Chapter 76: Not Bad, These Young Men
Upon hearing Chen Changsheng's voice, Gou Hanshi's expression grew serious.
"Mountain Ghost Splits the Rock!"
"Star Hook Sweeps the Day!"
"Dew Drops on the Parasol Tree!"
He also spoke three words in succession.
Those were three moves.
Three moves from the General Formula of the Li Mountain Sword Sect.
The two of them did not look at Tang Thirty-Six and Qi Jian in the arena, nor at the crowd on the stone steps before the hall, whose expressions were unreadable.
They only looked at each other, reciting techniques.
In truth, the moment Chen Changsheng spoke the first move, Gou Hanshi began to counter.
Chen Changsheng's second move was a counter to Gou Hanshi's counter.
Their voices drifted through the silent Weiyang Palace, across the square and into the night.
Their voices were not loud, but they were clear—especially to Tang Thirty-Six and Qi Jian, for whom they rang like thunder, booming in their ears!
Qi Jian's expression turned solemn. He clasped his sword and let out a clear cry. His slender figure dragged multiple afterimages through the night.
The black iron ruler sword in his hand cut through the night wind, silent as a demon, treating the rock like pastry.
Mountain Ghost Splits the Rock!
Tang Thirty-Six's expression sharpened. He raised his sword and hung it inverted before him—the second move Gou Hanshi had spoken was Star Hook Sweeps the Day. He did not know what that move was, or if it would be as powerful as Mountain Ghost Splits the Rock, but he could faintly sense that the three sword techniques Qi Jian was now executing were linked in a chain, advancing with momentum, layering upon layering!
If he used his own methods, he could probably block the first two moves, but he could not be sure he could withstand the final, strongest strike.
Chen Changsheng's voice still echoed in his mind.
Those four words were very clear, and those four sword moves were very familiar to him.
At this moment, he had no time to wonder why Chen Changsheng knew his family's sword techniques. Instinctively, following Chen Changsheng's words, he raised his sword.
The moment he raised the Wenshui Sword, he realized something was off.
How could these four sword moves be used in succession!
Pouring the Golden Vase was the seventh form of the Yuanfeng Sword Art, Ocean Qi Sinks was the eleventh form of the Founding Sword Art, Window Lamp Shadow was the third form of the Yuanfeng Sword Art, and Hanging Sword in the Long Forest was the opening form of the Founding Sword Art!
These were moves from two entirely different sword arts—how could they be mixed together? The true qi circulation methods for each move were completely different—how could they be forcibly linked? Was he not afraid of qi deviation and injury? He had trained in the Tang family's ancestral sword techniques since childhood under his elders, and he had never heard of his family's sword arts being used this way!
No matter how many doubts and confusions he had, there was no time to think now.
Qi Jian's sword was already before him. After the terrifying sword momentum of Mountain Ghost Splits the Rock, the framework of Star Hook Sweeps the Day was already taking shape!
Tang Thirty-Six steeled his resolve. His sword struck out—Pouring the Golden Vase!
Then he turned to Ocean Qi Sinks!
His true essence traveled from his meridians to his wrist, then suddenly sank, turning back along a path he had never tried before.
Only thus could he transition from Pouring the Golden Vase to Ocean Qi Sinks.
Tang Thirty-Six had already braced himself for qi backlash, for injury and spitting blood.
Yet... nothing happened.
His true essence flowed effortlessly through the inch-gate of his wrist, sinking into the Yangming Meridian!
Not only was he unharmed, but the sensation of unimpeded flow made him want to cry out with joy!
Tang Thirty-Six's confidence surged. His sword flew like the wind, breaking through Qi Jian's sword shadows that spanned the night sky. From Ocean Qi Sinks, he turned to Window Lamp Shadow!
Still no problem!
His true essence flowed with extraordinary smoothness. He even felt that these two sword moves were not from two different sword arts at all, but were meant to be linked!
The night sky rang with countless crisp sword chimes.
The spectators on the stone steps before the hall saw Tang Thirty-Six's movements become extremely strange, like a puppet with broken strings—his advances and retreats were stiff, yet somehow felt utterly natural!
No matter how powerful Qi Jian's sword momentum was, it could not trap him.
After countless sword chimes, Qi Jian's sword finally reached the move Dew Drops on the Parasque Tree.
This was also the last move Gou Hanshi had spoken.
This was a major technique from the Li Mountain Sword Art, capturing the meaning of frost covering the mountains and a lone parasol tree on the cliff's edge.
Within the most magnificent sword intent lurked a desolate, deadly meaning.
The iron ruler sword seemed coated in frost, pressing in slowly from all directions.
Like winter entering the forest—slow, yet unstoppable.
If he had not heard Chen Changsheng's voice, Tang Thirty-Six would probably have chosen the most violent sword form, attempting to take his opponent down with him, or using a mutual destruction method to try to strike Qi Jian's weakness again.
But now, there was no need.
He used only a single, simple move.
"Hanging Sword in the Long Forest!"
This was the opening form of the Tang family's Founding Sword Art.
At any other time, this opening form of the Founding Sword Art would have been utterly useless.
But now, Tang Thirty-Six's sword forms had already successfully contended with Qi Jian's first two moves, and he was fully prepared for the final strike.
Every angle, posture, true essence circulation, and even spirit—all preparations were complete.
The long forest was dyed, all in frost.
He hung his sword on the lone parasol tree.
He turned his wrist and swept his sword horizontally.
The Wenshui Sword dragged across the iron ruler sword, striking a spark.
The sword did not wound Qi Jian in the slightest, but it stirred the wind.
After the night wind, his elbow struck Qi Jian's sword hand.
Clean and precise, not a hair's breadth off.
A soft snap.
The iron ruler sword whistled through the air, landing in the depths of the night.
Tang Thirty-Six stepped back two paces and sheathed his sword.
Qi Jian looked down at his empty right hand, somewhat dazed. It took him a moment to realize... he had lost.
In an instant, his eyes grew wet. He was very sad, very upset.
Seeing him like this, Tang Thirty-Six grew irritable. "What's there to be sad about? You're still stronger than me. I couldn't beat you originally. It's just... the National Academy didn't lose."
He was a proud man, and he had to make things clear—the National Academy didn't lose, but that didn't mean he had won.
Qi Jian pressed his lips tightly together, refusing to cry. His small face flushed red as he choked out, "Thank you."
Then he looked at his most trusted and respected senior brother, wanting to understand what had just happened.
Gou Hanshi was looking at Chen Changsheng.
The arena was dead silent.
Everyone was looking at Chen Changsheng.
Many people did not understand what had happened. Perhaps even Tang Thirty-Six himself could not explain it clearly.
Now, as they reflected, the key lay in that final elbow strike with the sword—a move that could truly be called exquisite to the extreme, yet baffling.
But everyone knew that the key to that strike lay in the preceding sword moves.
The sword moves Chen Changsheng had spoken.
Mao Qiuyu looked at Chen Changsheng, somewhat surprised. Chen Liu Wang looked at him, his eyes full of admiration. Xu Shiji and the head of the Qiu Shan family wore extremely ugly expressions, while Mo Yu's expression was very complex. Earlier, she had been puzzled as to how Chen Changsheng could leave the Tong Palace. Now she realized that everyone had underestimated this young man.
Tonight, many people were truly meeting Chen Changsheng for the first time.
Including Xu Shiji and Mo Yu, who had seen him before.
The wrinkles on the Archbishop's face spread out as he said, "Not bad, not bad."
Everyone knew that his "not bad" did not refer to Tang Thirty-Six, but to Chen Changsheng.
(I suddenly noticed the strong recommendation and remembered that it will be published in a few days. I sincerely ask everyone to cast more recommendation votes, so we can keep the number one spot for two months. Thank you all.)