M49S Vol 1 Chapter 39. Wild Strikes

Match eight of the first round. Tu Youqiong of Gushan Sword facing Lu Ming of Guanghua.

With Chen Boyan’s strong opening earlier, this match drew considerable attention. Quite a few cultivators had left the other platforms after hearing the news, eager to witness the swordsmanship of Gushan up close.

Tu Youqiong swallowed hard, nerves twisting in his chest. If he lost here, it would be a huge embarrassment. Fortunately, he had just broken through to the second great realm. That was something, at least.

Dai Xiaoshan and the others stopped joking around. One by one, they focused their attention on the two competitors, silently rooting for Tu Youqiong. Dai Xiaoshan paid close attention to the expressions of those around them. The reactions he saw made his brow crease slightly.

Chen Boyan’s victory had pushed expectations sky-high. If Tu Youqiong lost now, or even struggled to win, it would be hard not to draw the conclusion that he was nothing special. Not that their senior brother had done anything wrong. His dominance in the Weapon duel was impossible to hide. The issue was that Tu Youqiong’s current opponent had already beaten him once before.

Guanghua was a respectable mid-tier sect, neither at the top nor forgotten. Lu Ming himself wasn’t flashy, but he had a strong foundation and solid fundamentals. He could attack or defend as needed, and that made him exactly the kind of opponent Tu Youqiong had the hardest time dealing with. Just a day earlier, after fighting two exhausting matches, Tu Youqiong had been impatient and narrowly lost to him.

And now, the two stood face to face once more.

“Go get them, Senior Brother!” Xiao Yu’er shouted at the top of his lungs.

Tu Youqiong turned back and gave him a vigorous wave of his fist. That proud, puffed-up look on his face made him seem like he was heading to war with a hoe on his shoulder. Dai Xiaoshan, Song Ru, and the others couldn’t help but smile.

There was no point in overthinking things. This junior of theirs simply didn’t have the room in his heart for that kind of plotting.

“Bring it on!” Tu Youqiong summoned his life-bound sword. His thinking was simple. His cultivation had advanced, and he was no longer the same Tu Youqiong as yesterday. He just wanted to defeat the person in front of him. That was all.

Lu Ming didn’t let his previous win make him careless. He continued to defend cautiously, controlling his flying sword with precision and not rushing to attack. Tu Youqiong didn’t rush either. Their two life-bound swords were only about half the size of ordinary swords, glowing faintly as they faced off in midair.

Dai Xiaoshan thought Tu Youqiong had finally learned to be patient, using retreat to observe and strike later. But what he had overlooked was Tu Youqiong’s unpredictability. That faintly glowing green sword wasn’t defending. It was attacking.

Everyone stared in shock as the little sword suddenly trembled, casting a flickering afterimage. Then the afterimage became another sword, then another, and another.

Tu Youqiong held his hands before his chest, fingers weaving rapidly as vital force surged. The gleam of excitement in his eyes spread rapidly. Everyone could see it clearly now. He had gone all in.

Woven Swordfeathers, the seventh form of the Gushan Sword Technique. It consumed nearly half of one’s vital force to simultaneously project multiple sword forms derived from the life-bound weapon. Tu Youqiong swept his sleeve forward. “Go!”

Four swords. With his current strength, he could now project four phantom blades at once. Though fleeting and difficult to control, he had done it. Until recently, he could only manage three.

Tu Youqiong was ecstatic. The light in his eyes sparkled with youthful pride, as if he had completely forgotten that he was still in the middle of a match.

But Lu Ming had not let down his guard. He had thought that, after losing once, Tu Youqiong would play it safe this time, so he had done the same. Who could have expected the boy to start the match with such a heavy-handed move?

Fortunately, Lu Ming had always specialized in defense.

He quickly steadied his mind. Vital force surged from his palms, streaming into his life-bound sword and forming a transparent arc-shaped barrier in midair. In a flash, Tu Youqiong’s flying swords came crashing down. One had already pierced the barrier and was emitting a humming vibration, as if trying to tear it apart.

The other three, however, were held back. Their tips pressed against the barrier, locked in a stalemate.

“Ugh.” Tu Youqiong slapped his forehead in frustration. Four swords were too much. He couldn’t manage full control, which had led to a noticeable difference in speed between them.

Blocked? The onlookers murmured among themselves. Tu Youqiong had startled everyone by opening with such a powerful move, but now that the two sides were locked in deadlock, no one could say who would hold out longer.

“He’s still too impatient,” Song Ru muttered, a rare trace of worry flickering across her normally stern expression.

Chen Boyan, however, said, “Wait and see.”

Xiao Yu’er tilted his head up, trying hard to read Senior Brother’s face, then turned to look at Tu Youqiong. Did that mean Senior Brother thought he could win?

Tu Youqiong was still pouring power into his assault, trying to break through Lu Ming’s defense. If things went on like this, he would surely burn through his vital force before Lu Ming did. But just as everyone thought this match would be decided in a single clash, Tu Youqiong suddenly changed tactics.

The three trailing swords abruptly pulled back, disengaging from the stalemate. Under the crowd’s puzzled gaze, they suddenly drove straight into the crack carved out by the first sword that had already pierced the barrier.

Crack! That was the sound of the barrier breaking.

All three swords struck at the fissure like chisels against stone, forcing their way through. In an instant, the radiance of the swords flared. The first blade shattered under the combined force of the impact and the backlash from the broken barrier. The blast of wind sent strands of Lu Ming’s hair flying.

Lu Ming slid his right foot back to steady himself, his sword seals shifting rapidly. His response was swift, that much couldn’t be denied.

But Tu Youqiong was just as fast. The moment the barrier broke, he knew his Woven Sword Feathers had run its course. The remaining three swords were on the verge of collapse. If Lu Ming launched even a single counterattack, they would likely shatter.

He did not retreat.

He clenched his right hand, and the three swords merged into one just as Lu Ming moved to strike. Tu Youqiong raised his hand and shouted with full spirit, “Take this!” The pale green sword met Lu Ming’s silver blade head-on.

The battle turned fierce, no longer the deadlock it had been at the start. In a blink, the two swords had clashed several times, streaking through the air like twin streams of light, too fast for the eye to follow.

“Wild Strikes,” Mu Guinian said in a low voice.

He was not saying Tu Youqiong was swinging wildly. It was the name of the technique itself. On the surface, a mess of strikes flung east and west, but in truth, a complete and coherent move.

Wild Strikes had been invented two hundred years ago by a senior of Gushan Sword who never followed the standard techniques. He was known as the Mad Sword, famous for fighting in complete chaos, throwing out moves with no pattern and beating his opponents senseless. Yet somehow, he always managed to win.

Gushan Sword was known across the cultivation world for its orthodox sword techniques, but Mad Sword was a maverick. Yet because the disciples of Gushan Sword all adhered to orthodox methods, few were able to master such erratic techniques. Thus, Wild Strikes gradually fell into obscurity.

Even Chen Boyan had not expected Tu Youqiong to learn it. He must have picked it up secretly, and even then, only the rough form. Sixty to seventy percent were wasted moves. They consumed his vital force for nothing, failing to achieve the intended effect.

But even so, it was impressive.

“Junior Brother Youqiong… not bad at all,” Dai Xiaoshan’s eyes lit up.

Song Ru nodded. “But that Lu Ming is hiding something.”

Dai Xiaoshan noticed it too. “The other day when he fought our junior brother, he had only just broken through to the second great realm. But now, he’s already past the initial stage and entered the Soulbound phase.”

He paused, then muttered thoughtfully, “Just how many bowls of red-braised lion’s head did he eat?”

“Pfft…” Chen Boxi couldn’t help but laugh. He peeked out from behind Chen Boyan to look at him, thinking the Gushan Sword disciples were all incredibly amusing. This was clearly something worth investigating, yet this senior brother had made it sound so light and funny. It was just too entertaining.

Xiao Yu’er, however, listened with concern. “Come on, Senior Brother… hang in there!”

Qing Gu gave his head a pat and called out cheerfully, “Win this match, and Senior Sister will treat you to a bowl of lion’s head, Youqiong!”

“Really?!” Tu Youqiong managed to glance back mid-battle. When he saw Qing Gu nodding with a grin, he felt power surge through his entire body. He had eaten two bowls of lion’s heads last night and already advanced a step in cultivation. If he had another bowl, wouldn’t he be unbeatable in this whole competition? Even Xiaoshan and Guinian would have to bow down to him!

“Awooo!” Tu Youqiong’s energy surged again. His Scattered Strikes exploded into afterimages, like a mountain collapsing and the sea pouring in.

The watching cultivators looked at each other in confusion. What was wrong with this guy? Why did he seem to be going mad mid-fight? Was it a desperate last stand?

Lu Ming was too busy defending to think about how insane this looked.

At first, he too thought Tu Youqiong was just throwing everything out in a reckless gamble. But as the duel went on, Lu Ming clearly felt the pressure increasing. Tu Youqiong’s momentum was rising, and his sword strikes were becoming more powerful with each exchange. Meanwhile, Lu Ming was finding himself increasingly constrained, forced to dodge the wild barrage of unpredictable sword moves. The balance was shifting. If this kept up, Tu Youqiong might actually defeat him before exhausting his own vital force.

His heart sank. He had taken the benefits offered to him, and his cultivation had skyrocketed. The price he had to pay was to defeat Tu Youqiong. If he failed here, his run in the competition would end today.

No. Absolutely not.

Lu Ming grew more cautious. His silver sword tried multiple times to shake off Tu Youqiong’s chaotic barrage, but Tu Youqiong only grew more fired up as the fight wore on. The pauses between his sword moves were getting shorter, and their power kept increasing.

Strike, strike, strike! To hell with it. Just keep striking!

“Ten Thousand Swords Return to One!” someone in the crowd cried out in shock. This junior disciple from Gushan really was going all in. He had even unleashed that move, completely ignoring the risk of exhausting his vital force and collapsing his life-bound sword.

Lu Ming gave it everything he had to block it, but he had forgotten one thing. His cultivation had surged forward, but Tu Youqiong had not stayed stagnant either. Breaking through a great realm meant a rapid expansion of both his dantian and spirit sea. The vital force Tu Youqiong could now store was at least double what it had been before.

More importantly, he was a disciple of Gushan Sword and their sword technique was a top-tier cultivation method. The spirit sea he had opened was far larger than that of ordinary cultivators.

Deep foundation? Solid basics? However deep or solid they might be, how could they compare to a disciple cultivated meticulously by Gushan Sword?

That realization hit Lu Ming like a bolt of lightning. A bead of cold sweat slid down the side of his face. He gritted his teeth and immediately shifted from offense to defense. If he couldn’t win in raw strength, then he would have to rely on his wealth of experience to take Tu Youqiong down.

The battle only grew fiercer. Onlookers were riveted, and even the seated spectators within the tower began to focus their attention on the match between Tu Youqiong and Lu Ming.

These were all seasoned cultivators with profound cultivation. Their insight far surpassed that of the rooftop crowd. It only took them a moment to discern the pattern in Tu Youqiong’s chaotic swordplay.

The straw-hatted elder gave a small, appreciative nod. “Brother Tang, that little disciple of yours isn’t bad at all.”

“Not at all, not at all. He’s just a little mischievous, always lacking in ambition,” Tang Li said with a laugh. His words were modest, but his face beamed with pride.

Chen Wujie, however, cast a curious glance at Meng Qiqi, who sat just one seat away from him. Compared to that downy-faced youngster, he was far more interested in the Little Martial Uncle of Gushan.

If he remembered correctly, Chen Boyan had originally been set to become his disciple.

Just then, Tu Youqiong’s match finally concluded. Just as Dai Xiaoshan had anticipated, Lu Ming fell short, and Tu Youqiong claimed a narrow victory. The only unexpected part was how the spectators reacted.

By the end of the match, the cultivators had begun to pick up on the technique behind Tu Youqiong’s erratic swordplay. They now regarded him in a new light. So even though the win was hard-earned and the match had dragged on, Tu Youqiong still received a wave of enthusiastic applause as he stepped down from the platform.

“Amazing! Probably just a tiny bit below my level!” Chen Boxi praised him generously. Of course, coming from him, the compliment sounded more like self-congratulation, leaving everyone else both amused.

Wang Changlin turned to Tang Li with a smile and offered his congratulations. Probably no one but Meng Qiqi, who had been watching him closely, noticed the flicker of darkness that passed through his eyes.

Meng Qiqi remained calm and continued to watch the matches.

The next match still featured a disciple from Gushan.

The steward glanced at the name tags posted on the notice board and called out loudly, “Next match, Dai Xiaoshan of Gushan against Shen Qingya of Tianlao.”

Excitement rippled through the crowd.

Gushan versus Tianlao. Setting aside Gushan’s current decline, this was still a battle between two of the top forces in the cultivation world. But the two competitors about to enter the ring exchanged a look, both showing a trace of helplessness in their eyes.

Gushan’s luck had truly been unfortunate.

And that misfortune carried over to Gushan’s third fighter, Dai Xiaoshan. Though capable in his own right, he was no match for Shen Qingya, the chief disciple of Tianlao. No matter how well he fought, he ultimately lost.

The fourth to take the stage was Xiao Yu’er, matched against Zhong Wu from Nandao. Zhong Wu had once spoken on Gushan’s behalf at Chanhua Tower and was already somewhat well-known in the cultivation world, though he was younger than most of the others present.

But no matter how young he was, could he possibly be younger than Xiao Yu’er?

The twelve-year-old boy stepped forward and clasped his fists in greeting, his voice still tinged with a childish lilt. “Xiao Yu’er greets Senior Brother. I hope you will show mercy.”

What a well-behaved child. Zhong Wu nearly found himself unable to land a single blow.

Still, no matter how reluctant he was, this was the Grand Match. Zhong Wu would not let slip any chance to seize the top spot.

After exchanging courtesies, the two each summoned their life-bound weapons.

Zhong Wu’s weapon was a long saber with a slender, curved blade, an uncommon sight among the sword cultivators of the cultivation world, which made it stand out right away. But the moment Xiao Yu’er summoned his weapon, no one paid the saver any more attention.

Xiao Yu’er’s life-bound weapon was far too rare. It was a bow. A black bow.

Bows themselves were not uncommon, but they were mostly used by cultivators as auxiliary tools. Very few would choose one as their life-bound weapon. In a true clash between experts, there was rarely any opportunity to shoot an arrow.

And yet, here stood a disciple of Gushan, holding a bow.