Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Sword Duel

The seven of them had now reached the front of the arena. Apart from Duàn Yì, who looked somewhat unfamiliar and was dressed shabbily, the others were not ordinary disciples.

The Golden Cauldron Sect disciples who had been discussing and practicing martial arts saw them and repeatedly bowed. Zhao Yù, in particular, was greeted with a continuous stream of well-wishes, and their attitudes were sincere and genuine. It was clear he had considerable prestige and was deeply respected by the sect members and disciples.

Duàn Yì didn't find this strange. Although he had only interacted with Zhao Yù for a very short time, he could tell that Zhao Yù was a meticulous and very shrewd person.

Furthermore, with his master being the sect leader Qū Dōng Liú, his status was exceptionally advantageous. With just a few actions, winning over people wouldn't be difficult.

Zhao Yù himself was quite pleased. In addition to practicing martial arts on the mountain over the years, he had helped Qū Dōng Liú manage the sect's affairs. In his spare time, he had befriended fellow disciples and built his reputation among the disciples and elders. The current support he received from the disciples was proof that his years of effort had not been in vain.

Especially when he noticed that as the disciples greeted him repeatedly, Helan Yue'er seemed to regard him with considerable admiration. He felt as refreshed as drinking a glass of cool water in the height of summer, his spirits soaring.

After appeasing the outer disciples, Zhao Yù introduced Duàn Yì's background to everyone again, as well as the fact that he had just agreed to a spar with Ruan Dong.

"What? Even though he's being taught by Uncle-Master Bai, someone who has only been practicing martial arts for a few days dares to fight with Junior Brother Ruan? This person is truly too arrogant."

"Even though Junior Brother Ruan is young, his martial arts are not something we can compare to. If he can spar with Junior Brother Ruan, doesn't that mean all our years of effort have been in vain?"

These outer disciples had initially felt quite envious of Duàn Yì. However, upon hearing that he was going to spar with Ruan Dong, their impression of him plummeted, and they saw him as an arrogant and foolish upstart.

While most of them were dissatisfied with the constant attention and guidance that inner disciples received from their masters, they had to admit that because of this, inner disciples' martial arts were always far superior to those of outer disciples. Even a disciple like Ruan Dong, who had only been on the mountain for less than three years, was not to be underestimated.

If Duàn Yì didn't even take Ruan Dong seriously, weren't they even less than ants?

However, most of this was just what they thought in their hearts. Out of consideration for appearances, they didn't express it. Instead, they all insincerely praised Duàn Yì for being brave and fearless, with extraordinary talent.

Duàn Yì glanced around. Many of the people he saw had friendly expressions but eyes that showed rejection. It was clear they envied his good fortune but also disliked his arrogance, yet they dared not show it.

He didn't pay it any mind, though. He wasn't a member of the Golden Cauldron Sect, and he spent most of his time practicing martial arts, so he didn't interact with them. Why should he care what these people thought?

"Junior Brother Ruan, Junior Brother Duàn, what Yue'er said earlier is quite reasonable. Junior Brother Duàn is only a beginner in martial arts, so I think it would be best to focus on a spar of techniques. With Senior Granny An and Senior Eunuch Qiu present as witnesses, it can ensure that no accidents occur. What do you both think?"

Although Zhao Yù regretted not being able to glimpse the secrets of Duàn Yì's inner energy, he was also happy to see the pretty boy get taught a lesson by Ruan Dong, so he echoed Helan Yue'er's earlier suggestion.

Ruan Dong had already agreed earlier, and Duàn Yì naturally wouldn't refuse, so he accepted.

With both sides agreeing, and anticipating a good show, the Golden Cauldron Sect disciples scattered around the arena, as well as Helan Yue'er and the others, all showed expectant expressions.

Granny An's eyes held a strange glint. After a moment of thought, she moved closer to the arena, ready to secretly assist Duàn Yì at any moment.

"My specialty is swordsmanship. However, swords have no eyes, so I will spar with you using a wooden sword to avoid injuring you."

Walking up the steps from the side of the arena, Ruan Dong directly handed the Ten Refinements Sword he was holding to Leng Qingmei for safekeeping. He then drew a wooden sword from a bronze cauldron in the corner of the arena. With a swing of his arm, it still stirred up a strong gust of wind, clearly indicating considerable force.

Seeing this, Duàn Yì handed the Ten Refinements Sword in his hand to Helan Yue'er beside him for safekeeping. After walking onto the arena, he also took a wooden sword from a cauldron in another corner. Its material and specifications were identical to the one Ruan Dong held.

Besides wooden swords, the large cauldrons around the arena also contained wooden sabers and wooden spears, all of which were weapons favored by the Golden Cauldron Sect. During sparring practice among disciples, if there were no elders present to supervise, they would fight with wooden weapons to reduce danger and trouble.

The two stood firm, separated by a distance of fifteen feet, each holding a wooden sword. Their postures were different, and their auras were completely distinct.

Ruan Dong's sword-holding arm was bent in front of him, with the tip of the wooden sword pointing diagonally towards the sky. This was the starting stance of the Golden Cauldron Sect's introductory sword technique, which was more defensive than offensive, showing solid foundations.

However, his eyes were fierce. With a loud shout, he used the defensive sword technique to launch his first move. Combined with his swift footwork, he thrust forward, fast and ferocious, the tip of his sword aimed directly at Duàn Yì's chest.

Even though it was a wooden sword and without internal energy, if it struck, it would surely cause a minor injury. Thus, many people in the stands gasped. Helan Yue'er, in particular, suddenly clenched the Ten Refinements Sword in her hand, a slight sweat beading on her forehead, filled with worry.

However, since Duàn Yì dared to step onto the stage to spar with Ruan Dong, he was naturally not arrogant. With a thrust and a lift of his wooden sword, he directly intercepted Ruan Dong's sword technique. The two wooden swords collided in mid-air with considerable force, emitting a dull thud.

The next moment, Duàn Yì's footwork advanced. His single-handed grip on the wooden sword rotated thirty degrees, knocking away Ruan Dong's sword. He then swung his sword back, aiming for Ruan Dong's throat, a move no less dangerous than Ruan Dong's previous strike.

However, unlike Ruan Dong's grimace as he used his sword, Duàn Yì's mind was calm when he wielded his sword, his eyes placid. In terms of state of mind alone, Duàn Yì was clearly superior.

"Hmm, what pure swordplay, what solid foundations. Did Duàn Yì learn sword techniques long ago?"

When an expert makes a move, you know their skill. Even the outer disciples with the weakest martial arts among the onlookers had years of practice. Their martial arts might not be high, but their eyesight was still keen. They could all see what Duàn Yì's sword strike represented.

It wasn't some advanced sword technique, but a move composed of basic sword skills. Yet, its power was considerable, clearly not something learned recently. Many of them admitted they couldn't match it.

There was an essential difference between an amateur swinging a sword and someone who had practiced swordplay for years. Duàn Yì's sword strike, though seemingly simple, demonstrated his own foundations and mastery of swordsmanship.

Ruan Dong, who had practiced martial arts for three years and spent most of that time learning swordsmanship, naturally understood the meaning behind Duàn Yì's strike even better. He no longer dared to be careless, dodging to the side while swinging his long sword towards Duàn Yì's wrist.

This sword move was not only exquisite but also incredibly fast, stirring up a whistling wind.

Duàn Yì reacted quickly. He continued to parry with Ruan Dong using basic sword techniques, neither arrogant nor impatient, steady as a rock. In a flash, they had exchanged over ten moves, each one defensive, yet completely flawless.

For a time, the continuous clanging of wooden swords colliding on the arena made people's hearts pound.

"It's the Swift Wind Sword Technique. If he can also master the Mighty Pine Sword Technique and combine them into one path, it becomes the Pine Wind Sword Technique, one of the Golden Cauldron Sect's superior sword arts, with extremely potent power."

A disciple below the arena recognized Ruan Dong's sword technique and exclaimed. Someone pulled him, and he quickly covered his mouth, but his heart was deeply shocked.

As a major sect in Wei Prefecture, Hebei, the Golden Cauldron Sect's heritage was self-evident, and their martial arts were also profound.

In terms of swordsmanship alone, they had seven or eight superior techniques, the Pine Wind Sword Technique being one of them. It emphasized the strength of the lower body like a pine tree, unshakeable, and the movements of the hands were as swift as the wind, sharp and unstoppable.

Ordinary outer disciples had no reason to be taught it, and even the split techniques of Swift Wind and Mighty Pine were rarely practiced by anyone.

Ruan Dong, with his shallow foundations, had only been taught the Swift Wind Sword Technique.

But his swordplay was sharp and swift, not lacking in ruthlessness. Many outer disciples who had practiced for far longer than him were already far surpassed by him in terms of swordsmanship.

This was the advantage of being an inner disciple. Once a master deemed you to have the talent and foundation, they could teach you the sect's supreme arts, something that outer disciples could hardly compare to.

Thinking of this, many of the outer disciples watching felt a sense of dejection, wondering when their time to shine would come.

Others, however, had different views.

They were not concerned with the fairness of the sect but were earnestly considering the superiority of the two men's sword techniques and the strength they displayed.

These were all disciples with good martial arts and excellent eyesight. Zhao Yù and Leng Qingmei were among them.

Frankly speaking, Ruan Dong's Swift Wind Sword Technique was indeed swift, ruthless, and incredibly sharp. But the fact that such a technique had failed to subdue Duàn Yì for so long did it not indicate some issues?