The autumn rain fell continuously, turning the world into a misty dark cyan.
The waves crashed against the edge of the thousand-foot stone platform again and again. Hundreds of ships rose and fell with the waves, and the entire lake fell into a deathly silence.
Under the gaze of thousands of people, the elderly man with flower-like white hair, wearing a armor skirt and baring his sturdy upper body, walked towards the towering wordless stele with steady steps like a mountain. His expression was neither happy nor angry, but the ferocious-looking Qilin's belly-devouring pattern on his waist was like a huge beast coiled around his waist, staring at the thousands of ants below.
The people who came to Junshan Terrace this time to watch the excitement were not only the low-level martial artists in the martial arts world. Because of Qiu Tianhe's reputation, most of the martial arts heroes from Zezhou and the surrounding areas had basically come.
On the few large ferries closest to the platform, there were heroes from Qianhe Villa in Tuzhou, Xiaoshan Fort in Jiangzhou, and even the martial arts masters from the southern part of the martial arts world. If Wuzhou hadn't just suffered a great chaos and was struggling to survive, I'm afraid half of the heads of the twelve sects in Wuzhou would have come.
As Xuanyuan Chao, who had occupied the position of the "Spear Master" for nearly fifty years, appeared, everyone came out of the ship building, and greetings sounded one after another:
"Hero Xuanyuan..."
"After several years, the Divine Marquis still looks as impressive as ever..."
...
Xuanyuan Chao's long hair fluttered in the wind. He didn't respond to the young martial artists in the martial arts world, whether he knew them or not. Instead, he stared with hawk-like eyes at the small black awning boat in the middle of the crowd.
On the black awning boat, Qiu Tianhe ignored the shocked gazes of the few young men. He stood calmly at the bow of the boat:
"Xuanyuan Chao, last year your son bribed the disciples of the Pingtian Sect and informed the court, which got me thrown into the dungeon of the Black Yamen. Did you ever think that I would turn misfortune into a blessing and regain my freedom, standing here in the open?"
Chua——
Xuanyuan Chao inserted the Junshan Saber into the stone brick beside him and slightly raised his head in the rain:
"Warrior, let the sword do the talking. If you want to reason with my unfilial son, you can go down and talk to him face to face later."
"嗡..."
Hundreds of renowned martial artists not far away were immediately in an uproar upon hearing this. They understood that the news about the martial arts world in Wuzhou that had just spread was true, and Xuanyuan Hongzhi should indeed be dead.
And with Xuanyuan Chao's words, this was no longer just a preparation for a friendly match. He had clearly stated in advance that he intended to kill. If Qiu Tianhe stepped onto the stage now, he couldn't blame Xuanyuan Chao, who had just lost his son, for being ruthless.
Qiu Tianhe knew his own abilities. He looked down on Xuanyuan Chao's character, but he had never underestimated Xuanyuan Chao's swordsmanship. Whether he could win or not, he knew it far better than anyone present.
But since he had already been targeted, if he wanted to leave, Xuanyuan Chao would obviously not allow it. What was before him was either to die heroically like a swordsman or to flee in disgrace before death.
A fierce battle was inevitable, and Qiu Tianhe stopped talking nonsense. He tapped the blue waves with his foot, leaped into the air, and landed on the edge of the thousand-foot stone platform.
The two sides had both new and old grudges. Standing on the life-and-death arena, there were not many words left.
Shasha sha~
Under the drizzle, the originally noisy lake became completely quiet at this moment.
Qiu Tianhe stood still in the rain, gazing at the burly figure one head taller than him in front of him.
Xuanyuan Chao's long hair fluttered in the wind. After giving Qiu Tianhe a sharp glance, he seemed to lose interest. He turned to look at the large and small boats on the lake, as if searching for someone.
On a life-and-death arena, such a casual attitude was undoubtedly a form of contempt.
Qiu Tianhe gripped the saber in his hand and took a step forward:
"Aren't you going to hang your saber on your back first?"
The essence of the Dragon-Slaying Order was the "backstep, hunchback, and flick of the saber". Just like the Eight Steps Frenzied Saber, the position where the saber was hung was fixed, otherwise it would be difficult to start the move at the fastest speed.
The martial artists watching the battle were also a bit puzzled when they saw this scene.
Xuanyuan Chao's gaze was not on Qiu Tianhe. He replied calmly:
"In the past, fighting on the arena was a friendly match, comparing whose moves were better. Today, I want to kill someone, and I'm not going to fight you according to the set routine."
"..."
Qiu Tianhe frowned secretly and slowed down his steps.
After all, Xuanyuan Chao's words were not arrogance but a preparation to get serious.
The Junshan Saber was too heavy. Only by hunching the back and flicking the saber could one quickly start the move. For this reason, all swordsmen were studying how to break this starting move so as to suppress the Dragon-Slaying Order as soon as the fight began.
In previous years, when Xuanyuan Chao accepted challenges on Junshan Terrace, he never played tricks. He would use the "hunchback, flick of the saber" as the starting move and let others try to break it.
When Xuanyuan Chao fought according to the style of the Dragon-Slaying Order, as long as the swordsman had some foundation, they could withstand one or two strikes and not die. After all, the moves were obvious, and if they couldn't parry them, they could dodge.
However, if he didn't follow the routine, it would be impossible to guess how Xuanyuan Chao would strike. One could only rely on comprehensive strength such as explosive power, eyesight, reaction, and understanding of swordsmanship. If one was slightly weaker, it could mean life or death with just one strike.
Qiu Tianhe's gaze condensed slightly. He ignored all the sounds outside the arena and focused all his attention on observing Xuanyuan Chao's stance, breathing, and even his eyes, trying to figure out his opponent's routine first.
But unfortunately, Xuanyuan Chao was as stable as a ten-thousand-jun boulder. Everyone knew that if it fell on them, they would die, but they just couldn't figure out how this boulder would fall.
The two were dozens of zhang apart, but Qiu Tianhe walked for a long time, and his speed became slower and slower. Until the rain became heavier, he still didn't make a move.
The martial artists watching the battle held their breaths. Many people's faces turned red, but no one urged them.
When the distance between them was reduced to ten zhang and Qiu Tianhe had exhausted all the possible saber moves that Xuanyuan Chao might make, he didn't hesitate any longer and gripped the saber handle with his right hand.
Qiang lang——
A white light suddenly appeared on the thousand-foot stone platform!
Qiu Tianhe's figure burst forth. Holding a single saber in his hand, in the blink of an eye, he disappeared from everyone's sight. When they could see clearly again, the snow-white blade was stabbing towards Xuanyuan Chao's spine from the left rear.
Hong long——
At the same moment, gravel flew on the arena, and a loud noise was heard.
Xuanyuan Chao, who was looking elsewhere, didn't even turn his head. His right foot suddenly kicked the back of the saber beside him. At the same time, his left hand grasped the saber handle. Then, he exerted force with his waist and abdomen, and his muscles bulged. He slashed fiercely towards the left rear.
Sa——
Debris flew around on the arena, and the suddenly surging violent air wave stirred up the rain curtain around the two of them.
From a distance, it was as if the huge Xuanyuan Chao, with a backhand slash, had stirred up the wind and rain, turning them into a huge wave.
And Qiu Tianhe, who was in front of the blade, was like a lonely boat in front of the fierce wind and waves. Even an ordinary person without the strength to bind a chicken could see that as long as he was hit by the huge wave, he would be torn to pieces.
Qiu Tianhe had practiced swordsmanship all his life and had calculated that Xuanyuan Chao might start with such a move, so he wasn't completely caught off guard.
But calculating and parrying were two completely different things.
Seeing the earth-shattering slash coming, when the saber in Qiu Tianhe's hand was out of reach, he immediately retracted the saber and dodged to the side, using his left hand to resist the back of the saber.
The next moment, a terrifying burst of energy erupted on the arena.
Dang——
Hong long!
Xuanyuan Chao's backhand slash landed on Qiu Tianhe's Tianhe Saber. He didn't give the opponent any chance to "strike later and gain the upper hand". The force was so great that it directly sent Qiu Tianhe sliding sideways.
Before the sliding figure came to a complete stop, Xuanyuan Chao, whose body was as solid as a mountain, had followed the saber and spun around. Holding the saber with both hands, he leaped into the air and slashed down again with the momentum of a powerful strike:
"He——!"
The roar was like thunder.
There was no gap between the two slashes. The terrifying burst of energy instantly forced back the surrounding rain curtain and cleared a long groove on the ground.
Although Qiu Tianhe wasn't completely flustered, Xuanyuan Chao's saber momentum was too fierce and powerful. It was almost impossible to avoid it without getting injured. He could only block with the saber and use the force to move around.
Dang——
The heavy saber fell again. The stone brick under Qiu Tianhe's feet instantly shattered, and his whole body slid backward.
Xuanyuan Chao, wearing an armor skirt, waved the heavy Junshan Saber like the wind, leaving no gap. He almost followed Qiu Tianhe and slashed down again, leaving a huge pit on the ground.
Hong long——
The top martial artists on the lake who could see clearly knew at a glance that the outcome had been decided.
Xuanyuan Chao's swordsmanship was so simple that there was nothing to say about it. It was simply a crushing of pure strength, a fighting style of "with one force, ten skills can be overcome".
Qiu Tianhe used the Tianhe Saber, which was strong in predicting and making a backhand strike. At this time, he didn't even have the chance to make a backhand strike, so there was naturally no possibility of winning.
Qiu Tianhe received three strikes in a row, and the tiger's mouth of his hand holding the saber had been cracked. Knowing that he had no chance of winning and that continuing to fight might lead to his sudden death, he immediately retreated backward and leaped towards the lakeshore.
Although Junshan Terrace was thousands of zhang in circumference, the place where the two fought was in front of the wordless stele by the lake.
As long as he got off the arena, no matter how thick-skinned Xuanyuan Chao was, it would be inappropriate for him to chase and kill an opponent who had already admitted defeat in front of tens of thousands of people.
But unfortunately, Xuanyuan Chao had said it was a life-and-death battle, and seeing Qiu Tianhe trying to escape, with a flash of his figure, he came to the lakeside and blocked the escape route.
The martial arts heroes watching the battle frowned when they saw that Xuanyuan Chao was really determined to kill.
At this moment, a rumbling sound suddenly came from among the ships, accompanied by the explosion of the deck being shattered.
Hong long——
Those nearby glanced out of the corner of their eyes and saw that the stern of a small boat on the lake where thousands of sails converged suddenly lifted up.
And a black figure, with a terrifying speed that was unheard of, flew across the calm lake. The strong wind it brought directly pulled up white waves more than ten zhang high on the water surface. From a distance, it was as if the lake was instantly split in two.
Hua la——
The waves were like arrows shot from a bowstring. In the blink of an eye, they crossed a distance of dozens of zhang, and the target was directly the burly old man who had just landed on the shore.
Qiu Tianhe was about to charge forward. When he saw this scene, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he quickly stopped in his tracks.
And Xuanyuan Chao, who was blocking the way, sensed the strong wind approaching from behind and also stopped his movement. He held the saber in one hand and pointed it obliquely at the ground, and then turned around unhurriedly.
Hua la la——
The surging water splashes were raised and then quickly fell back into the lake.
The black figure in front of the waves found that Xuanyuan Chao had stopped. So he turned on the lake, leaped into the air, and landed in front of the wordless stele not far away.
Only then did the countless martial artists watching the battle clearly see the appearance of the person who had come.
The person who came was a man. He was wearing a black robe made of water cloud brocade, with a bamboo hat on his head. He was quite tall, with a handsome face. His eyes were as sharp as sword awns, and a long black-sheathed saber was hung around his waist.
The person's attire was that of an ordinary swordsman in the martial arts world, but this saber around his waist was very special to the countless swordsmen present.
The saber was three chi and three cun long, two and a half fingers wide. The handle was wrapped with a black rope, and the guard and the tail ring were made of brass, both carved with therefore dragons.
This was the saber of the previous Spear Master!
Once upon a time, this saber was known to everyone. Although it had disappeared from the martial arts world for nearly thirty years, it was still the fastest saber in the world, without a doubt!
The lake under the rain curtain fell silent the moment the person appeared.
Xuanyuan Chao held his left hand behind his back. The 108-jin Junshan Saber, as if it had no weight, was casually pointed obliquely at the ground. Coupled with his exaggerated figure of over two meters, he was like an ordinary swordsman holding an ordinary light saber that matched his body size.
Xuanyuan Chao knew that this young swordsman in his twenties was the prime culprit who had killed his son. But his gaze was not on the person's face. Instead, he looked at the therefore Dragon Saber around his waist, with a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.
Of course, this was not nostalgia for Zheng Feng, but for Kuang Yazi.
There were many top martial artists in the world, and there were not a few who were stronger than Xuanyuan Chao. But the only "swordsman" who could be his opponent, his goal, and whom he would do everything to catch up with was Kuang Yazi.
After defeating Kuang Yazi, Xuanyuan Chao had occupied the position of the Spear Master for more than forty years. He seemed to be in the limelight, but in fact, he lived a far less fulfilling life than before he was thirty years old.
Because without Kuang Yazi as an opponent, he didn't know for whom he should practice the saber in his hand in the future.
Back then, Xuanyuan Chao was very disgusted with Zheng Feng and showed no mercy. One of the reasons was that he wanted his daughter to enter the palace.
Another reason was that Zheng Feng was too mediocre. He even practiced the Eight Steps Frenzied Saber wrongly and simply didn't deserve this saber that he had painstakingly chased after for thirty years!
And this young swordsman in front of him seemed to be stronger than Zheng Feng.
After looking at the therefore Dragon Saber, Xuanyuan Chao raised his eyes and looked at the young swordsman in front of the wordless stele:
"Are you Ye Jingtang?"
Ye Jingtang had arrived at Junshan Terrace in the early morning. He had been watching the battle secretly. Seeing that Qiu Tianhe was at a disadvantage and might be killed, he came out to disrupt the situation.
Growing up listening to the name of "Xuanyuan Chao", now seeing the contemporary Spear Master who was over two meters tall up close, Ye Jingtang indeed felt the pressure. However, his expression was very natural, and he replied calmly:
"Ye Jingtang from Liangzhou. My father is Zheng Feng."
"Buzz..."
As soon as these words were spoken, the renowned martial artists on the lake who heard them were all in an uproar.
Zheng Feng's reputation wasn't particularly great, but with the reputation of the Three Heroes of Yunzhou before and the incident of Qiu Tianhe's marriage robbery team later, most of the swordsmen in the martial arts world knew something about the origin of the disturbance back then.
Back then, Xuanyuan Hongzhi secretly goaded him on, and Xuanyuan Chao had shown no mercy to the younger generation who came to propose marriage and was obviously much weaker than himself. This act was still despised by people.
Now that Zheng Feng's descendant had come, it was obvious what he was here for.
The renowned martial artists present all focused their gazes on Ye Jingtang and quietly inquired about the origin and background of this young man.
Although Xuanyuan Chao had lost his son, there was no sign of extreme anger on his face. He just said indifferently:
"I disabled your father, and you killed my son. Do you want to avenge each other, or do you want the court to be the peacemaker and let bygones be bygones and clear up the past?"
Xuanyuan Chao's words seemed to mean that he wouldn't pursue the death of his son and wanted to end the grudge like this, but in fact, it wasn't the case.
Because Xuanyuan Chao knew how his son had died - he had hired someone to kill Ye Jingtang but failed and died because he had the audacity to pick a fight on his own initiative, rather than being killed in revenge by Ye Jingtang. This had nothing to do with the grudge from back then.
Ye Jingtang's adoptive father had been disabled, and he himself had been assass