novelraw Chapter 223 - 221: Defeating Li Tianyi Again
Chapter 223 - 221: Defeating Li Tianyi Again
Suddenly, a sense of danger washed over Li Tianyi. He swung his Lihuo Sword violently, and a figure materialized in mid-air. Incredibly, it was Wang Meng, his body swiftly drifting away.
The disciples, still reeling from the horror of Li Tianyi’s Sword Technique, were stunned once again. They had clearly seen him get struck down by that palm, so how was he back, completely unscathed?
—A Technique Cultivator’s Shadow Clone.
"The only blind spot, and he used a Shadow Clone to exploit it."
"Wang Meng’s ’Peeping Sword’ is no worse than Li Tianyi’s."
"Wang Meng is more mature. His combat experience is clearly richer, and his reactions are more flexible."
"Leading the Thunderlight Hall all the way to Lingyin Hall will be a priceless experience that benefits him for the rest of his life."
Zhou Luodan commented. For a talented child to undergo such a formative process, it could almost be called destiny.
After a brief moment of silence, the entire arena erupted in soaring cheers. The disciples finally forgot about the presence of the Ancestral Masters and cast aside their restraint.
Thunderbolt and the other two Ancestral Masters looked at each other in dismay. It was rare to see such uninhibited behavior in their presence. Usually, any place they appeared would immediately become prim and quiet. Looking at the uncontrollably roaring disciples below, not even a Soul Capturing Skill could produce such an effect.
Even the prestige of the Li Family had no effect on Wang Meng’s supporters. Zhang Xiaopang was jumping and shouting. ’The Li Family is nothing! The Nine Heavens Separation Fire Sword? More like the Nine Heavens Vegetable Cutting Sword!’
The Thunderlight Sect Members, led by Zhang Xiaopang, Suo Ming, and the others, roared without reservation, "Wang Meng!"
A moment of silence, and the response that answered them shot straight to the heavens...
MIGHTY!~~~~
At this point, the dignified Lingyin Hall, one of the Upper Three Halls with a glorious history, was so overwhelmed they couldn’t make a sound.
The battle wasn’t over yet, and overall, Li Tianyi still had the upper hand. But in terms of momentum, the tables had completely turned.
The long-standing situation where disciples from prestigious families were revered had been completely reversed.
A boy at the Second Layer of Life Mark, a commoner from the mortal world, the son of a farmer, had reversed it all.
This situation represented only one thing: a young man who could inherit Ning Zhiquan’s position had been born.
Li Tianyi’s carelessness had cost him dearly, getting tricked by a mere Blinding Technique. But luck wouldn’t always be on his opponent’s side.
Completely ignoring the commotion outside, which sounded like a flock of squawking ducks to him, Li Tianyi ignited the Sword Qi of his Lihuo Sword and unleashed another strike at Wang Meng.
At the same time, Wang Meng unbelievably unleashed the exact same Sword Momentum.
’Could it be...???’
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, two Sword Arrays rose simultaneously. Were they aiming for mutual destruction?
Even if Wang Meng’s "Taking Chestnuts from the Fire" was real, he definitely wouldn’t be able to dodge this time. And similarly, Li Tianyi was now facing his own family’s ultimate technique.
The question flashed through everyone’s minds, but neither Wang Meng nor Li Tianyi paused for even a fraction of a second.
Two equally searing Sword Arrays erupted with surging power.
Wang Meng’s figure danced nimbly amidst the Sword Qi, like a dancer on the edge of a blade. The razor-sharp Sword Qi, which could have devoured him at any moment, failed to even graze him. On the other side, Li Tianyi was much the same. His footwork was just as agile as Wang Meng’s; he was so familiar with this technique he could dodge it with his eyes closed.
As the shockwave of Elemental Power pressed down from above, the two attacked almost in unison, their Sword Qi lashing out.
With two muffled grunts, the Sword Qi burst and scattered.
They had completed their offense and defense simultaneously.
Both instances of the Nine Heavens Separation Fire Sword’s "Taking Chestnuts from the Fire" had been broken at the same time.
The two landed, their momentums locked onto each other without the slightest deviation. Then, suddenly, they both burst into loud laughter.
For Li Tianyi, mastering a Sword Technique meant not only being able to execute it, but also knowing how to break it. In this, he was the same type of person as Wang Meng.
"Brother Wang, you truly haven’t disappointed me. But I’m destined to win this match!" As he spoke, the Lihuo Sword floated quietly in front of him, emitting a faint glow.
’That opening stance...’
The boisterous crowd fell silent. Any Cultivator knew what this meant!
A flying sword!
Li Tianyi using a flying sword was simply shameless! He had actually mastered it with less than Twenty Layers of Elemental Power. That was something even some Sword Cultivator Elders couldn’t control.
A flying sword wasn’t just throwing a sword like a Hidden Weapon. It was a state of Unity of Man and Sword. When one’s Elemental Power reached a certain level, they could even cultivate a terrifying Lifebound Flying Sword, capable of taking a life from a thousand miles away.
This transcended Sword Technique itself. Among the younger generation, not even Ning Zhiquan had successfully cultivated a flying sword. This wasn’t something achieved through hard work, but through talent and enlightenment!
"My sword is like my heart, and my heart is like still water. A respectful Sword Form, the Unity of Man and Sword!" Li Tianyi’s voice was neither harsh nor loud, but filled with a kind of obsession.
Following Li Tianyi’s Sword Formulas, the sword suddenly seemed to come alive, exuding an unstoppable power.
How could one block a flying sword?
There was no blocking it. Defense Magic was useless. For a Sword Cultivator, the only way was to fight a flying sword with another flying sword, or with a Lifebound Magical Artifact.
But at their current level of Cultivation, trying to nurture a Lifebound Magical Artifact was suicide.
"Junior Brother Tianyi is truly worthy of being the most outstanding disciple of the Holy Hall’s younger generation!" Lang Kun nodded. "To be able to witness a flying sword upon my return makes this trip worthwhile."
"Hehe, we have Wang Meng to thank for that. If not for him, Junior Brother Tianyi’s potential might not have been unlocked," Mingren said with a slight smile.
"This Wang Meng is truly not bad." Zhang Yue’e nodded. She’d only been gone a few years, and the Holy Hall had already produced such an outstanding talent.
"Wang Meng can only take a gamble now. We’ll see if his Great Sword Technique can break the flying sword." Anx Dao clenched his fist tightly. Wang Meng’s only chance was to bet that Li Tianyi’s control over the flying sword was unstable and risk it all on his strongest attack. Defending offered no chance of victory.
Frankly, Anx Dao was under a lot of pressure. If, by some chance, Li Tianyi lost, he would be next.
Those who were worried about Wang Meng turned pale. As a Sword Cultivator herself, Yang Ying knew all too well the disparity in power.
Even if he gambled with his strongest Sword Technique, it would be useless. It was too slow. A flying sword was faster and more vicious; it would absolutely end the battle before the Sword Technique could be fully executed.
The disciples of Lingyin Hall, who had been silent for a while, could no longer contain themselves and began waving their fists tightly.
’A loser is a loser, they can never defy the heavens!’
Looking at Li Tianyi’s Lihuo Sword, Wang Meng couldn’t help but smile. It was a knowing smile. The greatest fear in life is the lack of a rival. With Li Tianyi around, the Small Thousand World wouldn’t be a lonely place.
He pushed his hand forward, and the Broken Heaven Edge levitated.
’Object Control?’
Making an object float was too simple; many people could do that.
’Don’t tell me Wang Meng intends to use Object Control against a flying sword?’
No one believed Wang Meng could use a flying sword. If he could even do this, he’d be fucking defying the heavens. But despite their disbelief, a fervent voice screamed in everyone’s heart: ’That’s a flying sword! That’s really a flying sword!’
Wang Meng flicked his finger in the air. The Broken Heaven Edge let out a clear chime, and just like the other sword, it began to radiate a fluctuating glow of Elemental Power as if it had come to life.
An indescribable aura of proud, domineering arrogance rippled outward.
On the Magic Arena, the two Sword Momentums moved slowly, finally colliding, each clearly distinct from the other.
Li Tianyi’s Sword Intent was—Obsession!
Wang Meng’s Sword Intent was—Domination!
’It really is a flying sword!’
Zhang Xiaojiang’s incredibly nervous heart suddenly began to pound. Power surged through him, but he couldn’t roar, only clench his fists tightly.
’A flying sword! It really is a flying sword!’
The most brilliant light erupted in Li Tianyi’s eyes. What a wonderful surprise this was!
Even the three Ancestral Masters on the high platform stood up. For the first time in the history of the Third Generation Disciples’ grand competition, a flying sword was facing a flying sword.
Everyone was astonished, but Thunderbolt was the least surprised of all. In fact, it seemed reasonable to him. ’A senior must have guided him at some point.’
In the Small Thousand World, there were two kinds of cultivators: those who belonged to a Sect, and Loose Cultivators. The latter were unbound by sect or cultivation method, free and unrestrained. Generally, the major sects would try to recruit such people, but it was a pity that once one reached that senior’s level, they could no longer be swayed.
Looking at the countless fanatics in the crowd, Thunderbolt now understood why Wang Meng had been sent to the Holy Hall. It wasn’t because Wang Meng lacked talent, and certainly not because that senior couldn’t teach him. It was because of Wang Meng’s character. His personality was best suited to being a Saint Cultivator.
Whether they were from Lingyin Hall or supporters of Wang Meng, everyone’s eyes were filled with fervor, waiting for that final moment.
KILL!
The Lihuo Sword transformed into a streak of red light and vanished in an instant.
In that instant, everyone was stunned. In a flying sword battle, the one who strikes first gains the advantage, yet Wang Meng hadn’t moved!
’Was it a fake???’
DONG... BOOM...
With a tremendous noise, the red light flashed out of the void like a Flood Dragon being dragged from the Abyss, roaring as it attacked, only to come to an abrupt halt.
CLATTER...
The Lihuo Sword fell to the ground.
But the Broken Heaven Edge remained floating quietly in place, as if nothing had happened.
Lingyin Hall was dead silent. Everyone could hear the sound of heavy breathing. What on earth had just happened?
Just then, Zhou Luodan’s voice rang out, "First match of the Sacrificial Battle, Wang Meng... wins!"
.........
ROAR~~~~~~~~
The Thunderlight Hall erupted in victorious cheers, celebrating as if they had already won the entire competition. Li Tianyi had been defeated! Li Tianyi had lost!
Amidst the cheering, the disciples quickly formed a unified chant. The sound of "Wang Meng! Mighty!" dominated Lingyin Hall.
The disciples of Lingyin Hall were completely bewildered. They had no idea what happened. How could a flying sword be broken?
"Li Tianyi, when you reach the Twenty-Fifth Layer of Life Mark, we’ll fight again."
Wang Meng spoke words that only the two of them would understand. This was the difference in Elemental Power. Li Tianyi was too focused on Sword Technique, to the point of disdaining Elemental Power itself.
This was the absolute gap between the Twenty Layers and the Nineteenth Layer.
With the same level of comprehension in Sword Technique, that crucial one-layer gap in Elemental Power would directly determine victory or defeat.
Li Tianyi silently reached out and recalled his Lihuo Sword. It vanished into his Qiankun Bag. He gave Wang Meng a deep look, then turned and walked away without looking back.
As Li Tianyi left, the cheers grew even more intense.
Today, standing here... even standing here, could you believe it?
The Thunderlight Hall had fought its way to Lingyin Hall and defeated Li Tianyi!
"Meimei, pinch me! See if I’m dreaming!" Zhang Xiaopang said, grabbing Liuu Mei.
Miss Liuu casually gave him a pinch. The pain made the fatty grimace, but he immediately shot up. "It’s real! It’s real! Ow, that hurts! Haha!"
Hu Jing glanced at the ecstatic Zhang Xiaopang. ’Thank heavens for letting us become friends. Thank you for introducing me to Wang Meng. And thank you for letting us all come to the Thunderlight Hall together.’
She thought Zhang Xiaopang wouldn’t hear her, but he suddenly spun around. He might not have heard anyone else’s voice, but how could he not hear the voice of Hu Jing, the girl he’d had a crush on for so, so long?
"Jingjing, what I’m most grateful for is that heaven let me meet you and Brother Meng. This life has been worth it!"
(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation.)