Chapter 417
“Right, she’s younger and her realm is two levels lower. If she were to unleash all her skills, she might still be a bit behind, but when it comes to swordsmanship talent, she might actually surpass him!”
“Third place in the Qianlong Tournament, truly well-deserved. I hereby declare my membership in the fan club of Han Xianzi.”
In an instant, everyone’s attention shifted to Ying Bing, and the crowd around them grew larger.
However, while the onlookers were merely enjoying the spectacle, the experts were discerning the subtleties.
“Wait a minute…”
Among the group of swordsmen from Hengyun Sword City, Elder Zeng squinted and raised an eyebrow.
“What’s wrong?” Bai Jinghong snapped back to reality.
Elder Zeng said with a strange expression, “She’s not just matching Xie Xuan; she’s suppressing him. Xie Xuan should have lost a long time ago.”
“!!”
The three heroes of Hengyun felt as if they had been struck by lightning.
They had undergone rigorous training for the Qianlong Tournament!
Yet the gap was widening, so much so that when facing the second place of Qianlong, they couldn’t even tell that she was holding back. Who could bear this?
She truly made one feel hopeless.
Well, actually, it was just an illusion.
The gap between them and the “ice lump” had always been this large; it was just that Ying Bing had never shown her full strength in front of them.
In her previous life, when Ying Bing was seventeen, she wouldn’t have been able to suppress Xie Xuan in swordsmanship either.
“But… why can she defeat Xie Xuan yet still hold back?”
Bai Jinghong was puzzled.
“…”
Elder Zeng ignored him and looked over at Li Mo, revealing a smile reminiscent of an old scholar.
“??”
“Pure Jun Sword Realm… Yijian Technique…”
Little Li was watching intently, just like he did when his teacher, the ice lump, demonstrated for him at Qiushui Pavilion.
“That straw hat guy’s Yijian Technique is quite impressive; he can calculate ten moves ahead with one strike. But Sister Bing… seems to have calculated all of his moves at once.”
Jiang Chuchong gasped, her mouth agape, her eyes blinking behind her sunglasses.
“But Sister Bing has clearly defeated him many times.”
“Many times…”
A flash of insight struck Li Mo.
In other words, the ice lump had seen through his intentions to use the sword.
She had deliberately allowed Xie Xuan to reveal all his moves, letting herself observe everything from start to finish.
It felt like…
The big boss personally showing you how to defeat the final boss.
“But even having seen Xie Xuan’s techniques, the newly mastered Dugu Nine Swords might not be enough.”
Li Mo put away his forty.
Martial arts comprehension, activate!
Not far away, Xie Xuan was already sweating profusely. He had almost let his divine intent slip out several times but managed to hold it back.
His Yijian Technique had long reached perfection, yet he felt like a fly caught in an invisible web, unable to escape.
Xie Xuan couldn’t help but recall a long time ago when his master taught him the Yijian Technique, warning him not to become complacent due to his current achievements.
When Shi Sujun created the Yijian Technique, she was no older than he was now.
At this moment, the figure he had heard about countless times, who had dazzled the world with her sword, made him finally understand why the elders often spoke of their defeats with a tone of frustration.
“In swordsmanship, I am not your equal.”
“But I refuse to give up.”
Suddenly, Xie Xuan sheathed his sword, his gaze intense.
Ying Bing nodded slightly but said nothing more. She walked over to Li Mo and quietly asked, “Child, did you see clearly?”
“I did.”
Li Mo looked at her beautiful face, which seemed to hold a smile, thinking to himself that he was no child, and then, feeling pleased, he took out the Chixiao Sword, his expression quickly turning into the same cool demeanor as the ice lump.
Thanks to recent accumulation and a century’s worth of martial arts insights, he had made a small breakthrough in the Dugu Nine Swords.
Surely, if he casually asked, “What does it mean to be a swordsman?” no one would dare to refute him.
Seeing the corners of Li Mo’s mouth lift and his calm demeanor, Wu Chushu felt a chill run down his spine, a sense of familiarity washing over him.
It seemed he was about to show off in front of everyone!
“Please, you go first!”
“Uh… okay.”
Xie Xuan suddenly remembered he had intended to spar with Li Mo.
Then he had inexplicably been beaten up by Han Xianzi…
Where could he complain about that?!
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Chapter 462: This Match Seems to Have No Winner
“Phew…”
Li Mo gripped the Chixiao Sword, calming his breath.
Xie Xuan had just sparred with the ice lump, appearing to have no means of counterattack, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t strong.
Rather, it was the ice lump’s martial arts prowess that even someone like Qin Yuzhi, a seventh realm master, deemed unfair.
Of course, he had just observed Xie Xuan’s techniques; otherwise, whether he could withstand ten moves was truly uncertain.
“Alright, then I’ll…”
Xie Xuan took a deep breath.
“Wait!”
Li Mo suddenly raised his hand.
“What’s wrong?” Xie Xuan’s momentum faltered.
“How about we exchange a few moves? We need to draw a line here.”
“If you let me defend against one move, then you win.”
Xie Xuan thought for a moment. The other party was the fourth place in Qianlong, the formidable “God Hammer,” and although he was holding a sword now, he couldn’t be underestimated.
“Fine!”
Li Mo nodded, letting out a sigh.
Unfortunately, this was a proper spar, and he couldn’t use his fighting king’s secret techniques…
Xie Xuan exhaled deeply, once again gathering his sword intent, the tip of his sword slightly lowered, pointing towards his opponent’s body from a distance.
He drew his sword…
“Wait!”
“Cough, cough…”
Xie Xuan stumbled, his face turning red, nearly losing his breath. He was genuinely a bit annoyed:
“What now?”
“Uh, sorry, I have another question.”
Li Mo smiled apologetically; he truly wasn’t doing it on purpose:
“If I can’t withstand your ten moves, I can’t enter the Biyun Tower. But if I do withstand them, what then? Am I just allowed to enter? The Biyun Tower isn’t yours to decide; isn’t that a bit unfair?”
“…”
Xie Xuan was taken aback. Upon reflection, it did seem to make sense.
Entering the Biyun Tower was a given; he was the one standing in the way. Even if the other party withstood ten moves, they would only be reclaiming what was rightfully theirs.
“What do you suggest?”
“If we determine a winner, we can’t challenge her again.”
Li Mo pointed at Princess Jiang.
Upon hearing this, Xie Xuan fell silent for a moment before nodding, muttering, “Alright, you don’t have any other questions, do you?”
“None.”
“I’m also acting on someone else’s behalf; I can’t let her stay in the capital. Let’s begin!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Xuan’s aura suddenly surged. He clearly wasn’t as casual as he had been earlier.
His eyes shone brightly, filled with intensity.
That seemingly ordinary long sword was slowly drawn, every movement precise, every speed unchanged.
It was as if he had repeated this action countless times; drawing the sword was like a mountain rising, a storm brewing.
Li Mo narrowed his eyes, sensing a familiar aura.
Techniques approaching the Dao.
A simple sword draw seemed to eliminate the barriers between various sword techniques, embodying harmony and unity.
Of course, this was merely an implication; the distance to truly approaching the Dao was still considerable.
In the next moment, Xie Xuan moved.
Still employing the Yijian Technique, his moves appeared steady and composed, yet contained numerous hidden changes.
It felt as if he had just figured out how to counter this sword, only to discover that the sword had changed again, forcing him to completely overturn his mental constructs, leaving him feeling frustrated to the point of wanting to spit blood.
“Xie Xuan truly is a sword fanatic…”
Elder Zeng let out a long sigh, his expression complex.
The emergence of the Yijian Technique signified that Tianshan Sword Manor would replace Hengyun Sword City.
Generations of sword city masters had sought ways to break this technique.
Not just him; many swordsmanship experts in the capital took pride in wielding swords, especially with the Qianlong Tournament attracting masters from all corners of the world.
“After being suppressed by Han Xianzi’s swordsmanship, Xie Xuan has gained new insights and reached a new level.”
“No wonder he has remained steadfast as ‘Xie the Second’ for so many years.”
“If it weren’t for this, he wouldn’t have earned the Tianshan Ancestor’s approval for his sword.”
…
At the end of the crowd, a soft sedan chair carried by eight people passed by. Though it was suspended in mid-air, it was adorned with vibrant flowers that bloomed in the wind, even attracting butterflies to linger.
Why could dead wood come back to life?
Perhaps just seeing the enchanting figure behind the curtain made it all seem natural.
She wore a brocade dress, her neck long and graceful, her waist slender, yet there was an alluring charm that was hard to ignore…
If Li Mo saw her, he would be taken aback, for it was the first time he had seen someone even more stunning than his beautiful teacher…
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