Chapter 79: Chapter 78: One Sword
In the days that followed, the selection trials for the Four Mountains Martial Arts Gathering were being held in full swing at East Mountain, West Mountain, and South Mountain.
Not all students could participate in the Four Mountains Martial Arts Gathering. With thousands of students across the Three Mountains, letting everyone join would have thrown the entire event into chaos.
Therefore, the other Three Mountains held preliminary trials to select ten students each, while North Mountain, represented solely by Wen Qingye, naturally had no need for one.
Perhaps due to Wen Qingye’s participation this year, the selection process for the Three Mountains was different than usual. Only nine spots were decided through the main trials; the final spot on each mountain was reserved for a new student—someone from Wen Qingye’s own generation.
After all, if new and senior students had to compete together in the trials, the newcomers would have virtually no chance of qualifying for the Four Mountains Martial Arts Gathering.
Wen Qingye, for his part, had been cultivating frantically. His cultivation had been steadily increasing until he’d reached the Peak of Refining Essence Third Layer Heaven. He was now just one step away from breaking through to the Refining Essence Fourth Layer Heaven.
But this day was destined to be anything but peaceful, for visitors from West Mountain had arrived.
Gu Xiong, flanked by his entourage from West Mountain, strode toward Wen Qingye and smiled. "Wen Qingye, I’m not particularly interested in Luo Tang’s skill. I’m only interested in yours. I heard you used an incredibly powerful Finger Technique back on East Mountain. I’m quite curious."
Luo Tang, standing despondently to the side, sighed helplessly. "Wen Qingye... Gu Xiong’s cultivation has broken through to the Refining Essence Fourth Layer Heaven."
Wen Qingye’s brow furrowed. He looked at Luo Tang and said, "Failure itself isn’t to be feared. What’s truly fearsome is being unable to accept it."
After he spoke, Wen Qingye rose to his feet, his gaze burning as it fixed on Gu Xiong. "You want to challenge me simply to build your own reputation. Very well. Today, I’ll accommodate you."
Hearing this, the surrounding students from West Mountain grew excited. They were eager to see who was stronger—Gu Xiong, who had just broken through before the Four Mountains Martial Arts Gathering, or the legendary Wen Qingye.
’Others can’t see Wen Qingye’s cultivation, but I can. Why? Because my cultivation is now higher than his!’ The thought filled Gu Xiong with a thrill of excitement.
’Wen Qingye, you’ll serve to make my name. Your defeat will not be in vain.’
Gu Xiong sneered at Wen Qingye. "I’ll let you have the first move."
Every one of Gu Xiong’s words dripped with absolute confidence, and the crowd from West Mountain behind him was ignited by his declaration.
"Go, Brother Xiong!"
"Defeat Wen Qingye!"
"Brother Xiong, the future number one genius of the Four Mountains!"
Wen Qingye remained expressionless as he drew his Cyan Mist Sword. A flash of brilliant cyan light streaked across the sky.
SWISH!
A glint of cold light exploded from his hand!
Executing the Butterfly Step, Wen Qingye moved with uncanny speed. The Cyan Mist Sword was a blur, fast as lightning, as it shot out a beam of Sword Aura.
This was the Spiritual Snake Lightning Strike, a technique from the Spiritual Snake Sword style. Wen Qingye’s execution was utterly without flourish, yet it was as fast as lightning and possessed a unique grace. The transition from stillness to attack occurred in a single, imperceptible flash.
Horror filled Gu Xiong’s eyes!
The arrogant smile had yet to fade from Gu Xiong’s face when, in a split second, he instinctively threw his sword up in front of his chest, barely managing to shield his vital points.
CLANG!
The explosive ring of metal on metal made everyone’s ears go numb.
In the next moment, Gu Xiong felt as if he’d been struck by a colossal hammer. A terrifying, immense force crashed against his sword, surging up the blade. His sword arm was violently jolted, and he instantly lost all feeling in it.
BANG!
With the smile still frozen on his face, Gu Xiong was sent flying backward, man and sword together, like a kite with a severed string. He crashed hard onto the rocks below.
The clamorous scene fell deathly silent, followed instantly by a wave of sharp, irrepressible gasps.
Powerful!
Too powerful!
Unbelievably powerful!
One strike!
A complete, one-strike victory.
The entire exchange was over in a flash. It happened so fast the crowd from West Mountain couldn’t even react. In the blink of an eye, before they could even comprehend what had happened, the fight was over. Gu Xiong was defeated.
Just a few days prior, Gu Xiong had been bragging that he was the top talent among the new students. He’d claimed that as soon as he broke through, neither Xia Moyu nor Wen Qingye would be a match for him.
But now, Gu Xiong had become a complete laughingstock.
The students of West Mountain stared at Wen Qingye, their eyes filled with shock. ’That single strike... is that Wen Qingye’s true power?’
The crowd fell silent. Only a single word echoed in their minds: Terrifying.
Gu Xiong roared, "You ambushed me! You’re a despicable coward!"
Gu Xiong clearly couldn’t accept the fact that Wen Qingye had defeated him with a single sword strike. Wen Qingye sneered back at him. ’The only reason I beat you in one move is because you were careless and overconfident. If you had been paying attention, you might have lasted a while longer.’
From Gu Xiong’s perspective, he had only lost because Wen Qingye’s sudden, explosive speed had caught him off guard in a sneak attack. If he’d had time to prepare, he was certain the outcome might have been different.
But he seemed to have forgotten who it was that had arrogantly told Wen Qingye to make the first move.
"I refuse to accept this! Let’s fight again!" Gu Xiong roared.
Luo Tang snapped, "Gu Xiong, have you no shame? Stop embarrassing yourself. You lost. Is that so hard to accept? Are you that much of a sore loser?"
"Hmph, Wen Qingye just sneak-attacked me."
Xiaxia, who was standing nearby, couldn’t help but mock him. "Still won’t give up, huh? You big idiot, take a look at your own chest."
Startled, Gu Xiong looked down. His expression changed in an instant, his face turning deathly pale.
At some point, a slit had been torn in his robes, revealing the white undershirt beneath. The tear was positioned directly over his heart. It had clearly been carved there in a split second by Wen Qingye’s Spiritual Snake Sword technique, moving at a speed that defied the eye.
Gu Xiong hadn’t noticed it at all. In truth, the sword had already found its mark.
If Wen Qingye had applied even the slightest bit more force, it wouldn’t have been his robes that were torn, but his heart.
Cold sweat broke out uncontrollably on Gu Xiong’s forehead and back, and his heart began to tremble.
Gu Xiong practically forced the two words from between clenched teeth: "I... lost..."
Gu Xiong stared intently at Wen Qingye. "I acknowledge your strength now, but this isn’t over. I’ll see you at the Four Mountains Martial Arts Gathering."
Wen Qingye smiled. "I’ll be waiting."
After saying his piece, Gu Xiong prepared to leave with the West Mountain crowd behind him.
Once they were clear of the North Mountain area, Gu Xiong spoke coldly to his followers. "If any of you dare speak a word of what happened today, don’t blame me for what happens next."
The crowd from West Mountain hastily assured him they wouldn’t dare.
Gu Xiong took a deep breath and glanced back, his expression full of resentment. Wen Qingye’s power was just too immense; even now, his heart was still pounding.
Luo Tang looked at Wen Qingye. Not long ago, he could still trade blows with him, and even thought he had a chance to win. But now, it was clear he wouldn’t even last a single move against him. At this thought, Luo Tang was filled with the sense that he was being left far, far behind.
’He,’ Luo Tang thought, ’is perhaps the true genius.’
