Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Proctor

This time, the proctor assigned to oversee Li Sibai’s assessment among the inner disciples was none other than his old acquaintance, his senior sister Yao Xueqing.

Before entering the Dark Forest, Yao Xueqing had been trailing Li Sibai from a distance, careful not to let him notice her presence. Having taken a long detour with him, she, though about the same age as Li Sibai, had a level of experience in the inner sect that far surpassed his. At first, she had not maintained a high degree of vigilance; on the contrary, she felt rather relaxed and even cheerful. She knew Li Sibai’s character well and believed that unless something unexpected happened, she would only need to observe, witnessing with her own eyes how her young junior brother would overcome the trial.

Recently, she had also heard rumors that Li Sibai had acquired a black longsword, although no one had yet seen its true power. Yao Xueqing was quite curious about this as well, and wanted to see how Li Sibai’s cultivation had progressed.

Just a few days ago, upon learning that she would be proctoring Li Sibai’s assessment, she had sought him out for a casual conversation. At the time, Li Sibai was unaware of the arrangement and simply told her, "Don’t worry, Senior Sister. I dare not claim absolute confidence in passing the first round, but I’m at least eighty or ninety percent sure. The rest I’ll leave to fate."

Yao Xueqing was genuinely happy for him. She believed that after all the ups and downs, Li Sibai was finally back on the right path. Thus, she approached this proctoring assignment from a perspective of admiration, never expecting she might need to intervene and save him.

But—

As Li Sibai turned and entered the Dark Forest, Yao Xueqing hurried after him. Once inside, it was easier to remain concealed, so she followed more closely. Like Li Sibai, she soon sensed something amiss within the forest, though her instincts were even sharper. She immediately drew the Celestial Yao Sword for protection; as soon as its radiance swept forth, the miasma and fog of the swamp seemed to retreat before it. She realized that this place might actually be the Doomsday Marsh, an extremely perilous region.

Yao Xueqing originally intended to warn Li Sibai to withdraw at once, but before she could act, she discovered that he had already vanished...

After all, the fog in this Doomsday Marsh was formidable; beyond five meters, nothing could be seen. Now truly anxious, Yao Xueqing recalled her mission: to monitor whether Li Sibai’s assessment was aided by outside forces, and to rescue him should he face mortal danger.

But now, with no trace of Li Sibai in sight, how was she to fulfill her duty? Supervising the exam was one thing, but in such a treacherous place, how could she save him if she couldn’t even find him?

With these thoughts racing through her mind, Yao Xueqing leapt up into a tree, circulating her internal energy to channel her mystical vision, hoping to spot Li Sibai’s whereabouts. Yet despite her efforts, she found nothing. The purple-glow vision, powerful as it was, could only penetrate fifty meters of this layered mist. By now, Li Sibai had already lost his bearings and was wandering aimlessly, putting even more distance between them.

With no other choice, Yao Xueqing persisted, searching as she walked, her Celestial Yao Sword sweeping aside the fog. Though she was already at the fifth level of the Heartstring Realm, the simultaneous expenditure of energy was taxing even for her.

But the Doomsday Marsh was vast, and before she could locate Li Sibai, she was attacked by a beast—a scythe-tailed serpent, its tail blade-sharp as a sickle, true to its name. The scythe-tailed serpent was a common denizen of the marsh; not as domineering as the venomous crocodile, but deadly poisonous all over.

Its bluish scales glistened, its length barely a meter and a half. Its forked tongue flicked in and out as if it had found a delicious prey, drooling as it prepared to strike. But Yao Xueqing’s eyes tolerated no threat, especially with her mystical vision active and her pent-up frustration seeking release. Against this low-level beast, her anger transformed into a fierce assault, and in moments she had annihilated the serpent.

Though dispatching the serpent offered some relief, Yao Xueqing remained tense. She realized that Li Sibai might be facing similar dangers at that very moment, so she quickened her pace in search of him.

It wasn’t until she heard the sounds of battle and glimpsed a flicker of golden light in the distance that she rushed toward the scene.

At that moment, Li Sibai was locked in mortal combat with a venomous crocodile. His Xuantian Sword was a blur, the thirty forms of the Xuantian Sword Art unfolding in their entirety. But the crocodile was not only poisonous; its strength was astonishing. Its gaping maw snapped at him, its armored hide impervious to most attacks, and in the swamp—its home turf—it moved with surprising agility. Not only was it unfazed by the combined might of sword and technique, it even seemed to have the upper hand.

The Xuantian Sword was a heavy weapon, weighing some fifty kilograms; Li Sibai could only wield it by channeling his internal energy.

Wary of the crocodile’s venomous attacks, Li Sibai darted and weaved, launching strikes with his sword. Several times he came close to landing a blow, but the beast always slipped away at the last moment. To close in for melee combat was a risky proposition, so the two were deadlocked.

Li Sibai grew increasingly anxious. This was the crocodile’s domain; it held every advantage, and as a high-level beast, it was more powerful than he. Fortunately, it was a solitary predator, but there was no guarantee other monsters wouldn’t join the fray. Stalled like this, the risk to himself was enormous—he needed to end the fight quickly.

With this resolve, Li Sibai decided to take a calculated risk and attack at close quarters. Having yet to enter the inner sect, he knew only the most basic of techniques, and now, in this life-or-death struggle, he could rely only on the thirty forms of the Xuantian Sword Art.

As soon as he closed in, his ferocity yielded results: his sword came crashing down with blinding speed. At the same moment, the crocodile lashed out with its massive tail. Li Sibai, unable to dodge completely, twisted aside just enough to avoid a fatal blow.

A tremendous clang rang out—his sword striking metal as he was driven back, stumbling three steps before regaining his footing, while the crocodile’s body shuddered violently.

Though his sword had landed on the beast’s tail, it had bounced off with a jarring force. Even so, the crocodile let out a furious roar.