Three Moves

"What?"

Hearing that, Zhou Yun grew even angrier.

This old man was going to give him three moves?

Hehehe... Hahahahahahahaha.

"Old bastard, die!"

Zhou Yun could endure no longer. He no longer cared about the bearing expected of a sect disciple as he drew his sword!

This strike was swift as lightning. The crowd could barely make out the motion of his draw before the blade shot straight for Jiang Yuan's chest!

Though he was arrogant, he did have some skill under his belt.

With his eighth level of Qi Condensation cultivation and the Azure Profound Sect's exquisite swordsmanship, an ordinary Qi Condensation martial artist could never withstand this strike.

Zhao You secretly nodded at the sight. Junior Brother Zhou's cultivation might not be particularly high, but he truly possessed some talent in the sword. He was only slightly inferior to Junior Sister, and within three years, he might have a chance to advance to the inner sect.

Yet what happened next shocked him even more.

Facing this sword strike, Jiang Yuan neither dodged nor evaded. He merely gave the longsword in his hand a light flick, meeting Zhou Yun's blade head-on.

Clang!

The two swords collided, producing a crisp ring.

The next instant, Zhou Yun felt a deft force travel through his sword. His entire arm went numb. Not only was his sword move instantly broken, but even the longsword in his hand was flicked away.

That block and flick happened in the span of a spark flashing off flint.

By the time everyone reacted, Zhou Yun's sword had already been sent flying.

"What happened??"

The Azure Profound Sect group was utterly dumbfounded at the sight.

Zhou Yun's overwhelming sword strike had been so simply broken?

"First move."

Jiang Yuan spoke blandly, his expression as calm as ever, as though he did not regard his opponent at all.

A sword move at Zhou Yun's level looked far too immature in his eyes now.

It was not even as good as Guan Ling's.

With their cultivation levels not far apart, the other man could not possibly withstand even one exchange with him!

"Damn it!"

Zhou Yun's face looked incomparably ugly. No matter what, he had never expected his sword technique to be broken so easily. It was simply the greatest humiliation of his life.

He turned, picked up his longsword, and charged forward again with a roar.

"Old bastard, don't get smug. Take another sword from me!"

"Shadowless Sword Technique!"

As his words fell, Zhou Yun stomped forward and swung his longsword. Sword light transformed into three sword shadows that shrouded Jiang Yuan from above.

"Here it comes—Junior Brother Zhou's strongest Shadowless Sword Technique!"

Several Azure Profound Sect disciples cried excitedly.

The Shadowless Sword Technique was one of the Azure Profound Sect's signature sword arts. Among the outer sect disciples, Zhou Yun was considered one of the few talents who had trained this technique to a fairly accomplished level.

He had earned the attention of the inner sect elders through this move.

Unfortunately.

Today, he had encountered Jiang Yuan!

Jiang Yuan remained utterly unhurried. He even kept one hand behind his back and could not be bothered to lift his eyelids.

Seeing that Jiang Yuan was not only unafraid but stood there calmly with his hands behind his back, Zhou Yun grew even more enraged.

"Old bastard, die!"

The sword light descended.

The three sword shadows Zhou Yun had transformed into struck Jiang Yuan simultaneously, directly cleaving him in two!

Had he killed him?

Zhou Yun was overjoyed, triumph flashing in his eyes, but it vanished at once.

Because he quickly realized that what he had cut was only an afterimage!

"A fake?"

His sword had struck empty air. Zhou Yun looked as if he had seen a ghost, utterly unable to believe it.

What the hell was this?

When he turned his head, Jiang Yuan stood not far away, wearing a teasing smile like a phantom!

This time, not only Zhou Yun, but the Azure Profound Sect disciples and every martial artist present were all stunned.

"Holy shit, what happened?"

"Am I seeing things? I clearly saw Zhou Yun strike Elder Jiang just now!"

"My turtle shell, what kind of move was that?"

Everyone wore bewildered expressions, completely unable to understand what had just happened.

Among those present, only Zhao You, Zhang Sheng, and Guan Ling saw the clue, yet their expressions were even more shocked than everyone else's.

The Shadowless Sword Technique?

That old man had used the Shadowless Sword Technique too?

Impossible, right?

Zhao You rubbed his eyes, thinking he had seen wrongly.

Guan Ling's eyes flickered. She seemed somewhat excited, with a faint trace of admiration.

Senior Jiang is truly incredible!

He had only learned the Shadowless Sword Technique from me not long ago, yet he had already trained it to its highest realm—Sword Becomes Shadowless!

His talent in the sword is even greater than the sect patriarch's!

Now, she regretted it a little.

I shouldn't have exchanged Myriad Swords Return to the Source with Jiang Yuan back then. Wouldn't it have been better to simply take him as my master?

"Second move. Are you still going to fight?"

Jiang Yuan spoke indifferently. Though his current cultivation was only in the Qi Condensation Realm, in terms of sword intent and swordsmanship, he was no less capable than a sword cultivator in the Meridian Opening Realm.

What did the other man have to fight him with?

Sweat beaded on Zhou Yun's forehead, and a trace of fear flashed through his eyes. He seemed to realize that he had kicked an iron plate.

Why was this old man so damned strange?

His cultivation clearly did not seem high, so why could he effortlessly dissolve my sword moves every time?

These are the Azure Profound Sect's sword arts!

"Again!"

Zhou Yun gritted his teeth. His sword momentum abruptly changed, like a gale bursting from its sheath.

Gale Sword Technique, Sword Breaks the Firmament!

This was also his strongest sword move. Its power was immense, enough to challenge opponents above his level!

Jiang Yuan's expression finally turned a little more serious.

Zhou Yun's sword strike did have some substance to it.

Unfortunately, it still had far too many flaws!

Jiang Yuan lightly sent forth the sword in his hand, tapping the most vulnerable point on Zhou Yun's blade. In an instant, he broke Zhou Yun's sword move again.

By the time Zhou Yun steadied himself, Jiang Yuan's sword was already pressed before his throat.

For a moment, the entire scene fell deathly silent.

"This strike was quite fast, but you used too much force. Excess is as bad as deficiency."

Jiang Yuan assumed the bearing of a grandmaster and commented blandly, "Three moves have passed. Young man, practice for a few hundred more years before coming to challenge this old man."

Gasp!

Hearing this, everyone present could not help drawing in sharp breaths.

The gap was simply too vast.

Zhou Yun was a dignified Azure Profound Sect disciple, yet his attainments in swordsmanship were as far from Jiang Yuan's as heaven from earth. Calling it an old man toying with a child would not be an exaggeration.

At this moment, Zhou Yun's face shifted from green to white, overwhelmed by shame and fury.

He was a dignified Azure Profound Sect disciple, an eighth-level Qi Condensation sword cultivator, yet he had been defeated by an old storyteller?

If word got out, how could he ever show his face in the sect again?

"Sir, excellent swordsmanship."

Zhao You stepped out in time to smooth things over. He clasped his hands and said with a smile, "Junior Brother Zhou is young and hot-blooded. He has offended you."

"But may I ask, sir, why do you know my Azure Profound Sect's sword arts?"

Jiang Yuan glanced at Zhao You, then at Guan Ling, and said indifferently, "This old man once exchanged pointers with some disciples of your esteemed sect. I casually learned a few moves—enough to teach you youngsters."

"Oh? So that's how it is!"

Zhao You nodded, looking enlightened.

That explained it.

The technique Jiang Yuan had used just now truly was their Azure Profound Sect's Shadowless Sword Technique, and his mastery of it was extraordinarily profound.

This old man had truly hidden his depths!

"Since you are an old acquaintance of our sect's seniors, this junior has offended you," Zhao You said with another smile.

"No matter." Jiang Yuan waved a hand.

Thus, beneath both men's private calculations, the farce came to an end.