"Basic swordsmanship with Divine Harmony Perfection?"
Shi Xiaole's swordplay caused the Grand Elder's expression to darken instantly. What surprised him even more was that Shi Xiaole's cultivation level had somehow reached the fourth level of the Hidden Qi stage.
"The first sword, the second sword..."
As Shi Xiaole deftly deflected each attack while keeping count, Qian Tong was greatly surprised. He couldn't understand how Shi Xiaole's strength had advanced so far so quickly.
"Dot Plum Blossoms!"
After his shock came anger. Qian Tong let out a shout, unleashing the final form of the Dot Plum Sword Skill after the sixth move. He believed that Shi Xiaole would not be able to defend against his ultimate move.
"Is this your basis for looking down on me?"
Shi Xiaole smiled slightly, his sword sweeping sideways, shattering the Plum Blossoms with a graceful swipe. He then proceeded to kick Qian Tong off the stage, causing an uproar among the spectators.
Honestly speaking, Qian Tong's strength is indeed a step above Zhao Buping's but, Shi Xiaole's progress was even more startling. With the foundation of Hengshan Mind Method, Shi Xiaole's internal power wasn't much less than Qian Tong's.
The most important thing was that the Dot Plum Sword Skill was inherently derived from basic swordplay, a further evolution and sublimation. For Shi Xiaole, who had thoroughly comprehended the basics of swordplay, the lethal power was far less than he imagined.
It's a pity that he didn't feel that way, but to others, the scene was somewhat incredible.
"Junior brother seems to have changed."
The eldest senior brother, Yuan Qiuwei was puzzled.
"Hehe, as far as I know, only junior sister Mao had ever cultivated basic swordsmanship to the level of Divine Harmony Perfection?"
Second senior brother Xiao Yuanbo laughed.
It's not a matter of aptitude that few people could cultivate basic swordsmanship to a level of Divine Harmony Perfection, it's just that most people qualified to change their sword style once they break through to the fourth level of Hidden Qi. Who would then spend time practicing basic sword skills?
In Xiao Yuanbo's view, his junior brother Shi Xiaole had turned misfortune into fortune. Due to his limited aptitude, he'd spent a lot of time practicing basic sword techniques, which had unintendedly brought him considerable achievement.
The so-called return to simplicity, using simplicity to break complexity, is exactly this principle.
"Although I have joined the Huajian Sect for only one year and my skills are not refined, I am not someone who can be insulted."
Shi Xiaole sheathed his sword. His words made many people feel extremely uncomfortable.
If Qian Tong, who ranked among the top in terms of strength among the disciples, was defeated by you in seven moves, and your basic swordsmanship is at the level of Divine Harmony Perfection, how could your skills be poor and your attainment be unsophisticated?
If that were the case, more than 70% of the people on the scene could jump off a cliff.
Also, considering Shi Xiaole's earlier statement about joining the sect for only a year, many people suddenly realize that this junior brother, who used relationships to climb the ranks, is not as useless as they thought.
"Junior Brother Qin, someone accuses you of coveting my position as a direct disciple. Do you want to seize the opportunity to teach me a lesson and drive me away?"
After hesitating for a while, Shi Xiaole finally looked at Qin Zhao, whose face didn't look good.
Qin Zhao forced a smile and said, "Senior Brother Shi, there's no such thing. I've never coveted your position."
When he said these words, the veins on the fist in his sleeve bulged.
Within the sect, Qin Zhao always exhibited humility, politeness, and gentlemanly manners. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he certainly couldn't admit his true desires.
He only hated Shi Xiaole, that dog thief, for purposefully cornering him, and really deserved to die for his crime!
Just when everyone thought the general assembly was over for the day, they saw a disciple guarding the mountain gate hastily run over and say, "Elders, something bad happened. The leader of the Duster Gate and his seven direct disciples have arrived."
The Second Elder said, "Slow down, why has the Duster Gate come?"
The disciple shook his head, obviously not knowing.
"Hahaha, your Huajian Sect sure is lively today. It seems I haven't come at a wrong time."
Just then, a group of people casually strolled into the martial arts arena, completely ignoring over seven hundred disciples of the Huajian Sect.
The man leading the group, wearing a gauze hat and plain clothes and appearing to be in his forties, exuded the demeanor of a sect leader. He was the leader of Duster Gate, Hua Chaoqun.
Behind Hua Chaoqun followed seven or eight young people. Shi Xiaole immediately recognized Qi Guang, Qi Hui, and Zhao Molan among them and felt a sense of alarm.
Because if the trio were to disclose his affairs in Emerald Feather City, the Grand Elder would definitely use the fact that he'd left the mountain without permission against him. Who knows what tricks that old man would play then.
Qi Guang and the others also spotted Shi Xiaole standing on the high stage, their expressions differing.
The Grand Elder went up to welcome them and said, "Master Hua really is a rare guest. May I ask what brings you here today?"
Shi Xiaole was not sure if it was an illusion, but he thought he saw the Grand Elder and Hua Chaoqun exchange glances.
Hua Chaoqun laughed and said, "There is no big matter. I just suddenly missed the exchanges with your sect and came uninvited. I hope you won't mind."
"Exchanges?"
The Grand Elder pointedly looked at the young people behind Hua Chaoqun and said, "Could it be that Master Hua wants the young disciples of our two sects to share some tips?"
Hua Chaoqun replied, "Indeed."
The people of the Huajian Sect were surprised.
In the past, similar exchange competitions had been held between the thirteen schools of the Lu Yan Sect, but notices were given months in advance. Accidents and injuries were inevitable in such exchanges, so all aspects had to be adequately prepared well ahead of time.
Today, Hua Chaoqun suddenly brought his disciples unannounced and declared they would hold a competition. This stirred up many thoughts among the people of the Huajian Sect, making it difficult to make a decision on the spot.
"You don't need to worry, this time it's just a sudden whim, so for the exchange, let's set the participants as our direct disciples."
Direct disciples' exchange?
Many in the Huajian Sect couldn't help but get excited.
The three direct disciples rarely took action, and no one knew how strong they were. This was a good opportunity to observe them.
Before the Second Elder could say anything, the Grand Elder took the lead and said: "Since Sect Master Hua is interested, our Huajian Sect cannot simply ruin its reputation. Second Elder, Third Elder, what do you think?"
The Third Elder agreed without hesitation: "I believe the leader here would agree too."
Now leaving only the Second Elder, he felt a little frustrated and reluctantly said: "Fine."
Duster Gate, unlike Huajian Sect, had no rule limiting the number of direct disciples, and it was said that they were all martial arts masters. On the other hand, in the Huajian Sect, there was no need to worry about Yuan Qiuwei and the others, but Shi Xiaole...
Although Shi Xiaole had defeated Qian Tong, proving his strength, it also matters who the opponent was. When confronted with the direct disciples of Duster Gate, the Second Elder could only pray that Shi Xiaole wouldn't lose too disgracefully.
Shi Xiaole peeked at the Grand Elder and at Qin Zhao, who was not at all surprised and wore a triumphant smile. He couldn't help but suspect that this visit of Duster Gate wasn't the work of this uncle-nephew duo.
Thinking about it carefully, it was likely.
If this direct disciple of his was to disgrace himself publically, it would be a significant event involving the reputation of the sect.
At that time, Qin Zhao would play the perfect savior again, not only slapping Shi Xiaole down hard but also winning further favor from the disciples of Huajian Sect.
It was simply killing two birds with one stone.
By then, he suspected that all members of the Huajian Sect would wish that he would disappear.
The challenge of Qian Tong was the first step, and the appearance of Duster Gate was the real killer move.
"Damn, let's see how much of a fool you make of yourself this time."
Seeing Shi Xiaole deep in thought, Qin Zhao laughed coldly inside.
On the battlefield, the two factions clearly separate and quickly emptied a circular space of about ten feet radius.
The three elders sat with Hua Chaoqun high up where they could easily see the battle circle and timely prevent accidents.
"Yuan Qiuwei, come out!"
The first to take the field was He Houhua, a senior disciple of Duster Gate and one of the "Four Heroes of the Reed Goose".
"Brother He, please."
Yuan Qiuwei and He Houhua started the fight without another word.
The two were both eighteen years old and at the same level of Hidden Qi, one a swordsman, and the other a saber user, were like destined rivals.
Piercing wind rolled everywhere, as substantial as reality.
At the ninth level of Hidden Qi, the power of a move can radiate up to about two feet. But Yuan Qiuwei and He Houhua, clearly not ordinary cultivators, had a radiating power that astonishingly approached two and a half feet.
In the blink of an eye, the two had fought hundreds of moves.
Shi Xiaole secretly compared himself and had to admit that if he were currently on the field, he might not be able to block even one random move of either of them. The gap was a bit big.
"All right, you two will end the fight in a tie."
After a thousand moves, the Grand Elder took the lead in speaking, and Hua Chaoqun had no objection.
"If it were a fight to the death, you would be dead under my saber."
He Houhua dropped a harsh word.
"Same to you."
Yuan Qiuwei didn't show weakness and retreated back into the crowd.
The fight between the strongest disciples of the two factions left the crowd in high spirit, and the atmosphere on the scene was fired up.
Following them was the match between Xiao Yuanbo and another young man.
Xiao Yuanbo's sword skill was as jumping and unconventional as his character, unpredictable with the help of his flying skill. But his opponent was no ordinary person who was always able to block the stinging sword tip timely under thousands of changes.
After a fierce fight, the two also ended the game in a tie.
"It's a pity. Second Brother had several chances to hit the opponent but didn't grasp them."
"He is already impressive. If you can do better, you go ahead."
The disciples of the Huajian Sect were debating loudly, still immersed in the previous battle.
Shi Xiaole glanced at the grinning Xiao Yuanbo, wondering why he felt that this person didn't exert his full strength at all.
The third bout led to thunderous cheers from the crowd because the one who came on stage was the goddess of many people, Gentle Rain Sword Mao Wenjing.
"Junior Sister Mao, please teach me."
The young man on the opposite side was obviously captivated by Mao Wenjing's charm and dared not look at her, lowering his head.
Shi Xiaole shook his head. How could he win like this?
As expected, after a dozen moves or so, the young man's longsword slipped from his hand, declaring his defeat.
"Huh!"
Hua Chaoqun glared coldly at the disciple with a face full of shame.
In fact, he could see it. Mao Wenjing's strength was strong enough to be on par with Yuan Qiuwei and Xiao Yuanbo. He deserves to be named the top genius of the Huajian Sect. He was irreplaceable by that disciple.
He was just angry that his direct disciple was so unbearable due to his attraction to beauty.