Martial Saint Gal

You Yuyao felt as if the opponent's sword had an auto-follow function, sticking to her own sword and refusing to be shaken off. That uncomfortable pulling force caused her prepared counter-attack moves to instantly deform.

She had to change her move, flicking her wrist, trying to shake off Gu Chengming's sword.

However, Gu Chengming's sword was like a persistent ulcer, drawing a circle along her force. Not only did it dissipate her strength, but it also used her force against her, and the sword tip once again probed towards her ribs.

Entangling Word Art!

You Yuyao felt stifled in her heart, and her alarm grew.

What she practiced was the Flowing Cloud Sword Art from Jingshui Pavilion, which emphasized agile footwork and a sword like flowing clouds, elusive and unpredictable.

Although Jingshui Pavilion was not known for its sword arts, it depended on who the opponent was.

Dealing with a mere First Realm Level Three trash should have been a piece of cake.

But now, although she seemed to have the upper hand on the surface, suppressing Gu Chengming with her cultivation and footwork advantage.

In reality, every one of her attacks was defused by the opponent's strange "sticky force."

It felt like throwing a punch at cotton, with nowhere for the strength to go.

Being unable to defeat the opponent for so long made You Yuyao feel somewhat ashamed.

Quite a few disciples around had already been attracted by the commotion here and stopped to watch.

"Are you only good at dodging?!"

You Yuyao shouted, trying to provoke the opponent with words.

However, Gu Chengming seemed to hear nothing.

Seeing that her sword had not achieved its goal for a long time, You Yuyao became increasingly anxious. Her sword moves began to become a little hasty, but even so, the opponent still showed no flaws, like a steadfast rock that water could not penetrate.

Should I use realm suppression?

As soon as this thought arose, she vehemently rejected it herself.

Not to mention the extremely strict regulations within the Wenjian Sect regarding private duels between disciples, if the opponent reported it afterward, she would definitely suffer a great loss.

Even setting that aside, she herself could not overcome this hurdle!

As sword cultivators, we are open and honest.

If I were to do something like bullying the weak and using realm suppression, what would be the difference between me and the despicable scoundrels I despise the most?

No! Absolutely not!

But the pent-up frustration in her heart could not be quelled. While attacking madly, she did not stop talking.

"Sticky and entangling, it truly is a sword art just like you! Disgusting!"

Her mouth was unforgiving, and her actions were equally so.

Her sword became faster and faster, her movements quicker and quicker.

There was a move in the Flowing Cloud Sword Art called "Scattered Clouds Flying Over," which emphasized speed.

Sword light rained down, forming an impenetrable net.

Its momentum was like thunder, its speed like the wind. Sword shadows overlapped, like falling catkins filling the sky, or like heavy rain tapping on the window.

Each sword thrust out carried a sound of breaking the air, dazzling and making it difficult to parry.

The so-called fast sword required each strike to be faster than the last, using an impenetrable barrage of sword shadows to find the opponent's flaws, forcing them into a flustered state, and ultimately revealing their defeat.

But unfortunately, she encountered Gu Chengming.

And the Huiyuan Sword Art was best at dealing with opponents who only sought speed and not stability.

In fact, Gu Chengming had long been prepared for the opponent to possibly use realm suppression.

That was why he fought so cautiously. The initial move, "Seize the Initiative," was also intended to disrupt the opponent's rhythm and forcibly drag the situation into this kind of entanglement.

After all, if the opponent were a shameless person and truly used spiritual energy.

With his current pitiful First Realm Level Three cultivation, even a wooden sword would likely cause serious injury if it hit him.

Moreover, if he lost, this favorability event might take a different turn.

Losing would not be fun.

That's why I never lose!

But seeing that the opponent had not used the power of their realm for a long time, Gu Chengming was also a little puzzled.

Was she hiding her strength? Or did she truly have no intention of using her realm?

Regardless, the time had come.

Although You Yuyao's sword momentum became increasingly fast, due to her impatience, the flaws within it also increased.

Now!

Gu Chengming's sword path suddenly changed.

The original sticky, defensive-only sword momentum instantly disappeared, replaced by continuous force like waves crashing against the shore.

This sudden change caught You Yuyao completely off guard.

Her "Scattered Clouds Flying Over" was originally at the point where its old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet emerged. With Gu Chengming's sword cutting in, its rhythm was instantly disrupted.

You Yuyao's movements faltered, and she gritted her teeth. She didn't want to lose this initiative, so her sword became even faster, attempting to compensate for the loss of rhythm with greater speed.

But unlike before, Gu Chengming's sword also sped up.

Moreover, his speed wasn't chaotic; it possessed a unique rhythm.

Each sword strike landed precisely at the critical point of You Yuyao's moves.

"Clack!"

"Clack!"

"Clack!"

The sound of wooden swords colliding grew denser, like rain hitting banana leaves.

With every impact, a force traveled along the sword, through the hilt, and finally to the base of You Yuyao's thumb and forefinger.

At first, she didn't feel it, but as the collisions increased, You Yuyao suddenly sensed something was different.

At some point, it felt as if an invisible "net" had ensnared her.

Her sword was still swinging, but each swing became incredibly strenuous. The surrounding air seemed to thicken, and every strike required several times more effort than usual.

By the time she realized it, she was already mired in deep mud.

It was as if she had been "trapped" in this endless exchange of sword strikes, unable to break free.

She watched as the opponent meticulously wove this sword net, shrinking her space to move smaller and smaller, yet she was utterly helpless.

Although the situation on the surface showed her still holding the advantage and constantly attacking, her intuition as a sword cultivator told her that danger was approaching.

Why? Why? How could this be?

Isn't he just a useless trash at First Realm Level Three?

Why can't I achieve a quick victory? Why have I been locked in a stalemate with him for so long? Why does my swordsmanship feel slower and slower?

Why am I...

Feelings of unwillingness surged in her chest, making her clench her teeth.

She even had the illusion that even if she disregarded everything and used the spiritual energy boost from her realm, it would be futile.

"Sword Momentum" was a profound and mysterious concept.

You Yuyao failed to realize that she had completely fallen behind in "Sword Momentum."

Her Sword Momentum was chaotic and scattered, while Gu Chengming's was gradually condensing.

And at this very moment, that ethereal "sword net" finally descended.

Gu Chengming stopped blocking. The wooden sword in his hand blurred into an afterimage as he launched a proactive thrust.

In that instant, You Yuyao couldn't react at all.

It was a sword, a sword, a sword, and then another sword – a flurry of fast strikes.

Fast, too fast.

Her own rapid swordplay couldn't intercept this sword shadow.

Finally, one strike slipped through and hit her shoulder.

Painful, but bearable.

You Yuyao grunted, attempting to counter.

But then—

"Clack!"

Another sword strike. This time, it hit her wrist.

After the first strike got through, her defenses crumbled like a breached dam, becoming unstoppable.

More and more of her blocks failed.

"Clack! Clack!"

The dense sounds of impact echoed across the training ground.

You Yuyao was overwhelmed, unable to defend herself. Her swordsmanship had devolved into utter chaos.

She could only instinctively swing her wooden sword, trying to block the rain-like barrage of attacks.

But it was useless.

She was pushed back step by step, her footing unsteady.

Finally, her foot slipped, and she stumbled, falling heavily to the ground.

The wooden sword flew from her grasp, landing far away.

A wooden sword stopped steadily in front of her throat.

The tip was less than an inch from her skin.

Gu Chengming looked down at her.

"Now."

"Can you take back what you just said?"

Chapter 13: Cried After Being Beaten

You Yuyao could only describe her current feelings as utterly terrible.

Her whole body ached fiercely, especially her shoulders and arms, a dull pain from being repeatedly struck by the wooden sword.

Although Gu Chengming hadn't hit her face, she felt it hurt even more than her body.

Just moments ago, she had boasted in front of everyone that the Huiyuan Sword Art was a technique for beginner disciples to play with, a useless sword art.

And then, she was pinned to the ground and thoroughly "humiliated" by the opponent using this so-called "trash sword art," completely unable to fight back.

Even though the sword moves he displayed were far from the basic sword techniques she remembered.

But as a sword cultivator, she had basic judgment. Without a doubt, that was the Huiyuan Sword Art's sword path; even the starting stance and the method of channeling energy were exactly the same.

She had lost completely.

Although You Yuyao had a bit of a temper, she wasn't someone who would stubbornly refuse to admit defeat or couldn't handle losing.

The facts were clear, and any further argument would only make her look more pathetic. She had lost; what could be more shameful than refusing to admit it after losing?

She bit her lower lip and spoke after a long pause:

"Yes... I underestimated the Huiyuan Sword Art."

After saying that, it felt as if all her strength had been drained.

Hearing her words, Gu Chengming withdrew the wooden sword from her throat and nodded calmly:

"You're too kind."