Chapter 428: Chapter 427: The Hidden Realm That’s Gradually Being Touched
"Damn it!"
Luo Wenxu’s world spun before his eyes, overwhelmed by shock and humiliation. He could not find the strength to get up, let alone face the onlooking crowd, realizing this was the most humiliating day of his life.
He spat out another mouthful of blood, then passed out.
Shi Xiaole shook his head.
This mentality, even if paired with exceptional talent, could not cultivate greatness.
The disciples of Tianluo Sect lifted Luo Wenxu, casting a fearful glance at Shi Xiaole before hastily fleeing from the Ancient Land.
"The tenth match, begin."
The referee reverted his gaze, announcing loudly.
"I really did not expect you to be stronger than Luo Wenxu."
Tan Qingyan stared deeply at Shi Xiaole. Her sword slid out of its sheath with a smooth wave of her hand, the ripple of her Sword Qi radiating out.
Water True Intent.
In terms of speed, Water True Intent is not as fast as Wind True Intent or Lightning True Intent, but it stands out in its lingering power and variability. It achieves a balance of soft and hard, offense and defense, thereby establishing itself as one of the most balanced True Intents.
However, it quickly stunned Tan Qingyan to discover that, in terms of lingering power and variability, Shi Xiaole was no less than her, if not superior.
Their fight was like a furious wind against a torrent, colliding violently, at times like a gentle breeze against a stream, touching only to change course. The speed of the changes catching spectators off guard.
"Brother Shi, prepare for my finishing move, Cascading Water Light!"
Tan Qingyan sliced her sword, radiating countless blade lights. The sunlight augmented them, giving them shimmering ripples much akin to a sparkling lake, where each highlight led to a burst of Sword Qi.
"Such an excellent Cascading Water Light move. This sword attack transcends the boundaries of self."
Shi Xiaole silently praised in his mind, when a sudden realization struck him.
He’d always been pursuing a higher Sword Realm, but in focusing too much on self, he had overlooked the influence of the external environment on himself.
Nature’s laws were meant to be learned, the human body was like a universe containing infinite power. But how can one awaken this power without any external reference?
Just like Tan Qingyan’s attack, the Sword Qi and sunlight were at play, a sword attack that was part fusion of self and the universe.
"I understand."
He paused for a moment, seeing that the blade lights were rushing towards him, and then swiftly launched a counterattack.
An illusion appeared before the crowd’s eyes; it was as if Tan Qingyan’s blade light had stopped, time had frozen and only Shi Xiaole’s sword was free to move forward undeterred.
Clang!
A sword stabbed into the ground, and Tan Qingyan stood, her face bewildered.
In the split second, she had no idea what happened, she could only see a fleeting white light.
Was this his true swordplay?
"Thank you."
Shi Xiaole sheathed his sword and said to Tan Qingyan.
In that instant, he had vaguely grasped the Sword Realm he had been pursuing. He had not reached it yet, but the direction was set, and the understanding was only a matter of time.
He had spoken the same words to Luo Wenxu, but everyone could sense the difference. For the former, his words were laced with sarcasm, but for Tan Qingyan, they were sincere.
"His power is likely on par with the top tier geniuses."
Tan Qingyan thought to herself.
Xuanwu State was not like other places, it was a true gathering place for dragons and tigers. Hence, the classification of geniuses was extremely strict. Luo Wenxu and Tan Qingyan could only be considered mid-tier geniuses.
"Among all the disciples of the Clear Water Sect, he would be in the top three."
The other members of the Clear Water Sect didn’t say a word.
After Luo Wenxu was defeated, they knew Tan Qingyan was no match for Shi Xiaole, but when the actual result appeared, they were still somewhat bewildered.
"Young Master Shi, congratulations on your ten consecutive wins. Would you be interested in becoming a stalwart here?"
The referee approached and asked.
The guardian of the Ancient Land Arena was enviable, receiving a monthly salary of thirty thousand silver armlings and a hundred Mystic Crystal Stones.
"Sorry, I can’t stay long."
Shi Xiaole replied.
The referee nodded and soon, men carrying a large box came forward.
"Young Master Shi, these are your remaining one million nine hundred twenty thousand silver bills and a Moon Sun Crystal. Please lead the way. We’ll deliver them to your inn."
No sooner had his words ended, Shi Xiaole detected several burning gazes from the audience.
The one million nine hundred twenty thousand silver bills were certainly tempting, but the Moon Sun Crystal was an item many martial artists could only dream about.
For high-level spiritual passage martial artists and even Dragon Gate experts, the effects of Mystic Crystal Stones were insignificant. The Moon Sun Crystal was the only thing they could use to quickly enhance their martial power and cultivation level.
Unfortunately, Moon Sun Crystals were very rare. Even among the top sects in Xuanwu State, only the Sect Masters and a few Elders had a chance to use the Moon Sun Crystals.
At most, only ten thousand Moon Sun Crystals are collected by the top sects every year.
Among the crowd, there were a few Dragon Gate masters and even more high-level spiritual passage martial artists. They could hardly resist the temptation as they watched the big box being taken away by the alliance’s masters.
...
Back in his room, once the members of the Ancient Alliance left, Shi Xiaole immediately put the silver and Moon Sun Crystal into his system space.
He should leave the relic of the Ancient Land immediately. He noticed quite a few disciples from the Tianluo Sect following him secretly as he was returning.
Obviously, Luo Wenxu was not ready to give up after being defeated on the spot by him.
Shi Xiaole did not fear competing with peers, what worried him was that the higher-ups of the Tianluo Sect might intervene.
As a member of the Ancient Land Alliance, the Tianluo Sect’s relations and power in the Ancient Land were definitely much stronger than he had imagined.
"Let’s just wait a while longer."
Shaking his head, Shi Xiaole desperately recalled the insights of swordsmanship in his mind. Some things, if you miss them, may require ten or a hundred times as much time to make up for.
Immersed in a world of imagination, Shi Xiaole allowed his mental power to spread, incorporating the pots, soil, and bugs in the room.
In the dark, Shi Xiaole had the feeling that everything had become an extension of his body, a sword in his hand.
All things in the world can become a sword.
This was the next realm of swordsmanship that Shi Xiaole had attained.
At one moment.
As Shi Xiaole opened his eyes, a sharp light flashed in the room, as if two sharp swords had pierced the void, but the swords collapsed as soon as they formed.
"I have only half stepped into this realm, to truly touch it, it’s going to take a lot of effort."
How difficult it is to attain a realm beyond the Sword Heart, at least over ninety percent of genius swordsmen can’t achieve this in their lifetime.
At the age of twenty-three, the mere touch of it is enough to prove Shi Xiaole’s extraordinary talent.
Pushing open the window, the streets were busy with people. Shi Xiaole had no trouble spotting the Tianluo Sect disciples hidden amongst them.
I cannot stay here anymore!
With his decision made, Shi Xiaole checked out of his room, shaking off a few followers, and when he reappeared, he had taken on another disguise, then sauntered towards the city gate.
"Third Elder, Brother Luo, that man named Shi has disappeared."
A few disciples assigned to tail him rushed back to the Tianluo Sect’s base.
"He’s gone?"
Luo Wenxu’s eyes narrowed, his face full of malice.
His previous fainting spell was half due to anger, the other half was deliberately done, attempting to escape reality in the guise of unconsciousness. In Luo Wenxu’s heart, he utterly despised Shi Xiaole.
"As long as he hasn’t left the ancient city, he can’t hide. Send more people, and notify the other friendly factions to help us out."
The person speaking was a middle-aged man next to Luo Wenxu, his master, the Third Elder of the Tianluo Sect.
After a few people left with their orders, the Third Elder patted Luo Wenxu’s shoulder: "My apprentice, you’ve developed a heart demon, which is harmful to your future cultivation. Don’t worry, your master will definitely help you get justice...Wait a bit, let your master check at the city gate in case that kid slips away."
In the Martial World, there are countless rules and practices.
Although techniques like disguise and bone shrinking are lost, it’s better to be safe. The Third Elder decided to keep an eye on the city gate himself.
If possible, it would be better to temporarily close the city gate. But handling private acts of revenge at the gate is inappropriate, especially considering the status of the Tianluo Sect--it does not have enough influence over the top factions in the city.
"Thank you, Master."
Luo Wenxu lowered his head with a secret determination. Once Shi Xiaole was captured, he would first crush his hands, then skin him alive, and feed his flesh and blood to the dogs. By then, let’s see how arrogant he could be.
The Tianluo Sect’s base was on the main street at the city gate, and with one leap, the Third Elder was already on top of the city gate. Given his status, no one dared to question him applying flying skills in the city.
With his eyes narrowed to slits, the Third Elder’s eyes seemed like the eyes of a cat. Under his gaze, all the people coming and going through the city gate were in full view. Any concealment techniques were immediately exposed.
This is the perfect state of the rotating eye, capable of detecting all sorts of disguises in the martial world.
Initially, the main reason the Third Elder agreed to take Luo Wenxu as his disciple was because he saw the latter’s mental talent, believing that he could carry on his mantle.
After one scan, he found nothing.
The Third Elder did not give up and continued to scan for a second time.
Upon the third round, the Third Elder’s gaze suddenly focused on a tall figure that had just walked out of the city gate in a queue. He didn’t detect anything abnormal, but he inexplicably felt that something was off about this person’s facial features.
"Stop!"
With a loud shout, the Third Elder rushed down from the top of the city gate, startling many people.
Hearing the commotion behind him, Shi Xiaole no longer cared about hiding his identity and charged towards the woods beside the official road with Wind God Leg.
"Tearing Sky Hand!"
A huge palm shadow suddenly came crashing down, causing a cyclone-like tumult.
With a loud crash.
On the yellow ground, a palm print twenty feet in size suddenly appeared, sinking three feet into the ground. The turbulent qi emanating from it raged wildly, shaking Shi Xiaole’s internal organs, who was ten feet away, almost out of place.
"A fifth-tier Dragon Gate Realm master."
This Third Elder was clearly a fifth-tier Dragon Gate Realm master, and not just any fifth-tier one. The Earth True Intent he controlled had obviously reached a thirty-percent realm.
Racing through the forest, Shi Xiaole ran for his life.
However, the power gap between them was too great. As the distance closed, Shi Xiaole was occasionally injured by the residual palm force. By the time they were several miles away, he was bleeding from the corner of his mouth and his face was pale.
Roar!
A flash of green light rushed out of the forest, it was Qingfeng. It leapt up and caught Shi Xiaole, running outwards.
"This beast?"
The Third Elder’s eyes lit up.
Everyone in the Martial World has a fondness for horses. The Third Elder had been roaming the Martial World for many years, but when had he ever seen a jade horse like this?
