Chapter 5: A Move
Lu Xin is seventeen years old this year, three years older than Lu Li. However, his strength is at the peak of the eighth rank, possessing the strength of nine bulls. As long as he continues to cultivate and transforms the strength of nine bulls into the strength of one tiger, he will have entered the realm of the seventh rank
Lu Jie let out a low hum, initially intending to reject this tedious proposal. However, since Ye Xuan, disguised as Lu Li, had already agreed, he, as the second uncle, would not object. With a wave of his hand and a deep breath, two branches, each about three feet long, suddenly fell from the large tree behind him. Lu Jie shook the branches in his hand, causing all the twigs and leaves to fall off, making them consistent in both length and weight with an ordinary long sword. With a wave of his hand and a deep breath, two branches, each about three feet long, suddenly fell from the large tree behind him. Lu Jie shook the branches in his hand, causing all the twigs and leaves to fall off, making them consistent in both length and weight with an ordinary long sword.
He could not even understand why, during this family martial arts competition, Lu Li, fully aware that he could not defeat Zhang Xu, still insisted on fighting. In his view, it was simply a quest for death
Ye Xuan observed proper etiquette and performed a courteous gesture, yet Lu Xin displayed no grace whatsoever; after a cold snort, he abruptly launched a fierce attack.
And now
Any martial artist, once they have trained their body to be strong, can begin practicing the guiding technique, which signifies their entry into the lower tier of the ninth rank. By using the guiding technique to channel the residual spiritual energy of heaven and earth, when a force emerges within their limbs, they will have entered the lower tier of the eighth rank. A martial artist at the initial stage of the eighth rank can unleash power akin to that of a bull charging forward.
It is still the same move, "Listen Closely to the Wind," that Lu Xin executed first, but the outcome is completely different
Impossible
Thus, this sword technique should be characterized by a slow draw and a quick retraction, following a light and agile path. Although he had just witnessed "Lu Li" refine this move, ensuring it was no longer devoid of subsequent sword techniques, it did not alter the light and agile sword aura.
Lu Xin naturally did not possess the extraordinary martial skills of Lu Jie. Although the distance between the two was only six or seven meters, Lu Xin could not directly shorten the distance like Lu Jie had just done, closing in on Ye Xuan in a single step. Therefore, he had to rely on running to quickly close the gap between himself and Ye Xuan
Come back, letter!
Ye Xuan is currently at the lower eighth rank, which means he is in a state of physical training. This rank focuses on developing the strength of the martial artist
However, the power that Ye Xuan unleashed in that moment was equivalent to three bulls in strength
With Lu Jie’s keen insight, it is evident that the sword intent of this "listening closely to the wind" is certainly not that of a swift sword
However, Ye Xuan cannot be considered a novice in the eighth rank; at this moment, he is filled with strength, and his strikes are as powerful as two or three charging bulls
To achieve a movement technique akin to Lu Jie’s ability to traverse distances in an instant, one must at least attain the upper tier of Qi training and also possess a good manual on footwork techniques
In Lu Xin's view, Ye Xuan fundamentally lacked the ability to engage him in combat, and it could even be said that he was unworthy of doing so
When Ye Xuan was waving that branch earlier, he already knew it was a branch of the iron tree
Lu Xin's mind was completely in chaos. He himself was a peak eighth-rank martial artist, possessing the strength of nine bulls. How could he possibly lose to someone with only the strength of three bulls
And wait!
This has completely shattered his understanding! With Lu Xin's strength, how could he possibly know that sometimes victory cannot be achieved solely through power
However, Lu Xin, upon seeing Ye Xuan enter his attack range, could not wait any longer and swung the branch in his hand, unleashing the sword technique of the Listening Wind Swordplay: Fine Listening to the Wind.
Although the difference between the lower ninth rank and the lower eighth rank is merely one rank, they represent fundamentally different concepts. Moreover, he is at the pinnacle of the lower eighth rank, while Lu Li is merely at the lower ninth rank, having yet to step into the eighth rank. This gap is even more pronounced.
I do not believe it! Just as everyone was still pondering, Lu Xin suddenly stood up again, "You bastard, how is that possible! How is that possible!" After saying this, he charged towards Ye Xuan like a madman, completely resembling someone intent on killing Ye Xuan
Seek death!
At this moment, everyone is contemplating how to deal with Lu Xin. After all, the Elder of Punishment had previously stated that his martial arts would be directly abolished. However, initially, no one had high hopes for Lu Li, yet now Lu Li has emerged victorious. Should they really proceed to abolish Lu Xin's martial arts?
"Hmph, the technique 'Listening to the Wind' is originally a light and gentle sword move, yet you dare to use it as a swift strike. How pathetic!" Ye Xuan deftly parried Lu Xin's attack, then coldly sneered and mercilessly mocked, "With your meager talent and ability, you think you can pass the core examination? It's simply absurd! Let me show you what true 'Listening to the Wind' really is"
Clapping his hands, Ye Xuan looked at the people in the venue with a proud expression. Observing the dazed faces of everyone, he felt a great sense of pleasure and secretly thought: "Lu Li, this is the first step in avenging you. From today onwards, no one in the Lu family will dare to look down on your appearance again"
With just a single palm strike, Lu Jie shattered Lu Xin's pipa bone, and the furious true energy of Lu Jie rampaged through Lu Xin's body, ruthlessly destroying all his meridians and roots, rendering Lu Xin a cripple. From that moment on, he would never be able to practice martial arts again
Only one move
However, the expressions on the faces of those watching the performance lasted only two seconds, after which they all became bewildered.
Ye Xuan let out a cold laugh, and instead of retreating, he advanced towards Lu Xin. The people present, upon witnessing Ye Xuan's action, all displayed expressions as if they were looking at a fool: how could a mere ninth-tier lower-grade dare to confront an eighth-tier peak? This was simply seeking one's own demise
The term "nine oxen and two tigers" refers to the two realms of the eighth and seventh ranks. The peak of the eighth rank represents the strength of nine oxen, while the peak of the seventh rank signifies the strength of two tigers, with every nine oxen equating to one tiger
However, Lu Quan, Lu Ren, and another elder in charge of punishment had far sharper gazes than Lu Xin. They not only discerned that the explosive power unleashed by Ye Xuan possessed the strength of three bulls, but they also realized that Ye Xuan's sudden strike precisely targeted the Achilles' heel of the sword move "Listening to the Wind," completely shattering it.
Facing the overwhelming power unleashed by "Lu Li" in front of everyone, both Lu Ren, Lu Quan, another elder of punishment, and the others present, as well as Lu Xin who was engaged in battle with Ye Xuan, all wore expressions of disbelief.
Ye Xuan's movements were evidently slow, and those outside the arena felt that a slight shift of the body would suffice to evade the attack. However, Lu Xin inside the arena did not share this view. He could only perceive the branch in Ye Xuan's hand continuously magnifying before him. No matter how he tried to dodge, it was impossible to escape. Even if he wanted to block or counterattack, he had no idea how to proceed. At that moment, he found not a single flaw or opening on Ye Xuan's body.
However, with Ye Xuan's current strength, there is still a certain gap compared to Lu Xin
Lu Jie, the Elder of Punishment, and Lu Quan shouted in unison, while the Elder of Punishment and Lu Jie immediately sprang into action, both rushing towards Lu Xin. However, it was clear that the Elder of Punishment intended to protect Lu Xin, whereas Lu Jie was already exuding a murderous aura, instilling fear in those around him. The two arrived at Lu Xin's side almost simultaneously, and then both struck at the same time—the Elder of Punishment aimed to intercept Lu Jie's lethal move.
At the moment Ye Xuan stepped into Lu Xin's attack range, he suddenly halted and then took a step back
No one understands better than Lu Jie that this technique of listening to the wind is a sword move without follow-up. If it fails to strike the enemy and there is no time to retract, it will expose a significant opening, which is a very dangerous situation in a life-and-death struggle
Taking the branch handed to him by Lu Jie, Ye Xuan performed a flourish with the sword and then cupped his fists in salute to Lu Xin, lightly laughing as he said, "Brother Xin, please."
As soon as Ye Xuan's words fell, his wrist suddenly moved, and the iron tree branch in his hand swiftly turned, directly pointing at Lu Xin's chest, as a "sword" thrust forward.
Such a clear victory and defeat renders any further discussion unnecessary. The same sword technique was employed, and yet Lu Xin's strength far surpassed that of Lu Li. However, the final outcome was still a defeat for Lu Xin at the hands of Lu Li
Indeed, it is the strength of nine oxen. The moment Ye Xuan saw Lu Xin move, he understood that Lu Xin was truly at the peak of the lower eighth rank, just one step away from breaking through to the seventh rank. Such a person is far beyond what someone like him, who has just entered the eighth rank, can contend with in terms of strength. Currently, Ye Xuan has no advantage in the accumulation of power, and if it comes to a direct confrontation, he would likely be unable to withstand even a single move.
At the moment this sword strike was executed, Ye Xuan had just taken a step back, completely evading the attack. Subsequently, Ye Xuan flicked his right wrist, and the branch in his hand struck the middle part of Lu Xin's branch, thoroughly interrupting and deflecting the sword move.
Only Lu Jie knows that his nephew, Lu Li, not only fully mastered the Listening Wind Sword Technique not long ago, but also developed new sword moves, addressing many flaws and gaps in the original technique
Hmph. Lu Xin, however, did not possess Ye Xuan's good temper; he let out a cold snort, his face filled with disdain.
Lu Xin was undoubtedly sent flying, and had it not been for the fact that the weapon in Ye Xuan's hand was merely a broken branch of an iron tree, Lu Xin would likely have met a fatal end at this moment
Due to the excessive force exerted, the branch in Ye Xuan's hand was completely shattered after this strike. It is evident that such an unrefined branch from an iron tree could not withstand the full force of an eighth-grade martial artist's attack.
Thus, without any suspense, he was pierced in the chest by Ye Xuan's "sword." A sudden, heavy force surged forth, and Lu Xin felt as if he had been struck and sent flying by three crazed bulls in that instant
In the realm of martial arts, the nine ranks are categorized as follows: the lower three ranks focus on strength training, the middle three ranks emphasize energy cultivation, and the upper three ranks concentrate on qi refinement
It is merely a lack of strength, but it does not mean that Ye Xuan has no way to deal with Lu Xin. If this Lu Xin were at the peak of the seventh rank, then perhaps he really would be unable to defeat him
This branch is relatively heavy, with a weight comparable to that of an ordinary iron sword. Generally, before the scions of prominent families use a real sword, most of the practice swords they use are made from the branches of this iron tree. This is because these branches cannot be sharpened; even if one is struck by them, it is akin to being hit by a stick or similar object, and it will not cause fatal injuries.
If it were those skilled practitioners who have cultivated the Wind Listening Sword Technique for a long time, it would not be surprising for them to immediately identify the weakness of the Wind Listening move. However, according to their knowledge, today is the first day that Lu Li has learned the Wind Listening Sword Technique. How could he possibly discern the vulnerability of this move at a glance
"Get back!" Lu Jie shouted fiercely, striking the chest of the Elder of Punishment with his left palm without mercy, directly pushing him back, his face instantly changing as he clearly sustained an injury. Following this, Lu Jie, with a face full of anger, grasped Lu Xin's right shoulder with one hand, applying slight force, and a crisp sound of a bone breaking suddenly echoed, accompanied by Lu Xin's agonizing scream of extreme pain.