Chapter 184: Chapter 183: Defeated for a Lifetime
Suddenly, Nie Shuang, saber in hand, charged toward Wen Qingye.
The body of the saber in Nie Shuang’s hands pulsed with a massive amount of Primordial Qi. It scraped against the ground, leaving a long, scorched trail in its wake. Nie Shuang’s figure loomed larger and larger before Wen Qingye, the rampaging Primordial Qi about to crash down upon him.
"Asura Swordsmanship, Heaven-Sundering Technique!"
Nie Shuang gripped his saber tightly with both hands, raising it high above his head with overwhelming momentum. He leaped into the air, and for a moment, he seemed to merge with the sun behind him, appearing incomparably domineering. The brilliant Sword Aura from his blade dazzled the eyes of the onlookers.
At this, Wen Qingye no longer held back. The One Thought Sword in his hand suddenly erupted with soaring flames, and the surrounding air felt as if it was about to ignite. For several yards around him, the very air began to distort. Wen Qingye appeared to be standing in a roaring inferno, yet there were no flames—only motes of fiery light.
"Four Symbols Sword Technique, Second Form—Heaven Burning Fire!"
If Wen Qingye had held back with his Four Symbols Sword Technique before, this time he held absolutely nothing back. He unleashed the full power of the King-Grade Martial Arts. The One Thought Sword in his hand hummed softly, emitting strange, rhythmic vibrations.
He swung his sword! It carried the power to burn down the very heavens, and everything in its path seemed to shrink away.
The Nine Zero Saber in Nie Shuang’s hands clashed heavily against Wen Qingye’s sword. Instantly, a cataclysmic roar—like mountains collapsing and the earth splitting asunder—rippled outward. Even the sound waves themselves manifested as tangible Primordial Qi.
The Martial Artists at the front hurriedly circulated their Primordial Qi to defend against the shockwave.
Those farther back desperately covered their ears. Some who were too close and had low cultivation even began to bleed from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
BOOM!
Both combatants were thrown back, each stumbling three or four yards. The ground cracked beneath their feet. The dense Primordial Qi rolled outward in a massive wave before slowly dissipating.
"The second move! Asura Swordsmanship, Celestial Destruction Technique!"
Glancing at the new crack on the blade of his Nine Zero Saber, Nie Shuang grit his teeth and slashed toward Wen Qingye again. Wen Qingye had just regained his balance when he saw Nie Shuang lunging at him once more.
The saber in Nie Shuang’s hands seemed to transform into the phantom of a giant blade, nearly fifty feet long. A boundless, powerful aura spread from it.
The phantom blade chopped downward. Wen Qingye felt a gale sweep over him, the force of it stinging his cheeks.
Wen Qingye’s eyes were fixed on the descending phantom blade. For a split second, it was as if he was lost in thought, only to snap back to clarity in the next instant.
SWISH!
Wen Qingye flourished his One Thought Sword, creating a series of sword blossoms that danced in the air, each trailing slivers of cold light.
"Break!"
Wen Qingye thrust the One Thought Sword forward. It seemed a simple, unremarkable strike, but the blade was coated in a layer of transparent Sword Qi.
CLANG!
The giant phantom blade halted in mid-air. Wen Qingye’s sword was pressed directly against its edge. Nie Shuang’s face was flushed red with effort, but his saber could not advance another inch.
With one combatant floating in the air and the other standing firm on the ground, they were locked in a stalemate.
"Go down!" Nie Shuang roared, gritting his teeth. The Primordial Qi in his body surged even more violently, and the phantom blade above pulsed with rampaging energy.
BOOM!
Wen Qingye felt a world-shaking force travel up his arm, and his palm burned as if on fire.
THUD!
A loud CRACK echoed as the ground beneath Wen Qingye spiderwebbed with fissures. He staggered back four or five steps before coming to a halt. A sweet, metallic taste filled his mouth, and he spat out a spray of blood.
"Did he lose?"
"So Wen Qingye couldn’t even last until the third move?"
"Nie Shuang’s power really skyrocketed after using that Secret Skill."
"What a pity. If Nie Shuang hadn’t used the Secret Skill, the outcome would have been anyone’s guess."
...
Nie Shuang looked at Wen Qingye, his heart swelling with confidence. He couldn’t resist taunting, "There’s still the third move. I didn’t think you’d fail to even withstand the second. I have to say, I’m a little disappointed."
"Is that so?" Wen Qingye gently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze fixed on Nie Shuang, who looked as if victory was already in his grasp.
"Wen Qingye, you are not my opponent. My true rival is Wen Tongyu. It’s time to end this."
With that, Nie Shuang gripped his Nine Zero Saber with both hands, continuously pouring Primordial Qi into the blade. His aura grew a notch stronger than it had been moments ago.
Nie Shuang was truly worthy of his reputation as a genius of Celestial Academy. Each move of his Asura Swordsmanship was more powerful and more ferocious than the last.
"Asura Swordsmanship, Unpredictable Form!"
This was the final move of the Asura Swordsmanship, and also the most difficult to master. To execute it, one had to have cultivated the Asura Swordsmanship to the Transformation Realm.
Gripping his saber with both hands, Nie Shuang unleashed a horizontal slash. It came with a piercing roar that assaulted the ears of the crowd.
Blood trickled from the web of Wen Qingye’s hand, but he paid it no mind. His eyes narrowed as he watched the boundless Sword Qi surge toward him. In a flash, Wen Qingye raised his One Thought Sword.
Suddenly, a layer of cyan light coated his sword. A fierce gale erupted, and the wind itself seemed to take on color, flecks of cyan swirling continuously around the Sword Body.
"Four Symbols Sword Technique, Third Form! Wind Without Trace!"
Wen Qingye slashed his sword forward horizontally. The blade unleashed a streak of cyan Sword Qi that shot toward Nie Shuang at an unbelievable speed.
In the blink of an eye, the Sword Qi reached Nie Shuang. A cold sneer played on his lips as he roared, "This is the final move!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The cyan Sword Qi slammed into Nie Shuang’s saber, creating a deafening series of crashes. Just then, Nie Shuang’s expression changed drastically. An immense force shot through his arms, and the saber was knocked from his grasp.
CLANG!
The cyan Sword Qi continued hurtling toward Nie Shuang. His face a mask of horror, he stumbled backward, but how could he possibly outrun Wen Qingye’s Sword Qi?
This cyan Sword Qi was so sharp, so utterly domineering!
Nie Shuang squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for death.
After what felt like an eternity, Nie Shuang slowly opened his eyes. He was drenched in sweat. Ahead of him, Wen Qingye calmly sheathed his sword and looked at him with a faint smile. "I said I would defeat you in three moves. Not one more, not one less."
Something shattered in Nie Shuang’s mind. For reasons he couldn’t explain, the image of the ever-calm Wen Qingye and his sword became deeply seared into his very soul, an unforgettable, almost distant memory.
He knew, with a dreadful certainty, that he could never surpass Wen Qingye in this lifetime. He had lost to Wen Tongyu before, but this defeat at Wen Qingye’s hands felt like a loss for a lifetime.
"I... I lost."
