Hesitation Means Defeat

Qi Hong had meant to intimidate Zhong Ming, but in the end, Zhong Ming intimidated him instead.

Yet Qi Hong had been tempered by long experience. He quickly calmed his emotions. At the same time, unwilling to suffer an upset, the aura around him grew ever more terrifying, and the eye fixed on Zhong Ming poured in his full attention.

"You possess such swordsmanship at your age. Not bad. But that alone won't be enough to defeat me..."

"Clang!"

As he spoke, his arm moved, and he violently drew his sword from its sheath.

"Clang!"

At the same moment Qi Hong drew his sword, Zhong Ming's pupils suddenly contracted, and he followed suit.

Whoosh...

Two dazzling sword lights flashed almost simultaneously, but in the end, Qi Hong's sword struck first before Zhong Ming's forehead, slicing off a lock of his hair.

As the sword halted before Zhong Ming's forehead, Qi Hong barked a rebuke.

"Hesitating, waiting—what are you doing!"

"To you, hesitation means defeat, means death!"

"Every time you draw your sword, treat it as a fight to the death!"

"..." Zhong Ming said, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Xie."

You used the Dragon Stream - Sword Drawing Technique and gained insight into the Sword Drawing Technique. Technique progress +31

"Phew..."

Taking a deep breath, Zhong Ming quickly calmed his state of mind.

The next moment, he lowered himself into a sword-drawing stance.

This time, Zhong Ming ignored Qi Hong. Nor did he treat this duel as a spar.

He stared at his opponent with the intent to kill at all costs, searching for an opening.

Yet although Qi Hong stood loosely, not a single flaw could be found on him.

Still, Zhong Ming's gaze pleased Qi Hong.

"That look... cough, cough. You little brat really are interesting..."

"Found it!"

"Clang!"

While Qi Hong was speaking, Zhong Ming sensed something and drew his sword in an instant.

"Clang!"

But as Zhong Ming drew his sword, Qi Hong moved almost in sync with him and drew his own.

Compared to Zhong Ming's swift, fierce sword momentum, Qi Hong's sword was like a venomous serpent. It suddenly shot forth, striking after yet arriving first, and stopped at Zhong Ming's heart.

"Too slow."

You used the Dragon Stream - Sword Drawing Technique and gained insight into the Sword Drawing Technique. Technique progress +23

"Again."

Neither discouraged nor disappointed, Zhong Ming merely fixed his gaze and assumed the sword-drawing stance once more. Then, in an instant, he explosively drew his sword!

"Clang!"

This time, Qi Hong's Long Sword did not stop before Zhong Ming first.

But with a sword like a venomous serpent, he struck the middle of Zhong Ming's blade, causing Zhong Ming's attack to veer slightly and flash past Qi Hong's side.

Because Qi Hong maintained the same realm and strength as Zhong Ming, his Long Sword also deviated slightly after the clash.

Yet in the end, that deflected sword stopped at Zhong Ming's throat.

"It seems you never considered the enemy's counterattack..."

"I told you to consider it, not to hesitate!"

"Too roundabout. Our Sword Drawing Technique must seek the shortest distance!"

"Rigid—far too rigid..."

Amid Qi Hong's rebukes, Zhong Ming's iaijutsu duel with Qi Hong continued.

Once, twice, three times, four times... ten times, thirty times...

Every single time, Zhong Ming was defeated.

But the consecutive defeats did not leave Zhong Ming dejected or disappointed.

Instead, countless sparks of inspiration flashed through his mind.

It could only be said that sword cultivators truly were a profession devoted entirely to battle. Pouring all his Mental Strength into dueling Qi Hong, coupled with Qi Hong's undisguised demonstration of the mysteries of the Dragon Stream - Sword Drawing Technique, caused Zhong Ming's experience with the Dragon Stream - Sword Drawing Technique to rise at a breakneck pace.

You used the Dragon Stream - Sword Drawing Technique and gained insight into the Sword Drawing Technique. Technique progress +11

You used the Dragon Stream - Sword Drawing Technique and gained insight into the Sword Drawing Technique. Technique progress +9

You used the Dragon Stream - Sword Drawing Technique and gained insight into the Sword Drawing Technique. Technique progress +15

You used the Dragon Stream - Sword Drawing Technique and gained insight into the Sword Drawing Technique. Technique progress +7

Yet while Zhong Ming was like this, Qi Hong, who had been winning all along, showed no change on his face. In his heart, however, there was a trace of... fear.

He's improving far too quickly.

Qi Hong found it only natural that Zhong Ming was inferior to him.

Granted, he believed that Zhong Ming, rated Class A, would not be weak, and his talent certainly would not be poor.

In the future, Zhong Ming would most likely far surpass him.

But the future was the future, and the present was the present.

I've practiced the sword for eight years, joined the Demon Suppressing Division for six, and fought Demons and Monsters in life-and-death battles hundreds of times. With such hardship and such combat experience, no matter how talented you are, can you surpass me in just eight days?

That had been Qi Hong's initial mindset.

But before even the time it took to drink a cup of tea had passed, his mindset changed.

Zhong Ming was still no match for him, but what terrified him was how quickly Zhong Ming improved.

Almost every time he drew his sword, Zhong Ming gained some insight, and his Dragon Stream - Sword Drawing Technique advanced further.

That seemingly endless rate of improvement made Qi Hong feel as if he were witnessing a monster.

At this rate of improvement, are you really human? No, even a monster isn't as terrifying as my junior brother!

My eight years of bitter cultivation, my countless battles, my dozens of brushes with death... surely he won't surpass them all in such a short time?

At this moment, Qi Hong's mindset had completely changed. The way he looked at Zhong Ming was filled with endless emotion, jealousy, excitement, and exhilaration.

One thing he had said was right: a Class A disciple like Zhong Ming indeed represented Dragon Stream Peak's future. If Zhong Ming received an exceptional evaluation in the Seven Peaks Grand Competition, disciples like Qi Hong, whose bodies had been damaged, would benefit as well.

Beyond that, Qi Hong had feelings for Dragon Stream Peak.

He did not want Dragon Stream Peak to decline.

This also allowed him to suppress his jealousy, and he taught Zhong Ming with even greater effort.

"Come with me."

Later on, Qi Hong's teaching method changed.

They no longer engaged in rigid iaijutsu duels. Instead, they walked through the bamboo grove beside the Sword Testing Platform, one meter apart.

Naturally, this was not a simple stroll, nor would Qi Hong teach Zhong Ming with words.

As they walked, the two remained constantly on guard against each other, wary of the other's sword.

That peculiar state of mind also allowed Zhong Ming to cast aside everything else. There was only the sword in his heart.

Only myself, only the sword, only killing... This state also brought Zhong Ming into harmony with the Dragon Stream - Sword Drawing Technique. Even without drawing his sword, this sword art continued to grow.

You gained insight into the Dragon Stream - Sword Drawing Technique. Technique progress +3

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You...

"Clang!"

Whoosh!

As they walked, or when bamboo blocked the other's view, Zhong Ming would suddenly draw his sword.

Of course, Qi Hong did not hold back either.

And so, sometimes Zhong Ming drew his sword, sometimes Qi Hong did, and sometimes both did at once.

On this bamboo path, less than a hundred meters long, Zhong Ming and Qi Hong, walking side by side, took an entire cup of tea's time to pass through.

During that time, Zhong Ming drew his sword thirty-three times, while Qi Hong drew his forty-nine times.

When they emerged from the bamboo grove, Zhong Ming's mind finally relaxed with a "Phew..." and he could not even remain standing.

His arm trembled without end.

That alone showed just how much pressure the path had placed on Zhong Ming.

Zhong Ming's mind was nearly exhausted, and Qi Hong... was not having an easy time either.

He wanted to preserve the dignity of being the senior brother.

But Zhong Ming improved too quickly. Before they left the bamboo grove, Zhong Ming's final few strikes had already seemed to come alive.

They were like winding, flowing water that seeped through every crack, and like an azure dragon baring its fangs and claws, domineering and majestic. Without using strength beyond Zhong Ming's, even blocking those few strikes had been extremely difficult.

No, if this continues, I won't be able to preserve my dignity as the senior brother. If Yang Chen and Shi Yun learn that I was defeated in swordsmanship by a junior who entered the sect less than a month ago, they'll definitely mock me...

Before his words had even finished, Qi Hong's expression froze.

Wait, I can bring them over too.

Thinking of the sight of his friends possibly losing to Zhong Ming, a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"With talent like this, Zhong Ming is no weaker than Senior Brother Xiao, who possessed an Innate Sword Heart in our generation. Such a heaven-favored genius who can revitalize Dragon Stream Peak ought to be properly nurtured."

"Yang Chen, Shi Yun, since you have nothing better to do anyway, come teach our junior a thing or two."