Chapter 52

Hu Yong did not wait for his opponent to approach; with a few swift sword strikes, he moved like the sun god shooting down nine suns, agile as a group of emperors riding dragons, coming like thunder and lightning, and ending like the calm sea. This drew a chorus of exclamations from the crowd.

Wei Shizhao stopped in his tracks, surprised. Had his opponent already mastered无形剑气 (intangible sword qi) and could take a head from ten paces away? This was not to be underestimated. Hu Yong could not stop, his movements becoming more frantic. "Yellow Sand Rising," "Three Stacks of Yang Pass," "Long River Setting Sun," "Clouds Over Qin Ridge," "Snow Blocking Blue Pass"—the exquisite moves came one after another, yet posed no real threat to his opponent.

Wei Shizhao finally understood. It seemed Hu Yong had only practiced routines and had never truly engaged in combat. He remembered two words often used to describe such opponents: "meat feet."

He shook his head, stepped forward, and swung his iron staff. It struck the sword squarely, and Hu Yong felt a burning sensation in his palm. He cried out, "Ouch!" as the Zhanlu Sword flew out of his hand and soared into the sky. Hu Yong seemed to hear his beloved sword's groan, his heart aching. He forgot about Wei Shizhao standing in front of him and looked up at the sky, seeing the sword like a dragon diving from the clouds. He dared not catch it bare-handed and hastily jumped back several steps.

Zhang Jinghe sighed deeply, stepped forward, and with a wave of her hand, the Zhanlu Sword flew down and landed in her grasp. With a gray face, she bowed to Xun Ye and said, "I have lost this round."

The Song brothers wanted to cheer for their senior brother, but his victory was too easy, making it hard to speak. Qin Zhen's eyes sparkled like stars, and she smiled. The disciples of the Zhang Jinghe lineage sighed in regret, and Hu Yong was full of不服气 (resentment), thinking that Wei Shizhao did not understand swordsmanship at all, just swinging a firewood stick around and getting lucky, without knowing the subtleties and intricacies of his sword techniques.

Wei Shizhao's interest waned, and his gaze turned to Xin Laoyao. Xu Li pushed Xin Laoyao, encouraging him, "Laoyao, you go up and show him some color. I'll treat you to drinks later!"

Deng Yuantong frowned and said, "Don't underestimate him."

Xin Laoyao nodded, thinking, "I've been beaten twice already. If anyone should underestimate the opponent, it should be Wei Shizhao, not me. I don't have the right to underestimate him!"

Lu Shizhong waved him forward, and Xin Laoyao, composed, waited for Xun Ye's signal before picking up a blunt heavy sword and approaching Wei Shizhao.

The Chongyang Heavy Sword, three feet three inches long, two inches seven-tenths wide, and eight-tenths thick, weighing eighty pounds, was more like a bar of iron than a flying sword. No one believed this heavy sword could "fly."

"Nice to see you again. This is our third encounter, right?" Xin Laoyao greeted him first.

"Yes, time flies. You're almost ready to form your Dao embryo."

"You're not slow either. Reaching the innate acumen is no easy feat." Xin Laoyao gripped the heavy sword with both hands, holding it level in front of him. "Be careful. The heavy sword is hard to control. If you want to surrender, do it now."

The two circled each other, then simultaneously raised their weapons and clashed.

Wei Shizhao used the Earth Qi of the艮 (Gèn) trigram to drive his iron staff, while Xin Laoyao used the Metal Qi of the Sharp trigram to drive his heavy sword. Even before the staff and sword met, a "crack" of sound was heard, followed by a loud boom like a thunderclap, shaking everyone's ears and causing them to change color.

Both retreated over ten feet, their arms sore and their qi and blood surging. Wei Shizhao recovered first and suddenly unleashed the "Mad Demon Staff Technique," his iron staff dancing up and down, trapping his opponent in a cloud of dark light. The dull yellow glow flickered, and Xin Laoyao, using the heavy sword to block, was struggling to keep up.

The staff and sword clashed frequently, the dull thuds continuous. Hu Yong drew a cold breath, realizing that Wei Shizhao had clearly held back before. If he had started with this fierce and relentless attack, Hu Yong would have had no place to bury his body.

Xi Huzi's eyes lit up. The Red Cloud Valley Sword Discussion was approaching, and he was worried about the lack of disciples capable of competing with the elite of other branches. He never expected to find two promising talents among this group of trial disciples. Xin Laoyao was not surprising; Deng Yuantong had mentioned him before—thirteen postnatal acupoints opened, with a strong affinity for Metal, making him a good candidate for heavy sword cultivation. But he did not expect Wei Shizhao to be so formidable, using the "Mad Demon Staff Technique" to suppress Xin Laoyao, which was truly impressive.

He glanced at Xun Ye, thinking that the "Mad Demon Staff Technique" was taught by Xun Ye, and his eldest disciple's judgment was always accurate.

Deng Yuantong, however, grew more and more alarmed. The heavy sword emphasized brute force and overwhelming power, with no subtlety or variation. This was the most clumsy and crude method, often criticized and looked down upon. However, before a swordsman broke through the sword qi barrier, this was the strongest method. The opponents in the Red Cloud Valley Sword Discussion would at most have reached the sword glow stage, and the heavy sword, targeting the weaknesses of flying swords, could almost guarantee victory. Had Xun Ye seen through his calculations?

The two on the stone ground were locked in a stalemate. Although Wei Shizhao had the upper hand, he could not break through immediately. Xin Laoyao, though cornered, was resilient, his heavy sword guarding a three-foot radius around him, impenetrable.

The crowd grew bored. Two brutes, one with a firewood stick and the other with a bar of iron, smashing at each other, was neither elegant nor pleasing to the eye. Only a few could sense the danger, noticing that Wei Shizhao was gradually speeding up, the staff and sword clashing from a light rain on banana leaves to a heavy rain on new lotus leaves, seemingly endless.

Their internal yuan qi was rapidly depleting. Xin Laoyao, with thirteen postnatal acupoints opened, had a deeper yuan qi reserve. He estimated that Wei Shizhao was nearing his limit and became even more composed, determined to wear him down.

In the midst of the fierce battle, Wei Shizhao suddenly unleashed the "Heaven and Earth Throw," his iron staff flying out and heading straight for Xin Laoyao's chest. This move caught Xin Laoyao off guard, and he hurriedly raised his heavy sword to block. In the rush, he could not muster enough force, and his wrist was jolted, the heavy sword pressed against his chest, deeply embedded in his flesh.

Wei Shizhao had been planning this move for a long time. As soon as he threw the staff, he charged forward, using the striking technique, delivering three rapid punches. The first struck Xin Laoyao's right arm, breaking the bone. The second hit his abdomen, causing him to bend over like a shrimp, spitting out blood. The third aimed for his temple, stopping just three inches away from the vital point.

The iron staff clattered to the ground, and Xin Laoyao, eyes wide, swayed unsteadily. He supported himself with the heavy sword and smiled bitterly, "Thank you... for... showing mercy..."

Wei Shizhao hooked the iron staff with his foot, caught it steadily, and said, "You honor me."

Xi Huzi stroked his beard and smiled, nodding. This small match had shown him something extraordinary. Both his disciples, Xun Ye and Deng Yuantong, had given him a pleasant surprise.