CHAPTER 509: CHAPTER 508: SWORD COMPARISON_1

"This Sword Intent is indeed strong."

Ling Chen’s expression remained unchanged; he appeared calm and collected before the raging Sword Intent storm. "Unfortunately, to me, it’s nothing!"

This little beast... Gentleman of the Wind’s eyes narrowed. Is this kid still spouting nonsense? Has he gone mad?

WHOOSH!

Ling Chen held the sword scabbard with his left hand and, with lightning speed, drew the Thunder Shadow Sword with his right. The majestic Invincible Sword Intent condensed into a single line, leaving a charred, electric trace in the Void as he abruptly swung the sword.

RRRIP!

In an instant, Ling Chen tore the surging Sword Intent apart as if it were a bolt of cloth. The sundered storm brushed past both sides of his body, shattering the surrounding wine tables into powder.

"What?"

Gentleman of the Wind, who was bearing the brunt of the attack, was aghast. My Sword Intent, unbeatable among the younger generation, was broken so easily by Ling Chen? Could it be that Ling Chen’s Sword Intent level is comparable to mine? How is that possible?

"Impressive!"

Su Ziling watched this scene with keen interest, a smile playing on his lips. "Brother Ling Chen’s rate of progress is truly astonishing. Back in the City of Thunder, he was just a promising junior. I didn’t expect he’d reach this level in such a short time."

"Yes, he is the champion of the most glorious Martial World Tournament. It’s just a pity he has entered the Demon Way," Yun Qinghong said, shaking his head with a hint of regret in his eyes.

"So what if he’s entered the Demon Way? We made a pact with him to duel at Nine Dragons Lake; don’t you forget," Su Ziling said, looking at Yun Qinghong with an amused smile.

"Of course, I haven’t forgotten. But that’s provided he can leave here alive today," Yun Qinghong stated calmly.

As they watched, Gentleman of the Wind’s figure paused momentarily. Then, his eyes widened sharply, and he let out a fierce cry. The True Qi behind him surged violently, and his form blurred into an afterimage, shooting towards Ling Chen like a bolt of lightning.

His figure streaked across the Sky. Aided by his majestic True Qi, the sharp tip of his sword easily cut through the air. In the blink of an eye, the sword tip was at Ling Chen’s chest.

CLANG!

A dark shadow flashed. The Thunder Shadow Sword appeared out of nowhere before Ling Chen, like a sturdy shield, easily deflecting the sharp, green-glinting sword.

As the two swords met, a fierce gust of energy instantly spread from the point of contact, sending ripples through the air.

SWISH!

Seeing his initial attack thwarted, Gentleman of the Wind flicked his wrist. His sharp long sword twisted like a venomous snake, slid across the blade of Ling Chen’s sword, and then suddenly thrust forward!

DING!

The sharp long sword had just slid past the blade of the Thunder Shadow Sword when a slender finger shot out. With a flick, a burst of focused energy precisely struck the flat of the attacking sword, deflecting it. Simultaneously, a Sword Light flickering with thunder light arced upwards, slashing directly at Gentleman of the Wind’s face.

Gentleman of the Wind shifted his body slightly, easily dodging Ling Chen’s attack. His eyes glinted sharply as the True Qi within him surged. His sword began to tremble eerily, and as it vibrated continuously, illusory afterimages instantly materialized before him.

"Ten Thousand Heavy Sword Gang!"

In the span of just a few breaths, countless sword phantoms blanketed the area before Gentleman of the Wind. With a tremor of his arm, he thrust out the Gentleman Sword, which was enveloped in a dazzling green light. Immediately, the myriad phantoms surged towards Ling Chen like water bursting from a dam.

Sword phantoms radiating a chilling intent flooded Ling Chen’s vision. Although the countless phantoms were illusory and indistinct, the power they carried could not be underestimated. If one were to face them carelessly, the true Sword Light hidden among the phantoms would appear unexpectedly, making it impossible to defend against.

Merely observing this display of Swordsmanship revealed that Gentleman of the Wind was no ordinary expert. The augmentation of his Sword Technique by his Sword Intent made it even more formidable. Consequently, when Gentleman of the Wind executed this move, cheers erupted from the surrounding plaza, while Nie Wu Xiang and the others couldn’t help but look slightly tense.

In contrast to the crowd’s cheers and the concerns of others, Ling Chen’s composure remained utterly unshaken. He calmly watched the imposing Sword Gang surge towards him like a tidal wave. Slowly, he raised the Thunder Shadow Sword, a sharp light condensing in his eyes as if he could see through the storm of Sword Gang with perfect clarity.

CRACKLE! CRACKLE!

The Sword Light from the Thunder Shadow Sword, continuously arcing through mid-air, instantly intersected with the countless sword phantoms. In that instant, the phantoms erupted with a powerful force. However, no matter how numerous they were, they could not break through the rhythmically unleashed Sword Light of Ling Chen’s Thunder Shadow Sword. It was like a sky-darkening volley of arrows meeting the surging waves of the ocean; regardless of the arrows’ numbers, all were swallowed and neutralized by the churning waters.

This kid really does have some crafty tricks! The thought flashed through Gentleman of the Wind’s mind. He flicked his arm, and a single sword phantom instantly detached from the multitude of afterimages, stabbing directly at Ling Chen’s chest.

However, no sooner did the sword phantom appear than it was shattered by a lightning-swift Sword Light unleashed by Ling Chen.

Gentleman of the Wind was startled as his Long Sword’s attack went awry. Just as he was about to react, Ling Chen’s Thunder Shadow Sword suddenly appeared before him, the flat of its blade striking him squarely on the chest.

THUD!

With the impact, Gentleman of the Wind was sent staggering backward more than ten steps.

Ling Chen, however, landed back in his original spot. He looked up at Gentleman of the Wind, who had been knocked back more than ten meters, a faint smile on his lips. From this exchange, I’ve confirmed that Gentleman of the Wind’s strength indeed surpasses Xie Zhiqiu’s. His power isn’t far off from warriors of the Half-step Heavenly Extreme Realm. However, my opponent has also revealed a significant flaw: his True Qi isn’t dense enough. Gentleman of the Wind’s Cultivation Technique is high-level, but his True Qi clearly lacks endurance. It even shows signs of being outwardly strong but inwardly depleted. The cause for this is likely related to women. For martial artists, indulgence in wine and women is a major taboo. Otherwise, no matter how high their Cultivation, they become like something splendid on the outside but rotten within—nothing more than a pile of useless mud.

"Ling Chen, we’ve exchanged seven moves. You have three chances left," Gentleman of the Wind said with a cold sneer, raising his head and feeling his somewhat numb palm.

Although being knocked back by Ling Chen was humiliating, they had already exchanged eight moves in the blink of an eye. Judging by the current situation, both sides appeared evenly matched. Therefore, Ling Chen’s earlier boast about a ten-move limit now seemed like nothing more than a joke.

Gentleman of the Wind did not bother to lower his voice, so everyone in the plaza heard him. Their expressions became quite colorful, and some even began to snicker. This fellow is just an arrogant brat, relying on a little bit of strength to act so presumptuously!

"There’s no rush. In my opinion, three moves are more than enough."

Ling Chen glanced at the sneer on Gentleman of the Wind’s face, casually sheathed his Thunder Shadow Sword, and replied with a faint smile.