The long sword pierced through the air, a force as light as the wind and as changeable as the clouds condensing on the blade.
It was no longer purely flexible, but rather a combination of hardness and softness, of truth and falsehood interweaving, with killing intent hidden within its elusive movements.
This was precisely the sign of the Great Perfection of the 【Flowing Cloud Swordplay】!
Luo Qiance was filled with shock and doubt.
He felt that Shen Xiuhan's strike was incredibly elusive and unpredictable, leaving him with no way to grasp it and making it difficult to defend against.
It clearly seemed to thrust toward the left, yet it felt as though it could veer elsewhere at any moment.
The tip of the sword was like a shooting star piercing the sky, penetrating through the layers of blade-light. Under Luo Qiance's terrified gaze, it tapped lightly!
Tap!
As if a pebble had been tossed into a lake, ripples rippled outward.
A powerful penetrating force erupted from the sword tip, instantly shattering the seemingly flawless cage of blades into pieces!
The blade cage was broken!
“What?!”
Luo Qiance was both shocked and enraged!
He had no time to think, for Shen Xiuhan had already swept his long sword and lunged once more!
Luo Qiance let out a low growl, holding his long saber horizontally across his chest. He pushed his internal blood qi to its absolute limit, weaving a dense net of blades in front of him that was virtually impenetrable.
Unfortunately, it was utterly useless!
Clang!
The sword tip struck the weak spot on the left side of the long saber, sending sparks flying in all directions.
Luo Qiance only felt a colossal force, like a mountain torrent bursting a dam, crashing into him.
The force traveled through the blade and surged into his arms, causing the web of his thumb to tear with a sharp rip. Several bloody gashes burst open, and blood flowed freely!
Luo Qiance groaned, his face contorting as his body stumbled back uncontrollably, taking seven or eight heavy steps.
Every step left a deep footprint on the arena!
Only when he retreated to the very edge, with his heels hanging in the air, did he manage to stabilize himself. His face was flushed red as blood, and his blood qi churned like boiling water.
Silence!
A deathly silence!
By the lakeside, thousands of spectators stared with wide eyes, holding their breath in absolute silence.
Whether they were members of the Luo family, disciples of the Mei Courtyard, martial artists from Changshui County, or other tournament contestants, they all watched this scene in sheer disbelief!
After a brief, dead silence, the entire venue erupted!
“My god... He actually suppressed Luo Qiance head-on!”
“This is a direct descendant of the Luo family! The Luo family refers to him and Luo Tangyin as the twin prides of the Luo family!”
“His hand-to-hand combat is domineering, and his swordplay is equally godlike. I'm afraid this Shen Xiuhan can hardly find a rival among those in the Mingjin Rank!”
“Senior Brother Shen, the Light of the Mei Courtyard!!”
Exclamations spread like a rising tide.
In the crowd, Luo Wancheng stared at the green-clad back on the stage, his face filled with horror, his lips trembling.
“He... He actually broke Second Brother's 【Misty Rain Blade】! How is this possible?!”
“Second Brother's talent in the way of the saber is so great that even a Gangjin Rank Elder of the Raging Sea Sect once asserted that he would definitely comprehend 'blade-glow' in the future...”
“Even Big Sister would have to avoid its edge and wouldn't dare to take it head-on. How can a martial arts hall disciple from the Outer City break it?!”
The crowd of Luo family disciples behind him looked at each other, none of them daring to speak.
On the high spectator stand.
For the first time, the cynical smile on Colonel Zhenyue Zhao Zheng's face vanished.
Leaning forward, he stared solemnly at the youth in green standing with his sword on the stage, saying thoughtfully, “This swordplay style... looks somewhat like Bixia Villa's 【Flowing Cloud Swordplay】?”
“You have a good eye, Colonel. It is indeed the 【Flowing Cloud Swordplay】.”
Bai Qingcang gave a sinister smile, his raspy voice sounding like a cracked gong as he stared at Shen Xiuhan with interest. “This sword technique is notoriously easy to learn but difficult to master. Even within Bixia Villa's sword lineage, rarely does anyone cultivate it to the Great Accomplishment stage...”
“But looking at this boy, he has already grasped its essence. With this level of comprehension... perhaps he might stand a chance of comprehending 'sword-glow' in the future.”
Sword-glow!
Hearing those two words, Wang Zhidao, who was sitting to the side, felt his eyelids twitch.
He scrutinized Shen Xiuhan thoroughly from head to toe.
Then, his gaze shifted to Xiao Wu on the other side, who was cheering loudly for Shen Xiuhan.
Wang Zhidao fiddled with the jade ring on his thumb, his mind racing, feeling somewhat uncertain.
The Child of Destiny... Could my judgment have gone wrong?
His eyes flickered with uncertainty, his brow furrowing deeply, but he quickly dismissed the suspicion.
No!
Although this Shen Xiuhan's swordplay talent is high and his cultivation is top-tier among his peers, he still falls short compared to that monster Xiao Wu...
Forget it!
Wang Zhidao picked up his teacup, took a gentle sip, and regained his composure, a profound look flashing in his eyes.
Luo Qiance is already at the end of his rope. It's a foregone conclusion that this kid surnamed Shen will secure a spot in the top three... Once he enters the Dragon Blood Essence-Infusing Pool... Heh, no matter what, he will have to owe my Wang family a favor!
...
On the stage.
Luo Qiance barely managed to stabilize his footing. Looking down, he saw the flesh on the web of his hand torn open, with blood flowing profusely.
Even the mid-grade precious artifact in his hand, the 【Ten Thousand Rains Saber】, could not stop trembling and wailing.
Luo Qiance looked up at Shen Xiuhan, his eyes filled with horror.
This boy... is actually this terrifying?!
Shen Xiuhan held his sword horizontally before his chest with one hand. His breathing was long and steady, his robes fluttering gently, his green shirt completely unstained by dust.
In the next moment, he launched a fierce counterattack without warning!
The 【Golden Eagle Soaring Technique】 inside his body operated like a furnace, instantly channeling his majestic blood qi through his limbs and bones.
Shen Xiuhan stomped hard. His body pulled out an afterimage like a ghost, and the bone-chilling cold light of the 【Hanlin】 in his hand lunged straight toward Luo Qiance's chest!
【Flowing Cloud Swordplay: Flowing Cloud Thousand Transformations】!
The sword-light was like a bolt of white silk!
Shifting left and right, killing intent was hidden within!
Luo Qiance had nowhere to retreat.
Behind him was the edge of the arena. He could only grit his teeth and grip the saber hilt with both hands, sweeping it across to block!
Clang!
Amidst the deafening explosion, sparks splattered in all directions like rain.
Luo Qiance's arms throbbed with pain, as if he had collided with a towering mountain.
Pfft!
The massive counter-force surged into his meridians, forcing a sweet taste up his throat as he spat out a mouthful of congested blood on the spot!
Luo Qiance roared with shock and anger in his heart, filled with utter despair.
How can this kid's physical body be so powerful?!
Shen Xiuhan's eyes were indifferent. Giving him no time to breathe, he took advantage of Luo Qiance's lapse in concentration and abruptly spun his long sword!
【Flowing Cloud Swordplay: Parting the Clouds to See the Sun】!
It was also a straight thrust, but the momentum of the sword was completely different!
The previous sword move had been elegant and ethereal, like rolling and unrolling clouds;
But now, it carried an unyielding determination, as if it could pierce the sky!
“Not good!”
Luo Qiance's expression changed dramatically, and he desperately pulled back his long saber to block again.
But Shen Xiuhan's golden pupil flashed, instantly seeing through the flaw. The long sword tapped below the blade like a venomous snake baring its fangs!
Clatter!
Under the intense vibration, Luo Qiance's fingers lost their strength, and the long saber flew out of his hand, embedding itself into the wooden planks not far away.
Luo Qiance's lips trembled, his face as pale as paper, and his steps staggered backward. He was already at the end of his rope.
Shen Xiuhan twisted his waist and turned, another sword strike closely following!
Swoosh!
The sword shot out like a dragon, its cold light piercing!
The long sword locked onto the meridians of Luo Qiance's chest, the tip pointing directly at his heart, leaving him with no way to avoid it and nowhere to retreat!
“It's over!”
Despair filled Luo Qiance's eyes, and his entire body went stiff. He could only watch helplessly as the cold light tore through his outer robe, the icy tip of the sword touching his chest!
Immediately after... it struck the precious armor bestowed upon him by his sect.
Rate on N.U.
