Hu Xiaotian spent the entire morning training hard. Sharpening a spear before battle might not make it keen, but at least it would shine. His duel with Qiu Mubai was tomorrow, and he had to master all of the Spirit Snake Nine Swords somehow. However, the swords Yang Xuan had supplied were ordinary weapons. Clashes were inevitable when sparring against Xiong Tianba with real blades, and he had already broken three in a single morning.
By noon, even Huo Shengnan had been drawn over. She watched from the sidelines for a while, then pointed out several flaws in Hu Xiaotian's swordsmanship.
Hu Xiaotian tossed his broken sword onto the ground and said with a laugh, "That's enough training! My stomach's growling with hunger."
Huo Shengnan said, "I hear you're going to cross swords with Qiu Mubai tomorrow?"
Hu Xiaotian nodded. "You've heard too?"
"The news has swept through the city like wind and rain," Huo Shengnan said. "There are hardly any people in the Yong Capital who don't know."
Hu Xiaotian frowned. He had told no outsiders, and Zhou Mo and the others had not publicized it either. Qiu Mubai had to be responsible. That bastard's intentions were truly crooked. Before the duel had even begun, he had made sure everyone knew about it. If Hu Xiaotian backed out now, he would become the laughingstock of the world. Did Qiu Mubai really believe victory was assured?
Huo Shengnan said, "Judging by how hard you're practicing, you've decided to keep your appointment at Happy Woods?"
Hu Xiaotian asked, "General Huo, how do you think my swordsmanship compares with Qiu Mubai's?"
"Your sword techniques are exquisite, but unfortunately, you haven't been practicing long enough. If I'm not mistaken, this style depends on combining and varying its moves. It's certainly not something you