At sunrise in the east, the clear mountains rolled up their curtains. The streets of Chuyun City teemed with people, all streaming toward the City Lord's Mansion in hopes of securing a good spot to watch the battle.
You Su was surrounded by commoners who supported him, all cheering him on. In their eyes, a cultivator as formidable as You Su was usually approachable and easygoing when dealing with them. Now that he was facing cultivators as lofty as those represented by Wu Cheng, it felt as though You Su were fighting on their behalf.
When he passed the breakfast street, everyone wanted to give him something to eat. You Su refused them all, accepting only Granny Wang's Oil-Crisped Cake.
When he passed Zhaiyun Clothing Shop, the proprietress saw him attending such an important gathering in a plain black robe and became furious. She dragged him inside and tried to strip him down for a change of clothes. You Su could not overcome her, so he had no choice but to fasten on a slightly gaudy silver belt as a makeshift solution. The two exquisite little characters "Zhaiyun" were embroidered on it.
After a difficult journey, You Su finally reached the City Lord's Mansion. Gu Yao, City Lord Liu, and the others had already taken their seats. At the other end of the venue, Wu Cheng stood silently at the edge of the arena in an understated white robe, gazing at You Su from afar.
Seeing that both sides had arrived, City Lord Liu rose to quiet the noisy crowd. In a ringing voice, he delivered a few conventional remarks: praising the two men's extraordinary strength, saying that making it this far had been no easy feat, and reminding them what to do in the final match. If they were outmatched, they were to admit defeat in time and not resist stubbornly.
Gu Yao also stepped forward and promised that regardless of their ranking, anyone he deemed to have performed exceptionally would receive a gift from him. His words rekindled hope in many of the competing cultivators below. A gift from an immortal elder of Xuanxiao Sect was not something one could obtain casually, while those who had given up or performed poorly looked even more dejected.
At the command, You Su and Wu Cheng slowly walked to the center of the arena. You Su's emotions also began to ripple, a rare occurrence for him.
When facing others, You Su had never thought he would lose. There were too many mediocre cultivators among their ranks, people who might spend their entire lives stuck at Channel Opening or the Spirit Platform Realm because they were distracted by too many external things and lacked a steadfast heart for pursuing the Dao.
But Wu Cheng was different. You Su could sense his pursuit of the Dao. Standing opposite him now, You Su actually felt a trace of threat.
Nevertheless, even if You Su did not need the Auditory Disciple position, he would never allow himself to lose to Wu Cheng. Setting aside Wu Cheng's unreasonable harassment since childhood, the provocation at his door some time ago had truly enraged You Su. Now, with no need to worry about retribution from the people behind Wu Cheng, he had made up his mind to shatter this inexplicable arrogance of Wu Cheng's.
Wu Cheng was also sizing up You Su, his eyes blazing with battle intent. At last, the day had come when he could face You Su in a direct contest, and he was extraordinarily excited. He did not understand why he hated You Su so much. He was polite enough to everyone else, yet his loathing for a blind man had only grown fiercer.
Since childhood, he had been the eldest young master of his Household and the personal disciple personally selected by the Sky Guard Sect's master. His growth had been smooth sailing. It was not until the day his master first sent him to challenge You Su that he experienced the taste of being rejected—a sour, bitter taste laced with resentment.
He hated that feeling. When he was young, he stubbornly hoped You Su would agree to fight him, but You Su simply refused. Wu Cheng could not understand why. Wasn't it enough to have a fight and then admit that he was inferior? Everyone else could do it, so why couldn't a blind man?
After that, it seemed to become his obsession, his inner demon. It cast a dark layer beneath his radiant exterior. It made him anxious, yet it also made him grateful to You Su—grateful that You Su seemed to have made him more complete. He was no longer the polished puppet in the eyes of his Household and sect, meant only to bring glory to them. Instead, he could harbor his own hatred and graft it onto You Su.
Sometimes, Wu Cheng even felt like one of those lapdogs in a pleasure house who desperately fawned over the star courtesan. The more they could not win her over, the harder they fawned. But he differed fundamentally from those who sought what they could not have. Now that he had finally won her favor, he would immediately trample that seemingly ever-unyielding courtesan beneath his feet and ravage her, thereby severing his obsession and stepping onto a broader road.
With the clang of the bronze drum, everyone around the arena held their breath and watched the black-robed and white-robed figures in the center with rapt attention. This duel, which had drawn the eyes of countless people, finally began.
You Su was more serious than ever before, using all his senses to perceive Wu Cheng's every movement. Wu Cheng was no pillow embroidered with flowers; unlike Sheng Ziling, he would not expose a massive flaw and let You Su win with a single strike. You Su had to plan before acting. As a blind man, he already possessed an innate disadvantage, and launching attacks recklessly was not the best way to win.
Wu Cheng was likewise poised to strike. His hands gripped the hilt one above the other. This was the most difficult opening stance in the Sky Guard Sword Scripture of Sky Guard Sect, and Wu Cheng was the only one among the younger generation who had mastered it. It was as though all the sword's rhythm and momentum had been gathered and compressed within the blade, waiting for the ensuing strike to sweep away everything in its path.
"You Su, you finally aren't running today." Wu Cheng suddenly smiled.
"I don't have a habit of talking before a fight." You Su secretly gathered his strength, standing ready.
Wu Cheng's smile deepened. "What a coincidence. Neither do I."
The moment the word "do" fell, a streak of light flashed past. Wu Cheng came sweeping toward You Su wrapped in astonishing sword force, his treasured sword surging forward without hesitation.
When those who had previously been defeated by Wu Cheng in a single strike saw this sword, their hearts filled with astonishment. So the seemingly unstoppable strike they had witnessed was nowhere near Wu Cheng's limit. At that moment, they all believed You Su's defeat was already certain.
But how could You Su lose so easily? The two swords rang out like clashing metal, and You Su was forced back a meter by the blow. His shoes scraped clear drag marks into the ground, and even his right hand gripping the sword began to tremble from the force of Wu Cheng's strike.
You Su did not panic. He knew that this kind of sword technique, which focused on building power for a single blow, had one greatest flaw: the long opening after the strike. Thus, You Su immediately released his right hand, twisted his body, and caught the falling Ink Pine Sword with his left hand, thrusting straight toward Wu Cheng's chest.
This response was undeniably dangerous. If his prediction of the opponent's sword trajectory had been even slightly wrong, the opponent could have cut him apart on the spot.
Wu Cheng was likewise startled by You Su's move. It was easy to launch an attack but difficult to withdraw from one, and it was already too difficult for him to use his sword to block You Su now. He immediately recited an incantation and formed the Shock Qi Art, slowing the momentum of You Su's sword.
Feeling the Ink Pine Sword meet resistance, You Su did not force the issue. He withdrew his left hand, spun around, and kicked toward Wu Cheng's face. You Su did not practice leg techniques, yet this kick still carried tremendous momentum. It was because he had used the Iron Transformation Technique learned from Selected Five Elements Sorcery, causing the Mystic Qi filling his right leg to tense in an instant until it was hard as steel.
Wu Cheng had not expected You Su to know sorcery as well. He had thought You Su was purely a Sword Cultivator. Caught off guard, he had no time to think of a better response and could only draw back his hand and block with his elbow, taking the kick solidly.
After that kick, Wu Cheng was sent flying several meters. Comparing the distances each man had been forced back, everyone was secretly astonished that You Su had actually gained a slight advantage.
Seeing the two of them fight as though their lives were on the line, City Lord Liu looked worried. "Senior Brother Gu, this..."
Gu Yao merely smiled calmly and replied offhandedly, "It's fine. I know what I'm doing."
No enemy would stop after exchanging a few moves. What Gu Yao admired was precisely this bloody spirit—the kind of person capable of shouldering a cultivator's responsibility to cleanse the turbid world. There were certainly people on the divine mountain who kept themselves pure, but Gu Yao, at least, would not respect them.
Gu Yao withdrew his thoughts and continued to savor the battle in the arena with rapt attention.
Wu Cheng patted the sleeve that had been kicked and grew solemn. Wu Cheng was a disciple of Mandarin Sword Sect, and he had originally intended to defeat You Su on the Way of the Sword, You Su's greatest strength, and make him submit completely. He had not expected his opponent to be so unconstrained by it. His arrogance had nearly led to disaster. Now, he no longer intended to hold back. With the sword in his right hand and his left hand forming a sword-finger, One Sword, One Art was his strongest state.
Sensing the pressure radiating from Wu Cheng, You Su also bent slightly, like a slender willow in the wind, swaying with every gust. Yet no matter how fierce the wind and rain became, they could never break it.
In the very next instant, the two charged at each other at the same time. Their swords repeatedly met and collided, ringing out with clanging sounds.
They appeared evenly matched, but those with keen eyes could observe that You Su was actually suppressing Wu Cheng bit by bit. You Su's sword techniques did not seek to defeat his opponent immediately. Instead, they seemed to cling to Wu Cheng's sword as they fought. He meant to force Wu Cheng to constantly deal with his endless attacks, leaving him no opportunity to recite incantations.
Gu Yao's eyes shifted as he saw that this blind man's attainments in the Way of the Sword were absolutely profound. His application of swordsmanship was also extremely appropriate and seasoned, utterly unlike that of a young man. Thinking of the Lotus Sword Venerable he had encountered the previous night, Gu Yao could not help wondering about her relationship with You Su.
The Lotus Sword Venerable could be considered one of the leading female Sword Cultivators in the Five Continents. Relying on her self-created Lotus Birth Sword Technique, she had forcibly carved out Thirteen Peaks within the territory of Xuanxiao Sect and become the Thirteenth Elder of Xuanxiao Sect—a true female sword immortal. She had been famous for a hundred years and had taken only one female disciple. After disappearing for eight years, her first appearance had been to ask him to protect a young man. She had probably taken a fancy to the boy's talent in the Way of the Sword and intended to accept him as her second disciple.
At this thought, Gu Yao made a decision.
Back in the arena, the two were still locked in combat, but Wu Cheng was clearly running out of strength. The earlier stalemate had transformed into his retreating step by step. He believed his sword skills were extraordinary, yet even he could not match You Su's understanding of the sword.
Since childhood, You Su had swung his sword tens of thousands of times every day. He had never slackened because of his talent, seeking instead the power of water dripping through stone. That was not something just anyone could accomplish.
His sword was knocked aside once more, and Wu Cheng finally failed to keep up with the rhythm of You Su's attacks, exposing a sizable opening. You Su noticed it keenly. The opportunity he had been entangling Wu Cheng for so long to await had finally appeared, and he immediately raised his sword and thrust.
Unexpectedly, this was a flaw Wu Cheng had deliberately exposed. Because he had prepared himself mentally long ago, Wu Cheng barely managed to turn his body aside and was only grazed at the waist by the Ink Pine Sword. At the cost of his injury, he won precious time to cast a spell. A fire dragon spouted from his palm, and You Su could only widen the distance because of its might. Several scorched holes were burned into his black robe.
Seeing Wu Cheng bleed, Qi Daodong, who was nearby, knitted his brows tightly and wanted to call a halt to the increasingly fierce battle. But he could not believe his prized disciple would lose and ultimately restrained himself from rising from his seat.
You Su's heart sank, and he became two hundred percent vigilant toward Wu Cheng. The opponent's strength had far exceeded his expectations. The power in that beam of fire had far surpassed that of the sorcery he had studied for only a few days. Wu Cheng was clearly exceptionally skilled in the Way of Sorcery, so You Su immediately raised his sword and charged again, unwilling to give him any chance to recover.
Wu Cheng did not care in the slightest about the wound at his waist, which was still bleeding. He actually abandoned the sword in his hand and began rapidly weaving hand seals with both hands as he recited an incantation. When Gu Yao saw Wu Cheng's hands move, he was so shocked that he nearly slapped the table and rose. He had recognized that the hand seals Wu Cheng was forming were not for the same spell at all!
He intended to release two spells with a single chant!
Gu Yao had not expected Wu Cheng to possess an extremely rare Innate Dao Body—the Sound-Word Dao Body!
This Dao Body was naturally extremely sensitive to sound and was especially suited to practicing sorcery. Only someone possessing this Dao Body could cast spells simultaneously. In history, there had even been a person with the Sound-Word Dao Body who could release five spells at once! Wu Cheng was only in the lower stage of the Spirit Platform Realm, yet he could already release two simultaneously. His future was immeasurable!
Looking at the two people in the arena, Gu Yao sighed. How had this little Chuyun City earned the virtue to nurture two young prodigies, a hidden dragon and a phoenix, at the same time? And both had hidden themselves so deeply!
Even City Lord Liu wore a look of astonishment. Only Wu Cheng's master, Qi Daodong, remained utterly confident, believing the battle was already as good as won.
You Su's sword radiance had arrived, yet Wu Cheng neither dodged nor evaded. His lips moved, then abruptly stopped, and his hands suddenly came together! A tangible shackle instantly climbed over You Su's legs, seizing his swift form. You Su tried to forcefully kick off the ground and break free, but the shackle was also charged with rapid bursts of electricity, leaving his entire body numb and stiff as his strength gradually faded.
After finishing the spell, Wu Cheng seemed to have exhausted himself. He panted heavily while looking arrogantly at You Su, who could no longer move. Then he struggled to form another seal, and the fire dragon from earlier once again coiled around his hand.
"You Su, admit defeat." His tone was haughty.
You Su had never seen such Body Binding Sorcery before. Even the immobilization technique cast by True Man Ling of the Condensing Water Realm had not been this difficult to deal with. Wu Cheng's spell left him trapped in mud, unable to move.
Seeing this scene, everyone assumed that the arduous battle had finally come to an end.
But You Su did not give up struggling!
The cold sword gave a soft ring, seeming even more unyielding than You Su himself. Feeling the weight coming from the hilt, You Su sensed the world fall utterly silent. Only Mistress's words echoed again and again: "Trust the sword you have swung countless times."
You Su raised his eyes. An extraordinarily penetrating gaze erupted from his hollow pupils. He gently twisted the blade, then used the Wind Riding Ladder Technique with both feet. Ignoring the flesh torn bloody on his calves as they were dragged, he forcefully leaped high into the air. This descending sword was like divine punishment! Beneath the bright, clear sky, it made people feel as though they were witnessing torrential rain and thunder!
Everyone present seemed to have their souls shaken by this sword, forgetting even to breathe.
Gu Yao was even so shocked that he rose directly to his feet and immediately rushed into the arena to save Wu Cheng. He cursed inwardly, Damn it, he comprehended sword intent at eighteen! Are you trying to become a Sword God?!
Wu Cheng stood there in a daze. Facing You Su's sword, he was powerless to dodge, yet he felt no fear. Instead, he smiled—a smile of utter satisfaction.
"I admit defeat."
Please follow for updates!!! Otherwise, it's really going to be over, sob!! The combined chapter might be a little more satisfying to read. And this chapter absolutely isn't trying to whitewash Wu Cheng, either. People are complicated, not just simple villains. Bullies have their own reasons for bullying, but that doesn't mean bullies will be forgiven.
Before you continue