Volume 2: Breaking into Fengdu Chapter 91: Fighting Innate Masters (Part 1)

The lean youth from Ghost King Gate’s Hundred Flowers Hall was only in his early twenties, with bright eyes and an extraordinary bearing. As soon as he took the stage, thunderous cheers erupted from one side below the platform.

“Hall Master, ten thousand victories!”

“Beat that kid down!”

“A mere lay disciple dares take the stage—Hall Master, cut him down!”

Hundred Flowers Hall was one of Ghost King Gate’s thirty-six halls, with status comparable to Green Wood Hall. Hundred Flowers Hall had two hall masters, one primary and one deputy, and they were blood brothers. The one taking the stage, Yin Fuyou, was the deputy hall master. He had an older brother named Yin Fuzuo, who was Hundred Flowers Hall’s actual hall master.

With people cheering and encouraging him, Yin Fuyou’s momentum immediately appeared far superior to Xu Yan’s. However, Xu Yan wasn’t fighting alone either. At least Eight Fingers Wang below the stage, after forcibly closing his jaw that had nearly dropped in shock, waved his hands and shouted in the crowd. But his mouth opened quite wide while the cheering sound he produced was smaller than a mosquito’s, as if afraid the Hundred Flowers Hall people would hear him.

Taking the stage meant fierce combat. Xu Yan imitated other martial artists by cupping his hands, then casually raised his steel blade, pointing it at his opponent.

Seeing his opponent so composed, Yin Fuyou narrowed his eyes. The next moment, he suddenly struck. The long sword in his hand was like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, directly targeting his opponent’s throat.

Holding his blade horizontally, Xu Yan saw his opponent move and moved simultaneously. His feet stood in no particular stance, appearing casual, but once his form turned, it was like a flood dragon churning the sea. The blade followed his body’s rotation, and before the sword edge arrived, he swung out fiercely, not only deflecting the opponent’s long sword but also slashing diagonally downward with the momentum.

This fierce strike not only borrowed the force of the opponent’s long sword, slashing down along the blade, but also contained a clever strength that pressed against the sword’s edge, forcing Yin Fuyou into a position where he couldn’t borrow any leverage—unable to attack or defend.

“Martial Melody Sword Style!”

With a startled cry, Yin Fuyou was decisive. He directly released his right hand’s grip on the sword, took a large step sideways, his body avoiding the slashing blade. He extended his left arm and grabbed the falling long sword with his left hand.

Just after their first exchange, both fighters on stage received thunderous applause. The one wielding the blade showed skillful force and experienced techniques, while the one evading demonstrated rich experience and agile movements. This match appeared far more exciting than the previous fights.

Withdrawing and changing stances, the two on stage separated briefly before engaging in combat again.

Xu Yan didn’t know martial arts—he only knew the foundation of Flying Stone technique, which was that movement method. The Martial Melody Sword Style that Yin Fuyou had exclaimed about was a technique that only Ghost King Gate’s innate masters could practice. Martial Melody Sword Style was far more profound than common techniques like the Seven Star Sword Manual, and very few could truly master it. Even Yin Fuyou hadn’t used it in his opening move, instead fighting with other basic techniques.

Xu Yan had no opportunity to cultivate Ghost King Gate’s advanced techniques. The reason he could employ this sword style was because of the several matches he had observed below the arena earlier.

Learning and applying immediately might be a joke to others, but for Xu Yan, it could truly be realized.

With his superhuman memory and physical agility, the Martial Melody Sword Style Xu Yan displayed on stage appeared extremely skilled, yet was slightly different from Ghost King Gate’s advanced technique—or rather, it wasn’t coherent. This seemingly authentic yet inauthentic sword style could be categorized as other sword techniques or as Martial Melody Sword Style. Even Zhuo Shaoyu was clicking his tongue in amazement, but no one could see that Xu Yan was merely imitating.

Imitating those Ghost King Gate innate masters who had fought on the arena earlier.

Xu Yan had no choice. To save Mei Sanniang, becoming a guardian was his only path. He hadn’t practiced other martial arts and could only rely on his exceptional intelligence to fight innate masters, while also not revealing too much of his five-meridian innate true qi, since the Grand Guardian was watching nearby.

Everything required leaving a way out—this was also the old Taoist’s frequent teaching.

Fortunately, Xu Yan still had his Flying Stone mastery. Using three-meridian level true qi to fight enemies, winning three consecutive matches shouldn’t be difficult.

As the two fighters on the arena battled with increasing danger, the cheers and exclamations below rose and fell continuously. Gradually, Hundred Flowers Hall’s Yin Fuyou discovered something strange.

This youth opponent appeared to have experienced techniques, but for some reason, sometimes that Martial Melody Sword Style couldn’t smoothly connect the moves before and after into a complete set, with momentary pauses or blockages.

Incoherent techniques were a characteristic of beginners. After Yin Fuyou discovered this, he had already formed his judgment.

Earlier below the stage, he had personally witnessed Xu Yan slash three times at the Testing Sword Stone Tablet, and he had heard Zhuo Shaoyu’s inquiry clearly. Since the youth opposite was a Ghost King Gate lay disciple, he must have received guidance from famous masters. But such young prodigies all had one common weakness—insufficient combat experience.

Using a blade to execute sword techniques was already strange, and after discovering the flaws between Xu Yan’s moves, Yin Fuyou was even more certain that his opponent should be a wealthy family’s young master who had secretly run away from home. Because of his young age, his family probably didn’t want him competing for guardian positions now, since Ghost King Gate’s Eighteen Guardians basically had deaths every year and frequent reselections.

A family scion who had sneaked out could only grab a steel blade at random. Yin Fuyou wouldn’t take such an opponent seriously.

Thinking he had seen through the truth, Yin Fuyou obviously relaxed, and the long sword in his hand became much more agile. Each move was steady and methodical. Sure enough, the more stable he became, the more flaws appeared in his opponent. Xu Yan’s footsteps were already forced into continuous retreat, with less than three feet behind him to the arena’s edge.

“Kid, get down there!”

With a sudden cold shout, a cold gleam flashed in Yin Fuyou’s eyes. His form turned, and the long sword he had just withdrawn thrust out from the other side of his body like a venomous snake. This backhand sword was his killing move—not only unexpected but extremely fast. He was confident this sword would force his opponent off the arena.

The arena’s rules were simple—only victory and defeat, no life and death. As long as one was knocked off the arena or severely injured or killed, they were the loser. Many were injured in arena fights, but generally, deaths were rare.

When skill was inferior, fighting desperately was useless. There weren’t many fools among martial artists who reached three-meridian innate. Knowing they couldn’t win, no one would fight to the death.

With one sword thrust, Yin Fuyou was already certain of victory, because his opponent’s panic had long foretold his triumph. At this critical moment, Xu Yan, whose footsteps appeared unsteady, suddenly swayed and stumbled, his hands flailing wildly as if unable to stand steady and about to fall off the arena.

Before the sword arrived, Xu Yan had already shown a fatal flaw. Anyone could see that Hundred Flowers Hall’s Yin Fuyou had definitely won this round. However, the real outcome wasn’t Xu Yan falling off the platform, but Yin Fuyou crying out loudly. His killing sword hadn’t even thrust out before he tumbled and fell to the ground. At his face, his nasal bone had been smashed flat by something unknown, blood flowing directly down his face.

At the arena’s edge, Xu Yan, who had barely stabilized his form, gave a foolish laugh. He stepped forward, grabbed one of Yin Fuyou’s legs, and directly threw this Hundred Flowers Hall deputy hall master off the stage. If not for the many Hundred Flowers Hall people catching their hall master, he would have at least suffered a bloody head from hitting the ground.

Imitating Martial Melody Sword Style was merely to deceive observers. Xu Yan’s real capital for victory was still the stone in his hand—a close-range Flying Locust that, despite holding back most of its force, nearly cracked open a three-meridian innate master’s skull.

First round—Xu Yan wins!