Ling Fei watched in puzzlement. The other man's sword-light was upright rather than wicked, its golden radiance dazzling. Why had he blocked his path? Ling Fei immediately cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist, why have you blocked my way?"
The young man looked at Ling Fei coldly. "Are you Ling Fei Zi of Kunlun?"
"Ling Fei Zi?" Ling Fei froze. That was indeed his Daoist name. It seemed this man had come specifically for him. "I am Ling Fei of Kunlun. May I ask what business Fellow Daoist has with me?"
"I am Xu Jiankong of Shu Mountain. I heard that Kunlun's Ling Fei Zi possesses profound cultivation and swordsmanship so marvelous it reaches the realm of the divine, earning him the title of God Sword. I came especially to seek your guidance." This man was precisely the Senior Brother Xiang Hui had spoken of.
Hm? Someone from Shu Mountain? Ling Fei was startled. He had long known that Shu Mountain had a hand in the matter, and now this man had blocked his path, claiming he wanted a spar. He was surely trying to establish his authority. Since Xu Jiankong could ride a sword through the air, he was, like Ling Fei, at Qi Induction Late Stage. Ling Fei had also heard of Xu Jiankong's reputation: he was one of the finest among Shu Mountain's third-generation disciples. Ling Fei had not expected him to be so young.
Ling Fei said, "The title of God Sword is merely praise from my fellow Daoists. I truly dare not accept it. Since you are a disciple of Shu Mountain, your swordsmanship must surely be tempered to perfection. I, Ling Fei, have gained only a slight understanding of the path of the sword, but this is a fine chance to seek Fellow Daoist's instruction." Ling Fei knew that since someone from Shu Mountain had sought him out for a sword duel, it was inevitable. Better to be forthright; hemming and hawing would only diminish Kunlun's name.
This time, Xu Jiankong was taken aback. A trace of approval flashed through his eyes, and his tone was no longer icy. "Good. Truly straightforward. For those words alone, you have not disgraced the title of God Sword."
Ling Fei slowly descended from a height of a thousand zhang, choosing a secluded patch of ground. Watching Xu Jiankong descend alongside him, he thought, This man does not look like a treacherous and cunning sort. Could he truly have come merely to spar with me? Never mind. I must win this battle. My own defeat would be a small matter, but tarnishing Kunlun's name would be no trifling affair.
Clang! With a long, ringing cry, Ling Fei's Flowing Ripple Sword floated three feet before him. Its faint blue radiance illuminated everything within a radius of ten zhang, down to the finest detail. Vast yet seemingly intangible Sword Qi stirred restlessly, like an ancient ferocious beast lying dormant in the darkness, ready at any moment to deliver a fatal blow.
Xu Jiankong secretly nodded in admiration. As expected of Kunlun's outstanding disciple. He has already grasped the true essence of sword cultivation. This Ling Fei is not as Xiang Hui described—not someone who would crumble at the first blow. He is instead a formidable rival.
A golden greatsword, three feet long and four fingers wide, revealed its true form. Golden light blazed forth. For a moment, gold and blue radiance fought over the space between them, neither yielding an inch, locked in an evenly matched struggle.
"Profound light of Heaven and Earth, essence of sun and moon, seize gods and command ghosts, Sword Qi hangs in the skies! Go!" Xu Jiankong struck first. With a guiding hand seal, the golden greatsword split into more than a hundred small golden swords, each about a foot long. They tore directly through the blue radiance of the Flowing Ripple Sword and slashed toward Ling Fei.
Ling Fei made no visible movement. Clang! Clang! Clang!!! The Flowing Ripple Sword likewise divided into an equal number of blue swords. The two sides collided in midair. With every clash, one blue and one golden sword exploded. At the final ring, all the small swords formed from their Sword Qi vanished completely. Powerful Geng Metal Qi erupted from the center and shot wildly in every direction. Many of the surrounding flowers, grass, and trees were severed cleanly at the waist.
Both men retreated at once, circulating their power to protect their bodies. Their flesh was surely less sturdy than those trees; if either took a hit, his guts would be torn through and his insides left in chaos. This exchange had ended without a victor, yet Xu Jiankong knew he had still lost by a fraction. He had attacked first, yet had only managed a draw.
When Flying Swords and magical treasures clashed, the first to strike seized the initiative, while the one who struck later was constrained by the other. Yet Xu Jiankong was open and honorable. His earlier incantation had served as a warning to Ling Fei, and Ling Fei had clearly been prepared as well, silently chanting an incantation and somehow striking after yet arriving first. In terms of bearing, Ling Fei had fallen somewhat short of openness. Still, the two were evenly matched.
Xu Jiankong laughed heartily, clearly delighted. "I never imagined that Kunlun's Daoist arts were not only exquisite, but that even its sword cultivation was no weaker than our Shu Mountain's. The title of foremost Daoist Sect is truly well deserved."
Upon hearing this, Ling Fei could not help but feel a touch of goodwill toward Shu Mountain's eldest disciple. This man was indeed open and honorable, with extraordinary bearing. Ling Fei's earlier strike had truly contained an element of taking advantage, yet Xu Jiankong did not mind in the slightest and even praised him sincerely. For Shu Mountain to have stood firm for a thousand years since its founding, it naturally had its own strengths if it could produce disciples like Xu Jiankong.
Yet after that exchange, Ling Fei knew that Xu Jiankong's strength was merely on par with his own. He was highly confident in this battle; he still had several secret Kunlun arts that he had yet to use!
"Fellow Daoist Ling Fei, I came here only to compare swords. So long as you can receive this next strike of mine, I will count this contest as my loss!"
Xu Jiankong seemed to have seen through Ling Fei's intentions. He knew that although his attainments in spellcraft were considerable, he likely could not compare with Kunlun's secret arts. Thus, he spoke to pin Ling Fei down. This battle was of great importance. Though it had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, it concerned Shu Mountain's reputation and absolutely could not be lost!
Xu Jiankong was upright by nature and disliked using schemes. But that did not mean he lacked brains. At a critical moment, using a few small tactics was nothing beyond him.
With matters having reached this point, Ling Fei could not refuse. Besides, it was only one sword strike. What was there that he could not receive? Even against someone at early Spirit Transformation, Ling Fei was confident that his Flowing Ripple Sword could withstand it!
"Since Brother Xu has said so, I would very much like to witness Shu Mountain's earth-shaking sword path!" His aura surged sharply. Blue radiance burst from the Flowing Ripple Sword, faintly showing signs of condensing into substance. The blue curtain of light formed three lotus flowers as large as water vats, floating above his head and vaguely protecting the vital points around his body. Ling Fei knew that Shu Mountain had always dominated the realm under heaven through sword arts. Anyone could guess that Xu Jiankong's strike would surely be heaven-shaking and earth-shattering. Seeing the solemn expression on Xu Jiankong's face, Ling Fei had no choice but to raise his focus to the utmost and circulate all his True Essence.
One hand pointed toward heaven, the other toward earth. Xu Jiankong possessed something of the bearing Buddha had displayed at his birth. The golden greatsword floated more than ten zhang overhead, its golden light drawn inward—the exact opposite of the Flowing Ripple Sword's outward-streaming blue radiance. The golden greatsword resembled a tiny black hole, endlessly drawing in the surrounding light.
No one knew what hand seal he formed, nor did he chant any incantation. Boundless spiritual energy of heaven and earth poured mightily into Xu Jiankong's body. Crackle! Pop! The bones throughout his body rattled like soybeans being stir-fried. His muscles swelled, and in an instant he grew half a head taller. Fortunately, his Daoist robe was loose, or it would certainly have burst apart, leaving him to suffer the fate of running naked.
Even so, his bright yellow Daoist robe was stretched taut and full, making him look rather comical.
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