Chapter 49

"Shifu Feng actually lost?"

Yue Buqun's face was filled with disbelief. In the world of Smiling, Proud Wanderer, Feng Qingyang was a legend, an undefeated myth. His unique skill, the Nine Swords of Dugu, could break through all the techniques in the world. Now, he had actually been defeated by a younger man in black.

The martial artists from the world of Smiling, Proud Wanderer were all stunned. Most of them had grown up hearing the tales of Feng Qingyang. Now, this legend had been defeated.

On the martial arts platform, Ye Gucheng stood quietly, his eyes filled with endless loneliness. In the world, was there no one else besides Xi Men Chuixue who could match him?

"Do you understand the sword?"

A man with slightly graying hair, dressed in gray, and with one arm, held a broadsword in his single hand and walked step by step toward the platform. Each step was light and quick, and he looked at Ye Gucheng on the platform with a calm expression.

Zhou Yang, seeing the one-armed man step onto the platform, had a vague guess. When he saw a large, ugly black eagle standing nearby, taller than a person, with a hint of sorrow in its eyes, he became even more certain that this was Yang Guo.

"Name: Yang Guo.

Identity: The protagonist of The Return of the Condor Heroes."

Others might not recognize the origin of Feng Qingyang's sword technique, but the divine eagle that had accompanied Dugu Qiubai throughout his life certainly would. The familiar sword technique before him brought back memories of his days with Dugu Qiubai.

He would not allow the Nine Swords of Dugu to be defeated by anyone.

Yang Guo was helpless. He could see Ye Gucheng's sword technique clearly—sharp, cold, brilliant, and exquisite. If they were to engage in a fierce battle, he would not fear, but when it came to sword technique, he had no confidence at all. However, he could not refuse the divine eagle's request, so he could only do his best.

"This time, we will discuss our understanding of the sword." Yang Guo said calmly, feeling a bit embarrassed. This was the first time the divine eagle had asked for his help, and he naturally could not afford to fail, so he had to use a trick.

Hearing this, Ye Gucheng nodded lightly. He felt a slight pressure from this seemingly weathered man.

Discussing the sword was more difficult than a sword duel.

"I believe there are five realms of the sword." Yang Guo sighed with relief when Ye Gucheng agreed to discuss the sword. He had no hope of winning a sword duel, but in terms of understanding the sword, he was confident he was not inferior to Ye Gucheng. He had read the insights of a world-renowned swordsman.

"The first realm is the Sharp Sword level, where the sword technique is fierce and powerful, invincible and unstoppable." Yang Guo took a few steps. This was the level Dugu Qiubai had reached in his early twenties, when he began to dominate his region.

Below the platform, the martial artists, though they did not dare to shout loudly, looked unconvinced.

"Damn! Isn't sword technique just about getting better with practice? This one-armed kid really thinks he's a sword expert."

"Exactly, who doesn't know that the deeper your internal energy, the faster your sword technique becomes? What's this Sharp Sword level? I'm the Invincible Level."

"The white-haired kid wants to become famous. He should go somewhere else. This is a stage for sword experts. Be careful, or you'll be beaten so badly your mother won't recognize you." One person whispered cautiously, glancing around to make sure no one heard.

"Do you want to die? Didn't you hear the innkeeper say only those at the Xiantian realm can go up? You—idiot—do you even know what the Xiantian realm is? Be careful, or someone will kick you to death."

...

Below the platform, there was a burst of laughter. Yang Guo remained calm, feeling a bit nostalgic. If it were three years ago, he would have argued with these people, but now he was calm.

But Ye Gucheng did not speak. He looked at the weathered young man before him and felt that he had been at this level before the age of twenty, with a fierce and powerful sword technique.

"The second realm is the Flexible Sword level, where every move is an attack, every technique seeks change, and victory is achieved through speed and agility. The body and movements are as ghostly and ethereal as light smoke." Yang Guo said.

"Flexible Sword? Does he think it's a dance in a brothel? What Flexible Sword?" Many people below the platform could no longer hold back their laughter.

"A sword should be powerful, cutting any enemy in half with one strike."

"I bet the next level is the Top Rank level. This white-haired kid must be thinking about women." Yang Guo, hearing this clearly, shot a cold glance, scaring the person into retreating.

Below the platform, Lu Xiaofeng's expression changed slightly. This was not far from his current level of sword technique. Was he that unlucky to be at the second level?

"Xi Men Chuixue, does what he said make sense?" Lu Xiaofeng asked Xi Men Chuixue, who was in a daze.

Xi Men Chuixue nodded lightly, recalling his own journey in swordsmanship. He had indeed gone through this stage, using the subtlety of his sword technique to kill无形中, many opponents found it hard to withstand a single strike.

"The third realm is the Heavy Sword level, where the sword has no sharp edge, and simplicity is the ultimate skill." Yang Guo continued, ignoring the comments.

"Truly a master at the Xiantian realm. The one-armed hero makes a lot of sense." The person who had just cursed Yang Guo praised him, looking at the silent experts around him, realizing that what the man said was indeed reasonable.

"Who knows if he's just guessing? The third realm is so powerful, and I haven't even reached the first level. I'm known as the 'Little Sword Saint' in the world." Someone said, still not giving up.

"I'm known as the 'Sword God' in the world."

"If you reach the fourth and fifth realms, will there be any opponents left in the world?"

"Xi Men Chuixue, what do you think the next level should be?" Lu Xiaofeng asked curiously, knowing his friend had long reached this level.

"Without a sword." Xi Men Chuixue said after a moment of silence. This was the sword technique he pursued, loyal to the sword, able to be heartless, able to abandon the world.

"Is that so? Then what is the fifth realm?" Lu Xiaofeng asked, wondering how one could practice swordsmanship without a sword.

"The fourth level is the Wooden Sword level, where grass, wood, bamboo, and stone can all be used as swords." Yang Guo said.

"So powerful, wouldn't that make him a god? How can grass and wood kill people?" The martial artists below were shocked. If someone reached this level, would they still be human?

"Right, during a fight, throwing a handful of stones would be like flying swords."

"Perhaps only the legendary gods can do that."

...

The experts in the Multiverse Tower all had serious expressions. Sword techniques and other martial arts had commonalities, and most of them were striving for this goal. Now, they were being told that this was only the fourth realm.

"The fifth level is the realm of No Sword, No Technique." Yang Guo did not care what others thought, and after finishing, he looked at Ye Gucheng, waiting for his response.

"I have lost." After a long silence, Ye Gucheng said heavily. He and Xi Men Chuixue had long reached the realm of no sword, where the person and the sword were one. But what was the realm of no sword, no technique?

"What is no technique?" Xi Men Chuixue asked, looking up at Yang Guo from below the platform.

"No sword in hand, no sword in mind." Yang Guo said after some thought. This was the realm Dugu Qiubai had reached.

"Damn! Without a sword, how can you practice swordsmanship?" The martial artists below were confused. What did this mean?

"Has anyone reached this realm?" Ye Gucheng, who was slowly walking down from the platform, suddenly asked.

"Yes, the person you just defeated, his sword technique was created by that great master."

******

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