Bixie Swordplay

As the words fell, Duàn Yì and Lin Bohui each employed their Lightness Skill, ascending the stage with impressive mastery.

Duàn Yì's Movement Techniques were like a swiftly shot arrow, direct and to the point. Though seemingly simple, the essence of his skill was encapsulated in its speed.

Lin Bohui's Movement Techniques were even faster than Duàn Yì's, but appeared quite crude. Under the explosive surge of True Qi, the soil beneath his feet was kicked up, lacking the natural flow of Duàn Yì's.

"Hmm, this person's True Qi seems quite potent, but it's unruly, as if he can't control it freely. Could it be that Lin Bohui's True Qi wasn't cultivated by himself, but was infused into his body by someone else?"

Many experts were watching this battle. Even seasoned disciples of the Golden Cauldron Sect, a tier below the top, could see that Lin Bohui's condition was unusual, and they frowned.

Normally, nothing would be apparent, but when the two activated their Lightness Skills just now, Lin Bohui's True Qi had leaked out, revealing some circumstances. However, perhaps the man was intentionally showing off.

Eunuch Qiu, watching the battle alongside Granny An and Helan Yue'er, looked thoughtful. He touched his right abdomen, which had been cut by Lin Chunwang of Fuzhou, Lingnan's sword. It had narrowly missed slicing him open, yet the opponent's True Qi seemed different from what Lin Bohui cultivated.

"Today's battle, Lin Bohui represents the Ruan family and Duàn Yì, and both sides know the reason for this duel. I won't say more.

This bout will not only involve True Qi and Swordsmanship, but other aspects as well. However, it is to be a contest of skill, and the victor must not seize the opportunity to kill. Do you understand?"

Since Qū Dōng Liú was not present, Liu Zhiwei presided over the matter. Seeing both nod in agreement, he led them to a table set up against the mountainside.

Paper, brush, and a duel agreement were already prepared there. It detailed the consequences for the victor and the vanquished, essentially formalizing the Ruan family's demand for Duàn Yì to kowtow and have his hand severed before Ruan Dong's spirit, rather than relying on a verbal agreement.

Duàn Yì had no objections. With a flourish, he wrote his name. His handwriting was neat, each stroke like a sword, sharp and revealing his edge, a testament to his father Duàn's teachings.

Lin Bohui, on the other hand, was more straightforward. Finding it troublesome, he simply dipped his thumb in ink and pressed it as a fingerprint.

"Good, you may begin."

Liu Zhiwei, seeing their decisiveness, collected the duel agreement and stepped off the stage. The others also quieted down, awaiting the duel.

Many onlookers were not interested in the reason for the fight, only curious.

One was a young prodigy who had learned martial arts for a short time but amazed everyone. The other was already a renowned swordsman with a deep family heritage, whose sword had defeated seven famous swordsmen. Who would prevail between the two?

Generally, most favored Lin Bohui. His record and reputation were there. As for Duàn Yì, he might have potential, but he was truly too young.

Others had different feelings. Bai Xiwen and Helan Yue'er were worried, while Steward Ruan Xiang looked expectant, anticipating Duàn Yì's defeat.

Duàn Yì walked to the center of the stage and slowly drew his Ten Refinements Sword. The zi la sound of metal scraping against metal was particularly piercing. He then assumed a starting stance, a move from the Songshan Swordplay.

He knew that to deal with this opponent, he had to go all out and could not afford to use basic sword techniques to test and hone his skills as he had against Ruan Dong. Otherwise, the result would be nothing but defeat.

At this moment, his state was excellent. The hand holding the sword was strong and steady, and his heart was devoid of joy or sorrow, like a tranquil lake, waiting for his opponent to draw his sword.

Lin Bohui also came to the center of the stage. Seeing Duàn Yì's serious demeanor, he let out a laugh, tinged with mockery.

His posture was loose, like a drunken man, with openings all over his body. He seemed not to take Duàn Yì seriously at all, nor did he fear the opponent's sword attack.

"You're called Duàn Yì, aren't you? Though young, you have courage and are strong.

Unfortunately, lack of skill is lack of skill. I hope you won't blame me for what happens today."

As the last syllable of "I" fell, Lin Bohui's ox-like eyes suddenly flashed with astonishing cold light and killing intent. With a qiang lang, his long sword was drawn. The sword light flashed and vanished, like lightning suddenly appearing in a clear sky, slashing towards Duàn Yì.

Before the duel, Duàn Yì had, in the Tower of Hidden Martial Arts, used his exceptional comprehension and limited knowledge to ponder and guess what Bixie Swordplay might be like, even devising several hypothetical methods of dealing with it.

For example, he could start with the fast sword style of Songshan Swordplay, matching speed with speed, offense with offense, and seeking victory.

Or, he could use defensive swordplay throughout, building an impenetrable defense to wear down the opponent's True Qi and stamina without achieving any results, only counter-attacking after ten moves.

But only now, having truly seen Bixie Swordplay, did Duàn Yì realize how laughable his previous ideas were.

Because he hadn't seen it before, he couldn't imagine the terrifying nature of Bixie Swordplay.

The seven swordsmen Lin Bohui had defeated had varied styles, and it was not as if none had tried such methods, but they had clearly failed. This was enough to prove that Lin Bohui's swordplay was not simple.

However, no matter how surprised or shocked he was, it was of no help.

Because with this sword strike, Duàn Yì seemed to be in grave danger.

This sudden sword light crossed space, cut through the air, and struck directly at his throat. If his throat were pierced, survival would be difficult.

Lin Bohui's sword was not only as fast as lightning but also contained an extremely powerful Qi force. As the sword thrust out, the air whistled, making Duàn Yì's long hair fly wildly. If it hadn't been held back by the red ribbon, his eyes would likely have been blinded.

With this sword strike, those off the stage, though not facing it directly, watched with bated breath.

Helan Yue'er cried out "Ah!" and then covered her mouth, her bright, sparkling eyes watching Duàn Yì with concern, afraid that her cry might distract him.

Seeing this sword strike, Eunuch Qiu's eyes seemed to return to a battle from many years ago. Such a similar sword technique, such a bizarre sword technique. Bixie Swordplay, named for warding off evil, was truly a very, very evil sword art.

Bai Xiwen's expression also changed slightly. With his arms crossed, his fingers tapped incessantly, clearly showing his inner turmoil.

Although this sword strike was formidable, he had a hundred, a thousand ways to respond and break it, because his martial arts far surpassed Lin Bohui's.

The reason for his unease was his worry that Duàn Yì would not be able to handle such a sword technique and would be injured or even killed.

Yet, he could not intervene immediately. To interfere after Duàn Yì couldn't even withstand one move would likely turn this duel into a joke.

The sword light approached, the strong wind pressed against his face, and killing intent surged. It was indeed a fierce attack.

Duàn Yì himself, though startled, was not flustered, because he had long anticipated that the essence of Bixie Swordplay lay in speed, whether it be the speed of movement or the speed of the sword. It was not surprising.

Since he was prepared, he would naturally not be defeated just like that.

The Ice True Qi that had been accumulating in his Dantian instantly surged into the Ten Refinements Sword in his hand. With a weng sound, he retaliated with an upward sweep. His footwork retreated, employing the strongest defensive stance from the seventeen routes of Songshan Swordplay, "Uprooting Mountains."

Its essence lay in the ability to counter-attack regardless of where the opponent's sword strike landed, using defense to preempt offense.

If Lin Bohui insisted on thrusting this sword, he could indeed kill Duàn Yì, but he would also be cut in half by Duàn Yì's sword. Unless he was seeking death, no one would choose this. The opponent had to change his move.

This move was unexpected, but it was a product of adapting to the situation.

Indeed, Lin Bohui was quite surprised by Duàn Yì's sword strike. His long sword, which he had thrust out, turned mid-air and drew an arc, clashing with Duàn Yì's Ten Refinements Sword, which was slashing upwards diagonally.

With a crisp ding, their long swords collided fiercely. Sparks flew in the air, and both men retreated simultaneously, repelled by the True Qi in each other's sword energy. However, Lin Bohui only took half a step back, while Duàn Yì retreated two steps.

This showed that Lin Bohui's Internal Energy was slightly superior to Duàn Yì's.

Fortunately, a martial arts contest wasn't a pure test of Internal Energy. Although Duàn Yì's right hand, which held his sword, felt numb and his meridians were vibrating, he could still withstand it.

And at the very instant their swords collided, an extremely alluring fragrance emanated from Duàn Yì's Ten Refinements Sword. It was swept by the True Qi towards Lin Bohui's body and drifted past.

But with just that drift, the strong fragrance was inhaled by Lin Bohui. His expression changed slightly, his face felt hot, and he found the sensation extremely familiar.

However, before Lin Bohui could ponder what the sudden fragrance meant, Duàn Yì attacked with his sword, giving him no chance to react.

Duàn Yì's long sword strike was majestic and orderly, descending with immense power. Though the sword tip pointed as one, it seemed to split into dozens. As sword light surged forth, it enveloped Lin Bohui's entire body, truly deserving the title of exquisite.

Furthermore, with the circulation of Ice True Qi, the sword exuded a chilling aura, as cold and severe as ice. Even Lin Bohui was startled.

"A fine move, Jade Well Heavenly Pool. You've practiced it well."

Upon seeing this sword strike, Bái Xī Wén secretly praised it and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

With his exceptional talent and the transformative experience of executing death row inmates in Daming County, Duàn Yì's martial arts were now on par with the seven swordsmen who had fallen before Lin Bohui.

Even if he wasn't Lin Bohui's match, he wouldn't be defeated easily. His current performance was excellent.

The emphasis of this move was not on the technique itself, nor on the subsequent variations, but on Duàn Yì's courage to draw his sword.

Just as he had taught Duàn Yì, Songshan Swordplay was a martial art that emphasized both stances and momentum; the two were intrinsically linked. Otherwise, possessing exquisite sword techniques without the spirit of fearless dominance would prevent one from unleashing the essence of this martial art.