Heavy Swordplay Shows Its Might

Huang Rong desperately wanted to escape, but she knew her speed was no match for Ouyang Feng's pursuit. If she was caught, what was the point of fleeing? She might as well stay and take one last look at the people she cared about most.

Ouyang Feng's steps weren't fast, but they were steady, as if each one was measured. He advanced towards Huang Rong, each step a drumbeat in her heart, each step bringing death closer.

Although Huang Rong had resigned herself to her fate, the fear of death made her involuntarily retreat.

"Ke'er has been waiting for you. Huang girl, it's time to go!" Ouyang Feng said with a calm expression, as if he wasn't about to kill someone, but was performing an everyday task like eating or drinking.

Ouyang Feng sent a palm strike towards Huang Rong from a distance. He had deliberately used a subtle force in this palm, ensuring Huang Rong's death without leaving any external marks. He intended to destroy her internal organs, making her a companion in Ouyang Ke's death, and he didn't want Huang Rong's body to look unsightly.

Huang Rong felt that the time had come. She closed her eyes, awaiting death. The fear she had felt earlier was gone, replaced by a profound calmness as she waited for the end.

The three figures in the distance were both anxious and furious, regretting their own lack of strength and hating Ouyang Feng's ruthless cruelty.

"Boom!"

A burst of energy sounded near Huang Rong's ears. The fatal palm strike had not yet landed on her, prompting her to open her eyes.

Before her stood a man with long black hair interspersed with white, blocking her path. He was dressed in scholarly robes but wielded a massive iron sword. This incongruous style was jarring, yet it exuded a powerful, almost violent beauty that seemed disproportionate to his physique.

This man was Wang Ming. He had just used his sword to block that attack for Huang Rong.

"Even the old beggar isn't my match, and you dare to meddle in my affairs, seeking death," Ouyang Feng said, his face darkening.

"Huang Rong is half my disciple and Guo Jing's fiancée. For reasons of both sentiment and righteousness, I cannot let her die before my eyes," Wang Ming said, glancing at the three figures in the distance who had visibly relaxed.

"Just an insignificant nobody seeking death," Ouyang Feng said impatiently.

With that, he sent a surge of energy towards Wang Ming, who was several meters away. Wang Ming simply swept his massive iron sword forward, blocking the attack.

Ouyang Feng was taken aback. Although this strike wasn't his full power, it was enough to make even Huang Yaoshi and the others struggle to block it. It was certainly not something that could be deflected so casually. He became serious.

"I underestimated you. You managed to block one of my moves, so I'll spare your life. Leave now!" Ouyang Feng said.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Ouyang. My purpose in coming to Mount Hua this time was precisely to spar with you, Mr. Ouyang. Why would I leave now?" Wang Ming replied.

"You ungrateful wretch," Ouyang Feng exclaimed in anger.

After speaking, Ouyang Feng walked over to where he had dropped his Serpent Cane, picked it up, and then studied the man before him. He thought to himself, The first time I saw him was on Peach Blossom Path. He had some skill, but he was still lacking. The way he blocked my move just now suggests his strength is not simple, and that weapon is quite troublesome.

Wang Ming's greatsword weighed sixty jin. Its material was ordinary iron ore, and the blacksmith's skill was only average. Therefore, the sword was large, measuring one meter sixty in length, thirty centimeters in width, and five centimeters in thickness. It could practically serve as a shield.

This was not like the swords in the Swordsman world, which were two fingers wide and as thin as paper, unable to be shattered by internal energy.

A martial artist's damage could generally be categorized into three types: one, their physical strength; two, their cultivated internal energy; and three, the attribute damage from their martial arts.

Elite soldiers primarily cultivated physical strength. Clad in heavy armor, they could withstand internal energy and blades, and their military weapons could break bones and sinews with a mere graze.

The damage from Wang Ming's Heavy Swordplay was a combination of physical strength and internal energy. The combined power was considerable.

As soon as Ouyang Feng picked up the Serpent Cane, he launched a surprise attack on Wang Ming. He judged that Wang Ming, wielding such a massive sword, would be slow. He intended to use speed against slowness to finish him off.

Facing Ouyang Feng's fierce and swift attack, Wang Ming casually swung his sword.

"Clang!"

The sound of metal striking metal echoed.

Ouyang Feng was surprised that Wang Ming could wield such a giant weapon with such speed. The moment the sword and cane met, a tremendous force struck him, nearly making him drop the cane. Had he not retreated in time, that sword would have come crashing into his chest along with the cane. Although he wasn't injured, he had been at a disadvantage in that exchange, and his hand felt numb.

Huang Rong, who had already resigned herself to despair, saw this and her eyes suddenly filled with hope. A smile appeared on her face, but her heart remained tense. She analyzed, "Although Mr. Wang can fight Ouyang Feng, he will likely lose in the end. I need to find a way."

Huang Rong looked at the three figures on the ground in the distance, unable to move, and her eyes lit up.

Wang Ming had anticipated the power of this sword strike and was not surprised. He already knew the formidable nature of this swordplay.

Seeing that Ouyang Feng hesitated to attack further, he advanced proactively, wielding his sword with wide, sweeping movements. Each strike possessed the power to fell a bull.

Ouyang Feng found himself in a dire situation. His hands gripping the iron cane had begun to go numb and tremble slightly. The iron cane itself weighed over ten jin, which was considered a heavy weapon. Yet, the Serpent Cane, forged from fine iron, was already slightly bent and deformed. If he hadn't broken through to the innate realm, he would have been defeated long ago.

Some might question how Ouyang Feng, an innate realm master, could be at a disadvantage against Wang Ming, who was in the acquired realm, deeming the innate realm too weak.

The primary reason was the effectiveness of the Heavy Swordplay. For instance, Hong Qigong's attacks were composed of three parts physical strength and ten parts internal energy. Wang Ming's attacks, however, consisted of ten parts physical strength and ten parts true qi, with additional bonuses from his weapon.

The Heavy Swordplay had effectively leveled Wang Ming's combat power with Ouyang Feng, an innate realm master.

Seeing Ouyang Feng struggling, Huang Rong stealthily circled around and released the acupoint restraints on Hong, Huang, and Guo, who were lying on the ground.

The three men, regaining their freedom, were greatly shocked by the battle unfolding before them. They realized Wang Ming had been holding back his true strength. However, this was not the time to dwell on such matters. Huang Yaoshi took out his unique secret medicine, the "Nine Flower Jade Dew Pill," from his embrace. After distributing a few pills to everyone, they quickly began to heal and recover their combat strength.

This was Huang Rong's plan to break the stalemate: allowing her father and master to recover their strength so they could fight Ouyang Feng together. Their previous defeat was mainly because her master had carelessly taken a charged Toad Skill attack from Ouyang Feng, and her father had been drawn into the battle before fully recovering, leading to their crushing defeat. Once they recovered and joined forces with Mr. Wang, they could at least force Ouyang Feng to retreat.