Chapter 487: Chapter 486: Composure
After reaching the Heavenly Sword realm, Shi Xiaole’s perception had changed. The sword technique he had perfected in his own mind had flaws when he thought about it a little closer now.
When he recalled the fight between Li Zifeng and Ai Wenqian, it was also easy for him to spot their weaknesses.
The difference between entering the Heavenly Sword realm and not, was absolutely huge.
Those who hadn’t reached this realm, even if they were just a hair’s breadth away, could never grasp its true essence. The difference in strength was like night and day.
It could be said that if the current Shi Xiaole fought against the Shi Xiaole from a moment ago, the former could easily defeat the latter without exerting much effort.
At the very moment when Shi Xiaole broke through, Li Zifeng and Ai Wenqian’s techniques were colliding. Worried that he might disrupt the two, Shi Xiaole quickly suppressed the tiny bit of Heavenly Sword Qi that had leaked out.
The speed was so fast that no one beside him noticed.
"Did I sense it wrong?"
Only Ren Mengzhen’s face changed slightly, she looked up and down at Shi Xiaole with surprise and puzzlement.
On top of the Glazed Fairy Platform, Ai Wenqian spat out a mouthful of blood as the aftershocks subsided.
"Sister."
Ai Wenhong shouted.
"Li Zifeng is still superior."
Many people who were initially stunned, then showed expressions as if to say ’I knew it’.
"No, look."
Someone else pointed at the front of Li Zifeng’s chest. Upon closer examination, there was a cut there, and blood was seeping out.
"Congratulations, you won."
Ai Wenqian sheathed her sword, her tone carried a hint of admiration. She had never admired any of her peers like this before, Li Zifeng was the first.
Although she lost the match today, Ai Wenqian had gained a lot from it, things that she couldn’t have achieved by training alone.
She believed that as long as she digested these, her strength could definitely improve further, and she might not lose to Li Zifeng next time. In fact, Li Zifeng was only slightly stronger than her, and if it was a matter of life and death, the outcome would still be uncertain.
"Miss, I hope you can continue to advance rapidly, don’t slow down."
Li Zifeng also sheathed his sword and responded lightly.
It had been a long time since he had such a heartily fight. Among the young swordsmen in Xuanwu State, she was the only one who could compete with him. After this battle, Li Zifeng felt that his breakthrough into the Heavenly Sword Realm was imminent, he might complete it within a year.
"Surely."
Both of them turned and flew away at the same time.
Looking around, besides each other, only Yu Zhao and Yu Wen Cang were qualified to stay on the platform, but they certainly wouldn’t take advantage of others. So, to prepare for the upcoming hard battles, they had to adjust their conditions as soon as possible.
As the battle ended, the shock it left to the crowd was immense.
"Being able to witness a duel between two top genius swordsmen, this trip was truly worthwhile."
"That lady’s strength is hardly weaker than Li Zifeng’s, I think the top three geniuses should be changed to the top four geniuses from now on."
Among the original top three geniuses, the most popular one was the ’Little Lord’ Yu Zhao. However, now he seemed in danger of being surpassed by Ai Wenqian.
This was because she was a great beauty, and her cold and clear temperament was one of the types that the heroes of the martial world loved most.
"Come, quickly send two plates of Western Region’s Pearls to Miss Ai, and tell her that it is my, Fang Wanwan’s, token of goodwill."
Nearby were the people from the Divine Strategy Academy. Fang Wanwan had already known about Ai Wenqian’s identity. He gestured to the elite guard next to him.
As the wealthiest man in Xuanwu State, Fang Wanwan had extraordinary connections. But he would never miss any opportunity to connect with a genius, it only depended on whether the other party was worthy enough.
Ai Wenqian, of course, was worthy enough.
Whoosh.
Just as the buzz in the gorge subsided a bit, a figure appeared in the field. He was thin, with a delicate face, and carried an ancient sword at the waist.
"It’s the ’Ice and Fire Swordsman’ Zhuo Feifan, I almost forgot about him. He was one of the top swordsmen under Li Zifeng. Before this lady appeared, his fame was second only to Li Zifeng’s."
About fifteen minutes had passed since the previous battle, and people’s enthusiasm had finally fallen a bit. Although they were eagerly anticipating Yu Zhao and Yu Wen Cang’s turns, it wouldn’t be bad to have some drinks to warm up before the main course.
"Humph!"
Zhuo Feifan was not in a good mood.
Before he came here, his target was the top three geniuses. But after witnessing Li Zifeng’s match, he realized that the gap between them was not shrinking, but rather expanding.
If this was the case with Li Zifeng, how could Yu Zhao and Yu Wen Cang be any worse?
Zhuo Feifan temporarily suppressed his urge to challenge the three of them.
Luckily, the previous battle also benefited him greatly. Therefore, he decided to first compete with some other decent masters to test his gaining.
His gaze wandered around, then Zhuo Feifan smiled and said, "Brother Xiao Bai, please enlighten me."
Xiao Bai was also one of the top five genius swordsmen in Xuanwu State.
Being called out in public, this young man named Xiao Bai naturally wouldn’t shy away from the battle, he flew out immediately.
One hundred and ninety-three moves later, Zhuo Feifan knocked Xiao Bai’s sword away with a single stroke.
"Damn it!"
Xiao Bai was utterly shocked.
Three years ago, he had fought with him for over two thousand moves before they determined who was the winner. Didn’t this mean that his improvement was much slower than Zhuo Feifan’s?
"Brother Guo Huaqiang, do you dare to fight?"
Zhuo Feifan looked at his second opponent, a cold smirk on his face.
If he couldn’t defeat the top four geniuses, he at least wanted to be the fifth.
This time, after 216 steps, Guo Huaqiang was sent flying. Many noticed that his left side was covered in frost while his right side was sweating from heat, as though he were in Ice and Fire Hell.
"It seems that Zhuo Feifan’s Ice and Fire Nine Heavens technique has reached the seventh level. It’s a pity Ai Wenqian showed up, otherwise he’d certainly be one of the most impressive."
"Even so, it’s not bad. From the current momentum, he has a good chance of becoming the first among those under the top four geniuses."
A few Martial World veterans couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.
The newer generation always surpasses the old, especially in the Martial World, where the turnover is faster than anywhere else. Among the young heroes present, Zhuo Feifan alone far outshines his contemporaries.
His gaze scanned the boats, as Zhuo Feifan deliberately selected opponents from weakest to strongest.
In his mind, Liang Shuhao and Four Seas Retribution God should be reserved for the end, while the remaining eye-catching contestants were all of similar strength. It didn’t matter who went first or last.
At a certain moment, his gaze fixed, and Zhuo Feifan said with a smile, "Brother Shi Xiaole, I greatly admire your skills. I am willing to suppress my realm to challenge you. Do you dare to instruct?"
When it comes to cultivation alone, Shi Xiaole was not worth his challenge, but the latter’s skills were indeed unique. So dueling with him could help him consolidate his gains. It would be a pity to miss this opportunity.
Besides, in terms of pure ability, Shi Xiaole could rank among the top five swordsmen in Xuanwu State.
Swish swish swish.
A series of gazes fell on Shi Xiaole, who was leisurely sipping his wine.
"Brother Shi, the Linjiang Immortal Meeting is drawing to a close. This is a rare opportunity."
Ai Wenhong said in a low voice, encouraging him.
He was the only person present who knew Shi Xiaole’s true cultivation level, so he did not think Shi Xiaole would lose to Zhuo Feifan.
If Brother Shi could be universally recognized as the fifth genius of Xuanwu State, that would be great.
"Alright then."
After comprehending the Heavenly Sword realm, Shi Xiaole felt there was less meaning in participating. However, since he had been called out, he would certainly not refuse.
With a slight nudge of his feet, Shi Xiaole floated down, landing opposite Zhuo Feifan like a gentle green breeze.
Zhuo Feifan smiled.
The man before him was undoubtedly a standout among handsome men, and his demeanor was remarkably impressive – even Zhuo found himself inferior. In terms of appearance alone, Shi Xiaole could easily overshadow the three geniuses.
Unfortunately, the Martial World wasn’t a place where faces mattered.
"You don’t have to suppress your realm."
Shi Xiaole suddenly declared.
He had suppressed his realm before only to aid Ai Wenhong and to defeat competitors on equal terms. He had certainly not intended to hide his true strength.
While Zhuo Feifan was still stunned, the aura around Shi Xiaole soared, escalating abruptly from the second level of Dragon Gate Realm to the third level.
"Brother Shi, you’ve really kept us in the dark, haha, this makes things even more interesting."
As soon as Zhuo Feifan finished his sentence, he thrust his sword towards Shi Xiaole’s chest. At the tip of the sword, a barely visible blend of red and blue light emerged like spiraling scissors, advancing ahead of him.
Zhuo Feifan had underestimated Shi Xiaole, so his first move was to emit the Ice and Fire Sword Qi, aiming to suppress Shi Xiaole’s momentum to maintain control.
Clang!
The Ice and Fire Sword Qi, which had unseated previous masters, suddenly took a turn under Shi Xiaole’s casual swing, reverting at a faster speed towards Zhuo Feifan.
"What?"
Taken unawares, Zhuo Feifan hastily shifted from offense to defense. The Sword Qi struck his sword, sparking a semi-circular shower of sparks that filled the air with a burnt odor.
Zhuo Feifan kept retreating until finally, he managed to halt by force with his Ice and Fire Vigorous Air.
This scene echoed the fight between Shi Xiaole and Xiahou Liang five days ago, albeit with a stronger opponent in Zhuo Feifan.
Yet, in the eyes of the crowd, Shi Xiaole seemed even more composed. His green robe was spotless, his hair as black as ink, fluttering slightly in the gentle breeze from the river, every inch the painting of a swordsman.
"Ice and Fire appear together, Double Kill of Heaven and Earth!"
Feeling humiliated, Zhuo Feifan bellowed, his wrist vibrating at an incredibly high frequency. A red glow roared upwards carrying blistering heat, while a blue glow radiated icy cold below, causing an ice rain wherever it passed.
The two-colored lights twisted and rotated, ultimately fusing into a gigantic purple ball of light, perfectly covering Shi Xiaole’s position.
This move had once given Xiao Bai and Guo Huaqiang a hard time, resulting in both men’s wide-eyed anticipation to see how Shi Xiaole would react.
One sword.
Without moving his feet, Shi Xiaole lashed out one sword swing with his left hand.
Swish swish swish.
The purple ball of light, like a large water bag pierced, broke into pieces under the Wind Sword, spraying chaotic Ice and Fire energy around but, as if conscientious, none hit Shi Xiaole.
If before, Shi Xiaole’s perception and control were several times higher than his peers, having comprehended the Heavenly Sword meant he was now even stronger.
Zhuo Feifan’s clever sword technique seemed mere trifle in the eyes of Shi Xiaole.
Of course, it’s not the sword technique that fails, but rather Zhuo was unable to tap into the power that the sword technique should have. It was like a child holding a knife fighting against an adult. However sharp the knife is, what’s the use?
"Impossible, how could you break my Ice and Fire Sword Technique in just one move?"
Zhuo Feifan’s face turned ashen, as if he had been struck by lightning.
