Both Silver and Tang Bai stood on the platform, carefully checking each other out. Silver could instantly tell that his opponent was quite strong for his age, stronger than Chu Feng who fought Fu Wonton earlier. Out of all the participants of this annual tournament, Tang Bai was the strongest out of them. However, this didn't necessarily affect Silver at all.
Even if Tang Bai had reached the early stage of [Primal Source Realm] during battle, who was currently at Nature Form, Silver wouldn't even bother trying. He thought about giving up before the fight, but he noticed his opponent's battle-crazed eyes.
A thirst to battle, to experience a fight with those stronger than them. Without a second thought, Silver came to a firm decision to give Tang Bai a decent battle. He at least owed Tang Bai this much for joining the annual tournament.
"Do you use weapons?" asked Tang Bai once he got close enough for Silver to hear.
"If not, I can use techniques too."
"I do, but I hope you won't feel insulted," smiled Silver as he took a six-foot wooden staff out of his storage ring.
Tang Bai felt startled by Silver's choice of weapon but nodded anyways. He took out two high quality, black steel twin longswords from his storage ring, holding it with both hands. For some reason, his instincts told him that his opponent was not to be taken lightly. It was best to fight with all his abilities.
"Eh? That blacked masked Silver took out a wooden staff. He's crazy to go against Young Master Bai's black steel twin longswords!" exclaimed one of the Tang Clan's young member.
"Who raised this foolish child?" added another Tang Clan member.
"Can't believe Tang Bai will get an easy win like this! Hahahaha!"
"Everyone knows Tang Bai is only serious when he uses his black steel twin longswords! Maybe this Silver is stronger than we think."
"Hmph. Our Young Master Bai must be overestimating his opponent."
Although the Tang Clan's elder didn't say anything, they didn't refute their younger clansmen either. With all honesty, they were quite confused on why Tang Bai would use his twin swords before the battle. Maybe he could sense something from Silver, since they couldn't sense him from the stadium.
Kong Galbi overheard their rude comments, controlling his anger from strangling the younger generation of the Tang Clan. He too, was surprised that his son took out a wooden staff, but it didn't mean he wanted to hear these ignorant buffoons slander his only son.
Kong Galbi and his wife, Kong Nori, attentively watched as the battle had already commenced.
'Cross Form!'
With a quick swing of his right and left sword, forming an X, Tang Bai slashed towards Silver's head.
Smiling at the incoming attack, Silver lightly spun his wooden staff, instantly knocking against the tip of both blades simultaneously. After knocking the blades, he quickly thrusted his wooden staff against the small opening he created, jabbing towards Tang Bai's chest in the process.
However, Tang Bai's keen senses follow pursuit, backing away from the quick jab. After dodging, he switched to a lower posture, using his next twin sword technique, 'Sweeping the Grass', aiming for Silver's legs. With his left sword performing 'Sweeping the Grass', his right sword swung upwards with 'Rising Sparrow'.
Taking half a step back, Silver dodged Tang Bai's 'Sweeping the Grass' by a hair's width, while holding his wooden staff with both hands, diagonally, he flicked the bottom portion up. Thus, the staff accurately smacked against the spine of the black steel longsword, deflecting the sword away from his face.
Soon after, he brought down the top portion of his staff, quickly changing his hand positioning, ready to smack Tang Bai's unprotected head.
Quickly shifting his weight, Tang Bai was able to deflect the incoming attack using 'Rising Sparrow' with his right sword, instantly rolling away from Silver within a safe distance. His whole body was already drenched with sweat. Although it seems like they took time to fight, they already made a few moves within seconds into the battle.
'Luckily, I was cautious and brought out my twin swords,' thought Tang Bai strategizing his next moves.
'This guy has no openings; his defense is impenetrable. Even that Fu Wonton defense seem like child's play compare to this guy!'
"Your techniques aren't bad," praised Silver aloud.
He truly felt admiration from the bottom of his heart. Tang Bai's Sword Intent was close to forming. With a little bit more pressure, he would be able to reach the first level of the Sword Intent, Sharpening.
"You didn't use any flashy moves. Each attack is well-practiced, and I can see the efforts of your training."
"I can't say the same for you, senior. Your defense is impenetrable, I can't find even the smallest opening. I can say you that you're at least second or third level with your wooden staff. But it seems you handle it differently than what a natural staff user would," chuckled Tang Bai as he recalled the techniques Silver used.
"What is your preferred weapon of choice?"
"Hahaha, you have great observation skills! My weapon of choice is the halberd! I couldn't find a decent one, so I bought this wooden staff as a substitute. Would you like to continue?"
"Yes!"
Tang Bai ran up to Silver, using all of his strength and abilities this time around. He understood the only way to learn was to fight wholeheartedly against him. Using the same 'Cross Form', Tang Bai gripped his twin swords tightly, loosening his arms simultaneously. Performing much better than he did last time when he first performed the 'Cross Form'.
Noticing the change, Silver smiled as he blocked the strike, jabbing faster than what Tang Bai could react to.
After being knocked back two meters by Silver's jab, Tang Bai felt his adrenaline pumping, taking his sword techniques to the limit. He began with 'Sweeping the Grass' followed by another 'Rising Sparrow' then brought his right sword back down with 'Setting Sun'. With each failed attack, he continued to grind his techniques to the fullest.
For some reason, he felt that Silver was giving him chance to train using him as a grinding stone.
Subsequently, Tang Bai entered a moment of enlightenment as his attack continue to strike at Silver's wooden staff. Once he struck down with 'Setting Sun' he shifted his footing to the right and spun around with 'Twirling Leaf Falling From The Tree'.
As always, Silver kept dodging, blocking and deflecting each attack, aware of Tang Bai in the state of enlightenment.
Similarly, the crowd had gone quiet, struck with both horror and awe at the level of techniques that these two were showcasing. Many sword, spear and staff users watched intently, not daring to let this once-in-a-lifetime chance drift along the winds. Some of the seniors of the sects, including a few, had become enlightened like Tang Bai and broke through the first or second level of their sword intent.
Even Long Zhen, who was feeling down earlier, watched the battle attentively. His gaze was focused onto Silver moves, since he used a spear technique too.
Clearly, the many groups who had ignorant views of Silver had flipped a 180 since the first strike from both Tang Bai and Silver.
Furthermore, as the crowd continued to watch and observe, Tang Bai had finally formed his first sword qi. Thus, allowing him to reach the first level of Sword Intent, Sharpening. Still, his enlightenment didn't stop there as he continued to use technique after technique against Silver.
Another sword qi had slowly form, as he curved and twisted his slash across performing 'Swipe of the Dragon's Tail' while dodging Silver's staff thrust.
At last, Tang Bai dashed towards Silver, twin swords at hand and 3 fully formed sword qi following pursuit using all of his techniques, including a new one, 'Phases of the 2 Moons'. With every phase he used, Tang Bai constantly changed his posture, his form, and the direction he swung his swords.
However, Silver blocked every single strike that Tang Bai struck as he slowly regained his clarity from enlightenment, instantly backing off. He stood still, immersing himself with his new experience of his Sword Intent. Likewise, Silver stood afar, unmoving and observing the changes within and around Tang Bai.
"As of today, you're half a teacher to me!" thanked Tang Bai as he gave a martial salute, bowing his head to Silver. Whether in this lifetime, or all his lifetimes, he would absolutely come to Silver side as a life and death comrade.
"If you have any problem, please come to my Tang Clan! As of now, I surrender to Silver."
"Hahaha, please don't call me your teacher. I'm too young for that," grinned Silver in amazement. He admired Tang Bai's personality. It was straightforward, honest and stubborn; a quality that was quite rare nowadays.
"Just take me as your brother."
"Sure, brother Silver!"
After the two shook hands, the crowd went wild in fervor. It wasn't even close to the finals, yet they had seen such a spectacular battle that already outdone Chu Feng and Fu Wonton short battle. In addition to the battle between Silver and Tang Bai, many had attained enlightenment in their respecting path! Most of the sect elders and seniors treated Silver as their half teacher, since he allowed them to observe and learn from his precise and incredible techniques.
To them, whoever dared to cause trouble to their half teacher, would absolutely deal with them too!
"Participant 4, Silver wins!" announced the referee filled with jubilation.
The crowd went wild with fervor once more, chanting Silver's name in admiration. Of course, many of them glared at him full of envy and jealousy. A minority wanted to kill him once the tournament ended. Sadly, they wouldn't dare act upon it within Wok City. Such an act would get them killed by those who deemed Silver as a half teacher.
If they could kill Silver with their glares, he would have died many times over.