Chapter 506: Chapter 505: One Sword
"I’m only a few years older than you all, it’s no big deal. Especially Wen Qian, with her current progress, in as short as five years, or as long as ten years, she will surely surpass me."
Ai Wenqing shook his head, not joking or laughing.
The fact was indeed so, he was only slightly better than Ai Wenhong, who was of the same age.
However, having said all that, he had gained quite a few opportunities in the outside world over the years, allowing his progress to far surpass those behind him. Hence, it was not necessarily going to be easy for Ai Wenqian to catch up to him.
At this point, someone suddenly noticed Shi Xiaole, who was passing by, and called out.
"Brother Shi."
Ai Wenhong was delighted.
"Hmm?"
Ai Wenqing turned his head, his face revealing surprise.
Among the Ai Family, a young man with the surname Shi, who could evoke such excitement among their numbers, it didn’t require too much thought to know it was Shi Xiaole. Back in Kuangyun City, Ai Wenqing had conveniently bought a copy of the Martial World collection, and was naturally aware of Shi Xiaole’s record of victories.
It can be said that Shi Xiaole, donned with the title of the top genius, had already become the focal point among the circle of young people in the entire Shuntian Capital.
This term ’young people’ didn’t only refer to those below the age of thirty.
Once a martial artist reached the Dragon Gate Realm, their lifespan would extend to three hundred years. Therefore, generally those below fifty years of age were classified as young.
It was only because of the unique rules of Linjiang’s Immortal Conference, that the age limit was set at thirty.
In fact, the list of Shuntian’s top fifty geniuses ranked in the Martial World collection was based on potential, not actual strength. Many of the selectees were over thirty years old and did not appear at the Linjiang Immortal Conference.
These people, who only heard of Shi Xiaole’s name, were inevitably somewhat unfamiliar and unreceptive.
Ai Wenqing was one of them. He was ranked 48th among the top fifty geniuses in Shuntian, so when he saw Shi Xiaole, he immediately felt different.
"Brother Shi, you’ve finally come out of seclusion, let’s go and relax. A few days ago, I even bet with those maidens that I could bring you along; you can’t let me down."
Ai Wenhong approached Shi Xiaole, laughing heartily, completely forgetting about the matter of asking Ai Wenqing for guidance.
"Hold on."
A young member of the Ai Family suddenly stood before them and, with a fist-palm salute, smiled and said to Shi Xiaole, "Brother Shi, your reputation precedes you. I boldly suggest, might you try your hand at testing the puppet array? This will allow everyone to witness your skills."
Since arriving at the Ai Family residence, Shi Xiaole had yet to make a move. This had left the younger generation of the Ai Family itching with anticipation. Now that they saw Shi Xiaole, they weren’t about to let him slip away.
As soon as the first person finished speaking, young men and women from all around immediately crowded in, earnestly requesting.
They were curious about how many moves Shi Xiaole, who was ranked as Shuntian’s top genius by the Divine Strategy Academy, could withstand against an iron puppet.
"You all back off. Brother Shi has been in intensive training for many days and his body is fatigued. His condition is inevitably not at its best, and it is unreasonable for you to ask him to make a move now."
Ai Wenhong stood in front of Shi Xiaole, indignant.
He knew better than anyone the strength of the iron puppets. These mechanical beings are undefeatable unless your attack power can overwhelm them or unless you can immediately spot their weak point. Otherwise, even if your strength is slightly higher, you would still be defeated.
The reason is humans get exhausted, but puppets do not.
Ai Wenhong did not want Shi Xiaole’s image to be damaged, so he immediately stepped forward to stop them, ready to leave with Shi Xiaole.
All the young members of the Ai Family understood implicitly and looked at each other, clearing a path.
The potential of Shi Xiaole was limitless, and he had good relations with the Ai Family. None of them were foolish enough to offend him; they had simply been too excited earlier and had momentarily forgotten this.
"It’s natural for one to be protective of their reputation, but if one shrinks away from challenges for the sake of image, it’s really not worth the title of being the first. What a pity, what a pity."
In the silence, Ai Wenqing shook his head coldly, looking disappointed. He then turned and walked away.
The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.
The young man from the Ai Family who had initially suggested the idea secretly sighed. He had not intended for such an outcome.
"Master Shi has been in seclusion for many days, and indeed, my hands are a bit itchy. Since you all invited me so passionately, what harm is there in me giving it a try?"
Unexpectedly, Shi Xiaole suddenly smiled.
After learning the Yi Sword Skill, he was looking for an opportunity to put it to the test.
Ai Wenqing, who was stepping away, stopped in his tracks, turned around and said, "Don’t feel obligated, Brother Shi."
"I don’t."
Ai Wenqing’s mouth curled into an almost invisible smirk and he returned to the crowd.
He actually wanted to see just how talented this young man, touted as the greatest genius in Shuntian in six hundred years, truly was. If Ai Wenqian could withstand five moves from the puppet, this man would be considered as deserving of his reputation if he could withstand fifteen.
As for defeating the puppet, what a joke. Even a genuine Dragon Gate Realm ninth stage master couldn’t do it.
"Brother Shi."
Ai Wenhong felt helpless.
However, even if Shi Xiaole lost, he wouldn’t likely be a laughingstock, which made Ai Wenhong feel a bit relieved.
"Interesting, I too would like to see how capable this boy is."
"I remember, in the history of our Ai Family, there was a young girl named Ai Yingfong who once, at the Dragon Gate Realm quadruple, was able to withstand thirteen moves from the puppet without defeat. Now that this man claims to be the best, he should be stronger than Yingfong."
A few elders of the Ai Family seemed to be excited, talking from a distance.
The Yingfong in their mouth referred to Ai Yingfong, the aunt of Ai Wenhong. She was the pitiful woman who had been sexually assaulted and killed by Xiahou Jing of the Xiahou Clan.
After three months of seclusion, Shi Xiaole’s cheeks seemed a bit thinner than before, but it accentuated his practically sculpted good looks. The wind teasingly swept his bangs across his thick beard, giving him a certain ruggedly handsome look.
Reaching for a sword from a nearby weapon rack, Shi Xiaole stepped into the puppet array. The rhythm of his breathing echoed behind him.
Three steps across from each other, Shi Xiaole suddenly stopped. A pulse of spiritual energy, imperceptible to anyone else, spread rapidly from him, filling the empty space around.
At that instant, he could hear the sound of ants crawling on the ground, the gentle rustle of the wind in the air, and see every detail of dust particles drifting in the air.
The exterior is illusion, the spirit is reality.
This was the unique insight technique of the Yi Sword Skill.
"Start."
A youth from the Ai Family shouted, activating the puppet mechanism.
Boom!
Without any warning, the puppet raised its heavy sword and struck downward. The exploding power, even from a dozen feet away, was still nearly suffocating.
But at the very moment.
A seemingly unremarkable sword light, forged ahead even faster. The elder members of the Ai Family suffered a sense of disorientation, as if this sword moved before the puppet did.
Clang!
The sparks scattered in all directions, making sizzling noises.
Shi Xiaole turned around, flicked his wrist, and the long sword landed flawlessly back onto the weapon rack.
Behind him, the heavy sword of the puppet was frozen two feet above Shi Xiaole’s head, stuck in midair.
Silence.
Death-like silence.
After a while, the realization hit them that the puppet genuinely couldn’t move anymore. An uproar followed, with the sound of surprised gasps echoing in succession.
"Wha-, what? The puppet was defeated in one move?"
"Did I see that wrong?"
The many members of the Ai Family stood rooted to the spot, their hearts pounding, they couldn’t believe it.
Some of them even had ready-made excuses for how they would smooth things over once Shi Xiaole was defeated. But now, those words were all smashed with a single sword strike, just like the sparks flying under Shi Xiaole’s sword, nowhere to be found.
Her face rosy, Ai Wenqian exhaled a sweet breath, her thoughts inscrutable.
"Good, impressive!"
The Ai Family elders who were watching showed shocked faces.
They had anticipated that Shi Xiaole would exceed expectations, but they hadn’t expected him to exceed it by so much. It was verging on beyond their comprehension, overturning their understanding of the world.
Is this something a martial artist in the fourth level of the Dragon Gate Realm could do?
"A genius cannot be measured by common standards; the ancients were right."
An elder had a bitter smile on his face but his dull eyes suddenly blazed with fervor.
Shi Xiaole, now deeply tied to their Ai Family. The stronger he is, the more it benefits the Ai Family. The other elders also had the same realization and their faces broke into jubilant laughter.
"How did you do it?"
With an uncontrolled clenching fist, Ai Wenqing’s face dramatically changed. He quickly asked Shi Xiaole, who was just preparing to leave.
Could it be that his strength has already surpassed a typical martial artist at the peak of the Dragon Gate Realm, given how easily he defeated the iron puppet?
"I was lucky. I found a weakness when the puppet was fighting with Wenhong just now."
In response, Shi Xiaole replied.
Joined with his mental prowess, Shi Xiaole’s penetrative insight now almost reaches the lowest level of the Divine Barrier Realm. While the puppet’s weak point is concealed, how could it escape his notice?
However, while Shi Xiaole was able to defeat the puppet with one stroke, he may not be able to do the same to an ordinary martial artist in the peak of the Dragon Gate Realm.
After all, a puppet is still a puppet. It lacks flexibility and adaptability, and its weaknesses are predetermined and unchangeable.
Powerful martial artists at the peak of the Dragon Gate Realm are different. They can constantly change, even deliberately creating weaknesses, which greatly increases the difficulty of employing the Yi Sword Skill to defeat an enemy.
In other words, the creature like puppet was born to be controlled by the Yi Sword Skill, which led to the shocking scene.
"Brother Shi, you really render me speechless."
The happiest person of all was Ai Wenhong. After a few hearty laughs, he followed Shi Xiaole out, leaving the dumbfounded Ai Family members behind.
The news here quickly spread throughout the Ai Family. For a while, Shi Xiaole once again became the talk of the family.
...
After being tired for nearly three months, when he returned to his guest room, Shi Xiaole first shaved off his beard, then soaked in a grand bathtub specially prepared by the Ai Family, using this as a chance to relax.
Resting beside the bathtub was an exquisite, light-colored tunic. It had been tailor-made for him by the Ai Family’s most skilled tailor, using the finest silk of Xuanwu State. The fabric was warm in winter, cool in summer, dust-resistant.
Over the next few days, Shi Xiaole intentionally allowed himself to rest properly, reducing his training time. The martial path stresses balance and too much strain is ultimately not good.
On the seventh day, Ai Wenhong came and asked, "Brother Shi, tomorrow I’m going to Kuangyun City with my sister and cousin Wenqing. Would you like to take a break and join us?"
Kuangyun City, named for its abundance of resources, was the site for conflicts over resources between different family factions. Several top-tier powers led the groups therein.
Interestingly, it was not the top brass of these forces contesting for resources in Kuangyun City, but their respective disciples. They seemed to treat the place like a battleground for training their younger generations.
