The cold-gray Kaiyue Sword shot over, but Ling Yunpo manipulated the Qingping Sword with the sword formula in his right hand and blocked it.
Lin Duanshan formed another sword formula with his left hand. The golden-red Changbing Sword curved around and shot in from the other side like lightning.
Ling Yunpo hurriedly circulated his qi with his left hand, manipulating the Shuangjiang Sword in an attempt to block it.
However, whether it was the Kaiyue Sword on the right or the Changbing Sword on the left, their flight paths were extraordinarily nimble, their routes devilishly tricky. They repeatedly darted toward openings in the Qingping and Shuangjiang Swords' movements.
Ling Yunpo had to split his attention between controlling the Qingping Sword and suppressing the opposing Kaiyue Sword, while also dividing his attention to control the still-unfamiliar Shuangjiang Sword and fend off the Changbing Sword's guerrilla attacks. Where would he have any time left to observe and learn the Huashan Sword Technique?
He was flanked on both sides, unable to cope. The Qingping Sword on the right gained the upper hand, and the Shuangjiang Sword on the left immediately fell into disadvantage; the Shuangjiang Sword on the left clawed back its disadvantage, and the Qingping Sword on the right had its rhythm disrupted again. He was truly looking after one thing and losing another, flustered and scrambling.
Lin Duanshan seized the opportunity to press his attack. He immediately tightened the assault of his twin swords, displaying the Huashan Sword Technique with all his strength, and shouted coldly:
"Keep your sword paths steady! Seeking both left and right means losing both left and right! Know how to distinguish priorities? With comprehension like this, I don't know how you ever became a disciple of Green Snail Peak. Aren't you afraid of bringing shame upon Senior Sister An..."
"Lin Duanshan!" An Zhisu widened her eyes. "If I hear you insulting my junior brother again, I'll string your pipa bones together with my sword first!"
"I'm sorry, Senior Sister An." Lin Duanshan hurriedly tried to placate her. "I wasn't disparaging Junior Brother Ling's talent. It's probably because the tenth-rank Qingping Sword is unruly, and he hasn't reached the Marrow Cleansing Stage yet. He can't Nourish Sword with Body and completely refine that Qingping Sword, which is why his sword paths wander so awkwardly and affect his swordsmanship."
Senior Sister An's expression eased somewhat, but the Qingping Sword was having none of it. It immediately began shouting in Ling Yunpo's sea of consciousness:
"What kind of bullshit is that? Your swordsmanship is too lousy, and you're blaming me for it?"
"Qingping," Ling Yunpo said coldly, "how about I throw you into the Sword Pool and let you find someone with better swordsmanship?"
"Sword Master!" The Qingping Sword hurriedly put on a coquettish smile. "A loyal subject serves no two masters, and a chaste woman marries no two husbands. How could I possibly leave the Sword Master?"
"Jianjian," the Kunlun Mirror cut in mockingly, "you look six or seven parts like that Lin Duanshan opposite us when he's fawning."
"Yao Yao, don't slander a good sword without proof!" The Qingping Sword argued with it. "I'm a Destiny Flying Sword. Can pleasing my Sword Master be called fawning?"
At this point, her voice turned soft and alluring again:
"Sword Master, listen. That fellow's moving sword path is the unorthodox Huashan Sword Technique. It looks intricate and elaborate, but its true essence lies in sinister ambushes. If he can attack from a blind spot, he absolutely won't take the frontal route."
"By taking an unconventional edge, its frontal defense becomes weaker, so this sword formula can never truly enter the mainstream."
"For example, after his Changbing Sword is blocked by the Shuangjiang Sword, he'll use the rebounding force to spring away, followed by a backward-drawing, downward-retreating motion. In the Huashan Sword Technique, this is called 'Peak Turns, Path Winds.' It's a preparatory move for circling around, and its opening is extremely obvious."
"You only need to change the Shuangjiang Sword's target to Lin Duanshan as it retreats, then drive it forward with all your strength. It will just happen to slip past the Changbing Sword's edge and break through its defense. This move is called 'The Map Reveals the Dagger.' It's one of the few assassination sword moves in the Huashan Sword Technique worth learning..."
After she finished explaining, Ling Yunpo immediately did as she said.
The Changbing Sword stabbed in from a tricky angle, but Ling Yunpo manipulated the Shuangjiang Sword to block it.
Metal clashed against metal, sparks flew in all directions, and both sides were flung back by the rebounding force.
As expected, the Changbing Sword's tip dipped slightly. Ling Yunpo saw it clearly and immediately infused True Qi into his left arm, swiftly driving the Shuangjiang Sword forward.
Just as expected! If the Changbing Sword had not dipped, nothing would have happened. But as its blade sank and the Shuangjiang Sword simultaneously surged forward, the Shuangjiang Sword passed above it by a hair's breadth and stabbed straight toward the defenseless Lin Duanshan behind it!
Lin Duanshan had still been concentrating on his attack. This sudden thrust, seemingly descended from beyond the heavens, nearly scared a cold sweat out of him. He hurriedly recalled the Kaiyue Sword to defend, barely blocking it half a step in front of himself.
"What a pity." The Qingping Sword clicked its tongue regretfully. "Sword Master, if you had driven it with all your strength just now, Lin Duanshan would already be dead."
"Hmph." Ling Yunpo said coldly, "I'll spare his life for Senior Sister's sake."
"Good!" Lin Duanshan recovered from his fright. Perhaps trying to regain face, he shouted loudly, "What a move, 'The Map Reveals the Dagger'! Let's see how you break this move!"
He formed several sword formulas with his left hand, and the Kaiyue Sword's path immediately became even stranger.
"This move is called 'Flowers Like Brocade.' It's ornate but impractical, the trashiest move in the Huashan Sword Technique!" the Qingping Sword hurriedly transmitted through thought.
"You don't need to observe its sword path. All that is meant to confuse you. Before launching an attack, it will suddenly pause. Seize that moment and drive my blade to chop downward. This is called 'Bear-Grizzly Mountain Splitter,' and it specifically counters 'Flowers Like Brocade'..."
Although the passage above was long, within the exchange of consciousness between Ling Yunpo and the Qingping Sword, it took no more than a single thought.
Ling Yunpo followed her instructions. The Shuangjiang Sword continued entangling the Changbing Sword, while the Qingping Sword swayed slightly, pretending to observe the Kaiyue Sword's path.
Sure enough, the Kaiyue Sword was still wandering strangely one moment, then suddenly braked to a halt the next. It was about to take advantage of the opening to cross past the Qingping Sword's defense and stab straight toward Ling Yunpo!
But the moment it accelerated, the Qingping Sword, already prepared, struck it from above. It smashed heavily into the ground, half its length instantly buried in the soil. Only after Lin Duanshan frantically drove it did it manage to pull itself out again in a sorry state.
"What a move, 'Bear-Grizzly Mountain Splitter'!" Lin Duanshan laughed in fury. Struggling not to lose composure in front of Senior Sister An, he forced himself to remain calm and said, "You've already grasped the essence of the Huashan Sword Technique. In the end, it's nothing more than emphasizing the unexpected."
"But if you only focus on taking risks, what about frontal defense? Watch me use the Wutai Mountain Hunyuan Sword Style!"
His fingers shifted rapidly. The sword paths of the Kaiyue and Changbing Swords changed once more, beginning to entangle with the Shuangjiang and Qingping Swords.
The Qingping Sword sneered several times and said disdainfully:
"This Wutai Mountain Hunyuan Sword Style claims to combine the unorthodox methods of countless schools. Its variations are endless, and it is said to possess 'the ultimate defense, impenetrable from every side.'"
"But why attack its defense head-on? The greatest flaw of the Hunyuan Sword Style is that it isn't 'Hunyuan' enough at all. It borrows one move here and cuts out one form there, patching together a complete hodgepodge—neither fish nor fowl!"
"There's no need to learn such trash swordsmanship! Don't bother with the opponent's sword paths. Just drive both swords at him with all your strength. He'll be forced to abandon his variations and withdraw to rescue himself!"
Ling Yunpo followed her instructions. The Shuangjiang and Qingping Swords charged straight at Lin Duanshan, and sure enough, they forced him to withdraw his swords and come to his own defense instead of continuing to circle and vary his attacks.
Lin Duanshan ground his teeth. He no longer even looked at An Zhisu's expression and roared:
"The Wutai Mountain Hunyuan Sword Style needs to be paired with the various unorthodox spells of the All Beings Dao. Without spell support, it truly isn't worth much. Better not to learn it!"
"Now watch my Asura Path All-Kill Sword!"
As soon as his voice fell, the Kaiyue and Changbing Swords immediately filled with killing intent, their sword paths becoming fierce and forceful.
The Qingping Sword let out a cold snort and said:
"The Asura Path All-Kill Sword is indeed a pure sword art devoted to killing."
"But by focusing solely on slaughter, it loses its variations and instead becomes easy to counter deliberately."
"Listen to me. The essence of the All-Kill Sword lies in its angles of exertion and its methods..."
Before you continue