A Stunning Sword Strike

A Stunning Sword Strike

"One move to decide the victor?" Xie Xun was taken aback by Ye Weiming's suggestion, then frowned. "And how exactly do you propose we decide it in one move?"

Ye Weiming drew his sword as he spoke calmly. "This junior will make only one strike. If Senior can receive it head-on without dodging or retreating, then this junior loses. At that point, Senior may do as you please with me, and I won't so much as furrow a brow."

"You think one move is enough to defeat me?" Xie Xun could not help looking Ye Weiming over again. "What an arrogant brat! Forget you—even if old Daoist Zhang Sanfeng came in person, I, Xie Xun, would not fail to take a single move! I'll give you one more chance. Choose another method of challenge."

"No!" Ye Weiming shook his head resolutely. "Just one sword strike! However, I need a little time to prepare it. Senior must not interrupt me midway."

"Fine!" Xie Xun laughed heartily. "Win or lose, I'll remember you, boy. If you can force me to dodge or take even half a step back with one sword strike, your reward will be raised by one tier!"

"Then many thanks for Senior's generosity." As he spoke, Ye Weiming's smile vanished. His internal energy slowly poured into the sword in his hand, and stimulated by that power, the Dragon Spring Sword gave a crisp, melodious ring.

At the same time, Ye Weiming's left hand began making calculations.

Tai Shan's Secret, activated!

The instant Ye Weiming entered his calculating state, Xie Xun felt a terror he had not experienced in a very long time. His instincts told him that the boy's next sword strike would be anything but ordinary. The best course of action would be to strike first and kill him with a palm before he could make his move!

Unfortunately, they had already agreed upon the conditions. Xie Xun could not bring himself to do something so shameless. He could only force down the urge to attack, gathering his focus as he waited in full readiness.

Meanwhile, Yin Bukui's eyes widened at Ye Weiming's movements, and he blurted out, "Tai Shan's Secret!"

This guy really was an original-novel fan!

Ye Weiming had suspected as much back on the boat. Before speaking with Yin Bukui, he had asked Zhang Cuishan about the origins of the Skyhawk Sect. Zhang Cuishan's answer had been that he knew nothing about the Skyhawk Sect, not even who its leader was. Yet the moment they stepped outside, Yin Bukui had rattled off everything about the Skyhawk Sect, the Ming Cult's Four Guardian Kings, and especially the background of Golden Mane Lion King Xie Xun.

And now, this guy had recognized Tai Shan's Secret at a glance!

Who would believe he was not an original-novel fan?

But the setting of Eternal Chivalry was martial arts, not Naruto. Letting one's thoughts wander during battle was simply courting death. Ye Weiming had already shut out every distraction and devoted himself wholeheartedly to... solving math problems!

Compared to when he had tested it on the West Lake Bandits, using Tai Shan's Secret against Xie Xun did not make the questions any harder. It had not, as Ye Weiming had worried, thrown ten calculus problems at him. The number of questions seemed to have increased, however. Ten questions had been enough to activate it before, but he had now completed the thirteenth without any sign of activation.

Still, Ye Weiming was not worried in the slightest.

Xie Xun would not make the first move anyway, and Tai Shan's Secret had no time limit for activation. He could take it slow.

To ensure accuracy, Ye Weiming checked every problem again after solving it, submitting his answer only after confirming it was correct. He was steady as could be.

Second by second, time passed. Not only Xie Xun, but even Yin Bukui standing nearby was beginning to grow impatient.

If it took this long to prepare every time, then How to Conquer Mount Tai, which was supposedly even more powerful than the Dugu Nine Swords, was far too much of a Chicken Ribs skill, wasn't it?

The truth was, it really was that much of a Chicken Ribs skill!

Five minutes later, Ye Weiming completed the twenty-fourth problem.

Seven minutes later, Ye Weiming completed the thirty-second problem.

Nine minutes later, Xie Xun had finally run out of patience. "Boy, are you going to stab with that sword or not?"

Ye Weiming ignored him and continued working on the forty-first problem. Xie Xun's questioning made him frown in irritation as he began muttering, "Three times seven is twenty-one, eight times eight is sixty-four, seven times nine..."

After switching from mental arithmetic to speaking aloud, his efficiency seemed to improve a little?

Twelve minutes later, Xie Xun finally could not hold back. "Boy, didn't you say you didn't want to waste my time? But the time you've spent preparing that one sword strike would be enough for me to fight ten people!"

Ye Weiming: "...Nine times nine is eighty-one, one plus seven is eight, eight plus six..."

Just as Xie Xun's patience was about to reach its limit, Ye Weiming finally completed the forty-ninth math problem!

At last, Tai Shan's Secret's active effect was successfully activated!

"Done!" The moment the words left his mouth, Ye Weiming thrust out his sword. It was still the most lethal move in the Moon Maiden Swordplay—Xi Shi Holding Heart.

But unlike before, the power this strike displayed was absolutely not something a Low-grade sword technique should possess. In this one strike, all of Ye Weiming's remaining essence, energy, and spirit had condensed upon the sword tip. Man and sword seemed to have become one.

The core of Tai Shan's Secret was calculation. It calculated not only the enemy, but also the surrounding environment of heaven and earth. It calculated the angle and position of one's attack when drawing the sword, as well as the exertion of every inch of muscle, every meridian, every bone, and every thread of internal energy when executing the move!

Only in this way could a sword strike approach perfection, allowing one part strength to unleash ten parts might!

And only such an attack could target the enemy's weakness and defeat them in a single blow!

Facing Ye Weiming's seemingly simple and direct, yet nearly perfect sword strike, Xie Xun's eyes widened. He discovered that the strike seemed to point directly at his vital weakness. In an instant, more than ten possible responses flashed through his mind, only for him to reject them all in the next instant.

Reviewing every martial art he had learned in his life, Xie Xun discovered in horror that not a single move could block this seemingly ordinary straight thrust!

Forget blocking it—even dodging was impossible!

What was he supposed to do?

But Xie Xun was Xie Xun after all. At the critical moment, he let out an angry roar as surging Qi Force burst from all over his body. Then, rather than retreating or yielding, he threw a punch directly at Ye Weiming's sword.

Before the fist arrived, the surging Qi Force had already erupted with the sound of his fist wind, slamming directly into the strongest point of the Dragon Spring Sword's blade.

Crack!

Torn apart by the overwhelming Qi Force, the blue-quality Dragon Spring Sword shattered without the slightest resistance, breaking into seven pieces. They shot off in every direction at incredible speed. Some pierced toward the sky, some sank deep into the wooden platform beneath their feet, and one piece happened to skim past Yin Bukui's ribs, reducing his newly restored health to critical levels once again!

Ye Weiming, who bore the brunt of the attack, felt as though he had been struck by lightning. He was blasted straight off the platform by that punch. After landing, he could not help coughing up a mouthful of blood, while a scarlet number floated above his head.

-567!

That one punch had taken Ye Weiming from full health to critical condition!

Shaking his head, Ye Weiming climbed to his feet and could not help giving a bitter smile. "Senior's divine skill is invincible. This junior has lost."

"No!" Shock still lingered in Xie Xun's eyes as he gently shook his head. "The one who lost should be me. Take a look at my attributes and you'll understand."

Ye Weiming looked up and saw the following displayed above Xie Xun's head...

Xie Xun

Known in the martial world as the Golden Mane Lion King; his strength is unfathomable

Level: ???

Health: ???/???

Internal Energy: ???/???

Martial Arts: ???

"Your sword strike just now was indeed formidable. Not only could I not receive it, I could not even dodge it. To protect myself, I could only remove the restrictions on my own level and attributes. That counts as breaking the rules. Therefore, you are the winner!"

"I have killed and set fires all my life, and I don't know how many Martial Arts Manuals I have seized in the martial world. What do you want to learn, boy? Just name it!"

"First, let me remind you that the upper limit of your reward is intermediate martial arts." As he spoke, he pointed at Yin Bukui on the other side. "His reward limit is beginner martial arts."

"If you make unreasonable demands, I have the right to cancel your rewards. Now, you may speak."

Thanks to reader Tao Hua Xia De Jiu for the 1,000 Qidian Coin reward!