mynovelweb Chapter 338 Close Combat!
Chapter 338 Close Combat!
Lu Qingheng indeed turned his blade.
He didn't force the first strike; instead, he lowered the hilt of his sword and slid half a step in, keeping close to the side of Shen Zhaoxuan's sword, while the old sword slashed at Shen Zhaoxuan's left rib from below.
Shen Zhaoxuan flipped up his left sleeve, pressed down with the back of his blade to intercept the upward thrust, and at the same time stepped out with his right foot to avoid the space where Lu Qingheng would close in.
The two figures intertwined, their blades flashing up and down, and a series of crisp clashes echoed on the battle stage.
Lin Wanqing stared, not daring to blink.
"Why aren't they using their full magical abilities?"
Xie Buci said.
"Because whoever lays out the overall strategy first will reveal their true strength to the other side."
Yu Jianhuan said.
"Neither of them is stupid; they won't throw out their trump card just for a cheer."
Jin Qiaoqiao said.
"Lu Qingheng cannot be delayed for too long; he has injured his wrist pulse and will suffer from prolonged fighting."
Mo Chengyue said.
"Shen Zhaoxuan can't drag this out for too long. If he only wins by attrition, the outer sect won't be convinced."
Qin Wanzhuang said.
"Therefore, Shen Zhaoxuan must win with restraint, and Lu Qingheng must not fall in a disgraceful manner if he is to lose."
Lin Wanqing had a bitter face.
"After listening to what you've said, I feel like they're both exhausted."
Mo Chengyue said.
"You have to prove you're good at being scolded before you can sit down."
On the battle stage, Shen Zhaoxuan finally changed his tactics.
His sword was no longer just for defense; when the blade swept horizontally, it brought out a heavy spiritual pressure, forcing Lu Qingheng back half a step. Then the sword strike split into three, blocking from the shoulder, wrist, and knee.
Lu Qingheng's eyes shone brightly. He used his old sword to protect himself, first using the back of the blade to deflect a blow to his shoulder, then using footwork to avoid a blockade from his knee, and finally using the hilt of his sword to strike the spine of Shen Zhaoxuan's blade.
This collision, though lacking in grandeur or fanfare, caused Shen Zhaoxuan's third sword strike to deflect by half an inch.
Wenren Jidao.
"it is good."
Lin Wanqing whispered.
"Junior Brother Wenren praised him again."
Xie Buci said.
"Write this down, today's spectacle."
Wenren Ji looked at him.
"boring."
Qin Wanzhuang looked at the stage.
"Lu Qingheng took a big risk this time. If Shen Zhaoxuan's blade strike had been any heavier, his wrist would have been hit again."
Su Qingying said.
"He bet that Shen Zhaoxuan wouldn't damage his foundation just to win quickly."
Mo Chengyue said.
"They're also betting that Shen Zhaoxuan must make everyone see that he follows the rules."
Yu Jianhuan chuckled.
"This kid looks honest, but he'll actually use other people's dignity as a scabbard."
Jin Qiaoqiao said.
"That's why he's still alive."
After being deflected from his attack, Shen Zhaoxuan finally spoke.
"Junior Brother Lu, it seems you're not just good at going straight ahead."
Lu Qingheng said.
"The incomplete techniques are too numerous; we must use every usable method."
Shen Zhaoxuan said.
"Then I will not just keep guarding it."
As soon as he finished speaking, his sword strike changed from slow and deliberate to swift and powerful.
Tianqing Peak's swordsmanship was powerful yet unpredictable. One strike was pressing down from the front, while the next strike had already circled around from the side. Layers of spiritual energy overlapped, forcing Lu Qingheng to change his stance three times in quick succession.
Lu Qingheng advanced instead of retreating.
He inserted his old knife along the gaps in Shen Zhaoxuan's sword strikes, the tip of the knife pointing towards the point of force with each thrust, as if dismantling a tightly sewn net.
Someone in the outer seat stood up.
"Senior Brother Lu can break it!"
"Don't rush, he hasn't finished breaking it yet!"
"Shen Zhaoxuan's attacks were too precise; how could he have hidden a backup plan!"
Some people in the Tianqing Peak seats also had tense expressions.
"Lu Qingheng actually managed to keep up this far."
"How exactly did he master that incomplete technique?"
"Don't underestimate him; every match he's played so far has paid off."
Lin Wanqing said.
"Senior Brother Mo, if they keep fighting like this, who will be the first to give out?"
Mo Chengyue said.
"Lu Qingheng".
Lin Wanqing pursed her lips.
"But he doesn't look like he's lost now."
Mo Chengyue said.
"Looking like you haven't lost and actually being able to hold on until the end are two different things."
Su Qingying answered.
"Shen Zhaoxuan has a stronger foundation."
Qin Wanzhuang said.
"Lu Qingheng's knife is even more ruthless."
Wenren Jidao.
"Clean".
Xie Buci said.
"Junior brother, if you keep praising him, I'll start to suspect you're planning to take him back to Qingquan Peak to practice swordsmanship."
Wenren Jidao.
"He used a knife."
Xie Buci said.
"You actually took it seriously and refuted it."
Mo Chengyue sighed.
"Senior Brother, don't tease Junior Brother during the final battle of the Holy Son. It makes it seem like Qingquan Peak is disrespectful to the competition."
Yu Jianhuan laughed.
"When did Qingquan Peak give people the illusion of respecting the competition?"
Jin Qiaoqiao said.
"You've been trying to sabotage us from the very beginning."
Mo Chengyue said.
"We were just quietly observing the ceremony, and incidentally we were subjected to misunderstandings from the sect's public opinion."
The battle on the battle platform has reached its most intense stage.
Shen Zhaoxuan pressed down with his longsword, his spiritual energy gathering along the blade to form a thick sword curtain, forcing Lu Qingheng to the left side of the battle stage.
Lu Qingheng's old sword lit up with fragments of broken techniques, and the previously incomplete sword paths were now forcibly connected into a single line by him.
He stepped forward.
The knife is used from bottom to top.
It wasn't a chop, nor a thrust, but rather a cut that pierced through the gaps in Shen Zhaoxuan's blade curtain, landing precisely on the weak point where the blade's momentum shifted.
Shen Zhaoxuan took a half step back for the first time.
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
"Refund!"
"Shen Zhaoxuan has retired!"
"Lu Qingheng has broken through!"
The seats outside the gate were so excited they were almost impossible to contain.
"Senior Brother Lu!"
"Take it a step further!"
"Chop that chair down!"
The elder in charge looked towards the outer gate, frowned, but did not speak.
The seats at Tianqing Peak were much quieter.
The elder hidden in the shadows raised his eyes, his fingers lightly resting on the edge of the armrest.
Lin Wanqing was so nervous that she dared not write.
"Senior Brother Mo, is Lu Qingheng about to win?"
Mo Chengyue did not answer immediately.
Xie Buci also stopped joking.
Qin Wanzhuang's gaze fell on Shen Zhaoxuan's right shoulder.
"Shen Zhaoxuan also has a knife."
Su Qingying said.
"His half-step back didn't mean things were chaotic."
Wenren Jidao.
"Lead him."
After Lu Qingheng broke through the barrier of swords, his aura surged forward to its peak.
He couldn't possibly let this opportunity slip by.
The old knife pierced through the gap in Shen Zhaoxuan's sword curtain, aiming directly at the weak point in his protective spiritual energy in front of his chest.
Shen Zhaoxuan took another half step back.
Just as Lu Qingheng's blade was about to press into the line of victory, Shen Zhaoxuan flipped his right wrist. Instead of returning the long sword to guard his chest, it circled down along the outside of Lu Qingheng's old sword, pressing down on his wrist holding the sword.
Lu Qingheng's old wrist injury was exposed at this moment.
The blade flashed a fraction too late.
Shen Zhaoxuan thrust his blade horizontally, using Lu Qingheng's forward momentum to send him to the edge of the battle platform.
The two changed steps at the same time.
Lu Qingheng's old sword stopped a few inches in front of Shen Zhaoxuan's shoulder.
Shen Zhaoxuan's blade was also positioned horizontally at Lu Qingheng's neck.
Lu Qingheng's back foot was already close to the edge of the battle platform.
A thin, long tear appeared on Shen Zhaoxuan's chest, ripped open by the blade's energy.
The whole place fell silent.
No one immediately declared victory.
No one dared to immediately declare defeat.
Lin Wanqing opened her mouth, but in the end, she could only manage to utter one sentence.
"How do we calculate this?"
Xie Buci looked toward the deacon's seat.
"This is interesting."
Qin Wanzhuang said.
"If he presses the line, Lu Qingheng will be in danger."
Su Qingying said.
"If we consider the effective way to subdue the enemy, Shen Zhaoxuan's protective barrier will also be broken."
Wenren Jidao.
"Almost."
Yu Jianhuan's eyes flickered.
"It's most valuable when it's almost there."
Jin Qiaoqiao looked towards the high platform.
"Now it's time for those in power to speak."
The elder in charge did not make an announcement immediately.
He glanced at the protective jade talisman, then at the disordered spiritual energy in Lu Qingheng's wrist, and then at the torn collar of Shen Zhaoxuan's clothes.
Another elder stood up and walked to the edge of the battle platform.
The two discussed it in hushed tones for a moment.
The voices from the audience finally couldn't be suppressed.
"Why isn't a verdict being handed down?"
"Senior Brother Lu didn't fall!"
"Shen Zhaoxuan didn't lose either!"
"Who really won?"
"Isn't the position of Holy Son determined by strength?"
"Beyond strength, there are rules; beyond rules, there are elders."