A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 379 The Four Symbols of Heavenly Will

Sword Forging City, Sky-Shattering Sword Arena
Jianxiong sat on the high platform, with the four sword envoys below him. The leader, the Dragon Sword Envoy, saw that the contestants below were in place and stood up to say to Jianxiong, "Young City Lord, everything is ready. We can begin."

Since the city began using sword fighting as a talent selection competition, the number of participants has been steadily increasing. It has been held several times now. This time, because it is the first sword fighting competition after the Sword Master came out of seclusion, the Sword Hero and the Four Great Sword Masters attach great importance to it. Therefore, before the official competition, three rounds of selection had already been carried out, and the ten people selected were all experienced fighters.

"Yes, just follow the order drawn by lot. Have the elders keep a close eye on things and make sure nothing goes wrong." Jianxiong instructed Longjianshi. It was impossible to avoid injury in a sword fight, but no one could be killed.

"Yes!"

The Dragon Sword Master clasped his hands in a salute, turned and walked down from the high platform. After giving a few instructions to those below, he bowed to the several white-haired elders guarding the arena. The elders nodded slightly and moved in an instant, lining up on all four sides of the arena.

"In the first game, Gu Yun will face An Chongshan."

The middle-aged man hosting the sword duel held up a list and called out two names. Immediately, two young men stepped out from the crowd. One had striking features and a lively, spirited air, while the other had gentle, warm eyes. The two exchanged a glance, walked onto the stage from opposite sides, and bowed with their swords. After a moment of silence, the host announced the start of the duel, and two sword clashes rang out almost simultaneously. The spectators then saw two figures, one in blue and one in white, darting up and down the stage, the sounds of clashing swords echoing throughout. The expressions of the other three of the four sword masters changed slightly. These two looked to be under twenty years old, yet their swordsmanship was so profound, not far behind their own. If they joined the Sword Forging City, their strength would likely have room for improvement.

Jianxiong watched the two swordsmen dueling with great interest from outside the hall. Gu Yun's "Cloud and Water Sword Technique" was quite impressive, with a defense that was watertight. On the other hand, An Chongshan's "Fiery Rock Sword Technique" was extremely aggressive, with each move being powerful and heavy, and as fierce as fire. Judging from the current situation, An Chongshan had a 70% chance of winning.

“Young City Lord, Gu Yun’s Cloud Water Sword is considered one of the best second-rate sword techniques. As long as the defense is not breached, he will surely exhaust An Chongshan’s true energy.”

Tiger Swordsman watched for a while and then shared his opinion. Although he himself advocated offense, he also knew that if his opponent was of similar skill level and was adept at defensive moves, he would inevitably fall into the opponent's trap if he attacked forcefully. However, if he did not attack forcefully, he would not be able to unleash his full combat power and would still lose in the end.

“I have high hopes for An Chongshan. As the saying goes, a prolonged defense will inevitably lead to defeat. Although Gu Yun’s Cloud Water Sword Technique is good at defense, it is not good against the Fierce Rock Sword Technique, which is known for its heavy and powerful style. Although the two are of similar cultivation, An Chongshan has cultivated external skills. As long as he does not make any foolish moves, Gu Yun will surely lose due to the elemental advantage.”

The Dragon Swordsman paid no attention to the argument between the Tiger Swordsman and turned his gaze to the Sword Hero at the head of the table, tentatively asking, "Young City Lord, who do you think will win this battle?"

Upon hearing this, the other three swordsmen also stopped talking and looked at Jian Xiong in unison. After a moment's thought, Jian Xiong said calmly, "Gu Yun can win in a sword sparring match, but An Chongshan can win in a life-or-death battle."

Upon hearing this, the Dragon Sword Master was taken aback, then nodded and turned to look at the two combatants on the dueling platform. In just a short while, the situation on the field had changed drastically. It turned out that An Chongshan had repeatedly attacked Gu Yun with his swordsmanship, but all of them had been countered by An Chongshan's sword moves. Not only had he failed to achieve anything, but he had also consumed a lot of his true energy. An Chongshan knew that he could not be stubborn and forceful, so he changed his sword moves. His originally swift offensive suddenly slowed down. Just as he changed his moves, Gu Yun, who had been guarding, had a glint in his eyes. The Canglang Sword move from the Cloud and Water Sword Technique was launched in time. The sword flashed with blue light, and a blue streak slashed towards An Chongshan with the force of a raging sea.

Upon seeing this, An Chongshan's expression changed slightly. Gu Yun's grasp of the timing of the battle was indeed very accurate. Although he had been prepared, he did not realize how fast Gu Yun's reaction speed was until he made his move. An Chongshan's broadsword trembled, and a faint red sword light appeared. He raised the broadsword high with both hands and slashed down. A crimson sword light pierced through the air and met the blue surging sea.

The two sword energies, one red and one blue, collided, producing a hissing sound. A scorching wave of energy immediately spread outwards. At this moment, the two elders guarding the four sides of the arena attacked simultaneously. A powerful force blocked all the remaining energy. At the same time, one of the elders focused his energy in his eyes and looked at the arena that was obscured by the energy wave.

"Fortunately, neither of them was injured, but the outcome is already decided." The white-haired elder saw that Gu Yun's longsword had pierced An Chongshan's clothes. He moved in an instant and swept away the remaining shockwave with a wave of his sleeve, revealing the two figures.

"It really was Gu Yunsheng."

Looking at the scene before him, the Dragon Sword Envoy was slightly startled. He glanced at the young city lord without leaving a trace before withdrawing his gaze.

"Brother An, you flatter me."

Gu Yun sheathed his sword and bowed to An Chongshan. The latter returned the bow with a complicated expression, never expecting that he had still lost.

"Both of you are rare talents in our Sword Forging City. The sword fight has taken its toll, so go and rest first."

The white-haired elder didn't care who won or lost. They were all from Sword Forging City anyway. These people didn't have much time left to live. They might not live to see the day when Sword Forging City unified the martial arts world. But these young people were the future of Sword Forging City. They couldn't have too many of them.

"Yes."

The two exchanged a glance, bowed to the white-haired elder, and turned to step off the dueling platform when suddenly two hidden weapons shot from somewhere, their targets being Gu Yun and An Chongshan.

"How brave!"

The swordsman sitting on the high platform stood up the instant the hidden weapon appeared. He looked in the direction the weapon was flying, and with a flash, he reappeared in the crowd of spectators. He glanced around and reached out to grab a short man dressed in coarse cloth. His small hand was like a net, leaving no way for anyone caught in it to escape. This was the Ruyi Qinna Hand passed down by the Sword Master. Anyone caught in his hand could not escape.

Seeing this, the onlookers quickly moved aside, clearing a large open space. Just as the grappling hand was about to grab the short man, a curved blade suddenly appeared from the side and slashed straight at Jian Xiong's waist. The blade gleamed coldly and was chilling to the bone. If it hit, it would surely cut him in two.

Jianxiong reacted swiftly, leaping upwards. Immediately, the Bloodstained Sword was drawn, a crimson light appearing like a sky full of red clouds. Just as the short man was rejoicing at his escape, he felt a chill on his back, his body froze, his eyes widened, and he fell to the ground. His body was neatly split in two, but no blood flowed out. In fact, when he was hit, the scorching sword energy of the Bloodstained Sword had sealed it tightly.

Upon witnessing his companion's gruesome death, the ruthless middle-aged man wielding the scimitar was immediately horrified. However, thinking of the generous reward, his expression changed several times before he let out a loud shout, and the scimitar in his hand flew out swiftly, heading straight for Jian Xiong.

At this moment, Jianxiong was in mid-air with nowhere to gain leverage. Seeing the curved blade coming, Jianxiong's eyes lit up. He flipped his body, and with a clang, the Bloodstained Sword touched the curved blade. He then flicked it back along the same path at an even faster speed.

Just as Jianxiong was fighting the ruthless middle-aged man, twelve masked men suddenly appeared around the arena and attacked the swordsmen without saying a word. Although there were few of them, they were highly skilled in martial arts and their moves were extremely ruthless. Several swordsmen were injured in less than three moves. If it weren't for the intervention of the four sword masters and several elders, the losses would have been even greater.

"Who are you?"

The Dragon Sword Master, alone with his sword, faced two masked men. His fierce sword moves kept them tightly entangled. The two men had never expected the Dragon Sword Master to be so skilled. After exchanging a glance, they nodded at the same time. The two men, who had been standing together, seized an opening and formed a pincer attack from both sides. Their two tiger-head sabers, carrying a fierce wind, attacked the Dragon Sword Master.

The other three swordsmen and four elders each held off one person, while the remaining three were stopped by the participants in the sword fight, making it seven against three.

"Daoist, can you tell where these people come from?" The Sword Master, hidden in the shadows, calmly watched the chaotic battle in the arena, then turned to ask Gu Xu beside him. Gu Xu replied, "The two wielding tiger-head sabers should be the Twin Heroes of Xiling, and the one fighting the young city lord is the Sky Eagle of Mobei. His spinning saber technique is quite skillful."

"Hmph, as expected, they are from Eagle Fortress. It seems that Liao Rushen has already colluded with Guan Yutian. With such a large mobilization, Guan Yutian really thinks highly of my Sword Forging City."

Sword Master was in a very bad mood. His Sword Forging City had only just made its debut, and Guan Yutian was already so impatient. It really proved what the Taoist priest had said: the future world belonged to the Supreme Alliance and Sword Forging City.

"Daoist Master, if all thirteen of these people perish here, will Eagle Fortress be crippled and never recover? Will Guan Yutian let this opportunity pass?" Sword Master's eyes flickered as he looked at the two sides fighting in the arena.

"The city lord's idea is good, but even if they are all killed, Liao Rushen will not feel sorry. The martial world is never short of desperados. As long as you have the capital, you can start all over again. However, since these people dare to cause trouble for Sword Forging City, they should bear all the consequences themselves. Even if we can't destroy Eagle Fortress, we can at least suppress Guan Yutian's arrogance and let him know that Sword Forging City is not to be trifled with."

Gu Xu also deeply abhorred these heartless and insane people. The two heroes of Xiling had a resounding reputation, but they were only engaged in robbery and massacre of the people. The Sky Eagle of the Northern Desert was even more evil. In order to cultivate his so-called whirling scimitar, he actually used the blood of virgins to nourish the blade.

Tianyingke has practiced his sword for decades, and hundreds, if not thousands, of infants have died at his hands. Gu Xu has always wanted to eliminate this evil person, but he has never been able to find his whereabouts. Unexpectedly, this person has delivered himself to his doorstep this time.

“Now that these people have arrived in Sword Forging City, none of them will be able to escape. Xiong’er’s skills have improved greatly recently, and he has also mastered the Dragon Riding Slash to the seventh level. That Eagle Guest is no match for him, but we cannot let him die so easily.”

Sword Master was clearly aware of this man's insane actions and felt extremely disgusted. He was a person who hated evil as if it were his enemy. If this Sky Eagle Guest fell into his hands, he would surely make him wish he were dead, which would also comfort those infants who died tragically.

Gu Xu didn't say much upon hearing this, but instead turned his gaze to Tianying Ke, who was fighting Jian Xiong. This guy's martial arts were quite extraordinary, and his spinning scimitar was unpredictable. However, in Gu Xu's opinion, although Jian Xiong was young, he had taken the Heaven-Mending Pill and received some guidance from Gu Xu, so he was quite different from before. Perhaps killing him was beyond his capabilities, but defeating Tianying Ke was still possible.

As expected, Jian Xiong lived up to expectations. The Crimson Blood Sword shone brightly, weaving a crimson glow that gradually forced Tian Ying Ke into a corner. The space for the spinning scimitar to maneuver was also shrinking. Seeing that another area was being invaded by the Crimson Blood Sword, Tian Ying Ke became increasingly terrified. Thinking that the Sword Master had not yet appeared, he had the intention to retreat. He spun his scimitar back and forth, cutting out several blades of light and tearing a gap in the sword light. With agile movements, he wanted to withdraw.

Unexpectedly, the swordsman reacted swiftly. The instant the sword light was torn apart, he immediately used the Dragon Riding Technique. The Bloodthirsty Sword in his hand hummed incessantly, its sound soaring into the sky. A sharp sword aura pointed towards the Eagle Guest. The Eagle Guest was struck by this sword aura, and his hair stood on end. Without time to think, he threw his curved sword backward and ran away as fast as he could.

As the clanging sound of swords echoed through the sky, Jian Xiong's expression turned serious. With a whoosh, the Bloodstained Sword in his hand shot through the air towards the fleeing Eagle Guest. The curved blades that blocked his path were like thin paper, instantly torn to shreds by the sharp sword energy, falling to the ground with a clanging sound. The Bloodstained Sword continued its momentum, heading straight for the Eagle Guest's back. However, just as the Bloodstained Sword was about to pierce the Eagle Guest, the Eagle Guest suddenly spun in the air, soaring into the sky, then turned back twice, leaving a zigzag pattern in the air.

"Three Appearances of Cloud Breaker." Upon seeing this movement technique, the Sword Master's expression turned solemn. This movement technique originated from the Heavenly Mystery Sect. For someone like the Sky Eagle Guest to learn this skill must be because of Liao Rushen's intention.

Looking at the empty seat beside him, the Sword Master took a deep breath and turned his gaze to the one-sided situation in the arena. With the combined efforts of the four sword envoys, the four elders, and the other seven swordsmen, only eight of the twelve masked men still had the ability to fight, and all of them were injured.

The moment Jian Xiong unleashed the Dragon Riding Slash, Gu Xu's figure blurred as he rushed towards the outside of Sword Casting City. Before Tian Yingke could even rejoice at the moment he used the Cloud Triangle to escape the Dragon Riding Slash, a Taoist figure who was both familiar and unfamiliar blocked his way.

At this moment, Tianyingke's heart sank to the bottom. The danger of this Taoist had been mentioned more than once, and it was even specifically stated that if you encounter this person while doing a mission, you should immediately abandon the mission, and it would not be considered a mission failure.

"Sky Eagle of the Northern Desert, I have been searching for you for a long time." Gu Xu turned around, and his indifferent eyes made Sky Eagle feel weak in the knees, but in the end, he made up his mind in the face of life and death.

"kill!"

Knowing he was doomed this time, Tianyingke's eyes flashed, and a cold light flew from his sleeve, shooting straight towards Gu Xu. Gu Xu glanced at it, then with a flick of his sleeve, a powerful force burst forth, the air surging. The cold light was forced back and landed in Tianyingke's hand. It was a miniature curved knife, no bigger than a palm, but with a faint green light on it, clearly coated with a deadly poison. It was even more sinister than the one destroyed by Jianxiong's sword.

Seeing the charging Sky Eagle Guest, Gu Xu remained motionless and pointed forward. A beam of condensed white frost shot out, instantly freezing everything in its path. The Sky Eagle Guest was terrified and turned pale. Before he could react, the icy light had already sealed the Sky Eagle Guest's body. Because Gu Xu intentionally controlled it, the Sky Eagle Guest did not die on the spot.

With a swift grab, Gu Xu led the frozen Sky Eagle Guest back to Sword Forging City. When he returned, he found that the battle was nearing its end. As more and more people were free to fight, the twelve masked men began to suffer heavy losses. In just a short while, only one of them remained; the rest had either been killed or captured.

Just as the last masked man was about to commit suicide after being struck by four swords by the four swordsmen, a pebble struck him and knocked his sword to the ground. The swordsmen immediately pressed his pressure points, rendering him unable to move.

"Dragon Sword Envoy, take them all to the dungeon and await the city lord's judgment."

"Yes!"

Knowing that the sword competition could not be held today, Jianxiong discussed with the four elders and decided to postpone it to another day. After settling the participants, Jianxiong saw Gu Xu carrying a human-shaped ice sculpture back.

"Taoist Master."

Jianxiong bowed to Gu Xu, and looking at the human figure in the ice sculpture, he recognized it as the escaped Tianying Ke, and a look of joy appeared on his face.

"This person is now in your hands." Gu Xu placed the ice sculpture on the ground as Jian Xiong approached.

Upon hearing this, Jianxiong replied, "Yes, thank you for your trouble, Daoist Master."

After saying that, Jianxiong immediately called over several subordinates and ordered them to send the ice sculpture into the dungeon. The subordinates said yes and were about to grab the ice sculpture when Gu Xu's right hand flashed with red light and struck the men. Several red dots landed on them, and a burning sensation made them extremely uncomfortable.

“If we don’t have the strength to lift the ice sculpture, you will all end up like him in no time.”

Upon hearing this, Jianxiong shouted at the group, "Why don't you thank the Daoist Master?"

"We are very grateful for your help, Taoist priest."

Gu Xu nodded, transmitted a few more words to Jian Xiong, and then turned and left.

Just as the group from Cangying Fortress launched a surprise attack on Sword Forging City, a thousand miles away in Juechan Temple, Master Qu'e was teaching Yan Zangfeng the "Wind God's Wrath" from the "Four Symbols of Heavenly Will Technique".

"Cangfeng, although Wind God's Wrath is only the first move of the Four Symbols Technique, a tall building starts from the ground up. Only by perfecting Wind God's Wrath can one cultivate the other three moves without any flaws. With my skill, I can only use it twice in a short time. You'd better watch carefully."

Seeing Yan Zangfeng nod, Zen Master Qu'e immediately leaped into the training ground and began his sword-finger strike. Streaks of energy shot out, creating a wave of energy. This was the starting move of Wind God's Wrath, "Wind and Clouds Rise".

Yan Zangfeng stared intently as Master Qu'e unleashed a series of moves, including "Sudden Change of Weather," "Stormy Weather," and "Wind Sweeps Away the Clouds." Finally, Master Qu'e stood still, clasped his hands together, and leaned slightly forward, his appearance solemn and dignified. Behind him, a majestic and imposing image of the Wind God appeared.

With a shout of "Wrath of the Wind God!" from the Zen Master Qu'e, his hands suddenly parted, his body tilted to almost level with the ground, and a violent gust of wind swept out, instantly tearing everything in its path into pieces.

(End of this chapter)