novelraw Chapter 40 – Slap over
Chapter 40 – Slap over
In the courtyard, the other young boys and girls all had expressions of anticipation, eager to watch the spectacle unfold.
Seeing Luo Xiu's nonchalant demeanor, the embroidered-robed youth snorted coldly, pointing at Luo Xiu's nose, "You're quite arrogant, aren't you? Just because you've mastered the Pure Yang Technique, you think you're a master?"
Luo Xiu frowned slightly. The other party's condescending attitude, with his finger pointed at his nose, was quite displeasing.
"Isn't that Yuan Feishan from the Gao Yi City Martial Hall? I heard he has a thing for Nie Xiaodie from the New Stone Martial Hall."
"Heh, Nie Xiaodie went to Qingyun City to challenge Luo Xiu and lost. Yuan Feishan wants to stand up for her, maybe to win a smile from the beauty."
"Yuan Feishan is seventeen this year, at the second layer of the Qi Sea Realm. It's said he's already mastered a Grade-Four Fist Technique, quite impressive."
Listening to the discussions of other Martial Hall geniuses, Luo Xiu roughly understood why Yuan Feishan was provoking him.
"What do you want?" Luo Xiu asked calmly.
Yuan Feishan sneered, "You bullied my little sister Xiaodie, so I can't let you off easily. As long as you kneel and kowtow to me three times, I'll let bygones be bygones. How about it?"
After saying this, Yuan Feishan laughed heartily, as if bullying others gave him a sense of accomplishment.
Luo Xiu's face turned icy, and he said coldly, "Are you sure you're not joking?"
"Joking? Do you think you're worthy of me joking with you?" Yuan Feishan's face was full of disdain. "You have two choices: either kneel and kowtow to me three times, or I'll beat you until you beg for mercy. And by then, it won't be just three kowtows."
When conflicts arise between the geniuses of various city Martial Halls, the higher-ups usually don't intervene, as it's a form of competition where the weak are destined to be bullied by the strong.
Though this competition is somewhat cruel, once you choose the path of martial cultivation, no one can escape this fate.
"Are you sure you're my match?" A playful smile appeared on Luo Xiu's lips.
Yuan Feishan was taken aback by his words, thinking Luo Xiu must be out of his mind. He was a Qi Sea Martial Artist at the second layer, while Luo Xiu had only broken through to the Qi Sea Realm two or three months ago. How could he possibly stand against him?
"Kid, it seems you're not convinced. Looks like I'll have to beat you until you beg for mercy!"
Yuan Feishan's face darkened, and he suddenly threw a punch, his body radiating True Qi, the fierce wind from his fist tearing through the air with a crackling sound.
This punch seemed casual but was full of power. As a fellow Qi Sea Martial Artist, Yuan Feishan dared to bully Luo Xiu so brazenly because he had some skills. His confidence came from his second layer Qi Sea cultivation and his mastery of a Grade-Four Fist Technique.
Yuan Feishan had heard that Luo Xiu was skilled in sword techniques. With the two of them so close, he was sure Luo Xiu's sword couldn't be faster than his fist.
Luo Xiu's expression remained calm. The opponent's punch seemed powerful, but to him, it posed no threat at all.
Such an opponent didn't even qualify for him to draw his sword.
With a slight lateral shift of his foot, Luo Xiu sidestepped, causing Yuan Feishan's seemingly fierce punch to miss completely.
In that instant, Luo Xiu struck, landing a slap on Yuan Feishan's face.
"Slap!"
The loud slap echoed in the air, and Yuan Feishan's body spun and flew, tumbling to the ground.
What just happened?
The surrounding Martial Hall geniuses, who were ready to watch the show, were dumbfounded. They hadn't even seen how Luo Xiu struck, and Yuan Feishan was already slapped to the ground.
Yuan Feishan was both shocked and furious, his eyes red with anger. Being publicly humiliated by someone three years younger was something he, who prided himself as a genius, couldn't accept.
"You little brat, I'll kill you!"
In his fury, Yuan Feishan attacked again, his fists leaving afterimages, his True Qi glowing faintly gold, pushing the Grade-Four Fist Technique to its limit.
Yet Luo Xiu remained calm and composed, his left hand behind his back, his right hand slowly rising.
"Slap!"
Another loud slap, and the other side of Yuan Feishan's face was hit, his body spinning and flying, crashing to the ground with a thud.
"What speed!"
This time, the nearby Martial Hall geniuses saw Luo Xiu's move clearly.
"How can he strike so fast? If he used a sword, wouldn't he be able to kill Yuan Feishan, who's at the second layer of the Qi Sea Realm, with one strike?"
The onlookers were dumbfounded. No one expected the outcome to be like this. Yuan Feishan, at the second layer of the Qi Sea Realm, had no power to fight back. What kind of monster was this Luo Xiu?
In fact, the reason Luo Xiu's speed was so fast was all due to his practice of the Swift Sword Art.
The Swift Sword Art had a unique technique for exerting force, which not only made a swordsman's sword faster, more accurate, and more ruthless but could also be applied to fist techniques, palm techniques, movement techniques, and other martial arts.
Using this technique, Luo Xiu could explosively increase his movement speed in an instant, whether for escaping or fighting, making it extremely practical.
Yuan Feishan's cheeks were swollen like steamed buns, and he screamed like a madman. Being slapped to the ground twice by Luo Xiu was an unbearable humiliation for him.
"I'll kill you! Kill you!"
Desperately channeling the True Qi within him, he produced a thin, sharp dagger and thrust it directly at Luo Xiu's chest.
In his irrational state, Yuan Feishan was intent on killing. If the dagger struck, it would pierce Luo Xiu's heart, killing him instantly.
However, the gap in strength couldn't be bridged by merely having a dagger.
"Bang!"
Everyone only saw Luo Xiu's leg move suddenly, and Yuan Feishan flew backward, spitting blood, his eyes rolling back as he fainted.
A clear footprint was visible on Yuan Feishan's chest.
"Squeak!"
While everyone was still in shock, Luo Xiu had already pushed open his door, walked inside, and closed it with a bang.
For an opponent like Yuan Feishan, who posed no challenge, defeating him was of no concern to Luo Xiu. Displaying his strength this time would likely make others think twice before challenging him.
Soon, the news of Yuan Feishan being knocked down by Luo Xiu with two slaps and a kick reached the ears of the Master of the Martial Hall of the Eighteen Cities.
The face of the Gao Yi City Hall Master turned so dark it seemed like water might drip from it. This incident would undoubtedly become a laughingstock for other Hall Masters.
As the Master of the Martial Hall, he couldn't do much to a junior like Luo Xiu, so he called Yuan Feishan over and gave him a severe scolding. After all, if the boy hadn't provoked Luo Xiu, none of this would have happened.
Nie Xiaodie and a few other girls from different Martial Halls returned from shopping and also heard about the incident.
"Xiaodie, Yuan Feishan stood up for you but got beaten by Luo Xiu. You really are a femme fatale."
"I heard Yuan Feishan was scolded harshly by the Gao Yi City Hall Master. He must be feeling quite aggrieved."
The girls chattered incessantly in Nie Xiaodie's ear.
"I didn't ask him to provoke Luo Xiu. Besides, I want to defeat Luo Xiu myself. Why would I need him to do it for me?" Nie Xiaodie said proudly, like a peacock.
"Xiaodie, your strength is about the same as Yuan Feishan's. I'm afraid you might not be able to beat Luo Xiu either. I heard his speed is incredibly fast, and Yuan Feishan couldn't even react."
"Hmph, I'll defeat him sooner or later!" Nie Xiaodie said, clenching her small fists.
...
Luo Xiu didn't care about the outside world's opinions.
After training for over a month in the depths of Yaqi Mountain, the techniques of the Swift Sword Art had finally advanced from the entry level to minor achievement.
With his current sword speed, any casual strike could rival the perfection of a Grade-Four Martial Technique.
Additionally, he had finally grasped some insights into the first Law Diagram of the Heaven's Life and Death Cycle, which contained the mysteries of utilizing the Power of Life and Death Extremes.
Based on his understanding, Luo Xiu devised an attack method, naming it the Mark of Life and Death.
In his room, he sat cross-legged, black and white light glowing between his hands. His palms and fingers came together, forming a peculiar and intricate seal. The Power of Life and Death Extremes continuously gathered, the black and white light growing increasingly brilliant.
Soon, between his hands, the Power of Life and Death Extremes condensed into a Black-White Light Seal, and a fierce wave began to spread. The formation of the Black-White Light Seal nearly drained all the True Qi from Luo Xiu's body.
"Disperse!"
He whispered, and the Heaven's Life and Death Cycle in his Dantian hummed and trembled. The Black-White Light Seal between his hands gradually dimmed and finally dissipated.
Back in the canyon at the depths of Yaqi Mountain, Luo Xiu had tested the power of the Mark of Life and Death. Its strength was enough to sweep away any Grade-Four Martial Technique.
However, this martial technique, comprehended from the Heaven's Life and Death Cycle, was powerful but consumed a lot of energy, so it couldn't be used lightly.
"If I can fully comprehend the first Law Diagram, I should be able to further refine the Mark of Life and Death, not only increasing its power but also reducing its consumption and improving its execution speed."
Training was tedious, but Luo Xiu enjoyed it, especially when he suddenly understood a previously incomprehensible problem. That feeling of enlightenment gave him a great sense of achievement.
Moreover, he found that the more he understood, the more he realized how much he didn't know. The path of martial arts seemed endless, filling him with longing.
Unknowingly, two days passed quickly, and the Entry Assessment was about to begin.
Early in the morning, the geniuses from the Martial Halls of the Eighteen Cities gathered together, led by the eighteen Hall Masters, heading to the assessment site.
The assessment site was located in a vast area in the city center, the base of the Free Spirit Sect's Outer Sect. The Inner Sect was said to be over three thousand miles away in Longyou Mountain, in Yunlong Prefecture.
In Yunlong Prefecture, the mundane affairs were generally handled by the Outer Sect, while the Inner Sect was more transcendent, pursuing the path of martial strength beyond the mortal world.
The Outer Sect Assessment was extremely strict. Each year, dozens of eligible geniuses from the Martial Halls of the Eighteen Cities, along with some non-Martial Hall geniuses, competed for only three spots among hundreds.
This meant that aside from the three who passed the assessment, the rest would be eliminated, having to wait for the next year's assessment.
If they hadn't passed the assessment by the age of eighteen, they would never have the chance to enter the Outer Sect.
Breaking through to the Qi Sea Realm before eighteen was considered an outstanding talent in the major Martial Halls, but for the Free Spirit Sect, it was quite ordinary. Even Luo Xiu, who reached the Qi Sea Realm at fourteen, was just average among the Outer Sect disciples.
For the young boys and girls in Yunlong Prefecture, the Outer Sect Assessment was an opportunity to leap through the dragon gate. Once they passed the assessment and became Outer Sect disciples, they would not only gain access to various cultivation resources but also receive high-level martial arts inheritance!
The martial arts circulated in the mortal world were at most Grade-Four, but in the Outer Sect of the Free Spirit Sect, there was the opportunity to learn Grade-Five, even Grade-Six martial arts.