Chapter 198: Hero Assembly (78k)

September 18, the start of winter.

As soon as the sun rose, a clamor erupted along the riverbank; everyone was heading toward the angle formed by the two rivers.

The riverboats moored by the shore had shifted position, arriving near the river mouth; standing atop the boat's upper deck, one could overlook the dense crowd on the bank.

Xie Jinhuan stood at the window of the sleeping quarters on the third floor of the boat's upper deck, adjusting his brocade white robe, gazing at the shore; visible at the confluence of the three rivers was a platform.

The platform, named the Dragon Sacrifice Altar, was originally a place where commoners worshipped the river and water gods; now seats were arranged there, snow-eagle flags hung around it, and several Wu Zu in brocade armor stood guard with swords drawn.

In front of the platform lay a clearing a hundred zhang across; seats were arranged along both edges of the clearing, bearing banners of the Fengshan Assembly, Longyun Valley, and others; no fewer than three hundred invited sect masters and heroes had arrived, and with their disciples and attendants, the venue was packed to capacity; those wandering martial artists without seats could only squeeze into the outer perimeter or stand on the riverboats gazing out, the crowd too vast to count.

Nangong Xianzi had been tormented again all night; though her face was like Bingshan, she could not quite conceal a flush of red on her cheeks; now adjusting her veiled hat and skirt, to prevent being recognized, she had even wrapped her chest with a binding cloth, and her skirt was quite loose; from the outside, her true appearance was nearly unrecognizable; at this moment, she instructed:

"You go in first; I will come over quietly later."

"Why not just go in together? I have an invitation; why be so secretive?"

"Some elders present know me; entering together would inevitably draw attention; being recognized would be hard to explain."

Seeing this, Xie Jinhuan did not press further; he walked toward the outer room; as they passed each other, he casually pinched the round, perky spot.

?!

Nangong Xianzi straightened slightly, her phoenix eyes flashing with sharpness, but seeing this fellow dash out the door, she did not chase after him to beat him up.

……

Meiqiu had been on lookout yesterday; finally, she got hungry, then went mad, rushing to the window like a woodpecker, wanting to get a midnight snack.

At that time, Xie Jinhuan was busy, had no time to take Meiqiu out, and did not want Meiqiu to beg for food on her own, so he locked Meiqiu in the outer room and fed her some dried small fish.

As a result, Meiqiu naturally got angry; seeing Xie Jinhuan come out, she flew onto his shoulder, raised her wing, and slapped his head:

Pat pat pat...

Xie Jinhuan felt this was more like Meiqiu; he raised his hand to rub her, took his weapon, disembarked, first bought a skewer on the riverbank, fed Meiqiu until she shook her head and acted cute, then arrived near the Dragon Sacrifice Altar venue.

Wei Wu Yi convened the Hero Assembly; the true meeting took place behind closed doors at the Fengbo Lou with the major dragon heads, while this outdoor venue was for building martial reputation through martial contests and rewarding young talents, after all, the current younger generation, though their names were thunderous to their ears, had mostly never seen this alliance leader.

At the entrance to the Dragon Sacrifice Altar venue, a path branched off from the Snow Eagle Ridge disciples; sect masters led their disciples inside from time to time, and the surrounding noise never ceased.

Xie Jinhuan carried Meiqiu to the vicinity; Wei Lu, waiting at the entrance, hurried forward with a bow:

"Brother Xie, why did you come all alone? A proper County Marquis should at least bring some attendants when going out..."

Xie Jinhuan returned the bow: "I am merely a junior in the martial world, here to join the fun; making too grand a spectacle would be inappropriate."

"Brother Xie is too modest; please come inside. I heard yesterday that Brother Xie had arrived; I intended to host a welcome banquet, but alas, I could not find you..."

……

Wei Lu was Wei Wu Yi's direct grandson; in Jingcheng, he might not wield much influence, but in the martial world, he was a proper 'Crown Prince'.

The wandering martial artists in the surrounding crowd, seeing Wei Lu conversing cheerfully with a strange white-robed spearman, even showing considerable reverence, naturally looked puzzled and began to murmur:

"Whose son is this young hero? That the young master of Snow Eagle Ridge should personally welcome him..."

"Handsome and extraordinary, a sword and mace at his waist, accompanied by a black eagle... how does he resemble the Danyang Xie Shaoxia spoken of by the storytellers?"

"It really is him! I heard this young hero is terrifyingly fierce, cutting down anyone he sees, with a hundred lives on his hands in a single month..."

"Is he the former lover of Empress Dowager Guo of Northern Zhou?"

"Yes. I heard the Prince of Dan intends to recruit a son-in-law..."

"Mount Zihui has also taken a liking, preparing to marry off both the Lady Changning and the direct disciple of Nangong Xianzi..."

"Tsk tsk tsk~ Truly enviable, but why does he not pursue Nangong Xianzi?"

"Yes, why take the younger one and not the elder..."

……

The clamor grew ever louder.

Xie Jinhuan pushed through the crowd; originally, he felt a bit of 'when life goes well, one should enjoy it to the fullest', but as he walked on, clearly he could not feel so joyful anymore, thinking inwardly:

I killed my way from Danyang to Jingzhao Prefecture, and you all just listened to rumors, did you?

Did I not want to pursue my dream bride?

I simply could not find her!

……

That aside, some bold martial world Misses in the crowd even started to tease:

"Young Master Xie~ Look over here!"

"Oh my~ So cold; after tasting the fine grains of the Empress Dowager and the Lady, you look down on us martial women..."

……

Wei Lu came to host, not expecting this group of idle martial folk to ignore righteous achievements and focus solely on martial gossip; he too felt somewhat awkward:

"Brother Xie, do not mind; martial world people are like this; please come inside quickly."

"No harm done."

Xie Jinhuan did not mind these blunt truths; following Wei Lu, he entered the venue and sat beside a tea table at the edge of the field; those seated nearby were all wandering martial artists of considerable reputation.

Xie Jinhuan did not know them, so he did not go around greeting everyone; after Wei Lu continued to host guests, he sat on the chair drinking tea, while Meiqiu looked around curiously.

After waiting only a moment, a black-clad female hero wearing a veiled hat quietly slipped up, sat on the chair behind him, and kept her gaze straight ahead, pretending not to recognize him.

Seeing this, Xie Jinhuan found it somewhat amusing; in such a public place, it was not appropriate to touch Seeing Bing Tuozi; he simply scanned the sea of people in the venue, searching for the martial heroes he had heard of since childhood.

As a result, this sweep of his eyes failed to recognize the Seven Martial Heroes; instead, he spotted several walking Ladies and female heroes near the Dragon Sacrifice Altar.

Though meeting them for the first time, Xie Jinhuan immediately recognized them as Wei Lu's master's wife and senior sister...

?

The Ghost Wife appeared quite appropriately, leaning against the back of the chair, her left hand holding up a crystal ball, clearly wanting to help him replay the scene.

Xie Jinhuan felt this was entirely inappropriate; he hurriedly raised his hand:

"No, no, no..."

Nangong Ye sat behind, pretending to be invisible, and seeing Xie Jinhuan suddenly raise a hand to push away, looked somewhat bewildered:

"What are you doing?"

"Uh... Meiqiu wants to slap me. It's fine."

"Gooji?"

Meiqiu, who had been striking a pose on the armrest, turned her head in shock, then cooperated fully, raising her wings to slap his head.

Slap, slap, slap...

"..."

Nangong Ye's gaze was like that of someone looking at a mischievous child; he didn't know what to say, turned his head to ignore it, and simply scanned the venue, waiting for the host to appear.

The result was that Wei Wu Yi's public appearance after twenty years truly startled everyone!

Tens of thousands of martial wanderers gathered at Sanjiangkou; the sect masters and high disciples present whispered among themselves, their noise even drowning out the rolling river waves.

Xie Jinhuan sat upright, secretly exchanging glances with the Ghost Bride, just enjoying himself when an autumn wind suddenly rose from the riverbank:

Whoosh~

The autumn wind came abruptly, like a 'downburst', suddenly plummeting from the sky and smashing onto the vast earth, bringing a chilling, deadly aura; the sensation was like a sword pointing at the brow, making one shudder with fear!

The noisy crowd fell silent almost instantly; everyone looked around in confusion but could find no source, feeling as if an invisible dragon or python wandered above the heavens, sweeping its gaze over the ants below!

Xie Jinhuan's expression also sobered a bit; he frowned, looked at the sky, and then scanned the surroundings:

"What is this thing?"

Nangong Ye was also secretly startled, knowing Wei Wu Yi had appeared, but could not find his position.

Ye Hongshang, wearing high heels, leaned on the back of her chair with a calm expression:

"A Long Xiang Realm martial artist. The momentum is decent."

You call that decent?

Xie Jinhuan felt the current oppressive force was like a single person becoming an army; even if a thousand soldiers stood in front, they would be scared into disarray.

Martial Path Super Rank is 'Po Sha'; above that is the Long Xiang Realm.

The term Long Xiang originally refers to a majestic and imposing spirit, but the 'Long Xiang' entry is a real 'deadly aura' with the effect of shaking souls and subduing spirits, equivalent to a super-large-scale 'Po Sha'.

As for its effect, those with shallow cultivation, like seeing a lion or tiger, tremble in spirit; evil ghosts and demons dare not show their heads at all.

Wei Wu Yi struck first with his voice, obviously telling the young people present why he was elected as the alliance leader by the Southern Jianghu.

And the many martial wanderers and young sect masters who were initially playful and smiling indeed realized only at this moment that Wei Wu Yi was not the small-time hooligan described in 'The Amorous History of Wei Wu Yi', but a towering, dangerous peak truly existing in the Jianghu; not to mention standing on the opposing side, just being able to admire his bearing from the audience was their life's fortune!

After the entire Sanjiangkou turned into dead silence, the oppressive force gradually dissipated.

The ten thousand present breathed a sigh of relief, and only then noticed that a figure had stood on the Dragon Sacrifice Platform with one hand behind his back, silently and without any abruptness, as if he had always been standing there, only now seen.

Xie Jinhuan turned his gaze and saw this person wearing a black robe, with an upright back, sword-like eyebrows and tiger-like eyes; his face looked at most forty or fifty, appearing more like Wei Lu's father than his grandfather, and his tone was quite peaceful:

"Wei Mou has held the Southern Alliance for many years but has not traveled the four directions for years; many martial heroes do not know me. For any lack of proper hospitality, please forgive me..."

A voice full of vital energy entered everyone's ears.

The last time Wei Wu Yi appeared in public, Xie Jinhuan had not yet been born, and Nangong Ye had not yet become a sect master; twenty years was enough for ordinary Jianghu sects to change a generation, and most people indeed saw Wei Wu Yi for the first time.

Xie Jinhuan had seen Lu Wu Zhen and was not surprised by this appearance, but the martial wanderers who came to make a scene whispered in surprise:

"So young?"

"I thought he was a hundred-year-old elder..."

"The most visibly aged in the Jianghu are Rank One; above and below are young..."

Wei Wu Yi knew the purpose of the juniors present coming to support; after saying a few formal words, he got to the main topic:

"Martial arts practice killing techniques, but what is sought is 'practicing chivalry through martial arts'; having martial arts without chivalry cannot be called the Dao; having chivalry without martial arts makes it hard to achieve great things.

"Wei Mou was elected as the alliance leader by the heroes of Great Qian, seeing demons and evil rising in court and countryside, and a hundred schools fighting endlessly, yet I have achieved nothing great to date, which is truly shameful.

"But fortunately, the Jianghu always sees new generations replacing the old; things Wei Mou cannot do, there will always be new people in the future who can; as the alliance leader, Wei Mou also has the duty to encourage the juniors.

"Therefore, taking advantage of this Hero Gathering, I present a Hu Gu Teng to the winner. Martial arts uphold 'there is no second in martial arts'; please do not think Wei Mou is stingy."

Hu Gu Teng is a heavenly treasure to break through Super Rank; no one present did not covet it. If not for the fact that Super Ranks descending to fight juniors for milk would be chased out, even more experts would have arrived; hearing this, many in the Jianghu showed eager eyes.

Wei Wu Yi scanned the crowd and continued: "Wei Mou has been idle for decades and also wants to see what bearing the young generation of Great Qian has today. Which young friend is willing to be the first to ascend the stage?"

The crowd present was full of heroes, none of whom were harmless, and their goal was to snatch the Super Rank entry ticket.

But being the first to go up meant the most attention, and also easily becoming cannon fodder; most people wanted to observe the situation first.

Seeing this, Nangong Ye wanted to whisper to Xie Jinhuan to discuss how to fight this arena match.

But he saw Meiqiu, squatting on the chair, raise her wings and pat the back of Xie Jinhuan's head:

"Gooji!"

Xie Jinhuan indeed did not disappoint Meiqiu; he stood up holding a long spear:

"I will try."

A clear voice rang out, and all the martial wanderers present turned their heads together.

Even Nangong Ye was shocked and wanted to pull this rascal back, but obviously it was too late; low murmurs had already risen around:

"Whose young person is this? Such courage..."

"Using a spear, is it Zhang Jian from the Six Harmonies Gate?"

"The Six Harmonies Gate is sitting up there; over there is the seat for the Immortal Wanderers..."

Xie Jinhuan had caught 'demon bandits' at Wei Wu Yi's venue yesterday; Wei Lu had pointed him out backstage, so Wei Wu Yi obviously knew him, but in this kind of occasion, he asked normally:

"Who is the young friend?"

Xie Jinhuan walked to the center of the arena, holding his long spear, and bowed with a martial salute.

"Xie Jinhuan of Danyang."

The sect leaders seated around him were not deaf to the world; upon hearing this name, their eyes all flickered with surprise.

Duan Yuechou of Fengshan Society, seated in the second seat and ranked second in the martial path, glanced over slightly:

"Who is this young man's master?"

Long Boyuan, leaning back in his chair nearby, replied:

"Unclear, but fame never lies—no one will dare step up for this match."

And indeed, things unfolded exactly as Long Boyuan predicted.

After Xie Jinhuan announced his name, Wei Wu Yi scanned the many warriors who had moments ago been eager to challenge:

"Young Master Xie has recently achieved remarkable feats in Jingzhao Prefecture. Though a newcomer to the martial path, his abilities are surely known to all—may I ask which young friend will step forward to test him?"

The Geda Sect leaders exchanged glances but none moved—they clearly did not wish to waste their own match schedule just to probe Xie Jinhuan's depth.

Xie Jinhuan held his spear slanted toward the ground, waited a moment, then, seeing no one dared to rise, taunted:

"If you all have only this much courage, then there's no need to compete. Warriors seek 'no one before them'—Hu Gu Teng is not meant for those who hide behind others, waiting for an opening." "Huh…"

The scattered martial artists watching outside felt that fame indeed bore no falsehood—this boldness alone was terrifying.

The Geda Sect's top young talents, provoked by Xie Jinhuan's taunt, many wished to step forward—but were held back by their senior mentors.

At the edge of the arena, in the Jinghua Shanzhuang's seating area, the young master Bao Fei spotted his old enemy and turned crimson with rage; he leaned close to his father's ear and said:

"This boy and I have fought before—he's indeed strong, but only by a thread. With your cultivation, no matter how skilled his techniques, brute force can overcome ten tricks…"

Bao Xiaolin, over sixty, broad-shouldered with temples streaked white, had cultivated his strength through years of endurance.

Though fame never lies, Xie Jinhuan is barely twenty—surely he hasn't entered Rank 1?

Even if he has entered Rank 1, he can't possibly be at its peak, can he?

Though Bao Xiaolin's talent and attainments were mediocre, he had finally cultivated his way to strength, and he too harbored ambitions of winning this tournament.

Others had no grudge against Xie Jinhuan, but his son had been beaten into vomiting three sheng of blood—now, facing him on the arena, he had no choice but to step forward. He reached for the sword at his side and stood up.

The surrounding martial artists, seeing Jinghua Shanzhuang stir, began to mock:

"You, Bao Fei? You think you can defeat Xie Jinhuan by name alone?"

"Hey! Your tongue's too sharp…"

…

But when they saw who stepped forward, the crowd erupted again:

"Bao Xiaolin is fighting himself?!"

"Sixty-something counts as a young disciple? This is bullying the young with age!"

"Before Wei Mengzhu, sixty is still young…"

…

Wei Wu Yi didn't recognize the young man, but he clearly knew Bao Xiaolin.

He had even seen Bao Xiaolin compete twenty years ago; now he felt a pang of "things remain, but people have changed":

"Master Bao, twenty years since we last met—you've aged considerably."

Bao Xiaolin walked forward with his blade, bowed slightly:

"I, Bao, am of mediocre talent, unlike Wei Lao. If I lose today, next year's Hero Gathering, Wei Lao will no longer see me."

Wei Wu Yi said nothing inappropriate, merely raised his hand slightly:

"Gentlemen, begin."

As his words fell, Sanjiangkou fell silent, save for the thunderous roar of stone cliffs smashing into Dajiang:

Boom—boom—boom…

Bao Xiaolin stood firm in the arena, studying the white-robed spearman across from him:

"A single blade against a spear is no advantage—it balances the age gap. Young Master Xie injured my son in Danyang; today, we settle this old grudge."

Xie Jinhuan remembered Jinghua Shanzhuang vividly because of the name "Bao Fei."

Seeing the son's insolence had drawn a beating, and now the father came to settle accounts, Xie Jinhuan said nothing—he planted his spear in the ground, unfastened the twin weapons at his waist, and beckoned to Wei Lu.

Wei Lu, watching from beneath the Sacrificial Dragon Altar, saw Xie Jinhuan's commanding demeanor and thought only:

A true man should be like this…

Seeing the gesture, Wei Lu understood—he unfastened his waist saber and tossed it over.

Whoosh~

The sect leaders watching this scene all looked astonished:

"Using a saber against a saber—this boy is too arrogant…"

"If you're not bold in youth, what's the point of being young?"

"Can he even stand against Bao Xiaolin?"

…

Bao Xiaolin, seeing Xie Jinhuan actually switch to a saber, also showed surprise:

"Young Master Xie—do you refuse to gain an advantage, or do you not regard me at all?"

Xie Jinhuan caught the single saber, his expression calm:

"I merely wish to spare you the lingering bitterness of thinking you lost because of your weapon, not your martial skill."

"…."

Most of the martial spectators had not yet grasped the meaning.

But Bao Xiaolin gave a slight nod—he understood: he was not being regarded at all! He prepared to teach him a lesson, left and right, so he would have not a single excuse for defeat.

The words have been said; no more need be spoken.

Bao Xiaolin slid his feet apart, gripped the hilt with his right hand, and his entire aura stabilized instantly; though white hairs streaked his temples, he stood like a crouching tiger, ready to strike.

Xie Jinhuan's tone was arrogant, but he did not overreach; his feet planted front and back, he drew his blade and held it vertically before his centerline, left hand resting on the spine, his stance as steady as a coiled dragon.

The martial artists present fell silent, holding their breath.

Because all were experts in the martial way, merely seeing their opening stances, they could already guess how this fight would unfold.

In internal combat between martial artists above Rank 1, their protective true qi can deflect sword qi and blade winds; only direct flesh-to-flesh strikes and blade-to-blood cuts can wound the opponent.

Thus, the method of combat reverted to the most primal state of the martial artist.

And with close-quarters combat, martial skill is severely tested—this is why even a demonic cultivator with a body half a rank stronger cannot defeat a top-tier martial artist.

The martial artist's physique is merely the foundation; the "skill" in martial art is the core forged through countless hammer blows.

The ancestral blade technique of Jinghua Manor is "Thunderclap Blade"—its opening is swift as thunder, its power immense, a hallmark of fierce, forceful style; in battle, it seizes the initiative, and one solid strike triggers a chain of follow-ups.

Xie Jinhuan's stance, however, was unusual—balanced offense and defense, lacking any school's signature traits, suited for adapting and countering after the opponent moves.

Facing Thunderclap Blade's initiative, theoretically, he was at a disadvantage.

But with the enemy stronger and himself weaker, matching Thunderclap Blade for initiative was indeed unwise; yet as long as he wasn't crushed in one wave, his counterattack space was far greater.

Both sides stood firm, and Sanjiangkou fell silent, all eyes locked in rapt attention.

Seeing Xie Jinhuan adopt a defensive posture, almost inviting attack, Bao Xiaolin guessed Xie Jinhuan might be preparing to use the Invincible Body divine technique he'd used against his son.

This technique strongly counters forceful styles; Bao Xiaolin sought openings, but Xie Jinhuan was now a stone—offering not the slightest gap to exploit—he could only strike head-on.

After a brief pause, Bao Xiaolin shifted his foot slightly:

Clang—

The blade flashed from its sheath, drawing a line of white lightning!

Of those present, nine out of ten had barely registered the motion before Bao Xiaolin leapt forward, dragging a silver glow, appearing before Xie Jinhuan, blade sheathed in his full strength, slashing toward his waist and abdomen.

Xie Jinhuan's reaction was minimal; as Bao Xiaolin struck, he pulled his right foot back to brace his body, left hand pressing against the blade's edge.

Clang—

The blades met, the metallic clash echoing across the riverbank!

Bao Xiaolin unleashed his full force, attempting to overpower his opponent with brute strength and knock him over.

The savage qi erupted; the grass behind Xie Jinhuan was instantly blasted into a fan-shaped wave of earth, and his entire body slid backward several zhang!

But Xie Jinhuan clamped the blade between both hands, his sliding form like a dragon resting on a stone ridge—shoulders, back, and lower body utterly unmoved!

With one strike, Bao Xiaolin realized this youth had definitely entered Rank 1, and his foundation was as unshakable as a beast's—his limbs could not be shaken at all.

But if he could drive the opponent back, the opponent would struggle to root himself firmly to the ground.

Bao Xiaolin did not miss the chance to push his foe back; he stomped hard and pursued, his body spinning as he moved, the great blade whipping up a storm of flying earth:

"Hah—!"

Before Xie Jinhuan's slide could halt, another heavy slash, no weaker in force, struck the blade again.

Clang—

Xie Jinhuan's form stood as solid as a rock; he merely adjusted the angle of his single blade, bracing it like a dragon ridge.

Clang clang clang clang—

Sparks flew everywhere in the arena!

In an instant, Sanjiangkou, once calm and still, erupted into fierce blade winds and towering dust!

Bao Xiaolin's aura raged like a ferocious tiger, his blades striking in relentless succession—nine strikes hammered onto the single blade, the explosive crashes deafening; from afar, he looked like a mad tiger, wrapped in biting blade winds, carving a trench over a zhang wide across the yellow earth, charging straight to the arena's edge.

Xie Jinhuan's sliding form never stopped—his speed even increased—but his stance changed little; he merely adjusted the angle of his single blade with lightning speed, bracing every savage slash with flawless defense.

The Seven Martial Titans seated around Jilong Terrace, seeing this, knew Bao Xiaolin was in trouble.

Xie Jinhuan appeared to be chased and slashed, but as long as his body stood firm like a rock, he would exhaust Thunderclap Blade.

If Bao Xiaolin could not find an opening to strike his torso, he was merely hacking stone; once his momentum reached its limit, he would have no chance to recover or reset—inevitably inviting a counterattack.

Xie Jinhuan's defensive stance required no dodging or shifting; he only needed to adjust his posture before the next strike came and catch the heavy blow—if he still made a mistake, he shouldn't have lived this long.

Clang clang clang—

Bao Xiaolin unleashed his utmost strength, realized his opponent stood as steady as a mountain, impossible to crush in one wave, and understood the problem: sensing his body nearing its limit, after one strike he leapt backward violently, attempting to create distance—but at that moment:

Boom—

Xie Jinhuan stomped hard, almost as if shadowing his every move, both hands swinging the blade in a full horizontal slash:

"Hah—"

The roar echoed like thunder!

Bao Xiaolin's feet had barely touched ground when the sweeping slash was already before him; he instantly raised his blade to block—

Clang—

The single blade struck the blade's edge like a mighty dragon's tail sweeping, its savage force and terrifying qi surging through both arms and into his torso and organs!

Bao Xiaolin lacked the Dragon Ridge to stabilize his body; though as a martial artist his lower body was naturally firm, the instant he raised his blade to block, his mouth split open, blood gushing, his body sliding back over a zhang—he tried to counter, but alas:

Clang clang clang—

Xie Jinhuan pushed his entire qi to its peak, striking with the same rhythm as Thunderclap Blade, single blade in rapid succession; though the cultivation technique differed, the force was no weaker by half, and the speed was terrifying!

Bao Xiaolin raised his blade to parry, with no chance to counter—after several strikes, he was pushed back from the trench he had just carved!

Normally, when a martial artist unleashes full power, once his momentum reaches a certain point, his limbs and meridians overexert, and from peak strength he declines to exhaustion—then he becomes vulnerable to exploitation.

Bao Xiaolin, with mere mortal flesh, had endured the dragon's charge head-on; his arm muscles and meridians were all shattered, Hukou bleeding profusely, yet he gritted his teeth and held on, seeking even a sliver of chance to counter.

But soon, Xie Jinhuan made everyone present understand what "donkey-like persistence" meant—

Clang clang clang…

Under the watch of tens of thousands, only the biting blade light, wrapped in rolling yellow dust, flashed across the entire arena in an instant—reaching the seating area of a sect.

The onlookers, disciples of the sect masters, scattered in all directions upon seeing this, to avoid being cut to death by the blade wind.

But unfortunately, Bao Xiaolin did not last until this point.

Bao Xiaolin had already reached his limit, yet Xie Jinhuan's assault was like a tide, with no posture of sheathing his blade.

Seeing his arms and internal organs all shaken injured, and the Heaven-Splitting Slash coming again, Bao Xiaolin knew that taking another blow would surely send him flying, and the next one would either kill him or sever his martial path; gritting his teeth, he shouted:

"Hold back!"

The result was that his roar made many sect masters present shudder!

Voom—

Xie Jinhuan held the blade with both hands, his assault like a tide, seemingly overwhelmingly fierce with no restraint, but in truth the technique had not been fully exhausted.

Discovering that Bao Xiaolin could not endure and had surrendered, the downward slash he had charged to its utmost in his hand stopped abruptly in midair with almost no warning.

The single blade, carrying brute inertia and qi force, was suddenly pulled back; the three-foot blade edge trembled violently, almost turning into noodles, as if the slash had struck invisible steel; had the single blade not been of fine quality, it would likely have shattered on the spot.

And yet, with such a violent stop by Xie Jinhuan, normally his qi meridians, muscles, and tendons would surely be shaken injured, but his arms remained steady as dragons and pythons, forcibly holding back the slash that had been thrown out, while his body stopped abruptly in place, becoming as solid as a rock.

Because the stopping of the blade was so exaggerated, Bao Xiaolin did not even react in time; his hands raised to brace for the coming heavy strike, but the blade did not come down; instead, he stumbled forward a step, then his form halted abruptly, his eyes turning to shock!

The Seven Martial Heroes present had initially merely watched calmly, since the two were simply countering moves with moves, with no flaws, yet it was hardly spectacular; anyone with a decent foundation present could produce this level.

But this final violent stop was a bit excessive.

Being able to stop a blade that had been thrown out shows that three parts of the force were retained, and the technique was not fully exhausted; this is quite normal.

Xie Jinhuan performed a two-handed heavy slash that "abruptly stopped" in midair, as if striking something immovable; even the blade could hardly bear it, trembling and buzzing; had it been an ordinary weapon, it would surely have broken at the guard; how did his arms withstand it?

The First-Rank martial artists present, if they tried this, could not be sure whether the blade would stop, but their arm muscles would certainly be strained or even torn.

And even a Super-Rank using the same degree of force would find it somewhat difficult to stop; among the tens of thousands present, only the Seven Martial Heroes were confident they could master it.

Xie Jinhuan appeared to have just entered the First Rank; this already bordered on a physique near demonic, plus flawless combat techniques; against scattered First-Rank opponents, it was indeed bullying.

No wonder he dared to come to Sanjiangkou to seize an opportunity; this foundation indeed held some chance...

Inside and outside the arena, silence reigned, until a moment later, some noise arose:

"Ho..."

During their earlier exchange, Bao Xiaolin had only felt pressure like a mountain; but upon discovering the opponent's blade stopped in midair, his physique steady as a rock, and seemingly unharmed by the backlash of qi force, his eyes turned to the utterly unimaginable; after standing stunned for a long while, he finally reversed his grip on his sword, stepped back a few paces, and clasped his hands in a martial courtesy:

"Xie Shaoxia, your skill is impressive. Thank you."

"You are too kind."

Xie Jinhuan's single slash could have worsened Bao Xiaolin's injuries by three parts, but a duel is a duel; defeating the opponent is enough; he returned the courtesy, then lightly flipped his wrist to spin a blade flower, and the long blade sheathed itself in the blink of an eye:

Whoosh whoosh whoosh...

Clang—

The fluid, cloud-and-water-like demeanor, paired with a cold and extraordinary bearing, made many knightly ladies and Ladies present's hearts skip a beat!

Wei Lu had practiced the blade-sheathing form for a month or so, feeling she had already taken on some semblance, but only now realized she still had much to practice...

Nangong Ye, seeing this handsome and refined bearing, felt her eyes shift.

But recalling this young man's overconfidence in her boudoir, she quickly suppressed the stray thoughts in her heart-lake...

—

Requesting monthly tickets~

Two and a half chapters combined, counted as a monthly ticket bonus update or2!

Just finished writing; tomorrow's chapter hasn't started yet; tomorrow it might be even later, since typing takes time; please understand, or2!

(End of this chapter)