Two Tigers Fighting

Ling Fei looked confused. The sword light of the other party was upright and not evil, and the golden light was dazzling. He didn't know why they were blocking his path. Ling Fei cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist, why are you blocking my path?"

The young man looked at Ling Fei and said coldly, "Are you Ling Fei Zi from Kunlun?"

"Ling Fei Zi?" Ling Fei was stunned. That was indeed his Daoist name. It seemed they were looking for him specifically. "I am Ling Fei from Kunlun. May I ask what business you have with me?"

"I am Xu Jiankong from Shu Mountain. I've heard that Kunlun's Ling Fei Zi has profound cultivation and exquisite swordsmanship, earning him the title 'God Sword.' I've come to spar with you," the man said. He was the Senior Brother mentioned by Xiang Hui.

Huh? Someone from Shu Mountain? Ling Fei was surprised. He had long suspected Shu Mountain was involved in the trouble, and now they were blocking his path, claiming to want to spar. He figured they were trying to establish their dominance. Seeing that Xu Jiankong could fly on his sword, he was clearly at the Qi Induction Late Stage, just like himself. Ling Fei had also heard of Xu Jiankong's name; he was an outstanding figure among Shu Mountain's third-generation disciples, and it was unexpected that he was so young.

Ling Fei said, "The title 'God Sword' is merely the praise of fellow Daoists. I am truly unworthy. Since you are a disciple of Shu Mountain, your swordsmanship must be superb. I, Ling Fei, also have some understanding of the sword, so I would like to seek your guidance." Ling Fei knew that since someone from Shu Mountain had sought him out for a duel, it was inevitable. It was better to be straightforward; prevaricating would only diminish Kunlun's reputation.

This time, it was Xu Jiankong's turn to be stunned. A hint of admiration flashed in his eyes, and his tone was no longer cold. "Good, you are indeed straightforward. Just for these words, you do not tarnish the title of 'God Sword.'"

Ling Fei slowly descended from the sky, finding a secluded spot on the ground. He watched Xu Jiankong, who had also landed, and thought, This person doesn't seem like a treacherous and cunning fellow. Could he really be here to spar? No matter what, I must win this battle. My defeat is a small matter, but weakening Kunlun's reputation would be a grave issue.

Clang! With a long hum, Ling Fei's Flowing Ripple Sword floated three feet in front of him. Its blue glow illuminated the surrounding ten zhang area with perfect clarity. A vast, yet seemingly ethereal sword aura stirred restlessly, like an ancient ferocious beast lurking in the darkness, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.

Xu Jiankong secretly nodded in admiration. Indeed, a top disciple of Kunlun. He has already grasped the essence of sword cultivation. It seems Ling Fei is not as easy to defeat as Xiang Hui claimed; he is a formidable opponent.

A golden greatsword, three feet long and four fingers wide, revealed its true form, emitting a brilliant golden light. For a moment, the golden light and the blue light vied for space, refusing to yield, and fought to a standstill.

"Heaven and Earth Profound Light, Sun and Moon Essence, Capture Spirits and Govern Ghosts, Sword Qi Soaring! Go!" Xu Jiankong launched the first attack. With a flick of his hand, the golden greatsword split into over a hundred small golden swords, each about a foot long. They directly tore through the blue light of the Flowing Ripple Sword and slashed towards Ling Fei.

Without any visible movement from Ling Fei, clang! clang! clang!!! The Flowing Ripple Sword also split into an equal number of blue small swords as the golden light. The two sides collided in mid-air. With each sound, a blue and a golden small sword exploded. Until the final sound, all the small swords formed from sword qi on both sides vanished. The powerful Geng Metal Qi exploded from the center, scattering in all directions. The surrounding plants and trees were cut down significantly at their waists.

The two men retreated simultaneously, circulating their energy to protect their bodies. Their physical bodies were probably not even as tough as those trees; taking a direct hit would have undoubtedly resulted in a mess of internal organs. This exchange ended in a draw, but Xu Jiankong knew he was at a disadvantage. He had attacked first, yet it was only a draw.

When dueling with flying swords and magical treasures, the one who attacks first gains the advantage. However, Xu Jiankong was relatively honorable; his earlier incantation was merely a warning to Ling Fei. Ling Fei had clearly been prepared, silently reciting his own incantation and launching his attack afterward, yet still managing to strike first. In terms of mindset, he was slightly less honorable. The two were evenly matched.

Xu Jiankong laughed heartily, appearing quite pleased. "I never expected that Kunlun's Daoist arts would be so profound, and that their sword cultivation would be no inferior to ours at Shu Mountain. The title of the foremost sect is indeed well-deserved."

Hearing this, Ling Fei felt a bit of goodwill towards this Senior Disciple of Shu Mountain. This person was truly upright and possessed extraordinary bearing. His previous attack did indeed involve a bit of trickery, yet the other party didn't seem to mind and even praised him sincerely. To be able to produce a disciple like Xu Jiankong, it was clear that Shu Mountain, having stood for a thousand years, had its strengths.

However, after that last exchange, Ling Fei knew that Xu Jiankong's strength was only on par with his own. Ling Fei was confident in this battle; he still had several secret Kunlun techniques he hadn't used yet!

"Fellow Daoist Ling Fei, I have only come to spar today. If you can withstand this next strike from me, I will concede defeat!"

Xu Jiankong seemed to see through Ling Fei's intentions. He knew that besides his swordsmanship, his mastery of spells was also profound, but he might not be able to compare with Kunlun's secret techniques. Thus, he spoke to pressure Ling Fei. This battle was of great importance. Although it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, it concerned Shu Mountain's reputation, and he absolutely could not lose!

Xu Jiankong was upright and disliked using schemes. However, this did not mean he was brainless. In critical moments, using minor tactics was not out of the question.

With things reaching this point, Ling Fei could not refuse. Besides, it was just one strike, wasn't it? He was confident he could withstand it! Even a cultivator at the early Spirit Transmutation stage, Ling Fei was confident his Flowing Ripple Sword could block it!

"Since Brother Xu has said so, I am eager to witness Shu Mountain's astonishing sword dao!" His aura surged, and the Flowing Ripple Sword's blue light intensified, showing signs of solidifying. A blue light screen condensed into three lotus flowers, each the size of a water vat, floating above his head and subtly protecting his vital points. Ling Fei knew that Shu Mountain was renowned for its sword dao, and he could guess that Xu Jiankong's next strike would be earth-shattering. Seeing the solemn expression on Xu Jiankong's face, Ling Fei had to muster all his concentration and circulate all his True Essence.

With one finger pointing to the sky and the other to the earth, Xu Jiankong displayed a demeanor reminiscent of the Buddha's birth. The golden greatsword floated dozens of feet in the sky, its golden light contained. This was the opposite of the blue light radiating from Ling Fei's Flowing Ripple Sword. The golden greatsword was like a small black hole, constantly absorbing the surrounding light.

He formed some unknown hand seal, without chanting any incantations. Infinite heaven and earth spiritual energy poured into Xu Jiankong's body like a vast torrent. Crackling! Xu Jiankong's bones made sounds like popping soybeans. His muscles swelled, and in an instant, he grew half a head taller. Fortunately, his Daoist robe was wide; otherwise, it would have surely burst, leaving him naked.

Even so, the bright yellow Daoist robe was stretched taut, giving him a rather comical appearance.