Little Sword Immortal

"Li Bumu of Mount Hua, I request the guidance of Senior Liu, the Cang Mountain Swordsman!"

Following his voice, Li Mu drifted down onto the arena. He cupped his hands toward the crowd with high spirits, a gesture of respect from a junior to a senior.

An elder with a crane-like appearance and a youthful face stepped out from the crowd. He possessed an ethereal, immortal-like air, and his presentation was quite impressive; this was none other than the Cang Mountain Swordsman, Liu Gongju.

"Get down, junior. You are no match for me. It would be more appropriate if your master came up instead. With your level of cultivation, you'd need another twenty years of practice to even stand a chance!"

Hearing these arrogant words, Li Mu's favorable impression of the man vanished instantly. He finally understood why this Cang Mountain Swordsman, hailing from the distant Yungui region, had appeared on the list.

Fortunately, Liu Gongju had always operated in the Yungui region; had he been walking the Central Plains, that foul mouth of his would have cost him his life ten times over.

"Misfortune and fortune have no gate; only man invites them."

The greatest taboo in the martial arts world is arrogance. This was Mount Hua, and although Li Mu was merely an ordinary disciple, he represented the face of the Mount Hua Sect.

If Liu Gongju could bluster like this without being given a taste of his own medicine, where would the face of the Mount Hua Sect be left?

Li Mu smiled faintly. Liu Gongju could rely on his seniority to act boorish, but Li Mu could not afford to be foolish. He stepped forward, bowed slightly once more, and said:

"Today, our Mount Hua Sect has set up this arena to meet friends through martial arts. It is this junior's honor to receive guidance from Senior Liu; you need not take the outcome to heart."

There was nothing wrong with that; it was indeed to "meet friends through martial arts." Although dozens had been injured or killed on this stage, both sides had signed life-and-death waivers.

According to the rules of the martial arts world, once a life-and-death waiver is set and one steps onto the arena, life and death are left to fate. No one can intervene, and the debt cannot be laid at the feet of Mount Hua.

The challenge Li Mu initiated now was purely for sparring—not a fight to the death, and one side could simply concede.

Of course, since it was a martial arts competition, injuries were inevitable. If tempers flared, broken limbs or even loss of life were possibilities.

"Good, good, good!"

"Since you, junior, insist on bringing humiliation upon yourself, then don't blame me for bullying the young with my seniority."

Having said that, the Cang Mountain Swordsman Liu Gongju leaped onto the arena and drew his sword to launch a preemptive strike, showing not a shred of the demeanor expected of a senior expert.

Accustomed to the grace of his elders, Li Mu was stunned to suddenly encounter someone who disregarded martial virtue.

Regardless of Liu Gongju's arrogance, the man possessed genuine skill. Because he had not anticipated the Cang Mountain Swordsman's preemptive strike, Li Mu was a step slow in his reaction. For a moment, he was in a flurry, and it was only after dodging dozens of moves that he gradually stabilized his footing.

In the eyes of the crowd outside the arena, it appeared as if Liu Gongju's fierce attacks were proving futile against Li Mu's elegant, immortal-like movement technique.

To those with shallow insight, it looked as if Li Mu was intentionally toying with Liu Gongju. Only true experts realized that Li Mu had been on the defensive from the very beginning.

Unable to continue hiding his strength, Li Mu's sword shadows danced. A flash of white light streaked across the stage, and a majestic Sword Qi enveloped Liu Gongju, instantly reversing the situation.

The Mount Hua Sword Technique was renowned for its "strangeness," and as Li Mu pushed his momentum to its peak to execute the Life-Taking Three Immortals Sword, it carried a threat that could repel an entire army, leaving no room for defense.

Liu Gongju, bearing the brunt of the attack, finally grasped the trajectory of Li Mu's sword intent at the critical moment. It was aimed directly at him—not a feint or a trick—but he was a fraction of a second too late, even if he could barely manage a block.

With one side waning and the other waxing, suffering a loss was inevitable, and the subsequent sword moves would be even harder to parry.

At the moment the blade struck, Liu Gongju retreated repeatedly, abandoning all dignity to perform a clumsy roll, barely avoiding the lethal blow.

Seeing Li Mu preparing to continue his assault, Liu Gongju hurriedly shouted: "Stop, I concede!"

He had no choice but to back down; he had realized that the opponent before him not only possessed exceptional movement techniques and superb swordsmanship, but most importantly, he was a novice with little experience in life-and-death combat.

If it were a fight to the death, such an opponent would be ideal. But encountering a greenhorn with a deep background on the arena was the worst luck imaginable.

Not only could he not use underhanded tactics, but he also couldn't strike with lethal intent. Yet, the other party was going all out, attacking without restraint; one wrong move and it would end in a fatality.

Although Liu Gongju was arrogant, he was not stupid. His own martial arts were inferior, and in a fair duel, he would certainly lose—and might even lose his life in the process.

After all, the rules of the martial arts world only constrain the weak. As a genius disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, even if Li Mu accidentally killed him, the worst he would suffer was a tarnished reputation.

As for punishment, at most he would be confined to the mountain for a few years, which was nothing. Whether such a punishment would even be enforced was an unknown.

Counting on fellow martial artists to uphold justice was a joke. Who would be bored enough to offend the rising Mount Hua Sect for his sake?

Hearing the desired result, Li Mu immediately ceased his attack, cupped his hands, and said:

"Many thanks to Senior for the concession!"

From the initiation of the challenge to its conclusion, Li Mu displayed the conduct of a gentleman to the fullest, leaving no room for anyone to find fault.

The brilliant bout concluded, and a round of applause erupted from below. Whether they were plants arranged by the sect or not, some were already shouting "Little Sword Immortal."

Li Mu was quite satisfied with this nickname; it would be even more perfect if the word "Little" could be removed.

The layman watches the excitement, while the expert watches the technique. At this moment, Feng Qingyang, who was presiding over the grand competition, wore a grave expression, sighing in a voice only he could hear:

"To think that someone in our Mount Hua Sect has actually grasped sword intent. It is a pity that it is the Qi of Haoran; otherwise..."

On the main platform, Ning Qingyu still wore a faint smile, though the slight trembling of the teacup in his hand betrayed his inner turmoil.

However, this was well-concealed; on the surface, it looked as if the tea was simply too hot and needed to be swirled to cool down.

"First there was Feng Qingyang, and now there is another Li Bumu. It is heaven's will that our Mount Hua Sect shall flourish!"

"It is a pity he is a disciple of the Sword Sect, but since he has grasped the intent of Haoran, the problem is not significant. As long as the next phase of the plan succeeds, our Mount Hua will truly be able to stand as a tripod alongside Shaolin and Wudang!"

Clearly, Ning Qingyu was not truly impartial. He was the Sect Leader of Mount Hua and also the head of the Qi Sect; emotionally, he still favored the Qi Sect.

Supporting Feng Qingyang's rise appeared fair, but in reality, it was because Feng Qingyang posed no threat to him.

After all, people can disguise themselves, but the intent behind martial arts cannot lie. The detachment Feng Qingyang displayed in grasping the Dugu Sword Intent destined him to be someone who feared trouble and disliked dealing with worldly affairs.

Such an excellent fighter, possessing high martial arts but no desire to contend for power, was naturally a welcome asset.

If he had grasped the aura of a king or hegemon, Ning Qingyu likely would not have been so accommodating. Let alone providing support, it would have been a display of restraint if he hadn't moved to kill him.