Getting Caught in the Crossfire While Eating Melon Seeds

"Sigh, as expected, a dashing man like me, no matter where I am, is like a firefly in the dark—so bright and outstanding that no matter how hard I try to be low-key, I can't hide it."

Si Ming was overjoyed. He had learned martial arts but didn't show off in public; it was truly like wearing fine clothes in the dark.

In ancient times, those who passed the imperial examinations were paraded through the streets to show off, demonstrating that this was a way to realize one's personal value and had little to do with maturity and composure.

If someone is truly indifferent to fame and fortune, why would they learn martial arts for fighting? Practicing Taiji Fist for seniors, maintaining health, chanting scriptures, and cultivating oneself are the right paths.

He pretended to stretch his muscles and was about to go on stage when someone else intercepted him.

"Captain Ke, I'm a new student who plans to apply to join the team today. If I defeat the person on stage, will that mean I've passed the team entry test?"

It was Xia Guanxue who spoke.

Ke Chajing glanced at it and felt that it looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't remember it for a moment, so she nudged the vice Captain next to her with her elbow.

As a well-coordinated partner, Hu Jixian understood and said, "You're Xia Guanxue, the champion of the county's Youth Martial Arts Tournament held earlier this year, right? Are you confident you can win?"

Xia Guanxue said confidently and calmly, "Assuming the opponent is skilled with dual swords, we have about a 60% chance of winning."

Ke Chajing was quite satisfied with this calm and composed attitude. Compared to Si Ming's frivolousness, it gave her more confidence, and she immediately decided. "You're the one. If you win, the school team will throw a welcome party for you."

Xia Guanxue took off her glasses and said calmly, "I promise I won't let the Captain down."

After saying that, he went to the sidelines to choose a weapon.

Upon seeing this, Si Ming was dumbfounded. "Hey, this isn't the script! Director, I've already shaved my head completely bald, and you're not even giving me a chance to shine? This is so unreasonable!"

Chapter 131 Getting Shot While Eating Sunflower Seeds

Xia Guanxue finally chose a very common sword, of moderate length and with a slightly wide blade, and then stood on the ground.

He asked, "Why would you do such a thing?"

He Qichang frowned, as if hesitating whether to make up some excuse.

But he had promised others he would never lie, so he replied, "To repay a debt of gratitude... the principal raised me."

Xia Guanxue smiled and said, "That's a really childish reason."

He Qichang's brows furrowed even more. His eyebrows were already thick and bushy, but now they looked like two knives twisted together, forming a continuous line. The wrinkles on his forehead looked like the stripes on a tiger.

"I hate you. Your attitude, your gaze, your tone—you're exactly the kind of person I despise," He Qichang, pulling out another weapon from his side. "So I won't show any mercy. Good luck."

Xia Guanxue smiled slightly, "I couldn't be happier. Compared to a victory achieved by taking advantage of someone's weakness, I prefer to defeat an opponent who is giving their all, leaving them speechless."

"... I'm certain once again, you're a really annoying person."

He Qichang gripped his twin swords tightly, and the instant the gong rang, he swiftly slashed out with them, like a vicious eagle pouncing on its prey. His speed was even greater than before, and his swordplay was more cunning. Just as he had said before, he would no longer hold back.

However, Xia Guanxue was able to win the championship of the Youth Martial Arts Tournament, which naturally shows that he has real skills. Even if there was an element of luck, luck alone cannot get you to the end. He shook his long sword and used a move that was like sealing and closing a door, blocking all the attacks of the two swords outside, and defending it without any leaks.

He Qichang movement Movement Method to launch continuous attacks around Xia Guanxue. His twin swords danced like the wind, creating a dazzling display of sword shadows. Xia Guanxue, trapped in the center, appeared to be swallowed up by the sword shadows.

The sounds of swords clashing were continuous, like a long string of firecrackers going off incessantly. Both sides skipped the initial probing and went straight into the most intense battle.

The layman sees the spectacle, the expert sees the details. Those standing here are all experts, and they can see at a glance that although Xia Guanxue is on the defensive, he is the one with the upper hand. He stands still and lets his opponent attack without flinching. Putting everything else aside, he has at least the advantage in terms of physical strength. If the stalemate continues, sooner or later He Qichang will slow down due to exhaustion.

Seeing the battle going smoothly, Ke Chajing's solemn expression relaxed somewhat, and she said, "Xia Guanxue, I remember that's his name, right? He has strength as good as his tone. It seems there are quite a few promising talents among this batch of freshmen. What Swordsmanship is he using? It doesn't seem to be Non-Aggression Sword Technique. Could it be Taiji Sword Art?"

The person being questioned was naturally Hu Jixian, who was standing beside him. The vice- Captain observed carefully for a while with narrowed eyes and said, "Taiji sword is more gentle, while Junior Brother Xia's Swordsmanship is more forceful. Although both are defensive Swordsmanship, there are still obvious differences. There are no obvious sword moves yet, so it's hard to make a judgment. After all, there are many Swordsmanship that fit the criteria, but I think we'll know the answer soon."

Ke Chajing agreed, saying, "If he were an experienced or intuitive master, he would change his move within ten seconds. If he doesn't change his move within half a minute, it proves that he Non-Self are worried about. If he doesn't change his move for more than a minute, it proves that he just got lucky and obtained his current level of skill."

As if to prove the Captain's words, the storm of sword shadows on the fighting field suddenly dissipated. He Qichang pulled away, sheathed his sword, and held only a single blade in his hand, gathering his True Qi into the blade.

Although Xia Guanxue gained the upper hand by remaining still, her defense was ultimately passive, unable to react immediately. Even if she sensed her opponent's intentions, she couldn't interrupt them in time, and could only adapt accordingly.

"Demon Blade: Torrent!"

The moment the blade was swung out, its force erupted like a raging torrent, sweeping away everything in its path. The bamboo grove in front of it bent outwards under the impact of the powerful wind.

The Torrent Style is the weakest move in the Demon Blade Art, but its strength lies in its all-pervasive penetration and the gradual accumulation of power. If it cannot be dispersed in one go, the blade's momentum will only grow stronger, like a flood accumulating inside a dam.

Xia Guanxue remained calm, gripped the sword hilt with both hands in reverse, and thrust it into the ground. The Sword Qi pierced the earth, causing the ground directly in front of her to churn up, and a large amount of soil formed a stone wall that pressed down on her.

"Primordial Gen Raises a Lofty Mountain!"

The all-pervasive blade strikes the impenetrable stone wall, seemingly inherently countered, its attack halted. He Qichang grits his teeth, increases his strength, and forcefully cleaves the stone wall, attempting to maintain his blade technique and accumulate power.

However, there was only one stone wall after another, and He Qichang's vision remained shrouded in darkness. Helpless, he drew another knife from his waist, used the same technique, infused it with new power, and once again cleaved through the stone wall.

Finally, no new stone walls appeared, He Qichang breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he had made the right bet—he bet that with Xia Guanxue's Internal Cultivation, she wouldn't be able to activate the third stone wall—but before he could rejoice, he discovered that Xia Guanxue was no longer in front of him. In his surprise, he heard the sound of a sword cutting through the air from his left, which made his temples tingle slightly.

If He Qichang only had one sword, he would be doomed to defeat. However, his dual swords allowed him to cover two directions simultaneously without turning around, avoiding the inconvenience of using his right sword to guard his left side. So, he made a decisive move, stopping the torrent of Torrent and turning his left sword to meet the blade. He did not aim to block the sword move, but only to deflect its trajectory. At the same time, his body twisted into an exaggerated arc.

The blades of the swords rubbed together, and even though they were made of iron and wood, they sparked a shower of sparks as their True Qi clashed.

Xia Guanxue's all-out One Sword was slightly deflected by He Qichang, barely grazing his forehead and only shaving off a strand of his bangs.

As they closed in, their eyes met, each sensing the fighting spirit in the other's gaze, followed by a muffled groan from both of them.

Xia Guanxue struck He Qichang on the back with a palm strike, while He Qichang swiftly swung his right hand, slashing Xia Guanxue in the chest. Both of them cried out in pain and staggered back, checking their injuries and trying to catch their breath.

The rapid-fire clashes since the start of the war have finally given way to a rare period of calm.

"So that's it, it's the Linked Mountains Sword Art."

Tao Chengsi suddenly realized and revealed the name of the martial art Xia Guanxue used.