Chapter 2: Luck

Tao Ran didn't respond, nor did he pay attention to what his opponent was saying. As he stepped onto the platform, he silently examined the sword in his hand, feeling both familiarity and strangeness.

The familiarity came from having trained with a sword since the age of ten. Over twelve years, he had gradually honed his swordsmanship to the realm of 'Extreme Emission and Concealment,' which was the foundation of his early exploits in the realm of Yuanchong.

But since achieving the Golden Core stage at twenty-two and switching to swordsmanship, how long had it been since he last wielded a sword with his hands?

Tao Ran felt his previously boiling emotions suddenly cool down. He thought to himself, Tao Ran, what are you in a hurry for? Your usually calm and open-hearted mindset is what you pride yourself on.

Although this body wasn't his, it had a good foundation and natural spiritual bones, far superior in potential compared to his original body. As long as he could dispel the original owner's dying obsessions, it wouldn't be difficult to achieve harmony between body and soul. He might even go a step further and condense the 'Postnatal Dao Embryo' he had long yearned for but never attained.

This world, though unfamiliar, was rich in spiritual energy, surpassing his homeland, the realm of Yuanchong. With his foundational Dao skills and accumulated knowledge, given sufficient resources, he could elevate this body to the Grand Ascension stage within ten, or even fifteen years, and restore his primordial spirit.

As for the realm of Yuanchong—before leaving, he had heavily wounded the demons, ensuring they would lie low for some time before causing further trouble. While there were key traitors within the sect, the three masters and five swordsmen he had trained personally would keep them in check. The ambitious emperor of the Langya Celestial Empire had been crippled of his claws, making him harmless for now. Additionally, the southern 'Tiandao Sect' would have to bypass two first-class sects, the Xuanyuan Holy Mansion and the Lingnan Sword Sect, before heading north.

Calculating carefully, these threats would take at least twenty years to fully manifest. So, he still had time, didn't he?

Tao Ran ought to have more confidence in the achievements of his thirty years of leading the Shenxiao Sect and in the many rising talents within the sect.

Adversities have always molded heroes, revealing true character amidst storms. Over the past thirty years, the Shenxiao Sect had been sheltered under his wings, making its disciples appear mediocre and unremarkable. Yet, after his departure, new talents might emerge, shining with their own brilliance.

With the Shenxiao Sect's profound heritage, what did he have to worry about?

As Tao Ran's thoughts settled, he felt a sudden explosion in his chest. The force pushed him back seven steps, almost causing him to lose his balance.

Tao Ran snapped back to reality, realizing that the cold weapon combat match had already begun. The referee raised the red flag: "Direct hit! Five points!"

Opposite him, Ichabod Wood was smugly waving his heavy sword. "Boy, what are you daydreaming about? Too dumb to surrender? Don't blame me. The mighty Ichabod gave you a chance."

Tao Ran frowned, tightly gripping the sword in his hand. He began to focus his mind, directing his attention forward. As he attempted to channel his qi and familiarize himself with his body and the sword, the referee's black flag suddenly dropped.

Another dull thud echoed. The force of the blow triggered multiple layers of magical arrays on his shoulder armor. Despite this, the impact made Tao Ran grit his teeth and stagger back again.

Anger flared in Tao Ran's eyes.

Since mastering his swordsmanship to the 'Extreme Emission and Concealment' level, not even the formidable Nine Heavens Desire Demon dared to act so arrogantly in front of him.

"Side hit, three points!"

With the referee's announcement, Ichabod looked dissatisfied. "Hey, stand still, will you? Just two more hits to end this. Why take more beatings?"

Tao Ran smiled instead of getting angry, suppressing the impatience that shouldn't have been there. He stood solemnly, drawing a graceful semicircle with his sword, finally stopping it three feet before his knee, pointing forward at an angle.

With his breathing regulated, his mind entered a state of tranquility, like still water reflecting a clear mirror.

Meanwhile, in the audience, William Jack couldn't bear to watch anymore and covered his eyes with his hand. He couldn't stand to see what happened next.

A melodious and cold voice, like a chime, sounded beside him: "How is it going? Does André stand a chance?"

"Miss, you can see for yourself. André is down by 8 points, unable to fight back."

William turned to see Louise Linden, the club's president, standing behind him. His voice was filled with helplessness: "He seems paralyzed by fear. Damn it! He was doing fine in practice, evenly matched with me."

Louise was watching the match, her beautiful eyes filled with astonishment.

She sensed something strange about the guy on stage. He seemed to completely blend into the environment, becoming an inseparable part of it, akin to the 'unity of heaven and man' described by Eastern martial artists.

But her attention soon shifted to the scoreboard. Shaking her head, she thought she must be delusional, hoping for a miracle due to the overwhelming pressure.

"William, what about your match in fifteen minutes? Do you have a chance?"

"Yes, a bit. My opponent should be on par with me. I have a seventy percent chance of winning. But it doesn't matter, my lady."

William shrugged: "I can at most reach the third round. After that, it's impossible. But our club only has four people in the second round so far. Unless two of us make it to the top eight, we won't have enough points. Only you, Lady Louise, can manage that."

"Indeed—"

Louise's expression darkened. As she lost focus, a sudden burst of fire on stage caught her eye, accompanied by a thunderous explosion that drew everyone's attention.

Under their watchful eyes, Ichabod Wood's body was hurled twenty meters off the stage, crashing heavily to the ground, eliciting screams from the audience.

"What happened?"

"Was that Ichabod?"

"Did his armor just explode?"

"Does anyone know what happened?"

"No idea. It looked like the armor's magic array suddenly activated and exploded, sending Ichabod flying."

The referees hurriedly surrounded Ichabod, checking his condition. Others rushed to the monitoring room to review the footage.

"Unconscious, but vital signs stable. Minor neck fracture, multiple contusions."

"The neck component of his armor was completely destroyed, cause unknown. Needs professional assessment."

"Can we wake him up? Has the healer arrived?"

"Useless. Even if he wakes up, he can't fight. The healer can't cure severe concussions."

"Did you review the footage? What happened?"

"Still unclear. The armor's defense array activated and then exploded. Likely an armor malfunction."

The chaos lasted for five minutes. Afterward, the P12 referee, looking dazed, returned to the stage and raised the red flag.

"Due to Ichabod Wood's unconsciousness, André Lee Wildenstein advances to the second round!"

Tao Ran raised an eyebrow in dissatisfaction but said nothing, quietly leaving the stage.

Below, William Jack and Louise Linden were stunned, exchanging incredulous looks.

"Is this for real? Such luck—"

William muttered, "Well, Lady Louise, it seems your luck isn't bad. André gave us a glimmer of hope. Now, besides you, we only need one more person to reach the top sixteen for enough points."

Louise smiled weakly, then left the P12 ring, walking in another direction, deep in thought.

William watched her, his eyes showing a hint of sympathy. He knew what was troubling the Linden Academy's young lady. This unexpected victory gave them hope, but the situation remained grim. Apart from the transferred Elena and John Richardson, no one in the club was confident of reaching the top thirty-two.

Given the apparent conspiracy against Louise Linden, the outlook was bleak.

At this moment, Tao Ran returned to William's side. William grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. "Hey! Lucky guy, you actually advanced. Should I call you Lucky André? No, Lucky André!"

Tao Ran gave him a calm look. "You misunderstood. This wasn't luck."

William laughed, punching his chest. "Did you knock him out with one hit? Alright, buddy, wait for me. My match is up soon. After I win, we'll head back together."

With that, he walked confidently towards ring 15, looking certain of victory.