Chapter 359: Counter-Sword Killing Move

Duan Rong, Xiao Yu, and Ximen Kankan walked back to the place where they were queuing, and just happened to see Shen Mizhi being released from the line.

The three of them immediately walked quickly toward Shen Mizhi.

As soon as Shen Mizhi saw them approaching, she immediately looked at Xiao Yu with questioning eyes and asked, "Did you pass?"

Xiao Yu nodded and said, "I passed."

"I passed too," Ximen Kankan said happily. "Now it's all up to you."

Shen Mizhi gripped the sword in her hand and said, "Both of you passed. I will definitely be able to pass too."

The three of them followed Shen Mizhi, and before long, they arrived in front of the circle where Shen Mizhi was to compete.

The number of that circle was Jia-Chen 21.

At this moment, one could see that inside that large circle, a person was already standing.

That was a woman.

It was just that she was very ugly; her facial features seemed as if they couldn't find their home, her eyebrows were arched very high, and there was also a not-so-small birthmark on her forehead that took up more than half of the area.

To tell the truth, this appearance had actually reached a somewhat terrifying level.

Perhaps because of this woman's appearance, there were always people watching the battles at the nearby circles, but here, it was empty, with only the Attendant from the Inner History Department responsible for registration and acting as Inspector standing there all alone.

Shen Mizhi stood there and just coldly glanced at that woman; she hardly paid any attention to the woman's appearance, but instead swept her cold gaze over the Long Spear in the woman's hand.

After Shen Mizhi showed the number on her assessment slip to the Attendant on the side, she stepped slowly into the circle and stood opposite the ugly woman.

That Attendant from the Inner History Department, after announcing the rules as usual, was about to shout out the word "start."

But just as the word "start" was uttered, Shen Mizhi had her Long Sword in hand and thrust it out.

That woman also swung her Long Spear; with a *ding* sound, the two weapons clashed, and Shen Mizhi turned her sword blade and took the opportunity to slash at the fingers the woman was using to grip the spear shaft.

The woman jumped backward, and the shadow of the Long Spear, like a staff, smashed down toward Shen Mizhi's head.

Shen Mizhi tapped her toes on the ground and tilted her body. The saying goes, "one inch shorter, one inch more dangerous." She had originally wanted to get close to launch an attack, but she did not expect this woman's spear technique to be so varied and her True Qi to be so thick. After two moves, the distance between them had already been opened up.

After the distance was opened, the tip of the woman's spear became suddenly fierce, almost suppressing Shen Mizhi as she fought.

The advantage of Shen Mizhi's Orchid Inverted Chaotic Sword could not be brought into play at all.

She could only rely on her agility and fast sword to barely hold her ground!

The three people watching the battle from outside the circle all saw that Shen Mizhi's situation was unfavorable.

Duan Rong's eyes flickered, but after repeatedly weighing it, he still locked in Shen Mizhi's defeat. Shen Mizhi's luck was clearly very bad; the opponent's Martial Technique and True Qi were both stronger than hers, and she also had the advantage of a weapon.

Seeing that the advantage of Shen Mizhi's Orchid Inverted Chaotic Sword could not be brought into play at all under the fierce offensive of the Long Spear.

Duan Rong quickly reached a conclusion.

The best strategy was to end it as soon as possible, preserve her strength, and prepare for the second round.

Duan Rong suddenly shouted to Shen Mizhi inside the circle: "Shen Mizhi!"

Shen Mizhi was using her fast sword to parry the Long Spear and was looking with sharp eyes for an opportunity to counterattack, but just at this moment, she heard Duan Rong call her, so she subconsciously said "Ah?"

Duan Rong said coldly: "You can't win this round! Surrender!"

Shen Mizhi was extremely angry; while her sword moved like lightning, she cursed: "What kind of trouble are you stirring up?!"

Xiao Yu and Ximen Kankan also looked at Duan Rong with somewhat strange expressions.

The two of them naturally also saw that Shen Mizhi's situation was unfavorable, but it wasn't as if she should surrender just because she showed a slight decline. Moreover, although Shen Mizhi was at a disadvantage, she was defending very steadily, and it was clear she would not be defeated for a while. As long as she held on, there was no guarantee there wouldn't be a chance to counterattack.

But Duan Rong had already seen that Shen Mizhi had no chance; even if she found an opportunity to counterattack, the result would still be being forced back and falling into a passive defensive situation again. After repeated tug-of-war, she would eventually exhaust her strength and be defeated!

In that case, it would be better to surrender directly and preserve her strength.

Seeing that Shen Mizhi was unmoved, Duan Rong fixed his gaze on the battle in the circle. He seized the right moment, suddenly flashed his figure, as fast as a ghost, stood behind Shen Mizhi, and suddenly shouted loudly: "Surrender!"

Duan Rong's voice was very loud and very abrupt; even Xiao Yu and Ximen Kankan, who were standing there watching his movements, were startled, let alone Shen Mizhi, who was focused on the battle.

What's more, Duan Rong's loud shout was very close to her, like an explosion right by her ear.

Shen Mizhi was startled; her figure and sword shadow both stalled. By the time she reacted, she saw a flash of silver light flickering before her eyes; that Long Spear had actually already thrust toward her face. Shen Mizhi retreated violently, slashed her Long Sword horizontally, and when she stood steady, she saw the woman opposite had already withdrawn her spear and stood still. Shen Mizhi looked down and saw that half of her foot was already outside the circle.

The Attendant from the Inner History Department on the side, while registering, announced the result of the battle.

Shen Mizhi was instantly furious, pointed at Duan Rong, and cursed: "What are you doing? Why are you trying to harm me?!"

Duan Rong said: "You can't win. If you drag it out to the end, you will still be the one who loses!"

"How do you know I would be the one to lose?" Shen Mizhi said, then suddenly sneered and said: "Clear water with mixed noodles, I see what you're eating! I just made a sarcastic remark to you this morning, and you've held a grudge. Now you're using the battle to take revenge on me, isn't that so?"

Duan Rong's expression was cold and hard; he looked at Shen Mizhi expressionlessly and said: "Calm down and think carefully again, can you win against her?"

As Duan Rong spoke, he glanced at the woman standing over there.

That woman's appearance was somewhat ugly, but when she saw Duan Rong looking at her, her eyes moved slightly.

At that moment, the woman was somewhat suspicious: was Duan Rong interested in her? Otherwise, why would he help her, and why did he look at her just now?

Seeing Duan Rong speak like this, and with his eyes as deep as ink and his demeanor as steady as a mountain, Shen Mizhi's expression tightened slightly, and her heart wavered a bit. But when she thought that Xiao Yu and Ximen Kankan had both passed the first round, while she still had to compete in another round with an unpredictable outcome, her blood surged again. "If you can't explain it clearly, then don't explain it at all!"

Shen Mizhi said this, then turned and left.

Duan Rong shook his head slightly.

Xiao Yu looked at Duan Rong with a somewhat pained expression; she believed that Duan Rong must have had his reasons for doing this.

Duan Rong looked at Xiao Yu and said: "This girl has a stubborn temper. She listens to you; go and persuade her. Rest and adjust well, and prepare for the second round."

As Duan Rong spoke, he stuffed a bottle of Pill into Xiao Yu's hand.

Xiao Yu said: "That girl has no filter; some of the things she said were hurtful."

Duan Rong said: "It's fine. Anyone who loses will get hot-headed. Go on."

Xiao Yu gave a hum, looked deeply at Duan Rong, and turned to leave.

Seeing the two of them leave, Ximen Kankan looked at Duan Rong and asked: "Does Shen Mizhi really have no chance at all?"

Duan Rong said: "No chance at all. Certain defeat!"

Upon hearing this, Ximen Kankan's eyes moved. In fact, he had some doubts in his heart, but Duan Rong's eyes told him that the result would definitely be as Duan Rong had said.

Duan Rong must have seen something that he could not see. Just like when he was sparring, Duan Rong called out the weaknesses in the opponent's Martial Technique.

After Shen Mizhi and Xiao Yu left, Duan Rong began to stroll around the large platform. As he walked, his gaze swept over the various people sparring in the circles, occasionally pausing slightly, but only for a few breaths.

Ximen Kankan followed by Duan Rong's side. At first, he chatted with Duan Rong, but he discovered that Duan Rong only replied to him in a perfunctory manner, while his eyes were focused on scanning the nearby sparring matches.

Moreover, in many places, he just swept past, hardly stopping at all.

The more Ximen Kankan watched, the stranger he found it. He did not understand what Duan Rong was doing.

If one were to say he was watching the sparring, others were guarding a single circle to watch the outcome, yet he just swept past, stopping for at most a few breaths.

If one were to say he was not watching, those eyes were indeed very focused.

"What are you doing?" Ximen Kankan observed for a while, but could not help asking.

Duan Rong said, "Watching the sparring!"

Ximen Kankan said, "You seem to be watching a bit fast, just skimming over the surface."

Duan Rong said, "I only look at their Martial Technique style. I don't look at the rest."

"Martial Technique style?" Ximen Kankan listened, understanding only half of it.

About half an hour later, the first round of sparring had ended.

With almost no interval, the second round began directly.

The second round involved re-numbering and queuing, and it was not long before it was Shen Mizhi's turn.

Xiao Yu accompanied Shen Mizhi as she walked toward a numbered circle; Duan Rong and Ximen Kankan waited not far away, and seeing them set off, they followed.

When the two walked over, Shen Mizhi cast an unfriendly look at Duan Rong.

Shen Mizhi walked to the vicinity of the Jia Room Hai-16 red circle and saw a thin man already standing inside; that man also had a Sword tied to his waist.

Seeing that the person also used a Sword, Shen Mizhi felt slightly relieved. Sword against Sword, she truly did not fear anyone.

After Shen Mizhi showed her assessment slip to the Attendant of the Inner History Department, she was about to enter the circle.

Duan Rong, however, suddenly called out to stop her.

Shen Mizhi turned her head, her expression puzzled. "What?"

Duan Rong pulled her to one side and suddenly whispered something in her ear.

Shen Mizhi listened while looking at Duan Rong with a suspicious expression. "How do you know?"

"Remember this carefully. Do as I say," Duan Rong instructed with a firm expression.

Shen Mizhi looked at Duan Rong, feeling slightly dazed for a moment.

Suddenly, the thin youth inside the circle shouted, "It's already this time, and you're still being lovey-dovey there. Are we fighting or not?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Mizhi turned her head and said, "What are you shouting about? Are you in a rush to be reincarnated?"

"You..."

Shen Mizhi rolled her eyes at the youth in the arena and stepped into the circle.

This was already the second round of sparring, and the Attendant of the Inner History Department did not announce the rules again, but directly shouted for them to begin.

Once the command was shouted, the two tangled together.

Duan Rong stood to the side, his brows slightly furrowed. This girl Shen Mizhi was truly rebellious, born with a contrary nature; the more you told her something, the less she would do as you said.

Duan Rong had already seen the thin youth's Martial Technique style before.

Therefore, before Shen Mizhi went on stage, Duan Rong had already instructed her on the method to break it. Her Orchid Inverted Chaotic Sword was not weak to begin with, and by using Mental Calculation against his lack of preparation, pressing the weaknesses of that thin youth's Martial Technique style, she was originally guaranteed to win.

As Duan Rong watched, his furrowed brows relaxed.

Although Shen Mizhi had messed around at the beginning, she soon began to fight according to the strategy he had instructed her.

About half a stick of incense later, the thin youth suddenly took a Sword strike to the shoulder, but his expression remained cold and hard, and he continued to swing his sword like the wind.

A layer of fine sweat had already seeped out on Shen Mizhi's forehead; this second match was clearly still a bitter fight.

A few breaths later, the youth's left leg took another Sword strike.

Shen Mizhi's Sword shadows were elusive, and her sword moves were even more tricky, but what was even more bizarre was that his three reverse sword moves, which were originally hidden killing blows, seemed to be seen through by Shen Mizhi, achieving nothing.

The thin youth, having been struck twice, was already swaying.

Shen Mizhi's sword moves became increasingly fierce, lashing and stabbing at him from various tricky angles. The thin youth barely managed to parry, but suddenly saw Shen Mizhi withdraw her sword and retreat.

"You lost!"

Half of the youth's foot had already stepped outside the circle.

Shen Mizhi returned her Long Sword to its sheath and looked at the Attendant of the Inner History Department to the side. The Attendant nodded at her, and while registering, announced the result.

Shen Mizhi then jumped out of the circle.

Xiao Yu and Ximen Kankan both smiled and congratulated Shen Mizhi, because Shen Mizhi had fought quite arduously in both matches, but had finally passed.

Duan Rong stood behind Xiao Yu and Ximen Kankan, his expression unmoved.

Shen Mizhi smiled, then suddenly her gaze crossed over Xiao Yu and Ximen Kankan to look at Duan Rong behind them.

At this moment, she realized that Duan Rong stood there like an unfathomable abyss.

Before her second round of sparring, while she was sitting and regulating her breath, she had slowly calmed down and had already begun to vaguely feel that what Duan Rong did was right.

If she had continued to spar with that woman in the first round, the result would likely have been a defeat, and in order to find an opportunity to counterattack, she would have surely used all her strength; after repeated tugging, she would likely have been exhausted and defeated.

If that were the case, she would definitely not have been able to hold on for this second round.

Because, in this second round of sparring, that thin youth who used a Sword was in no way weaker than her in either Martial Technique or True Qi. And that guy even had three reverse sword killing moves!

If it weren't for Duan Rong instructing her in advance, she would have definitely found it difficult to cope in her panic.

Thinking about it now, Shen Mizhi realized that she had passed this second assessment very narrowly. If it weren't for Duan Rong helping her twice—after helping her the first time, she had misunderstood him, yet Duan Rong did not hold a grudge and helped her again the second time—she would not have passed the second assessment so narrowly.

Duan Rong looked at the look in Shen Mizhi's eyes as she gazed at him and smiled slightly at her.

Shen Mizhi did not originally have the thorough, heart-to-heart trust in him that Xiao Yu and Ximen Kankan had, and that trust between them had been established back in Xiangu County.

Shen Mizhi was inherently eccentric, and they only gradually began to become familiar after entering the Sect. It was inevitable that there were still psychological barriers.

But Duan Rong believed that after this time, the trust between Shen Mizhi and him was already almost no different from that with Xiao Yu and Ximen Kankan.

Shen Mizhi walked up to Duan Rong and said, "You were right before; it was I who blamed you wrongly. I have thought about it carefully; if I had kept fighting in the first round, I fear I would have been exhausted and defeated. If that had happened, I would have had no chance at this second round of the assessment."

Duan Rong smiled and said, "Those involved are confused, while the bystander is clear. When trapped within it, it is hard for anyone to see the gains and losses clearly. I was also a bit reckless in forcing your defeat; it was only right that you were angry at the time."

Shen Mizhi had not expected that not only was Duan Rong not angry, but he was even making excuses for her previous outburst.

Seeing the discord between the two of them melt away, Xiao Yu let out a breath, her eyes flickering slightly.

Shen Mizhi looked up at Duan Rong and suddenly asked, "Right. How did you know he had three styles of Sword killing moves?"

Duan Rong smiled meaningfully and said, "Didn't I say? I, The Know-it-all, am well-versed in all the martial arts under heaven!"

(End of this chapter)