Sparring

Sparring with swords?

Chen Changming froze. He wanted to refuse, but he lacked the courage to do so.

The old man in plain clothes had been amiable the entire time, but if he were to refuse, the other party might turn hostile in an instant.

Once an unfathomable powerhouse like this turned hostile, he and his Senior Sister would be nothing more than ants in the man's eyes, easily crushed with a wave of his hand.

"Senior, then this junior shall make a fool of himself."

Setting down his bowl and wiping his mouth, Chen Changming cupped his hands and spoke courteously.

The young girl tossed aside her half-eaten meal, leaped into the open space, and drew her sword. Licking her lips, she shot a beast-like, ferocious glare from her eyes and laughed aloud, "Hehe, this girl loves sparring the most."

What a vicious gaze.

Chen Changming was startled. This old man was unfathomable, traveling the world with his granddaughter; the strength of this little girl was likely formidable as well and could not be underestimated.

The youth drew his sword, his aura deep and steady.

He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw that his Senior Sister was still unconscious, which brought him a sense of relief.

Whether it was him or his Senior Sister, they were both insignificant ants in the old man's eyes. As long as they didn't provoke him, they would remain safe and sound.

"Take this!"

The young girl let out a high-pitched cry, her entire body moving as fast as lightning as she lunged forward with her sword.

This strike was devoid of any flourishes, coming straight and true.

Chen Changming's heart skipped a beat, and he activated the Dragon Glide Step, dodging to the side.

Pfft!

The sword struck his left shoulder squarely.

As a line of blood trickled down, the youth stared at the young girl in shock, slowly drawing in a breath.

The speed of her sword could actually accelerate a second time.

With his Dragon Glide Step only reinforced once, he simply couldn't dodge her blade.

The old man in plain clothes spoke in a flat tone, "Young man, you must be focused when sparring. You will regret it if you underestimate your opponent..."

A chill ran through the youth's heart.

The old man's words seemed casual, but wasn't this a warning?

If he held back or voluntarily conceded, this old fellow would certainly not let him off lightly.

"Grandfather rarely lets me spar with others. Since he thinks you're extraordinary, you'd better show some real skill. Otherwise, if I accidentally kill you, don't blame this girl when you reach King Yama!"

The young girl said fiercely.

Chen Changming took a deep breath, feeling as though he had been forced into a desperate situation once again.

Chi chi...

The young girl launched another attack. This time, there were dozens of sword beams, shooting toward him from all directions.

Each beam was terrifyingly fast.

Chen Changming activated the Dragon Glide Step to its maximum potential, dodging and weaving through the sword light, while waving his hand to execute the Lingxiao Sword Technique in a counterattack.

Boom! Boom!

Their swords collided, the sound deafening.

Feeling the numbness in his hands, Chen Changming was deeply shocked. The girl's speed and strength far exceeded his imagination, leaving him no choice but to unleash the full power of the Lingxiao Sword Technique.

With its second reinforcement, the Lingxiao Sword Technique had naturally seen a massive increase in both speed and power.

Only by bringing out his full sword-wielding prowess was Chen Changming barely able to block the young girl's storm-like assault.

Inside the dilapidated temple, sword light flickered wildly, making it impossible to see their figures clearly.

The ferocity of the young girl's swordplay was like a raging ocean, wave after wave, filling every inch of space.

Chen Changming was like a small boat, tossing and turning in the turbulent waves, in constant danger of capsizing.

He remained single-minded, pushing both the Dragon Glide Step and the Lingxiao Sword Technique to their limits. Even so, he slowly began to sustain injuries, blood constantly seeping out and staining his clothes.

There was no help for it.

The young girl's attacks were too powerful and her swordplay too profound; he couldn't dodge everything. Fortunately, the wounds weren't deep—he managed to evade the lethal strikes, only suffering minor grazes.

"This boy only has a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root; why are his movement techniques and swordplay so formidable..."

The old man in plain clothes' eyes flickered, his expression turning serious.

He had seen countless people in his life, but he had never encountered a youth like this. His aptitude was clearly trash, yet the power of his techniques was surprisingly great, a fact that left him completely baffled.

"This isn't sparring at all; it's a life-or-death struggle!"

In the midst of the battle, Chen Changming complained bitterly to himself, his heart filled with misery.

If he were the least bit careless, he might be killed by this young girl.

She was too ruthless, every move aimed at his vitals, completely disregarding whether he lived or died. If not for the finesse of the Dragon Glide Step, he would have died countless times over by now.

An hour later.

The two were still sparring, the intensity of their exchange showing no signs of waning. Chen Changming's body was covered in an increasing number of wounds, yet the young girl's sword strikes remained fierce and relentless.

The old man in plain clothes narrowed his eyes, showing no intention of calling a halt.

Luo Lan remained unconscious, sleeping in a deep, heavy slumber, completely unaware of everything happening in the outside world.

Three hours passed.

The wind died down and the rain ceased, the sky clearing up. By this point, the rhythm of their battle had slowed.

It was not that Chen Changming had slowed down, but rather that the young girl's strikes had lost their speed.

After four consecutive hours of high-intensity combat, the spiritual energy within the young girl was running low.

In Chen Changming's dantian, however, his spiritual energy remained abundant.

Seizing an opportunity, he unleashed a flurry of strikes, forcing the young girl back into a corner.

Bang!

With a flick of his sword, he sent her weapon flying from her hand.

The youth retreated decisively, standing in the center of the temple, sheathing his sword, and cupping his hands in a salute: "My apologies, Miss."

"You!"

The young girl's spirited eyes suddenly welled up with tears. She stared daggers at the youth, her heart filled with resentment.

Who was she, and who was he?

She had been a favored daughter of heaven since childhood, possessing peerless talent and crushing her peers in every aspect. Yet, she never expected that in a remote, backwater place like the Yue Kingdom, she would actually suffer a defeat.

The reason for her failure was simply that her spiritual energy had run dry, allowing her opponent to exploit the opening and knock the sword from her hand.

As a sword cultivator, having one's sword knocked away naturally meant she had lost this spar.

Even though she was uninjured and had been pressing the youth on the defensive the entire time, she was powerless to change the final outcome.

"Grandfather, I lost."

The young girl picked up her sword, walked to the campfire with a dejected expression, and sat down beside her grandfather.

The campfire had already died out, leaving only ashes wrapped around charcoal, with wisps of smoke curling upward from the embers.

The old man in plain clothes smiled faintly: "Heh, there is always someone better, and a sky beyond the sky. Xiu'er, do you understand now?"

"I understand, Grandfather. I want to go home, lock myself away, and never come out again."

The young girl said, looking at him with wide, pleading eyes.

Crystal-clear tears swirled in her eyes, which she fought hard to keep from falling.

The young girl glared at the youth and pouted: "Grandfather, we are at the same cultivation level, so why is his spiritual energy so vast?"

"Grandfather doesn't know either."

The old man in plain clothes sighed. A youth with a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root possessing such terrifyingly abundant spiritual energy was something never before seen in the cultivation world.

Hearing the conversation between the grandfather and granddaughter, Chen Changming felt a sense of unease.

If the old man were to ask him, how could he explain where this spiritual energy came from?

"Young man, why not come with us? My granddaughter happens to be in need of a sparring partner..."

The old man in plain clothes looked at the youth, his face full of anticipation.

Chen Changming fell silent.

Although he could sense no malice from the old man, he had no desire to live under someone else's roof, being used as a living target for this young girl to train on every day. He did not want to live a life worse than death.

"Very well, since you have your own plans, I shall not force you."

The old man in plain clothes saw through the youth's thoughts and gave a carefree smile before taking a single step, suddenly vanishing from the ruined temple along with his granddaughter.

A Storage Bag remained, floating quietly before the youth.