The opening saber-snatching move

Mo Chen saw Wu Wen's knotted muscles and steady footwork. He had probably practiced mortal martial arts, so Mo Chen absolutely could not let him get close.

In close combat against someone like this, even if he had tempered his body too, a single opening might leave him no chance to cast a spell or form a hand seal. Wu Wen would simply grab him by the neck and slam him around like a punching bag.

I've cultivated for over a hundred years. If some body cultivator finally knocks me off the arena through brute strength, that picture would be so beautiful I wouldn't dare imagine it.

Wu Wen snorted in midair, gripped empty air with both hands, and chopped downward. A large Gilt Great Saber suddenly materialized in his grasp.

Its blade was broad and as thick as a chopping board, and the entire Gilt Great Saber glittered in the sunset's lingering light.

Wu Wen's airborne slash blasted a white wave through the air, visible to the naked eye.

Before the blade arrived, its blade intent struck first, making the protective light screen surrounding the Mingyi Arena tremble faintly.

Every cultivator below the arena paled, and cries of astonishment rose one after another.

"That slash... even someone at the peak of Qi Refining couldn't block it, could they?"

"Of course not! With the Wu Household's Body Tempering art and that Gold-Patterned Long Saber, who at his cultivation level could take it head-on?"

"That kid's in trouble."

The cries kept coming. Even several groups of cultivators who had already walked some distance away turned back at the noise.

Missing a clash of this caliber would be a real loss.

The atmosphere around the Mingyi group abruptly grew tense.

Yet Mo Chen merely smiled faintly.

A saber? You want to play with sabers against me?

He had waited a long time for this moment.

Back when he had still been keeping his head down and whiling away his days at Wenyuan Pavilion, he had felt sorry for a rain-soaked child who kept coming to seek instruction and borrow books. He had casually pulled out a Gale Saber Manual and tossed it to him.

That child had later become Lu Canghai, leader of the martial alliance in the Great Qian Kingdom.

Before his death, Lu Canghai had repaid him with a copy of Vast Sea Blade Intent. Ever since receiving that saber manual, Mo Chen had realized its value far exceeded his imagination.

It was a secret manual distilled from Lu Canghai's lifelong understanding of the saber.

In the hundred and thirty-odd years since obtaining Vast Sea Blade Intent, Mo Chen had never stopped practicing saber techniques. Though he fell short of Lu Canghai's own skill, he reckoned it was enough to incorporate into magical combat and catch an opponent off guard.

Mo Chen raised his hand and scattered a handful of crude talisman papers. Before the spectators could make out what talismans they were, ripples had already spread across the arena's light screen, followed by a deafening roar of rushing water.

But to Wu Wen, who could see everything more clearly from the arena, this was an outright provocation.

Damn it!

You even wrote these talismans on ordinary rice paper!

Just like the paper children use to practice writing at school...

You dare insult me with something like this?

Anger flared within Wu Wen at the sight, and he put another surge of strength into his saber.

Yet when that heavy, powerful slash struck the water wall, it could advance no farther.

Wu Wen clearly had not expected a spell unleashed by such crude talismans to block his saber. Veins bulged on his forehead as he roared, "You think you can win with talismans?"

With that, he abruptly pulled back his strength, flipped backward like a sparrowhawk, and leaped away, putting three zhang between himself and Mo Chen.

Wu Wen was clearly the sort accustomed to crushing his opponents through strength.

His saber techniques were sweeping and forceful, but he would never imagine that the fellow opposite him, who seemed capable only of scattering talismans, could also wield a saber.

The moment he thinks he's broken through my talismans and closes in will be the perfect time for me to use my saber.

The next instant, more than a dozen thick columns of water erupted across the arena, each so wide it would take two arms to encircle it.

Since the light shield completely enclosed the arena, the accumulating water had nowhere to drain. In mere moments, its level rose rapidly, reaching Wu Wen's chest in the blink of an eye.

Knowing he could wait no longer, Wu Wen decisively tossed his Gilt Great Saber into the air.

The precious saber spun three times in midair, then plunged point-first into the water with crushing force.

A deafening crash rang out as the spirit saber raised wave upon wave.

Under that heavy impact, the accumulated water actually formed a curtain over a zhang high, shielding Wu Wen securely within it.

Runes flowed across the water curtain's surface. Clearly, it was no ordinary water wall, but some protective secret art activated through the saber.

Mo Chen watched, startled despite himself. He can actually turn the power of my talismans to his own use!

It seemed Wu Wen had not devoted himself entirely to body cultivation.

At the sight, Mo Chen calmly controlled the water to protect himself while casting, swiftly forming a hand seal.

In an instant, the water rapidly condensed into a ferocious Water Dragon.

About five zhang long, with distinct scales and claws, the dragon stirred up mist throughout the arena before opening its enormous maw and lunging fiercely at Wu Wen.

Wu Wen drew a deep breath and swiftly swept his Divine Sense over the Water Dragon. His tense expression actually relaxed a little.

Gripping his saber tightly, Wu Wen gauged the Water Dragon's approach and suddenly lunged forward. The water beneath his feet exploded into a white wall, and a ribbon of saber light slashed precisely toward the dragon's throat.

"Petty tricks!"

Where the saber light passed, the Water Dragon collapsed with a crash, turning into droplets that rained down from the sky.

Wu Wen drew back his saber, undisguised smugness on his face.

Mo Chen stood unruffled in midair, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. "Don't smile too soon."

Mo Chen reached into his Storage Bag with his Divine Sense, and six crude Water Dragon Talismans flew out one after another.

Wu Wen's smile froze instantly, but he roared again and poured Dharma Power frantically into his saber.

The blade's golden radiance suddenly swelled until it was almost too dazzling to look at. Then six fierce streams of Blade Qi split from the blade and plunged into the water like six roaming dragons.

These streams of Blade Qi not only shredded the Water Dragons Mo Chen was forming, but also arranged themselves into an intricate formation in the air.

In an instant, a dazzling duel of spells unfolded in the Mingyi Arena.

Azure waves collided fiercely with golden saber light. The rushing of water intertwined with shrill metallic clashes, leaving everyone's ears ringing.

No, if they don't take shape soon, these talismans will have been wasted.

Seeing his opportunity slipping away, Mo Chen hurriedly poured Dharma Power into the surrounding water to speed up the Water Dragons' formation.

But some of it had already been shredded by the Blade Qi, so the six talismans produced only two Water Dragons.

They'll have to do!

The Water Dragons are only a feint anyway.

Whatever happens, you won't be able to handle the changes that follow.

Mo Chen thrust both hands forward, and the Water Dragons lunged at Wu Wen, continually breaking apart under the Blade Qi's assault and condensing again.

The crisscrossing Blade Qi sliced through the water's surface, leaving streaks of waves behind it.

Blue water and golden light shone against each other, enveloping the entire arena in a spectacle of light and shadow.

The spectators below watched in rapt fascination, their cries rising one after another. Even cultivators from other groups heard the commotion and came over in twos and threes to watch.

In the blink of an eye, the crowd around the Mingyi Arena was packed so tightly that not a drop of water could pass through.

"So far, the fights in the Mingyi group have been truly spectacular!" one spectator exclaimed sincerely.

"Absolutely! Most matches in the other groups are settled quickly, over in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Where else would you see this many tricks?" His companion nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Farther away, several cultivators were whispering excitedly among themselves. "Look at that kid, scattering talismans like they cost nothing. That kind of spending is terrifying!"

"The talismans are much poorer in quality, though. He makes up for it with quantity."

"But he's still taking a loss. I just don't get it—is he stupid, or determined to cross the Wu Household? They're notorious for repaying even the slightest grievance. Anyone who offends them won't have an easy time around the sect's main headquarters afterward."

The more they talked, the more animated they became, and several people nearby could not resist joining in.

"If you ask me, forfeiting outright is the best choice when you face someone from the Wu Household. Failing that, just step onto the arena and concede. It's not embarrassing to admit you lost to a Wu Household cultivator anyway."

"Ah, he's already up there fighting now, so this feud is as good as sealed. The Wu Household cares about face more than anything. Even if he wins today, he'll probably have no end of trouble later."

"A newborn calf really doesn't fear the tiger. Unlike us—who among us would dare clash head-on with someone from the Wu Household?"

They shook their heads and sighed, yet smiles of anticipation lingered at the corners of their mouths.

These onlookers spoke casually, keeping well clear of anything that did not concern them.

Meanwhile, atop the arena, the fierce battle between Mo Chen and Wu Wen had already reached a fever pitch.

It took longer to tell than to happen.

Seeing that his Water Dragon Talismans still struggled to take shape under the interference of his opponent's Blade Qi, Mo Chen was growing irritated.

This Wu fellow really does have some skill with a saber. Those six streams of Blade Qi form an array that has my talismans completely pinned down.

But do you think scattering talismans is all I can do?

Mo Chen immediately released his control over the Water Dragons. Deprived of Dharma Power and Divine Sense to guide them, the four Water Dragons instantly became ordinary water and splashed down.

The Water Dragons had just driven Wu Wen into a flurry, forcing him to keep countering them with his Blade Qi formation. As he caught his breath, he suddenly saw the Water Dragons disperse on their own and froze for a moment.

At the same time, Wu Wen saw spiritual light blaze beneath Mo Chen's feet as he shot rapidly upward.

Seeing a rare opportunity, with Mo Chen's lower side wide open and utterly undefended, Wu Wen immediately poured Dharma Power into his golden saber, kicked off the ground, and swept the blade upward with a turn of his hand.

At the sight, Mo Chen secretly thrilled.

Good.

You've taken the bait!

That opening move when you raise your saber is exactly what I've been waiting for.