Pure Sword Arts

Ruan Dong's swordsmanship indeed had merits, with two main characteristics.

The first was speed, which aligned with the tenets of the Swift Wind Sword Technique, making it quite effective. It allowed him to force Duàn Yì into a purely defensive posture, denying him any opportunity to attack, a testament to the power of his fast sword.

The second was the ferocity and ruthlessness of his moves. The wooden sword he wielded primarily targeted Duàn Yì's vital points, as if harboring a deep-seated hatred, naturally lending his strikes more power.

However, it wasn't without its flaws. While Ruan Dong's swordsmanship was fast and fierce, it lacked stability.

He thrust his sword towards Duàn Yì's chest three times, but each time, the blade fell short by a fraction of an inch. One reason was Duàn Yì's adept evasion, making it difficult for Ruan Dong to adjust his moves mid-strike to hit precise vital points.

Another reason was Ruan Dong's insufficient foundational training. He had pursued fast sword techniques excessively, which led to instability in his swordsmanship whenever he sped up, significantly diminishing its power. His potentially lethal techniques often failed to achieve their intended effect.

As Ruan Dong's senior fellow disciple, Leng Qingmei understood this weakness best. Often, after Liu Zhiwei imparted swordsmanship techniques, Leng Qingmei would supervise Ruan Dong's practice, making her intimately aware of his shortcomings.

But flaws were flaws; they couldn't negate the power of Ruan Dong's swordsmanship. What surprised them most was Duàn Yì's ability to hold his ground.

Despite being a basic sword technique, far inferior to the Swift Wind Sword Technique, Duàn Yì had infused it with creativity. His combinations were executed without haste or impatience, unfolding gradually as he parried each of Ruan Dong's swift sword strikes. Though on the defensive, he was not at a disadvantage.

This required not only refined swordsmanship but also agile battlefield reactions and unparalleled confidence.

"Excellent, excellent! I've long heard that Bai Xiwen's swordsmanship is exceptional, not just his Invincible Treasure Codex. Seeing it through Duàn Yì, there's indeed some truth to it," Eunuch Qiu exclaimed, clapping his hands in admiration.

Compared to the Swift Wind fast sword, Duàn Yì's swordsmanship was neither flashy nor eye-catching, nor was it flawless and beyond reproach.

But its brilliance lay in its purity—pure stance, pure techniques.

From his perspective, some ordinary individuals would never achieve the level of purity Duàn Yì displayed in their entire lives; it was truly marvelous.

Furthermore, Duàn Yì possessed the demeanor of a renowned swordsman. Though his sword speed was inferior to his opponent's, his judgment and confidence compensated for this. After discerning Ruan Dong's sword patterns, he could anticipate three moves ahead, allowing him to fight with ease.

"Incorrect. Even if Bai Xiwen's swordsmanship is formidable, he couldn't possibly train someone with no sword foundation to this level in just a few days. The only explanation is that this person is a rare prodigy with an innate talent for swordsmanship.

Swordsmanship is easy to learn but hard to master—that's for ordinary people. But some individuals can learn and perfect it instantly, and that describes young Duàn.

He is truly a sword genius. In terms of potential, perhaps no one in the vast Golden Cauldron Sect can match him, not even Bai Xiwen."

Granny An's praise was unreserved, her large eyes sparkling with intelligence, even smoothing out many of her wrinkles as she silently applauded Duàn Yì on the stage.

She had been prepared to intervene secretly and assist Duàn Yì in defeating Ruan Dong. She never expected Duàn Yì to surprise her so greatly from the very first move. His swordsmanship was so profound, his foundation so pure, that even those who had practiced swordsmanship for many years would struggle to compare.

Some people are born to defy conventional understanding, and Duàn Yì was undoubtedly one of them.

The other Golden Cauldron Sect disciples, hearing the elders' effusive praise, felt resentment and even jealousy, yet they couldn't refute it. This was because Duàn Yì's performance truly spoke for itself; facts were more convincing than words.

Even if Bai Xiwen had practiced swords for the same amount of time, he couldn't have done better than Duàn Yì.

Helan Yue'er, meanwhile, puffed out her chest like a proud little hen, looking left and right with an air of shared glory. Her heart was brimming with joy, finding that the more impressive Duàn Yì appeared, the happier she became.

"Regardless of whether he practiced martial arts before coming up the mountain, his talent is so high, he is truly formidable.

It's not impossible that Uncle-Master Bai would teach him the Invincible Treasure Codex. This matter must be reported to Master later," Zhao Yu thought to himself, his expression unchanged, a mix of shock, anger, jealousy, and unwillingness churning within him.

In terms of martial arts, he was naturally superior to Duàn Yì. However, in terms of solid sword foundation, he had to admit he was inferior to the other, which was not only a humiliation but also a threat.

He had intended to make Duàn Yì lose face completely, but now it seemed he had underestimated the young man.

On the stage, the two combatants were completely focused, their eyes fixed only on each other.

Moreover, as time passed, Duàn Yì found it increasingly easier to deal with Ruan Dong, finding an opportunity to counter-attack with one out of every seven or eight exchanges.

Conversely, Ruan Dong felt immense pressure. The more he wanted to defeat Duàn Yì with his sword, the less he could achieve it, even feeling a sense of powerlessness. It was like prey caught in a spider's web; though it could struggle briefly, its ultimate fate was to be devoured.

"Granny An, who do you think will win between the two?" Zhao Yu suddenly asked, seemingly quite curious, as he watched the two duel.

"Naturally, Duàn Yì. His sword foundation is solid, and he is exceptionally agile. His defense is airtight, allowing him to conserve energy while his opponent tires. While Ruan Dong's Swift Wind Sword Technique is powerful, it becomes a burden on stamina over time. Haven't you noticed his sword speed has significantly decreased?

Besides, if Duàn Yì weren't using a basic sword technique, Ruan Dong would have already been defeated."

Granny An's voice was heard not only by the spectators but also by Duàn Yì and Ruan Dong on the stage.

Ruan Dong's expression changed, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. He shifted his swordsmanship, preparing to go all out and win within ten moves.

Clearly, Zhao Yu had deliberately used Granny An's voice to convey a message to Ruan Dong: you are at the end of your rope; you cannot delay any longer. To win, you must end it quickly.

Many could see through this intention. However, most felt it was acceptable. After all, Ruan Dong was one of their own from the Golden Cauldron Sect, while Duàn Yì, despite his connection to Bai Xiwen, was an outsider. Favoritism was normal, even if it was a bit underhanded.

Furthermore, depending on their perspective, some Golden Cauldron Sect disciples believed Zhao Yu valued their sect's dignity highly, demonstrating that he disregarded personal gain and was willing to contribute to the sect.

Granny An, as a senior, also saw through Zhao Yu's intentions but didn't care.

If Ruan Dong had the power to explode and win, he would have already done so and wouldn't have lasted this long. Besides, with her present, as long as she acted discreetly, Ruan Dong wouldn't cause any significant trouble.

"You good-for-nothing Zhao Yu, you truly have wolfish ambitions and harbor ill intentions towards me. I will settle the score with you sooner or later."

Duàn Yì's expression remained unchanged, his gaze as deep and cold as a dark abyss, but his heart seethed with anger. He was not a patient person.

He had disliked Zhao Yu from the beginning, always feeling that the other was putting on an act with ulterior motives.

Indeed, Zhao Yu's previous probing and instigation only confirmed Duàn Yì's suspicions. His current anger was a kind of accumulated outburst.

He didn't like provoking others, but if others bullied him and he remained silent, that would be cowardice.

An surge of anger welled up in Ruan Dong's heart, but before he could erupt, Duan Yi had already changed his move.

The wooden sword in his hand increased its force by another third, transforming into a dark sword light that struck towards Ruan Dong. Its speed was also incredibly swift, surpassing Ruan Dong's Swift Wind Sword Technique.

This sword strike was from the Eternal Dragon, one of the brilliant moves of the Songshan Swordplay. The day Bai Xiwen used it, it was exceptionally outstanding with immense power, and Duan Yi was naturally not its equal.

However, to outsiders, it still appeared incredibly exquisite, like a black dragon soaring into the sky, with the momentum of thunder. The vast swordplay, in one fell swoop, swept away the wooden sword in Ruan Dong's hand. The subsequent moves were unpredictable, making it impossible for others to fathom even a sliver of it.

With a dull clang, they passed each other. One wooden sword was directly knocked flying, tossed high into the air before falling.

The crowd looked closely, and on the stage, it was not Duan Yi holding the long sword, but Ruan Dong.

But contrary to what they saw, after Duan Yi turned around, he first waved his empty hands, then looked at Ruan Dong with a smile that was not a smile, as if questioning something.

Ruan Dong, however, had a pale face, was covered in a cold sweat, his thick lips trembling. He held up the wooden sword in his hand, stared at it for a long time, and with a crack, broke it. Then, unwillingly, he said, "You win, I lose. But next time, I will definitely win."

After speaking, Ruan Dong jumped off the stage directly. He didn't even go to retrieve the Ten Refinements Sword from Leng Qingmei's hand, and left immediately. It was clear he had lost a great deal of face and didn't wish to stay and endure the strange glances of others.

Today, he had utterly disgraced himself, and once the news spread, he would become a laughingstock.

Some people couldn't understand why Ruan Dong, who was holding the sword, had conceded, while Duan Yi, whose wooden sword had fallen, was the victor.

Only after an explanation from others did they understand. Duan Yi's Eternal Dragon move, with its subsequent changes, had completely locked down all of Ruan Dong's options, making victory inevitable. However, Ruan Dong had lost in swordplay, and at the last moment, he used his True Qi to knock Duan Yi's wooden sword flying, thus creating the final scene.

After all, it had been agreed beforehand that this fight would only be about sword techniques and moves, with no use of internal energy. With this, Duan Yi had truly defeated Ruan Dong, and no one could say anything against it.