Chapter 147: Chapter 147 Inspiration Bridge
"So, he won just like that?"
The scene was sent into a state of shock.
No matter how you look at it, Lv Tian was currently the second disciple of the Left Sect. Apart from Shangguan Yan and Li Zhongtian, who could compete with him? But in front of Shi Xiaole, he seemed to only have the power to defend.
"Why do I feel, based on what I can see, that he is stronger than the second senior brother? Even if the second senior brother wanted to defeat Senior Brother Lv, he would also need to put in quite a bit of effort."
One disciple from the Left Sect said tremblingly, triggering an even larger response from the crowd.
Many people turned to look at the equally unsettled Li Zhongtian.
Within the Left Sect, many disciples would compete with each other.
Of course, Li Zhongtian and Lv Tian had had their fights, but those fights were at least intense. Unlike today’s one-sided battle.
"This youngster’s strength is weaker than Zhongtian," the Grand Elder suddenly declared.
"That’s right."
Shangguan Xing also chimed in agreement.
However, the baffling thing was that when the two of them looked at Shi Xiaole, their expressions were even more astounded than before.
To people like the Grand Elder and Shangguan Xing, they would naturally see more things than everyone else.
In terms of internal power, Shi Xiaole and Lv Tian were roughly equal, while their techniques used in the fight were also top-notch. Although Lv Tian had the advantage of inborn divine strength, even if his techniques were inferior to Shi Xiaole’s, their power gaps wouldn’t be large.
The reason why one side was so supremely superior was mainly due to how they utilized their abilities.
For some people, even though they clearly have total strength, they can only utilize sixty or seventy percent of it during a fight. However, some people can utilize more than their total strength, even reaching a hundred and ten or a hundred and twenty percent.
To be fair, Lv Tian’s utilization of his abilities was very good, definitely far surpassing the level of an ordinary person.
Unfortunately for him, the person he was dealing with was too terrifying.
In the eyes of the Grand Elder and Shangguan Xing, Shi Xiaole was undoubtedly a natural-born fighting prodigy. He would maximize any advantage he had to its limit.
So even if one’s strength was only slightly inferior to him, they would still be dominantly oppressed during a real fight, and appear far weaker than him.
"Lv Tian’s aggressiveness is both advantage and disadvantage. From the very beginning, he was taken advantage of by this young man," murmured the Grand Elder, the more he thought about it, the more astounded he became.
"What a terrifying combat talent. No wonder even Yan’er holds him in such high regard," Shangguan Xing managed to pull his gaze away from Shi Xiaole with difficulty.
Various signs indicated that this young man’s perception was exceptional and his combat instinct was better than anyone else’s. He was a force to be reckoned with.
"My intuition was right all along."
Looking at Shi Xiaole, a hint of surprise flashed through Shangguan Yan’s eyes. Remembering the battle scene earlier, she felt somewhat unsatisfied.
"Hahaha, a new talent has emerged in the Will Sect."
Not far away, led by the Second Elder, all high-level members of the Right Sect were ecstatic.
This was akin to discovering an unpolished gem. But when you wiped away the dust on the surface, it turned out to be a Lingyu.
"How amazing!"
The most shocked was Liu Mingqi and the other disciples of the Right Sect. It was only when Shi Xiaole left the field that they belatedly realized what had happened and cheered uproariously.
The Fourth Elder, seated in the center of the square, promptly stood up and cleared his throat. "Now that the Right Sect has won two consecutive matches in accordance to the rules, they have won this competition. I would like to ask the two parties if they want to proceed with the third round?"
Shangguan Xing chuckled and said: "I respect the Grand Elder’s decision."
The Grand Elder snorted coldly, his face impassive. "I don’t like to waste time."
They had already lost. What point was there in keeping the competition going? That would only make them the laughingstock of everyone.
The Grand Elder glanced at Shi Xiaole out of the corner of his eye, and then, without looking back, he got up and left.
"Congratulations, Sect Master."
"The Right Sect performed well this time."
The other elders from the Left Sect stood up and took the initiative to congratulate Shangguan Xing and the others.
The Grand Elder might be able to throw a tantrum, but they dare not. After all, by their rank and position, they were still under the authority of the Sect Master in public.
Besides, the disagreements between the two sects were only a difference in philosophy, not a deep-seated hatred. Apart from the competitive relationships between disciples, the higher-ups were still quite restrained.
The grand event of the Will Sect finally came to a close in a way no one had anticipated.
...
Deep in the night, Shi Xiaole was adjusting his circulatory flow in his room when he suddenly heard a knock on the door.
Opening the door, he was surprised to see the cold and aloof Shangguan Yan standing there, dressed in black.
"Won’t you invite me in?"
Seeing Shi Xiaole silent, Shangguan Yan was forced to speak first, a charming smile touching her lips.
"My apologies for my rudeness."
Shi Xiaole had no intention of snubbing her; he just hadn’t expected her to visit him in the middle of the night given her character.
While sitting opposite each other in silence, the atmosphere was oddly devoid of awkwardness.
Shangguan Yan said: "Brother Shi, I know this is impulsive, but I really want to know, how did you achieve the unity between the swordsman and the sword?"
To a swordsman obsessed with kendo, the allure of achieving unity between the swordsman and the sword is equal to the allure of a supreme beauty to a man who is a playboy.
Many even believed that if one hadn’t mastered the unity between the swordsman and the sword, they didn’t deserve to be called a swordsman.
That’s why, despite how cold-hearted Shangguan Yan was, she still found herself here, inexplicably, after a few days of restraint.
After thinking for a moment, Shi Xiaole replied: "In my view, achieving the unity between the swordsman and the sword depends on the importance you place on the sword. If you only see the sword as a tool, naturally you won’t be able to resonate with it."
"If you regard the sword as the ultimate faith, one misstep could make you a slave to the sword, losing your essence in the process."
"My belief is that the sword is a friend to whom you can entrust your life."
This was Shi Xiaole’s honest view.
He wasn’t afraid that if Shangguan Yan heard this, she would immediately understand the unification of man and sword. Even if she could do it, what then?
The unification of man and sword is ultimately just a means.
How far a person can go is still up to oneself.
"A friend to entrust your life to?"
Shangguan Yan pondered this, her beautiful eyes gradually lighting up.
This perspective on the relationship between man and sword was like a wake-up call, opening her eyes to the realization.
"Thank you, Brother Shi, for sharing your wisdom!"
Shangguan Yan stood up, sincerely bowing towards Shi Xiaole.
If at first she saw him simply as a hero, now she felt a touch of affection. Not in the romantic way. She saw him as someone she could rely on.
In the Martial World, many people are self-conscious about their third-rate martial arts. But the understanding of swordsmanship is valuable beyond any third-rate martial arts. Who can say it with such an open mind?
"Brother Shi, it would be rude not to return a favor. You’ve been so generous, I cannot be stingy."
Seeming to remember something, Shangguan Yan suddenly pulled out a bead from her body and handed it to Shi Xiaole: "I happened upon this. I give it to you."
Shangguan Yan didn’t see the surprise in Shi Xiaole’s eyes.
It was a turquoise bead, crystal clear. The problem was, aside from its color, it looked exactly like the green bead that the former leader of Meihua Village gave to him.
After Shangguan Yan left, Shi Xiaole immediately took out the green bead and placed it next to the turquoise bead.
Vwoom!
Something amazing happened.
The two beads seemed to sense each other, emanating a simultaneous luminous glow. Just then, a beam of moonlight streaming in through the window shone over the beads, forming an undefined picture on the wall opposite.
"What is this...?"
Shi Xiaole was astonished.
When he first got the green bead, he spent so much time studying it but was unable to discover anything. It seemed he was missing the corresponding bead.
Unfortunately, the image on the wall was too blurry and seemed to have broken parts. He could faintly see a unique-shaped mountain peak.
Could it be missing other colored beads?
A thought struck Shi Xiaole. The colors turquoise and green inevitably made one think of certain associations.
"After leaving Will Sect, I can discreetly investigate this."
Having reached a dead-end in his research, Shi Xiaole put away the two beads and stopped pondering over it.
Tomorrow was the opening day of Inspiration Bridge. He needed a good rest to get himself into top shape.
If the effect of the bridge is indeed as the rumors in the Martial World suggest, he might gain some enlightenment.
The night passed quickly.
Early next morning, Steward Sun eagerly led Shi Xiaole to a turn in the mountain cliff behind the Will Sect.
"Young Hero Shi, this is as far as I can take you. Beyond this is the forbidden area of our sect."
"Thank you."
Nodding, Shi Xiaole took a step forward.
"It’s hard to believe."
After Shi Xiaole had left, Steward Sun appeared dejected.
In just a few days, the latter had transformed from an unknown youngster in the Martial World to the most sought after disciple in the Will Sect. This rapid change in circumstances was beyond anyone’s expectations.
Now, countless stewards were envious of Steward Sun, considering him fortunate for being on good terms with Shi Xiaole.
Little did they know that Steward Sun himself was full of regret. If only he had been kinder to Shi Xiaole in the beginning!
Even in renowned sects, relationships matter.
A regular steward like him, even with a lifetime of service, could only hope to become a senior steward. But with strong connections, he might advance to the position of an in-house elder, a position with a status incomparable to that of a steward.
No one doubted that Shi Xiaole would soon become the main pillar of the Will Sect. By then, a position like in-house elder would be a matter of his word.
"I still have a chance. If I perform well in front of Young Hero Shi from now on, he might see something in me."
Clenching his fists, Steward Sun left with renewed determination.
As Shi Xiaole turned the mountain bend, he soon saw two cliffs, connected by a rickety, ancient wooden bridge that looked like it could collapse at any moment.
Creak, creak.
The mountain wind blew, lifting the mist floating between the cliffs and causing the old wooden bridge to creak unpleasantly.
Could that be the legendary Inspiration Bridge?
Looking left and right, unable to find any other bridge-like structures, Shi Xiaole sighed to himself.
"Xiaole, you’ve arrived."
There was already a crowd standing in front of the cliff. It included Shangguan Xing, the Grand Elder, all the influential elders of the two Sects, as well as Shangguan Yan and the three sons of the Left Sect.
Hearing the noise, Shangguan Xing was the first to greet him.
The others also turned to look. Most of them showed friendly smiles towards Shi Xiaole.
"The effective time of Inspiration Bridge is only one two-hour period, with an additional person this year, I wonder how the Sect Master will arrange it?"
The Grand Elder drew his gaze back and said in an ambiguous tone.
