I Just Wanted To Live but I Somehow Became Better Than the Protagonist

But if he had broken through, then Ye Yong had surely done the same. With talent and resources, it was possible he might even surpass Long Tian sooner. The thought of catching up felt daunting; his only reliance lay in the mysterious space of the jade pendant.

Yet, he had to admit, having a target as formidable as Ye Yong only fueled his motivation further.

As he wielded his sword with mental focus, the blade soared effortlessly into the air, drawing louder murmurs from the crowd.

“Has Long Tian actually mastered the Golden Core Sword Intent!?”

“Is he a monster!? How long has he been hiding if not for encountering Ye Yong?”

Qiu Li clenched his hands tightly, watching Long Tian, the center of attention, with great excitement. Though it was not his own brilliance that garnered admiration, he felt pride and joy for his friend’s dazzling display.

The outer disciples gazed with fervent eyes; Long Tian had undoubtedly set a fine example for them.

In contrast, Bai Song’s gaze toward Long Tian grew increasingly cold, his killing intent thickening, fists clenching with a sharp sound.

No wonder the assassins he had sent earlier had all failed; it turned out Long Tian had been hiding his depth. But it mattered little now; he knew of Long Tian’s strength, and with the enmity he had drawn from the Black Mantis Sect, he was certain that a solo venture would lead to his demise.

Qin Shidream could not help but glance at Long Tian a couple more times, beginning to understand why Ye Yong had held him in such regard before the formidable Ye Wen, describing him as a lurking dragon.

But whether he was a lurking dragon or not was of no concern to her; she had seen her share of geniuses, having encountered two who surpassed Long Tian during the competitions.

Yet, the Empress of Qin did not bother to remember their names—one was surnamed Hou, the other Shi.

It was merely because Ye Yong had spoken highly of Long Tian that she cast him a few more glances. After that, her gaze returned to Ye Yong. After all, with the sun in her possession, there was no room for the moon and stars.

The Yin-Yang Dual Swords were indeed astonishing, but having witnessed his heavenly sword techniques in the cursed cave… it seemed almost trivial.

Qin Shidream understood this was not Ye Yong’s full strength; if Long Tian could draw out a portion, then what about her? As she thought of the impending final battle, the Empress of Qin, who had sailed through her journey without a ripple, found herself feeling both anxious and expectant.

—

Though Long Tian had only recently grasped the early-stage Golden Core Sword Intent, he wielded the flying sword with unwavering confidence, following the old man’s guidance to strike at a particular flaw.

Ye Yong did not budge, appearing almost effortless as he flicked his sword upward, sending Long Tian’s blade flying.

At the same time, multitasking with a long sword in hand, Long Tian launched a surprise attack from another flaw, executing the third form of Qing Huo Cang Sheng—Breath of the Azure Flame.

Blue flames surged like a ferocious flood, crashing against the weak points of defense.

Ye Yong had long suspected that the old Immortal would set up a tutoring session for Long Tian, secretly guiding the tides of fate. Yet, a flaw, for the Yin-Yang Duality Sword, could also serve as a trap to lure the enemy.

As Long Tian drew near, he felt a mysterious force emanating from Ye Yong. Though Ye Yong made no move, the azure fire upon the sword flickered, dimming slightly.

“Clang!” The clash of swords rang out, a crisp and melodious sound.

The Yin-Yang Duality Sword was less a powerful technique than a fluid, ever-changing formation, shaped by the wielder’s intent.

Now, with a mindset of fighting even if he could not win, Long Tian stepped into the formation. Naturally, Ye Yong would not disappoint him; he would ensure that Long Tian fully experienced the might of this sword array.

In an instant, Ye Yong transformed into a shadow of the sword, darting back and forth, his speed nearly impossible to capture.

“Do not panic; pay attention to the Yin-Yang aura I spoke of. Yin is defense, Yang is offense. Use Yang to counter Yang; never attack Yin with Yang, nor defend against Yang with Yin.” The old Immortal provided real-time guidance: “He’s about to strike; this is Yin, appearing as Yang, but it’s meant to force you to retaliate. Once you do, you’ll fall into the trap of Yang attacking Yin, exhausting your strength for nothing.”

Long Tian understood and immediately dodged.

“Next move, Yang. Do not defend; give it your all.”

Cheating in an exam was nothing to worry about. Trapped within the Yin-Yang Duality Sword array, Long Tian did not fall as quickly as everyone had anticipated. It seemed he was holding his own, trading blows, which undoubtedly reignited the excitement of the onlookers.

(Um, is this some kind of April Fool’s joke…? I’m just trying to keep up, and now I’m deeper in debt. How cruel! With legs as thin as a mosquito’s, how could I bear to use them to type? They’ll break.)

—

23 Vengeance Has Its Roots

Despite the old Immortal’s hand-holding instruction, Long Tian found himself increasingly strained, especially when it came to using Yang to counter Yang. Ye Yong’s strikes held far greater power, and Long Tian’s spiritual energy was depleting rapidly. At this rate, defeat was merely a matter of time.

Of course, the reason the protagonist was the protagonist was not just due to various buffs; he was also quite talented, with an innate understanding that was certainly not lacking.

Gradually, from being unable to distinguish which moves were Yang and which were Yin, Long Tian began to discern a few on his own. Even if most still required the old Immortal’s clarification, such progress in such a short time was truly terrifying, far surpassing the average level.

Long Tian even attempted to grasp the mysteries within, but alas, he was like a child just learning to read, staring at a profound tome, able to decipher only a word or two, utterly lost to the overall meaning. Yet, even so, the intricacies of this sword formation were immensely beneficial to him; the dual swords of yin and yang intertwined, flexible and ever-changing.

Feeling a stirring in his heart, it was as if the shackles binding him had been cast off. Long Tian’s dantian erupted with a thunderous roar, and from the fifth layer of crystallization, he surged forth to the sixth, as the surrounding spiritual energy rushed in, a ceaseless tide replenishing his spent power.

Meanwhile, Ye Yong’s pupils constricted sharply, his heart racing as if a thousand alpacas were stampeding within.

It was not merely because the protagonist had regained his spiritual power after a breakthrough, compelling him to continue playing along. No, it was that with the protagonist’s ascension, at least half of the spiritual energy converging around them sought to burrow into his own body.

Ye Yong, also at the pinnacle of the fifth layer of crystallization, had not truly exerted himself in their previous duel, so it was impossible for him to experience a surge of spiritual power or any signs of a breakthrough.

In this match, employing earth-level techniques with their crystallization prowess, Ye Yong had already strained himself to suppress the fluctuations of spiritual energy. Now, with Long Tian striving to show off his breakthrough, he inadvertently dragged Ye Yong into the fray. It was no wonder Ye Yong felt a twinge of discomfort.

In truth, before the duel began, Ye Yong had anticipated such a scenario. The heavens would seize the opportunity to allow him to break through amidst the public spectacle of their battle, perhaps even conjuring some celestial phenomenon or sudden change in the weather to completely overshadow him.

Ye Yong’s moves, self-sabotaging as they were, were executed with a measure of restraint. For no matter how many techniques he displayed, it would only serve to highlight his innate talent and formidable comprehension. Those who looked upon him with disdain would only find joy in his struggles, for cultivators valued the honing of their skills, the mastery of their craft. The masses were unaware of the existence of a leveling system, and thus, subconsciously believed that the more one learned, the more time one invested. What did it matter if one mastered earth-level techniques to perfection? In the future, could Ye Yong not also elevate earth-level and even heaven-level techniques to such heights?