Chapter 68

At the Golden Sun Martial Hall, on the sparring platform!

Zhang Xian's robust right hand glowed with a green light, thunder roared, and a green true qi transformed into a cloud of lightning. It seemed as if he was holding a ball of green lightning in his hand.

Then, he flipped his hand, and the lightning cloud pressed down on Xiao Ran!

Xiao Ran remained calm, pointing his right index finger straight out, creating countless finger shadows that struck the lightning cloud!

The lightning cloud exploded suddenly, and Xiao Ran's finger pierced through, hitting Zhang Xian's palm!!

It was the One Yang Finger technique, a supreme skill that excels in breaking through defenses with pinpoint accuracy, making it perfect for such situations!

Zhang Xian felt a tingling sensation in his palm as a powerful true qi surged from Xiao Ran's finger, not only from Xiao Ran's finger strength but also from the true qi of his Five Thunder Hands!

This force made him step back involuntarily!

Zhang Xian was surprised and said, "What excellent eyesight and finger technique! Every finger strike hit the exact point where the true qi flowed, not a single one missed!

Even more terrifying, you can absorb my true qi and use it against me!"

After a hard clash, Xiao Ran only swayed slightly. His Phoenix Eye could see the flow of true qi in the Five Thunder Hands clearly, allowing him to immediately change his strategy and break through.

The Unfilled Yin-Yang Seal primarily absorbs and controls, redirecting and repelling. It managed to break through the Five Thunder Hands in one move!

Xiao Ran smiled and said, "Thank you, Senior Brother, for your guidance. My Unfilled Yin-Yang Seal can be used independently and almost in conjunction with any of my martial techniques. But if it weren't for you teaching me the Five Thunder Hands, I wouldn't have been able to break through so easily!"

Zhang Xian had personally experienced the power of the Unfilled Yin-Yang Seal and knew how complex this martial technique was. Xiao Ran's finger technique was equally intricate. Xiao Ran not only saw through the Five Thunder Hands in one demonstration but could also use these two extremely complex techniques simultaneously. Wouldn't his brain explode?

Zhang Xian's eyes widened, seemingly unable to believe what he saw. After a moment, he said, "I really don't understand why someone like you couldn't break through the first level of Body Tempering for ten years..."

He then straightened his face and said to Xiao Ran, "Next, the formal duel begins!"

With that, Zhang Xian stretched out his hand, and two short halberds flew into his hands. He casually twirled them, and the two hundred-pound black steel short halberds seemed as light as needles in his hands!

Clang...

The two short halberds clashed in the air, sparks flying. One pointed at Xiao Ran's throat, the other at his abdomen. "I've tested your hand skills, but since you have a sword, let's decide the winner with weapons!"

Seeing Zhang Xian's serious demeanor, Xiao Ran's spirit soared. He gripped his long sword and said, "My sword skills are ten times better than my hand skills!"

Xiao Ran wasn't boasting. He had first obtained the Exorcism Sword Technique, then the Nine Swords of Dugu, and had spent the most time practicing sword techniques, making them his strongest skill!

Zhang Xian chuckled and stepped with a mysterious gait. Each step was either light or heavy, and the changes in direction and speed were unpredictable. With each step, his aura grew stronger!

After a breath, his two short halberds shot out like arrows, one aiming for Xiao Ran's throat, the other for his abdomen!

Xiao Ran's expression tightened, and he used the ultimate speed of the Manual of the Sunflower, moving so fast he seemed like a blur!

His body movement was fast, but his sword was even faster!

He thrust his long sword, striking the tips of Zhang Xian's short halberds twice!

The short halberd is a versatile weapon, capable of thrusting like a spear, chopping like a saber, and locking an opponent's weapon with its side branches, making it very difficult to master!

But Zhang Xian clearly used his short halberds well. His left hand was light and agile, while his right hand was fierce and powerful, working seamlessly together. No matter how Xiao Ran responded, he would face endless follow-up attacks!

However, by striking the tips of the short halberds, Xiao Ran kept his long sword out of their attack range, making all the follow-up attacks miss!

Zhang Xian shouted in approval, and countless tiny lightning clouds appeared on his short halberds, rushing towards Xiao Ran!

At the same time, his right halberd slashed like lightning, while his left halberd remained hidden behind it. If Xiao Ran was caught by his right halberd, the deadly moves from his left halberd would finish him off!

Xiao Ran didn't engage in a direct clash. His body turned into a blur, narrowly avoiding the tiny lightning clouds. At the same time, he flicked his left hand, instantly launching dozens of steel balls to destroy the clouds he couldn't avoid.

Clang...

Xiao Ran's long sword struck Zhang Xian's right halberd, causing it to pause. The force made Xiao Ran's long sword sway, creating a small gap!

Zhang Xian's left halberd was about to take advantage of the gap and entangle Xiao Ran, but at that moment, Xiao Ran's long sword, using the rebound force from the halberd, accelerated and stuck to his left halberd, moving faster than Zhang Xian expected!

Then, Xiao Ran's long sword, taking advantage of Zhang Xian's inability to react, slid down his left halberd, about to cut off his fingers!

Zhang Xian was startled, not expecting Xiao Ran's Unfilled Yin-Yang Seal to have such a capability, using the rebound force to turn the halberd's resistance into a pulling force, causing him to misjudge!

To be able to manipulate the opponent's and one's own force to such a degree was truly astonishing!

A vortex of true qi appeared on his left halberd, colliding with Xiao Ran's sword, causing it to tilt. Then, Zhang Xian retracted his halberd and stood tall!

Although this attack and defense lasted only a moment, Xiao Ran's responses always exceeded his expectations, making it difficult for him to apply his strength!

Zhang Xian shook his head and said, "Indeed, as they say, your sword skills are excellent. In terms of halberd skills, I can't win you!

But I am at the third level of Qi Cultivation!"

As he spoke, a green light shone from his body, and green light rays appeared on his short halberds. Countless green true qi danced and swirled around the halberds.

At the third level of Qi Cultivation, one can project true qi externally and attach it to objects!

Because the true qi is transmitted through the weapon, it can be controlled freely and can attack at any time!

Although these true qi don't have the range of the fourth level of Qi Cultivation, where true qi forms a powerful aura, they are still quite powerful!

Xiao Ran finally understood the feeling of those super swordsmen who could lock their opponents with sword qi without moving their swords!

Except he was the one being locked!

Zhang Xian was already using brute force!

Xiao Ran was stunned for a moment, then his long sword vibrated, transforming into a streak of light!

Midway, it suddenly shattered, turning into a shower of flower-like fragments!

The true qi on Zhang Xian's short halberds immediately erupted, forming small lightning clouds that shot out, blocking the fragments!

At this moment, Xiao Ran took the opportunity to rush in front of Zhang Xian, holding his long sword, now a short dagger, and striking him countless times in an instant.

An inch longer, an inch stronger; an inch shorter, an inch more dangerous.

Xiao Ran chose to engage in close combat with Zhang Xian, his long sword now a short dagger, similar to how Dongfang Bubai used a needle, the lighter and faster the better! He had made the right choice!

Because of his large stature, Zhang Xian was powerful but lacked agility.

In terms of agility, he was always a bit lacking!

This is why in "Water Margin," Li Kui, the Black Whirlwind, always feared Yan Qing, the Rogue!

Although Zhang Xian had trained hard in agility, he still found it difficult to deal with Xiao Ran's speed, which was like a ghostly shadow due to his mastery of the Manual of the Sunflower.

In an instant, Xiao Ran's dagger clashed with Zhang Xian's short halberds countless times.

Because of the close distance, Zhang Xian's short halberds couldn't be fully utilized, making him feel constrained.

The two of them were like dancers in a masquerade ball, performing the most intimate dance, but anyone could see how dangerous this dance was!

After ten breaths, Zhang Xian was struck in the chest by Xiao Ran.

Although he wasn't injured due to his protective true qi, he had still lost!

Zhang Xian looked at his chest in a daze for a long time before shaking his head at Xiao Ran and saying, "Junior Brother Xiao gave me a lesson. I should have forced you into a direct clash from the start. No matter how skilled you are with the halberd, I am at the third level of Qi Cultivation, and brute force would have been enough!

And if I had discarded my halberds and used my hands, the result might have been different...

Xiang Longxia made the mistake of underestimating you, and I made the same mistake.

The fundamental reason is that I still underestimated you, a second-level Qi Cultivator, thinking that winning by brute force wouldn't look good, and that being disarmed by you would be embarrassing.

But your performance was too good. Every move was well-planned, playing to your strengths and avoiding your weaknesses, advancing and retreating with precision, knowing when to give up and when to fight. This decisiveness is what I lack!

I lost!"

Zhang Xian spoke calmly, as if analyzing a post-match discussion among fellow disciples!

(Because I needed to write about the different combat styles between the third and second levels of Qi Cultivation, this chapter took a long time to write.

So there is no second chapter today. I apologize!)

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