第15章 与长老切磋,八步赶蝉入门

Elder Lu clenched his fists, and the entire aura about him abruptly changed.

The originally amiable and gentle tall, thin elder instantly reined in all the casual presence around his body.

The warmth faded from his brow and eyes, and a few glints of sharpness appeared within his pupils. Though his figure appeared lean and straight, it was as sturdy and forceful as an old pine.

His surrounding aura became erratic and unfathomable, entirely devoid of his previous amiable-elder persona.

Liu Yunche said no unnecessary words. When paying respects, he could be respectful and courteous, but now it was a martial duel, and there was logically no room for deference.

With one hand steadily pressing the back of the blade and the other tightly gripping the hilt, he stood rooted like a nail with a solemn expression, staring fixedly at Elder Lu with a sharp gaze devoid of the slightest cowardice.

Elder Lu's gaze brightened slightly as he smiled and remarked, "Your gaze is quite sharp indeed. I wonder if your blade is equally sharp."

Before his words faded, Liu Yunche's steps intersected as he pressed forward.

For a moment, the wind surged violently and a pitch-black blade-light appeared in response, swift as the wind as it drove straight toward Elder Lu's chest without a hint of drag.

"Good lad, ambushing an old man—where is your martial virtue?"

Elder Lu spoke in a teasing, bantering tone. The instant his voice fell, his figure moved like willow catkins, swaying with the wind.

Seemingly unhurried, he calmly evaded Liu Yunche's fierce blade-light at the very last split second.

His strike missing, Liu Yunche turned his wrist and his blade momentum abruptly shifted, a direct chop smoothly transforming into a horizontal slash that once more targeted his opponent's heart.

Elder Lu lowered his posture slightly, easily dodging the blade's edge while his left hand suddenly shot out, striking precisely against the wrist holding the saber.

A thick and overbearing force instantly surged through Liu Yunche's arm and spread across his entire body. His finger joints suddenly relaxed, the long saber flew out of his hand, and his whole body lost its balance, stumbling backward as he drifted away.

In that flash of a spark, his waist and hips violently twisted, his torso spinning sharply in midair to smoothly and steadily catch the falling hilt with a backhand, stabilizing his stance once more.

"Your foundation isn't bad, but that's still not enough. Bring out some real skill, lad." Elder Lu laughed aloud.

Liu Yunche did not reply. He pressed forward as his divine movement talent quietly activated, boosting his speed by more than a mere fraction.

A trace of surprise flashed in Elder Lu's eyes; for a Copper Skin Realm martial artist to possess such speed was truly a rare sight.

Liu Yunche brandished Concealed Edge, the blade-light roaring as it tore through the open sky and churned up countless air currents with a majestic and soul-captivating momentum.

Elder Lu delivered a punch, slamming into the flaw in Liu Yunche's blade technique. The fist force deflected the blade, thrusting straight toward Liu Yunche's face.

A jolt ran through Liu Yunche's heart as his entire body tensed up. He could sense that Elder Lu possessed merely the strength of an ordinary Copper Skin martial artist at this moment.

Yet this single punch pressed down with the sudden weight of a giant mountain, making it difficult for him to evade and leaving him no choice but to tilt upward and meet the strike with his chest.

The fist that was about to smash into his chest suddenly retracted into a palm strike upon contact. The palm force was lingering and endless, and Liu Yunche only felt a wave of pushing force that knocked him back several steps.

Elder Lu did not seize the opportunity to press the attack. Instead, he chuckled, "Lad, that cautious look of yours bears a striking resemblance to your old man's."

"Yet hiding your clumsiness in front of me won't get you past my test. Unleash your full strength."

A jolt ran through Liu Yunche's heart. Then, he shook his head slightly, his expression serene as he denied it, "This junior is holding nothing back; I have already given it my all."

Elder Lu's gaze darkened slightly, his tone carrying a hint of majesty:

"Since you refuse to reveal your true trump card, don't blame this old man for showing no mercy."

As his words finished, the elder's offensive abruptly surged. The previously gentle and restrained sparring instantly turned fierce and oppressive, firmly suppressing Liu Yunche's every move of attack, defense, advance, and retreat throughout.

After a mere few rounds of entanglement, Elder Lu thrust a palm out into the empty air. A mighty, surging force erupted, directly shattering the long saber and violently driving Liu Yunche back several steps.

A jolt ran through Elder Lu's heart as he inwardly sighed in emotion, Good lad, how is his saber technique so tricky and exquisite?

With all my lifetime of slaughter and countless martial arts experiences, I can actually only suppress him by a sliver now.

He could not know that Liu Yunche's saber-master ability provided him with an understanding and insight into saber techniques that was fundamentally no weaker than his own as a veteran elder.

Having forced Liu Yunche back with a single palm, Elder Lu showed no inclination to press his advantage. Instead, a teasing smile played on his face as he calmly bantered, "Lad, you still refuse to use your true full strength?"

Liu Yunche adjusted his breathing and steadied his stance. A brilliant flash crossed his eyes as he cupped his fists and said, "Please enlighten me, Elder."

Just at that moment, a gentle breeze brushed past and the green pines rustled in response.

The servant at the corner of the courtyard saw a pitch-black streak of light flash and vanish.

The next instant, Elder Lu's gaze tightened and his expression shifted slightly.

He inwardly muttered, It really is Major Accomplishment Gale Swift Saber. When Liu Wangzhou told me, I didn't believe it—this actually turns out to be true.

The youth's terrifying speed and exceptional natural talent delighted him, banishing the last shred of contempt from his mind.

His palms flushed bright crimson as he brought his hands together, steadily blocking Liu Yunche's ultimate-speed blade strike.

This was Red Thread Hands; once practiced to perfection, the flesh of the palms possessed a sturdiness rivalling low-grade martial treasures.

Liu Yunche tapped his toes lightly, his figure as light as a goose feather as he withdrew his blade and then fiercely slashed it forward once more.

The Major Accomplishment Gale Swift Saber unfolded in his hands with nearly soundless momentum, leaving only streaks of pitch-black blade-light cutting across midair.

The saber techniques were tricky, and the angle of every appearance inevitably targeted Elder Lu's fatal spots. Liu Yunche's movement technique was exceedingly fast, already far surpassing a martial artist of the Copper Skin tier.

Elder Lu could not keep up with his speed, but he possessed rich combat experience and understood the principle of using stillness to counter motion.

He simply stood his ground, his palms turning completely crimson and translucent. Evidently, he had driven his Red Thread Hands to their absolute limit.

Palm and blade clashed, emitting loud, echoing bang sounds.

With every collision between palm and blade, a faint copper luster would subtly ripple across the skin of Liu Yunche's entire body.

Elder Lu had long since surpassed the Skin-Refining realm. Even though he deliberately suppressed his strength to the Copper Skin tier, his physical foundation was fundamentally different; yet under the clash of fists and feet, not the slightest copper sheen surfaced on his own body.

With every impact, Liu Yunche felt a wave of force travel along Concealed Edge and into his arm.

Once or twice was fine, but after many times, his arm was left aching and numb, and the speed of his blade strikes was also affected.

Elder Lu had a hard time of it as well. Liu Yunche's speed was extreme, and he could only rely on his rich experience to guess the angle of Liu Yunche's next blade strike. Time and time again, thin beads of sweat even seeped from his forehead.

In the courtyard, red and black intertwined and clashed, the fierce sound of impact never pausing for a moment.

The servant stood off to the side, filled with shock.

He had never witnessed any youth engage in such a fierce battle with the master to this degree, and it even seemed the master was failing to gain the upper hand.

Liu Yunche shifted his footing and pivoted rapidly. Amidst the intense battle, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he suddenly recalled the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada he had been bitterly practicing lately.

Taking advantage of the interlocking offense and defense, he smoothly rehearsed this new movement technique.

At first, the transition of his footwork was sluggish and awkward, with flaws at every connection. The rhythm of his movement abruptly slowed, and the pressure surrounding Elder Lu instantly eased.

Assuming Liu Yunche was exhausted from a prolonged battle and his movement technique lacked follow-up breath, Elder Lu inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

Yet after a few moves, Liu Yunche's footwork grew increasingly smooth and flowing. Subtle mysteries were hidden within the roundabout shifts, and his trajectory became erratic and unpredictable.

The elder studied him intently for a moment, instantly grasping the youth's intention.

Instead of anger, he laughed aloud, "Good lad, you dare to use me to temper your footwork. You're the very first."

Elder Lu had a deep-rooted friendship with Liu Wangzhou and treated Liu Yunche like a nephew. With a junior showing such excellence, he as the elder only felt a desire to help him fulfill his potential.

As his footwork grew increasingly seamless, Liu Yunche's offense and defense shifted in ever more unfathomable ways. The Gale Swift Saber paired with Eight Steps Chasing Cicada, leaving the blade shadows too erratic to trace.

Elder Lu calmly parried with his Red Thread Hands as before, but his heart grew increasingly amazed.

In the span of a short few moments of exchange, the youth had mastered and smoothed out his footwork; such martial aptitude was extremely rare across the entire Green Grain Martial Academy.

After another dozen or so rounds of exchange, the elder slowly reined in his surrounding aura, the red light on his palms gradually receding as he stopped actively launching fierce attacks.

A smiling look filled Elder Lu's eyes—the appreciation of an outstanding junior. "Very well, let's call it a draw for today. There's no need to continue."

Pausing for a moment, he extended a fingertip to gently point at Liu Yunche before bantering, "If you lad ask me to spar with you next time, this old man is going to start charging a fee."

Hearing this, Liu Yunche bowed slightly, a faint trace of embarrassment on his face as he respectfully expressed his thanks, "Many thanks to Elder for taking the trouble to assist me."

Through this sparring match, he had completely digested Eight Steps Chasing Cicada, truly stepping across its threshold. His practical combat prowess far surpassed what he could have achieved through many days of closed-door bitter cultivation.

"Very well, with movement techniques like this, you'll be able to ensure your own safety during the hunt outside the city. Just follow this old man when the time comes."

"It's already noon, so stay and share a meal with me."

Elder Lu said with a hearty smile to Liu Yunche, then casually instructed the servant:

"Go to Jingyuan Tower and order a few good dishes."

The servant cupped his fists in assent and bowed as he departed.

He had served Elder Lu for many years, and this was the first time he had ever seen the master keep a junior behind to eat at home, making him understand all the more clearly that the person before him was definitely no ordinary individual.