Is There Truly Such a Peerless Prodigy Under Heaven?

When Huang Rong said that Lu Chen had only trained in the sword for a month, Huang Yaoshi's eyes narrowed slightly, and deep within his pupils, a hidden chill flickered—

He had just witnessed Lu Chen's sword dance with his own eyes; a sword dance of such bearing could not possibly be the product of a single month's practice!

At the very least, it would take three to five years of hard training!

A martial artist with solid sword fundamentals and considerable skill, pretending not to know martial arts, approaching Rong'er, seeking her guidance—what was this brat plotting?

Rong'er was innocent and naive, new to the martial world, unaware of the treachery in people's hearts, and had fallen for this little scoundrel's trap. But before this master of deception, Huang Yaoshi, your shallow tricks were far from enough to fool me!

Huang Yaoshi sneered inwardly, casting a faint glance at Lu Chen:

"Is that so? Rong'er, you didn't teach him Falling Blossom Swordplay or Jade Flute Swordplay?"

Huang Rong clung to Huang Yaoshi's arm, speaking with a docile expression:

"Without Father's consent, Rong'er wouldn't dare to teach our sect's sword techniques on my own."

Only then did Huang Yaoshi feel slightly relieved, nodding:

"At least you still know the rules."

Though Huang Rong was sharp, she was still too inexperienced before a seasoned veteran like Huang Yaoshi, who possessed extraordinary insight. She didn't notice that Huang Yaoshi had already developed a misunderstanding about Lu Chen, and was still proudly praising him:

"Lu Chen also has an ultimate sword move—that one strike is truly remarkable. I guarantee that even Father, if you saw it, would be utterly amazed."

Ultimate sword?

Earlier, when Huang Yaoshi was at the courtyard gate, he had heard Huang Rong mention something about "a single ultimate sword move with astonishing power," and even the title "Heavenly Outer Sword God" seemed to stem from it.

So, this brat had used that one move to capture Rong'er's attention, making her see him as a "rough gem, a prodigy?"

"Rong'er, since you praise it so highly, then I, as your father, must indeed see it for myself."

Huang Yaoshi lowered his eyelids, concealing the coldness in his eyes, and said flatly to Lu Chen:

"Young friend Lu, would you let Huang see that ultimate sword move of yours, which Rong'er can't stop praising and has dubbed 'divine'?"

Huang Yaoshi's tone sounded somewhat strange, and his attitude was cold and distant. Lu Chen simply took it as the normal reaction of a doting father seeing some brat trying to court his precious daughter, and didn't find anything unusual.

He looked at Huang Rong, saw the anticipation in her eyes, and she gave him an encouraging gesture with a grin. He then stepped back three paces and bowed to Huang Yaoshi:

"Since Senior commands, this junior dares not refuse. Please, Senior, offer your guidance."

With that, he gripped the wooden sword and assumed the starting stance of "Sword One."

Huang Rong then let go of Huang Yaoshi's arm, stepped aside, and even handed her father a wooden sword.

Huang Yaoshi clasped his hands behind his back, saying flatly: "Your father doesn't need it."

In all the world, the only ones worthy of him wielding a weapon against were Western Venom, Southern Emperor, and Northern Beggar; the rest were not enough to make him resort to arms.

But Huang Rong giggled, her voice soft and coaxing, as if pleading:

"Father, just take it. Think of it as guiding Lu Chen's swordsmanship, alright?"

In truth, she was doing this to save Huang Yaoshi's face.

Though Lu Chen's "Sword One" only had the power of a single strike, that strike carried the might of a Five Greats-level attack.

Her father was indeed one of the Five Greats of the World, and couldn't be defeated in one blow by an attack of the same level, but she knew her father's pride well. Faced with a direct strike from a junior like Lu Chen, he wouldn't dodge with footwork; he would stand his ground and take it head-on.

If he didn't dodge and caught a weapon barehanded—even just a wooden sword—given the power of Lu Chen's strike, her father might suffer a small loss.

And given her father's temperament, if he actually suffered a loss and lost face, the consequences would be unpredictable.

Huang Yaoshi didn't know what Huang Rong was thinking, but he couldn't resist his daughter's coaxing, so he reached out and took the wooden sword, though he had no intention of using it.

A mere eighteen- or nineteen-year-old junior, no matter how deep his schemes, how solid his sword fundamentals, or how many flashy tricks he had, could at most fool a newcomer to the martial world like Rong'er.

Before him, the "Eastern Heretic," who had witnessed the signature techniques of all the world's masters, that so-called "ultimate sword" would surely be laughable and easily broken.

Huang Yaoshi held the sword in one hand, the other behind his back, and looked at Lu Chen, who had already taken his stance across from him, saying flatly:

"You may make your move."

Lu Chen didn't stand on ceremony. With a low shout:

"Senior Huang, forgive my impertinence!"

As the words fell, his foot suddenly stamped the ground. An explosive force roared up from the sole, surging like a reverse tide, layering and condensing in an instant between his fingers and palm.

Swish—

Amid a sharp wind, Lu Chen thrust the wooden sword fiercely.

Driven by the violent force, the wooden sword turned into a blurry shadow, shooting toward Huang Yaoshi's chest at an inconceivable speed.

In the moment before Lu Chen struck, Huang Yaoshi still wore a sneer on his lips, his eyes cold, his heart full of disdain. But as the wooden sword shot out and the wind suddenly rose, the sneer on his lips abruptly dropped, the coldness in his eyes froze, and his disdain turned into shock.

This sword...

In terms of power alone, even if he, Huang Yaoshi, struck personally, it would be no more than this!

Though the execution was far from seasoned—there was a moment of gathering force before the strike, which to a master of Huang Yaoshi's level was a notable flaw, easily dodged at will—even so, this sword indeed possessed the might of a Five Greats. No wonder Rong'er praised it so highly, calling it "divine."

But this youth was only eighteen or nineteen; how could he possibly deliver such a strike?

As shock stirred within him, the gray sword shadow was already upon him.

Before the sword tip even touched his chest, the fierce wind stirred up by the wooden sword had already sent a chill through Huang Yaoshi's heart.

The Five Greats of the World were still flesh and blood.

If struck by a blow from a peer-level expert, they too would be injured, or even killed.

Huang Yaoshi had originally planned to use a single "Finger Flicking Skill" to shatter Lu Chen's wooden sword and send him flying, but now he no longer dared to underestimate him.

Swish!

Amid the sharp wind, Huang Yaoshi's sword hand blurred into a shadow, and his wooden sword sprang up like a startled viper, tracing a gray arc to intercept Lu Chen's wooden sword in a flash of lightning.

This strike, he had used a full eighty to ninety percent of his skill!

Crack!

With a crisp, explosive sound, the two wooden swords collided and snapped simultaneously.

The broken tip of Lu Chen's wooden sword whistled as it spun through the air, thudding into the main house's door panel, piercing straight through it.

The broken tip of Huang Yaoshi's sword, meanwhile, plunged deeply into the ground at his feet with a dull thud.

Lu Chen's body trembled slightly, taking a step back. He swayed, and sweat beaded densely across his forehead as his face turned pale.

But these days of training hadn't been for nothing—at least this time, he didn't collapse to the ground, and he even had the strength to speak:

"Thank you for your guidance, senior. Your swordsmanship is unmatched; this junior admires you beyond words."

Huang Rong had originally wanted to rush over and support him, but seeing that he had actually stayed on his feet without falling, a flicker of joy passed through her eyes. She stopped, clasped her hands behind her back, and smiled at Huang Yaoshi:

"Father, what do you think of Lu Chen's sword?"

Huang Yaoshi stared blankly at the broken sword in his hand, unable to believe that a strike using eighty to ninety percent of his power had only ended in a draw with Lu Chen.

At that moment, Huang Yaoshi was very grateful to Rong'er.

If she hadn't coaxed him into receiving the sword, and if he had insisted on facing it empty-handed, then—unable to dodge without losing face—taking Lu Chen's strike barehanded might have cost him a small loss.

Looking at Lu Chen, who seemed utterly drained, Huang Yaoshi's eyes were filled with bewilderment:

"Has Lu Chen... really only been practicing swords for a month?"

He had originally thought Lu Chen was a scheming little thief, with at least three to five years of swordsmanship under his belt, pretending to know no martial arts to deceive Rong'er and plot mischief. But now, he no longer thought so.

Given Lu Chen's age, the strike that had forced Huang Yaoshi to use eighty to ninety percent of his power just to tie—let alone three to five years of sword training, even if he had been practicing since he was five or six, he couldn't have pulled it off.

He simply didn't have that kind of skill.

Even if he had poured all his strength into that thrust, by common sense, it should never have had such power.

But now, Lu Chen's "Ultimate Sword" had overturned common sense.

Since it defied logic, Huang Yaoshi's earlier judgment about his sword foundation might be wrong, and Rong'er's judgment might not be mistaken either. This Lu Chen might truly be a once-in-a-generation prodigy!

"Lu Chen really has only been practicing swords for a month."

Huang Rong said triumphantly, her voice crisp and light:

"When we first met, he couldn't even hold a sword properly. He'd taught himself bad habits, and Rong'er had to correct his grip hand by hand."

"Practicing swords for a month..."

Huang Yaoshi murmured, glancing at Lu Chen, who was clearly exhausted yet still struggling to stand tall. A hint of admiration crept into his eyes.

Though he only had the strength for one strike, at his age, that strike had already touched the realm of the Five Greats. It truly deserved to be called "Ultimate Sword, Divine Sword." Because as he grew stronger in skill and swordsmanship in the future, the power of this strike would inevitably surpass the Five Greats.

Especially since he was so young, had only trained for a month, and had only practiced the basic sword forms and the Maiden of Yue Sword under Rong'er's guidance...

If he continued growing at this pace, this young man's future might not even be limited by the "Five Greats"!

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