Chapter 24: Duel with Jian Chen

Jiansheng, who was about to face a life-or-death battle in three days, did not make any pre-battle preparations, but instead brought Duan Fengyun into a green bamboo forest.

Looking at the surroundings of the bamboo forest, Jiansheng sighed, "Twenty years have passed; nothing here has changed, yet I am already in my twilight years."

Duan Fengyun stood to the side and buttered him up, saying, "Uncle, you are still vigorous and strong, with your power increasing day by day."

Jiansheng laughed heartily and said, "That blockhead Duan Shuai, how did he manage to produce a clever son like you who knows how to talk? Haha."

After speaking, Jiansheng continued to lead Duan Fengyun deeper into the bamboo forest, telling him as they walked:

"Buried deep in this bamboo forest is the wife of my lifelong rival, Wuming. To mourn his beloved wife and retire from the jianghu, Wuming has lived in the depths of this forest for a long time. Today, I will take you, kid, to see the Martial Arts Myth who has long been legendary in the jianghu."

By the time Jiansheng finished speaking, they had already reached their destination.

Before them was not a single lonely grave as Jiansheng had described, but two graves standing side by side.

One was an old tombstone that Jiansheng recognized, engraved with: "Grave of Wei Yingxiong's beloved wife." The other was a new tombstone engraved with five large characters: "Grave of Wei Yingxiong."

Staring at the second, new grave, Jiansheng said madly, "Wuming, I spent twenty years in Seclusion just to defeat you, and now you have died just like this? Then what was the point of my twenty years of Seclusion? Wuming, you get up and live for me!"

It turned out that this Wei Yingxiong was Wuming.

Jiansheng looked at Wuming's grave in extreme grief; Wuming was both his lifelong rival and his only soulmate in this life. Now that Wuming had passed away, he felt there was no meaning left for him to live.

But he still refused to believe that a generation's Martial Arts Myth would exit the stage like this; he wanted to open Wuming's grave to see for himself.

"The dead are to be respected; why does Jiansheng disturb their peace?"

At this moment, a monk spoke up, interrupting Jiansheng's actions.

Duan Fengyun took a look—wasn't this the monk Puzhi who had been injured by him during the struggle for the Fire Monkey?

The monk looked at Duan Fengyun, pressed his palms together, and said, "Hall Master Duan, we meet again. The once majestic Tianwen Hall Master of the World Association is now a target of the World Association's pursuit. Truly, the world is impermanent. Amitabha."

Hearing this, Jiansheng asked Duan Fengyun in confusion:

"Kid, this old bald donkey says you are some bullshit Hall Master of the World Association. What is going on?"

Seeing that his past had been exposed, Duan Fengyun cursed the monk for meddling in his heart, and hurriedly explained to Jiansheng: "Uncle, I will not hide it from you; I was indeed once the Tianwen Hall Master of the World Association. But none of this was my intention."

Seeing that Jiansheng still held a hint of blame, he continued to add:

"My late father passed away when I was six or seven. By a stroke of luck, I was brought to the World Association by Xiongba, who then took me as his disciple. I served as Xiongba's executioner for ten years. Some time ago, because I was dissatisfied with Xiongba sowing discord among the four of us brothers, I rebelled and left the World Association. Uncle, I did not participate in Xiongba killing City Lord Dugu or destroying Wushuang City; please believe me."

After speaking, he looked at Jiansheng and, seeing that his expression had returned to normal, he hurriedly let out a sigh of relief.

Jiansheng looked at the monk Puzhi and asked, "Old bald donkey, stop meddling in other people's business."

The monk Puzhi pressed his palms together and said, "Donor Jiansheng, Donor Wuming has already departed for the Western Heaven of Ultimate Bliss; why must you disturb his peace?"

"You monk, you really are meddlesome. Today, I am determined to open Wuming's grave to take a look."

Jiansheng was not one to tolerate this monk and prepared to take action directly.

Seeing this, the monk acknowledged that although he was no match for Jiansheng, he still had to resist a little.

Just as the two sides were at daggers drawn, an echo rang out in the bamboo forest:

"The dead are to be respected; why do you two disturb the peace of my master and mistress?"

Having said this, a man in white flew out from the forest. This man

wore a straight-cut robe of white polyester-cotton fabric, had a head of ink-black long hair, and a pair of bright, piercing eyes; he was truly dashing and heroic.

Duan Fengyun looked at the man who had come to show off and muttered to himself: "This Jian Chen looks quite intimidating, but it's a pity he's a 'battle-five-scum'."

Having read the original work thoroughly, Duan Fengyun naturally knew who this man was—who else could it be but the "King of Taking Ls" in *Feng Yun*, Jian Chen?

Jiansheng looked at Jian Chen, and when he saw the sword Jian Chen was holding, he instantly lost his composure and asked urgently:

"Kid, who are you? How is the Hero Sword in your hands?"

Jian Chen cupped his fists and responded politely:

"Junior is Jian Chen. This Hero Sword was passed down by my master."

"Your master? You are Wuming's disciple?"

Jiansheng asked in disbelief; he had never heard of Wuming taking on disciples.

Jian Chen replied: "My master is indeed Wuming."

After confirming Jian Chen's identity, Jiansheng pointed at Duan Fengyun and said to Jian Chen:

"Good, since you are Wuming's disciple, your Mysterious Sword Technique must be superb. Let my disciple spar with you and see whose disciple is stronger, mine or Wuming's."

Jiansheng looked at Duan Fengyun and said, "Kid, don't lose face for me. If you lose, don't say you learned my sword technique."

Duan Fengyun also wanted to spar with this "King of Taking Ls" to see exactly how much skill Wuming's disciple really had.

Duan Fengyun drew the Fire Scale Sword from his waist, pointed it at Jian Chen, and said, "Sir, blades have no eyes; please be careful."

Jian Chen replied: "Thank you for the warning, sir; please take care yourself as well."

With that, Jian Chen also drew the Hero Sword in his hand, and two of the great divine weapons of the jianghu appeared simultaneously.

Duan Fengyun used the Holy Spirit Sword Technique, while Jian Chen used the Mysterious Sword Technique. Vaguely, Duan Fengyun felt that Jian Chen's sword moves were like a restraint on his own; Jian Chen always made his move a step ahead, and before Duan Fengyun could even strike, he was already being countered.

Duan Fengyun figured it must be that he had not yet fully mastered the Holy Spirit Sword Technique, so he changed his style of attack, and Sword Twenty-Two made a brilliant appearance.

Sure enough, Sword Twenty-Two was more comfortable to use; Duan Fengyun was no longer being preempted by Jian Chen, and the two sides fought to a draw.

After their swords clashed, Duan Fengyun, whose competitive spirit had been ignited, could not accept that he couldn't even beat the "King of Taking Ls." He disregarded everything else, holding his sword in his right hand to continue the duel with Jian Chen, while his left hand struck out with the Cloud-Seeping Palm toward Jian Chen, who also used his palm to resist.

The two began a contest of internal energy through their palms. Duan Fengyun now had the Three Ultimates True Qi coursing through all his Meridians, and he had also consumed two Fire Bodhis in Lingyun Cave; his internal energy was already beyond what his peers could compare to.

In less than a minute, Jian Chen was defeated. Seeing Jian Chen lose, Duan Fengyun did not prepare to stop; he knew Wuming was nearby and wanted to force him to show himself.

Just as Jian Chen was about to be hit by the Cloud-Seeping Palm, a burst of Sword Qi struck Duan Fengyun's palm, and the Cloud-Seeping Palm was instantly broken.

Jiansheng exclaimed: "Mysterious Sword Technique! Are you Wuming?"

At this time, a middle-aged man who looked ordinary and simple walked out from the forest. Jiansheng beamed with joy and said, "Wuming, I knew it was you. You really didn't die."

Wuming did not pay attention to Jiansheng's words, but looked straight at Duan Fengyun and said, "My disciple has already been defeated; why must you still deal a lethal blow?"

Duan Fengyun replied respectfully: "I did not believe that a generation's Martial Arts Myth, Wuming, would pass away so quietly, so I wanted to use the senior's disciple to test the senior's reaction."

Wuming smiled on his face: "You are truly exceptionally clever."

Seeing Wuming come out, Jian Chen said with a face full of shame: "Master, I am sorry. My skills were inferior to others, I have shamed you, and I even caused your identity to be exposed."

Wuming walked to Jian Chen's side, patted Jian Chen on the shoulder, and said: "Master does not blame you. This young hero Duan has profound internal energy; among his peers, he is already hard to find an opponent."

Wuming pressed one hand against his palm toward the monk Puzhi to express his gratitude for the monk Puzhi's intervention just now.

Seeing that Wuming had already come out, the monk Puzhi knew there was nothing left for him to do, so he bid farewell to the crowd and left.

Finally, Wuming walked up to Jiansheng, looked at this old friend and old rival, and said: "Old friend, we haven't seen each other for twenty years, yet you are still so stubborn about victory and defeat."

Jiansheng laughed and replied: "Twenty years ago, I was defeated by you. I have been in Seclusion for twenty years just to achieve a Breakthrough to a new realm so that one day I can defeat you, the Martial Arts Myth."

Wuming smiled slightly and said: "Is victory or defeat that important? Once upon a time, I also believed that victory and defeat were more important than life, more important than everything. But ever since my wife passed away, I have realized there are things more important than victory, defeat, and honor."

Jiansheng shook his head and said: "I do not understand. I, Dugu Jian, live only for the sword; honor surpasses everything."

Jiansheng remained relentless, the atmosphere at the scene became awkward, and there was a faint sense of swords being drawn and bows being bent once again.