Chapter 153: Three Swords to Victory
Although they understood Shi Chongyun’s intentions, Gong Muhong, Daoist Chuan, and the four women from Wu Village still felt a knot of anxiety in their stomachs.
Li Yan, as Gang Leader Huang’s disciple, was undoubtedly a skilled martial artist.
He was also much older than Shi Chongyun, his training far more extensive.
Even if Shi Chongyun was stronger, defeating him in just three moves seemed impossible.
In their eyes, Shi Chongyun had shown exceptional intelligence and eloquence throughout their journey.
But now, he seemed to have lost his mind.
Even if he was confident, why provoke Li Yan and then limit himself to three moves?
Elder Jing hesitated, “You two…”
Zhao Xuanding, the Canyon Stabilizer, said, “Brother Jing, let them fight. Young men are hot-blooded. Trying to stop them is pointless.”
Elder Jing sighed, “Very well, but please, show restraint. Don’t let a momentary dispute end in tragedy.” He didn’t want either the Hanyang Gang leader’s disciple or this young Daoist to die here.
Li Yan, however, snorted, a murderous glint in his eyes.
They faced each other in the courtyard. Li Yan gripped the hilt of his saber, his killing intent palpable.
He had never been so insulted in his life.
Despite his anger, he remained cautious.
As the saying went, “Skill breeds courage.” This young man’s brazen challenge suggested he had a hidden trump card.
Although he believed Shi Chongyun was arrogant and overconfident, he was also wary of a potential surprise attack. That’s why he had agreed to the three-move limit.
He decided to focus on defense, waiting for an opening.
He stood there, his saber still sheathed, his energy restrained, making Gong Muhong, Daoist Chuan, and the others even more worried.
Li Yan was clearly skilled, and despite being provoked, he was still rational, choosing a defensive strategy. How could Shi Chongyun possibly win?
After all, he was the one who had issued the challenge, the one who had set the three-move limit. If this dragged on, he would be the one humiliated.
Du Yuejiao and Xu Xiaoyan, however, stood calmly by the side, their faces impassive.
The crowd grew larger, whispering among themselves. Although they hoped this Daoist priest would teach the arrogant Li Yan a lesson, they doubted he could actually defeat him in just three moves.
Shi Chongyun stood motionless, his posture steady and unwavering. He even smiled at Li Yan, “Since we’re fighting, why not raise the stakes? If I can’t defeat you in three moves, I’ll cripple my own cultivation. And if I win, do you have the guts to answer one question?”
Li Yan snorted, “Fine by me.”
Shi Hao said, “Then prepare yourself.” He took a step forward.
As he did, his figure seemed to grow larger, his presence more imposing.
It was a strange phenomenon. A moment ago, he had been like a towering mountain; now, he was like the rising sun, his aura radiant and overwhelming.
Even before he drew his sword, a wave of sword intent, like a surging tide, washed over Li Yan.
Li Yan’s face paled.
To the others, the young Daoist had suddenly become a dazzling, almost god-like figure.
And for Li Yan, facing him directly, the sensation was even more intense, as if half the world was pressing down on him.
With each step Shi Hao took, the pressure increased, the invisible sword intent suffocating him, making him feel smaller and smaller, like an ant beneath a giant’s foot.
One step, then another.
Although Shi Hao hadn’t even attacked, Li Yan’s confidence wavered.
He couldn’t believe it. He was certain Shi Chongyun was using some kind of mind control technique.
But he was powerless against it. He felt that if this continued, he would collapse before the fight even began.
Suddenly, he roared, drawing his saber, a flash of light arcing towards Shi Chongyun.
A faint black aura flickered along the blade. A single scratch, and the poison, carried by the blade’s energy, would enter the victim’s body, burning their meridians and sealing their throat.
A true expert’s skill was evident in their every move.
As Shi Chongyun had approached, his aura had grown steadily stronger, like a rising tide, transforming him into a blazing sun.
Now, as Li Yan drew his saber, Gong Muhong, Daoist Chuan, and the others’ faces paled.
Before the blade was drawn, they had still seen Li Yan.
But now, they only saw a black streak of light, like a bolt of lightning, tearing through space towards Shi Chongyun.
His focus, his energy, his spirit, all converged into a single, unstoppable strike.
Li Yan was even more skilled than they had anticipated.
As the black blade light flashed, Shi Chongyun’s imposing aura seemed to dissipate.
Now, they were worried, not about whether he could win in three moves, but whether he could even survive this attack.
Shi Hao’s mind, however, remained calm and clear, like a still pond.
Li Yan was indeed powerful. His saber strike, so swift and ferocious, had dispelled the aura Shi Hao had carefully cultivated.
But Shi Hao had achieved his goal… He had forced Li Yan to attack with his full power.
If Li Yan had remained on the defensive, Shi Hao wouldn’t have been able to defeat him in three moves.
Facing Li Yan’s attack, Shi Hao extended his Primordial Energy, sensing his every move, every subtle shift in his grip, the strength in his arm, even the movement of his fingers.
Beneath the ferocious, all-out assault, a hidden, secondary attack lay in wait.
In the Primordial Grotto Heaven, Shi Hao had traveled to the Celestial Realm with the Holy Jade Immortal.
Although only in spirit, his body remaining behind, he had spent a “year” there, learning countless sword techniques, sparring with the Holy Jade Immortal, her power suppressed to match his own.
Although just a mental exercise, that “year” of constant practice and refinement, of analyzing and integrating various techniques, had significantly improved his understanding of martial arts.
As Li Yan’s saber descended like a thunderbolt, Shi Hao drew his sword.
A dazzling display of starlight erupted around him, swirling and shifting like a miniature galaxy.
Li Yan’s attack, like a mud ox entering the sea, was swallowed by the swirling stars, its power dissipated.
Li Yan was shocked, but he couldn’t stop his momentum.
He shifted his weight, his saber twisting slightly, preparing his secondary attack.
His confidence, however, had wavered.
He knew his opponent had seen through his plan.
If Shi Chongyun blocked his attack with full force, he would be caught off guard by the hidden technique and then killed by the secondary strike. And if he held back, Li Yan would unleash the poison in his blade.
But Shi Chongyun’s strength was perfectly measured, his sword meeting Li Yan’s saber at the most vulnerable point.
Although Li Yan unleashed his secondary attack, it was weak and ineffective.
And the swirling starlight around Shi Chongyun suddenly converged into a single, brilliant strike, “One!”
A resounding crash, an explosion of light, and Li Yan, his internal energy disrupted, was thrown backwards.
“Two!” Shi Hao’s sword flashed, creating a whirlwind of energy that spiraled downwards.
Li Yan blocked with his saber, another deafening crash, and he coughed up blood, his saber snapping in two.
“Li Yan!” Shi Hao pressed his attack, his imposing aura bearing down on his opponent, “Who is Cui Qiang, the ‘Four Extremes Nether Inversion,’ to you?”
Li Yan, his saber broken, his internal organs shaken, his mind reeling, was overwhelmed by Shi Hao’s sudden question and his powerful aura, enhanced by the Sacred Heart Clear Mirror Technique.
Shi Hao used a subtle hypnotic technique from the Nine Yin Demonic Transformations, his gaze piercing, and Li Yan, his mind seemingly unlocked, blurted out, “My uncle?”
Shi Hao laughed, “Your uncle!” Swish!
His sword flashed, “Three!”
Li Yan, dropping his broken saber, clutched his throat and stumbled backwards.
After three steps, blood spurted from between his fingers, his head tilting to the side as he collapsed, his eyes wide open, blood pooling around him.
Shi Hao sheathed his sword and turned to Elder Jing, “Elder, Huang Facai, the leader of the Hanyang Gang, is a disciple of Cui Qiang, the ‘Four Extremes Nether Inversion,’ one of Hong Chui’s top generals. He’s clearly acting on Hong Chui’s orders, intending to conquer the Ba Shu region.
“You know what kind of man Hong Chui is. If he controls this region, the consequences will be devastating. Elder Jing, indecision is a weakness. Either surrender to the Hanyang Gang, becoming their accomplice and earning eternal infamy, or unite with the other eight villages and fight for the people of the Ba Mountains.
“Choose wisely, Elder Jing.”
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