Chapter 1385: A Three-Year Duel!

"The second level of the Sword Grave, one month. Sorry for the trouble, Senior Brother Zhao."

Ye Yuan arrived at the hall outside the Sword Grave and handed his academy token to Zhao Qin.

Zhao Qin looked at Ye Yuan, his gaze filled with complex emotions.

"The second level of the Sword Grave costs forty points each time." Zhao Qin said.

"Yes, I know. Sorry for the trouble, Senior Brother Zhao." Ye Yuan said politely.

Zhao Qin nodded and deducted the points for Ye Yuan.

Ye Yuan took back his token and entered the Sword Grave directly.

"Hey, Zhao Qin, what's with that expression? Who's that kid?"

Just then, an inner courtyard disciple entered the hall and, seeing Zhao Qin's strange expression, couldn't help asking.

Zhao Qin made a shushing gesture and lowered his voice: "Shh, Ma Zhi, keep your voice down! You don't even know him? Are you really a member of our Wumeng Academy?"

Ma Zhi laughed: "A rookie at the middle stage of Cave Abyss? Why would I know him?"

Zhao Qin said disdainfully: "Let me ask you, who has been the most talked about in the academy these days?"

Ma Zhi was startled, then a look of shock appeared on his face. He lowered his voice: "You mean... he's Ye Yuan?"

Zhao Qin said: "Who else could it be? I heard that Commander Zhao's verdict has come down—Ye Yuan is innocent! He killed a direct descendant of the Qin family without batting an eye, and now he's fine, entering the Sword Grave to comprehend swordsmanship. What expression do you expect me to have?"

Ma Zhi gasped: "What a pity! I was in seclusion that day and missed the spectacle! That little demon Qin Peiyu, no one in the entire Wumeng Royal City could control her. She never dreamed she'd run into a big demon this time!"

Zhao Qin had been there that day too.

He had originally gone to watch the fun, to see how the little fatty would be tormented.

But unexpectedly, Ye Yuan had appeared out of nowhere and directly killed Qin Peiyu.

At that moment, he was completely dumbfounded, thinking he had seen wrong.

Hearing Ma Zhi bring it up, Zhao Qin still felt a lingering fear: "You don't know, he just pointed like this, and Qin Peiyu was dead. He didn't even blink, as if he were killing a chicken! I thought the guy had lost his mind back then, but I never expected it would alarm Lord Han Tian himself."

Ma Zhi laughed: "This guy really has guts! But from now on, Senior Brother Qin Tian probably won't let him off, right?"

Zhao Qin snickered: "What do you know! Senior Brother Qin Tian already clashed with him. Last time, he said to Ye Yuan's face that Ye Yuan was already a dead man. But Ye Yuan didn't die—his own sister did!"

Ma Zhi's face stiffened: "Something like that happened?"

Zhao Qin said: "Why would I lie to you? They said it right here, and I was standing nearby!"

Ma Zhi said: "What did this kid do to deserve alarming Lord Han Tian?"

Zhao Qin said meaningfully: "Hey, the commotion at Wumeng Square was too big, so many people in the academy didn't pay attention to another thing! Actually, before that, Ye Yuan did something else earth-shattering!"

Zhao Qin recounted the story of Ye Yuan drawing his sword that day, and Ma Zhi's eyes went wide.

"S-something like that happened?" Ma Zhi said in disbelief.

Zhao Qin looked smug and was about to show off when another person entered the hall.

"Did Ye Yuan go in?" Qin Shao asked.

Zhao Qin's face froze, and he nodded: "Yes, he just went in."

Qin Shao's face darkened. He handed his token to Zhao Qin and said in a deep voice: "Second level of the Sword Grave, one month!"

...

When Qin Shao entered the Sword Grave, he found that Ye Yuan had already gone to the second level.

There were noticeably more people on the second level than on the first.

But Qin Shao recognized Ye Yuan at a glance, because he was too conspicuous in the sword-burial ground.

Ye Yuan was again training in that self-torturing way.

The difficulty of the second level was much greater than that of the first.

Qin Shao had passed the first level using only three attempts, meaning three months.

But he had been training on the second level for almost a year and still couldn't break through.

On each level, the deeper one went, the stronger the sword intent.

To break through successfully, one had to proceed step by step.

Of course, Ye Yuan was a complete exception.

Breaking through the Sword Grave had nothing to do with strength, only with artistic conception!

The deeper one's understanding of the laws of the sword, the further one could penetrate.

Of course, if one had great strength, one could also break through by force.

With Qin Shao's strength, if he forced his way through, he could pass the third level without issue.

But he wanted to comprehend the laws of the sword, so he deliberately slowed down to enhance his law comprehension.

Each level of the Sword Grave contained countless fragments of sword laws; how much one could comprehend depended on one's own insight.

As for someone like Ye Yuan, based on his strength, he shouldn't have been able to pass the first level.

But he did.

And he passed in a very peculiar way.

Now this guy was torturing himself again.

But no one else could do it the way Ye Yuan did.

If they relaxed even a little, they would be torn to shreds by the omnipresent sword laws!

Qin Shao's face darkened, and he leaped into the Sword Grave.

A month later, when Ye Yuan dragged himself out covered in wounds, he found Qin Shao already waiting for him.

Ye Yuan glanced at him and said, "If you came to threaten me, save your breath."

Qin Shao said, "Qin Peiyu deserved to die. She's not worth my threats."

Qin Shao's words surprised Ye Yuan slightly. "She was your sister. Aren't you being a bit too cold-blooded?"

Qin Shao said coldly, "In a great clan, where is the warmth you speak of? Since childhood, she never saw me as a brother."

Ye Yuan's eyes flickered. Qin Shao said this lightly, but there were probably many untold stories behind it!

"Then why did you wait specifically for me?" Ye Yuan asked curiously.

"I want to fight you to the death!"

As he said this, Qin Shao's voice carried a hint of excitement.

Ye Yuan raised an eyebrow and sneered: "You just said she deserved to die?"

Qin Shao seemed to have anticipated Ye Yuan's reaction: "After that day, the clan head came to me. It was his idea that I challenge you to a duel! Because this is the only way to kill you!"

The academy encouraged competition but forbade disciples from killing each other in private.

A life-and-death duel was the only solution.

Ye Yuan laughed: "Heh, it seems in the eyes of the Qin family, you're just a tool! With your talent, are you willing to be reduced to a tool?"

Qin Shao's face darkened slightly: "I have no choice! And... I long to fight you!"

Qin Shao paused, then added: "And I know you'll agree! Because your growth cannot bypass me!"

Ye Yuan looked at Qin Shao with slight surprise: "You're different from the rest of the Qin family! Fine, I agree. But... I'm not your match right now. Give me three years, and I'll fight you!"