Almost at the same moment, Deng Qing's Sword Technique changed. His strokes flowed without pause, gathering into a perfect circle. Wherever that circle passed, it was like a merciless wheel: swathes of flying ants were stabbed through the eyes and dissolved into mist.
With Deng Qing and Chen Kong going all out, Zhang Yan and Song Que were reduced to spectators.
The ants could not even get close to them before Deng Qing or Chen Kong wiped them out.
Mist kept rising through the forest, and the once-dense swarm rapidly thinned.
The surviving ants still charged forward, fearless of death.
Only when Deng Qing's Sword Momentum swept away the last ant did the clearing finally fall silent.
Deng Qing stilled his sword. The Blacksteel Soft Sword swayed, then coiled back around his waist.
Song Que stared at Deng Qing, momentarily lost in thought. In Deng Qing's hands, the Blacksteel Soft Sword truly won't go to waste.
At almost the same moment, Chen Kong sheathed his blade, let out a breath, and said, "I lost."
Song Que was startled.
Deng Qing cupped his hands. "You're too modest, Senior Brother Chen. I didn't win either."
"Brother Deng, you don't need to cover for me."
Chen Kong waved a hand. "I increased my strength several times just now. I even used Bone-Forging Realm techniques, but you kept pace with me throughout.
"If I still won't admit defeat after that, people will laugh at me. To tell the truth, your Swordsmanship has reached the point where its momentum gathers into a circle and you can release or hold it back at will. That's enough to shock the world. I've wandered the martial world for years, and I've never seen anyone in the Skin Tempering Realm train Swordsmanship to this level. Remarkable! Truly remarkable."
Deng