Why do I have so many masters?-Chapter 736 - 40 I Have a Sword (1/2) (3000)
Chapter 736 -40 I Have a Sword (1/2) (3000)
After advancing to the Fifth Rank, Wang Anfeng could restrain the circulation of his Qi Mechanism, so he didn’t always make grandiose gestures that enveloped the mountains and rivers with every move. However, because he concentrated his power to one point, his lethality had become even stronger.
This sword carried the Solitary Cold Sword Intent of the Heavenly Mountain lineage, as well as the move “Thousand Autumns Snow” he had learned from Gong Yu, almost perfectly epitomizing the icy Sword Intent of the Taiyin lineage at that moment’s pinnacle.
Wei Qianfeng’s expression shifted, with nowhere to dodge. If he drew his sword and fought back, he would inevitably harm the lives of his loyal disciples around him. With his longsword at the ready, without time to consider carefully, he could only leap into the air, covering several yards in an instant, gliding gracefully across.
Wang Anfeng’s approach was extremely fast, like an arrow off its string. Yet, his movements were incredibly nimble; he stepped into the wind and lightly tapped his right foot on the forehead of the steed of Wei Qianfeng, maneuvering his Qi Mechanism without harming it. He flipped through the air, his movements graceful and unrestrained, ignoring the other disciples of the Mysterious Sword Sect as his sword momentum continued to rise, directly aiming for Wei Qianfeng. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
The latter had already drawn his sword, and although he had been previously injured by Wu Qiong’s sleeve attack, he had managed to suppress the wounds momentarily. With an indifferent expression, he suddenly thrust at Wang Anfeng’s forehead. Twin swords clashed, crossing several times within an instant, the sound of their swords clashing vibrated with a mournful hum.
Wei Qianfeng might be cold-hearted enough to betray those who had saved and taught him, but he cherished his own disciples greatly. Entrusting his swordsmanship to stall Wang Anfeng, he commanded indifferently, allowing the remaining disciples of the Mysterious Sword Sect to leave.
He was revered among his students, and since they were also involved in such dishonorable affairs typical of Jianghu, it was natural that they were his confidants, accustomed to his ruthless ways and dared not disobey. After a moment of hesitation, they took the two seriously wounded disciples hit by Wang Anfeng and chose a new direction to gallop away.
Once the disciples had left, Wei Qianfeng’s expression turned even colder. Raising his hand to block Wang Anfeng’s sword, he looked at the clear eyes across from him that didn’t match the naive face, and squinting his eyes, he said:
“With a single stroke, you dispel the chill of autumn. Are you a disciple of the Heavenly Mountain Sword Sect?”
“I remember the previous champion of your Heavenly Mountain, returned in seclusion with a severed arm, because he assisted an elder of the One-Leaf Pavilion but was deceived by the elder about the complexity of the matter. That’s why, generation after generation, your Heavenly Mountain Sword Sect has traveled from the north to challenge the masters in Jiangnan.”
“Since you are a disciple of the Heavenly Mountain Sect who has come to Jiangnan, why not seek revenge for your mentors? Instead, you choose to assist your enemy. Is this how you treat your honoring teacher?”
Wang Anfeng, sword in hand, calmly replied:
“Betrayal and desertion are not yours to speak of.”
Wei Qianfeng, having his grievance pointed out, was provoked into anger once more but only let out a long laugh. Seemingly unable to suppress his emotions any longer, he shouted loudly:
“Betrayal and desertion? What do you know?!”
“If Jiang Yang had not held back but had given me the entirety of the secret manual, why would I be stuck at the Fifth Rank Realm without progress? Had he directly pointed it out when I asked for his guidance, I would still be grateful to him, I’d always respect and honor him, even willing to maintain the etiquette of a disciple.”
“But he did not!”
“He let me struggle at this realm for a full twenty years, twenty years! How many twenties does a man have in his lifetime? Hahaha, with the chains of Heavenly Sect locked, one’s life is confined to mediocrity and nothing but a waste. This time is the only opportunity, even if I am slandered by later generations, I will not hesitate!”
“I had plans to invite you into my sect, but now it seems you are just another scholar bound by so-called proprieties and rules, an individual unworthy of cultivation. In a Jianghu where one reigns supreme with a sword, characters like you might as well be slain for good!”
As he spoke, the Vigorous Qi on his sword surged dramatically.
Wang Anfeng’s face became slightly pale.
After all, Wei Qianfeng was among the first-rate swordsmen of the Fifth Rank, having immersed himself in this realm for no less than twenty years, older than Wang Anfeng himself.
The world of martial arts, driven by the Triple Teachings, has a long and profound heritage. Though not skilled in battle and slaughter, with a breath of True Qi in the abdomen that lingers ceaselessly, even aged bones and weakening Inner Strength won’t lead to a decline in martial arts proficiency.
Instead, the True Qi becomes more refined with the passage of time.
Martial artists in Jianghu value killing methods. The hidden injuries of youth often erupt in old age. Couple that with a slack body and a spirit that is no longer focused, it is common to experience a decline in martial skill.
Once declined, it’s like a flood rushing down a mountain, unstoppable.
The Sword Path of Slaughter practiced by Wei Qianfeng has not experienced such a decline, which shows his sincere devotion to martial arts, refusing to rest for a day. Furthermore, with half the scriptures of the seven major sects in Jianghu at his disposal, his strength supersedes that of Wang Anfeng.
Overtaken by rage, he wielded his sword according to the most fundamental principles, unleashing thunderous and lightning-fast strikes. Initially, Wang Anfeng used Sword Intent only once, but soon switched to the Killing Sword taught by Mr. Ying, responding to the attack with attack, gradually breaking free of conventional swordplay limitations.
In his hand, he was holding an ordinary weapon snatched from the disciples of the Mysterious Sword Sect; the wooden sword wrapped in blue cloth was left where he originally stood, since he had no time to retrieve it, not due to an oversight, but as a deliberate choice.
In the past, equipped with a Divine Weapon, even in the direst circumstances, he knew that drawing that wooden sword would secure him a path to survival. Therefore, he always felt composed and unhurried, never pushing himself to the brink.
There is a concept of hiding the sword in swordsmanship.
In External Cultivation, one intentionally limits oneself.
The sword remains in its sheath, not to be drawn unless at the Life and Death Pass, to polish the Sword Qi within a swordsman that strives to reach the skies. With repeated practice, the edge sharpens; if one can go decades without drawing their sword, then a single strike is sure to shake the World.
Now, separated from his Divine Weapon, and even from his elders and friends, standing alone against a peer of equal caliber, for him, it’s an even greater act of ‘hiding the sword,’ seeking to temper himself on the path of martial arts.
He had hurried to this place, partially disliking the man’s sly ways as well as for the sake of Xiahou Xuan and Jiang Lan. Additionally, he sought to hone himself, and now, unleashing all his mastered sword techniques, he fought heartily with this master.
With a resounding clang, Wei Qianfeng’s broad sword pivoted in his hand, slashing down with the brute force of the Great Qin Mo Blade technique. Wang Anfeng’s sword was only slightly better than the common Hundred Refined Iron weapons found in Jianghu. If he were to block the attack head-on, his sword would undoubtedly snap in half, so he had no choice but to use his Qinggong to rapidly retreat.
He was ready to counterattack once the broad sword’s momentum waned after its peak when Wei Qianfeng unexpectedly stepped forward. The sword thrust continued without any loss in momentum; in fact, it surged like a waterfall gushing from a kettle’s spout. Anfeng’s expression grew solemn as he realized that despite the white-haired swordsman’s despicable character, his combat experience was in no way inferior to his own.
A lesser martial artist would have been unable to dodge, but Wang Anfeng, armed with numerous supreme techniques and using the Divine Thieves Sect’s method to change his Qi out of thin air, veered aside by just enough. His body drifted like willow catkins, narrowly avoiding the sword edge. Before Wei Qianfeng could adjust his attack, Anfeng’s left hand lifted, fingers bent, his expression then turning serene.
In a single moment, three thousand worlds could be annihilated.
In an instant, dozens of fingers struck the spine of the sword.
The longsword suddenly trembled uncontrollably, its Sword Qi, Sword Momentum, and Sword Intent collapsing instantly.
Wang Anfeng forcefully maintained his Qi Mechanism uninterrupted, took a fierce step forward, turned his right hand sword upside down, and transformed his left hand into a palm that he thrust forward with a momentum as heavy as a mountain, seemingly enveloping all of Wei Qianfeng’s acupoints.
The latter snorted coldly. With their proximity, there was no time to unsheathe his sword, so he transformed his left hand into a Sword Finger, employing an extremely exquisite set of lightweight sword techniques. After a dozen close-range exchanges, Anfeng, who was slightly lacking in cultivation, was ultimately touched in the center of his palm by Wei Qianfeng.
A faint sound, and the unobstructed flow of his Prajna Palm’s Qi mechanism was suddenly broken.
An icy smile emerged on Wei Qianfeng’s face.
Wang Anfeng turned his left hand over and unexpectedly grasped Wei’s palm tightly within his own. At the same moment, his expression remained calm as he suddenly took a long breath.
A great whale can engulf the sea, a single breath piercing through the Kunlun.
The Qi Mechanism, boiling fiercely in the heat of battle, slowed ever so slightly before abruptly transitioning to the sixth layer technique of the Golden Bell Shield.
Wei Qianfeng’s face changed dramatically, but Wang Anfeng’s palm suddenly shone with a pale gold, as if in an instant he had become a strongman capable of carrying mountains away. With all his cultivation, Wei found himself unable to break free.
The realm Wang Anfeng had not been able to step into just this morning, he had now forcibly advanced towards through the intense battle. His Qi surged like a mustard seed turning into a Sumeru, becoming heavy within a ten-yard radius as if the Kunlun Mountains were pressing down.
Wei Qianfeng, who was adept in swordmanship and inner Qi but did not train his physical body, turned pale and coughed out a mouthful of fresh blood. The internal injuries inflicted by Wu Qiong’s sleeve earlier could no longer be suppressed, leading to turmoil within as his internal and external states clashed.
Biting down on his teeth, Wei Qianfeng mustered his energy to rise, chanting somberly,
“I excel in nurturing my grand Qi…”
Seizing the overflowing Qi Mechanism, Wang Anfeng struck out with a finger. His attack used one of Wei Qianfeng’s own Sword Finger techniques from earlier, piercing sharply to disrupt the surrounding Gang Qi, then he transformed his hand into a palm and pressed it on Wei’s Dantian. An overwhelming inner Qi burst forth, striking Wei Qianfeng sideways and sending him flying several yards. The dense Qi Wei was trying to gather nearly dispersed there and then.
Wang Anfeng did not chase after him but raised the longsword in his hand, fingertips of his left hand outspread and sweeping over the sword edge, his expression solemn.
The longsword hummed, its blade lighting up inch by inch with a cyan glow.
He had once witnessed a Heavenly Sword disassemble with a single strike, bringing clarity to Heaven and Earth.
This sword strike, named “Sword Disassembly,” was self-realized.
Within dozens of yards around, as if froze by the abruptly released Qi Mechanism, everything turned still, the breeze stopped, and all sounds ceased, save for the one sword that calmly cut through, becoming the sole moving image, slashing across Wei Qianfeng in an instant.
A strand of Qingfeng passed between Heaven and Earth.
Wang Anfeng’s face turned deathly pale as the Qi Mechanism, which had soared in the heat of the desperate battle, now plummeted down. It even stirred his internal Qi and blood, making his chest and belly churn. If not for his robust physique, he would have inevitably vomited blood.
On the other side, Wei Qianfeng no longer had any Qi, his eyes wide open. It was uncertain whether he caught a glimpse, through that sword strike learned from Hong Hui’s disassembly technique, of a grandeur he could never reach in his lifetime.
Wang Anfeng stood up, holding a sword in his hand that could not withstand the sharpness of the Sword Gang and had already developed cracks starting from the edge. Wang Anfeng walked steadily towards Wei Qianfeng, who was kneeling on the ground, and spat disdainfully like a village bravo. He said softly,
“Grand righteousness and Qi…”
“Do you even deserve it?”
He then casually inserted the longsword into the ground next to Wei Qianfeng’s corpse.
The wind passed through the cracks, humming unceasingly.
PS: Today’s first update is here… three thousand words…
