Among the lot-drawing personnel waiting beneath the main stage, Xiang Zhen suddenly closed his eyes.
The moment Yu Qing swung that sword, he seemed to be touched by something. With closed eyes, he slowly recalled the image of that sword swing, his hand even slowly mimicking the motion. After opening his eyes, they seemed to hold some confusion, carrying a trace of puzzlement he could not understand.
His gesturing among the ten people naturally obstructed those beside him, also drawing their attention.
Someone nearby asked, “Brother Xiang, what is it?”
Xiang Zhen stared at Yu Qing in the arena, hesitating. “There seems to be a deeper meaning.”
The other person could not understand what he was saying, asking, “What deeper meaning?”
Xiang Zhen wanted to speak but stopped. When his vision touched Yu Qing’s sword just now, he seemed to sense a kind of sword intent, but he dared not be certain. Closing his eyes to recall, mimicking and replaying, he still could not figure it out.
What is sword intent? It refers to when a swordsman has brought the sword under control to a certain degree, when sword-wielding ability has become proficient or broken through to some realm, they will comprehend an unconventional mode of expression. The sword moves with intention, the sword is like one’s own intention.
One could say it is skill born of familiarity, or one could say it transcends the ordinary. In short, it is no longer ordinary sword-swinging and killing.
He knew it is a very advanced mode of expression. He himself did not quite understand it either. It was just that the moment Yu Qing swung his sword just now seemed to pluck at his heartstrings, making him feel as if he had experienced some kind of illusion. That instant actually seemed to let him see the threshold he had long yearned for.
The problem was, those whose cultivation had not reached the Upper Profound realm seemed to find it difficult to touch that threshold, so he himself did not know whether his feeling was mistaken.
And he was not someone who talked much. Normally he did not interact much with people. Added to that he could not be certain, so he said nothing more, continuing to silently watch Yu Qing’s every move.
The person asking questions beside him suddenly felt like he had pressed a warm face against a cold bottom. He raised his hand to scratch his forehead, also speechless.
The first drum roll urging battle stopped. The two facing each other not only did not start fighting, but seemed to relax instead.
The sword in Yu Qing’s hand slowly lowered.
The sword Shi Dao held diagonally in his hand also slowly drooped. As if relieved, his gaze at the other party was startled, suspicious, and complex. After a long while he choked out a word, “You…”
Next he somewhat did not know what to say.
That sword from the opponent just now came along his line of sight, was launched by cutting into his line of sight. He seemed to understand it, yet also seemed not to understand it.
He clearly saw one sword swing from Yu Qing, yet at the same time clearly saw Yu Qing swing three swords at him.
He clearly saw one move, yet at the same time clearly saw three moves.
So what kind of situation this was, he himself could not say clearly.
If it was an illusion, yet the stirred energy all around was real and solid. With his current cultivation, he was not so lacking that he could not detect the surging of invisible energy around him.
So it shocked him again. In that instant, in such a short time, to be able to launch three moves consecutively, how fast must that speed be?
He did not know that Yu Qing’s sword-drawing speed had already reached the point where he could explode forth thirty-six swords in one breath. This was still under the condition of coordinating with the Dragon Swimming Movement Technique. Discarding those movements, only sending three swords in a small range toward one direction, that was not difficult.
What Shi Dao wondered was, with three swords at such speed, could the wrist endure it?
Although those three moves just now were not large-amplitude sword moves, he was very clear that though the amplitude of the sword moves was small, at such speed, if the wrist could not control it, it would directly injure the wrist, even directly cripple one’s own wrist.
This is why only those with higher cultivation have a chance of controlling faster attack speeds. When the body’s internal cultivation has reached that level, only then can one control it.
He felt that the speed of those three moves from the opponent just now should be something only those whose cultivation had reached the Upper Profound realm could control. Yet the organisers of the Chaoyang Assembly should not help with this kind of cheating. Also the opponent’s age did not look like he could have already broken through to the Upper Profound realm.
What he did not know was that the sword technique Yu Qing cultivated was somewhat different from other sword techniques in training method. What he trained first was hand technique and movement technique.
The hand technique was called Dragon Capturing Hand. As the name implies, a hand that can capture dragons. Its explosive power and endurance were both extraordinary.
So Yu Qing was completely capable of achieving such fast sword move transformation speeds.
Of course, what Shi Dao wondered even more was why he saw one sword yet also saw three swords.
That was because he did not know that Yu Qing was already practising the second move of the Dust Sealing Sword Technique.
Thirty-six swords in one breath was only the first move. What Yu Qing wanted to practise now was merging thirty-six moves into one, to simplify the complex.
However, he had not yet succeeded. He was still far from success. That sword just now had only merged three relatively simple swords into one.
The so-called merging of three swords was also not what Shi Dao’s eyes saw as three moves or one move.
It seemed to only produce one move, yet three moves existed.
One could say one move was real while two moves were illusory. One could also say all three moves were illusory. One could also consider all three moves real. Or one could think that among the three moves there was always one real move.
These three moves were actually sword intent, both illusory and capable of becoming real. They truly existed and could make people truly feel them.
The sword intent told Shi Dao that he could simultaneously attack him with these three moves.
And Yu Qing’s attack speed could in fact accomplish this. It just depended on whether he wanted to do it or not. This was the three-swords-as-one that he was just beginning to explore.
When one day, with one sword strike, the opponent could instantly feel thirty-six swords pressing in, that would mean he had succeeded in thirty-six-swords-as-one.
This was a realm. Shi Dao currently had no concept of this threshold, so for a moment he could not understand what was happening.
But Shi Dao already understood the meaning of the opponent revealing this sword.
This opponent was different from those companions of his who only knew defence.
The opponent was using the sword to tell him, if I attack, can you block it?
This was also the reason sweat appeared on Shi Dao’s forehead. The opponent had warned him, but he himself would not listen and insisted on seeking death. Fortunately the opponent showed mercy. If it were someone with a bit of temper… he truly feared to think of the consequences.
The situation in the competition grounds, from the perspective of those outside the arena, the two people seemed about to stop fighting.
In the viewing stands, Chan Shaoyun immediately became somewhat unwilling to accept this. Anxiously clenching her fist she said, “Fight, beat that Zhang fellow, don’t stop, why aren’t you fighting?”
“Stop shouting!” Yong Zexue beside her scolded, staring at the grounds. “Look at that opponent of his, he seems to have suffered internal injury.”
“Ah?” Chan Shaoyun was surprised, immediately staring carefully.
Actually many people could tell from Shi Dao’s complexion that he had injuries. As for the real reason the two contestants stopped fighting, basically no one in attendance could tell.
Not only because the distance between the viewing stands and the two people in the competition grounds was relatively far, not only because of sight distance and angle, or whether one could closely feel it personally.
Of course, these were also important reasons. But the real reason lay in realm, lay in whether one could comprehend it in that instant.
Those with that realm, or those whose hearts could understand, could instantly comprehend it. Otherwise once missed, it was missed.
Because Yu Qing’s sword speed was very fast. The sword intent came out and was withdrawn in that flash of an instant.
After Shi Dao said the word “you” and paused for quite a while, he sighed, “It seems Brother Zhang not only has good luck in drawing lots, but also possesses extraordinary strength.”
Yu Qing knew he understood. Sweeping a glance around, he calmly said, “You did not lose to my hand. You are conceding because of internal injury.”
Shi Dao was stunned, then understood his meaning. Smiling bitterly he said, “Alright, I understand.”
He sheathed his sword, slowly turned around, then flew away. After one leap he flew out of the arena, flew to the viewing stands and sat down, then covered his mouth and coughed with effort a few times.
“Ah, Shi Dao conceded?”
“How did he concede without even fighting?”
“It seems he really was heavily injured in the previous round.”
“Tsk, this really is bad luck. Eight empty number plates, as long as he drew one, even with injuries he would advance. Yet as luck would have it, alas!”
“See, this Zhang Zhichen just has damned good luck. Without letting him draw lots, a heavily injured person still popped up into his hands. Not one move passed, still advanced lying down.”
“This luck really has no equal.”
Noise rose in the viewing stands, everyone discussing.
Chan Shaoyun could not help standing up, her mouth spitting out a pile of indignant words. Letting this kind of person directly advance, she was very unwilling.
The unsociable Xiang Lanxuan sitting alone in an open space glanced at the chattering people nearby. A look that could not even be bothered to show disdain flashed in her eyes. When she looked again at Yu Qing standing alone in the arena, an expression of great interest emerged. She muttered to herself again, “The world’s number one talent…”
The lot-drawing personnel waiting beneath the main stage also began whispering to each other. At this time Wu Ronggui also revealed to everyone waiting together the news that Shi Dao was indeed heavily injured, causing everyone to praise Yu Qing’s good luck again.
Only Xiang Zhen turned his head to stare at Shi Dao who had returned to his seat. Hearing everyone say things about good luck, he looked again at Yu Qing in the arena waiting for the result. His gaze was very solemn. He lightly said, “He might be an expert!”
People nearby looked at him. Perhaps because his voice was soft, perhaps because they could not get his follow-up words, or perhaps because he did not much like interacting with people. So it was as if he had never said anything.
On the stage Wu Tian looked back at his sect’s supervising personnel. If they had no objections, he would follow the rules to announce Yu Qing’s victory.
Who knew Qin Fujun suddenly stood up, signaling him to wait before announcing. To the people beside her she said, “I will go ask that Shi Dao and see what exactly is going on.”
Sun Lianxing replied, “That Shi Dao is indeed heavily injured. Previously we quietly helped him treat it here. We just did not expect he could not even withstand one move.”
Was it so? Qin Fujun frowned, turning her head to look at Yu Qing. For some reason, she always felt that this matter appearing on that sleazy little mustache was not so simple. She felt the conversation between the two people on the grounds might have some problem. So she still flew away, flew to the viewing stands, found Shi Dao and asked, “What happened?”
Shi Dao was startled. He himself was very surprised, “Conceding according to the rules, is there a problem?”
Qin Fujun said, “If there is some other reason, you can tell me. For instance encountering coercion or something. In short I guarantee Kunling Mountain will stand up for you.”
Coercion? Shi Dao smiled bitterly, “It is just being dragged down by heavy injury, recognising that I am not his match. Does conceding not work either?”
Because the result was not announced for so long, the entire field’s gaze also concentrated over at this time, not knowing what was happening.
Yu Qing waiting in the arena also felt disgusted in his heart, not knowing what this woman meant, somewhat feeling like she was deliberately making trouble.
Fortunately Qin Fujun did not get the result she wanted, and could only accept this result, returning to the stage.
Afterwards, Wu Tian smoothly announced Yu Qing’s victory.
And Xiang Lanxuan in the viewing stands also stood up at this time, staring at Yu Qing ascending the stage and laughing once, “It can be considered not a wasted trip.”
After speaking she turned and left. As for the second round of competition and such, she did not even have the interest to watch.