"Dragon Gate Academy versus the Knowledge and Practice Institute, second drawn match: He An against Li Feixing!"
Zhantai Ming drew out his announcement, calling at the top of his voice.
He An clenched his fists and walked onto the arena without expression. Facing his approaching opponent, he cupped his fists in salute.
Li Feixing wore a black robe, his chiseled face impassive. Beneath his hooked nose, his thin lips pressed into a line, adding to his cold, forbidding air.
He returned the salute coldly, then slowly drew the long saber at his waist.
The blade scraped against its sheath with a harsh, grating sound, and a murderous chill spread across the entire arena.
He An walked toward Li Feixing, his expression composed and his steps light, as though boundless strength filled every inch of his body.
"Die!"
Li Feixing roared, scattering the rain in the air. His gleaming saber swept up a cold wind and cleaved straight toward He An.
He An sidestepped and drove a straight punch from the Cloud-Riding Hand toward Li Feixing's ribs.
Saber light flashed and whirled with a howl. Li Feixing's blade wove around He An, its fierce energy surging, turning the rain into drifting mist and scoring deep saber marks across the level ground-a sight that made the heart tremble.
He An twisted and dodged amid the storm of blades. The Cloud-Riding Hand combined offense and defense, and with Graceful Swan Swordsmanship woven into it, he handled the attacks with ease. Often, a casual strike was enough to force Li Feixing into a swift retreat.
The drizzle gradually thickened. As the rain grew heavier, the spectators stirred restlessly. Some students opened umbrellas, others put on bamboo hats, and even commoners in the crowd shouted for their wives to go home and fetch straw rain