"Ha!"
Nie Wu Xiang's palm, enveloped in a green energy flow, struck out viciously, as if wanting to destroy the entire martial arts platform.
Feng Piaoliu remained unmoved, meeting the attack with a palm of his own. Unlike Nie Wu Xiang, when his sword qi was released, there wasn't a single sound of the wind breaking. But where his sword qi passed, the surrounding air suddenly experienced a very severe fluctuation, rolling like boiling water.
His sword qi and the Palm Power clashed!
The ground suddenly split open, and the vicious energy spiraled outwards, as if being cut by thousands of knives.
Facing the harsh energy coming straight at her, Xu Ruoyan circulated her Qi and used her palm, blocking it in front of her.
CRACKLE! POP! POP!
The incoming energy was blocked, emitting a dense sound of explosions, making Xu Ruoyan's pretty face slightly pale. Fortunately, it was only the aftermath; the strength of the energy had been reduced by seventy to eighty percent.
"Just the remaining force could seriously injure both of us."
Ling Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. Just now, if Xu Ruoyan hadn't taken action, they might have ended up in a very embarrassing situation.
"Both the Sky Heart Sword Qi and the Wuxiang True Qi are top-notch energies; with their combined force, the power is naturally extraordinary," Xu Ruoyan analyzed, resting her cheek in her hand.
"It seems that we won't be able to determine a victor today."
On the martial arts platform, Nie Wu Xiang crossed his arms over his chest and spoke in a bland tone.
"Yes, the strength of Wu Xiang Young Master, I have now witnessed. While I do have a trump card, it isn't something I can use during a friendly match. Let's end this battle here for today."
Feng Piaoliu sheathed his sword with a hearty laugh.
"Let's shake hands and make peace then."
Nie Wu Xiang wasn't surprised by the outcome of the spar. Feng Piaoliu had a trump card he didn't use, and he himself also had one; it was just unsuitable for this occasion. Since it was a friendly match and not a battle of life and death, there was no need to go to such extremes.
"Let's settle the score at the next Five Kingdoms' Martial World Conference."
Having said that, Feng Piaoliu stepped off the martial arts platform.
The battles between them were far from over. The Five Kingdoms' Martial World Conference, where heroes from all over the land gathered, was where their final victory would be decided.
"So, Junior Sister, how was your conversation with Ling Chen?"
After finishing the fight, Feng Piaoliu saw Xu Ruoyan and Ling Chen's location and immediately walked over with a smile.
"Not bad. While this guy still isn't very good at talking, I'm quite satisfied with his response today."
Xu Ruoyan glanced at Ling Chen, her face returning to its usual icy expression.
"Oh?"
Feng Piaoliu's eyes brightened. Then he looked at Ling Chen. "So, Brother Ling Chen agreed to that matter? I didn't expect you to be such a reasonable person, young brother."
After saying that, he also took out a jade bottle from his sleeve and handed it to Ling Chen. "Brother Ling, this is a Void Spirit Pill. It should be of some help when you try to break through to the Martial Master Realm."
"A Void Spirit Pill? That's something all warriors dream of. It can increase a warrior's chances of breaking through to the Martial Teacher Level. True to the Tianxin Swordsman's reputation, that's really generous."
A hint of a smile flickered at the corner of Ling Chen's mouth, yet he made no move to accept. A streak of light flashed in his eyes. "Your Excellency, you seem to be underestimating people. Or perhaps, you think this is a transaction, and your junior sister is only worth a single Void Spirit Pill? I have said all I need to. Farewell."
Having said that, without looking back, Ling Chen turned and left.
He would undoubtedly need the Void Spirit Pill sooner or later, but not by acquiring it through such means.
"Elder Brother Feng, put away your things."
Xu Ruoyan glared fiercely at Feng Piaoliu. "Do you think that just because he has become a common disciple, he can be bought so easily? If this matter could be solved with a Void Spirit Pill, I would have offered it long ago. There'd be no need for you to intervene."
"Alright, alright. I seem to have forgotten that he is the son of Supreme Sky Feather and is thoroughly proud to his bones. I did indeed bring that snub upon myself."
A helpless expression flashed across Feng Piaoliu's face. He hadn't expected that his recent actions would only mess things up.
"Just stay out of this. Now that you and Wu Xiang Young Master have finished your duel, you should return to the sect as soon as possible," Xu Ruoyan said, her brows furrowed.
"You're not coming back with me?" Feng Piaoliu raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised.
"My father has commanded me to stay in the Divine Intent Sect for three months. The time isn't up, so how can I return? Besides, Ling Chen has promised me that after three months, he will return to the Sky Void Palace with me and personally propose the dissolution of our engagement to my father." Xu Ruoyan replied as she walked ahead. She then looked back and said, "You should return first, Elder Brother."
"That makes sense. I'll leave for the sect tomorrow morning. While you're alone in the Divine Intent Sect, take care," Feng Piaoliu said.
"Isn't Elder Lv Meng here?"
A smile floated on Xu Ruoyan's pretty face. "Being cooped up in the sect all day is rather suffocating. Changing my environment for cultivation is actually quite nice."
As she pondered her future days in the Divine Intent Sect, the slender image of a young man immediately appeared in her mind.
She would peel off the layers of his mysterious aura, one by one. At the very least, she needed to understand exactly what kind of person this fellow was.
She didn't like the feeling of her fate being controlled by others. If Ling Chen were to go back on his word then, she would be left with no recourse. Only by knowing oneself and one's enemy could one be victorious in every battle.
「...」
「Wuchen Courtyard.」
When Ling Chen returned, he immediately immersed himself in cultivation in the backyard. After observing the duel between Sky Heart Swordsman Feng Piaoliu and Wu Xiang Young Master, he had managed to advance the Ling Tian Sword Scripture to the second rotation and mastered the knack of 'Fetus Sword Qi'.
Next, he had to thoroughly integrate this knack into his swordsmanship.
He waved the long sword in his hand repeatedly. Three crescent-shaped beams of sword qi shot out in succession, landing among the trees in front of him and instantly causing a violent stir.
"External Sword Qi consumes too much True Qi. Just those three ordinary sword strikes consumed a third of my True Qi."
A contemplative expression appeared on Ling Chen's face. After all, his current cultivation level was still shallow. Being able to nurture sword qi was already an act that defied the heavens. If he didn't possess the Ling Tian Sword Scripture, he wouldn't have such an ability at all.
A common swordsman wouldn't have enough True Qi reserves to support releasing it externally at will, so naturally, they wouldn't be able to achieve such a feat under normal circumstances.
However, he was currently only using ordinary sword techniques. If he were to combine them with the 'Seeking Dragon Sword Technique - Fourth Style', 'Seeing Dragon in the Field', the power would likely be exceptionally formidable.
Just one such move would probably leave him completely drained.
He knew in his heart that this kind of sword style could only be attempted when truly forced into a desperate situation. Otherwise, if it missed, not only would he fail to kill the enemy, but he himself would be plunged into an extremely dangerous predicament.
He would not draw his sword lightly; but when he did, it had to be to eliminate all future threats.
"I've been cultivating in seclusion for quite a while now. It's time to go down the mountain and venture out to gain some experience."
Ling Chen sheathed his sword and began to plan his next steps. Long-term secluded cultivation could easily lead to a bottleneck. Only by broadening his experiences and tempering himself could he widen his horizons; only then would his future path become broader.