The man's movement skills were extraordinary, as though he had been poised to move long before the winner was decided.
Only when everyone's attention was drawn to Lian Youming and Yang Wu did he dart out.
Almost at the same moment, the incense burner dropped from above.
Though it had flown into the air, it had actually risen barely two meters.
Even so, that was enough to astound everyone.
The two had decided their contest in an extremely short time, so short that no one had reacted.
Even more unexpectedly, Yang Wu opened his mouth and rasped, "Watch out..."
Lian Youming had been about to finish him off, but at those two words, he shook his right fist and forced his opponent back.
Yang Wu retreated, coughing blood, and tumbled down the stone steps.
Almost simultaneously, Lian Youming ducked his upper body low and spread the fingers of his left hand, reaching up to catch the incense burner's base.
In the deathly silence, the muscles of his left arm swelled, growing a size larger in an instant. With that single hand and arm, he caught the incense burner weighing hundreds of pounds. The muscles along half his body seemed to come alive, twitching incessantly and drawing tight as iron, leaving the onlookers gasping.
The old man struck extremely fast, using Taiji Freehand Techniques, but two short blades as thin as cicada wings hung from his right index and middle fingers. They closely resembled the finger guards worn by imperial women of old, fluttering back and forth as they slashed at Lian Youming's eyes.
Expressionless, Lian Youming held the incense burner in one hand and formed a sword with the fingers of the other. His hand darted back and forth, flesh colliding with blades and actually ringing like metal striking stone.