Chapter 25

When the man suddenly heard these words, he was startled and quickly drew his sword, shouting fiercely, "I am who I am, and my name is Tian Boguang. Who are you, little brat?" He laughed loudly, but in his heart, he was extremely surprised. After all, he often did such things and was always very cautious, with extremely sharp senses to avoid being discovered. This time, someone followed him without him noticing, which was truly very strange.

He did not know that Yue Fangxing had practiced natural breathing techniques since childhood, and the Hunyuan Gong combined internal and external cultivation, making his aura the most hidden. When he concealed himself, he was rarely discovered unless the opponent's skills far surpassed his. Tian Boguang's skills were on par with his, so he clearly did not fall into this category.

Yue Fangxing was not angry, nor did he respond. He guarded the entrance and thrust his sword forward. This was his first time fighting a top-notch expert alone, so he naturally did not dare to be careless.

Tian Boguang felt that he was truly unlucky today. He had just taken a shortcut and was about to succeed when a young man appeared, asking if he was Tian Boguang. Nonsense, you've already drawn your sword; if I said I wasn't Tian Boguang, would you believe me and put it away? Besides, my name, Tian Boguang, is well-known in the江湖 (jianghu, the world of martial arts), and I have nothing to hide.

He could tell from the other's demeanor that he was a novice from a righteous sect, clearly here to uphold justice. He found such people the most annoying. Their martial arts were not very high, and they could not be easily killed, or it might lead to a series of masters and uncles, causing endless trouble. Even though he was not afraid, he did not want to unnecessarily provoke these people. But why do you always pick on me?

Thinking about this, Tian Boguang felt a deep hatred for the person in front of him. In his anger, he ignored the sword thrust at him and slashed a few times, intending to give him a lesson.

Seeing Tian Boguang draw his sword, Yue Fangxing quickly raised his sword to meet him. The sword he used was very heavy, so it was not fast, but because of its broad blade, it was excellent for defense, allowing him to block all the attacks. This revealed his lack of experience. If he were an old hand in the jianghu, he would have seen through Tian Boguang's carelessness and taken advantage of it to deal a heavy blow. However, if he were facing an old hand, Tian Boguang would not have been so overconfident.

As their weapons clashed, both were secretly alarmed, finding their opponent difficult to handle. Yue Fangxing was amazed by the speed of Tian Boguang's swordsmanship, which was indeed not to be underestimated. Tian Boguang, on the other hand, was shocked by the weight of the young man's sword and the depth of his skills, which made his arms tingle. He wondered which school had trained such a young man to such a high level. He realized that he could not hold back today, or he might really be defeated. If he accidentally killed him, he would have to face the consequences.

As for fleeing, Tian Boguang had not considered it. Although no one had seen them, he did not want to be forced back by a young man, which would be a huge embarrassment. Besides, he was confident in his lightness skills and could escape if necessary.

The two then unleashed their best techniques, engaging in a fierce battle. However, Yue Fangxing's lack of experience and the slowness of his heavy sword put him at a disadvantage. He had practiced for over a decade and considered himself a top-notch expert, so he was naturally frustrated to be overpowered by Tian Boguang, who was almost the weakest among top-notch experts in the original story. This frustration made his swordsmanship somewhat disordered.

Tian Boguang, with his rich experience, took advantage of the disordered swordsmanship, finding the right moment to slash a few times, leaving several cuts on Yue Fangxing. Fortunately, the force was not great, and Yue Fangxing dodged quickly, so he did not suffer serious injuries. However, if the bleeding was not stopped in time, it would affect his combat ability over time.

Shocked by this, Yue Fangxing calmed down, realizing that he had been too arrogant recently. Otherwise, he would not have come to fight Tian Boguang alone without preparation. He knew that no expert in the jianghu was easy to deal with, especially someone as notorious as Tian Boguang, who could still roam freely in the jianghu, indicating his remarkable skills.

Yue Fangxing steadied his mind and used the swordsmanship he had learned on the rooftop. This swordsmanship, which he had mastered through extensive practice in a near-combat environment, gave him confidence in its practical application.

Yue Fangxing no longer advanced recklessly but focused on defense, which proved effective. Although he was initially overwhelmed by Tian Boguang's fast swordsmanship, he gradually adapted and stabilized his position. However, it was difficult to counterattack.

For a while, Tian Boguang could not get the upper hand over Yue Fangxing. Even a top-notch expert might not be able to defeat a quasi-top-notch expert who was determined to defend. Moreover, Yue Fangxing was a genuine top-notch expert with a swordsmanship that emphasized defense, making it easy for him to defend. Although Tian Boguang still had the upper hand, it was extremely difficult to defeat Yue Fangxing, and he could only patiently look for opportunities.

After hundreds of exchanges, both secretly admired each other. Yue Fangxing, based on his impression from the original story, had always thought that Tian Boguang's skills were not very high, but he was surprised by his prowess. Tian Boguang, on the other hand, was even more amazed by Yue Fangxing's abilities, despite his lack of experience, he could quickly turn the tide after being at a disadvantage, admiring his talent and insight.

Although they had some mutual respect, neither held back in their fight. In a situation where their skills were evenly matched, holding back could be considered suicide. Yue Fangxing naturally would not make such a mistake, and although Tian Boguang could choose to retreat, he was not willing to.

"Looks like I need to use my full strength," Tian Boguang thought to himself.

Yue Fangxing, having blocked Tian Boguang's fast swordsmanship, was secretly pleased with his deeper understanding of swordsmanship. However, he saw that Tian Boguang's swordsmanship suddenly changed, becoming even faster. The previous swordsmanship was already fast, but this was even faster, delivering over forty moves in a flash, each move deadly, indicating the use of a special technique.

With his previous experience, Yue Fangxing did not panic this time but steadied his rhythm, narrowing his defensive range, and blocked each move. Although this was more dangerous, he managed to block all the attacks. He guessed that Tian Boguang's swordsmanship, being so fast, could not be sustained for long.

Yue Fangxing's guess was correct. Tian Boguang's swordsmanship, called "Thirteen Moves of Flying Sand and Rolling Stones," was extremely fast, with each move having three or four variations, allowing him to deliver dozens of moves in an instant. It was one of his special techniques. However, this swordsmanship emphasized suddenness, so he rarely used it to avoid the enemy being prepared. This time, he was unwilling to let a young man get away, so he used it to win.

Seeing that all his moves were blocked, Tian Boguang, though unwilling, did not want to continue the fight. He immediately launched a few fierce attacks, forcing Yue Fangxing to retreat a few steps, and said, "Kid, someone is coming. I won't keep you company anymore." Then he leaped away and disappeared in a moment.

Yue Fangxing, forced to retreat a few steps, could not catch up with Tian Boguang, whose lightness skills were superior. He turned around and saw a group of people approaching. The long fight had alarmed the people in the nearby mansion, so they sent people to investigate.

Yue Fangxing knew that this situation was hard to explain and did not want to meet these people, so he chose a different direction and leaped away. After not going far, he stopped to check if anyone was following him. Although Tian Boguang seemed to have gone far, he had to be cautious in case he followed. The group of people, though seemingly ordinary, also needed to be careful, as it was not uncommon for a top-notch expert to be invited to a city as large as Nanjing.

After a while, seeing that no one was following him, Yue Fangxing finally relaxed. He tidied up his clothes, mixed into a crowd, and returned to the inn.

Back in his room, Yue Fangxing immediately sat cross-legged to recover his strength. This time, he had expended a great deal of energy, although his body was not as exhausted as when he practiced swordsmanship in the water, the mental strain was far greater than usual, as a single mistake could cost him his life.

After initially recovering, Yue Fangxing treated his external injuries and reflected on the fight. This battle was extremely beneficial, not only giving him a clear understanding of his own strength but also providing valuable experience in fighting a top-notch expert, which was crucial for his martial arts path. In comparison, his previous sparring with Linghu Chong and Yue Buqun on Huashan seemed too peaceful.

After resting for a few days, his wounds had initially healed, and he left Nanjing, continuing his journey to the coast. Since his near-defeat by Tian Boguang, he felt a greater sense of urgency and did not want to linger.

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