Chapter 36: The First Battle, Won!

"Your sword strikes lack vigor!"

Su Zhangqing struck down Senior Brother Zhang's sword with one blow and said to him solemnly.

Senior Brother Zhang gritted his teeth and swung his sword with all his might.

"Your footwork lacks speed!"

Su Zhangqing took a light step and easily dodged the few moves Senior Brother Zhang had just launched.

Senior Brother Zhang then quickened his pace.

As the two fought, one attacking and one defending, Su Zhangqing remained calm and composed, while Senior Brother Zhang, despite exhausting all his skills, could no longer touch even a hair of Su Zhangqing.

The crowd watched in astonishment, everyone clearly understanding the current situation.

"Both are at the Foundation Establishment Stage 1, so how can Su Zhangqing suppress Senior Brother Zhang like this? I feel despair just watching for Senior Brother Zhang; it is simply a match with no hope of victory."

"Is Su Zhangqing toying with Zhang Ping?"

"It doesn't look like it to me; it looks more like when our Master teaches us the Dao of the sword, instructing us move by move."

"I agree with that view. Look, under Su Zhangqing's guidance, Senior Brother Zhang's sword skills are becoming increasingly refined, and both his sword techniques and footwork have become noticeably more proficient."

The bystander sees clearly, while the one involved is not necessarily confused.

At this moment, as Senior Brother Zhang exchanged moves with Su Zhangqing, he also realized that Su Zhangqing had no intention of truly fighting him, but was instead guiding him to unleash more vigorous sword moves and take more agile steps.

He let go of his desire for victory and focused entirely on following Su Zhangqing's guidance.

Gradually, he seemed to feel a glimmer of insight he had never attained before.

Just as Su Zhangqing had said, he had always practiced sword moves merely to mimic their form, never feeling the inner essence of the Dao of the sword. His Master, Ceng Shuchang, had pointed this out countless times, but he had never been able to grasp it, eventually leaving his Master helpless and no longer mentioning it, so he had just aimlessly pursued the perfection of sword forms.

Only today did he feel as if he had been walking in the dark for a long time and finally looked up to see a bright star.

"A long roar at the Heavenly Gate, ten thousand miles of clear breeze arrive!"

"Senior Brother Zhang, again!"

Su Zhangqing focused his mind and shouted loudly at Zhang Ping.

"Ah!"

Upon hearing this shout, Zhang Ping's heart suddenly steadied. He poured his entire being into the Qingfeng Sword Dao he had practiced for a year. The sword force in his hand was incomparably vigorous, his footwork steady and powerful, and he lunged like a wisp of clear breeze, yet hidden within were all sorts of attacks as he slashed toward Su Zhangqing.

At this moment, he broke through his realm!

In just an instant, to the astonishment of the crowd, his momentum surged, and he actually broke directly from Foundation Establishment Stage 1 into Foundation Establishment Stage 2!

Su Zhangqing naturally sensed this, but he remained unperturbed, using the Qingfeng Sword Dao with his small wooden sword as well.

Two Qingfeng Sword Dao strikes of the same move and momentum soon clashed. The two figures, like shadows, shifted left and right on the arena. Clashing waves of clear breeze sword Qi transformed into wisps of breeze that blew onto the spectators below, letting them feel the force within the wind.

After the two had exchanged ten rounds, Senior Brother Zhang was the first to step back.

Everyone was confused, but they saw Zhang Ping slowly put away his sword, hold it with a solemn expression, bow, and say words that left everyone present bewildered: "Junior Brother Zhangqing, this senior brother is defeated, defeated with complete conviction!"

How was he defeated?

Were they not both still on the arena, with no one injured and no one forced off? Had the outcome not yet been decided? Zhang Ping glanced at the surrounding spectators and said to those off the stage with a serious face: "Although I am neither injured nor off the stage, only I know that Junior Brother Zhangqing held back. Otherwise, I would not have lasted three moves under his assault. Furthermore, Junior Brother Zhangqing was only using a wooden sword to fight me. If we continued, I would have no chance of winning."

"Everyone, I have truly been defeated."

After Zhang Ping said this, the crowd finally realized that it seemed to be the case. Although the two had exchanged several rounds, Su Zhangqing had been calm and composed from beginning to end. "Senior Brother Zhang, the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament is for us fellow disciples to spar and improve together; there is no need to speak of defeat."

Su Zhangqing smiled slightly, put away his small wooden sword, and bowed to Zhang Ping.

"Junior Brother Zhangqing, it was this senior brother who underestimated you. Your mastery of the Dao of the sword is something I cannot compare to."

"Having the fortune to spar with you today and receive your guidance, I have not only gained insights into the Dao of the sword I never had before, but I have also managed to break through to Foundation Establishment Stage 2. It was worth stepping onto this arena. I look forward to seeing your performance in the future matches and seeing your true strength."

Having said this, Zhang Ping jumped off the arena quite naturally, yielding the name of the victor to Su Zhangqing.

This battle ended with Su Zhangqing's victory.

"Junior Brother, you are too amazing!"

"That's right! Junior Brother, we never saw you show your skills before; we didn't know your sword Dao was so profound. You were deliberately hiding it from us senior sisters, weren't you?"

"Junior Brother, after the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament is over, how about you personally teach us senior sisters how to practice the sword? We have several questions about the Dao of the sword that we haven't been able to grasp for a long time."

When Su Zhangqing jumped off the arena, the group of senior sisters from Xiaozhu Peak gathered around, each showing a smile like blooming flowers, encouraging Su Zhangqing.

"Senior Sisters, it was just luck, please don't tease me."

Su Zhangqing humbly replied to the senior sisters repeatedly.

This drew more smiles from the senior sisters, and it wasn't until Senior Sister Wen Min came to his rescue that Su Zhangqing was able to catch his breath.

This was truly sweet yet troublesome! After this battle, the story of Su Zhangqing teaching Zhang Ping sword techniques on the arena and helping him break through his realm spread among the crowd, and many people recognized the name Su Zhangqing anew.

However, it was soon drowned out by rumors of other outstanding talents: Lin Jingyu defeating enemies with a single move, Qi Hao not needing to make a move to make his opponent voluntarily concede, Lu Xueqi's deep insights into the Dao of the sword, and so on.

But Su Zhangqing was happy with this; it was best not to attract attention.

Teaching Zhang Ping to grasp the Dao of the sword just now was out of a sense of guilt and because Senior Brother Zhang had a polite attitude; it was not because he wanted to attract others' attention.

The day's matches ended quickly, and Su Zhangqing and a group of talents entered the second round of matches without surprise.

This time, it was no longer by drawing lots, but by randomly selecting opponents from those who had won on their respective arenas. Su Zhangqing was selected to face a Longshou Peak Disciple at the Foundation Establishment Stage 2 Peak.

He had met him a few times, only because this Longshou Peak Disciple was a 'good friend' of Lin Jingyu, and he had encountered him by Lin Jingyu's side several times.

Su Zhangqing did not care about this at all. Just as he had planned, he would first enter the top sixteen so as not to lose face for Xiaozhu Peak, and then find a way to stop there.

Soon, the news of Su Zhangqing's victory reached the ears of Daoxuan and Shuiyue.

"Junior Sister Shuiyue, this child Zhangqing is quite interesting. During the match, he had already cast aside the desire for victory, instead using his own strength to guide others to improve their sword Dao and help them break through their realms. Such a disposition is truly capable of taking on great responsibilities!"

Daoxuan looked at Su Zhangqing's departing back with a kind smile and said to Shuiyue.

Who would have thought that Su Zhangqing, who was initially the least favored and said to have insufficient spiritual roots for cultivation, would today make people feel as if they had been slapped in the face, having become so proficient in the Dao of the sword in just one year.

"This child's disposition is indeed good, but he is only thinking of hiding his talents. I fear that when the time comes, he will again hold back his strength and be unwilling to reveal it."

Shuiyue also acknowledged Su Zhangqing's performance today. As his Master, even she did not know that her little disciple was so proficient in his understanding of the Dao of the sword.

She did not know whether to say she did not pay enough attention to him on a daily basis, or that Su Zhangqing was simply hiding too deeply.

"Just let it be, I believe Su Changqing already has his own answer."

Daoxuan said to himself in a leisurely tone.

(End of chapter)