'With my blade or my mouth?'
Lu Ze lowered his bottle gourd. The grin on his face vanished. As the great grandson of the Drunken Blade Lord, he was not accustomed to being disrespected.
'Does he think he's invincible just because he defeated Lin Yun?'
Lu Ze unsheathed his blade. The ring of his blade was not only crisp, it carried a weight to it. The sound echoed across the battle ring.
His blade was of excellent quality.
Lu Ze was awfully annoyed by Fang Lang.
'This bastard… What the hell did he do to Jiang Linglong? Why would she hand over her precious blade to him?
'Many charming young men in the Imperial City had made their moves on Jiang Linglong, yet none of them succeeded. This little bastard… He's not worthy!'
Outside the ring.
The crowd was cheering and jeering.
The atmosphere was tense—neither contestant was going to hold back.
The fight started as soon as they entered the battle ring.
Fang Lang—who defeated Lin Yun—was battling Lu Ze, the great grandson of the Drunken Blade Lord. This match promised to be interesting.
Lin Yun was among the crowd. He carried his rusty blade on his back, his expression cold as ice as he watched the clashing of blades between Fang Lang and Lu Ze.
"If that bastard's skills are limited to what he's shown, he'll definitely lose to Lu Ze."
Lin Yun crossed his arms before his chest. His chilling gaze made the air around him uncomfortable.
His carelessness gave Fang Lang an edge. He fell into Fang Lang's trap and was overwhelmed by his rhythmic attacks. If Lin Yun had been careful, Fang Lang would have a harder time fighting him.
In the ring, the umpire from the Sword Guild floated away. He gathered a ball of spiritual energy between his palms as he observed the ongoing fight.
The two teenagers were like two beams of light in the dark. They blasted off from opposite ends of the ring and came clashing in the middle!
Fang Lang did not hold back at all. Sword Draw Technique, Dual Sword Technique and Spirit Step—all three techniques were activated at once.
His two blades rained down on Lu Ze like a storm.
Lu Ze was serious. Without his cultivation abilities, his sword mastery skills were greatly affected. He dared not let his guard down.
He thrusted his blade.
Lu Ze's speed was equally as astounding. With a single sword, he fended off Fang Lang's two blades!
Clang!
Clang, clang!
The crisp sound of clashing blades rang out continuously from the ring.
The two boys were lightning fast—most spectators could only see the afterimages!
Neither of them specialized in heavy attacks like Lin Yun—in terms of strength, the two were equals. Speed was their forte.
Lu Ze's sword style was elegant whereas Fang Lang's Spirit Step was like an illusion.
The audience was silent. Everyone was holding their breaths as they watched the fast-paced battle. Many were rubbing their eyes in hopes of getting a clear look at the combat techniques.
Their blades were too fast—only blurry afterimages could be seen.
Even the geniuses were gasping in awe. They truly were the aces of their academies.
After some time, the two contestants began to utilize positioning and footwork. They moved around in the ring as their blades picked up speed. They appeared to be warmed up as they matched each other's rhythm.
Lu Ze was a second-class sword master. Although his cultivation abilities were dormant, Lu Ze still triumphed over Fang Lang when it came to physical fitness. Fang Lang was at a disadvantage.
Eventually, Fang Lang's Spirit Step could no longer keep up with Lu Ze's speed. He was being overpowered!
The scene made the crowd go wild.
Outside the ring, many were shaking their heads. This fight was definitely not in Fang Lang's favor. Previously, Fang Lang could defeat Lin Yun with his speed. However, when fighting against Lu Ze, his speed would not bring him much advantage. He was being cornered.
Over at Luojiang Academy's designated area, Mentor Wen was frowning. Liu Bubai clenched his fists as he stared into the ring.
Jiang Linglong, too, had her eyes fixed on the battle.
…
On the summit of Mount Shu, thin layers of cloud floated in the sky.
A silhouette of a man with white hair was sitting cross-legged on a cloud. The man, dressed in white, was examining the sword in his hands as he overlooked the battle ring on the ground.
The sword fight between Fang Lang and Lu Ze was reflected in Chao Xiaojian's eyes. His expression was calm.
"The boy wants to earn his spot in the Sword Guild through his own strength…
"If he doesn't win this fight… his promise will be nothing but a joke."
…
Beads of sweat splashed onto the floor, splitting into tinier droplets as they hit the ground.
Fang Lang could feel the pressure.
He had not activated his binding mode yet as he wanted to test his own strength.
Lu Ze was too strong.
It was difficult for Fang Lang to even keep up with Lu Ze's speed.
Speed and elegance were Lu Ze's forte, similar to Fang Lang. Thus, defeat was imminent if he could not match Lu Ze's style.
Lu Ze did not underestimate Fang Lang—he fought at full strength from the very beginning. The effects of the wine he downed before the match still lingered. In fact, his blade moved like it was drunk, making Lu Ze's attacks all the more unpredictable.
Fang Lang stomped his feet, sending out a wave of blade energy toward Lu Ze.
With a swing of his blade, Lu Ze shattered this incoming attack.
Fang Lang's Spirit Step was used as a surprise attack—after it was blocked once, it would no longer be as effective.
Fang Lang charged at Lu Ze again but was forced back by his drunken blade.
Fang Lang took a deep breath. A frustrated look appeared on his face.
'I guess it really is impossible to win with my own abilities. To hell with it.
'System, switch to Jiang Linglong's cultivation mode.' Fang Lang instructed.
'Ding! Switching complete. Happy cultivating!'
The System's notification popped up.
Instantly, Fang Lang felt the change in his vision. With Jiang Linglong's gold core, Lu Ze's movements slowed down in his eyes.
He could get a clearer picture of Lu Ze like never before!
After their long duel, Lu Ze was accustomed with Fang Lang's rhythm and speed. Unexpectedly, Fang Lang suddenly sped up!
Fang Lang's sword style became more complex while his ability to 'see' was heightened!
Many of Lu Ze's attacks were anticipated by Fang Lang!
'Something's off with him!
'Something's definitely off!
'Was he hiding his true strength all along?'
After Lu Ze adapted to Fang Lang's rhythm, he sped up again? Lu Ze was completely caught off guard!
'How cunning! How sly!'
Lu Ze was shocked but he hid it well.
Fang Lang's sudden acceleration put immense pressure on Lu Ze. Even his attacking rhythm was disrupted. Fang Lang—who lagged behind just a second ago—was suddenly fighting neck to neck with him. Fang Lang was even predicting his attacks!
This sudden change was also noticed by the audience.
Lin Yun widened his eyes. His chest puffed up as he inhaled deeply.
'Impossible! He was hiding his true strength when fighting me?
'Was he looking down at me?!'
Lin Yun slammed his rusty sword into the ground, causing the floor to shake.
This caused a commotion in the audience.
However, their attention quickly went back to the battle ring.
'Just how strong is this dark horse?' the audience thought.
Fang Lang had gone on the offense and was overpowering Lu Ze!
Jiang Linglong's beautiful eyes were fixed on Fang Lang, who had successfully turn the tides. Her eyes curved into two crescents.
She saw that Fang Lang's movements contained some elements of her sword style.
Jiang Linglong thought back to the morning when they discussed theories of sword mastery—it turned out Fang Lang actually understood her words and was able to put her advice into practice!
'It's the integration of my techniques that helped Fang Lang overpower Lu Ze!' she thought.
Liu Bubai, who was standing beside her, grinned ear to ear. He was glad he could remain as the 'hidden ace' of the team.
In the battle ring.
Lu Ze could tell something was not right.
He pushed Fang Lang away with a swing of his sword and retreated a few steps back. He grabbed the bottle gourd at his waist.
He raised his head and downed the wine.
Gulp!
Wine spilled from the canteen and leaked from the corners of his lips. The wine dripped down his chin and neck.
Lu Ze's footsteps became unsteady. He swayed as he moved, his legs criss-crossing as he stumbled forward like a slithering snake. The intoxicating smell of alcohol wafted in the ring.
"Drunken Sword Style!"
Watching from afar, Fang Lang was surprised.
An intense pressure pressed in on Fang Lang.
Fang Lang's Dual Sword Technique, Sword Draw Technique and Spirit Step were all Sword Mastery Specialities. Those techniques were considered incredibly strong among sword disciples. However, Lu Ze was a sword master. The Drunken Sword Style he employed was definitely a level higher than the average sword disciple's technique.
Fang Lang had to stop Lu Ze from consuming more wine. Using his Spirit Step, he rushed toward Lu Ze with his blades raised.
Lu Ze swayed on his feet. His reddened face made him appear as if he might pass out at any moment. His sword style became more erratic!
The Drunken Sword Style was an unusual combat style as it had no pattern. Fang Lang found himself in a tricky situation.
A drunk man's blade was the wildest.
Fang Lang was forced to step back!
'Is there a way to hold down his attack?'
Fang Lang had to think fast.
Then, he thought about the action card he obtained the day before!
'Enchantment Card: After activation, you will be able to use the special combat techniques of a single binding partner.'
That was the description of the Enchantment Card. It was the only combat-related card in his inventory.
'System, use the Enchantment Card!'
After pondering for a while, Fang Lang decided to go with it.
Lu Ze's Drunken Sword Style had him cornered. Without the extra help, Fang Lang might lose this round.
After all, these cards were meant to be used, right?
'Ding! Please select your desired binding partner.'
'Jiang Linglong.'
Fang Lang did not hesitate.
'Ding! Enchantment Card is activated. The effect will last for two hours. Happy cultivating!'
The System's message disappeared.
A humming sound was heard.
Fang Lang felt the changes immediately.
When he struck with his blade, he felt as if an invisible Jiang Linglong was beside him, mirroring his movements.
His attacks rained down like all four seasons of the rain!
The White Frost Blade in his hand sensed the familiar technique of its owner. It hummed merrily.
In an instant, Fang Lang's attack penetrated Lu Ze's defense.
For a moment, Lu Ze saw Jiang Linglong in the reflection of Fang Lang's sword. The attack was like the misty rain of Jiangnan…
'The Four Season Form?
'Impossible!
'Did I… Did I drink too much?
'No way!'
The red-faced Lu Ze instantly sobered up.