Master-Level Expert

(Second update complete. I won't be writing separate chapters for An Hei anymore. I'll just ask for monthly votes here. I've reached 830,000 words, and my mindset isn't as restless as it was two months ago. It's thanks to everyone's support that An Hei 've persevered until now. Thank you all, An Hei will continue to work hard.)

Mount Hua, Cliff of Contemplation

Li Wei sat on a rock, looking at the bottomless cliff in front of him with some annoyance. He and Linghu Chong had been waiting here for three days.

For three days, Feng Qingyang, who was supposed to teach Linghu Chong the Nine Swords of Dugu, did not appear.

Li Wei had no choice but to take this opportunity to practice the martial arts from the Sunflower Manual. On the fourth day, even the usually carefree Linghu Chong became somewhat irritable. He suddenly jumped up and said to Li Wei, "Brother Li, it's not a good idea for us to just wait here. Since we have nothing else to do, why don't we have a spar? I heard from Brother Duan that your martial arts are quite superb."

Li Wei chuckled and stood up from the ground. After cultivating for several days, he also felt a bit restless, so it would be good to move around a bit.

So the two of them each took up their swords, assumed their stances, and began to fight.

At this moment, Li Wei was no longer the same fighter he was when he first started the mission. Now he could easily withstand Linghu Chong's swordsmanship, and Li Wei even believed that he could easily win without using his longsword.

It seems that, just like in the game, Linghu Chong, who hasn't mastered the Nine Swords of Dugu, is indeed quite pathetic.

After a dozen or so moves, Li Wei skillfully slashed at Linghu Chong's sword with his own, then unleashed a burst of internal force. Instantly, a powerful force traveled through the steel sword and into Linghu Chong's hand, causing his sword to fly out and embed itself in a piece of wood in the distance.

"Boy, you've completely disgraced the Mount Hua Sect!" Suddenly, an old voice rang out, startling the three people present.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than an old man in a white robe suddenly appeared on the edge of the cliff. His hair was white but very neat, and his clothes were spotless.

Li Wei's eyes narrowed instantly. He had been paying close attention to his surroundings the whole time; when did this old man appear?

Moreover, there was a bottomless abyss behind the old man; how did he even manage to stand there?

Most importantly, Li Wei couldn't sense anything from the old man; there was no aura emanating from him. If he closed his eyes, he would never have been able to detect the old man. This meant that the old man's martial arts skills far surpassed his own.

"Is that Feng Qingyang? He really is a grandmaster-level expert." Li Wei breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't expected that instead of Feng Qingyang appearing, he would be drawn out by a duel.

He really is a strange old man.

"Senior, I, Linghu Chong, am indeed not skilled enough, but you cannot insult my Mount Hua Sect." Although Linghu Chong usually had a good temper, he became somewhat serious when it came to the Mount Hua Sect.

"Haha, so pedantic! You're clearly a disciple of Yue Buqun. Do you know that in a duel, the most important thing is to use flexible and varied moves? And you, the young man you're fighting has internal strength dozens of times stronger than yours, yet you still stubbornly use internal strength to control your sword to fight back. No wonder you're going to lose. Isn't this the behavior of a fool?"

This lecture made Linghu Chong nod repeatedly. He wasn't a stubborn person, otherwise he wouldn't have been punished so much since childhood. Hearing the old man's words, he understood that the old man was instructing him. Moreover, being able to appear at the Cliff of Contemplation on Mount Hua and see through his sword moves at a glance must mean he was a reclusive senior of the Mount Hua Sect. Therefore, Linghu Chong's attitude became much more respectful.

"Alright, it's fate that we met. Come, follow me into the cave, I have something to tell you." Feng Qingyang walked to the cave entrance with his hands behind his back, but turned to look at Li Wei: "Young brother, I'm very interested in your martial arts. If you'd like, would you like to spar with this old man in a bit?"

Li Wei was taken aback. Feng Qingyang was actually asking him for guidance. He had always wanted to know just how strong a grandmaster-level expert in the martial arts world really was, so he readily agreed. This was an excellent opportunity, and this kind of competition was a 'sparring' that only went as far as it was going, with no danger whatsoever.

Linghu Chong followed Feng Qingyang into the cave, and it took him two full hours to emerge. Linghu Chong was a completely different person from before. As soon as he came out, he excitedly said to Li Wei, "Brother Li, come, let's have another match!"

Li Wei chuckled inwardly. Linghu Chong must have learned a move from the Nine Swords of Dugu and wanted to practice on him, but he was no Tian Boguang.

The two men and their swords continued to fight. This time, Li Wei defeated Linghu Chong in just ten moves.

"Come in with me," Feng Qingyang said, shaking his head.

This time, it took a full four hours, and the sun was already in the afternoon. When Linghu Chong came out again this time, his aura had changed dramatically. Not to mention anything else, his sword-wielding posture alone was enough to rival that of some sect leaders.

"Brother Li, take this challenge!"

A set of sword moves that Li Wei had never seen before came straight at him. Li Wei suddenly realized that Linghu Chong's control over sword moves was still superior to his own. It seemed that the Nine Swords of Dugu were indeed extraordinary.

Using his full Sunflower Divine Skill, Li Wei launched more than twenty attacks, but Linghu Chong blocked them all with his agile and steady sword moves. When he wielded his sword, it was as smooth as clouds and water, without any discernible pattern.

After another twenty moves, Li Wei still couldn't break through Linghu Chong's defense. He shook his head inwardly. At this moment, he only mastered the Misty Cloud Thirteen Forms and Mist. Although this sword technique was considered a decent one in the martial arts world, it was far inferior to the heaven-defying Nine Swords of Dugu. If it weren't for his Sunflower Divine Skill, he would have been defeated long ago.

However, Linghu Chong had just learned the Nine Swords of Dugu, so at this point, it would be extremely difficult for him to defeat himself.

Dodging the opponent's attack, Li Wei seized an opening, thrusting forward with lightning speed, and pressed the hilt of his sword against Linghu Chong's throat. At the same time, his other hand pressed against Linghu Chong's chest. In a life-or-death battle, Linghu Chong would already be dead.

Slap slap slap

Feng Qingyang, who was watching from the sidelines, clapped his hands and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Not bad, not bad, Linghu Chong, you were able to memorize the nine sword techniques of the Nine Swords of Dugu in half a day and be able to use them in a basic way. This talent is already top-notch. Given time, your achievements will probably be no less than mine... As for this young brother, both his martial arts and talent are impeccable. It's not unjust for him to lose to him."

Linghu Chong was initially somewhat dejected, but after hearing Feng Qingyang's words, he smiled freely and said to Li Wei, "Brother Li, I admire your Linghu Chong."

Li Wei knew that he was able to defeat Linghu Chong this time only because the other party had just begun to practice the Nine Swords of Dugu. If given more time, he might not be able to maintain this advantage.

"Young brother, this old man is itching to show off my skills. How about we have a friendly spar?" Feng Qingyang said with a smile.

Li Wei had been waiting for this opportunity, and this time, Li Wei opponent was the grandmaster-level Feng Qingyang.

Facing such a powerful opponent, Li Wei was on high alert. He had already pushed his Sunflower Divine Skill to its limit. If one looked closely, one could see wisps of burning energy on the surface of Li Wei's body, like flames, but because the amount was small, it was not obvious.

With Feng Qingyang's keen eyesight, he could see it clearly.

"What kind of martial art is this? It's simply unbelievable! This kind of internal energy can only appear when one's internal strength is fully developed. How could a kid who is not even twenty years old have it?" Feng Qingyang was also completely baffled. However, he did not rely on his strength to act superior. Instead, he carefully assumed a fighting stance.

"Young brother, use all your strength and attack!"

Li Wei didn't stand on ceremony. His steel sword flashed like a streak of light, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of Feng Qingyang. Linghu Chong and Duan Yu, who were standing to the side, hadn't even seen Li Wei's movements clearly. Only then did they realize that Li Wei had actually been hiding his strength.

Based on this level of strength, Li Wei has barely reached the ranks of a sect leader-level expert.

However, Li Wei's opponent at this moment was a grandmaster-level expert. Seeing the steel sword coming at him, Feng Qingyang was unhurried. He formed a sword with his fingers and deflected the sword in a nonchalant manner.

However, Li Wei sensed an extremely powerful force emanating from the sword.

"Indeed impressive. However, if you think that's all I'm capable of, you're sorely mistaken." Li Wei twisted his body, and the steel sword flew out of his hand. This move was called 'Wandering Swallow Stance,' an advanced sword technique among the Misty Cloud Thirteen Forms Swordplay. Using a special technique, the sword was thrown close to the enemy, and the longsword would circle around the enemy's neck. At this moment, if it were an ordinary master, they would surely be decapitated.

However, Li Wei was facing no ordinary expert.

Feng Qingyang laughed heartily, and with those same two fingers, he gently pinched Li Wei's longsword in the air, and it was in his hand. Just as he was about to say something, he discovered that Li Wei's fingers had somehow touched his chest.

"Huh?"

Feng Qingyang, his expression finally turning serious, let out a breath, but his body stiffened and shrank back. Li Wei's finger missed its mark, and just as he was about to change his move, Feng Qingyang's other hand landed on Li Wei's wrist. He didn't know what he did, but Li Wei felt his body suddenly lose its balance and was thrown out.

In mid-air, another airflow lifted him up, allowing him to land safely. Looking at Feng Qingyang, he was still standing in the same spot, his feet not having moved an inch.

"Grandmaster level... very strong." Only then did Li Wei realize the gap between himself and Feng Qingyang. The sense of superiority he initially felt because of the Sunflower Divine Skill vanished instantly.

Among the grandmasters in Jin Yong Heroes World, Feng Qingyang's strength is only above average, not to mention the more powerful bosses like Wu Yazi and the Sweeper Monk.

Even Dongfang Bubai is not much weaker than Feng Qingyang at this moment. If we consider their actual combat strength, Dongfang Bubai might even rank ahead of Feng Qingyang.

To obtain the Book of Heaven, one usually has to defeat these grandmaster-level experts, but he only has less than a year left.

Thinking of this, Li Wei broke out in a cold sweat, secretly relieved that he had met Feng Qingyang at this time. Otherwise, if a year later, with his abilities, would he have been able to defeat Dongfang Bubai?

Keep in mind, the other party cultivated the Sunflower Manual according to the 'orthodox' method!

At this moment, Li Wei suddenly received a notification: "Ding, you have sparred with Grandmaster-level expert Feng Qingyang, and your cultivation points have increased by 50."