Chapter 77

As the audience watched, they were captivated and secretly cheered, each noticing Linghu Chong's heavy breathing, a clear sign of his weakening strength. However, his sword techniques remained marvelously unpredictable and ever-changing. Whenever Feng Buping found himself unable to counter Linghu Chong's moves, he would resort to brute force with his long sword, knowing that his opponent would not engage in a direct clash of strength, thus freeing himself from the predicament.

A Taoist from the Taishan Sect, seeing this, sarcastically remarked, "The disciple of the Qi Sect has high sword skills, while the senior of the Sword Sect has strong internal power. What's going on here? The Qi Sect and Sword Sect of the Huashan Sect, isn't this all backwards?"

Feng Buping's face turned red, and he wielded his long sword like a fierce storm. He was the top expert of the Sword Sect in the Huashan Sect, and his sword skills were indeed formidable. Linghu Chong, unable to move his body, struggled to stand, missing many opportunities to win. Using the "Nine Swords of Dugu" for the first time, he faced a formidable enemy, feeling a bit timid and not yet proficient in the sword techniques. Thus, the intense battle lasted for a long time, with no clear winner, and the situation became increasingly dangerous. In a critical moment, Feng Qingyang's words suddenly echoed in his mind: "If your sword has no form, the enemy cannot break it. The ultimate realm of swordsmanship is to defeat the formed with the formless."

In fact, he had already fought over two hundred moves with Feng Buping, gaining a deeper understanding of the exquisite techniques of the "Nine Swords of Dugu." No matter how fierce and ruthless Feng Buping's sword attacks were, Linghu Chong could always see the flaws in his moves and counter them effortlessly, forcing him to defend himself. As the battle continued, his confidence grew. When he remembered Feng Qingyang's advice to "defeat the formed with the formless," he took a deep breath and thrust his sword diagonally. This move did not belong to any specific technique, not even the "Sword-Breaking Technique" of the "Nine Swords of Dugu." The sword thrust was weak, and the tip wobbled, even he did not know where it was pointing.

Feng Buping was taken aback, thinking, "What kind of move is this?" Not knowing how to counter it, he could only defend his upper body with his sword. Linghu Chong's sword moves were unpredictable. Seeing that his opponent was defending his upper body, he lightly trembled his sword and thrust it at his waist. Feng Buping, surprised by the unusual change, leaped back three steps. Linghu Chong, too weak to follow, had been fighting for a long time without using any true qi, but the effort of wielding the sword had drained him. He held his chest and panted heavily.

Seeing that Linghu Chong did not pursue, Feng Buping was not about to give up. He leaped forward and attacked with four rapid strikes at Linghu Chong's chest, abdomen, waist, and shoulder. Linghu Chong's wrist flicked, and he thrust his sword at Feng Buping's left eye. Feng Buping cried out in shock and leaped back three steps again.

The Taoist from the Taishan Sect remarked, "Strange, strange! This person's sword skills are truly admirable." The audience all agreed, knowing that the "person's sword skills" he admired were not Feng Buping's but Linghu Chong's.

Feng Buping, hearing this, thought to himself: I am using the strengths of the Sword Sect to vie for the leadership of the Huashan Sect. If I lose to a disciple of the Qi Sect in sword skills, my ambition to become the leader of the Huashan Sect will be shattered, and I will have to retreat into the mountains, never to show my face in the martial world again.

He had challenged Linghu Chong to avoid facing Yue Fangxing, hoping to find an easy target. Little did he know that he had met his match. Now, with no choice but to fight, he must defeat Linghu Chong to save face. With determination, he used his ultimate skill, the "Fierce Wind Rapid Sword."

The "Fierce Wind Rapid Sword" was indeed powerful. The force from the sword gradually expanded, and the audience felt a chilling cold, their faces and hands stung by the fierce wind. They involuntarily retreated, forming a circle around the two fighters that was several dozen feet wide.

Even the experts from the Songshan, Taishan, and Hengshan Sects, as well as the Huashan Sect, no longer dared to underestimate Feng Buping. They all felt that his sword skills were not only ingenious but also had a formidable momentum, not just relying on techniques. This person, unknown in the martial world, had such remarkable sword skills and internal power.

The flames of the torches held by the audience were forced outward by the sword qi, and the sound of the wind from the sword grew louder.

To the audience, Linghu Chong seemed like a small boat in a hundred-foot wave, battered by fierce winds and towering waves, yet he remained afloat, never being swallowed by the waves.

The more urgently Feng Buping attacked, the more Linghu Chong understood the essence of swordsmanship as taught by Feng Qingyang. The more he fought, the more he grasped the techniques. The clearer he understood the sword techniques, the more confident he became. He did not rush to win but focused on observing the changes in his opponent's moves.

The "Fierce Wind Rapid Sword" was indeed extremely fast, and the 108 moves were completed in a moment. Seeing that he could not defeat his opponent, Feng Buping grew anxious, shouting in anger and attacking fiercely, forcing Linghu Chong to block. Linghu Chong, seeing his opponent's desperate attack, was a bit intimidated and did not dare to continue the fight. His sword trembled, and with four light sounds, he struck Feng Buping's left arm, right arm, left leg, and right leg. Feng Buping's sword fell to the ground with a clatter. Linghu Chong, lacking strength, had struck lightly.

Feng Buping's face turned pale, and he said, "It's over, it's over!" He turned to Ding Man, Lu Bai, and Tang Ying'e and bowed, saying, "To the three senior brothers of the Songshan Sect, please convey my gratitude to Lord Zuo. However, I am not skilled enough, and I am ashamed... ashamed..."

He bowed again and was about to leave. Yue Fangxing said, "Senior, haven't you recognized the source of this sword technique? Such an unyielding sword technique, who else in the world could use it besides that one person?"

Feng Buping was stunned and said, "Such an unyielding... could it really be... Senior Feng? Is he really on Huashan?"

Linghu Chong sincerely said, "Senior Feng has asked everyone to return to Huashan and not to cause any more disputes."

Yue Buqun loudly said, "Our Huashan Sect can set up a special hall for sword practitioners. I humbly request that my junior brother join us."

Yue Fangxing also shouted, "Senior Feng, with Huashan in peril, can you just stand by and watch hundreds of years of our sect's foundation be destroyed?"

Feng Buping stopped, seemingly lost in thought for a long time, then sighed, "With Senior Feng on Huashan and you two as his successors, what more do we need to do!" Despite his words, he threw a book from a distance, then slowly disappeared. Cong Buqi and the other Sword Sect members followed him into the darkness, looking very desolate.

"Senior Feng, if you encounter Huashan disciples, please take care of them!" Yue Fangxing called out as he was leaving.

The book was thrown to Linghu Chong, who caught it and opened it. It contained Feng Buping's years of sword practice, including the "Three Immortal Swords" and the "Fierce Wind Rapid Sword" he had created. Linghu Chong was delighted, thinking that Feng Buping still cared about the Huashan Sect. He could persuade him later.

Ding Man, Lu Bai, and Tang Ying'e exchanged glances, all thinking: It seems Feng Qingyang is indeed on Huashan. This old man's martial arts were already extremely high, and now who knows how powerful he has become! We must inform the sect leader as soon as possible. The Huashan Sect is not to be trifled with, but what about Linghu Chong and Yue Fangxing...

They nodded in agreement. Ding Man loudly said, "Nephew Linghu Chong, your sword skills are impressive, and you have broadened our horizons. We will meet again!" He did not mention Yue Buqun or Yue Fangxing.

Tang Ying'e said, "Let's go!" He waved his left hand, turned his horse, and galloped away. The others followed, quickly disappearing into the darkness, their hoofbeats gradually fading.

Outside the Medicine King Temple, only the Huashan Sect members and the masked guests remained. The leading masked elder chuckled and said, "Young Hero Linghu, your sword skills are impressive, and everyone admires you. Yue Buqun's sword skills are good, but compared to yours, they are far inferior. Logically, you should have been the leader of the Huashan Sect long ago." He glanced at the Huashan Sect members behind.

Yue Buqun, with great self-control, did not get angry. The elder, seeing this, found it boring and continued, "Tonight, we have seen the strength of the Huashan Sect. We should know our limits, but since we have offended your sect, we will face endless troubles. Today, we must be enemies."

With that, the elder whistled, and the other eleven masked men surrounded them. He believed that their strength was not weak. As long as they could hold off the three strongest, the other disciples would not be a threat. Once they defeated the weaker ones, they could gradually attack the stronger ones. Moreover, the techniques Linghu Chong used were clearly a world-class sword technique, and he was eager to learn it. Thus, they all rushed forward, aiming to subdue Linghu Chong first.

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