Chapter 143: Learning from Each Other
"Everything looks normal." The monk clutched his chest and sighed.
After encountering Lin Huang on the first battle platform and Jiang Yue on the second, he was glad to see nothing special on the third platform.
He looked around for a moment and then turned his attention to the battle platform.
’As expected of brother Yu, he occupied the third battle platform without suspense.’ He thought proudly.
However, his demeanour turned solemn in the next moment.
On the platform, Yu Nianzhen was standing across from a young man dressed in a purple robe. Both had their swords out, and Xuan Ke could detect a sharp aura from Yu Nianzhen’s opponent.
"Donor, do you know who they are?" He suddenly enquired from a young lady who stood beside him.
"The one in a purple robe is Zhu Jianfeng. He seems to be from a minor clan in the Great Artisan region."
Xuan Ke was surprised to hear that.
For one, the person had the surname ’Zhu’ but didn’t come from the Great Zhu empire.
Although the surname ’Zhu’ was not restricted to the royal family of the Great Zhu empire, commoners tended to avoid the name.
After all, names carried a lot of cause and effect, especially the names of royalty.
Another reason for Xuan Ke’s surprise was that the person did not come from the Sword sect.
When Xuan Ke gave up the third platform, he suspected the young man was part of the Sword sect because he had a sharp qi presence.
However, it seemed he was mistaken, and the talent came from another region.
"The one in the gaudy robe is Yu Nianzhen." The young woman creased her brow as she looked at Yu Nianzhen.
At some point, the black-haired swordsman had returned to wearing his red robe decorated with silver flowers. Needless to say, his aesthetic wasn’t popular with the young ladies, but that made no difference to him.
Although he still disliked his flashy clothes, he had to wear them even if he didn’t want to.
After all, these were the clothes prepared by his master and wearing them was also a sign of respect.
"Anyway, he is Yu Nianzhen from the Sea Cloud sect." The young woman finished.
After listening to the introduction, Xuan Ke turned back to the platform.
At this time, Yu Nianzhen and Zhu Jianfeng were still facing each other without making a move.
Zhu Jianfeng was the first to move. He swung his sword, and a drop of water flew toward his opponent.
Yu Nianzhen saw the droplet and immediately recognised it.
Without delay, he also swung, and a drop of water flew out.
A moment later, the droplets met in the middle and splattered outward drilling small pits in the ground.
When he saw this, Zhu Jianfeng was surprised.
He couldn’t see his opponent’s qi presence and hadn’t expected the other’s comprehension of the raindrop sword art to be equal to his own.
However, his surprise soon morphed into a myriad of other emotions.
Foremost was excitement.
His Zhu clan was only a small clan in the Great Artisan region. He only received a place to enter the thousand herbs garden because one of the seven major clans of the Great Artisan city owed a favour to his family.
Fortunately, the Zhu clan was optimistic about him, and he finally won the place to enter the secret realm.
He just didn’t expect to meet someone like Yu Nianzhen.
From that one attack, he realised the fight wouldn’t be easy.
However, he was excited rather than discouraged.
After all, there was nothing better for a swordsman than encountering a good opponent.
Like Zhu Jianfeng, Yu Nianzhen was also excited.
When he saw the rising battle spirit in the other’s eyes, he swung his sword, and three water drops flew toward the opponent.
"How many can you make?" Zhu Jianfeng asked as he blocked the drops with three of his own.
If someone else asked this question, Yu Nianzhen would think the other was trying to taunt him. However, like recognised like.
Zhu Jianfeng was a sword maniac, and he had long forgotten that they were fighting for a place in the top eighteen.
More than such a placing, he was more interested in swordsmanship, and Yu Nianzhen was happy to oblige.
"Seven." He answered.
It was disadvantageous to reveal it, but he didn’t think of hiding it.
"I can make nine." After saying that, Zhu Jianfeng sent out nine water droplets.
The drops looked like water but had a penetrative and sharp aura.
If they landed on Yu Nianzhen, nine holes would be drilled into his body, and the injury would not be light.
Knowing that the other’s understanding of the raindrop sword art was superior, Yu Nianzhen didn’t try to block with the same sword style.
Instead, he used the soft water sword art and the nine water droplets sunk into a water wave.
When the droplets entered the wave of soft water, they were immediately neutralised. More than half the power of the soft water sword art was extinguished, but the attack continued forth.
"Your raindrop sword art is very good." Yu Nianzhen complimented.
This compliment wasn’t for show.
When he first started to practice the raindrop sword art, he could only produce one raindrop that fell vertically.
After a lot of practice, he could send out a raindrop along a horizontal trajectory.
However, this was only the beginning.
The more he practised this art, the more he felt the unlimited potential of the art.
Unfortunately, he was still stuck at seven drops and hadn’t made progress for a long time.
After observing Zhu Jianfeng’s raindrop sword art, he felt the other was infinitely close to understanding the sword art’s intent. When that happened, the raindrop’s speed, malleability, and penetrative power would increase several-fold.
"How about my soft water sword art?" Zhu Jianfeng asked.
Without waiting for an answer, he swung his sword, and a wave of water flowed outward to meet the remaining half of Yu Nianzhen’s soft water sword art.
After that, the two went back and forth to compare sword arts.
In the end, Yu Nianzhen won without ever revealing his sword intent.
Although they both only used the most basic sword arts, Yu Nianzhen had learned a lot.
"Don’t lose in the next day." Zhu Jianfeng said and looked at Yu Nianzhen.
He planned to adjust his condition and assimilate his experience from the fight. After twenty-four hours, he would challenge the other a second time and hopefully win at that time.
"I won’t lose." Yu Nianzhen promised.
"Are you looking down on us?" A discordant voice came from outside the battle platform.
From where he was standing, Xuan Ke rolled his eyes.
Until this moment, everything was normal on the third platform.
The fight between Zhu Jianfeng and Yu Nianzhen wasn’t the most exciting, but it was the perfect depiction of friendship forged from learning from each other.
However, Yu Nianzhen’s words provoked the cultivators waiting to challenge the third platform.
"Do you think you are so great just by defeating a Zhu Jianfeng?" The speaker sneered.
The person was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties. He had a strong presence and wasn’t among the people initially standing outside the platform.
"Why are you so excited about defeating a Zhu Jianfeng who couldn’t even enter my Sword sect?"
Yu Nianzhen didn’t bother to listen to the shouting people.
He had less than an incense stick before the next battle, and he wanted to take the time to adjust his condition.
Although he wasn’t injured in the fight, his mind was full of thoughts, and he felt his raindrop sword art was about to make a breakthrough.
However, he didn’t have enough time before the next fight, and he reluctantly stifled his deductions.
’I may have to step down at some point.’ He thought, but then shook his head to deny the thought.
It wasn’t ideal to stifle one’s progress, but he didn’t want to give up on his previous plan.
According to his plan, he would occupy the third battle platform for the entire competition. This would not only help him to sharpen his combat awareness, but also allow him to experience different kinds of fighters.
"You should step down before the time of an incense stick is up." The annoying voice continued.
Yu Nianzhen sighed.
He wanted to focus on adjusting his condition, but couldn’t with the constant interruptions from the person.
"Otherwise?" He asked.
"If you don’t step down, you will have to face me next..."
"So?"
The person had an ugly face when he heard that.
Who didn’t know he was one of the seven young stars of the Sword sect? With his current comprehension, there was no doubt he would become one of the most powerful swordsmen in the Cangxing world.
Everyone knew this, and he didn’t expect to meet an ignorant swordsman from who knew where.
"Hurry up if you are coming." Yu Nianzhen said and stood up.
