As it turned out, Liu Yanping did not let Meng Fan down.
Guided by Meng Fan’s advice, she successfully defeated Yang Xiaohua, and she did so in a crushing manner.
The second Yang Xiaohua executed the sixth form of the Floating Clouds Thirteen Swords, Liu Yanping countered her in the very next second.
Liu Yanping burst into hearty laughter, her face beaming with excitement and smugness.
A smile crept onto Meng Fan's face as well. Thirty Spirit Stones were safely in his pocket.
He understood Liu Yanping's character well enough to know that this girl would never default on a debt!
Stepping down from the sparring ring, Meng Fan beamed and said, "Congratulations, Senior Sister Liu! Heartfelt congratulations on finally getting what you wanted."
His smile was utterly mercenary, transparent from a glance.
Liu Yanping rolled her eyes, pulled out thirty Spirit Stones, and handed them to Meng Fan.
Meng Fan didn't even catch where Liu Yanping had pulled the Spirit Stones from, which only confirmed his suspicion that this Senior Sister Liu possessed a storage Dharma treasure.
Things like that were truly exorbitant.
Even the smallest capacity, holding merely a cubic meter, started at a price of thousands of Spirit Stones.
Meng Fan couldn't help feeling a twinge of envy!
Yet some things could not be envied into existence, especially having been born into a fortunate womb.
Meng Fan carefully tucked away the thirty Spirit Stones. Clutching such a massive fortune, he felt a bit jumpy looking at anyone.
"Such a petty mind!" Liu Yanping muttered, watching Meng Fan, and couldn't help rolling her eyes.
Meng Fan could only offer a sheepish chuckle.
Liu Yanping’s eyes rolled as she formulated a plan, and she continued, "My next opponent is Li Changqing. This fellow is a cultivator at the True Martial Realm, much stronger than I am. Go take a look at his Sword Technique and see if there are any flaws."
Meng Fan smiled bitterly, saying, "An opponent at the True Martial Realm? Senior Sister, you haven't even stepped into the True Martial Realm yet, so isn't it a bit too greedy to reach this high?"
Liu Yanping retorted with dissatisfaction, "What's wrong with the True Martial Realm? I've already got half a foot in the True Martial Realm. Li Changqing is only at the 1st Layer of True Martial; if I can crush him in Sword Technique, I still have a chance of winning!"
Meng Fan shook his head. The gap was simply too vast.
If he were in Liu Yanping's shoes, he might stand a chance.
But for Liu Yanping to fight Li Changqing relying solely on a couple of last-minute pointers from him—winning would be far too difficult.
"Don't be so defeatist! Just look at this Li Changqing's Sword Technique first and give it a try. What if I win? Even if I lose, as long as you're willing to help, I'll still give you ten Spirit Stones. Deal?"
Since things had already come to this point, Meng Fan naturally wouldn't refuse.
How could he possibly have a grudge against Spirit Stones?
"Very well, then!" Meng Fan said casually.
With that, he was dragged off by Liu Yanping to watch Li Changqing's match.
Li Changqing still had two matches before it was Liu Yanping's turn in the third, so Meng Fan had plenty of time to observe Li Changqing's Sword Technique.
However, the Sword Technique Li Changqing displayed was a completely brand-new one that Meng Fan had never seen anyone practice at the Sword Comprehension Hall before.
This immediately piqued Meng Fan's interest!
"What is the name of the Sword Technique this Li Changqing practices?" Meng Fan asked Liu Yanping.
"The Raging Waves Sword Technique. It's a Sword Technique created by Elder Li himself. It hasn't been widely circulated within the Shushan Sword Sect, and very few disciples practice it," Liu Yanping explained.
It seemed Meng Fan hadn't practiced this Sword Technique either, which left her a bit helpless.
Still, that was only normal. If Meng Fan had even practiced the Raging Waves Sword Technique, it would simply be too exaggerated!
Chapter 27: The Sword God Monument in the Sword God Hall
Meng Fan watched the Sword Technique with rapt attention. Without a doubt, it was powerful—after all, it came from the hand of an elder.
Yet this Li Changqing clearly hadn't cultivated the Sword Technique to the realm of perfection.
At the very least, just from the first match, Meng Fan had already spotted three flaws in Li Changqing's Sword Technique.
During the second match, Meng Fan spotted two more flaws.
Once again, Meng Fan dragged Liu Yanping off to a secluded, open area so she could cram for the exam at the eleventh hour.
"Didn't you say you've never studied the Raging Waves Sword Technique?" Liu Yanping asked, looking somewhat puzzled as Meng Fan brought her here again.
Meng Fan replied flatly, "Even though I haven't studied the Raging Waves Sword Technique, it doesn't prevent me from finding the flaws in his Sword Technique."
"I have found a total of five flaws in his Sword Technique that can be exploited. Listen carefully!"
"The first flaw..."
...
...
Meng Fan spoke with eloquence and fluency, leaving Liu Yanping utterly dumbfounded.
Only at this moment did she suddenly realize just how monstrous Meng Fan truly was.
Previously, when Meng Fan claimed he had never studied the Azure Sea Tide-Shattering Sword Technique or the Bright Moon Sword Technique, she had assumed he was talking nonsense.
How could someone who had never studied those two Sword Techniques understand them so thoroughly?
Yet now, she vaguely started to believe it.
The junior brother standing before her might genuinely have never studied those two Sword Techniques.
The only reason this fellow could understand them so thoroughly was purely because his comprehension was astonishingly heaven-defying; mere glances at the Sword Techniques a few times were enough for him to pinpoint their flaws and vulnerabilities.
Wasn't this just... too monstrous?
Could there really be a genius with such terrifying comprehension in this world?
Whether Liu Yanping believed it or not, such a genius was standing right in front of her, flesh and blood.
"Stop daydreaming, listen closely!" Meng Fan gently scolded Liu Yanping, snapping her back to reality.
Liu Yanping looked at Meng Fan and let out a soft sigh in her heart.
Back when she first met Meng Fan, she had investigated him.
She knew he was a handyman disciple who had been transferred to the Sword Pavilion as a sword-guarding disciple.
Most importantly, this person possessed miscellaneous-grade spiritual roots.
A genius disciple with heaven-defying comprehension, yet cursed with miscellaneous-grade spiritual roots.
One could only say that while the heavens opened a skylight for you, they welded the door completely shut at the same time.
It was hard to say whether this was fair or unfair!
A short while later, the match between Liu Yanping and Li Changqing began.
Meng Fan quietly watched the match. This time, his mindset was much more peaceful, as he didn't harbor any expectations of Liu Yanping actually winning.
After all, even if she lost, ten Spirit Stones would still land in his account.
He was content!
In the end, Liu Yanping lost the match.
Though during the bout she had come close to suppressing Li Changqing several times, she always fell just a bit short.
There was no helping it; the gap was right there.
Even though Meng Fan had revealed the flaws in Li Changqing's Sword Technique to her, she had been unable to exploit those vulnerabilities perfectly.
Even so, Liu Yanping was already delighted. Under normal circumstances, she should have been "annihilated in seconds" by Li Changqing.
Instead, she had held out for a long time and even briefly gained a slight upper hand, making it practically a neck-and-neck fight.
Though she fell short by a single move in the end, she was already satisfied.
"Ten Spirit Stones, not a single one missing." Stepping down from the ring, Liu Yanping immediately handed ten Spirit Stones to Meng Fan.
She knew this was what Meng Fan had been waiting for.
"It's a bit of a pity. If we had more time to prepare and you had studied the flaws in his Sword Technique a bit more thoroughly, you might have actually won," Meng Fan said with a hint of helplessness.
"Haha, a person shouldn't be too greedy. In this sect grand competition, I've already stood out quite a bit," Liu Yanping said with a smile.
Meng Fan nodded in agreement.
Being able to defeat Yang Xiaohua and spar with Li Changqing for so long meant Liu Yanping had indeed performed exceptionally well.
Pity that he himself had no opportunity to participate in the matches.
With his current level of cultivation, he had already surpassed the tier of handyman disciples and should have joined the outer disciple matches.
Relying on his profound mastery of the Sword Dao, even if he encountered disciples at Layers 6 and 7 of Qi Condensation in this competition, he would still be able to put up a fight.
Who knows, he might even have had a shot at cracking the top fifty among the outer disciples with a glorious record.
Shaking his head, Meng Fan cast these meaningless thoughts out of his mind.
The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. It was better for him to quietly cultivate in the Sword Pavilion—that wasn't bad at all.
One day, he was destined to stun everyone!
Meng Fan cautioned himself in his heart that he must learn to endure solitude.
With Liu Yanping's defeat against Li Changqing, her matches for the day had come to a successful conclusion.
As for Meng Fan, he continued to watch the matches of others. This sect grand competition allowed him to witness many Sword Techniques he had never seen before.
After all, once disciples of the Shushan Sword Sect reached the True Martial Realm, they rarely returned to the Sword Comprehension Hall, meaning Meng Fan could no longer see many Sword Techniques there.
This sect grand competition could truly be said to have feasted his eyes.
Furthermore, Meng Fan even caught sight of Li Xuerou's match.
This girl, Li Xuerou, had come from the same village as Meng Fan.
Back when their village was massacred by the Heavenly Eagle Demonic Sect, only Meng Fan and Li Xuerou survived, whereupon they joined the Shushan Sword Sect.
During this time, Meng Fan had remained a handyman disciple, while Li Xuerou had climbed step by step from a handyman disciple to an outer disciple, and then an inner disciple!
Compared to Meng Fan, Li Xuerou's talent was truly astonishing!
In this grand competition, Li Xuerou ultimately secured the seventh ranking among the inner disciples.
Top ten among inner disciples!
This girl was truly exceptional, Meng Fan thought with a smile.
While Meng Fan was paying attention to Li Xuerou, Li Xuerou did not notice Meng Fan in the crowd.
There was no helping it; she was a favored daughter of the heavens, dazzling on the stage.
As for Meng Fan, he was merely an unremarkable background character lost in the crowd.
Aside from Li Xuerou, Meng Fan also focused on another person—someone who had previously wanted him dead.
Qian Lechi.
Elder Qian's son.
It was this very Qian Lechi who had previously sent Deacon Wang to deal with him and had him sent to the Sword Pavilion as a sword-guarding disciple.
Yet in his wildest dreams, this fellow could never have imagined that upon arriving at the Sword Pavilion, he would instead be like a fish returning to water!
This Qian Lechi's final ranking was thirty-eighth among the inner disciples.
It wasn't particularly high, but entering the top fifty of the inner sect still made him a person of some standing and face.
Meng Fan spared a few extra glances at Qian Lechi, especially studying the other's Sword Technique with earnest concentration.
After all, this fellow harbored hostility toward him; if he happened to come over and stab him in the back one day, he needed to be prepared!
…………
The setting sun cast its glow as dusk approached, and the sect grand competition finally came to a complete end.
Meng Fan dusted off his sleeves, preparing to return to the Sword Pavilion.
He had to admit, his harvest today had been bountiful—dozens of times greater than what he made at the Sword Comprehension Hall!
Just as he was about to leave the Heavenly Sword Plaza, Meng Fan ran into Liu Yanping once more.
No, to be precise, Liu Yanping had come looking for Meng Fan specifically.
"Senior Sister Liu, is there anything else?" Meng Fan asked politely.
Having earned forty Spirit Stones from Liu Yanping today, Meng Fan naturally treated her with utmost courtesy.
This was his very own wealth-bestowed maiden!
How could he not treat her with proper care?
Liu Yanping said to Meng Fan, "I'm not looking for your help with anything this time; I'm here to help you."
"Help me?" Meng Fan asked, somewhat puzzled, thinking to himself that handing him Spirit Stones was already the greatest help she could offer.
"Have you ever heard of the Sword God Hall?" Liu Yanping asked.
The Sword God Hall?
Meng Fan shook his head in blank bewilderment; this was something he genuinely had never heard of.
Liu Yanping said, "It's normal that you don't know. Generally, only inner disciple can come into contact with it."
Meng Fan asked with great interest, "Since Senior Sister mentioned the Sword God Hall, please enlighten this junior brother."
Liu Yanping had come specifically to inform Meng Fan of this, so naturally she wouldn't play any more riddles.
"In the Sword God Hall, there is a Sword God Monument. The origins of this stone tablet are unknown to anyone—at least, no one within my circle of acquaintance knows.
Legend has it that a divine sword is concealed within this Sword God Monument, but since no one has ever managed to shatter it, whether this legend is true or false remains a mystery."
Hearing Liu Yanping's words, Meng Fan was completely dumbfounded, failing to understand what she meant by telling him this.
The fact that no one could shatter the Sword God Monument only proved that the material of the monument was extraordinarily sturdy.
"Since no one in the Shushan Sword Sect can shatter this monument, there is even less of a chance for me. What does Senior Sister mean by telling me this?"
"Why are you in such a rush? Let me finish!" Liu Yanping rolled her eyes, then continued.
"Although no one has been able to shatter this monument to obtain the divine sword within, anyone who comes into contact with it can sense a strand of Sword Intent.
Many disciples have experienced a great leap in their Sword Technique after sensing this Sword Intent.
Some high-level figures of the Shushan Sword Sect have even crafted their very own Sword Techniques after perceiving this Sword Intent.
Everyone's talent and comprehension differ, so their insights gained at the Sword God Monument vary as well.
Some reap massive benefits, while others perceive very little.
You are the person with the most exaggerated Sword Dao comprehension I have ever seen, so I think you can go to the Sword God Hall to perceive the Sword God Monument. I believe you will greatly benefit from it!
Rest assured, perceiving the Sword God Monument is related solely to comprehension, not to spiritual roots."
Knowing that Meng Fan possessed miscellaneous-grade spiritual roots, Liu Yanping took the initiative to remind him.
The Sword God Hall?
The Sword God Monument?
After listening, Meng Fan indeed grew quite interested.
He asked with some curiosity, "Is the Sword God Monument something anyone can go and perceive?"
Such a thing ought to have conditions attached to it if one wanted to comprehend it, right?
If anyone could just go and perceive it, how could such a good thing exist?
Liu Yanping said, "Anyone can indeed go to perceive the Sword God Monument; even a handyman disciple can do it. However, every time one perceives the Sword God Monument, one needs to hand over one hundred Spirit Stones, and the comprehension session lasts for only one hour!"
One hour for one hundred Spirit Stones?
This was sheer highway robbery!
Back when he was a handyman disciple, he hadn't even owned a single complete Spirit Stone.
One hundred Spirit Stones was practically an astronomical figure.
Though Meng Fan was currently carrying a massive fortune of forty Spirit Stones, he still felt that one hundred Spirit Stones was an outright fantasy!
Instantly, Meng Fan lost all interest.
"That's far too expensive. I'll talk about it later when I have enough Spirit Stones."
Chapter 28: The Demon Suppressing Pagoda; One Day, Slay Demons and Exterminate Devils
Hearing Meng Fan's words, Liu Yanping immediately said, "Money is not a problem. I can sponsor you."
Hearing this, Meng Fan's first reaction wasn't excitement or thrill, but vigilance.
Pies didn't fall from the sky.
For Liu Yanping to help him to this extent, she must surely have designs on something.
Thus, Meng Fan asked with a frown, "Why are you helping me?"
Liu Yanping smiled. "Naturally, I want something in return for helping you. After all, one hundred Spirit Stones is no small sum."
Meng Fan asked, "What do you want?"
Liu Yanping stated flatly, "I want you to share the insights you gain at the Sword God Monument with me!"
This...
Left Meng Fan somewhat amused and exasperated.
It reminded him of his primary school days when he paid others to let him copy their homework.
"Aren't you afraid that I won't gain any insights, or that after gaining them, I might deceive you and keep things from you?" Meng Fan said helplessly.
"Not at all!" Liu Yanping replied with an expression of absolute conviction.
"Why?" Meng Fan himself didn't even dare to have that kind of confidence in his own abilities.
He couldn't fathom why this Liu Yanping trusted him so completely.
"Because you lack Spirit Stones. If you still want to earn Spirit Stones from me, you can't afford to lie to me!" Liu Yanping said.
This was the confidence of a wealth-bestowed maiden!
The crucial point was that Meng Fan felt her reasoning made total sense.
Indeed, if he wanted to extract Spirit Stones from her, he couldn't afford to deceive her.
Even if he did deceive her, he had to make sure she reaped rewards, making her feel that those Spirit Stones hadn't been spent in vain.
Upon careful thought, she wasn't losing out at all.
This logic was simple!
Meng Fan instantly looked at Liu Yanping with a new level of respect. Previously, he had thought this girl was just a wealthy fool who only knew how to squander money.
Now it seemed that every bit of wealth she scattered was never a losing investment.
"Fine, I agree," Meng Fan said directly to Liu Yanping.
This was a win-win affair; he had no reason to refuse.
"Then I'll wait for you at the Sword Comprehension Hall tomorrow. Once you arrive, I'll take you to the Sword God Hall," Liu Yanping said.
"Alright!" Meng Fan agreed.
Afterward, Meng Fan returned to the Sword Pavilion, just in time to close its gates as it was right around the closing hour.
"Senior Brother Luo, have you ever heard of the Sword God Hall and the Sword God Monument?" Meng Fan asked Senior Brother Luo after finishing his chores.
"The Sword God Monument? Heh, where did a kid like you hear about that? That sort of thing is far too distant for you. It costs one hundred Spirit Stones for a single session of comprehension, so you can forget about it," Senior Brother Luo said casually.
"Then have you ever perceived the Sword God Monument, Senior Brother?" Meng Fan continued to ask.
"Heavens, no. If I had one hundred Spirit Stones, what wouldn't be better to spend it on than comprehending that thing?
You brat, stop letting your imagination run wild!
Granted, there are indeed a few people who have gained profound insights from the Sword God Monument and even mastered extremely powerful Sword Techniques, but those are absolute phoenix feathers and qilin horns.
For the vast majority of Shushan Sword Sect disciples, perceiving the Sword God Monument does absolutely damn well nothing other than waste one hundred Spirit Stones in vain.
Even if you actually had one hundred Spirit Stones, I still wouldn't advise you to go waste them on that thing!"
Hearing Senior Brother Luo's words, Meng Fan gained some understanding.
It seemed the Sword God Monument wasn't as easy to comprehend as one might imagine; Liu Yanping was still far too naive.
When all was said and done, one hundred Spirit Stones simply didn't amount to much to Liu Yanping; she could afford to waste them.
Unlike Senior Brother Luo, who couldn't afford to squander them at all!
Meng Fan told Senior Brother Luo, "I'm planning to go perceive the Sword God Monument tomorrow, and it won't cost me any Spirit Stones."
"Ah?" Senior Brother Luo was left staring in utter bewilderment.
Meng Fan explained, "It's that Senior Sister Liu. She wants to sponsor me to go perceive the Sword God Monument, so I don't need to spend my own Spirit Stones."
As for a matter like comprehending the Sword God Monument, he didn't intend to keep it from Senior Brother Luo.
Because he was destined to rise to prominence within the Sword Pavilion, and it wasn't something he could hide anyway.
Rather than shocking Senior Brother Luo beyond belief and making it hard for him to accept later on, it was better to plant a precautionary measure beforehand.
After all, he and Senior Brother Luo lived and worked together day and night, and he would inevitably display some monstrous traits!
If he displayed any monstrous capabilities in the future, he could simply attribute them to the Sword God Monument, claiming he had enlightened himself from it.
Hearing this, Senior Brother Luo looked at Meng Fan with a gaze filled with envy.
"It really is great to be handsome! If I had a face like yours, I'd go hug the thigh of a wealthy sugar mommy like Liu Yanping too!"
This Senior Brother Luo assumed that Liu Yanping was sponsoring Meng Fan because she had taken a fancy to his looks, captivated by his handsome visage.
In truth, what Liu Yanping valued was Meng Fan's comprehension!
Yet Meng Fan couldn't be bothered to explain this—or rather, he deliberately chose not to explain, letting Senior Brother Luo keep this misunderstanding.
If any other outrageous events occurred later on, he wouldn't even need to rack his brains for excuses; Senior Brother Luo would surely piece together his own explanations in his mind.
Doing so would save him a great deal of mental effort!