Chapter 488: Sword Saint

【Ten Thousand Phenomena】, the Xuanlan of Zheng Anqi Sheng.

Now it was Li Miao's Xuanlan, one of them.

Two years ago, during the battle in the capital, Li Miao wasn't very skilled at using his protective true energy to manifest forms. But after two years of pondering, now he could create a weapon to use at will, which was already second nature to him.

It was just that his "second nature" became "shocking" in the eyes of others.

Tsukahara Bokuden was first startled by where that sword sound came from, then followed the sound to look at Li Miao's right hand, and only after sensing that the airflow was suddenly cut off when passing through there did his pupils contract violently.

"A sword?"

Protective true energy is ethereal and formless; even Li Miao, who had just started fighting Zheng Anqi Sheng, couldn't detect it, let alone Tsukahara Bokuden.

"Formless and substanceless; if not for the wind, I wouldn't even be able to detect the existence of this sword... Even now, I cannot distinguish the length, width, or weight of this sword..."

"Truly a good method!"

"If he is a swordsman equal to me, then this first sword can only be defended... At least I must test what style his sword is!"

Tsukahara Bokuden's blade shifted slightly, pointing to the lower left.

But Li Miao suddenly sneered.

"What, don't tell me you think I'm going to take advantage of you?"

He flicked his hand, and countless scale-like layers appeared on the transparent standard long sword, and the firelight in the stone room refracted, outlining the shape of the long sword.

"Come."

Before the words fell, the sound of wind arose!

Huangfu Hui's eyes blurred, and Tsukahara Bokuden was already in front of Li Miao, his Japanese sword falling straight down, but it suddenly disappeared when it reached a foot above Li Miao's head, appearing again at Li Miao's side, rolling upward diagonally!

Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū—Hyō no Tachi.

It looked like a heavy, powerful attack, but it held back three parts of its strength, and the diagonal upward slash also blocked Li Miao's right-hand sword attack line, ready to parry at any time.

Tsukahara Bokuden's eyes were calm and waveless, locking Li Miao firmly.

"No movement?"

"Is it a technique like the 'Kirioshi' of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū, a technique of parrying and neutralizing only when the sword reaches the front, or—is there something tricky about that sword?"

As his thoughts turned, the blade reached within three inches of Li Miao's side.

But at this moment, it stopped suddenly.

Clang! —

Sound waves rippled out.

The true energy long sword in Li Miao's hand had somehow reversed its head and tail, held in reverse, blocking the blade with the sword body.

"Mount Hua Sword Technique, Swallow Returns with the Wind."

Li Miao laughed.

Before the words fell, Tsukahara Bokuden had already changed his move, the Japanese sword climbing along the sword blade, and when it reached the tip, the muscles in his forearm bulged suddenly, the Japanese sword cut horizontally, violently "raking" the long sword down.

Then the blade climbed along the sword blade, slashing toward Li Miao's fingers.

Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū—Rankyoku!

Li Miao laughed and rolled his arm, the long sword drawing sword flowers.

"Wudang, Taiji Sword, Brushing Dust in the Wind."

Blade and sword entangled, sparks flying.

Tsukahara Bokuden felt as if his Japanese sword had been swept into a storm, or like a moth stuck in a spiderweb, unable to detach from the sword blade, only able to roll constantly with Li Miao's movements.

And Li Miao even had the leisure to speak.

"Speaking of which, just the day before yesterday, I fought a Japanese person. His Wu Gong itself wasn't anything special, but that first strike he made when we met actually made me misjudge its power."

"It's just that his realm was too low and his foundation too thin, so I didn't see anything. But when you set up your stance just now, it seemed to show me something."

While speaking, Li Miao raised his hand abruptly!

Blade and sword both rose, flipping over their heads.

"When you first set up your stance, it seemed like you wanted to slash vertically, right... Come, slash once and let me see."

"If you don't show me some real skill, I might just—kill you, you know?"

Tsukahara Bokuden's eyes remained as calm as water.

After only three moves, he already understood—the man in front of him was the strongest enemy he had ever met in his life. Central Plains martial arts were not as weak as he had previously thought; it was just that he hadn't met a true expert who had mastered them to perfection.

Facing such a strong enemy, one must not let emotions interfere with judgment.

In terms of technique alone, he was no match for Li Miao.

But if one thought Japanese swordsmen only knew how to slash horizontally and vertically, they were wrong!

Tsukahara Bokuden's expression didn't change, his eyes didn't change, but in his heart, it was like being roasted by a raging fire, burning his spirit into molten iron, flowing down his arm into the long sword.

"Very well." ===== CHAPTER 489 =====