Chapter 902: Chapter 901: Astonishing Skills Part 1
The immense blade aura condensed into a single line, resembling a steel wire slicing through tofu, pulling behind it a faint white tail of light as it plummeted from midair towards Shi Xiaole. The aura of the sword had enveloped the void even before the blade itself arrived.
The Martial World’s wanderers nearby hastily retreated, and those who had invited Shi Xiaole to fight were the first to flee far away, not because the blade was slow, but because all energy was locked onto Shi Xiaole.
This also indirectly reflected the incredibly strong power of the person who made the move.
"Invincible Earth Immortal? No, it’s that blade!"
The leader of the Six Heroes of Sky Mountain, Zhuang Junzi, narrowed his eyes.
The blade wielded by the swordsman exuded a dense aura of evil and subtly revealed a heart-palpitating martial force; it was not a person wielding the blade, but the blade controlling the person.
Yet what kind of blade could possess such strange power? Even a top-grade Spiritual Weapon couldn’t possibly.
"Where did these Japanese come from?"
A thought flashed through King Huan’s mind.
In his view, the power of this one strike was almost on par with the one Shi Xiaole used to defeat the Wuyi, save for speed, but the overwhelming presence was even more formidable.
In King Huan’s impression, Japan was a barren land with a martial civilization far inferior to the Central Plain, so how could the Japanese who crossed to the west be so terrifying? Shi Xiaole would likely not have an easy time dealing with this person!
Seeing that even a follower of Fujiki Naotsugu was so powerful, the experts from the Central Plain were each more shocked than the last, their hearts nearly chilled.
And at the main seat in the west, Fujiki Naotsugu, from start to finish, was only holding a wine cup, not even shifting his gaze.
He had his pride; anyone below a Half-step Void Origin Expert wasn’t worthy of him drawing his blade, but he also wouldn’t allow just anyone to challenge his authority.
As the blade descended, and when it was still three feet from Shi Xiaole, the hitherto silent Shi Xiaole made his move, using his arm as a sword, he casually flicked upward without even looking.
Sword Qi immediately surged forth, its strength was no greater than that of the blade aura, but strangely, it managed to strike first, hitting a point on the blade aura.
Crackling sounds!
The blade aura instantly shattered, and the Sword Qi, at this moment surging larger, swept past at even greater speed, directly striking the Japanese swordsman in midair.
"No good, danger!"
The confident expression of the Japanese swordsman froze, replaced by terror, an undeniable horror, as he quickly switched from offense to defense, drawing a convex half-circle in front of him with his long sword.
But he had still underestimated the speed of the sword; before the half-circle could form, the Sword Qi had pierced through first.
Amid his frantic roar, the Japanese swordsman managed to avoid the vital points just in time, but his shoulder was slashed open leaving a two-inch deep wound; his body was sent flying dozens of meters, staggering and swaying before he barely managed to steady himself.
"You couldn’t possibly be this strong!"
Lifting his head, the Japanese swordsman couldn’t believe it.
He was confident that his master was invincible, and the recent battles seemed to have proven this. Thus, he had never taken the experts of the Central Plain seriously, let alone knew of Shi Xiaole’s previous records.
Shi Xiaole didn’t respond, and this silent disdain made him appear all the more inscrutable.
The scene fell silent.
The crowd wasn’t dumbstruck like a wooden chicken, but they were certainly slack-jawed in astonishment. Was this just a simple move that defeated a mighty figure amongst the Invincible Earth Immortals? Were they dreaming?
"I am three grades behind him in strength,"
Yao Mie Sheng took a deep breath.
As a top Eighth Tier Earth Immortal, he was currently far behind Shi Xiaole, but this wasn’t enough to bring him down, let alone shatter his confidence.
"Damn bastard!"
Feng Guoting’s expression turned ugly.
That single sword strike made him realize Shi Xiaole had probably only used half his strength when facing the combined force of the Wuyi. How could he accept this?
However, the more it was so, the more determined he was to crush his opponent, because, after all, he had Shentu Jue at his back. In Sky City, Shi Xiaole was at their mercy to mold as they pleased.
Behind Fujiki Naotsugu, the other Japanese experts exchanged glances, suppressing their impulse to act.
Getting a glimpse of the big picture, if Great Upright Lord couldn’t handle even one move from his opponent, it would be very difficult for them to defeat him even if they joined forces. Besides, even if they were to defeat him, it wouldn’t be something to brag about. Instead, it would enhance the opponent’s reputation, a loss outweighing the gain.
Just as everyone thought the matter would come to an end, Shi Xiaole suddenly stood up, walked to the center of the room, and the candlelight cast his long shadow.
"Fujiki Naotsugu, come out and fight."
Boom!
The venue erupted into an uproar, many faces showing expressions of astonishment.
Previously, Shi Xiaole had avoided battle at all costs, making no commitment. Now, however, he was actively challenging his opponent. The sudden shift was too swift, catching everyone off guard.
The likes of Feng Guoting didn’t feel the joy they had anticipated; instead, they had a strange, unpleasant premonition.
According to their analysis, Shi Xiaole was a very cautious person, never acting without a guaranteed success. Could it be that he still had the confidence to defeat Fujiki Naotsugu?
"You are strong, but still not qualified,"
Fujiki Naotsugu didn’t stand up, stating indifferently. This dismissive demeanor stirred even more restless noise among the audience.
Kirin’s challenge was rejected. Getting out, it would definitely be big news, but no one would think Fujiki Naotsugu was cowardly. If not handled properly, this could become a permanent stigma for Kirin.
"Whether or not I’m qualified isn’t for you to decide."
His fingers clenched around the sword hilt, drew the blade, and swung it in one fluid motion. Many people only saw a flash of sword light in front of Shi Xiaole, and the Spring Fury Sword was already back in its sheath.
Great Upright Lord waited for a moment, seeing that nothing happened, and laughed heartily, "Quite an intimidating trick, I thought for a moment... "
Crack!
Just then, something astonishing happened.
The desk in front of Fujiki Naotsugu, along with the wine cup, suddenly split in two. Both halves evenly toppled to the sides as wisps of Sword Qi rose from the cut, emitting sizzling sounds and revealing Fujiki Naotsugu’s body behind the desk.
An inexplicable chill crept up their spine, reaching the top of their skulls, causing several Japanese swordsmen to break out in a cold sweat. They hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary from beginning to end, which meant that the young man in blue could kill them with just one sword strike.
This was indeed the attack power of an Earth Immortal, but the speed and timing of the strike were far too terrifying, far beyond what they had ever seen or heard of.
Fujiki Naotsugu’s motion of reaching for his wine cup came to a halt, and as his eyes opened and closed, bursts of sword energy flickered rapidly.
"Am I qualified now? You keep saying you want to challenge the Martial World, but the plain truth is, without defeating me, you’ll never conquer the Martial World."
Shi Xiaole enunciated every word, his tone light but domineering. He completely disregarded the shock on the faces of everyone around him.
He was never someone who sought attention, but this time was different. To free Gui Zhihang, he had to rely on other forces, such as the several princes.
So within a safe range, he didn’t mind revealing a bit of his strength, allowing both overt and covert observers to further recognize his worth.
"What arrogance. You really think you’re something special, representing the Martial World like that."
Zhang Baichuan gritted his teeth, and amidst his sneer, Fujiki Naotsugu slowly stood up.
Swish, swish...
An eerie sound filled the void, as if countless people were drawing swords, or as if it was just one Divine Blade being drawn, producing a blood-boiling, heart-pounding hum.
Centered around Fujiki Naotsugu, within a fifty-meter radius, the air was instantly filled with sword energy, piercing enough to make everyone’s pores seep blood as they panicked and retreated backward.
When the sword energy reached Shi Xiaole, its might surged even more significantly. A gentle stream suddenly turned into raging waves. Surprisingly, Shi Xiaole not only didn’t retreat, but the Sword Qi around him also formed a circle, blocking the sword energy.
"How is that possible, his momentum is no weaker than a Half-step Void Origin Expert?"
"How many experts has this kid defeated, how many miracles has he created, to accumulate such a powerful aura and confidence?"
The Six Heroes of Sky Mountain were all unsettled, their expressions changing from initial astonishment and pity to the current shock.
The Broken-hearted Man was no longer sad, and the Honest-looking Fisherman had also put away his simple smile. The only thing reflected in their eyes was a spark of fighting spirit, one that appears only when facing a formidable opponent.
"Lord Shi, I’ve long heard of your legend and intended to give you a chance, not wanting to bully the weaker. But it seems you don’t understand that a warrior’s dignity is not to be provoked or insulted. In my Japan, only blood can wash it away."
Fujiki Naotsugu’s tone was slow, but for some reason, everyone felt a profound sense of dread.
As he finished speaking, the sword intent around his body reached a climax. Within a fifty-meter radius, it seemed like a sea of murderous energy waves from every direction, and amidst the sword sea, a beam of azure light stood unyielding, its surface rippled continuously.
Time passed in an instant, but it also seemed like an eternity. Then, all at once, the sword energy condensed into a mass and struck at Shi Xiaole.
Clang.
The Spring Fury Sword was drawn, and Shi Xiaole thrust it forward. The light of the blade parted like two strands of willow, splitting along the sides with each thrust of the long sword. In the center, Shi Xiaole charged forward, his sword tip pointing rapidly at Fujiki Naotsugu.
Fujiki Naotsugu flew backward, but found that his own speed wasn’t as fast as the sword’s. Or more accurately, the opponent had seized control of his vitals, leaving him no way to dodge. If he didn’t use his sword, he would be struck.
How could this be possible?!
They had never clashed before, he hadn’t even seen him until now. How could his steps and rhythm have fallen under his opponent’s control?
Clang, clang, clang...
The sword light surged faster, and a blade of light sprang from his waist. The clash of sword and blade produced a series of metallic tremors like raindrops beating on banana leaves.
Shi Xiaole moved like a nimble serpent, or as if he were weightless like the wind, the surging energy from the swords failing to even touch his sleeve. In the next instant, the sword light flashed, and a lock of hair floated to the ground, belonging to Fujiki Naotsugu.
"With such ability, you wish to defeat the Martial World? You disappoint me too much."
Shi Xiaole, with his back to his opponent, spoke disdainfully in a voice as thunderous as the rain.
"What?!"
"He, he, he..."
Several Japanese swordsmen opened their mouths wide, their eyeballs nearly jumping out of their sockets in sheer shock.
"It can’t be real."
The Six Heroes of Sky Mountain’s hearts pounded. With their wealth of life experiences, they all felt that what had just happened was too unreal, almost dreamlike.
That was Fujiki Naotsugu, the man who the Six Harmonies Formation of Sky Mountain couldn’t handle, a Half-step Void Origin Expert, and in just two moves, Shi Xiaole had sliced off his hair—it was more bizarre and fantastical than the wildest tales.
Everyone was in shock, stupefied, leaving only the sound of heavy breathing to fill the air.
