Chapter 124: Chapter 124 Rejection
The combined power of sword and blade, separated, would certainly not compare to their combined strength under normal circumstances. However, there are advantages to using them at the same time.
For instance, facing Shen Canghai, it unexpectantly countered his River and Sea Triple Strength.
"Senior Brother Shen, thank you for being lenient," Shi Xiaole said modestly after withdrawing his sword and blade.
"You’re wrong. I didn’t go easy on you," Shen Canghai shook his head, his eyes flickered with different emotions.
He finally managed to gauge Shi Xiaole’s true strength and was shocked by its magnitude. However, this could bring hope to the Cloud Triangle.
After some thought, Shen Canghai couldn’t help but ask, "Junior Brother Shi, how did you manage to use your sword and blade simultaneously?"
This question immediately sparked everyone’s interest. They couldn’t help but lend their ears to the answer.
"It must be the control of the mind. As the left hand launches the blade, the right hand does not forget to launch the sword," Shi Xiaole replied.
Indeed, he had no intention of dodging the question or giving a vague answer. In reality, that was exactly what Shi Xiaole had done.
However, one’s own matters best known by oneself, Shi Xiaole’s ability to utilize the sword and blade simultaneously wasn’t just due to his relentless training, but his atypical mental capabilities.
This was both the fundamental and critical component, something others couldn’t learn.
"I see."
Shen Canghai nodded.
Shi Xiaole’s statement didn’t provide much insight, but Shen Canghai understood this was a terrifying talent and not something that could be learned through any methods.
Being an open-minded person, Shen Canghai quickly put these thoughts aside, patted Shi Xiaole’s shoulder, and returned to his seat laughing and drinking.
"Did he actually win?"
Tong Song looked bewildered, but at this point, his anger had somewhat subsided.
Even Shen Canghai, who suppressed his internal power to thirty percent, lost. His loss to Shi Xiaolie was natural and no humiliation. At most, his attempt to suppress Shi Xiaole would be a topic of slander.
"Hmph, I hope I don’t run into this kid again."
Tong Song returned to his seat vexed.
"Brother Shi, you’re truly a sight to behold."
As Shi Xiaole returned, Su Junhao said softly, "I have rarely admired anyone, but for you, it’d be hard not to."
On the other side, Lu Erfeng was in a daze.
Zhu Xiuling reassured, "Junior Brother Lu, don’t belittle yourself. No one can predict the future. As long as you keep improving each day, surpassing oneself will be enough."
Although she had given this advice, Zhu Xiuling was still replaying the fight. Looking at the composed youth in a blue shirt, she unknowingly blushed.
As the sky grew dark, the snow stopped once again.
The annual Snow Appreciation Pavilion came to an end.
"Everyone, until next time."
"Brother Ye, the next time we meet, I will defeat you."
"I look forward to your lesson."
Under the mountain, the young elites from various sects mounted their horses, exchanging courteous bows.
Many others came over to greet Shi Xiaole. Today’s battle cemented his reputation as a genius, even surpassing Su Junhao.
Zhu Xiuling came forward with a blossom-like smile on her gorgeous face, "Brother Shi, what are your plans next?"
Shi Xiaole replied, "Venturing the Martial World, going with the flow."
Zhu Xiuling felt a hint of disappointment.
He was still as polite as ever, but his politeness carried a sense of distance. This made Zhu Xiuling, who was confident in her understanding of men, feel a sense of frustration.
Lu Erfeng glanced at the two, a flicker of unfamiliarity in his eyes.
"Junior Brother Shi."
At this moment, Bai Yuxue and Shen Canghai also approached.
Many people turned their heads in surprise.
Ever since the initiation of the Snow Appreciation Pavilion event two years ago, Bai Yuxue had always been aloof. Even the Twin Heroes barely had any conversation with her.
And being the one to initiate the greeting was a first.
Seeing Shi Xiaole, everyone’s eyes filled with envy.
"Junior Brother Shi, you are very talented, but never be complacent. Otherwise, breaking through the crowd in the Grand Competition two years from now would be extremely difficult," Bai Yuxue cut to the chase.
Shi Xiaole’s talent made her eyes shine, making her feel the need to give a warning to the young man. It would be a pity if a moment of complacency jeopardizes his future.
"Given Shi Xiaole’s current stage, he wouldn’t make it into the top eighty-one two years from now?" Su Junhao asked with some astonishment.
Shen Canghai chuckled, "You probably don’t know how fierce the competition in Qingxue State is. Here’s one thing, most of those qualified to compete have most likely grasped the concept, with not a low level. As for those who made it into the top eighty-one, I won’t say to avoid discouraging all of you."
Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback.
Even Shi Xiaole was substantially impacted.
He had never been conceited or complacent, nor would he dare to underestimate the standard of the Heroes Contest. However, if everything was as Shen Canghai had said, the terror of the Heroes Contest really exceeded his expectations.
In this case, Bai Yuxue’s words were not an exaggeration.
"No wonder, no wonder no one from the Cloud Triangle has managed to rank within the top eighty-one over the past decades."
Perhaps being stimulated, Su Junhao hastily paid his respects, stating his intention to return to his sect to practice hard, and promising to challenge Shi Xiaole in a rematch, before he left with Tang Juran and others.
The crowd dispersed with complex emotions, each bidding farewell to the others.
After parting ways with Bai Yuxue and Shen Canghai, Shi Xiaole rode his horse alone, galloping through the vast snow-capped mountains.
"Brother Shi."
A sweet call came from behind, followed by Zhu Xiuling and Lu Erfeng catching up on their horses.
"Miss Zhu, is there anything else?"
Shi Xiaole was somewhat helpless.
His strong mental prowess gave him an eye for minute details. How could Shi Xiaole not see that Zhu Xiuling seemed to have a bit of an interest in him?
Regrettably, no matter whether she was deemed the most beautiful woman in the Cloud Triangle, in Shi Xiaole’s eyes, she was no different from an ordinary person, and failed to pique his interest at all.
"What are Brother Shi’s plans? Brother Lu and I are free, why don’t we venture into the martial world together?"
Zhu Xiuling asked with a slight blush on her pretty face, laughing softly.
Coming from a martial arts family, Zhu Xiuling had a pair of sharp eyes since childhood. In her opinion, Shi Xiaole could only be described as having a promising future.
At least among the younger generation in the entire Cloud Triangle, she had not seen anyone else so outstanding.
Therefore, Zhu Xiuling didn’t mind taking the initiative to develop a relationship with him while his reputation had not yet taken off, as long as she maintained a proper balance, even if something unexpected happened to him in the future, at most it would harm her reputation.
"I suddenly remembered that I have important matters to attend to, I’m afraid I won’t be able to accompany the two of you."
Unwilling to refuse directly, Shi Xiaole used a different excuse. He believed the other party understood his meaning.
As expected, Zhu Xiuling’s face turned even redder, showing signs of embarrassment and annoyance.
In contrast, Lu Erfeng was secretly laughing, even starting to find Shi Xiaole more pleasing to the eye.
"Brother Shi, the last time you visited Zhu Mansion, I didn’t get a chance to properly entertain you."
Annoyed, Zhu Xiuling said with a smile.
Shi Xiaole felt a move in his heart.
Her sentence had an obvious hint. Could it be, that she knew about the incident when he killed Li Zhichong?
"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Zhu. I will return this favor in the future."
As if answering a riddle, Shi Xiaole looked deeply at Zhu Xiuling, turned his horse, and galloped away, disappearing in a blink of an eye.
"That arrogant and smelly man, does he really think I’m interested in him?"
Unable to suppress her anger, Zhu Xiuling used her sword to blow up the snow-covered ground, causing the horse to neigh incessantly. Even Lu Erfeng was affected, his body covered in snow, shaking his head, speechless.
...
The happenings at the Snow Appreciation Pavilion gradually spread among the circle of elites. For a time, the name Shi Xiaole left a deep impression on many young masters from orthodox sects.
This influence spread, and eventually, it even reached the ears of many orthodox sect elders and sect masters.
"Master of both sword and blade? Haha, even if one specialises in one type of martial arts, there are very few people in the world who can truly master it and glimpse its secrets. Practising both sword and blade at the same time is truly overestimating one’s abilities."
An Elder from one orthodox sect laughed dismissively upon hearing the news.
"A person’s energy is finite, the consequence of being greedy is mediocrity at best in all his attempts."
A sect master shook his head, and soon Shi Xiaole’s name was forgotten.
...
Shi Xiaole wasn’t aware of any of these developments.
At this moment, he was meditating in a dry cave, practicing with his eyes closed.
One could see strands of purple Qi appearing like a wisp of cotton or like light clouds on his face, intermittently concealed or revealed. At some instance, the purple Qi intensified, as if about to burst forth from his body.
Boom!
A surge of majestic internal power initially diffused densely, then rapidly spread in all directions with Shi Xiaole at its center, causing the rocks on the ground to roll about.
If Shen Canghai saw this, he would surely be flabbergasted.
Previously, because the Purple Light Divine Skill had only just begun to take shape, the internal power could only diffuse a short distance, which had already astonished Shen Canghai. Now, those who didn’t know would even think that Shi Xiaole was a Qi Absorption master of the seventh level.
"Not bad, though the Purple Light Divine Skill is far from being fully mastered, it is now capable of allowing my internal power to move a considerable distance from my body. Unfortunately, it can only be maintained for a few breaths."
About a month had passed since the wine boiling at the Snow Appreciation Pavilion.
During this time, Shi Xiaole had been practicing his martial arts here, and finally today, he managed to elevate his Purple Light Divine Skill to a new level as he had wished.
When the Purple Light Divine Skill is fully mastered, one’s internal power would automatically leave the body when making a move, nullifying the opponent’s momentum even before the actual combat. Shi Xiaole was far from achieving this, and thus could only temporarily make his internal power leave his body.
Even so, his strength had increased considerably.
If he were to spar with Shen Canghai again, who had suppressed his internal power to 30%, Shi Xiaole had the confidence to defeat him by leveraging his explosive Purple Light Divine Skill.
"The rapid progress of the Purple Light Divine Skill is thanks to the foundation laid by the Fuyang Qi Skill, but as I progress, the speed will become slower and slower. It seems that I will have to focus on learning martial art techniques."
While thinking about martial art techniques, Shi Xiaole suddenly remembered it was a full moon night tonight. He wondered if his luck was good enough to get a satisfactory martial art skill this time?
