Chapter 122: Lu Yuan’s Blade

Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Lu Yuan’s Blade

"Alright, enough nonsense. He’s a High Tier Eighth Grade now and wants to spar!" A Seventh-Grade Martial Artist stepped forward to take control of the situation. If they allowed this disruption to continue, the Huasha Sect wouldn’t be able to teach its disciples anymore.

"That’s right. I want to challenge the top ten of the Huasha Sect’s Outer Sect! If they aren’t here, I’ll take my leave." Lu Yuan nodded, cutting straight to the chase. He intended to finish this quickly and move on to the next sect.

"Asking for the top ten right off the bat—are you too confident in yourself, or are you looking down on our Huasha Sect?"

"Exactly! Do you think our Huasha Sect is some small-time faction with only a few dozen people?"

"Senior Brother Zhen is the only one here in the Outer Sect’s top ten!"

"He might not have made the top ten before, but recently, his inner and outer states have reached perfect clarity, and his Gang Qi has reached perfection! His combat power has surged! He’s definitely in the top ten, maybe even the top five!"

"You think anyone can just challenge Senior Brother Zhen whenever they please?"

"That’s right! You’ll have to get past me first. Let me test you!" Another Huasha Sect disciple stepped forward.

He was a High Tier Eighth Grade martial artist with a build similar to the previous young man. The Huasha Sect focused primarily on Body Refining, and their Cultivation Techniques inherently influenced physical development. This man hailed from Xizhou, having trained there for years before arriving in the Jade Capital less than half a year ago. Among the Eighth Grade martial artists in this courtyard, he ranked in the top three. Aside from Zhen Zilong, he was the most qualified to test Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan furrowed his brow slightly. He drew a saber and delivered a forceful slash.

SWISH, SWISH, SWISH!

Streaks of Saber Qi materialized, crisscrossing like fine silk threads. In an instant, they enveloped an area of about ten feet. The piercing saber intent forced all the Huasha Sect disciples in the courtyard to retreat again and again, their faces filled with shock.

"This Saber Technique..." The disciple who had just stepped up to challenge Lu Yuan instantly backed down. It was too powerful! He could already see the sheer force behind that strike; if it were concentrated on a single point, his Gang Qi wouldn’t be able to block it. "I yield."

"I’ll do it!" Zhen Zilong stepped out from the crowd. He could see that he was the only one capable of fighting this battle.

Although he had just been through a fierce fight and consumed a significant amount of stamina, he felt confident facing Lu Yuan, whom he vaguely remembered. He just hadn’t expected that after only a few days apart, Lu Yuan would be capable of challenging him directly.

"I accept your challenge," Zhen Zilong said.

"Are you sure you rank in the top ten of the Huasha Sect’s Outer Sect?" Lu Yuan asked.

Zhen Zilong was left speechless. To think his qualifications were actually being questioned. And by Lu Yuan, of all people...

"I know you’ve had an epiphany and your cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds recently. But defeating me is still impossible! As for my strength within the Huasha Sect’s Outer Sect, I am confident I can reach the top five, perhaps even the top three!"

"Good. Then let’s begin," Lu Yuan said, holding his saber in one hand.

"I’ll let you make the first move."

Gang Qi circulated around Zhen Zilong’s body as he stood bare-handed, choosing not to use a weapon.

"Fine!" Lu Yuan decisively launched a strike.

SWISH, SWISH, SWISH!

Another wave of Saber Qi slashed out from several meters away, carrying the same piercing and sharp edge. This time, the attack was targeted, focusing entirely on Zhen Zilong. However, the distance was too great, diluting its power. The strikes were easily blocked upon contacting his Gang Qi; they could hardly even draw Zhen Zilong’s attention.

WHOOSH!

But the moment the Saber Qi was unleashed, Lu Yuan moved. Trailing right behind his own Saber Qi, he rapidly closed the gap and appeared right in front of Zhen Zilong, slashing wildly again and again.

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!

BANG, BANG, BANG!

Zhen Zilong expanded his Gang Qi, blocking the flurry of blows with ease. As a renowned genius of the Huasha Sect’s Outer Sect, even if his innate aptitude wasn’t top-tier, it was still upper-average. Now, with his internal organs fully developed, his Gang Qi perfected, and the unique Body Refining Fist Technique of the Huasha Sect at his disposal, his combat power might not be in the absolute highest tier among Jade Capital Eighth-Grade Martial Artists, but it definitely fell squarely into the second tier. It would not be easy for Lu Yuan’s saber to break through his True Gang defense.

"Is this all you have? If this is it, you might as well concede," Zhen Zilong said calmly and effortlessly. He hadn’t even gone on the offensive yet. If he threw a punch, a single strike would be enough to shatter all those flashes of saber light.

"You speak too soon!" Lu Yuan abruptly shifted his stance and delivered a full-force slash.

SLICE!

This strike packed immense power. It caved in the protective layer of Gang Qi under tremendous pressure, but Zhen Zilong managed to halt it by extending a single hand.

"Your power isn’t bad, but it’s still lacking," Zhen Zilong remarked. His inner and outer states were perfectly unified now, and his Gang Qi was perfected. His defense would not be broken so easily.

"Senior Brother Zhen is still the best!"

"To think he actually challenged Senior Brother Zhen. He overestimated himself!"

"Did he really think all Eighth-Grade martial artists are the same?"

"Not everyone is like that guy from before—possessing top-tier innate aptitude and boundless strength."

"True. That guy from before just had too much physical strength and far too much power... otherwise, Senior Brother Zhen wouldn’t have..."

The Huasha Sect disciples regained some of their confidence. After all, confidence was always won back through battle. It was a pity this challenger’s strength was somewhat lacking; he wasn’t nearly as formidable as his boasting suggested.

"It is indeed lacking." Lu Yuan flashed backward and drew a second saber. "Let’s try this next."

"You..." Zhen Zilong frowned, thoroughly astonished. Dual blades!

"What does he mean by drawing another saber?"

"Dual Blade Style? He’s a Dual Blade Style martial artist!"

"Dual Blade Style!"

"Dual Blade Style!"

The Huasha Sect disciples were all shocked, their expressions shifting drastically.

The Dual Blade Style was exceptionally famous and boasted a glorious track record. Especially among those below the Eighth Grade, its practitioners were often dubbed "killing machines." Once two long sabers were brandished together...

Of course, that only applied if the Dual Blade Style had been cultivated to major completion. Otherwise, the stance would be riddled with flaws, making the user easy prey for true experts.

Was this person really a Dual Blade Style practitioner? Had he refined it to the pinnacle of perfection, giving him the confidence to use it in this kind of duel?

"Alright, let me see your Dual Blade Style!" Zhen Zilong’s interest was piqued. In addition to his fist techniques, he was also adept at wielding a saber. The Gale Saber Technique he practiced even included a Dual Blade Style variant, though unfortunately, he had never managed to master it. But now...

"Be careful!" Lu Yuan warned before charging forward once again.

This time...

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!

BANG, BANG, BANG!

With two sabers, his movements were wider, his speed faster, and his power greater. Most importantly, the coordination between the two blades wasn’t simply a matter of adding an extra slash or two.

As the dual sabers danced, the blades rapidly clashed against the Gang Qi. Even though perfected Gang Qi was thick, pure, powerful, and flawlessly defensive, defending a single point of attack was vastly different from defending two or more points being struck simultaneously or in rapid succession. The defender’s power would be dispersed, easily leading to a loss of balance in their response. Furthermore, the dual sabers covered a much wider attack range, exacerbating this vulnerability.

Moreover, there was another point that outsiders easily overlooked. Lu Yuan’s innate aptitude had already reached 190 points, a mere 10 points shy of top-tier. His physical strength was nearly three times that of other martial artists at the same grade. His Gang Qi was purer, and his overall power was stronger—not falling far behind Zhen Zilong’s current state. The perfected Dual Blade Style more than made up for any slight deficiencies in his Gang Qi. Therefore, when Lu Yuan went all out in his wild slashing frenzy, Zhen Zilong’s defenses quickly buckled under the pressure.

He thought, "I can’t just be a sitting duck!"

"Break!" Zhen Zilong’s Gang Qi abruptly erupted, deflecting all the saber blades and forcing Lu Yuan back. Immediately after, he retracted his Gang Qi, condensing it tightly against his body like a protective garment of gauze. Seizing the momentum, he threw a fierce punch to counterattack.

BANG!

The terrifying force of the punch instantly blasted the space in front of him, creating shockwaves that rippled out for several meters.

WHOOSH!

Lu Yuan sidestepped and hurriedly dodged the blow. He then swiftly closed the distance again, bringing his dual sabers down in a furious barrage of slashes aimed squarely at Zhen Zilong’s flank.