Chapter 28

Clang—

In their first clash, Xu Xiaoshou was sent plummeting back by Zhou Tianshen's golden Overlord Saber and Hidden Pain. Spiritual energy surged through his body, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Now that's satisfying!" Zhou Tianshen laughed heartily. "Again!"

Xu Xiaoshou's expression turned strange. For the first time, his innate physical body had failed to gain the upper hand in terms of strength, and even his line had been stolen.

Damn it! I can't clash with him head-on...

Xu Xiaoshou pondered. The other man's Acquired Saber Intent was surely the kind meant for frontal confrontation. Meeting length with shortness would only leave him bloodied.

He wanted to try fighting with innate-level Sharpness, but he feared being split in two by a single slash, so he could only abandon the thought.

That left him with only one option: use Zhou Tianshen's saber technique to temper his own Acquired Sword Intent.

As the other man came slashing down again with the force to rend the heavens, Xu Xiaoshou gripped Hidden Pain. Countless sword moves gained that day in the White Cloud Illusion surfaced in his mind.

Killing techniques buried deep within his mind! With the golden saber descending from above, Xu Xiaoshou angled his sword to block. Watching the Overlord Saber scrape past his face along the blade with a clang-clang, he flicked his wrist. His sword carried a leisurely intent, deeply containing the principle of using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds, and violently knocked the Overlord Saber aside.

Sssh! A sword swept for his throat. Zhou Tianshen jerked backward, and several strands of long hair drifted gently down.

He flipped with the momentum, the Overlord Saber turning through a full circuit. Surging spiritual energy rose up as he viciously chopped at Xu Xiaoshou's knees.

Clang! Xu Xiaoshou's first sword missed. He reversed Hidden Pain and stabbed it into the ground, precisely wedging it between the Overlord Saber's blade and guard, producing a tremendous humming crash.

Their eyes met, and it seemed as though gunpowder smoke erupted in the air. Each saw the blazing heat in the other's gaze.

Xu Xiaoshou shook his arm, instantly blasting them apart.

The first lightning-fast exchange ended, and the spectator stands erupted. Everyone watched with their blood boiling.

"It's here—Acquired Saber Intent versus Acquired Sword Intent!"

"My god, that was dangerous! One slip, and either Zhou Tianshen would have had his throat sealed or Xu Xiaoshou would have lost both legs. This fight is about to get exciting."

"Exactly. And their reactions are so fast. This is the level an advancement match should have, right? I'm really sick of those one-sided stomps."

"Right, right. It's only been a few breaths, and they've already brushed past death several times."

Before the crowd's excitement could fade, Zhou Tianshen was the first to steady his saber. Yet rather than attacking, he laughed boldly. "Xu Xiaoshou, take my Nine Tides!"

Nine Tides was a saber technique that flowed without end, each wave rising higher than the last. Once it built momentum, paired with Acquired Saber Intent that could be unleashed and withdrawn at will, who could possibly withstand it?

He raised his saber upright and slowly lifted it. As the blade rose inch by inch, his momentum climbed yard by yard.

The sword-wielding youth opposite him said nothing and immediately closed his eyes. In an instant, the arena became as unpredictable as clouds and waves, and even the flying sand seemed to slow.

Two utterly different realms intertwined, held together by the bond of sword and saber as mortal enemies.

Crack! Crack!

The arena beneath them groaned under the strain, and even the barrier began to tremble violently.

The spectators sat upright, their fingers interlocked. Even Xiao Qixiu narrowed his eyes slightly, his focus raised to its peak.

It was as if an intent to pierce the sky exploded forth, making even the heavens tremble.

The next second, Zhou Tianshen slashed down. His Saber Intent transformed into rising and falling tidal waves, surging forth to kill; Xu Xiaoshou's eyes flew open in fury, and his leisurely sword swept past like white clouds wrapping around the sun, drawing all the waves into its fold.

Clang, clang, clang! Holding their breath, the spectators saw in astonishment that the realms between the two men, separated by several yards, had actually taken tangible form.

Where the tidal waves met the white clouds, saber light and sword shadows crisscrossed, while the sounds of weapons clashing rang without end.

"Holy shit, this is intense!"

One person could not help speaking, only for someone beside him to immediately scold, "Don't talk! Shut up!"

Xu Xiaoshou's clothes rustled. His hand became an afterimage, seemingly as unhurried as white clouds while actually moving at tremendous speed.

Endless sword light slashed from Hidden Pain. This Ninth-Grade Spirit Sword was going all out for the first time, displaying its might as it hummed excitedly.

Even so, he still had to dodge and shift from time to time, avoiding saber lights he could not block. Despite that, mottled bloodstains continued to appear on his clothes.

Attacked, Passive Value +1.

Attacked, Passive Value +1.

...

The information panel refreshed without pause. Zhou Tianshen's Saber Intent was tyrannically unmatched. Even a light cut through the skin brought immense pain, and mighty, surging force remained lodged in the wounds, making them difficult for ordinary people to heal.

But at this moment, Endless Vitality's terrifying recovery power revealed itself.

Every time a wound split open, this passive skill activated. Saber Intent that ordinary people could hardly erase was restored to normal in less than a moment.

Xu Xiaoshou was delighted inside. As expected of a basic passive skill. This healing ability is absolutely maxed out.

Zhou Tianshen was different. This guy was practically the embodiment of standing still and trading blows. His feet did not shift even an inch, yet just a few slashes forced Xu Xiaoshou back step by step.

"Hahaha, Xu Xiaoshou, out of options now, aren't you?"

"Once the momentum of Nine Tides rises, never mind you—even if an Innate came, I, Zhou Tianshen, could cut them down. What's a mere Acquired Sword Intent like yours?"

Sure enough, the saber-and-sword realm in the arena was nearly completely one-sided. Xu Xiaoshou was about to be driven off the platform by the saber light.

"Xu Xiaoshou, hang on!"

"Get up and fight him! You can't let yourself be cut off the platform like this!"

"Wuwuwu, he's covered in blood! Xu Xiaoshou, aaah, my heart hurts so much!"

"Xiaoshou, stop forcing yourself! Come into big sister's arms already—I can't take it anymore. Why is there so much blood?"

Xu Xiaoshou really was covered in blood, but it was all an illusion, all right?

He did his utmost to trade the smallest price for a chance to survive beneath the saber light, so nearly none of his wounds were fatal or impaired his movement.

And under Endless Vitality's frenzied operation, his condition was almost fully restored.

Move after move of sword technique flew forth. Xu Xiaoshou became a thirsty sponge, using Zhou Tianshen's moves to reflect upon what he had learned in his mind. Sword moves that had never before seen the light of day were almost completely mastered in an instant.

Seeing that he was about to fall from the platform, he did not hesitate. He exchanged two skill points and directly added them to Sword Mastery.

Sword Mastery (Acquired Lv.2).

Sword Mastery (Acquired Lv.3).

In an instant, boundless knowledge flooded into his mind. Xu Xiaoshou roared, and while weaving through the saber light, gathered every trace of Saber Intent with a single sword before violently rebounding it.

Boom! The void exploded, and the barrier hummed. Zhou Tianshen was shaken back several steps, his face full of shock.

The spectators were equally baffled, each one left scratching their heads.

"Did Xu Xiaoshou... break through?"

"Seems like it. Under such intense suppression, he actually struck back. That final sword-gathering move looked a lot like the second form of the White Cloud Sword Technique, Clouds Rolling and Unrolling!"

"But what was that returning-sword counterattack afterward? The third form of the White Cloud Sword Technique isn't like that."

"This... you're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"

"..."

Xu Xiaoshou truly had made a breakthrough, and that sword had also been learned from Di Xin'er.

But he had never successfully cultivated the second form. In his desperation just now, he had actually forcibly altered the sword move, pushing the White Cloud Sword Technique onto an entirely different path.

Or rather, although he had entered the path through Leisurely White Clouds, his sword technique was no longer the White Cloud Sword Technique.

Shock filled Xiao Qixiu's eyes. Xu Xiaoshou had actually altered a sword technique through Sword Intent alone in battle? Even Sword Sects did not dare attempt such a thing lightly. Yet with Sword Intent alone, he had achieved this much? Such talent was unparalleled!

Xu Xiaoshou seemed to have been drenched in a rain of blood. Already crimson from head to toe, his clothes were now shredded, and even his hair was streaked with blood.

Even so, he curled his lips into a smile, raised his sword, and invited, "Junior Brother Zhou, can you go faster? Don't stop now!"

Zhou Tianshen had just had Nine Tides broken and was still reeling in shock and fury. Hearing this, his face twisted savagely as he drew his saber with a sneer.

"Just what I wanted!"