Chapter 52: Avoiding a Hundred Blows

"Clang!" As thoughts flashed through everyone's minds, the Duan Yue Sword already flew to pierce Wu Jianchen's chest. Wu Jianchen waved his right hand; a cold gleam flashed suddenly, accurately striking the side of the Duan Yue Sword.

Theoretically, a flying sword has no point of leverage; struck like this, it should change its form or be withdrawn.

But Wu Jianchen was horrified to discover that this strike was like striking a mountain; it basically wouldn't budge. The sword light only tilted slightly, continuing to sweep toward his ribs.

Shen Tang's voice drifted out leisurely: "Though Duan Yue is only fifth grade, its momentum is heavy and solid, thick as a mountain. Sect Master Wu, do not be careless; getting injured here would be unsightly..."

Sheng Yuanyao's expression was somewhat strange.

This is clearly the result of your own power's enhancement; what does it have to do with the sword... So, are you fighting, or are you promoting your flying sword?

Wu Jianchen misjudged for a moment; his figure flashed, already ten zhang away. The Duan Yue Sword followed like a shadow, continuing to pursue and pierce.

Only then did Wu Jianchen have the chance to condense his power; the treasure sword in his hand bloomed with brilliant divine light, striking the tip of Duan Yue viciously.

"Whoosh!" The Duan Yue sword light split into two, flexibly winding left and right like intertwined spirit snakes.

What nonsense about being heavy as a mountain; this sword is clearly of the agile type!

Wu Jianchen misjudged again, clumsily dodging once more to try and avoid it. Suddenly, the sound of wind arose behind his ear, and below came the startled cry of his own attendant: "Sect Master, be careful behind you!"

No need for the reminder; Wu Jianchen had already sensed something amiss and dodged a third time.

But this dodge directly collided with a sword qi; his shoulder blade throbbed with intense pain.

Turning to look, Shen Tang had somehow left her wheelchair and flown to his rear, her fingers joined to form a sword, poking at his path of evasion, as if he had slammed his shoulder blade onto her finger-sword himself.

What kind of prediction!

Seeing the icy coldness and sharpness in Shen Tang's eyes, she was simply not the same person as the little woman who had been leaning lazily on the wheelchair before. Wu Jianchen didn't even have time to do anything; blood sprayed from his shoulder, and he instinctively thrust his sword back toward Shen Tang's ribs.

Shen Tang waved her hand with ease to block it, using the force to leap backward, sitting down steadily and securely in her wheelchair once more.

Wu Jianchen landed on the ground, clutching his shoulder and stumbling two steps; the look in his eyes directed at Shen Tang was simply incredible.

How can this woman be so strong! Her broken leg is more agile than others with complete legs, okay!

Everyone's gaze was also stunned; the image of the divine maiden flying into the sky in that instant, rising like a rabbit and striking like a hawk, was deeply imprinted in people's hearts, and for a while they couldn't quite digest it.

Not only strong, but also so beautiful...

Especially paired with her current appearance of being unable to walk well while sitting in the wheelchair, the contrast was extremely intense, making her seem inexplicably three parts more beautiful.

A'nuo sucked on a lollipop and mumbled: "Master said this is called 'beautiful, strong, and tragic,' which is especially eye-catching; Sister Shen Tang has all three. He also said the female version of 'Heartless' was played by an actor he likes very much; I didn't understand that sentence."

Sheng Yuanyao wanted to speak but held back. If you put it that way, it feels like your Master also has all three; no wonder I was tricked by him so badly but couldn't even get angry, and our relationship actually improved.

"Whoosh!" The Duan Yue Sword returned to Shen Tang's hand, restoring itself to the shape of an ancient, rustic sword.

Shen Tang smiled slightly: "Sect Master Wu, how is our flying sword?"

Wu Jianchen's face was black as a pot bottom; only now did he realize—the dead woman kept talking about "appraising flying swords," leading his train of thought to struggle against this sword. However, the sword itself was secondary; Shen Tang simply wanted to win! As long as she won, the sword's style would naturally be elevated; the sword itself was not important at all. In fact, that sword was just very ordinary; its power matched the fifth-grade level, but that was all.

If he had fought seriously, not to mention whether he could turn the tables and win, at the very least he wouldn't have been defeated within so few moves. He had been led into a pit by a twenty-something-year-old girl!

But under the gaze of everyone, he had already lost. As a swordsman, Wu Jianchen wouldn't be as persistent as Bai Jingtian; he just said with a stern face: "Indeed a fine flying sword; Sect Master Shen also has fine sword techniques. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will come to seek instruction again."

"Sect Master Wu is too polite." Shen Tang's beautiful eyes shifted; her gaze fell upon the frowning Vice-Sect Master Wang of the Dongjiang Gang and True Person Xuanhe of the Lingyun Gate in the distance. She spoke leisurely and clearly: "I wonder what the two of you have to teach our Tianxing Sword Sect; you might as well make it clear all at once while this opportunity exists."

Vice-Sect Master Wang and True Person Xuanhe exchanged a glance. Regardless of which sect, no one would hope for a strong neighbor to rise nearby; this is very normal. But if no one colludes, no one would cause trouble at another's grand ceremony; that would create a great grudge.

They were not like the Incense Burning Tower and the Cangshan Sword Sect, which had old grudges or conflicts of interest with the Tianxing Sword Sect. Their coming was purely because they were influenced by the implied collusion of Yang Dechang, wanting to suppress the Tianxing Sword Sect's rising momentum. As long as they made the Tianxing Sword Sect lose face greatly under the gaze of the multitude and become a laughingstock, talking about rising would naturally be difficult.

Now seeing that the Tianxing Sword Sect was about to greatly increase its prestige after these two contests, they also felt they really must suppress it; otherwise, after this battle, the Tianxing Sword Sect would shake the surrounding thousand li, and the myriad scenes that would follow could be imagined even with one's toes; this momentum must be suppressed.

True Person Xuanhe finally stepped out, saying indifferently: "Your sect's flying swords and pills are indeed impressive. I wonder if you have any expertise in the path of spells?"

Shen Tang laughed: "We are a Sword Sect; of course, we do not study spells."

"This Daoist means... countering spells." True Person Xuanhe sighed: "Additionally, forgive this Daoist for speaking bluntly; apart from the Sect Master, is there no one else in your sect?"

These words were also poisonous; if a sect only has a Sect Master who is presentable, while everyone else is a clay chicken or earthen dog, then naturally there is not much face. After all, this Sect Master is not strong enough to suppress the world; he is just a new talent, lacking the influence of a King of the Underworld in the Yanluo Hall.

Shen Tang looked at Jin Mingxiu.

The so-called Sword Edge Hall is specifically responsible for external warfare and breaking through; at such a time, Jin Mingxiu must step forward immediately.

Jin Mingxiu hesitated slightly, then stepped forward: "Then let this Jin receive True Person's high skills."

His hesitation fell into Lu Xingzhou's eyes; he suddenly interrupted: "Wait. True Person speaks with reason; a duel between one or two people ultimately cannot show the momentum of a sect. How about this? Since we are the hosts, we will give True Person some advantage; let our disciples form a sword formation, and True Person's followers will use spells to break it. This compares both the ability to break spells and the foundation of formation arts; what do you think?"

Shen Tang closed her mouth.

True Person Xuanhe said: "Hall Master Jin will not act?"

"If True Person does not act, he certainly will not either." Lu Xingzhou said with a smile: "This Lu is unworthy; I will serve as the formation master. Does True Person have any objection?"

True Person Xuanhe glanced at him, contempt barely hidden in his eyes: "Of course, no objection."

The Lingyun Gate attendants brought by True Person Xuanhe were all fifth or sixth grade. A seventh-grade cultivator who is a cripple; even if he has studied the path of formations well, the weakness of the formation core is the biggest flaw, not worth mentioning.

Lu Xingzhou knew his thoughts; he smiled slightly, wheeled his wheelchair to the center of the square, and suddenly said again: "Wait a moment..."

True Person Xuanhe laughed: "If Mr. Lu is afraid, you can go back and sit in peace; no need to force yourself."

Lu Xingzhou said leisurely: "That is not what I mean. I just thought that personal combat can be stopped at a certain point, but if one relies on a formation, the formation is heartless; its power may not necessarily be controllable. If there are casualties, what then?"

True Person Xuanhe laughed heartily and waved his hand: "Leave it to fate."

Lu Xingzhou clasped his hands: "True Person is open-minded; then let us begin."

Shen Tang signaled to Tang Yunzhong and others nearby; Tang Yunzhong quickly brought three disciples to surround Lu Xingzhou, forming the most basic Plum Blossom Formation, which was the only formation Lu Xingzhou had rehearsed with the Tianxing Sword Sect disciples over these past few days.

"Just this?" The Lingyun Gate is a Daoist cultivation sect; they know formations inside out. Seeing this basic formation, they laughed; five Daoists didn't even bother to dismantle the formation, instead charging individually toward the Tianxing Sword Sect disciples.

Among them, the one charging toward Lu Xingzhou was a sixth-grade Daoist cultivator; even during the process of entering the formation, he began reciting the spell incantation. By the time he reached Lu Xingzhou, a fire dragon had already smashed down head-on.

Amidst the firelight, Lu Xingzhou's meaningful smile was vaguely visible.

"Boom!" The fire dragon completely lost its target; Lu Xingzhou, wheelchair and all, vanished.

That Daoist looked back in horror, but could not see anyone at all, as if he were alone in an independent dimension. He could feel sword qi surging toward the sky all around, like a dragon's roar.

Amidst the dragon's roar, a thunderbolt condensed in the void, crashing straight down under the guard of four swords.

In his ears came True Person Xuanhe's angry shout: "Not good! That is not the Plum Blossom Formation; it is the Profound Metal Thunder Fire Penetrating the Netherworld Formation! Come back!"

"Five thunders gather, four images return to one, man penetrates the netherworld, swords emerge in eight directions... Break!"

"Boom!" The earth-fire erupted fully, the heavenly thunder blazed suddenly, and the sword-light pierced through the nine heavens.

The great square shook as if the earth and mountains were trembling; cultivators with inferior foundations were knocked off balance by the raging thunder and fire, stumbling and retreating in all directions.

True Person Xuan He suddenly flung out a jade ruyi, attempting to use the treasure to intervene.

Shen Tang's voice came: "True Person, if you do not act, is that not a violation?"

"Whoosh!" On the high platform, sword-light flashed forth; a terrifying glare, several times more fierce than during the previous sword duel, shot straight at the jade ruyi, shattering the treasure's radiance decisively in mid-air.

True Person Xuan He "puffed" out a mouth of fresh blood, trembling as he pointed a finger toward the high platform.

Only then did he realize that Lu Xingzhou's words just now were not out of fear; he had intended for them to die!

Amidst the chaos, two fourth-grade guards from the Incense-Burning Pavilion, who had originally been protecting Bai Jingtian while he healed, appeared on the high platform at some point, attacking Shen Tang from left and right.

Shen Tang's flying sword, which had just been launched to intercept the jade ruyi, seemed at its most vulnerable moment... and with her legs and feet impaired, taking the initiative might have been better, but when defending passively, she was simply a target.

The Incense-Burning Pavilion had seized this opportunity, aiming to severely injure Shen Tang in one blow!

Jin Ming drew his long sword and flew forward to stab: "Sect Master, be careful!"

Yet it seemed to be a step too late...

A lazy smile still hung on Shen Tang's lips; her hands shot out like lightning, accurately seizing the wrists of the two attackers.

The two felt an immense, unfathomable surge of powerful force; though their cultivation was equal, they could not break free for the moment.

With a "whoosh," the flying sword turned back, accurately grazing the throat of the attacker on the right, spraying fresh blood.

Shen Tang released her right hand, yanked hard to the left, and then slammed her right hand out violently, crashing heavily into the chest of the attacker on the left.

"Crash-crash-crash!" The sound of bones shattering arose; that person had already been beaten into a puddle of mush.

Two enemies of the same level, killed in a single strike!

(End of this chapter)