Chapter 31: Masters Exchange Moves

Wuzang, standing to the side, was caught between laughter and tears. "Hao Ge, just give it your all in a moment. My grandfather... sigh, how should I put this? You must be careful. Sometimes he doesn't know his own strength; half the scars on my body were given to me by him."

"Haha, that's your grandfather intentionally tempering you. A senior's skill is absolutely capable of being retracted or released at will."

Li Hao changed into his training uniform. On the back was a large "Wu" character. He didn't know who had written it, but it was vigorous and powerful. Even though he had practiced, he still had basic aesthetic sense; at a glance, it was full of strength and confidence, with a kind of indomitable, solitary pride.

A Youyou also changed into a training uniform. She and Wuzang were spectators. A Youyou was clearly more like a curious baby; she was very interested in everything here, and of course, the combat as well. No matter how ignorant one might be, the Wu Family was still well-known—one of the five great Ancient Martial Families. The family had produced many talents for the military, and the champion of the S2 was once led by the Wu Family back then; he was also Wuzang's cousin.

On both sides of the Dojo were weapon racks. Wu Xun, who had been sitting cross-legged, raised his head and pointed to the side. Wuzang and A Youyou sat in the corner very properly. Li Hao walked to the opposite side of Wu Xun and sat down.

A trace of a smile appeared at the corner of Wu Xun's mouth. "Your fighting intent has leaked out."

"It's a rare opportunity to receive guidance from a master like you, Senior, so I'm naturally a bit excited," Li Hao laughed.

Wu Xun nodded. "I thought Wuzang, this kid, was being decadent at school, which is why he was defeated by an outsider. Now it seems Tianjing Martial Arts is full of hidden talents; I underestimated it. Are you used to using a wooden sword?"

Li Hao smiled. "I've practiced a little; either is fine."

"Haha, young man, what big words. Either is fine, very good. A youth isn't a youth without being arrogant. Wuzang, I told you to learn the rules, but you don't need to suppress the killing intent in your heart. This classmate of yours is capable."

The butler presented the wooden sword and retreated respectfully.

As soon as he took it in his hand, Li Hao knew this wooden sword was not just any wooden sword; it was as heavy as steel.

The two stood up. Once they entered the battlefield, there was no seniority or status; respecting an opponent meant using one's full strength.

The wooden sword tapped lightly, counting as the sword-touching etiquette.

The two returned to their original positions, separated by a little over two meters. Neither side made a move. Wu Xun's sword tip swayed slightly, seemingly intending to strike, yet his gaze sharpened slightly and he did not move. His exposed arms suddenly bulged with explosive muscles, and a mass of Qi seemed to shroud his body. The atmosphere in the entire room suddenly became oppressive.

A Youyou felt it was a bit difficult to breathe. Wuzang, at her side, hurriedly sat in front of A Youyou with a grave expression. What was Grandfather trying to do?

Why was he even using his fighting intent? An ordinary person would have collapsed directly, yet Li Hao, facing the head-on impact of Wu Xun's battle Qi, remained very calm, his eyes watching Wu Xun, feeling this kind of power.

It was indeed an aura forged through thousands of hammerings. Interesting, but this level was still a bit worse than that Razor Zago; it was far from enough to suppress him.

Hmph~~~

Wu Xun let out a low roar. Originally holding the sword with one hand, he suddenly switched to holding it with both. His snow-white eyebrows arched up like an angry Vajra, and an aura like a mountain pressed toward Li Hao.

But Li Hao still did not move, his sword tip still pointing at Wu Xun. The two sides seemed to fall into a stalemate.

Sweat broke out on Wuzang's forehead. He knew Li Hao was strong, but he hadn't expected him to be this strong, actually able to resist his grandfather's terrifying pressure.

Just at the moment of contemplation, Wu Xun and Li Hao moved almost simultaneously. Both took a step and arrived at the center of the field at the same time. The wooden swords clashed, actually producing a sound of metal and stone colliding. Pa-pa-pa-pa...

One could not see Wu Xun's age on his body at all. He was in a full attack state, his whole body covered in explosive muscles, his thighs even more so. The two's footwork constantly crossed, and every time the wooden swords collided, a loud noise erupted. Suddenly, Wu Xun took three small, rapid steps, and his wooden sword flashed out in an Instant Flash.

Li Hao took a violent step back, but it was still too late. The clothes on his chest were sliced open directly, and a bloodstain appeared on his skin.

"Little friend, you won't be able to walk out of this door without bringing out some real skill. Next time, you won't have such good luck." Wu Xun's sword tip pointed at Li Hao.

Li Hao licked his lips. He smelled the scent of blood, and a strange smile appeared on his face. "Senior, then I won't be polite!"

He wiped his hand across his chest, rubbed the sword against his left arm, flicked the wooden sword with his right hand, and slowly pulled into an attack stance, while Wu Xun still held the sword with both hands to guard his center.

Tai~

Li Hao lunged forward, his wooden sword striking out, arriving at the center as if it had instantly elongated. This was an attack illusion caused by coordinating his footwork with the extension of his body and arms.

Bang~~

What kind of battle had Wu Xun not experienced? He blocked the center with his wooden sword, his body rotated with the momentum, and his wooden sword slashed toward Li Hao in a spiral.

Kill, kill, kill, kill!

Man-Sword Unity. His body tilted slightly, and his wooden sword rotated to slash at Li Hao, while all Li Hao could do was defend. The entire set of movements was done in one go, flowing like water. Every step provided sufficiently powerful force, and the most critical part was that the angle of the rotating sword slashes was almost at the same spot, making it incredibly uncomfortable for the defending side.

His footwork was even more meticulous. It looked like a multi-layered spiral, but in reality, he had slashed eighteen times within a distance of just over a meter, and the final strike was as heavy as Mount Tai.

Boom...

The wooden swords collided and produced an explosive sound. Li Hao's body clearly entered a stiff state, and Wu Xun's hand-blade had already cut into his chest, clenching into a fist the moment it was about to hit.

With a heavy thud, Li Hao was sent flying.

Wu Family—Inch Collapse.

Wuzang jumped up almost immediately. He hadn't expected his grandfather to actually use a lethal move, but he was pressed back down by a powerful pressure just as he stood up.

Wu Xun only glanced at him. His entire body remained in a combat state, and a massive aura shrouded the entire Dojo.

He glanced at the place where Li Hao had crawled. "Little friend, stop pretending. This bit of an attack isn't enough to keep you from getting up."

The Wu Family's Inch Collapse was a close-quarters killing intent; even a body forged from excellent genes would find it hard to resist this internal force. It would either rebound, collide, or penetrate. But the force of that strike just now felt like it had hit the ocean, not stirring up any waves—it was unprecedented.

Li Hao stuck out his butt and stood up. "Senior, your hand is heavy enough."

The training uniform on Li Hao's abdomen had been crushed; his abdomen was a bit red. Li Hao took the opportunity to tear the clothes off. His muscles weren't as explosive as Wuzang's. For a martial artist, muscles weren't for show; dead muscles were useless. One needed resilient, flexible muscles that could withstand force and energy.

Wuzang was already dumbfounded. He had never seen anyone take a hit of Inch Collapse and remain expressionless.

Clearly, Wu Xun's eyes also narrowed slightly. As a martial artist, one wouldn't fall so easily, but it was a bit unexpected that this strike had no effect.

"Senior, it's my turn!"

Li Hao pulled the wooden sword flat with his right hand, his body arched, and his aura suddenly rose. Wu Xun remained unchanged to meet all changes, holding the sword with both hands, the tip pointing obliquely at Li Hao.

Bang...

Li Hao's figure seemed to vanish suddenly, arriving in front of Wu Xun in an instant. He thrust his sword out—a strike as swift as electricity. Wu Xun's expression was sharp; he still blocked it in the nick of time. Boom...

A huge force came through, and his body swayed violently. But Li Hao had already cut in close, a hand-blade strike cutting into his center, followed immediately by—Inch Collapse.

Boom...

Wu Xun stumbled back five steps in response, and Li Hao's attack had already arrived. The wooden sword was still pointing at his center, a strike heavy and powerful.

Wu Xun was sent flying. Seeing he was about to hit the wall, he flipped his body in mid-air, kicked off the wall, and pounced toward Li Hao's lower body like a hawk.

—Fuguang Lueying!

Li Hao leaped into the air and retreated while his wooden sword struck out.

Bang~~~~

The two wooden swords did not touch, but a wave of air exploded in mid-air. Both landed at the same time and returned to their original positions.

Swallow Return—Sky-Breaking Slash.

Wuxun sat cross-legged and placed his sword on the ground; Li Hao performed the same action and bowed to signal his readiness.

Wuxun's aura dissipated, yet he continued to watch Li Hao without blinking.

Wuzang and A Youyou dared not even breathe; A Youyou had seen experts train—working on their bodies, muscles, and strength—but this was the first time she had seen a battle like this.

The NUP often claimed that they were number one in mech combat, but in hand-to-hand combat, Earth still held some secrets, which was the reason the USE was able to dominate in the early days; however, the NUP was very good at learning from others' strengths to offset their own weaknesses, and the Elite of the five Ancient Martial Families had been poached quite a bit over the years.

Wuzang stood up, still feeling somewhat worried, but he nearly fell over the moment he heard Wuxun speak.

"If only you were my grandson, you would be able to live for several more years," Wuxun said with a sigh, while Li Hao opposite him was left completely bewildered; this advantage was taken so unexpectedly...