Great Dao Lord through Deducing Myriad Arts

Chapter 269: Chapter 226: Breakthrough to Grandmaster, a Step into a Wider World

Despite the perfectly smooth ground, the sedan chair carriers maintained incredibly stable footing. They cut through the crowd at a startling speed before coming to a firm halt in front of Wu Liangchen, the chair not swaying in the slightest the entire time.

The curtain was then lifted, and a man leisurely stepped out.

He was a portly, fair-skinned, middle-aged man. So well-cared-for was he that not a single wrinkle creased his face, and his hair was combed with meticulous precision.

He wore a faint smile, the very picture of a man whose affability brings him wealth. He looked nothing like the Grandmaster Swordsman who had founded a sect; he was more like a merchant.

But that was just the facade an ordinary person would see. In Wu Liangchen’s eyes, this middle-aged man was exceptionally dangerous.

Though he just stood there simply, his aura was a seamless whole, enveloping him like a tortoise shell with absolutely no openings.

’So this is a Swordsman of the Grandmaster Realm?’

’He’s truly powerful!’

Wu Liangchen’s thoughts raced.

Meanwhile, Gu Yi looked at Wu Liangchen with a beaming smile and offered his praise.

"I’ve long heard that Young Hero Wu is the most dazzlingly brilliant talent of Great Yan’s younger generation. Seeing you today, I know the rumors are true."

His words were sincere, like an elder praising an outstanding junior in the clan.

From a distance, Jiang Feng couldn’t help but sigh softly upon hearing this. He murmured, "That Gu Yi... No matter the situation, he never stops playing his little mind games."

Xu Kai, beside him, looked completely baffled. "How is he playing mind games?" he whispered.

"You’re not a Martial Artist, so you wouldn’t understand. The clash between them actually began the moment Master Wu arrived."

"Gu Yi deliberately delayed his arrival to wear down Master Wu’s edge. Now he’s acting like an elder and praising Wu Liangchen. If Wu Liangchen acknowledges the praise, he’d be willingly lowering his own status, which would be another major blow to his edge."

"Is that ’edge’ so important?" Xu Kai asked curiously.

"Of course. It’s as they say: in a head-on clash, the bolder one prevails. If a Martial Artist loses their edge, it’s like tying their own arms. They’re defeated before the fight even starts. Now, we’ll see how Master Wu handles this," Jiang Feng said.

Meanwhile, Wu Liangchen, in the center of the dueling ground, acted as if he hadn’t heard a word Gu Yi said. He slowly drew the saber from his back.

The blade flashed with a cold light as he pointed it directly at Gu Yi.

"Enough talk. Draw your sword and fight!"

No matter how profound Gu Yi’s self-control was, even he couldn’t maintain his composure now.

A vicious glint flashed in his eyes. "What an arrogant young punk," he said coldly. "I’ve held back time and again, yet you keep pushing. Don’t blame me for what happens next!"

"I wouldn’t want you to!"

The moment he finished speaking, Wu Liangchen charged forward and slashed down with his saber.

It was a wide, sweeping strike of immense power, and combined with the momentum of his charge, it was breathtakingly fearsome.

But in the face of Wu Liangchen’s attack, Gu Yi merely sneered. Without even drawing his sword, he raised both hands and, in the space of a hair’s breadth, slapped them against the side of the descending blade.

With a CLANG, the saber was deflected.

Gu Yi’s figure then blurred, and he struck directly at Wu Liangchen’s head.

The palm strike carried a chilling wind, and its power was nothing short of formidable.

Even Jiang Feng, who was watching from the sidelines, couldn’t help but let out a low cry of alarm.

"Such incredible palm-work."

At the same time, a worried expression crossed his face.

Gu Yi truly lived up to his reputation as a master of the Grandmaster Realm; even his palm techniques were in a class of their own.

If the strike Wu Liangchen had just displayed was the full extent of his power, then defeating Gu Yi would be next to impossible.

While the fortune he’d wagered wasn’t enough to cripple the Jiang family, it was still a significant sum. It would definitely sting to lose it.

But the money was one thing. More importantly, Jiang Feng truly wanted Wu Liangchen to win.

It wasn’t just because he’d learned from his father about the heinous deeds Gu Yi had committed. It was also because he longed to see a change in the Imperial Capital’s martial world—a world made stagnant and impenetrable by connections and status.

And he was sure he wasn’t the only one who felt this way; the other young Martial Artists must have felt the same.

Just then, a flash of saber light suddenly erupted on the field.

The light was so brilliant that despite the distance, Jiang Feng felt a stinging pain in his eyes.

In a blur, Gu Yi retreated hastily. When he landed, his expression was grim.

At the same time, a trickle of fresh blood snaked down his left palm and dripped onto the snow below, a stark and jarring sight.

The crowd erupted in an uproar.

No one had expected the great battle to draw blood so quickly.

And it was Gu Yi who was injured!

Those who had bet on Wu Liangchen to win were overjoyed, while those who’d bet on Gu Yi looked utterly devastated.

Jiang Feng’s spirits soared, and he couldn’t help but shout in praise, "A brilliant strike!"

The moment he finished, Wu Liangchen turned his head and glanced at him.

Jiang Feng gave an embarrassed smile.

Wu Liangchen, however, gave him a slight nod before turning back to face Gu Yi.

"If you still refuse to draw your sword, my next strike will take your head," Wu Liangchen said coolly.

Gu Yi’s eyes narrowed, his expression turning grave.

"I admit, I underestimated you just now. But don’t get smug over it. A Grandmaster is still a Grandmaster—hardly someone a mere Minor Fourth Realm... can hope to challenge!"

As he spoke, the wound on his left palm was already closing up. Then, with a sudden flick of his wrist, an Odd-shaped Sword appeared in his hand as if by magic.