# Chapter 453: Sword Duel
Facing Kong Lanyou's question, Zhang Ruochen also pondered for a moment before saying, "When I obtained the Creation Life Sword, a surge of will entered my mind, allowing me to learn the Heavenly Heart Sword Technique. As for the reason, I'm not entirely sure either."
Although it pained him greatly, Zhang Ruochen still continued to fabricate a lie.
Kong Lanyou raised her snow-white, pointed chin, revealing her slender neck, and said, "Is that so? May I experience the set of Heavenly Heart Sword Technique you've cultivated?"
Kong Lanyou had once seen Zhang Ruochen practice the Heavenly Heart Sword Technique, and thought to herself, A person's appearance can change, their eyes can be concealed, and their movements can be altered, but their sword path is very difficult to change.
If he truly was the Zhang Ruochen she knew, she was confident she could test him out.
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "As long as Senior doesn't find my sword technique too crude, a sword duel wouldn't be a problem."
"Very well then, let me see just how brilliant the swordsmanship of the young king of the Eastern Domain truly is."
Kong Lanyou stood up, revealing her tall, slender figure and elegant temperament. With light steps, she walked out of the bamboo pavilion and stood at the end of the stone path.
"Hua!"
With a wave of her arm, two streams of sword energy flew from Kong Lanyou's fingertips, cutting down a thumb-thick bamboo tube from the top of a bamboo stalk.
The bamboo tube was three feet long, green like jade.
Zhang Ruochen's back was straight as a spear, giving him an extraordinary bearing. He also used the same technique to cut down a three-foot-long bamboo tube, holding it in his hand as he stood ten steps away from Kong Lanyou.
Kong Lanyou said, "You are at the Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Extreme Position."
"That's right."
Zhang Ruochen wasn't surprised. Given Kong Lanyou's current strength, it would be strange if she couldn't see through his cultivation level.
Kong Lanyou nodded and said, "My cultivation is far higher than yours, and my understanding of martial arts is far beyond yours. How about this? For fairness, I'll suppress my cultivation to the Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Stage, exactly three realms lower than you."
Zhang Ruochen laughed, "Senior, you should know my strength well. At the same realm, there are very few people in the entire Eastern Domain who can fight me. I suggest you suppress your cultivation to the Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Extreme Position, the same realm as me. Otherwise, you might lose quite badly."
No matter what, Zhang Ruochen was still Kong Lanyou's cousin. Even after eight hundred years, her image in his heart remained that of a crying, fussy little girl.
Therefore, he naturally didn't want to be looked down upon by her and wanted to have a fair fight with her.
At the same time, he also wanted to know how strong this little girl had become now.
Eight hundred years had passed; she should have made some progress.
"Win against me first before speaking such big words."
Kong Lanyou's lips curled into a slight smile.
At the same time, she raised the bamboo tube in her right hand, shifted her steps, and her form rapidly changed as she appeared before Zhang Ruochen, striking toward his right shoulder.
In the distance, Nie Honglou squinted his eyes, watching Kong Lanyou's sword strike, and said, "This senior is quite confident. Doesn't she know that Zhang Ruochen is practically invincible at the same realm?"
Lu Youcai said, "When a person's cultivation reaches a certain level, their understanding of techniques and the sword path reaches another height that we cannot comprehend."
"But wanting to defeat Zhang Ruochen, who is at the Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Extreme Position, with a cultivation of the Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Stage is simply impossible." Nie Honglou shook his head.
He was also an expert and knew well how powerful Zhang Ruochen was.
At the same realm, very few could even block one of Zhang Ruochen's moves, let alone being three realms lower.
"Let's see the result. Since she's a senior expert, she surely wouldn't do something without confidence." Lu Youcai said.
Lu Youcai didn't know the true identity of the white-haired woman; he only knew that even the old ancestor treated her with great respect, which was quite extraordinary.
She was likely a Saint.
"Heavenly Heart Points the Way."
The first move Kong Lanyou used was also the first move of the Heavenly Heart Sword Technique.
Her movements were fluid and natural, like a swordsman pointing the way. With a casual flick, the bamboo tube had already struck out first.
Zhang Ruochen had long cultivated the Heavenly Heart Sword Technique to perfection. The moment Kong Lanyou used Heavenly Heart Points the Way, he immediately thought of a way to counter it.
"Heavenly Heart Stirs the Tide."
Still a move from the Heavenly Heart Sword Technique. As Zhang Ruochen's arm rotated, sword energy surged out like waves, rolling toward Kong Lanyou one after another.
"Hua—"
But Kong Lanyou's sword technique suddenly changed, like a white light, piercing through the sword energy waves and thrusting toward Zhang Ruochen's chest.
An ordinary move of the Heavenly Heart Sword Technique, in her hands, became unpredictable, already surpassing a Spirit-level low-grade sword technique, even exceeding a Ghost-level sword technique.
Zhang Ruochen's reaction speed was not slow, but when he tried to raise his bamboo tube to block Kong Lanyou's thrust, he was still a step too late.
"Peng!"
The bamboo tube, using a clever force, broke through Zhang Ruochen's protective Heavenly Gang and struck between two ribs on his chest.
A sharp pain spread out, even more agonizing than being pierced by a real sword, causing Zhang Ruochen's true qi to flow backward, rendering him unable to fight.
Zhang Ruochen felt weak all over, cold sweat pouring out. He supported himself with one hand on the ground, gasping heavily.
Kong Lanyou withdrew her sword, straightened her full chest, and said proudly, "What do you think? Even with my cultivation suppressed to the Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Stage, you couldn't block a single move from me."
"How is this possible?"
Zhang Ruochen was naturally unwilling to accept it. He had been defeated by this girl with a single strike, and she had even suppressed her cultivation to the Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Stage, three whole realms lower than him.
Eight hundred years ago, this would have been impossible. Zhang Ruochen could have easily knocked her down with one hand and made her roll on the ground.
Kong Lanyou said, "Although you have achieved Sword Heart Illumination and cultivated the Heavenly Heart Sword Technique to perfection, there are still some subtle flaws. With your current cultivation, you simply cannot see those flaws. Moreover, your combat experience is far inferior to mine, and your control over power still has a long way to go."
Zhang Ruochen circulated his true qi, regulated his breathing for a moment, and gradually recovered. He set aside his unwillingness and humbly analyzed Kong Lanyou's words, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior."
Kong Lanyou stared deeply at Zhang Ruochen and said, "Are you really not him?"
"Who? Are you talking about me, Senior?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Kong Lanyou sighed again and stopped pressing further. She said, "Actually, your control over power is already quite remarkable. When I was at your cultivation level, I was far from reaching your current level. However, your talent is very high, so you should set your goals even higher."
"This residence, I once lived in for a time. I believe you also understand its value."
"For the next month, I will stay in this residence. If you can withstand ten of my moves within that month, I will give you this residence for free. What do you think?"
Zhang Ruochen's heart stirred, and he said, "Why would Senior do this?"
"Because your name... is Zhang Ruochen."
Kong Lanyou's eyes showed a deep, affectionate light, as if she were reminiscing about something.
Lu Youcai stood in the distance, looking at Zhang Ruochen with incomparable envy.
He knew that the white-haired woman before him was likely a remarkable Saint.
For Zhang Ruochen to receive guidance from a Saint and have the Saint personally help him practice swordsmanship—such an opportunity was rare and hard to come by. Even the heirs of Saint clans didn't have such treatment.
But he didn't know that Zhang Ruochen was secretly suffering.
Having only exchanged a few words with her, she had already tested him several times, and a few times, she had almost caught his flaws.
If he stayed with her for a month, it would be very difficult for Zhang Ruochen to hide anything.
What should he do?
On Kong Lanyou's finger was a Space Ring. Suddenly, the surface of the Space Ring emitted a white light, and a war sword four feet seven inches long flew out, hovering in midair.
"Abyssal." Zhang Ruochen stared at that sword, silently calling out in his heart.
The sword hovering in midair was the Creation Life Sword, but Chi Yao had named it "Abyssal," and Zhang Ruochen had always used that name.
The Abyssal Ancient Sword had been fully repaired. Its body was black as ink, the blade was broad and thick, and even the broken tip had been reforged, restored to its original state.
Kong Lanyou held the sword, speaking as if to herself, "Do you know? This sword is not only the Creation Life Sword. It has another name: Abyssal. Its former owner also had the same name as you: Zhang Ruochen."
Zhang Ruochen said, "When I first obtained this sword, the will transmitted from within the sword already told me these things."
Zhang Ruochen didn't know how much Kong Lanyou had already discovered, so he didn't dare say anything reckless, pushing everything onto the Abyssal Ancient Sword.
Then, he immediately changed the subject, staring at the Space Ring on Kong Lanyou's finger, and said, "How does Senior have a Space Ring?"
Kong Lanyou said, "You auctioned off so many Space Rings at Demon Ridge; would it be difficult for me to obtain one?"
Earlier, Kong Lanyou had already been to Demon Ridge.
And she had certainly found out that the person who auctioned the Space Rings was not Lei Jing, but Zhang Ruochen.
"Don't you want to know how I obtained these Space Rings?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Kong Lanyou said, "I don't want to know. I want to know more: after the Abyssal Ancient Sword was repaired, can you still lift it?"
"Why wouldn't I be able to lift it?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Kong Lanyou said, "After being repaired, the Creation Life Sword, without activating the inscriptions within the blade, weighs one thousand three hundred and fifty jin."
"Even if it weighed thirteen thousand five hundred jin, I could still lift it." Zhang Ruochen said.
Kong Lanyou said, "The sword spirit within the blade has awakened, recovering a faint trace of consciousness. If she is unwilling, no matter how strong your power is, you cannot lift the Abyssal Ancient Sword, unless she recognizes you as its master."
"But the Creation Life Sword will only let one person be its master, and that is the son of the Ming Emperor from eight hundred years ago, Zhang Ruochen."
"You are also named Zhang Ruochen, but you are not the son of the Ming Emperor. She may not recognize you."
Zhang Ruochen said, "And if I cannot lift the Creation Life Sword?"
"Then I'm sorry, I will have to take the Creation Life Sword away, because it does not belong to you."
Kong Lanyou's eyes were sharp as she stared at Zhang Ruochen, wanting to know if this Zhang Ruochen could gain the recognition of the Creation Life Sword.
If he could gain the recognition of the Creation Life Sword, then even if he wasn't that Zhang Ruochen, he was certainly connected to that Zhang Ruochen by countless threads.
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