Chapter 160
One of them was an acquaintance of Si Ming, and also one of the team members who had fought side by side before. The one who claimed to be a Confucian School disciple who came to apply for Tange No. 1 Middle School because he admired Murong Zhe, was Qian Yu. As always, he had a gentle smile on his face, which was as refreshing as a spring breeze.
The other person was naturally the challenger Tao Chengsi mentioned. He had a blazing smile and was full of energy. Compared to the so-called sunny boy, he was more aggressive, like a beast galloping under the sun.
Clearly, before Si Ming arrived at the Weiyang Hall, the two sides had reached some kind of competition agreement, which is why Ke Chajing, the strongest player, did not participate, but instead sent the newly joined Qian Yu.
Before the match, Si Ming learned that the challenger's name was He Qichang after the two exchanged names.
"Another strange name, He Qichang, He Qichang? Is he trying to show off how long some part of his body is?"
Just as Si Ming was criticizing the other person's name, the two clashed.
Qian Yu brandished his Judging Official, unleashing a move called "The Brush Moves Like Dragons and Snakes," the tip of the pen drawing an elusive, zigzagging curve as it pierced his opponent's neck.
He Qichang laughed heartily, drew the knife hanging at his side, and with a swift motion, precisely struck the Judging Official, parrying his opponent's attack head-on. Then, he stepped forward, pressing his advantage relentlessly, unleashing his full swordsmanship, sweeping over like a storm.
Qian Yu suffered a setback and, seeing the opponent's overwhelming strength, had no choice but to avoid their sharp edge. He then used the Eight Trigrams of the Primordial Chaos to move freely and smoothly, unifying his four extremities and rapidly circling around his opponent. His footwork was swift and agile, and he unleashed a series of attacks with his Judging Official, avoiding the strong and striking the weak, aiming for the vital points.
Pointing Out Rivers and Mountains, Splashing Ink Across the World Brandishing with Vigor, displaying Scholar's Spirit, Dream Brush Blossoms, and Brush Slays and Ink Attacks...
Each stroke of the brush, derived from calligraphy, was executed by Qian Yu with exquisite skill, brimming with artistic beauty and providing a visual treat, as if he were not fighting, but rather copying a painting or calligraphy.
However, no matter what moves Qian Yu used, he could not break through his opponent's defense. Every time he was about to finish a move, he would be stopped by a sudden slash. Whether it was a feint or a real move, he could not fool the defense.
He Qichang's sword always managed to find the Judging Official's pen and strike with precision. His swordsmanship was sharp, swift, and decisive, as if it were specifically designed to interrupt the opponent's moves. Although he was on the defensive, he gave the impression of having seized the initiative.
Tao Chengsi said, "This is bad. The opponent has completely taken control of the rhythm. If this continues, Qian Yu is likely to lose."
Si Ming noticed another detail. "See that? There's another knife hanging from his side. I wonder if it's to prevent the weapon from slipping from his hand, or if he's actually a dual-wielder?"
Tao Chengsi sighed, "The former is fine; at most, we can guard against his sneak attack of throwing the knife directly. But the latter proves that the other side still has considerable strength left, so perhaps we can just surrender."
Taking the opportunity, Si Ming asked, "Why didn't the Captain go himself? Surely it wasn't to find out the enemy's strength that he sent Qian Yu to lead the charge?"
Given Ke Chajing's strength, even if He Qichang is truly skilled in dual-wielding, he still has a much higher chance of winning. The challenger's strength is not as great as Si Ming imagined.
"Because the other side is also a first-year student," Tao Chengsi explained. "I don't know how the two sides negotiated, but in the end, the Captain agreed to only send first-year students from our school to fight in order to be fair."
His tone was rather dismissive, because the other party clearly came prepared and had definitely planned a scheme in advance. Agreeing to their conditions was obviously exactly what they wanted.
Tao Chengsi was confident that if he were in charge of the negotiations, even if it wasn't a case of "we don't need to talk about chivalry, we have to fight side by side against the challenger," it would definitely be an unlimited war of attrition, beating the other side so badly they wouldn't even recognize their own mothers.
Si Ming suddenly said, "The Heavenly Formation resides in Qian (☰) as the Heavenly Gate, the Earthly Formation resides in Kun (☷) as the Earthly Gate, the Wind Formation resides in Xun (☴) as the Wind Gate, and the Cloud Formation resides in Zhen (☳) as the Cloud Gate. Heaven, Earth, Wind, and Cloud are the Four Cardinal Gates, Dragon, Tiger, Bird, and Wind are the Four Extraordinary Gates, Qian, Kun, Gen, and Xun are the Closing Gates, and Kan, Li, Zhen, and Dui are the Opening Gates. The Four Cardinal Gates and Four Extraordinary Gates, the Four Opening Gates and Four Closing Gates—the opponent is using the Eight Trigrams Form-Intent Saber."
The book "Dunjia Heavenly Movement" that he had studied contained content on the Eight Trigrams Formation, and he immediately saw through He Qichang's true nature.
Tao Chengsi said, "If it's a sword technique based on the Eight Trigrams, Qian Yu might still have a slight chance of winning."
Just then, Qian Yu turned his footwork and stepped precisely onto the eye of the Bagua Formation, making it difficult for He Qichang his sword. Otherwise, he would have exposed his vital points to Qian Yu. Forced by circumstances, he had no choice but to take a step back.
But He Qichang retreated, Qian Yu followed closely behind, once again stepping into the formation's core.
He Qichang and change again, Qian Yu will chase after you again.
Step by step, Qian Yu retreated, then pursued, and without expending a single soldier, he He Qichang into a perilous situation, as if all the previous offensives were merely paving the way for this turning point.
Tao Chengsi said, "Whether it's a two-handed sword technique or if the skill has stopped there, we'll soon find out."
Most of the onlookers shared the same thought: if He Qichang wanted to break out of the predicament, he had to demonstrate strength that completely surpassed his previous performance, and using a double-edged sword was undoubtedly the best way to break the deadlock.
However, He Qichang did not draw his sword.
He forcefully swung his sword at the Judging Official, but unsurprisingly, because the key to the formation was blocked, he was unable to exert any force and his stance was easily broken, sending him flying.
Just as Qian Yu stepped forward, about to deliver the decisive blow, He Qichang suddenly turned his body, gripped the blade in Anomalies way, and his internal True Qi suddenly erupted.
"Demon Blade - Rushing Thunder!"
A flash of lightning, followed by a swift and deadly strike—simple and ferocious!
Almost no one present saw He Qichang's actions clearly. When they came to their senses, they saw He Qichang holding a knife to Qian Yu's neck, turning the tide from the brink of defeat!
"You're too kind."
He Qichang sheathed his sword and clasped his hands in a fist salute. Although he looked wild, he was not at all negligent in his manners.
Qian Yu glanced at the sword hanging at the other's waist, shook his head with a wry smile, and said with great composure, "I concede defeat."
Then, he went down to the Captain Ke Chajing, and apologized.
Ke Chajing did not blame Qian Yu. With her keen eyesight, she could naturally see the difference in strength between the two. Qian Yu had done her best, and it was she who failed to see the strength of her opponent.
One team member eagerly said, "Captain, let me do it. Qian Yu almost won. The opponent only managed to win by surprise. Now that their trump card has been revealed, as long as we are on guard, they won't be able to use the same trick again."
Ke Chajing glared at her and snapped, "You can't even see the opponent's strength? Sending you would only humiliate yourself. Shut up!"
Standing beside him, Vice Captain Hu Jixian, "This is troublesome. The Eight Trigrams Form-Intent Saber was indeed just a decoy. The opponent's specialty is the Demon Blade Art. This saber technique is unpredictable and extremely difficult to deal with. It's usually only taught in university. Although Qian's strength is only average among the freshmen, the opponent hasn't drawn a second saber. Taking this hidden strength into account, I'm afraid none of our new recruits can withstand two strikes."
He kept saying it was troublesome, but his expression remained smiling, showing no trace of annoyance.
"Shut up, stop saying things that boost others' morale while diminishing our own. Today is the new team's induction test; if we ruin it, it will damage the entire school team's image."
Ke Chajing complained, but her words proved that she completely trusted the vice- Captain's judgment. Since the other party dared to come and provoke them, they must have special skills and would not be easy to deal with. The knife at their waist could not be just for decoration.
After looking around, Ke Chajing quickly noticed a reflection in the crowd, then focused her gaze on Si Ming and said, "You've come at the right time. You'll be in charge from now on. If you win, I won't hold it against you for not showing up the other day."
Despite her confident demeanor, she wasn't entirely sure if Si Ming could defeat He Qichang. Judging from Si Ming's performance during the special recruitment, she feared he was more likely to lose. However, she didn't have any better options and had no choice but to try anything.
Si Ming naturally wouldn't refuse such a great opportunity to steal the spotlight. To make a grand entrance under the spotlight, turn the tide, and successfully uphold the school team's honor—could there be a better way to make a debut?