Chapter 628: The Realm of Geniuses

A girl and a boy stood facing each other on the duel stage.

“Long time no see. You doing okay?”

“Yes! Have you been well too, Senior?”

Unlike their beefy predecessors, both were slender and looked childlike. On top of that, even though they were about to duel, they greeted each other with warm smiles rather than wary stares. If not for the swords at their waists, one might have thought they had met to socialize instead of fight.

“The tip of your sword got even sharper while I wasn’t looking.”

“You’re one to talk, Senior. You’ve changed a lot since the last time I saw you.”

His sword came down from above like a thunderbolt to meet it.

Their clear, bright eyes swept over each other as their hands slowly settled onto their sword hilts. Beneath the girl’s impish smile and the boy’s guileless one, an odd, taut current of tension lurked.

The two swordsmanship geniuses representing their academies, the Azure Dragon Academy’s Sword Wonder, Wiji Cheon, and the Vermilion Phoenix Academy’s Sword Phoenix, Yeon Soha, stood ready to go head to head.

Every spectator, especially swordsmen, gazed intently at the stage, determined not to miss a single moment. Quite a few of them were masters who had already achieved fame as swordsmen.

“I heard that the Azure Dragon Hero taught his disciple the Sword Saint’s Unlimited Sword. If that’s true, then the outcome is pretty obvious, isn’t it?”

From a certain point onwards, Wiji Cheon and Yeon Soha barely crossed blades at all.

“Have you heard of Yeon Soha of the Vermilion Phoenix Academy? She was taught personally by the Sword Sage himself. Her martial arts doesn’t fall short at all.”

“We might be looking at the future greatest swordmaster...”

Both swordsmen gave the fight their all from the very first move. The Unlimited Sword and the Taiji Wisdom Sword’s trajectories intertwined wildly, and sparks flew every time the blades collided.

“Aren’t you getting a bit carried away?”

“Whatever the result, we get to see the swordsmanship of the Sword Saint and the Sword Sage at the same time. Our eyes are in for a real treat today.”

The mere fact that Wiji Cheon and Yeon Soha were successors of the Sword Saint and the Sword Sage respectively was enough to draw countless spectators to this duel.

Currently, the Azure Dragon Academy’s Sword Dragon Dokgo Jun and the Heavenly Martial Academy’s Taiqing Sword Chwi So’ok had been eliminated, and Shaolin’s Divine Dragon Ilgak had sworn off the sword for the rest of the tournament. Wiji Cheon and Yeon Soha were the only swordsmen left competing. Whoever won this duel would be the sole remaining swordsman in the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament.

“In other words, this duel will decide the greatest swordsman of the younger generation,” someone muttered.

Their innate talent, accumulated effort, intuition, and instinct all came together to create a very strange sight.

The people around him nodded solemnly.

Under the weight of so many expectant eyes, most would have crumbled, but Wiji Cheon and Yeon Soha were focused only on each other.

The mere fact that Wiji Cheon and Yeon Soha were successors of the Sword Saint and the Sword Sage respectively was enough to draw countless spectators to this duel.

“Begin whenever you are ready,” the Heavenly Martial Principal announced, stepping back with a smile.

““......””

Still, neither duelist moved for a long moment. They simply watched each other in silence.

“Long time no see. You doing okay?”

Suddenly, they both drew their swords at the same time.

SHING!

Both swordsmen let out slow, deep breaths, and their figures blurred as they dropped low and rushed at each other.

WHOOSH!

Their hair whipped backward violently. Meeting at the center of the stage, they thrust their swords at each other, still wearing the same warm smiles with which they had greeted each other.

“The tip of your sword got even sharper while I wasn’t looking.

CLANG CLANG CLANG!

Both swordsmen gave the fight their all from the very first move. The Unlimited Sword and the Taiji Wisdom Sword’s trajectories intertwined wildly, and sparks flew every time the blades collided.

As expected, she’s strong, Wiji Cheon thought.

From a certain point onwards, Wiji Cheon and Yeon Soha barely crossed blades at all.

He’s grown even more since then, Yeon Soha thought.

Since they fought the Blood Cult together barely more than a month ago, they understood each other’s swordsmanship better than anyone else. Now, the two swords that had once acted as one, protecting each other through a life-or-death battle, hunted for each other’s openings.

CLANG!

Wiji Cheon furrowed his brow. The recoil from the clashing blades was weaker than he expected, indicating that his attempt to wear her out had failed. This was the first time he had miscalculated since the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament began.

“Aren’t you underestimating me a little too much?” Yeon Soha asked, her eyes flashing sharply behind her smile.

The blades parted for a moment and locked again. With each clash, shards of sword qi scattered in all directions. Dozens of silver trails hung in the air like the tails of meteors, carving deep grooves into the floor of the dueling stage.

The Taiji Wisdom Sword was defined by unending gentle curves, which allowed it to transition between offense and defense as naturally as flowing water. Fail to break that rhythm, and an opponent would be sucked right into the current.

And that’s not all.

Yeon Soha’s genius had transformed Wudang’s divine art , resulting in a swordsmanship that was free, bold, and utterly unpredictable. She could deliver a lethal strike at any moment, seemingly out of nowhere.

SWISH!

Yeon Soha’s sword grazed Wiji Cheon’s cheek, but he did not so much as blink. Instead, he boldly closed the gap and broke through her guard.

“Begin whenever you are ready,” the Heavenly Martial Principal announced, stepping back with a smile.

The two of them were nearly the same height. They traded blows in the blink of an eye. Against an opponent so close in skill, victory was impossible without taking some damage.

“I’d never underestimate you.”

“...Ha!” Yeon Soha laughed in disbelief as Wiji Cheon advanced fearlessly, fully prepared to be wounded.

Although only a little time had passed, for a genius, that was more than enough to elevate his swordsmanship to the next level.

The First Unlimited Slash pierced her afterimage, narrowly missing her.

CLAANG!

This time, Yeon Soha fared worse. Her hand throbbed from the impact. If it were the her from a month ago, she would have surrendered the upper hand completely right then.

However, she was every bit as extraordinary a swordswoman. With a flourish, she transferred her sword to her left hand, blocked the Unlimited Sword’s onslaught, and launched herself into the air with the Wudang Sect’s Cloud Steps.

In the increasingly silent arena, only the Heavenly Martial Principal burst out laughing, drunk on pure ecstasy.

SHWACK!

The First Unlimited Slash pierced her afterimage, narrowly missing her.

Following the fierce exchange, the pair backed away from each other, creating some distance.

“Hoo...”

Wiji Cheon’s chest rose and fell heavily, not from exhaustion, but from excitement. His sword hand was trembling slightly. For the first time since the start of the tournament, he acknowledged the possibility of defeat. Even so, the smile on his lips only widened.

“Pfft!” A similar smile spread across Yeon Soha’s face.

Wiji Cheon tilted his head. Her breathing had roughened slightly since the fight began, and he could faintly smell alcohol on her breath. “Um...have you been drinking?”