The Early Decisive Battle

"The Lingering Lotus Breaking the Waves!"

Drawn by the force of the lake behind, the water surged forth like Twin Dragons Emerge from the Sea, crashing head-on into the Mystic Frost Sword Qi. It was first frozen into an ice wall, then shattered into ice shards, but it still managed to block it— Divine Arts were indeed not Si Shuiyun's forte, but she could still use the most basic moves, albeit with only half-baked power.

The two who had been knocked back stepped onto the lake surface, and before their shoes even got wet, they had already used the momentum to step back onto the island.

"You possess extraordinary skills in weaponry, palm techniques, and Divine Arts. With such abilities, why are you content to be a mere maid?"

As the saying goes, "No fight, no friendship," and after their exchange, Shen Wumian felt a sense of mutual respect and couldn't help but ask a question.

If the question had been about the maidservants who accompanied the bride, Si Shuiyun might have hesitated, but since the question concerned the maidservants, there was no reason to hesitate—she was indeed Si Jingyu's maidservant.

"I'm willing, what's it to you! If you want war, then let's fight, stop with all this nonsense!"

Si Shuiyun wasn't just cold to Si Ming; she was unfriendly to all men. Although Shen Wumian was handsome and perfectly embodied the image of a "Baiyi swordsman," as a member of the Si Clan, Si Shuiyun was already used to seeing "young and handsome men" in the clan. She wouldn't even notice his good looks. With Wave-Severing Dagger-Axe halberd, she launched another attack.

In their second encounter, Si Shuiyun still couldn't gain the upper hand. Although she had learned from her previous experience and made significant progress, this improvement was not enough to reverse the gap in their techniques. After all, she wasn't the kind of protagonist who could break through in the heat of battle and instantly grasp the Paramārtha of martial arts.

But this time, she wasn't alone.

"The Mystic Frost Sword Technique is ancient and simple in its moves, with dense sword strikes, its energy flowing like a howling north wind, and its sword movements like dancing snowflakes. It is inherently a skillful and versatile Swordsmanship, but Shen Wumian has perfected it, reaching a state of profound simplicity. The sword moves appear ordinary, yet they possess an ancient and elegant essence. The Paramārtha of this Swordsmanship lies not in the frost sweeping across the land and freezing the earth, but in its proud independence and fearlessness in the face of frost and snow. Within the Swordsmanship, one can see many variations in the shapes of plum blossoms, calyxes, branches, and trunks. Grasping this point, it's not difficult to see that the swirling snowflakes are actually feints, serving as a foil. If one focuses on defending against the snowflakes, one is playing right into their hands..."

Si Ming publicly analyzed the characteristics, Sword Intent, and style of the Mystic Frost Sword Technique, combining it with Shen Wumian's Swordsmanship level, and used examples to illustrate his points. His explanation was insightful and well-reasoned. Even if Shen Wumian himself were to explain it, he would not be able to reach this level.

Si Ming's voice wasn't loud at all, yet it reached the ears of both fighters clearly. Si Shuiyun received the hint and immediately came up with the correct response, leveraging her "intelligence advantage" to gradually turn the tide.

The members of the Aristocratic Clan quickly realized this and immediately glared angrily at Si Ming.

Gu Changsheng stepped forward to protest, saying, "The Alliance Leader's actions are unfair. As an outsider, he has intervened in the fight and offered verbal assistance. Isn't he afraid of being ridiculed by the world?"

"Ha, was there a rule that spectators are not allowed to speak during the match? I'm not the only one commentating on the match. Even your side has members analyzing the situation with their friends. Why are you targeting me alone? Is it a case of 'the magistrate is allowed to set fires, but the common people are not allowed to light lamps'?" Si Ming retorted.

Gu Changsheng was speechless. He couldn't very well say that everyone else's analysis was inadequate, while his analysis was too accurate and affected the battle.

"People have mouths, so if you feel it's unfair, you can speak up and analyze it. I promise I won't stop you. Don't worry, I'm fundamentally different from you petty people."

While refuting, Si Ming also explained the situation, helping Si Shuiyun analyze the opponent's strengths and weaknesses.

Gu Changsheng was helpless. He didn't have the ability to fully understand the True Intention meaning of martial arts with just one glance, otherwise he wouldn't have protested. Helpless, he could only ask Master Wuguo for help.

Master Wuguo shook his head and said, "Since there was no rule before the competition that forbade others from speaking, we have no grounds to demand that Alliance Leader Sima keep quiet. However, we can add that rule to the next match."

"Ha, Master, you are wise; this is a fair assessment."

Si Ming laughed arrogantly three times, and with a swaggering attitude, he provocatively said to the members of the Aristocratic Clan, "I dare to use poison, so why would I care about such a small, borderline trick? If you have the ability, you can speak up and help your people. If you don't have that ability, then you'd better keep quiet!"

Chapter 360 The Decisive Battle Ahead of Schedule

Gu Changsheng really wanted to yell, "You didn't poison me! We did! Don't be so smug!"

But in the end, it was just a thought; he chose to swallow his anger and leave resentfully.

The members of the Aristocratic Clan were extremely frustrated, yet helpless. They lacked Si Ming's ability to instantly discern the essence of a martial art, nor did they possess the skill to focus sound into a beam. Even if they wanted to retaliate in kind, they were powerless to do so and could only try shouting and making noise to disrupt the opponent.

Unfortunately, for Si Ming, these little tricks had very limited effect, and he continued with his commentary work.

In fact, given Shen Wumian's mastery of the Mystic Frost Sword Technique, he was essentially flawless. Even if a flaw appeared, it would be quickly countered by a follow-up attack. It was nearly impossible to interrupt his moves by exploiting a flaw. However, even without a flaw, one could approach him from other angles. For example, by knowing his sword style, Sword Intent characteristics, and attack habits, one could take precautions or even adopt a restraining style, setting traps in advance to lure him into a trap. Even if there was no flaw, one could forcefully create one.

Si Shuiyun knew herself and her enemy, while Shen Wumian but not his enemy. The advantage in intelligence allowed Si Shuiyun to make up for the gap in skills. She moved with increasing ease, ignoring the swirling snowflakes in front of her. She subtly grasped the rhythm of the battle and kept speeding up.

The swords clashed without ceasing, like countless sparks, their movements swift and deadly, leaving no room for respite. The Xuan Shuang Mystic Frost Sword Technique was not adept at fast attacks. Although Shen Wumian's Swordsmanship had reached a level of mastery, he could only fight with a style he was not suited to. Not only was it less effective, but it also made him more prone to revealing his weaknesses.

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged over a thousand blows. Si Shuiyun's attacks grew faster and faster, fully utilizing the strengths of the "Void Shadow Killing Technique." She wielded the Wave-Severing Dagger-Axe Spear with effortless grace, layer upon layer of attacks encircling and killing, the encirclement constantly shrinking, leaving Shen Wumian and unable to escape.

A swift, sharp blade flashed past, its fleeting light aimed straight for a vital point. Shen Wumian's Swordsmanship remained flawless, but his movements were a beat too slow. The Sword Qi shattered the blade's aura, failing to completely block the attack. The remaining force of the broken blade scattered outwards, brushing against his shoulder and instantly blooming into a flower of blood.

Shen Wumian's eyes sharpened, and his sword aura suddenly shifted. A white, boundless Sword Qi erupted, surging like an avalanche, seemingly about to bury everything.

A streak of pure black suddenly appeared in the snow-white world. Instead of retreating, Si Shuiyun advanced, wielding the Wave-Severing Dagger-Axe like the Grim Reaper wielding his scythe, the King of Hell demanding a life, determined to cleave through this suffocating white expanse.

With a deafening roar, the Mystic Frost Sword Qi erupted like a raging torrent, sweeping outwards in all directions and covering the ground with a thick layer of frost, instantly turning the entire island into a white "iceberg."

"Good!"

The onlookers couldn't help but cheer loudly. The surging Sword Qi, the extremely cold current, and the snow falling like goose feathers created a magnificent scene that made them feel the strength of the top masters. Compared to the dazzling weapon clashes before, it excited them even more and made their blood boil.

However, the faces of the Shen Clan's Swordsmanship masters turned extremely grim, because they realized that such an astonishing One Sword meant that Shen Wumian was at a disadvantage, as he had lost control of his Sword Qi, causing it to affect the surrounding environment.

It should be noted that in the previous battle, despite the heavy snowfall on the island, not a single inch of ice formed on the ground. Shen Wumian concentrated all his strength on his opponent without wasting a single bit. But now, he clearly has no time to control his power and can only hastily exert his strength to deal with the situation in a disheveled manner.

Standing on the frozen ground, Si Shuiyun's stance remained perfectly stable, and she continued to dance like a butterfly. Among the Divine Arts of the Si Clan, water was the most prevalent, followed by ice. Therefore, she was already accustomed to fighting in similar environments and was not affected at all. Moreover, the abundant water vapor in the vicinity greatly benefited her Cultivation Body, which was based on the "Water Moon Precious Mirror," making up for the gap in Foundation between her and her opponent.

The black Gang Qi was entwined with qi, and with one strike after another, Si Shuiyun seemed to have made a breakthrough in the battle and found her own fighting style. Each move was very simple and clear, even a beginner could understand it, but with its incredible speed, even top swordsmen found it extremely difficult to deal with.

In the world of martial arts, speed is the only way to break through defenses.

Si Shuiyun fully grasped this sentence. She continuously simplified the moves in "Void Shadow Killing Technique," abandoning feints and pursuing a purer form of attack.

Her speed wasn't the explosive kind; because she relentlessly pursued speed beyond her control, she would become sluggish after each strike.

Her speed was continuous and rhythmic, one move after another, giving her opponent no chance to breathe. When her halberd was blocked by her opponent, she would not linger, but would decisively use the recoil to launch the next attack after circling around.

This method of using an opponent's force against them is precisely the strength of the "Water Moon Precious Mirror." Si Shuiyun combined the two martial arts manuals to create her own unique fighting style.

Shen Wumian could no longer stand still and was forced to retreat continuously. His Swordsmanship became more and more complicated and his sword moves became more and more gorgeous. Mystic Frost Sword Qi energy spread out and cracked the earth, and the cracks were frozen. Then, countless sword marks appeared in the sky, accompanied by snowflakes that fluttered like goose feathers, causing the surrounding temperature to drop sharply.

With a loud bang, a majestic Sword Qi descended, cleaving the island in two. Shen Wumian leaped into the air, urgently urging his inner Yuan Power. Clusters of white sword light bloomed, forming hexagonal snowflake-shaped halos. The falling snow gathered into a storm, swirling and dancing around him, causing the entire lake surface to freeze into ice.

"Jade Dragon Howls at the Snow Abyss!"