Chapter 1165: Chapter 1163: Opening of the Land of Fate (Part 1)_1
South Sea Continent.
Qiuyuan Valley.
As one of the top hundred superpowers of the Martial World in the South Sea, Qiuyuan Valley had always been an existence no one dared to provoke. Martial artists would go out of their way to avoid it, for crossing Qiuyuan Valley was considered a provocation and would be met with severe retaliation.
But today, a young man boldly approached, alone and unaccompanied, blocking the entrance to Qiuyuan Valley.
"Liu Ruofei, what is the meaning of this?"
Several Qiuyuan Valley experts were ready to take action, but their expressions suddenly changed.
Among the top ten prodigies of the South Sea, known for talents comparable to the six legends, their portraits had long been circulated among the major factions of the Martial World. Anyone with a bit of status had seen them.
If it were an ordinary person, Qiuyuan Valley wouldn’t care and would simply kill them, but the target being the number one sword genius of the South Sea was a different matter. Besides, even if you wanted to kill him, it might not be possible.
"There’s no particular meaning. On my journey north this time, I’ve resolved to challenge various masters. How about starting with the Head of Qiuyuan Valley?"
Liu Ruofei said calmly, his right hand caressing the hilt of his sword.
The crowd was first stunned, then they reacted, all bursting with rage. Insults like "arrogant", "courting death", and other such terms were hurled at him.
In the Martial World of the South Sea, there had always been a notion about the path to invincibility. To walk this path, one had to defeat a variety of formidable opponents to accumulate an invincible momentum with a resounding track record.
The six legends of yesteryear had each pushed through their respective eras, battling until no one in the vast world could match them, ultimately becoming the unparalleled number one.
Clearly, Liu Ruofei’s mention of "going north" was not about wandering the Martial World, but about preparing to follow in the footsteps of the six legends, blazing his own invincible path to the north!
Being the closest to Bright Moon Mansion, Qiuyuan Valley had become Liu Ruofei’s first target, seemingly nonchalant as if the outcome was a foregone conclusion.
"Liu, don’t go too far. Bright Moon Mansion had already spread the word that their young master wants to emulate the six legends. Just don’t trip and become the joke of the Martial World on your first fight," someone shouted.
"Our Valley Head is busy with numerous matters. Do you think you can just come for a challenge?"
"Leave quickly, or don’t blame us for being impolite!"
The commotion at the valley entrance quickly attracted even more Qiuyuan Valley experts. After hearing the situation, rage filled their faces as they glared at Liu Ruofei with fiery eyes.
"I won’t leave without a fight."
Clang!
Before anyone could react, Liu Ruofei drew his sword.
That strike was so terrifying that the sword’s radiance hung over their heads, immediately triggering Qiuyuan Valley’s Array System, causing it to shake violently. Dome after dome of protective shields shattered until the Void Origin Realm Array System emerged, barely managing to hold off the attack.
But the violent trembling still made everyone inside the Array System’s heart tremble with fear, and they broke out into a cold sweat.
Even with sixteen layers of peak Void Origin Realm Array Systems, they could not withstand a casual strike from him; Liu Ruofei’s strength left an indelible impression on the experts of Qiuyuan Valley.
"Liu Ruofei, you are taking this too far!"
A roar sounded as the Valley Head of Qiuyuan flew out.
Initially, he had no intention of caring about it. For one, the disparity in their statuses made confronting him seem degrading.
Secondly, the Valley Head of Qiuyuan had to admit he was somewhat wary of Liu Ruofei; in fact, none was unwary of the South Sea’s top ten prodigies. Their progress was too rapid, so rapid it put pressure on the older generation of experts, with no certainty of a complete victory.
But now, with the challenger almost breaking down Qiuyuan Valley’s gate, he couldn’t avoid showing himself any longer without losing face in the Martial World.
"Had the Valley Head come out sooner, it wouldn’t have come to this."
Liu Ruofei’s sword had not returned to its scabbard as he spoke indifferently.
"Since you wish to be defeated, I shall oblige you. I hope you won’t regret it," the Valley Head retorted.
Despite his wariness, anger was the Valley Head’s prevailing emotion. The opponent marking Qiuyuan Valley as the first battle implied a certain disdain.
With an icy glare, the Valley Head’s aura suddenly converged. He crouched down, with his lower and upper legs forming a ninety-degree angle, and his upper body leaning slightly forward, resembling a bloodthirsty leopard ready to launch a deadly strike on its prey at any moment.
At the critical moment of the battle, the Valley Head of Qiuyuan cast aside all distractions. He wouldn’t underestimate his opponent, but he wouldn’t underestimate himself either. After all, he was ranked among the top three hundred characters in the Martial World of the South Sea, and he did not believe he couldn’t defeat the challenger with the strength he had fought to achieve.
"Tiger Leopard Shattering Strike!"
As his feet thrust into the ground, the earth instantly cracked open on both sides, spreading toward the entrance of Qiuyuan Valley, creating a chasm. Yet, the nearby mountains and plains were almost unaffected, showcasing a supreme control of power that boosted the confidence of the witnessing Qiuyuan Valley experts.
And at this moment, the Valley Head had already shot high into the sky. In front of him, the immense phantom images of a tiger and a leopard collided, creating terrifying ripples that surged towards Liu Ruofei.
Liu Ruofei didn’t retreat, casually thrusting his sword out to meet the attack.
Clang!
The sword light pierced through the ripples, which uncontrollably dispersed to both sides, but now the Valley Head laughed loudly, "You’ve fallen for it."
The scattering ripples suddenly reversed, curling back from behind in a surprise attack against Liu Ruofei’s open flank. There was no wasted energy; it was essentially a double strike with the same force!
The Qiuyuan Valley experts cheered from behind.
But Liu Ruofei, with no room to dodge as the arrow was already on the string, struck again with his sword. This strike, however, birthed a new power. Before the ripples from behind could reach him, he and his sword brushed past the Valley Head.
He sheathed his sword and stood beneath a willow tree at the side of the valley while the Valley Head stopped in front of a mountain wall a kilometer away.
"Dual Sword Unity, has your swordsmanship actually reached such a level?"
After a long while, the master of Qiuyuan Valley suddenly half-knelt on the ground, hand pressed against the bloody hole in his shoulder, his face filled with shock and disbelief.
The so-called Dual Sword Unity is based on striking with one sword twice, continuing to add new force without destroying the balance, thus making the destructive power reach its pinnacle in an instant. It’s a supreme skill.
This could be said to be the limit of human power manipulation, a realm Qiuyuan Valley Master dared not even dream of. At this moment, he felt as desolate and powerless as the setting sun in the distance.
"Barely, it’s not truly there yet,"
Liu Ruofei responded.
Dual Sword Unity was not so simple, and he was only at the beginner’s level. Otherwise, with the same force, Qiuyuan Valley Master would not have been merely seriously injured but torn into pieces.
On the other hand, the opponent’s double strike was clearly not pure enough, at least not as refined as that of Shi Xiaole, whom he had met once by the seaside. Had it been him, the result might have been only a minor injury.
Of course, Liu Ruofei didn’t think Shi Xiaole would stand still. But he was confident that he would always stay ahead.
At least by the end of this journey to the north, he had a premonition that Dual Sword Unity would be greatly accomplished, and various killing moves would also be further refined.
To cultivate through combat, all for the sake of Fate’s domain.
"I will not be defeated."
Muttering to himself, Liu Ruofei didn’t look back as he stepped away, embarking on his next journey.
"Master, are you alright?"
Once Liu Ruofei had left, a group of Qiuyuan Valley experts approached, and the senior disciple helped the Valley Master up.
"I’m old. Sigh, this Liu Ruofei, truly worthy of being the number one sword genius of the South Sea, in terms of swordsmanship alone, I’m afraid no one among his peers can match him. Perhaps there’s a slim chance he becomes the Sword Master of Fate’s domain."
Qiuyuan Valley Master shook his head and sighed.
"What, Sword Master? Isn’t master overestimating him?"
The crowd was shocked.
According to the descriptions of those who had entered Fate’s domain, there were several blessed lands within Fate’s domain, but only the unique masters like the Sword Master, Saber Master, and Spear Master were qualified to enter these places.
It was these individuals who would ultimately compete for the greatest opportunity in Fate’s domain and have a chance to gain its recognition.
If you say Liu Ruofei is the number one swordsman among his South Sea peers, no one would object.
But don’t forget, there are plenty of unrivaled swordsmen in the South Sea, especially those in the top twenty rankings, each of whom is an old monster who has lived for many years, a true Forbidden Martial Emperor with endless means.
"Whether I’m overestimating him or not will be known in the future. I only said he has a slim chance, most likely still no match for those old monsters,"
Qiuyuan Valley Master did not wish to discuss further. What mattered most now was healing his wounds. He didn’t want to enter Fate’s domain injured. As for the outcome of the big battle, time would tell.
...
On the fifth day of the eighth month, Liu Ruofei began his northern journey.
On the seventh day of the eighth month, news of his victory over Qiuyuan Valley Master began to spread in the Martial World, and those with discerning eyes knew this was a result pushed by Bright Moon Mansion behind the scenes, all to build momentum for Liu Ruofei.
On the seventeenth of the eighth month, Liu Ruofei challenged the leader of the Great River Moon Sea Alliance at Great River Moon Sea and defeated him with three moves.
On the eighteenth of the eighth month, just a day later, Liu Ruofei defeated the reclusive Mountain Liuhua’s hermit with 3,600 moves, who was publicly acknowledged as one of the top two hundred martial artists.
After this battle, Liu Ruofei’s fame rose even further, shaking the entire South Sea continent. And his northern journey was far from over.
Just as everyone started paying attention, other prodigies from the South Sea, such as Luo Zijiao from Water and Fire Dao Manor and Thousand Real Person from the Demon Exorcism Sect, also entered the Martial World and started on their own invincible paths.
For a time, the Martial World was in turmoil, its waters constantly churning because of these once-in-a-millennium talents.
...
Xuanyuan Mountain.
This is the seat of the Xuanyuan Clan, the foremost among the top ten families of the South Sea.
Deep behind Xuanyuan Mountain there is a bamboo forest, where a low bamboo hut is faintly visible amongst falling leaves, covering the young man sitting cross-legged.
He appears quite young, but his expression is lonelier than the bamboo forest; he is thin and has long fingers, resembling a scholar who has failed his exams, living in seclusion here, keeping the heavens and earth as companions.
"My son, among the Ten Prides, eight have set out, leaving only you and Qi Muchu unmoving as mountains."
A hollow voice echoed.
The lonely young man opened his eyes, and those eyes added a touch of brilliance to his loneliness and an even keener sense of aloof chill as if nothing and no one in the world deserved a second glance from him.
"I hope they can gather enough invincible momentum and become strong enough, strong enough to defeat me. And those older generations, I hope they do not disappoint me."
The lonely young man said, and one could tell by his earnest expression that he was not joking.
Becoming invincible is something so many people long for, but only when you reach it at some level do you realize how boring it is.
He no longer compared himself with others, but with himself. Only when he thought of accelerating his pace after this, chasing after the six legends, did a spark of passion flash in the eyes of the lonely young man.
This spark of heat threatened to turn the entire bamboo forest to ashes.
