Chapter 216: Chapter 209: Li Chunfeng Finally Drew His Wooden Sword
Li Chunfeng’s preternatural, predictive dodge earned him even greater respect from all the undercover disciples below the stage.
In their eyes, Feng was no longer just an optimistic mortal.
Though weak himself, he still yearned for the path of cultivation and worked tirelessly toward it.
To them, a group with Pseudo Spirit Roots who had been shut out from the path of cultivation, Li Chunfeng was a living, breathing inspiration!
It was precisely because of the constant encouragement and guidance from Feng and Mr. Dong that they were able to persevere through the despair of the outer sect. They worked diligently and without complaint, even mustering the courage to accept this near-suicidal undercover mission.
And now, after gaining Inner Strength, Feng could actually dodge a Cultivator’s Sword Qi!
He was a mortal, and his opponent was only at the Qi Refining stage, but he was truly getting closer to his dream, step by step!
His growth and persistence moved them, and it made them ashamed of their own past complacency.
On the arena platform, Disciple Jia abandoned any intention of probing further.
With a mere thought, his Spiritual Power surged once more!
"Feng, watch out!"
This time, he held nothing back. At incredible speed, he continuously formed technique seals while rapidly swinging his sword.
Several streams of Sword Qi formed in an instant, cutting off all of Li Chunfeng’s escape routes from multiple angles!
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
The Sword Qi tore through the air, letting out a piercing shriek!
The hearts of the undercover disciples below leaped into their throats!
Facing this unavoidable attack, the optimistic smile on Li Chunfeng’s face finally receded.
He could see it. ’This time, there’s no escape!’
He poured all of his Inner Strength into his arms!
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG-CLANG-CLANG—!
The afterimages of his Wooden Sword wove into an impenetrable web before him!
TING! TING! TING-TING-TING!
The sounds of rapid-fire impacts blurred into a single, continuous tone!
Those streams of Sword Qi, each powerful enough to shatter stone, had all been blocked by his seemingly fragile Wooden Sword!
However, what happened next left everyone utterly stunned!
Disciple Jia felt a strange, rebounding force travel back along his Sword Qi and pour into his own body!
PFFT—!
His insides roiled and a sweet, metallic taste filled his throat. The force knocked him back half a step, his face turning pale.
’Th-this... What’s going on?!’
He stared at his hands in disbelief. ’I was the one who unleashed the Sword Qi... Why am *I* the one getting hurt?!’
The players in the spectator seats instantly went wild.
"Holy shit! A perfect parry!"
"Absolutely! Look at the state Disciple Jia is in! He definitely took reflect damage from a perfect parry!"
"Wait, you can perfect parry something like Sword Qi? That’s not supposed to be possible!"
"Who cares if it’s possible or not? It’s a game, so anything goes! Mortals are pretty interesting, even without a Spirit Root!"
Disciple Jia took a deep breath.
’The gap between Feng’s Sword Dao and my own is as vast as that between the heavens and the earth.’
He no longer held any of his previous arrogance toward mortals. Instead, he saw Li Chunfeng as a truly respectable opponent.
He decided to show this senior the highest form of respect—the way of a Cultivator!
’Even if it meant injuring him!’
’It was time to go all out!’
Disciple Jia took a deep breath and held nothing back.
He pushed the Spiritual Power of his fourth-level Qi Refining cultivation to its absolute limit as his hands formed a series of seals.
He effortlessly unleashed a volley of basic skills, all of which he had learned in the Guixi Sect by completing missions or receiving instruction from the elders.
Then, he sent them all hurtling toward Li Chunfeng!
"Blast Flame Skill!"
"Profound Ice Spike!"
"Entanglement Skill!"
Fireballs, ice spikes, vines...
For a moment, the arena platform was awash in chaotic flashes of spiritual light, a truly terrifying display of power.
Although these were all entry-level spells, their power was not to be underestimated when cast by a fourth-level Qi Refining Cultivator—especially not by a mortal.
Facing this dazzling offensive, the smile on Li Chunfeng’s face never wavered.
He could sense that the disciple before him no longer saw him as a mortal to be handled with kid gloves, but as a true opponent to be taken seriously.
This feeling of being seen as an equal filled his heart with an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
Back in the outer sect, he had been respected, but that respect was always tainted by the innate arrogance Cultivators held toward mortals—an invisible barrier known as the gulf between immortal and mortal.
But now, it seemed he was shattering that barrier, piece by piece.
’This... is a good thing indeed!’
His heart swelled with pride. ’To be able to spar with a true Cultivator in this mortal body... I, Li Chunfeng, am fortunate beyond measure!’
He no longer hesitated. The speed at which he drew and sheathed his sword skyrocketed, becoming so fast that it left afterimages!
He poured his newly-formed Inner Strength into his movements without reservation!
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG—!
The Wooden Sword itself seemed to groan under the strain of such extreme speed!
Li Chunfeng watched the complex torrent of spells rushing toward him and chuckled.
"Flashy, yet imprecise."
The moment the words left his lips, he let out a sharp cry!
His frantic movements came to an abrupt halt, replaced by the standard opening stance for an Iaijutsu Slash.
All the strength in his body, along with his nascent Inner Strength, was channeled into this single strike!
"BREAK—!!!!!"
A sharp sound tore through the air!
Li Chunfeng finally drew his Wooden Sword!
A crescent-shaped wave of Sword Qi, infused with pure Inner Strength, followed the arc of his swing and slashed forward!
The wave of Sword Qi seemed unremarkable, yet it struck the weakest point of the incoming magical barrage!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The Fireball exploded in mid-air, the ice spike was sliced in two, and the vines were severed at their base!
The seemingly overwhelming torrent of spells was effortlessly parted by that single wave of Sword Qi, crashing harmlessly onto the empty sides of the platform!
Disciple Jia was completely stunned.
’Wh-what just happened?!’
’Inner Strength... Inner Strength can actually break through a Cultivator’s Spiritual Power-based techniques?!’
’How is that possible?!’
In the instant his concentration faltered, the wave of Sword Qi that had shattered all the spells continued on, its momentum unbroken, whistling toward his face!
The shadow of death instantly enveloped him!
Disciple Jia’s mind went blank with terror. He forgot to dodge, forgot to defend. He just stood there, frozen, watching the wave of Sword Qi grow larger and larger in his vision.
’It’s over... Am I going to die...?’
However, just as the wave of Sword Qi was about to strike him, it dissipated into nothing.
"Hah... Hah..."
Disciple Jia collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, his back soaked in a cold sweat.
He looked at Li Chunfeng across from him, who was sheathing his sword with the same smile on his face, and his heart filled with nothing but endless awe and gratitude.
"Thank you... Thank you, Feng, for your mercy!"
Below the stage, the crowd of undercover disciples was utterly floored by the shocking reversal.
’A mortal... A mortal actually defeated a Qi Refining Cultivator?!’
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