Chapter 25

Hua Zibang's version of Ye Gucheng

Standing at the entrance of the classroom, Huazai took a deep breath and firmly held the letter containing the secret given to him by his mother.

"It seems the visitor has ill intentions," Liu Tingtao said with a cold snort and instructed the servant, "Go tell the visitor that in ten days, I, Liu Tingtao, will set up a platform here to welcome the challenge!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Oh? Setting up a platform, are you trying to intimidate me?" Outside the door, Luo Fan heard the servant's report and turned to leave.

Tianxiang Tower in Luoyang.

"Have you heard? Someone is challenging the He Luo Liu family!" A thin, middle-aged man said to the people around him.

Soon, someone nearby exclaimed, "Who has the nerve to do this? Everyone knows that Old Hero Liu is invincible in He Luo. Who dares to challenge him?"

"I heard from a servant of Piaoxu Manor that it's a black-faced giant wielding two large axes!"

"Nonsense! It's a handsome young man with a silver sword!"

"You're the one talking nonsense. I heard it's a woman named Ye Qincheng, who is so beautiful that she could topple a nation. Her chest, her hips..."

...

"Master, are they talking about you?" Not far away, a young man in a white robe whispered to the man in black beside him.

The man in black poured himself a cup of wine, took a sip, and said with a black line on his forehead, "It should... not be me."

The ten days passed quickly. The Liu family set up a twenty-zhang circular platform in front of their house. Liu Tingtao, dressed in a brocade robe, with his slightly gray hair neatly combed, stood on the platform with a dignified expression, holding a sword and closing his eyes to rest.

The platform was surrounded by people, including many martial artists and ordinary citizens who had come to watch the spectacle. It was already noon, and the crowd below began to murmur:

"Is that person too scared to come?"

"I think it's possible. Old Hero Liu is invincible in He Luo. Who would dare to challenge him?"

"Exactly. I heard it's just a young man around thirty. How much skill could he have?"

"Didn't they say it's an old man on the verge of death?"

...

After a while, Liu Tingtao suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing in them. Behind the crowd, a man in black flew over from a distance, passing through the crowd and landing gracefully on the platform.

The murmurs below immediately stopped. Liu Tingtao said, "Your lightness skill is impressive!"

"Thank you!"

"Then, please!"

"Please!"

Liu Tingtao, with his calloused hands, grasped the hilt of the ornate silver sword in his chest, drew it out, and stepped forward, quickly closing the distance. He used a move from the Willow Leaf Sword Technique called "Gentle Breeze Brushing the Willow," turning the soft sword into a flurry of willow fluff in the wind, shimmering with silver light, dazzling the eyes. If an ordinary person encountered this move, they would surely panic and not know how to defend. But Luo Fan remained calm, a slight smile on his lips. He drew his sword and calmly blocked Liu Tingtao's soft sword with a single thrust, then pushed it away and turned the sword downward. Liu Tingtao quickly sidestepped, his wrist spinning, and the soft sword swayed toward Luo Fan, a move called "Wind Returning, Fluff Turning" in the Willow Leaf Sword Technique. Luo Fan blocked it, but the soft sword suddenly bent at one-third of its length, easily evading Luo Fan's block, and then Liu Tingtao's soft sword straightened and stabbed toward Luo Fan's chest. At such close range, almost no one could dodge! Luo Fan's face remained calm, and he thrust his sword forward, hitting the guard of Liu Tingtao's soft sword, preventing it from advancing any further!

"Good!" Although they were opponents, Liu Tingtao couldn't help but admire Luo Fan's skill. The Willow Leaf Sword Technique was versatile, and he had defeated countless people with it. Today, someone had calmly blocked it, showing that this person was indeed skilled!

"Good!" The crowd below burst into applause and cheers. In that moment, everyone thought the man in black would lose, but they saw him thrust his sword at the guard of the soft sword, turning a dangerous situation into safety. Everyone applauded and cheered.

Then, the man in black smiled faintly, pressed the hilt down, and used the intersection of the guard and the blade to catch Liu Tingtao's soft sword. He then twisted it, and Liu Tingtao, knowing that if the twist was successful, the soft sword would be disarmed, quickly spun his sword in the same direction. The two swords spun faster and faster, the metal grinding against each other, the circle of the swords growing larger. Then, with a "ding," the two swords separated, and the two men stood facing each other with their swords.

Liu Tingtao smiled and said, "Your sword skill is impressive!"

"Likewise!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the two men attacked simultaneously, their swords colliding in a shower of sparks. Liu Tingtao swung his sword downward, and Luo Fan lightly leaped up, his sword chopping down. Liu Tingtao blocked it, and Luo Fan, holding the sword with both hands, pressed down, causing a crack in the wooden platform. Liu Tingtao's body sank, and he hid under the floor. Suddenly, Luo Fan lifted his right foot, and a sword tip pierced through the wooden floor, gleaming in the sunlight! Then, Liu Tingtao's soft sword repeatedly stabbed out from under the platform, forcing Luo Fan to retreat. Finally, he kicked off the platform and flew into the air. The sound of breaking wood echoed as a figure in a brocade robe rose into the sky at high speed. The two men clashed in the air several times and then landed on the ground.

On the ground, the two men fought for dozens of moves. Liu Tingtao's moves were unpredictable, but Luo Fan remained calm and graceful, seemingly holding back.

Liu Tingtao, being old, was not as strong as a young man. Knowing he couldn't continue like this, he swung his soft sword and quickly retreated, shouting, "Receive my move, 'Rivers and Mountains Fluttering Fluff'!" His soft sword suddenly split, seeming to turn into countless fluff dancing in the wind. This was the killing move of the Willow Leaf Sword Technique, and even many top-notch martial artists had fallen to it!

Luo Fan's expression remained calm. As the sword shadows approached, he suddenly said, "Heaven, Beyond, Flying, Immortal!"

Liu Tingtao felt a black shadow dart in front of him, and all his moves seemed to miss. Then he heard the crowd gasp. Looking up, he saw the man in black floating in the air, like an immortal, carrying a swift sword light from the west. Liu Tingtao was shocked and quickly raised his sword to block, but the man's sword suddenly tilted downward, aiming for his heart instead of his throat!

"My life is over!" Liu Tingtao, knowing he couldn't dodge, closed his eyes and waited for death. Suddenly, he felt a cool sensation on his left side. Opening his eyes, he saw the sword had deflected two inches, passing through his ribs.

"Ah!" To the crowd, it looked like a heart-piercing strike. The crowd below burst into a wave of gasps, seeing a sword pierce through Liu Tingtao's heart. This sword technique was unheard of! When had such a master appeared in the martial world?

"Father!" At this moment, a cry came from the edge of the platform. A man in his twenties, dressed in brocade, ran up, crying.

"Rubbish!" Liu Tingtao shouted, "I'm fine!"

After saying that, Luo Fan withdrew his sword, and the crowd saw no blood. Liu Tingtao bowed and said, "Mr. Ye, your sword skill is superb. I, Liu, admit defeat!"

The crowd was stunned. Those who were far away saw the heart-piercing strike with no blood and shouted, "Immortal!"

Liu Tingtao took out a small book from his chest and sighed, "Mr. Ye, this is the Liu family's inherited Willow Leaf Sword Technique. I, Liu, admit defeat and will hand over this technique to you, but I hope you don't spread it!"

"Of course." Luo Fan nodded, took the book, and flipped through it. A clear system prompt sounded: "Ding, congratulations, host has obtained the shared fortune of the Willow Leaf Sword Technique, gaining 1000 fortune energy and 1000 fortune points."

Having obtained the fortune points, Luo Fan returned the book, "I have memorized the technique. Here is the book, old sir."

"So fast?" Liu Tingtao took the book, looked at the man in black in surprise, and thought, "Does this person have a photographic memory?"

"Goodbye!" Luo Fan's figure quickly landed outside the crowd, and he walked away with a young man in white.

"Did you understand?" On the road, the man in black asked.

The young man in white answered honestly, "I understood some, but not all."

"You will understand eventually." Luo Fan patted the boy's head and smiled, thinking, "It seems my idea was right. The Nine Yang Divine Skill already allows me to master any martial arts technique easily, and the Nine Swords of Dugu are not bound by sword techniques, so I can imitate Ye Gucheng's sword technique."

At this moment, Yang Guo looked up and asked, "Master, do you know the Ye Gucheng you are pretending to be?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I saw Master's every move was precise, especially the last move, 'Heaven, Beyond, Flying, Immortal,' which felt like a real move."

Luo Fan immediately thought of the final battle in the Forbidden City he had seen on TV and laughed, "Haha, I can say I know him, but he doesn't know me."

"Then, who is better, Master or him?"

"I'm not sure. We haven't fought."

"Then... can you tell me about him?"

"He..." Luo Fan thought for a moment and said, "I'll tell you a story about him."

"Great!" Yang Guo was very excited to hear a story.

"Ye Gucheng is the master of the White Cloud City overseas, with a beautiful and dignified appearance. He has been devoted to the sword since childhood and has a very high talent. He has mastered the highest sword techniques on his own and created the 'Heaven, Beyond, Flying, Immortal' technique, which is renowned as the best in the world..." Then, Luo Fan told Yang Guo the story of "Before and After the Final Battle." Yang Guo was captivated and filled with admiration for the world in the story. When he learned that the person he was pretending to be, Ximen Chuixue, was also a highly skilled swordsman, he excitedly said to Luo Fan, "Master, I want to become such a great swordsman in the future!"

Luo Fan was startled and thought, "Damn, shouldn't you inherit Guo Jing's ideology of serving the country and the people?"

"It seems I'm leading my disciple in the wrong direction..." Luo Fan suddenly realized this.

The sword god Yang Guo, I wonder what kind of rhythm he will bring to the world of the Condor Heroes...

Mobile users, please read at .

Previous page AD starts

Previous page AD ends