Master Duel

I didn't expect this person to be the Sword Saint. He wore no strange mask, his appearance was ordinary, and he had no aura about him, just like a regular person.

The Sword Saint greeted the teacher, then turned to Talon and asked, "Did you kill my fellow disciples?"

"They weren't worth my effort; these soldiers were enough. It looks like you're a worthy opponent."

"You've invaded Ionia twice. This debt should have been settled long ago, but I dislike bloodshed. Since we've both suffered losses, I propose that today's battle be reduced to a fight between just the two of us. I don't want my master to meet with an accident, and your subordinates can live. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes, I accept your mercy."

Once the two made their decision, we all retreated to the side, clearing the training ground.

Talon drew his short blade, the Sword Saint gripped his rapier, and they stared at each other. As a falling leaf drifted down, the two engaged in combat.

Talon was a master of the blade. Every weapon in his hands seemed to come alive. He attacked with his short blade in his right hand, while constantly throwing small throwing knives with his left. His unique Strength made the knives spin, always returning to his hand.

The Sword Saint dodged and attacked, revealing no weakness. While cautious, he could still deliver killing blows. A magnificent display between masters!

Before long, Talon's throwing knives had increased to four. Each finger held one, and the Sword Saint's rapier transformed from one to two, three, and four. Of course, there was only one actual sword; the rest were illusions.

Judging by their effortless movements, neither was using their full strength. As one increased their Strength, the other matched it. When one sped up, the other didn't fall behind.

Elder Suma had told me that he once sparred with Master Cheng Li of the Wuju Swordsmanship. They were evenly matched then, and he only narrowly won by using the Gale Sword. Even with his swordsmanship, it was incredibly difficult to win, which showed the power of Wuju Swordsmanship.

Seeing the Sword Saint use it this time was eye-opening. This swordsmanship seemed restrained, as if each move was only half-executed, giving a feeling of holding back. However, this made the attacks faster and harder to defend against.

A little while later, Talon's throwing knives had increased to seven. Often, before one returned, another had already been thrown. These knives circled the Sword Saint, ready to pierce his body at any moment.

Facing the ever-increasing number of throwing knives, the Sword Saint pushed his Speed to the limit. He no longer focused on defense, and his offensive moves became more frequent. In this situation, offense was the best defense!

At this point, I noticed the air around us was filled with killing intent! This killing intent didn't just come from Talon's throwing knives but also from the Sword Saint's sword energy. In the past, I would never have noticed it, but now that I had mastered the Wind Riding Technique, I was very sensitive to the flow of wind.

Blade light and sword shadows, murderous intent everywhere. Talon didn't increase the number of throwing knives further; it seemed seven was his limit. The Sword Saint also struggled to increase his Speed any further. To onlookers, his figure was already a blur; perhaps only the combatants could see each other clearly.

If this continued, the fight would be decided soon. I tightly gripped the Gale Sword, hoping to intervene at a critical moment if they went all out.

Talon was the first to use a killing move. He could no longer wait; his patience, honed by his training as an assassin, had reached its limit.

He removed his face covering, held the short blade in his mouth, and recalled all the throwing knives around him. Then, he and his blade vanished!

The Sword Saint vanished along with him. Seeing Talon preparing for a decisive blow, he had been intently watching Talon's every move. The moment Talon disappeared, he unleashed his own ultimate technique.

Instantly, they both disappeared and reappeared simultaneously, but in each other's positions. Their astonishing Speed was breathtaking.

I stared without blinking, yet I still couldn't see it clearly. I had only just drawn the Gale Sword; this was pure instinctual combat!

"Yi wins."

The old man's words had barely fallen when Talon collapsed to the ground. His chest was torn open, revealing a cross-shaped scar that went bone-deep. His face covering was nowhere to be seen, while the Sword Saint had only lost a single strand of hair.

Riven and I rushed forward simultaneously. The surrounding soldiers thought we were trying to take advantage and kill Talon, so they all drew their swords and moved to attack.

"Don't move! I won't harm your captain."

After speaking, I quickly began to staunch Talon's bleeding. The old man also approached, his face full of confusion, "Is he from Ionia?"

"Yes, please lend him your aid."

"Sigh, alright..."

The old man sighed and told me to help Talon inside. The remaining soldiers were at a loss. I reminded them again:

"You should go back. I said I wouldn't harm him. If I wanted to, you wouldn't be able to stop me. I hope you remember this kindness today and refrain from further acts of violence."

Back inside, we re-treated Talon's wounds. He had been struck near his heart by the Sword Saint's Wuju Sword style and was now semi-conscious, sweating profusely.

After a long while, the old man finally managed to save Talon's life and then asked me, "When I saw you move just now, your sword carried wind force. Are you from the Wind Sword Sect?"

"I am Yasuo, the last disciple of Elder Suma."

"Elder Suma's disciple? Truly, a great teacher produces a great student. I felt a very powerful aura from you just now, even stronger than when I met your master back then."

"You flatter me, Master. May I ask your name?"

"My name is Cheng Ren. I am an elder of the Wuju Swordsmanship. Many years ago, my junior brother Cheng Li and I visited Elder Suma. They even had a duel, and he lost to your master. Afterwards, he studied day and night, practicing even more diligently. Unfortunately, he died in the last war and never got to have a second match."

"I heard my master mention this. He said they fought to a draw at the time, and he only won slightly with this Gale Sword. When he heard that Master Cheng Li had died in battle, he was very saddened and sealed this sword away. He only took it out again recently to pass it on to me, hoping the two masters could duel again in the divine realm."

"What?! Are you saying Elder Suma has also returned to the universal essence?"

"A few days ago, the Wind Sword Sect, just like this place, was attacked by Noxian soldiers. My master died in battle."

"I killed him."

Now that the topic had come up, Riven no longer avoided it but faced it bravely. It seemed she, like me, had resolved to protect the peace here.

Cheng Ren looked at Riven, then at me, deeply puzzled. He didn't understand why I was with the person who killed his master:

"You've forgiven the one who killed Elder Suma, and you asked me to save this person who led an attack on the Wuju Swordsmanship. Is there some deeper meaning behind this?"

"They can both repent and contribute to the peace here. That is far better than killing them. Her name is Riven, and she has proven this through her actions. She is the one who brought me here to save people."

"Even in the face of deep hatred, you still uphold Ionia's philosophy of peace. This is truly commendable. However, this war may not end so easily. I hope your mercy does not lead to greater sacrifices."

"I will heed your teachings!"

I have no intention of performing gratuitous good deeds. I have always acted according to my inner thoughts, and saving Talon this time was no exception. It's just that the process involved is difficult to explain.

At this moment, Riven reminded me, "According to our previous plan, Katarina has already advanced towards Prexian. We need to hurry and stop her."

"But Talon..."

As I hesitated, Cheng Ren said, "You two go. I will save this young man. Yi, you go and assist Yasuo as well."

"Your disciple obeys!"