Chapter 84

Chapter 83: A Single Move Agreement

"Whenever the time comes, just challenge the strongest person on the other side," Wei Xiaobao said.

"What!" Duo Long almost jumped up.

"Brother Duo, don't be anxious, listen to me slowly," Wei Xiaobao explained, "I once heard a story about horse betting. We will use the same strategy—betting our worst horse against their best horse—Brother Duo, I'm not calling you a low-class horse—just admit defeat, and then Ming Wang and Brother Song will have a sure victory."

"Brother Wei is truly ingenious," Duo Long's eyes lit up. "Don't worry, I can handle admitting defeat."

After making the decision, Wei Xiaobao hurriedly sent a messenger up the mountain. The next day, Song Qingshu, Duanmohui, and Duo Long went to the meeting alone. Seeing Wei Xiaobao waving at them from the foot of the mountain, Song Qingshu was furious: "This little rascal, clearly afraid of death and not daring to come up the mountain, he insists that the commander-in-chief must stay in the camp to support us."

"Before the battle, Young Master Song must avoid being agitated," Duanmohui turned and gave him a half-smile, clearly guessing his thoughts.

"Thank you, Ming Wang, for your advice," Song Qingshu's face turned red, and he hurriedly asked, "I wonder how Yuan Chengzhi's martial arts compare to Ming Wang's?"

"His martial arts are very high, but in a one-on-one match, he will surely lose." After their last encounter, Duanmohui had been constantly pondering Yuan Chengzhi's bizarre Golden Snake Sword Technique, knowing that if they met again, he could definitely avenge the humiliation of being cornered by him and Murong Fu.

"I just don't know who they will send to compete," looking at the distant Jade Emperor Peak, Song Qingshu said worriedly. He was less concerned about their safety; they were all top-notch experts. Without Wei Xiaobao's burden, even if the Mount Tai Sect attacked them in a group, he and Duanmohui could still retreat gracefully. As for Duo Long... let the fellow die, not me.

"The Imperial Preceptor of the Great Qing and the Great Wheel Ming Wang of Tubo, Duanmohui, come to pay respects," before they reached the mountain gate, Duanmohui had already used his inner strength to send his voice far away.

Song Qingshu felt a headache. This big-eared monk still loved to show off. Should he shout something too? Thinking about how he would be called a first-class guard of the Qing Dynasty and be laughed at by the Imperial Preceptor... the scene was too terrible to imagine. A shiver ran down his spine, and Song Qingshu immediately dismissed the idea.

The experts on Jade Emperor Peak were all shocked. Duanmohui's inner strength was probably the strongest among all of them.

After the three of them climbed the mountain, everyone's eyes turned to them. They saw a big-eared foreign monk, a young gentleman, and a Tartar soldier, who faced the crowd of experts without any sign of fear.

"Qingshu, it's really you," Chongxu Daozhang immediately recognized the young gentleman as the expelled disciple of Wudang, Song Qingshu.

Song Qingshu was startled, wondering how someone recognized him. Looking back, he vaguely remembered Chongxu's appearance and attire: "Chongxu Daozhang?"

"Qingshu, the Eighth Patriarch of Wudang expelled you from the sect to make you reflect on your mistakes, but I never expected you to fall so low and become a lackey of the Qing Dynasty," Chongxu Daozhang's tone was filled with regret.

No one expected this turn of events. Many had heard of the Lion Slaying Conference at Shaolin Temple and now pointed at Song Qingshu, whispering.

Duanmohui also looked at Song Qingshu in surprise, thinking: Song Qingshu is so young but has such high martial arts. He must be from Wudang. No wonder...

"Song Qingshu owes Wudang nothing. It was only by the grace of heaven that I survived. The current Song Qingshu has no connection with Wudang. You don't need to look at me with that disappointed face," Song Qingshu said coldly. No one in the crowd noticed the subtlety in his words, which clearly defined his relationship with Song Qingshu.

He was not the real Song Qingshu. Not only had he received no benefits from Wudang, but his entire meridians were severed upon waking, all due to Wudang. This led to a series of humiliations. When a Wudang person suddenly appeared, standing on a moral high ground and berating him, Song Qingshu naturally did not give him a good face.

"Fine, fine, fine!" Even Chongxu Daozhang, with his deep cultivation, was greatly angered. "This poor Daoist will clean up the sect." He was about to draw his sword and step into the arena.

"Wait a moment. Today is the agreed-upon martial arts competition. Are you the first expert your sect sends?" Song Qingshu asked.

Chongxu Daozhang hesitated, looking back at his camp. Zuo Lengshan thought: Among those present, Fangzheng Master's Muscle Changing Sutra has reached the highest level, so he will definitely participate. Yuan Chengzhi, the King of the Golden Snake, has extraordinary martial arts and will also participate as a surprise. The third person must be chosen carefully. At this moment, Chongxu and I have the highest martial arts. Sending him would be fine, but I don't know the young man's true strength...

Thinking this, Zuo Lengshan stood up and said, "This is an internal matter of the Wudang sect and does not count in today's competition. If you can survive Chongxu Daozhang's attack, I will come to learn from you."

Everyone in the crowd cursed him for his shamelessness. Even Fangzheng Master frowned, thinking it was inappropriate to bully a young junior.

Song Qingshu could have refused outright, and the other side would have had no grounds to argue. But being provoked by Chongxu Daozhang, he coldly said, "Fine, I will first face Chongxu Daozhang, and then I will learn from Lord Zuo."

Chongxu Daozhang frowned and said, "Song Qingshu, you are too arrogant. This poor Daoist does not want to take advantage of you. You should first face Lord Zuo, and I will visit you later."

Duanmohui admired the Daoist's integrity and was about to persuade Song Qingshu to agree, but Song Qingshu directly refused, saying, "No need. Defeating you will only take one move, and it won't be a big deal. Lord Zuo won't be able to take advantage either."

These words made everyone in the crowd think he was incredibly arrogant. Chongxu Daozhang was a famous expert in the martial arts world, and his Tai Chi Sword Technique was unparalleled. No one on Jade Emperor Peak dared to claim they could surely defeat Chongxu. Song Qingshu, however, claimed he could defeat him in one move. Even Duanmohui thought Song Qingshu had lost his mind due to anger.

Chongxu Daozhang laughed dryly, "Fine, fine, fine! This poor Daoist will see how you defeat me in one move."

"Please make the first move. Otherwise, I might not give you a chance to draw your sword," Song Qingshu stood with his hands behind his back, making a gesture of invitation, displaying the demeanor of a grandmaster. "If I can't defeat you in one move, consider me defeated, and we won't need to compete in the next round."

Duanmohui and Duo Long both changed color, about to stop him, but Song Qingshu raised his hand, giving them a reassuring look. They had to suppress their doubts and watch the situation unfold.

Chongxu Daozhang's eyes narrowed, thinking: Could it be that the other side has learned some supreme martial arts? Considering today's matter concerns the survival of the Mount Tai Sect, I just need to hold off one move to win a round for the Mount Tai Sect. I can deal with the sect's internal affairs later.

Chongxu Daozhang slowly turned his body to the right, holding his sword with his left hand, the blade horizontal in front of his chest, his palms facing each other as if holding a ball. Everyone in the crowd saw that his sword had not yet been drawn, but he was already full of potential, and they all admired him.

His right hand formed a sword gesture, and his left hand sword trembled continuously. Suddenly, he thrust forward, the tip of the sword trembling rapidly, making it impossible to see where it was aiming. It covered the seven vital points of Song Qingshu's upper body. Duanmohui was delighted, seeing three weaknesses in the Daoist's stance, and was about to remind Song Qingshu, but the other side's move had not yet completed, and it had already turned into a circle. Suddenly, several white circles appeared before everyone's eyes, large and small, straight and slanted, flickering continuously. Duanmohui's vision blurred, and he realized that the previous weaknesses had disappeared.

The circles on Chongxu Daozhang's sword increased, and soon he was hidden in countless circles. One circle disappeared, and another appeared, the sword moving so fast that no sound of metal cutting through the air could be heard, showing that his sword strength had reached the highest level of suppleness. No one in the crowd could see any gaps in his sword technique, feeling as if thousands of swords were protecting him. Everyone was amazed, thinking that the Tai Chi Sword Technique was indeed well-deserved.

Song Qingshu smiled, drew his wooden sword, and used the "Flying Dragon in the Sky" move from the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, striking the brightest spot in the circle of light.

"No!" Duanmohui thought he had lost his mind, thinking that this move would be cut off by the other side's sword, severing his arm.

The other experts in the crowd also thought Song Qingshu was too arrogant, thinking that such a move towards the brightest spot of the sword light would surely lead to defeat.

However, after a sound of metal clashing, Chongxu Daozhang actually retreated five steps, looking at the broken half of his sword, his face pale, and said in disbelief, "I have lost."

Everyone in the crowd was shocked, standing up, not understanding what had happened.

Duanmohui, Fangzheng, and Zuo Lengshan barely saw the trick: it seemed that the center of the Tai Chi Sword Technique's circle was its weakness. This weakness was probably known only to Zhang Sanfeng, and even Chongxu Daozhang himself might not have known. Thinking that Song Qingshu could see it at a glance, they began to reassess his strength.

Song Qingshu called it a stroke of luck. He had repeatedly boasted and provoked the other side to anger.

Under the agreement of a single move, Chongxu was unsure of his true strength and would certainly use the strongest defensive technique to ensure he did not lose from the start.

However, Song Qingshu, familiar with the original plot, knew that the weakness of this Tai Chi Sword Technique was at the brightest spot in the circle. If Chongxu Daozhang had used a regular sword technique to attack and defend, with his skill, they might not have been able to determine a winner in a hundred moves. But Chongxu Daozhang ultimately chose the Tai Chi Sword Technique, which Song Qingshu knew the weakness of...

Being defeated in one move by a junior from his sect, even if Chongxu Daozhang was broad-minded, he could not help but feel humiliated.

Chapter 84: The First Match

Chongxu Daozhang slowly turned his body to the right, holding his sword with his left hand, the blade horizontal in front of his chest, his palms facing each other as if holding a ball. Everyone in the crowd saw that his sword had not yet been drawn, but he was already full of potential, and they all admired him.

His right hand formed a sword gesture, and his left hand sword trembled continuously. Suddenly, he thrust forward, the tip of the sword trembling rapidly, making it impossible to see where it was aiming. It covered the seven vital points of Song Qingshu's upper body. Duanmohui was delighted, seeing three weaknesses in the Daoist's stance, and was about to remind Song Qingshu, but the other side's move had not yet completed, and it had already turned into a circle. Suddenly, several white circles appeared before everyone's eyes, large and small, straight and slanted, flickering continuously. Duanmohui's vision blurred, and he realized that the previous weaknesses had disappeared.

The circles on Chongxu Daozhang's sword increased, and soon he was hidden in countless circles. One circle disappeared, and another appeared, the sword moving so fast that no sound of metal cutting through the air could be heard, showing that his sword strength had reached the highest level of suppleness. No one in the crowd could see any gaps in his sword technique, feeling as if thousands of swords were protecting him. Everyone was amazed, thinking that the Tai Chi Sword Technique was indeed well-deserved.

Song Qingshu smiled, drew his wooden sword, and used the "Flying Dragon in the Sky" move from the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, striking the brightest spot in the circle of light.

"No!" Duanmohui thought he had lost his mind, thinking that this move would be cut off by the other side's sword, severing his arm.

The other experts in the crowd also thought Song Qingshu was too arrogant, thinking that such a move towards the brightest spot of the sword light would surely lead to defeat.

However, after a sound of metal clashing, Chongxu Daozhang actually retreated five steps, looking at the broken half of his sword, his face pale, and said in disbelief, "I have lost."

Everyone in the crowd was shocked, standing up, not understanding what had happened.

Duanmohui, Fangzheng, and Zuo Lengshan barely saw the trick: it seemed that the center of the Tai Chi Sword Technique's circle was its weakness. This weakness was probably known only to Zhang Sanfeng, and even Chongxu Daozhang himself might not