txolops Chapter 51 Defeat
Chapter 51 Defeat
She snorted coldly, staring directly at Wei Changfeng without any politeness:
"Brother Wei, weren't we supposed to be competing in swordsmanship? Why are you using Taoist magic and magical artifacts now?"
These words were spoken softly, yet as clear and cold as ice beads falling onto a jade plate, each word clearly reaching the ears of everyone present.
Wei Changfeng was bent over, panting heavily, his handsome face turning ashen.
Sweat poured down his forehead, his whole body was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring, as if he had not yet recovered from the extremely dangerous battle just now.
Upon hearing this, he abruptly raised his head and looked at Zhang Ruxue in disbelief.
"This isn't a sword fight... You call that a sword fight? You were clearly trying to kill me!"
A surge of emotion welled up inside him, an indescribable mix of anger and lingering fear. His Adam's apple bobbed several times as he tried to argue his point.
But he swallowed the words back down his throat.
Because he saw Zhang Ruxue's eyes.
Those eyes, as cold as frost and snow, were staring at him, clear and unfathomable.
There was not a single unnecessary fluctuation, only a kind of frankness called "justified and confident".
What made him even more uneasy was that Zhang Ruxue's hand, which was resting on the hilt of the sword, was gently stroking the hilt with her long, slender, and fair fingers.
The gestures clearly indicated that the person wasn't satisfied and was ready to fight a few more rounds at any moment.
Wei Changfeng swallowed hard.
He glanced down at his neck; the protective jade pendant had long since lost its luster and was covered in cracks.
Recalling the frosty white sword energy that had just grazed his scalp, his limbs went weak and he couldn't control himself.
The true qi in his dantian was almost depleted, and he felt a wave of weakness and exhaustion throughout his body, almost losing the strength to stand up straight.
If I continue to get entangled with her, I'll lose more than just face.
"Junior Sister Zhang has truly mastered the swordsmanship, I, Wei—"
Wei Changfeng gritted his teeth, finally clasped his hands together, lowered his head, and squeezed out a hoarse voice from his throat, "I admit defeat."
After saying those four words, he seemed to have lost his last bit of strength, and his body swayed.
The maidservant beside him quickly stepped forward to support him.
Wei Changfeng waved his hand, shook off the maid's support, turned and left with a livid face, his back view showing a hint of panic.
The pavilion was completely silent.
Snowflakes were still falling sparsely, landing on the glazed tiles, on the overturned low table, and on the shoulders of the astonished guests.
It wasn't until Wei Changfeng's figure disappeared into the far end of the ship's side that everyone seemed to be released from a spell, and one by one they came back to their senses.
Fairy Yueyi was holding a light pink Five Qi Smoke Handkerchief in her hand, her five fingers gripping the corner of the handkerchief tightly, her knuckles turning white.
She was still half-standing, clearly preparing to intervene, but the sudden change in the situation startled her so much that she forgot to move.
She blinked, then blinked again, before slowly sitting back down on the prayer mat, her expression extremely complex—
There was astonishment, disbelief, and a bitter smile that was hard to describe.
She had known Zhang Ruxue for several years and knew that her close friend was skilled in swordsmanship and was highly regarded in the Lingjian Sect.
But she never knew that Zhang Ruxue was this strong.
Who is Wei Changfeng? He is a direct descendant of the prestigious Wei family, and has reached the mid-stage of the embryonic breathing realm.
Yet Wei Changfeng, despite his prowess, couldn't even last ten rounds against Zhang Ruxue. He suffered defeat after defeat, from swordsmanship to Taoist arts to protective magic weapons, and finally surrendered without daring to utter a single harsh word.
Fairy Yueyi glanced down at the handkerchief in her hand, then looked at Zhang Ruxue, who was sitting upright in the distance, and finally couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.
She invited Zhang Ruxue today with the intention of letting her close friend meet more fellow Daoists at the tea party, but who knew it would turn out like this.
Now Wei Changfeng has completely lost face, and it's anyone's guess what the Wei family will think of this.
However, she thought again and remembered Wei Changfeng's feigned humility but actually smug look when he was showing off his sword energy.
His words revealed an undisguised admiration for Zhang Ruxue.
Le Yi found it somewhat amusing.
This young master Wei probably thought he could show off his swordsmanship in front of the beauty today, but he never expected that he would be beaten so badly by her that he had no chance to fight back.
Before Fairy Yueyi could finish her thoughts, she heard a hushed voice beside her.
"Fairy—"
She turned her head and met Chen Bai's eyes, which were now filled with curiosity.
He stared intently at the sword at Zhang Ruxue's waist, which was already sheathed, a fierce light flickering in his eyes.
"Fellow Daoist Chen?" Fairy Yueyi was slightly taken aback.
Chen Bai took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging emotions in his heart, and turned to look at Fairy Yueyi, his tone filled with barely suppressed urgency: "May I ask, Fairy, what method does that Fairy Zhang cultivate? It is so powerful."
He had witnessed cultivators fighting, and had even experienced it himself.
But the sword fight between Zhang Ruxue and Wei Changfeng just now was completely different from those.
Zhang Ruxue did not move an inch, utter a single incantation, or offer a single talisman from beginning to end.
She simply sat upright on the futon, using her fingers as a sword and her spiritual sense to control it.
The timing, angle, and force of each thrust were precise down to the millimeter.
The flying sword in her hand was like a silver fish with sentience, moving nimbly and effortlessly.
When she got really serious, the frost-white sword energy that emerged from the sword crushed Wei Changfeng's proud Purple Mansion Wind with an almost devastating force.
This is only the embryonic breathing stage.
If she were to go further and achieve the Innate Realm, Foundation Establishment Realm, or even touch the realm of "Sword Intent" that she herself speaks of, what would that be like?
Chen Bai dared not imagine, but he sincerely wanted to know what kind of profound method this woman was practicing.
Looking at the burning light in his eyes, Fairy Yueyi couldn't help but reveal a thoughtful expression.
She pondered for a moment and said slowly, "Although Ru Xue and I are close friends, she has always kept the secret of the cultivation techniques passed down in the Spirit Sword Sect to herself and rarely talks about them to outsiders."
However, judging from her words when discussing swordsmanship, it's likely one of the three superior sword techniques that only inner disciples and above in the Spirit Sword Sect are qualified to practice.
She paused, then parted her cherry lips slightly and uttered a few words:
"The Mysterious Frost Sword"
Chen Bai repeated it to himself, subconsciously clenching his fist.
The image of that several-foot-long, frost-white sword aura falling from the sky flashed through my mind.
I could almost still hear that clear and awe-inspiring sword cry.
Before today, he only knew the reputation of swordsmanship, but he didn't know how powerful it was.
But in that sword duel just now, Zhang Ruxue gave him the answer in the most direct way.
That's not a gap that can be easily bridged by any magic or artifact; it's an absolute advantage rooted in the foundation of cultivation.
"Three realms of swordsmanship? That's quite impressive. If only I could have the opportunity to learn a superior swordsmanship technique..."
Chen Bai slowly loosened his fist, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and sat up straight again.