Chapter 233: Cicada and Sparrow (6,000 words, added for Alliance Master Jun Xinxu)

Seeing Pei Ye—in the past month, this could be considered the name that left the deepest impression on Gu Yunfu.

Writing a letter on paper worth half a copper coin, sealing it in an envelope worth two copper coins, sending it to the cheapest post station, and finally, this letter was sent to Ming Qitian.

And then the Ming Ming Jianzhu Ming replied on the spot.

Gu Yunfu had long been curious about what kind of sacred person this name, which couldn't be found even after flipping through the Crane and Duck Book, was. A hermit expert? A mysterious sword master? A wandering senior? Or a new junior brother accepted by the Ming Ming Jianzhu?

But he really hadn't thought he would hear it at this martial trial.

"Seeing Pei Ye is also a good friend of our Cuiyu Sect," Li Weiru said with a smile, and turned his head back. "Eh, adults, how was this arena divided?"

"You have to ask Xu Sigong about that."

"Xu Sigong is down there, haha."

But Gu Yunfu on the side had no time to chat. He grabbed Li Weiru's arm. "Which two characters?"

Li Weiru turned his head. The performance of this man just now had already surprised him. He wrote in the air: "Pei surname, Taiye Golden Pool."

"..."

"What's wrong?" Li Weiru was curious. "Do you know him?"

Gu Yunfu still didn't reply. He looked very seriously at the boy walking onto the arena below. He was seventeen or eighteen years old, tall and straight, in blue clothes with a sword, and the clarity between his eyebrows hadn't settled yet.

It was just the appearance he should have at this age—the temperament was shallow, and the eyes were also shallow, not hiding much, but precisely because of the shallowness, it was clean and bright. There was also a rare gentleness on him, with no aggressiveness, making people feel quite intimate at first sight.

Looking at his clothes and sword again, they were neither good nor bad. Although he didn't look down-and-out, he couldn't see some high and wonderful things he wanted to see.

This is "Seeing Pei Ye"?

To be honest, Gu Yunfu's gaze was very careful, even with kindness and respect, preparing to welcome the boy's gaze if he suddenly turned his head.

But he obviously thought too much. The boy didn't turn his head from beginning to end.

However, this made Gu Yunfu feel a bit more reasonable, because his first reaction to hearing this name just now was—have you lost your face? People from Yunlang Mountain came to this kind of place to bully people?

But looking at it now, this "Seeing Pei Ye" seemed to be just an ordinary boy, not only too young, but also seemingly not from Yunlang Mountain.

He pulled the old man beside him again and asked, "This boy... what is his background?"

"What background?" Li Weiru was inexplicable. "Fenghuai is one of the seven counties of Bowang. 'Fenghuai Seeing Pei Ye' means he comes from Fenghuai."

"Born in Fenghuai, grew up in Fenghuai, never been anywhere else?"

"... He said he hasn't." Li Weiru looked at him. "Why are you so interested in my little friend?"

Gu Yunfu adjusted his sitting posture, put on a posture of serious watching, and said slowly, "I'm admiring him."

"?"

Gu Yunfu didn't want to say any more anyway. His eyes turned and he said, "Sect Li Li Zhangmen, who do you think will win this match?"

"... If Seeing Pei Ye really doesn't play dirty as he said, then I think Piaoqing should have a seven-tenths... five-tenths chance of winning."

This was indeed a fair word. In the discussions about winning and losing in the prefecture city for days, there were several pairs that were difficult to distinguish, and no one could convince anyone. For example, Yang Yan and Zhang Mozhu, for example, Gu Guang and Shen Yao, and for example, Seeing Pei Ye and Li Piaoqing.

Li Piaoqing didn't need to be mentioned. She walked the rivers and lakes with her sword, and her current momentum was flourishing. Those supporters of the Cuiyu Sword Gate finally raised their eyebrows. Even if Qijiao Shang Huaitong was placed in front of them, they wouldn't admit that the young girl was inferior, let alone a Seeing Pei Ye who suddenly blew up from a poetry meeting.

And from the facts, the young girl was absolutely enough to compete for the title of the strongest Fifth Life in Bowang. Seeing Pei Ye was said to have just entered the Fourth Life, coming out of a martial arts hall in the countryside. What was there to compare?

And Seeing Pei Ye didn't have so many emotional supporters. Everyone was not familiar with him yet. Most of the arguments standing on his side only grasped one fact—regardless of his cultivation and background, he broke Yu Yingcai's sword with one sword. Can Li Piaoqing do it?

And Gu Yunfu's position was simply clear. He laughed directly: "Impossible, Sect Li Li Zhangmen's beloved disciple will definitely lose."

Li Weiru widened his eyes slightly: "You clearly see them for the first time—do you know their cultivation? Seeing Pei Ye is only Fourth Life."

"I don't need to know, you will definitely lose this one."

"... Just watch."

"Just watch." When Gu Yunfu spoke, his eyes didn't leave the arena for a moment.

—

On the arena, Seeing Pei Ye stood with his sword.

Seeing Pei Ye didn't feel that anyone was looking at him at all, or rather, he felt that a whole platform, several tens of thousands of people, were looking at him.

This feeling is really good.

In the impressions established in the previous few matches, many people said that he didn't have much desire to win, was gentle and polite, gentle and easygoing, etc.

This is a complete misunderstanding.

He came to fight the martial trial, and from the beginning, he only had one purpose, and that was to win! Win! Win!

Victory, and standing at the high place of the only crown, had always been his yearning with a surging heart.

It's just that the previous few matches were too boring.

Looking at those opponents whose cultivation was not as good as his own and whose sword skills were full of loopholes, he found it hard to convince himself to find passion and joy in those battles, and even felt a little guilty and embarrassed for defeating them too quickly.

So the other side of the boy's interaction was displayed inappropriately on the arena. That wasn't fighting; it was clearly chatting and making friends.

But it's different now.

After throwing away those many magical gifts, he was completely facing the Bowang martial trial as a sword wielder from Fenghuai. What he had always been looking forward to was to see how far he could go with the strength he had achieved on his own in these days.

Li Piaoqing, true transmission of Cuiyu, Fifth Life, carrying the unique skill "Yellow Jade," the same age as himself.

This is the true opponent.

To be honest, Seeing Pei Ye really didn't dare to say he would definitely win against her.

He performed a brief salute and drew his sword. This sword had accompanied him through many fights, and the scabbard and hilt had shown some age, but the hundred-forged sword body was still bright and flawless. It was won at the Mid-Autumn Martial Meeting, and it was just right to be used to win higher glory for him at this time.

And on the other side, Li Piaoqing had just stepped onto the stage with her sword.

She didn't have any inexplicable excitement. Regarding this boy in front of her, she just remembered the subtle speechlessness he brought her when they first met—"If you defeat me in the martial trial, I will admit defeat and step down, and I won't use a stronger sword technique on you."

Now it's really here. She thought a bit unconvinced.

Li Piaoqing stood still on the stage, suddenly feeling that the sleeves of her clothes today seemed a bit too long and too wide, not suitable for fighting.

She looked at Seeing Pei Ye, who was impatiently setting up a sword frame opposite, signaled him to wait a moment, tied the wide part of the sleeves into a strip on her forearm, and revealed her white wrists.

At this time, the tripod had already rung.

Li Piaoqing was still tying the other arm unhurriedly. She knew this picture would be a bit too harmonious, but anyway, the person opposite was Seeing Pei Ye.

Then she was stunned, only feeling the wind breaking from the front, blowing her hair. She looked up in astonishment. In front of her, the boy's sharp starting style was about to force her eyebrows!

He didn't wait for any time at all, not even half a breath! At the first moment the first tripod rang, he immediately swept up!

"Seeing Pei Ye!!" Li Piaoqing called out, flustered, tying, leaning, and drawing her sword all at once. The Shicui sword flashed with green light, and it had already blocked the incoming sword with a "ding."

"It has already begun." Seeing Pei Ye was righteous.

On the high platform, Gu Yunfu, who was seriously leaning in, slowly folded his arms, and his eyebrows frowned—Ming Ming Jianzhu Ming likes to make friends with this kind of person?

No one expected the duel between the two young talents to start like this, but when the young girl blocked the first sword and flipped out the second move, this arena suddenly returned to its proper temperament.

For those who hadn't experienced the prelude of the sword of intent just now, this was the most peak duel so far.

The boy's first sword was peaceful and upright, just like the gentle temperament he had shown these days. 【Breaking the Earth】, sending three and leaving seven, this was a just-right starting style, which could pick out the opponent's sufficient weight of moves, and would not be caught by any tail, and the connection to his own subsequent moves was also very smooth. After learning this style, Seeing Pei Ye loved to use it to start his sword.

At this time, it was also just right to scare the young girl, and also make her have time to react.

Li Piaoqing drew her sword to block, and then the sword body turned, and the sword body suddenly dimmed, as if it had disappeared. Seeing Pei Ye's eyes blurred. It was really by relying on the reaction force on the sword that he recaptured this sword.

And the next moment, the bright water green suddenly returned, followed by the young girl's flying skirt. If this was a fine brushwork painting, then now it was green color suddenly exploding on the arena, and a sword had suddenly appeared in front of Seeing Pei Ye.

In the past three days, many Cuiyu disciples had appeared on this arena, and the audience had also seen the "Jade Piece" from different hands. Many people who were sensitive to the sword could already distinguish this sword technique with a unique temperament.

But the young girl still brought them a strange amazement as soon as she made a move.

"Yellow Jade" · 【Hiding Clouds and Catching Sparrows】

Shen Yao was just a lonely move. Among these 128 people, only the young girl could truly fight with this supreme sword of Bowang, and she was also its only successor.

Seeing Pei Ye didn't capture the starting style of this sword at all, because it could be hidden into the sword-blocking and move-receiving just now just right.

Cooperating with the light-dark conversion sword of Shicui, the suddenness of this sword simply made Seeing Pei Ye feel a sense of fault, it was really hiding clouds and jade.

You are careful and cautious 【Breaking the Earth】, then I will hide in the clouds and mist, and suddenly probe out sharp claws without any warning.

【Breaking the Earth】 only encountered such precise targeting in front of the young girl, and Seeing Pei Ye was indeed surprised.

However, he also happened to have an equally precise style.

Seeing Pei Ye's figure fluttered. 【Breaking the Earth】 did not retract to block, but smoothly connected to the next change move.

People were clearly in the front, everything on the sword, on the footsteps, on the trunk, were directly telling the young girl's brain that this person was in the front, and would continue to be in the front in the next moment, but in one step, he had disappeared.

Li Piaoqing only felt that she had stabbed a phantom. In the real world, the boy had tilted to the extreme to the left, and the long sword pulled out a sharp drift and cut toward her.

Looking at it on the left, suddenly on the right.

"Wind Yao Chapter" · 【Shedding Shell】

After the exchange of dangerous moves, Li Piaoqing was forced into a dead end first. This should have been a sword that could build merit, but when it cut toward the young girl's neck, there was still a "clang" sound.

"Yellow Jade" · 【Stepping on Water to Pick Scales】

Green light flashed, and it had already pointed on the boy's sword edge, deflecting it behind him. With the speed of this sword, as long as the sword master could react, it would almost always be in time to strike.

Of course, it required enough profound attainment.

If the speed of this sword was borrowed by Shen Yao, the outcome of the previous match would still be unknown.

And after the collision, the wonderful exchange moves between the two finally appeared a gap—Fifth Life vs Fourth Life, the gap in the meridian tree was immediately revealed.

Although the boy had the support of considerable root bones, there was still a gap of seven or eight meridians of strength between the two.

Yes, Seeing Pei Ye couldn't beat Li Piaoqing in arm wrestling; he had already brought humiliation upon himself.

In the gap where the audience could finally catch their breath and blink, Li Piaoqing immediately grasped the gap hit by 【Stepping on Water to Pick Scales】, and connected to one after another of the attacks that went all out.

In an instant, the sword light fluttered, and the "ding" sound rose everywhere. Li Piaoqing tried to break Seeing Pei Ye's defense, or break a door, but Seeing Pei Ye, although completely without a chance to breathe, could always resolve her offensive with a higher level of sword path, and occasionally tried to regain some territory.

However, it was also of little effect.

And from a long-term perspective, after more than twenty moves, the advantage was accumulated bit by bit by the young girl.

Seeing Pei Ye had long felt in his daily sparring that the young girl was a quite difficult opponent. She was sharp, courageous, and smart. Thinking three steps ahead, two moves for one set was also the style Seeing Pei Ye preferred, but when sparring with the young girl, he often couldn't take any advantage, and he often felt like he was facing himself.

At this time, after being given a head start by the young girl, Seeing Pei Ye indeed had to immediately bear her desperate attack, and was hit wider and wider by her move after move.

And at the first moment when this gap became large enough, Li Piaoqing suddenly twisted her wrist and connected to the first killing sword of "Yellow Jade."

【Sweeping Fire Through the Waterfall】.

A light that was extremely fast and strong penetrated the center of Seeing Pei Ye's chest. The competition for the initiative since the battle finally had a result. Li Piaoqing was the first to use the killing move. Seeing Pei Ye only had to retreat, 【Eating Leaves】 connected thirteen times, and resolved this sword.

And the young girl didn't let go, stepped forward, and the next sword was the stronger 【Breaking Leaves and Returning Waves】!

This was a decisive killing move, with both strength and speed going to a higher level. 【Eating Leaves】 was not unable to resolve this "strength," but with "speed" added, he didn't have time to slash so many times.

This was the sword technique bond between the Jade and Jade pulses. They were naturally not aimed at defeating each other, but were constantly breaking through new moves in this mutual warning, reminding each other of flaws, and perfecting their own defects.

So for this kind of offensive sword that was both strong and fast, did the "Jade Qiong Book" have a way to break it?

Yes.

After "dissolving" went to the extreme, facing this offensive that was better than the other, the "Wind Yao Chapter" found another way to respond—attacking with attack.

And this was also the decisive point that both of them knew at this time, which this battle was about to reach.

In the continuous collisions just now, Seeing Pei Ye, who was at a disadvantage in strength, had always been at a disadvantage, but both knew that this situation wouldn't continue forever.

Because this was the process of the cicada 【Spreading Wings】.

In those "collisions" where the young girl tried to break through the boy's defense, 【Clear Sound】 had been accumulating.

At this time, it was the time to release. Waiting for 【Breaking Leaves and Returning Waves】 was a collision sufficient to decide the outcome.

Let's see if 【Breaking Leaves and Returning Waves】 is more powerful in breaking gold and jade, or if 【Clear Sound】 is more courageous!

The two stood opposite each other with expressionless faces. The two faces were actually closer to each other than the swords, and the determination on their faces was exactly the same.

But neither of them drew their swords.

You strike.

You strike!

You strike first!

You strike first!!

Li Piaoqing was a bit exasperated. She naturally couldn't strike first, because what she held in her hand was not 【Breaking Leaves and Returning Waves】 at all, but 【Washing Trees and Copper Shadows】 that she had just learned.

This sword required true Qi technique to explode the strongest power, but it was still a strong enough sword without true Qi technique.

After the Cuiyu Sect had the state of soaring into the sky, the young girl's mindset also opened up, and with it, her understanding of "Yellow Jade" also became smooth. The day before yesterday, she understood 【Washing Trees and Copper Shadows】.

This sword was also a killing sword, but it was not a head-on collision that was clean and powerful. It was from all directions, and the sword shadows were like snow.

It just happened to be able to avoid 【Clear Sound】.

So she naturally wanted to trick the boy into drawing his sword first.

Didn't expect this person to be so cunning, not giving her a chance at all.

It's all because of too much sparring with him before, and her fighting style was figured out by him.

You strike first!!!

Fine, if you want me to strike first, then I will.

Seeing Pei Ye smiled unkindly—this is what you asked for. The boy shook his arm, and a lightning-like sword light suddenly jumped from behind him.

Li Piaoqing felt her hair stand on end!

The two were already too close at this time, completely a distance that a sword could easily penetrate.

But this distance was enough for the young girl to react to this kind of sword like 【Clear Sound】, because the extreme of this sword was strength and straightness, as for speed, it was average.

But she couldn't react to 【Stepping on Water to Pick Scales】!

Just as she secretly learned new sword moves, the boy also had his own progress. He got "Yellow Jade" the night before last, and today he had already learned the first style!

And to be honest, this sword really didn't have many flaws, at least it was higher than Shen Yao's level.

Li Piaoqing definitely couldn't react to this sword, and Seeing Pei Ye also knew she couldn't react, so...

Ding!

A sound of sword blade collision, the young girl's sword had already been placed on her neck, blocking his long sword.

It was exactly prepared for such a sudden light and fast killing move—"Yellow Jade" · 【Immovable Dangerous Wind】.

Shen Yao had thought about using it to take Zhang Junxue's Overlapping Waves in the first match, but in fact, taking such a heavy blow was not what this sword move was really good at.

This style was somewhat similar to the true Qi technique called 【Six Arms】. It wasn't used only when needed, but had to have a strand of true Qi hidden in the body from the beginning, used to support the 【Immovable】 state learned through hard work to react.

This style was not the one that required the most talent in "Yellow Jade," but it must be the most difficult style to master. The learner needed to incorporate the return sword of twenty-four directions into instinct to endow the body with the 【Immovable】 state. In this way, when danger suddenly approached, there was no need to pass through the brain, and it was too late to pass through the brain, and the body had already blocked it with the return sword.

It is the so-called sparrow standing on a high branch, immovable in dangerous wind.

But after taking this sword, the young girl's face didn't have any changes, because she had completely understood the boy's winning method.

—At this time, the 【Washing Trees and Copper Shadows】 she held in her hand had been broken, and the opportunity to use it to strike was also gone.

But for the boy opposite, this collision was just another 【Spreading Wings】, and 【Clear Sound】 still followed closely.

He deliberately used a light and fast sword to force out her 【Immovable Dangerous Wind】, let her resolve her hidden killing move, and only then did he strike with 【Clear Sound】 to win.

Just like she wanted to secretly bypass the collision with his strong sword, he didn't think about head-on collision with her at all. He knew it early in the sparring, and the two of them had been cheating each other.

Sure enough, the sword that was blocked by her on the neck began to vibrate powerfully, and with the clear sound, it forcefully broke through her defense.

"I lost." Li Piaoqing glanced at the boy.

Seeing Pei Ye pretended not to hear, still using a complete 【Clear Sound】 to shake away the young girl's blocking sword. This 【Clear Sound】 had been 【Spreading Wings】 for too long, and its surging power at this time was enough to make the audience look sideways.

In front of such an amazing sword move, the Shicui sword was powerless to be deflected, the young girl's posture was scattered, and Seeing Pei Ye calmly placed his sword on the young girl's neck.

At this time, the lingering sound of Clear Sound disappeared, and Seeing Pei Ye raised his head and looked around the audience calmly.

"... The third match of the championship, the winner, Fenghuai's Seeing Pei Ye!"

Applause and cheers were thunderous.

Since the arena opened three days ago, this was absolutely the most wonderful and pure sword fight. Different from the duel between blade and sword, stick and sword, or sword wielders with vastly different levels, this was a confrontation between two equally excellent swords. Probing, exchanging moves, advancing and retreating, attacking and defending... This dazzling exquisiteness was a unique aesthetic beauty that only the sword could bring to the audience.

Yet the audience did not know of the matters concerning the Jade Vein and the Huang Feicui Vein, nor did they know that the two young men had already sparred many times. They were genuinely and sincerely anxious for every thrilling attack, and the next moment, they could not help but shout and cheer for the other side's precise counter.

Seeing Pei Ye smiled and waved to the platform, which indeed aroused another burst of cheers.

On the other side, Li Piaoqing rolled her eyes, sheathed her sword, and walked straight off the stage.

Seeing Pei Ye trotted to follow a few times, and finally managed to walk side by side with her.

On the high platform.

Li Weiru sighed lightly, but Gu Yunfu didn't tease him triumphantly. His gaze still fell on the arena, and he sighed and clapped his hands slowly: "Truly powerful."

"You were right," the old man turned his head and smiled. "Comment on these two young people?"

"Your disciple is indeed full of 'spirit and rhyme'," Gu Yunfu smiled lightly and sighed. "And, I don't know how she learned the sword, but she is really good at using the sword."

"She also learns the sword very quickly."

"Then it can be counted as first-class talent."

Li Weiru laughed: "What about Young Hero Pei?"

"This... I won't comment. Admiring, just admiring," Gu Yunfu hesitated and smiled.

"Hmm? Why are you being coy again?"

"... Then fine," Gu Yunfu shook his head and smiled, saying earnestly, "This Pei Young Master's sword is the best I've seen in three matches."

Li Weiru widened his eyes slightly: "Oh? You don't know, there has been a topic boiling in the city, which is Qijiao Shang Huaitong and Seeing Pei Ye, whose sword technique attainment is better."

"Qijiao Shang Huaitong... the sword of intent is naturally superior, but the level of using the sword is not determined by the quality of the sword technique itself," Gu Yunfu said earnestly. "Both are at the peak of the Clumsy Realm, but Qijiao Shang Huaitong's use of the sword has a stubborn craftsman's air. And Pei Young Master's use of the sword is closer to the state of the sword itself—to be honest, high and wonderful sword moves may not be learned through hard work or strange encounters, but this kind of natural perception of the sword is truly enjoyed by talent."

Li Weiru frowned: "Is it? Is it so mysterious?"

Gu Yunfu thought of his junior brother, and sighed: "Naturally, I am too familiar with the way these geniuses use the sword."

Still owe 31 more!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 234 =====