"Kid, if I don't cripple you today, I'll take your surname!"
Zhao Huang roared and leaped in front of Chu Qingyun in two bounds. Gripping his long staff with both hands, he brought it smashing down.
"Well met!"
"Spring Rain!"
Chu Qingyun's eyes lit up. His longsword flashed from its sheath as he executed the first move of the Gale Seven Swords, using the principle of Yirou Ke Gang to meet Zhao Huang's ferocious blow.
Chu Qingyun was a Level Three Martial Artist, while Zhao Huang was a Level Four Martial Artist.
Furthermore, both his Sword Technique and Zhao Huang's Staff Technique were formidable, making for a spectacular battle.
Flashes of Sword Aura and the shadow of the staff crossed, carving deep grooves into the arena stage.
Even the village head, Chu Hua, and Zhao Zhimo stared without blinking, captivated. They would nod one moment and shake their heads the next, completely engrossed in the fight.
A fighter like Zhao Feilong, who relied solely on brute force, would never catch the eye of a true expert.
But fighters like Chu Qingyun and Zhao Huang were the real deal—true masters, true Martial Artists.
"That's the Gale Seven Swords. I never thought Qingyun could master it to this level in just a month."
The village head was all smiles, nodding repeatedly.
For the longest time, he had felt it was a great pity that Chu Qingyun didn't have a Martial Soul.
Now, that long-standing worry was finally put to rest.
It wasn't that Chu Qingyun lacked a Martial Soul; his had just been slow to awaken.
On the stage, the two fought for over ten minutes with no clear winner. It was impossible to tell who had the upper hand.
"Zhao Huang, this warm-up has gone on long enough. Let me show you my recent insights into Sword Technique," Chu Qingyun said with a smile, parrying Zhao Huang's long staff with a flick of his sword.
Zhao Huang's brow tightened. If anyone else had said that to him, he would have scoffed and perhaps even struck them down with his staff.
But after more than ten minutes of fighting, he had discovered that Chu Qingyun's Sword Technique was every bit as good as his Staff Technique. He didn't dare take such a declaration lightly.
"Watch closely!"
"Gale Seven Swords, Four Seasons Sword Song!"
Chu Qingyun let out a low cry and struck in an instant.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Their weapons met in another flurry of blows.
Below the stage, many in the crowd shook their heads and started to mutter.
"Four Seasons Sword Song? It's just the same old moves."
"He's just trying to be intimidating. It's the same swordsmanship as before."
But on the stage, Zhao Huang felt like he was about to cough up blood.
The Sword Techniques were the same, but he found that Chu Qingyun's moves seemed to have come alive.
One moment they were gentle and soft, the next, bitingly sharp. It was impossible to guard against.
And for some unknown reason, Zhao Huang felt the power behind Chu Qingyun's Sword Techniques growing with every change.
At first, he could defend with ease. But after a while, he found he needed to use his full strength just to block the unpredictable longsword.
"That is… Sword Momentum!"
"That finger against Zhao Feilong earlier… I thought I'd seen wrong. I can't believe it! Qingyun has actually comprehended Sword Momentum!"
Below the stage, the Chu Family Village head's eyes were filled with excitement.
"Sword Momentum? Qingyun… he's really comprehended Sword Momentum?!"
"This is wonderful! Once Sword Momentum is condensed to its peak, he can form Sword Qi! That would be truly incredible!"
Beside him, Chu Hua was overjoyed, his fists clenched in excitement.
"Hmph, Sword Qi?"
"Among powerful Martial Artists, those who can condense Sword Qi are as rare as a phoenix feather. You think *he* can do it?"
Zhao Zhimo, who stood nearby, snorted coldly.
"It's true that Martial Artists who can condense Sword Qi are rare. But how many Martial Artists do you know who have comprehended Sword Momentum?" Chu Hua shot back with a merciless sneer.
With his nephew demonstrating such strength, he, the uncle, found a new confidence in his own voice.
Zhao Zhimo fell silent.
'To comprehend Sword Momentum while still a Martial Artist… he's an absolute genius of the Sword Dao. Even in Qingshan City, he'd be the kind of genius major powers would fight over. With this kind of comprehension, breaking through to the next realm will be almost effortless for him. The insurmountable barrier that stumps countless Martial Artists is nothing to a genius like him.'
'Chu Family Village… what shitty luck to produce a kid like this…'
'No. I absolutely cannot let this kid continue to develop!'
A flicker of killing intent rose in Zhao Zhimo's heart.
But after a glance at the Chu Family Village head beside him, he wisely buried it deep within his heart.
While they spoke, the match on the stage was decided. Having comprehended Sword Momentum, the power of Chu Qingyun's Sword Techniques grew exponentially, stacking until Zhao Huang couldn't have withstood it even with his Martial Soul.
"One last strike! Get down from here, Chu Huang!"
Chu Qingyun bellowed and unleashed his final slash.
The vicious Sword Aura from this strike tore through the air with a piercing shriek before smashing down hard on Zhao Huang's long staff.
CRACK!
The Fine Steel Long Staff, forged specifically for Martial Artists, couldn't take the force and snapped in half.
Zhao Huang himself was sent flying by the blow, landing hard on the ground below the stage.
"He won again?!"
"Qingyun! Qingyun is incredible! What a fight!"
"Haha, who was it that said if he lost, he'd take Qingyun's surname?"
With another victory, the crowd from Chu Family Village erupted in cheers again.
As for Zhao Huang, he was overwhelmed with shame. He hid among the crowd from Zhao Family Castle, not daring to utter a word even when people taunted him by calling him "Chu Huang."
He had lost. A Level Four Martial Artist, defeated by a Level Three.
But he was utterly convinced by his defeat.
He knew very well that Chu Qingyun's mastery of Sword Technique was far superior to his own.
"Zhao Yishui, it's your turn."
Chu Qingyun stood on the stage, his eyes filled with fighting spirit as he looked at the man in the center of the adoring crowd from Zhao Family Castle.
'For the past month, I've risked venturing into the Yuan Stone Ore Vein, risked my life for the Primordial Spirit Fruit, and endured agony practicing the Sword Drawing Technique.
Everything I've done… it was all so I could defeat Zhao Yishui today!
To prove, in front of everyone, how foolish Chu Qian and Chu Xiaocui's decision was!
To make Chu Xiaocui apologize to my parents in front of all these people!'
Under the watchful gaze of the entire crowd, Zhao Yishui chuckled softly, removed his crimson wedding robes, and walked onto the stage step by step.
"There are always overconfident fools who beat a few weaklings and suddenly forget their place."
"Chu Qingyun, today I will make you understand what a true genius is, and what true strength is."
As he walked, Zhao Yishui released the aura of a Level Four Martial Artist.
He and Zhao Huang were both Level Four Martial Artists.
But Zhao Yishui's aura was clearly far more condensed and powerful than Zhao Huang's. Such was the strength of a Tier Two Martial Soul.
The power of a Martial Soul is not only reflected in its Soul Techniques, but also in the overall boost it provides to a Martial Artist.
"Yishui has a Tier Two Martial Soul! He's guaranteed to win!"
"Exactly! That kid is dead for daring to make Yishui take the stage himself!"
The people from Zhao Family Castle gazed at Zhao Yishui on the stage with looks of pure adoration.
From the moment his Tier Two Martial Soul awakened, Zhao Yishui had become a legend in Zhao Family Castle. No one at his level had ever been his match, let alone someone like Chu Qingyun, who was a level below him.
"His opponent is Zhao Yishui… Will Qingyun be alright?"
"Don't worry, he'll be fine. Remember, Qingyun hasn't even used his Martial Soul yet!"
"That's right! I wonder what Qingyun's Martial Soul is?"
Conversely, some on the Chu Family Village side were not so sure.
After all, Zhao Yishui was a powerhouse of the younger generation who had been famous for years, while Chu Qingyun had only just begun to make a name for himself.