt of the attack, retreat three steps to dodge, and then choose an opportunity to draw his saber.

However, what happened next was beyond everyone's expectations:

Xie An not only did not retreat to avoid the brunt of the attack but instead took a step forward and used his scabbard to parry.

Clang!

The scabbard withstood the saber, resisting a thousand pounds of force.

Not only did it easily block Lin Yun's saber, but it also numbed Lin Yun's arm and caused his tiger's mouth to ache. His entire body couldn't help but stagger back three steps.

"How is this possible…"

Lin Yun was already a Copper Skin Realm martial artist, only one step away from the Refined Flesh Realm. He had sparred with experts who had just entered the Refined Flesh Realm, and even those Refined Flesh Realm experts didn't have as much strength as Xie An!

This was simply…

Lin Yun immediately felt a sense of foreboding.

In fact, that was indeed the case.

With this retreat, all the momentum he had accumulated earlier, including the initiative he had seized, instantly collapsed.

In a duel between experts, victory and defeat lie in the slightest details.

Xie An, like an old hunter who had been lurking for a long time, immediately seized this opportunity, stepped forward, and pressed the sheathed saber against Lin Yun's neck.

Victory or defeat, decided!

Lin Yun's pupils contracted tightly, thinking, "What a fast saber!"

He hadn't had time to steady himself, let alone draw his saber to resist, before he was restrained!

This guy Xie An's experience and grasp of reality were extremely precise and seasoned.

Alas.

Lin Yun smiled awkwardly and bitterly, "Brother Xie, you've won. But… I was really shocked by your strength. If I had been prepared, you might not have been able to win against me."

The implication… was that he was not completely convinced.

Xie An didn't argue, knowing that arguing was useless and that he still had to speak with facts, so he said, "Brother Lin, please retreat ten steps."

Hmm?

Lin Yun felt very curious, but sensing Xie An's firm gaze, he didn't ask any more questions and stepped backward, while his eyes were still fixed on Xie An. He saw Xie An maintain his original posture, the saber still sheathed in his hand, not moving.

After retreating ten steps, Lin Yun finally stood firm, his face full of curiosity.

At this moment, Xie An released his grip on the saber.

The sheathed saber fell freely, with nothing special about it.

But at the moment the scabbard touched the ground—

Boom!

It actually rose like a thunderclap on flat ground, erupting with a powerful force like a mountain flood, shaking up the snow in the entire courtyard. The ground trembled violently. A crack ten feet long exploded open.

The scabbard, however, was steadily stuck in the snow, the exposed half of the blade still vibrating violently, buzzing shrilly.

In an instant, everyone present was shocked, their eyes wide, their scalps tingling.

If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn't have dared to believe that all of this was real.

Gulp!

Lin Yun, who had been stunned for a long time, finally came back to his senses. Although his expression was a bit awkward, he no longer had any intention of taking chances: the saber was still in its sheath, and from the beginning, it had suppressed such a strong aura. If Xie An hadn't held back, regardless of whether he had seized the initiative, he would have died.

It was already like this with the saber sheathed. What if it was unsheathed…

He didn't dare to think about it anymore.

Thinking back to what he had said earlier about "giving Xie An some pointers" and "If I draw my saber first, you won't have a chance to draw yours," Lin Yun only felt ashamed…

"So, this is the Saber Pressure Technique of the Heavy Mountain Saber…"

Lin Yun gave a self-deprecating, bitter smile, then a sharp light appeared in his eyes:

If Xie An replaced him on stage and wielded his saber, it was really possible… to win first place and take the position of Master of the Blood Ridge Black Market.

Although the fact that his second-in-command would suddenly become his superior made Lin Yun feel a little awkward.

But compared to the overall situation, it was completely insignificant.

After weighing the pros and cons, Lin Yun no longer hesitated, cupped his fist and said, "Brother Xie's saber technique is majestic and magnificent, and his Saber Pressure Technique is even more unpredictable. I, Lin Yun, am completely convinced of my defeat."

Only then did Xie An pull out the saber from the ground, cupped his fist at Lin Yun, and instinctively wanted to say "You flatter me," but then felt it was inappropriate. So he changed his words and said, "If it weren't for Brother Wei's guidance and the Essence Strength Pill, I wouldn't have been able to master this Saber Pressure Technique."

Clap.

Lin Yun stepped forward and heavily patted Xie An's shoulder, "You really remember kindness. Brother Wei didn't misjudge you. But I have one last question."

"Please speak, Brother Lin."

"Hong Lie is a Refined Flesh Realm expert who studies the Fuyang Saber Technique. His strength is far above mine. Although your Saber Pressure Technique can easily defeat me, I'm afraid that when facing Hong Lie in the Refined Flesh Realm…"

"Not to hide it from Brother Lin, I have also entered the Refined Flesh Realm."

Lin Yun was immediately stunned, as if struck by lightning, and sized up Xie An for a long time.

This old fellow was actually so terrifying!

Suddenly, Lin Yun seemed to understand a lot of things.

No wonder Xie An, who had always been low-key and cautious, had recently become more active.

It turned out that he had such strength as his trump card.

"Good, good, good."

Lin Yun's face flushed with excitement, and he suddenly took two steps back, cupped his fist deeply and bowed to Xie An, "The future of my Blood Ridge lineage all depends on Brother Xie. Tomorrow, I will shout and cheer for you. I look forward to you winning first place. Even more, I look forward to… calling you Master Xie!"