Chapter 222: Defeat Through Underestimating the Enemy

In the courtyard.

Yu Liancheng stood with his hands behind his back, the Duoqing Sword thrust into the ground before him. As long as he reached out a hand, this Sword, which had drunk the blood of countless experts, would be unsheathed.

Before Yan Nantian also lay a sword, an iron sword so rusted it was nearly rotting away. Yet even if a wooden sword were in his hands, it could slice through iron as if it were mud and dominate the world.

Xiaoxiannv stood to the side, watching Yu Liancheng with puffed-up cheeks.

There is not a single girl in this world who does not like to be jealous.

Yet within those eyes, there seemed to be a hidden trace of worry.

Although the duel between these two was not meant to be a fight to the death, Yu Liancheng's opponent was the legendary Yan Nantian, the World's Number One Hero, the World's Number One Divine Sword. His reputation was loud to the extreme, and his martial arts were high to the extreme.

"Be careful!"

After the two waited for a long while, Yan Nantian made the first move.

He knew this was not the best time to strike.

But he had been a living dead man for thirteen years, and his hands were itching terribly. Having just exchanged blows with Lianxing, he had not yet had his fill when he was interrupted by Yu Liancheng. It was as if someone had overturned the table while he was savoring a delicacy, which made his itch all the more unbearable.

Fortunately, he could tell that Yu Liancheng was also an expert, even higher than Lianxing.

Yan Nantian finally could not hold back.

But he did not draw his sword.

Only to see Yan Nantian stomp his foot, the ground beneath him instantly shattering as if it had exploded, countless clods of earth splashing in all directions.

His entire body soared into the sky, suddenly rising to a height of four or five zhang, before suddenly plummeting from the air like a meteorite crashing down.

A fist struck out!

He threw a punch.

This punch was fierce and overbearing, carrying an incomparable, massive force as it smashed down with a terrifying, awe-inspiring momentum. In an instant, the air for miles around swirled, gathering into this single punch as it assaulted Yu Liancheng.

Yu Liancheng's face no longer held its usual gentle composure, but was instead filled with an indescribable, surging fighting spirit. He let out a clear shout, curled his five fingers into a fist, and swung his arm. Striking from below to hit above, he met Yan Nantian's attack head-on.

Everyone in the martial arts world knew that Yan Nantian's fist technique was overbearing and tyrannical, unparalleled in the world.

But if they were to see this punch from Yu Liancheng, they would likely think that the "Nantian Divine Fist" might not necessarily be without peer.

This was because Yu Liancheng's punch was equally overbearing to heaven and earth, and extremely tyrannical.

Boom!!

The two fists collided.

A dull, extreme sound instantly rang out between heaven and earth, shaking the soul; Xiaoxiannv felt as if her heart were about to jump out.

The entire courtyard was whipped into a frenzy, with hurricanes sweeping across, sand and stones flying, and trees rustling loudly as they bent as if to snap.

The ground beneath Yu Liancheng's feet collapsed inch by inch, while Yan Nantian's figure drifted backward again, his eyes filled with unspeakable surprise that someone could actually take his punch head-on.

"Good fist."

Yu Liancheng praised; Yan Nantian was born with divine strength, and it was said that a single punch could shatter and send a thousand-catty boulder flying.

And after the Wedding Dress Divine Skill reached completion, it granted him a Vajra body, further elevating his strength. Without using any martial arts techniques, a single sweep of his arm was more overbearing than any martial art.

Now, based on this punch alone, Yu Liancheng could conclude that Yan Nantian was the only peerless expert he had encountered so far who could contend with him in terms of physical body.

"Good lad, come again."

Seeing a worthy opponent, Yan Nantian was delighted; his movement was like thunder and lightning, and his fists struck at Yu Liancheng like a storm. Each punch seemed to carry a power more overbearing and surging than a volcanic eruption or a bursting river.

Yu Liancheng's eyes shone with divine light, his fists striking out like wind and thunder.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In just a single breath, the two had already thrown dozens of punches.

Each punch was unadorned, without variation, pushed out plainly. Yet it seemed as if all variations had been exhausted, and all techniques had been fused into the fist, reaching the pinnacle of subtlety.

After dozens of punches, both men wore expressions of excitement, feeling thoroughly satisfied and extremely gratified.

Since his debut, Yu Liancheng's greatest strength was suppressing others with force. Even if there were experts with martial arts and sword techniques comparable to his, once the "Ruyi Heavenly Demon Art" was activated, they would have no choice but to face defeat under that overbearing physical power.

The only exception was perhaps Xiao Laotou alone.

But Xiao Laotou was unfathomable; even if the Ruyi Heavenly Demon Art were fully unleashed, he could likely deal with it using the "Four Ounces Deflects a Thousand Catties" technique.

And now, Yu Liancheng finally had an opponent against whom he could unleash his full strength.

In this regard, Yan Nantian's situation was even more extreme than Yu Liancheng's.

Although Yu Liancheng had not encountered an opponent who could rival him in "force," he had come a long way, meeting Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue with their superb sword techniques, the strange and mysterious Gong Jiu, Yu Luosha, the unfathomable Geshu Tian, Shangguan Jinhong... and the experts he had exchanged blows with were truly numerous.

Yet, there were pitifully few who could last even three or two moves against Yan Nantian, and the only one of equal fame, Yao Yue, had not been able to fight him for various reasons.

This was true loneliness.

Xiaoxiannv had already used her light-body technique to drift far away, lest she be caught in the crossfire.

Her gaze was fixed intently on their figures; this duel was likely the truly genuine battle of the current age.

It was fortunate that she had practiced the Five Ultimates Divine Art and her strength had greatly increased, otherwise she might not have been able to keep up with their duel.

These two threw punches like mountains, like thunder, both equally overbearing and strong, both equally unstoppable. If they were not each other's opponents, the outcome would have been decided long ago.

And their fist techniques, while appearing simple and direct, were actually the simplification of complexity, a return to simplicity.

As they continued to exchange blows, an incredible change seemed to occur in both of them.

Yan Nantian's skin had originally been an unhealthy, sallow white, his face gaunt.

But at this moment, his skin actually radiated a faint golden light, and combined with his heroic and extraordinary spirit, he looked like a Vajra descended to earth, a god reincarnated, currently performing divine feats to subdue demons.

And Yu Liancheng was that Demon.

His body stood like a mountain, yet it emitted a captivating, demonic, and evil intent that assaulted one's heart and soul, as if he were the most evil existence. His massive Qi and Blood permeated the surroundings, and an incomparable, scorching aura overflowed, as if his body were constantly melting gold and refining iron.

In reality, this was precisely the manifestation of the two pushing their "Vajra Body" and "Ruyi Heavenly Demon Art" to the extreme.

"Good, good, good! Since my debut, I have never had such a satisfying fight." Yan Nantian laughed heartily, his voice shaking the sky: "Your hard-body technique can influence the human heart; be careful not to be captured by the demonic intent and fall into demonic obsession."

Yu Liancheng smiled: "Yannantian, rest assured, I have my own measure."

"It is difficult to determine a winner with our bare-handed skills; why not compete with swords?"

Yan Nantian's voice rang out once more. After this bout of exchanges, he seemed not only to have suffered no depletion, but his fighting spirit had grown even more soaring, with not the slightest trace of fatigue.

"Very well."

Both of their hard-body cultivation skills had reached great completion; if they were to only spar with fists and kicks like this, it would be difficult to determine a winner without fighting until one side was exhausted, and the time required for that would likely be endless.

As for a life-and-death struggle, it would be hard to hold back, and the slightest carelessness could result in one party being severely injured or even losing their life.

With a "Clang," the rusted sword in Yan Nantian's hand was already unsheathed.

This sword was covered in rust, as if it would snap with a mere bend.

But when held in Yan Nantian's hand, it seemed to possess the elegance of a Divine Sword, with Sword Qi soaring to the heavens and a brilliant, magnificent luster.

Xiaoxiannv Zhang Jing's expression became even more solemn.

Even though Yan Nantian had been absent for thirteen years, a saying had always circulated throughout the Edo.

"There is no maiden in the world who can resist a faint smile from Jiang Feng, and there is no hero in the world who can resist a light sword strike from Yan Nantian."

Yan Nantian's sword could not only take the head of a commander-in-chief amidst a million troops, but it could also split a single hair into two.

There was no one in the world who did not wish to behold Yan Nantian's peerless Divine Sword.

And could Yu Liancheng match this peerless Divine Sword?

Yan Nantian poured all his True Qi into the rusted sword; the rusted sword actually hummed and vibrated, as if it could feel his formless fighting spirit, and his formless, intangible Sword Intent soared to pierce the clouds.

"Receive my sword." Yan Nantian thrust his sword out. This strike was just like his fist technique—simple and plain, without any clever tricks. Yet, it was equally rigid, fierce, and unstoppable.

Although this strike was plain, the moment the sword was unleashed, it sounded like a dragon's roar, and a silver-bright, brilliant streak of sword light tore through the air, beyond compare.

The intensity of the sword light, the power of the sword momentum, and the sharpness of the edge were such that, looking at the contemporary era, no one could hope to see his back, and almost no one could receive it.

Fortunately, there was still a Yu Liancheng.

A one-and-only Yu Liancheng, in heaven and on earth.

The moment Yan Nantian's sword light exploded, the Duoqing Sword in Yu Liancheng's palm was also unsheathed.

Yan Nantian's sword technique was divine, tyrannical, and overbearing.

Yet Yu Liancheng's sword technique was like Mount Tai pressing down, carrying wind and thunder in its strike, and also like a comet descending from the sky.

Ding!

The two swords clashed, but it was only a light sound.

And the next moment, the two long swords had transformed into lightning streaking across the sky, entwining together, colliding and bursting forth with countless sparks.

Sword Qi crisscrossed and sword light swirled; their figures had already vanished, having merged into one with the sword light—the person was the sword. There were only two brilliant, dazzling streaks of sword light constantly colliding and clashing. Everywhere they passed, everything was pulverized.

Xiaoxiannv's eyes were vacant, as if she had lost her soul.

Such a magnificent exchange—let alone having seen it, she feared she had never even heard of such a thing.

"What a World's Number One Divine Sword; it truly lives up to its reputation."

Yu Liancheng could already truly and clearly feel that Yan Nantian's level of martial arts attainment had already surpassed top-tier swordsmen like Ye Gucheng, Ximen Chuixue, and Mu Daoren.

Yan Nantian's sword technique was very simple, seemingly not profound or mysterious.

Every strike he made appeared plain and unremarkable, yet it seemed to turn decay into magic; they were exquisite and peerless moves that had reached the realm of returning to simplicity.

Compared to the swift and pure sword technique of Ximen Chuixue, or the ethereal and unpredictable nature of Ye Gucheng, it was even more so, with nothing less.

Martial arts attainment was not only related to sword technique; internal energy, movement techniques, and mindset were all indispensable.

Although the sword techniques of Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue were high, when their two swords clashed, they could not avoid using Internal Force.

Their Internal Force was, of course, deep and pure compared to ordinary experts, but compared to Yan Nantian's great completion of the Wedding Dress Divine Skill, it was more than a notch inferior.

The Wedding Dress True Qi was like thunder and lightning, like scorching flames, incomparably powerful.

Furthermore, the intensity of Yan Nantian's fighting spirit and the ferocity of his sword momentum were not things the two of them could compare to.

As for Mu Daoren, although his sword technique and internal energy were high, it was a pity that both his heart and body had aged; he would surely be defeated in a prolonged battle.

Yu Liancheng was astonished by the high level of Yan Nantian's sword technique, and Yan Nantian was no less so.

This youth named Yu Liancheng not only possessed a tyrannical and overbearing hard-body cultivation skill and a peerless sword technique, but even his light-body technique and Internal Force had reached an unimaginable level.

Moreover, occasionally coordinating with the long sword in his hand, he could execute various exotic techniques, causing the power of his sword technique to multiply, occasionally making him feel at a loss.

The breadth, depth, and mystery of what he had learned were truly astonishing.

Furthermore, this youth was so young.

Yan Nantian's gaze sharpened, his whole body radiating an aura like a god, a faint golden light blooming on his skin. With a long roar, the long sword in his palm drew a brilliant streak, flying out diagonally like a startled swan or a flash of lightning.

He had used his lifelong cultivation for this strike, and had pushed his "Subduing Demon Golden Body" to the extreme.

The long sword in Yu Liancheng's palm vibrated, the sword edge whistling as if a towering mountain were thrusting out, meeting Yan Nantian's long sword head-on.

The two streaks of sword light entwined once more, the sound of clashing ringing out incessantly, strings of sparks blooming; in the blink of an eye, the two swords had already clashed dozens or hundreds of times.

It was time to determine the winner.

Ding!

Suddenly, there was another sound.

Only, this sound seemed somewhat different from the previous clashes.

And after this sound, one of the streaks of sword light suddenly dissipated, while the other remained strong, soaring into the sky, stunning and peerless.

"Has the winner been decided?"

Xiaoxiannv's spirit was instantly lifted.

No matter who saw such an extremely magnificent battle, it would be hard not to care about the outcome of this fight.

Two figures appeared from the gradually dissipating sword light.

They seemed no different from before the fight; no one was injured, but their expressions were both very dejected.

After a long silence, Yan Nantian sighed softly: "I have lost."

Hearing this, Xiaoxiannv could not help but widen her eyes; although she had been mentally prepared, she still felt a sense of disbelief.

Although Yu Liancheng had won, his expression did not seem happy at all, nor did he have the loneliness and desolation of one who had defeated a supreme master; his brows were tightly furrowed: "But you did not lose because of your martial arts, nor did you lose because of your sword technique; you cannot even be considered to have lost."

"But I have indeed lost."

Yan Nantian raised his hand, and the rusted sword in his hand had snapped in two.

As it turned out, during their exchange, the rusted sword in his palm had been severed by the Duoqing Sword.

The sword was broken, and Yan Nantian had no choice but to lose.

This was not hard to imagine; Yu Liancheng's Duoqing Sword was sharp and heavy, while the rusted sword in Yan Nantian's hand was merely one he had found at random, and even with his divine arts protecting it, it was inevitable that it would snap during such an intense clash.

It was precisely because of this that Yu Liancheng felt extremely uncomfortable.

He wanted to win, to win fair and square, to defeat this World's Number One Swordsman fair and square, not because of this accident.

And he also had such confidence.

He was not only skilled in sword techniques and hard-body cultivation, but he had also learned many exotic and unique skills, which were things Yan Nantian did not possess.

"It is indeed my loss." Yan Nantian sighed again, his expression appearing somewhat dejected: "I originally thought your martial arts were inferior to mine, so I used this rusted sword; this was committing the great sin of underestimating the enemy, and thus I have suffered this defeat."

He suddenly looked up to the sky and laughed loudly: "A good defeat, a good defeat; if I had not experienced this defeat, I would have remained arrogant and conceited, boasting of being invincible under heaven and looking down on others, and I fear I would have repeated the same mistakes as in Villain's Valley."

"Let's go, accompany me for a drink!"

Moved by Yan Nantian's heroic spirit, Yu Liancheng also laughed: "Good, we shall not return until we are drunk."