Exchange Blows

This miraculous technique opened the eyes of countless martial artists.

This was another direction for the development of the Martial Path: perceiving the rhythm of all things and then using internal energy as a bridge to communicate with them.

Over time, internal energy would acquire a substantial texture. If trained to the extreme, one would become like Lin Haixian, capable of controlling objects with internal energy.

Lifeform, Momentum Cultivation, and Object Perception—these were the three branches of the Martial Path that Lu Bai had discovered so far. There were likely more, but Lu Bai had been in the Martial Forest for too short a time to have encountered them.

As it stood, any one of these paths, if developed to its peak, could produce a master standing at the pinnacle of the Martial Forest.

Watching the flowing water sword, Lu Bai felt a bone-chilling cold surge into his heart.

Casually picking up a precious sword he had seized earlier, Lu Bai focused his attention intensely.

Perhaps his invitation to Lin Haixian hadn't been purely for a duel; perhaps there were other motives.

But when this old man, who stood at the peak of the Martial Forest's Martial Path, stood before him wielding a water sword, Lu Bai made combat his primary objective.

"Then, come!"

The eyes of the surrounding spectators widened instantly, unwilling to even blink for fear of missing this world-shaking battle.

After all, regardless of what kind of opponent Lu Bai was, this might truly be the last time Lin Haixian would strike in public.

As the words fell, the sword in Lu Bai's hand plunged directly into the snow on the roof.

The blade bent and flicked, sending snowflakes flying.

"Plenty of little tricks!" Lin Haixian laughed and scolded. Without even swinging his water sword, the incoming snowflakes melted rapidly, turning into a stream of water that merged into the blade.

Lin Haixian then took a step forward, his tall frame stirring up a howling gale. He embraced the wind, drawing it deep into his robes, making his figure appear even more imposing.

In this moment, he no longer possessed the posture of an old man; instead, he resembled the most robust of generals, manifesting his physical martial prowess like a raging storm.

The next moment, he struck.

He swung his blade in a simple, direct thrust, and as he did, the water sword instantly elongated.

The original three-foot water sword became six feet long in an instant.

Like an icicle from the eaves, the crystal-clear water sword reached Lu Bai in a flash.

Though it was water, it felt more piercing than ice and snow.

Because if one were not careful, this sword could truly reach the bone.

It was at this moment that a white, frigid aura seemed to seep from the water sword, instantly condensing into a three-foot-long, shimmering sword glow.

Even though he was still many steps away from Lu Bai, the three-foot sword had become a nine-foot sword.

Someone once said that the art of combat is the art of distance.

Controlling distance is the key to victory.

Lin Haixian's attack range extended from three feet to nine feet in stages, instantly rendering Lu Bai's control of the distance ineffective.

If not for his highly focused state, which allowed him to sense something was wrong the moment the water sword extended, Lu Bai would have been struck instantly.

As Lu Bai dodged the sword glow by shifting his body, he swung his own sword out as well.

The water sword was too long; even if this thrust missed him, if Lin Haixian followed up with a horizontal sweep, his room for evasion would be limited.

The iron sword and the water sword clashed.

"Clang!"

With a light sound, the sword in Lu Bai's hand snapped. However, as it broke, the water sword inevitably bent, and the sword glow emanating from it was deflected to the side.

Seizing this opportunity, Lu Bai twisted his waist and kicked out.

The broken blade, which was about to fall, was struck at its fracture point and sent flying toward Lin Haixian.

The sword glow vanished instantly, and the bent water sword retracted back to three feet.

Lin Haixian held the water sword, his footsteps unceasing. Ignoring the flying broken blade, he leaned slightly to the side and dodged it.

Yet, the next moment, Lin Haixian's steps faltered, and he raised his sword into a defensive stance.

After kicking the blade, Lu Bai did not stop. His leg, stretched to its limit with unimaginable flexibility, flicked at the ankle, launching another kick.

But this time, it wasn't a weapon that flew out—it was Lu Bai's shoe.

Lu Bai did not have smelly feet; on the contrary, after achieving Vitality Fragrance, his entire body emitted a faint, pleasant scent.

However, a Sword Immortal also cared about his reputation. Being hit in the face by a shoe at his age would be quite embarrassing.

The previously kicked blade was merely a distraction. Lu Bai didn't care about the lethality of the blade; the humiliation of the shoe might actually cause more damage.

Lin Haixian flicked his water sword, slicing the shoe apart.

Unsurprisingly, as the shoe was cut open, a large amount of lime powder spilled out.

Unsure if it was poisonous, Lin Haixian had no choice but to swing his sword again, the water flowing to absorb all the flying powder.

The once crystal-clear water sword had now become a sword of white dust.

Lin Haixian took another step forward, but his momentum had inexplicably weakened.

At this very moment, Lu Bai kicked off his other shoe and sprinted toward Lin Haixian with bare feet.

A crimson blood-light ignited upon his body, and the fragrance of fresh blood began to diffuse into the surroundings.

Lu Bai's speed surged once more, the tiles beneath his feet groaning and cracking under the strain.

As the distance between the two closed, Lu Bai poured power into his legs and stomped directly onto the roof. The brick-paved surface instantly split open, the sound of shattering tiles ringing out incessantly.

In a direct confrontation, Lu Bai's chances of winning were slim.

Therefore, to win, he had no choice but to use every possible method to constantly disrupt Lin Haixian's momentum and force his state to decline.

For instance, by attacking the arena itself.

The roof did not collapse under that stomp, but it became unstable, disrupting the offensive Lin Haixian was brewing. With his footing compromised, his sword strike lacked force.

Faced with this situation, Lin Haixian merely smiled.

Combat was exactly like this: utilizing everything that could be utilized.

Back when he was still weak, wasn't he the same? Racking his brains for the sake of survival and victory.

He had grown increasingly powerful over the years, but the joy of battle had become increasingly rare.

He steadied his figure, and the sword in his hand swung out once again.

Lu Bai no longer dodged at this moment; the distance was close enough, and now, his fists were faster!

"ORA ORA ORA ORA!"

He roared, his voice deafening, as his fists swung out like a violent storm.

But the next moment, Lu Bai pulled his fists back, his gaze dropping to his feet.

A large fracture had appeared on the roof at some point, and the already precarious structure finally gave way.

Lin Haixian, who had been standing on the roof, was carried away from the reach of Lu Bai's fists as the building's structure shifted.

That sword strike of his had been aimed at the house beneath his feet, not at Lu Bai.

"Now, my sword is faster!" Lin Haixian's bright eyes looked at Lu Bai, as if saying exactly that.