A Swordsmanship Contest
Lu Feng stood up from his seat.
At the same time, on the other side of the arena, a slender figure also stood up.
It was Lu Shuang, the genius swordsman girl from the Headquarters Demon-Slaying Bureau.
She wasn't tall, even shorter than Su Ying.
Her long, jet-black hair was tied into a ponytail, hanging neatly down her back.
A sword was slung over her back, its blade almost as tall as she was.
The two stood in the center of the ring.
When Jiang Han was competing, there were only scattered whispers from the audience.
The moment the two stood still, the sounds from below the arena continued.
"Do you think it's possible for Lu Feng to bring down Lu Shuang as well?"
"Are you crazy? Who is Lu Shuang? A sword cultivator! A ruthless character who single-handedly killed a fourth-tier demonic beast! Lu Feng's ability to get this far is already an incredible upset, and you still want to beat Lu Shuang?"
"That's right. Lu Shuang's strength is unparalleled at the Hua Jin Realm. Even if the other fifteen people were all tied together, they might not be able to defeat her alone."
"But throughout Lu Feng's journey, haven't you all said the same thing about him before every single match?"
These words caused a brief silence in the audience.
Just then, someone cried out in surprise.
"Look! What is Lu Feng doing?!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.
On the arena, Lu Feng calmly took out a sword from his storage bag.
An ordinary, third-tier longsword.
"He... he uses a knife, why did he pull out a sword?"
"Could he be planning to duel with Lu Shuang? To Hua Jin with the number one swordsman in the Transformation Realm?"
"My God. Just who is this Lu Feng? Palm techniques, movement techniques, physical strength, and now he's even drawn his sword. Could he really be a sword cultivator?"
"If it's true, that's absolutely incredible!"
Jiang Han had just finished his competition and returned to his seat, also witnessed this scene.
After returning home yesterday, he locked himself in his cave and thought about it all night, searching for flaws in every detail of Lu Feng's moves, but he still couldn't figure it out by dawn.
Now, things have gotten even worse; they've pulled out another sword.
Jiang Han gave a bitter smile, realizing that he had only seen the tip of the iceberg from beginning to end.
On the elders' platform, Lu Qingshan turned to look at Xiao Tianqi, his expression complex.
"Brother Xiao, could this Lu Feng also be a disciple of the Sacred Hall?"
"No." Xiao Tianqi shook his head.
"I can testify to that."
"Oh? With such talent, you're still not a disciple of the Sacred Hall?"
Lu Qingshan stroked his goatee, his face full of envy.
"Brother Xiao, you've struck gold!"
Xiao Tianqi remained silent.
He stared at Lu Feng on the stage, eager to know just how much more this young man was hiding.
On the arena, when Song Xuanji saw Lu Feng draw his longsword, his half-open eyes beneath his white hair narrowed almost imperceptibly.
He didn't say much, he just raised his hand.
"The competition begins!"
Neither of them made a move immediately.
Lu Shuang gently placed her hand on the hilt of the sword behind her back.
She looked at Lu Feng, then at the long sword in his hand.
"You're not a sword cultivator either, are you?"
A sweet voice came from Lu Shuang's mouth, instantly diminishing her aloof image.
"I know a little bit," Lu Feng said truthfully.
"Please, Senior Sister Lu, show mercy."
Upon hearing this, Lu Shuang's eyes lit up.
She didn't say anything more.
With two fingers together, using them as a sword, a sharp Sword Qi shot out from the fingertips, aiming straight for Lu Feng's face.
That Sword Qi was exactly the same as the one used to defeat the opponent before.
Lu Feng raised his sword to parry, and a crisp "clang" rang out from the blade, causing him to stagger back three steps.
"This is Sword Intent!"
Lu Feng was greatly alarmed.
He finally understood why he hadn't been able to unleash his Sword Qi like Lu Shuang before.
The problem isn't with the sword technique, but with the "intention."
Lu Shuang's Sword Qi carried the Sword Intent that only Great Grandmaster could master.
Lu Shuang was only at the Hua Jin Perfection, yet she had already touched the threshold of Sword Intent and was even able to infuse it into her Sword Qi.
Such talent goes far beyond being described as monstrous.
Lu Shuang didn't give Lu Feng much time to think.
With a flick of her fingertips, several more Sword Qi followed in quick succession.
Lu Feng activated the Phantom Steps, instantly splitting into three figures that scattered in three directions.
Lu Shuang was stunned for a moment. All three figures carried Lu Feng's aura, making it impossible to distinguish the real from the fake.
She reacted extremely quickly, raising her right hand and unleashing three Sword Qi simultaneously, piercing through the three figures. The three afterimages vanished at the same time.
"Not good."
Alarm bells rang in Lu Shuang's mind.
Without any hesitation, she drew the Frost Sword from her back and swung it behind her.
Lu Feng was about to thrust a sword at her from behind.
The swords clashed, producing a clear "clang".
Both of them took several steps back at the same time, regaining their balance.
On the elders' platform, Lu Qingshan took a deep breath. "If I'm not mistaken, that was Grandmaster- level movement technique. And it had already been cultivated to the perfection level."
Xiao Tianqi remained silent, continuing to watch the two on the arena.
After regaining her footing, Lu Shuang looked down at the Frost Sword in her hand, then looked up at Lu Feng, her gaze completely different from before.
"You are the first person to make me draw the Frost Sword at the Hua Jin stage."
"I advise you to admit defeat now. Otherwise, I won't be able to stop."
She wasn't joking.
What Lu Feng saw in her eyes was not arrogance, but genuine confidence.
Lu Shuang gripped the hilt of the sword with both hands, holding the Frost Sword upright in front of her, a layer of visible cold air emanating from the blade.
The chilling aura coiled around the sword as if it were alive, causing the surrounding air temperature to plummet.
Even from several feet away, Lu Feng could feel a chill spreading from the tip of the sword.
"Frost Art."
Lu Shuang murmured to herself.
The next instant, she and the Frost Sword vanished from the spot.
Lu Feng used the Phantom Steps to its fullest extent almost instinctively.
But Lu Shuang's sword came too fast.
No, it's not speed, it's Sword Intent.
Before the Frost Sword even arrived, its intent had already locked onto his aura.
Three afterimages appeared simultaneously, but this time, Lu Shuang's sword did not chase after any of them.
The Frost Sword, carrying a chilling aura, slashed towards Lu Feng's true form.
"Zheng!"
Lu Feng blocked with his sword. The moment his sword collided with the Frost Sword, the third-tier longsword in his hand let out a mournful cry. The luster on its surface quickly dimmed, cracks spread from the point of impact, and finally it shattered into several pieces with a crack.
Before the sword fragments even hit the ground, they were enveloped by the cold air and frozen in mid-air, like shattered ice flowers.
Using the recoil, Lu Feng darted backward and stopped a few feet away.
He glanced down at the broken half of the sword still in his hand, then at Lu Shuang's frosty face, and his lips twitched slightly.
He casually took out another sword from his storage bag.
Below the arena, the discussions were almost constant.
"My goodness, Lu Feng really knows swordsmanship!"
"Did you all see that clearly? Although Lu Feng hasn't grasped the Sword Intent, every strike he makes carries the force of Sword Force! Moreover, his swordsmanship, combined with his movement techniques, allows him to create three figures that attack simultaneously, which is how he was able to confront Lu Shuang head-on!"
"He broke one sword, then pulled out another. Just how many swords does Lu Feng carry?"
"More than a sword, I want to know how many more trump cards he has up his sleeve?"