Don't let Yu Ding take on any more disciples.

Chapter 277 Vertical Sword Technique VS Horizontal Sword Technique

The two figures flew through the air, their robes fluttering. Before they even arrived, their murderous auras clashed and intertwined, and the sharp sword energy instantly shattered the clouds between them.

Chi!Chi!
They stared at each other, and almost simultaneously, the longswords in their hands glowed. With a slash and a sweep, they unleashed a pair of blazing blue and red sword energies at each other. The light was dazzling, and a dangerous aura flowed through them. A terrifying aura swept towards each other like a bursting dam.

The two sword energies collided with a deafening boom, as if a massive explosion had occurred in mid-air. The surging and violent forces intertwined and stirred up the wind and clouds.

when!
After their swords clashed, the two figures suddenly appeared in front of each other. Without any unnecessary words, the two swords collided violently in the most direct and straightforward way. The blades scraped together, accompanied by a piercing metallic scraping sound and bursts of sparks.

After the first sword strike, the two men exerted force with their swords and retreated, landing at opposite ends of the stone bridge in the middle of the waterfall.

Huang Yu stared at Zhou Wu and said, "You've gotten stronger, Xiao Wu!"

To put it bluntly, when he first entered Guigu, this junior brother wasn't even qualified to withstand a single sword strike from him.

However, when the two swords clashed just now, he clearly sensed that the power unleashed by his opponent's physical body was now on par with his own.

This shows that this junior brother has truly reached the pinnacle of the extraordinary realm and is fully qualified to fight him.

“Speaking of which, I have to thank my senior brother for his encouragement over the past year!” Zhou Wu stared at Huang Yu coldly.

He had lived an extremely comfortable life.

However, during the year after he arrived at Guigu, he felt as if he were living in hell, suffering unimaginable torment to his body and mind!
The reason he paid such a high price was entirely thanks to his senior brother who cultivated so diligently!

This senior brother was truly a sharp blade hanging over his head, the kind that could fall at any moment. It was this threat of death that made him regain consciousness and get up again and again after collapsing from exhaustion and even losing consciousness time and time again.

If you bring this up… Huang Yu’s calm gaze suddenly flashed with murderous intent, and he gritted his teeth, saying, “Likewise.”

Chi!
Their gazes locked on each other for a moment, and then at the same instant, they both pushed off the bridge with all their might, causing cracks to appear on the surface. Their figures shot towards each other like arrows released from a bow, and upon meeting, they drew their swords and slashed.

when!when!when!
In an instant, the two figures on the stone bridge clashed repeatedly, their weapons violently exchanging blows. One terrifying sword aura after another crisscrossed and landed on the waterfall, cutting a path more than ten feet long, which then exploded into towering columns of water in the pool below.

You two are frying fish here... Yu Ding stood calmly under the reed awning, hands behind his back, watching the battle. The water jets that exploded turned into mist and drifted away as if a heavy rain was falling. The fish in the water thrashed on the ground.

The two of them were using the swordplay he had created.

Now that their physical strength is roughly equal, the next deciding factors will be swordsmanship, breathing techniques, and breath control.

In his view, today's outcome remains unchanged.

After all, time is limited within a year. While Zhou Wu was working to improve his physical strength, Huang Yu was also busy, and he became a leader in swordsmanship and breathing techniques.

boom!
They fought their way from the stone bridge into the air, their bodies falling continuously, and even as they fell from the height, they still only had eyes for each other, their swords still aimed at each other.

At such a height, there was no longer any threat to them. Their physical strength was so great that they could leap hundreds of feet into the air by simply using a certain point of leverage.

This time, they held nothing back, their sword strikes fierce and powerful, all aimed at each other's vital points.

"Hi~"

As the two swords clashed fiercely once again, Zhou Wu's eyes flashed, he took a deep breath, and a crimson light shone from his mouth and nose. The next instant, flames burst forth from his sword.

Seeing this, Yu Ding's lips curled up slightly. As everyone knows, there is a rule in battle: whoever is forced to use a weapon first, and forced to use a powerful move, will lose first.

The premise is that there is only one ultimate move, except for those who have many hidden ultimate moves and backup plans.

boom!
As Zhou Wu used the breathing technique, his physical functions were greatly enhanced. He slashed out with the burning sword in his hand. Huang Yu's expression changed slightly, and he knew something was wrong. He wanted to use the breathing technique, but it was too late. In a hurry, he could only grip the sword with both hands to defend.

As the two swords clashed, Huang Yu's arms trembled violently. The next moment, with a loud bang, his body, like a cannonball, crashed into the pool from high above, splashing up a towering column of water.

Zhou Wu slashed Huang Yu away with his sword, but his expression became even more solemn as he stared intently at the pool below.

"Hi~"

Then, a gasp was heard from the falling water column. Zhou Wu's gaze suddenly sharpened, but the water below was as smooth as a mirror, and the falling water did not create the slightest ripple.

One of the figures stood calmly on the water, eyes slightly closed, azure spiritual energy flowing between his mouth and nose. He held a sword horizontally in front of him with his right hand, while his left hand formed a sword incantation, slowly tracing the blade and causing it to glow with a blazing blue light.

As the sword technique swept across the blade, a powerful and dangerous sword aura slowly accumulated, and the calm water beneath his feet began to swirl around him for three zhang...

"Could this be... the Horizontal Sword Technique? Oh no!"

Zhou Wu's face suddenly paled, and an extremely dangerous chill rose up and rushed straight to the top of his head, making him shudder.

That is a living being's intuitive perception of death.

"If my senior brother strikes this sword, I might really die..." Zhou Wu roared inwardly, gripping his sword in front of him, the tip pointing to the sky. His left hand formed a sword incantation and slashed upwards along the sword, the blade tinged with intense flames as he did so.

After he finished accumulating his sword momentum, he looked down and saw that Huang Yu's sword momentum had already been fully gathered and was quietly watching him as if waiting.

At this moment, the two men were surging with power, their sword energy soaring into the sky, the divine swords radiating light and killing intent reaching the heavens. Their auras stirred up the wind and clouds, and the world seemed to be divided into black and white depending on their positions.

They were both staring at each other, and almost at the same time, they both moved.

With a loud bang, the pool of water beneath Huang Yu's feet exploded, and he soared into the sky with his sword, merging with the sword's momentum to transform into a dazzling blue divine light.

As Zhou Wu's divine sword slipped from his hand, the power of his right palm surged, propelling the yellow feather sword in his hand to shoot out, and his entire body merged with the sword's momentum, transforming into a streak of crimson divine light.

boom!
The two seemed to transform into two dazzling shooting stars, rushing towards each other with unwavering determination, one above the other, like two black dragon shadows roaring and howling as they charged toward each other.

Should we try to stop them...? Under the reed canopy, Yu Ding watched this scene with a rather calm expression, but his hands, which were behind his back, were clenched tightly, showing that he was not as calm as he appeared.

He could see that the two of them were now giving it their all, attacking each other with no reservations.

They genuinely wanted to kill each other.

"That's all!"

Watching the two meteors rush forward with unwavering determination, Yu Ding suddenly loosened his fist behind his back. This was the first time the two had used the ultimate sword technique of the Vertical and Horizontal Swordsmanship. Once interrupted, it would inevitably have a great impact on their sword hearts.

Secondly...aren't I a god?

Yu Ding chuckled. What's there to be afraid of if he's beaten to death? He can just bring him back to life.
Even if he can't be saved, he still has a bunch of fellow disciples. Is it so hard to ask for a prescription or elixir to bring them back to life?

is it hard?
Yu Ding raised an eyebrow!
My disciples, fight with all your might, don't hold back!

boom!
At that moment, the two sword lights collided with a deafening roar, and for a split second, the sky seemed to freeze.

Immediately afterwards, as if the sky were collapsing and the earth were splitting, the sky twisted, the wind swirled and the clouds gathered, and terrifying shockwaves spread out. The surrounding space exploded in the face of their overwhelming collision.

The two sword techniques transformed into two dragons, one black and one white, tearing and fighting in the clouds and mist of the sky, bursting out with a dazzling divine light as bright as the sun, making it impossible to look directly at them. In an instant, the Ghost Valley shook and the earth trembled.

The violent energy surged like a tsunami, sweeping across the entire universe and spreading continuously into the distance.

These aren't apprentices, they're clearly two huskies that wreak havoc on the house... Seeing this, Yu Ding's eyes flashed, he lifted a foot and gently placed it down, a ripple spread out and the earth immediately stabilized, and the violent energy was blocked by an invisible barrier.

If he doesn't intervene, his Ghost Valley will be destroyed by these two brats. Don't underestimate the destructive power of two martial artists who have reached the pinnacle of the Transcendent Realm.

Hmph, how vulgar!

After a long while, the battle of the first generation of disciples of the School of Diplomacy finally came to an end, and the world returned to silence.

Yu Ding looked into the pool and saw Huang Yu standing on a rock in the center of the pool, holding a sword, with a look of unbridled joy on his face.

In the pool, Zhou Wu closed his eyes and slowly floated to the surface, lying in the water and drifting with the current.

Yu Ding glanced at the pool and said, "Hey, Yu'er, did you kill Xiao Wu?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wu suddenly opened his eyes, his face darkening as he sat up abruptly from the water, giving Huang Yu a complicated look.

At this moment, the murderous aura that had accumulated on him over the past year had completely dissipated.

Huang Yu looked pleased, a hint of relief in his eyes, and said, "Master, I must say, Xiao Wu has indeed made great progress."

Seeing him again today, I can see that this junior brother has undergone a transformation.

His master's guidance was certainly important in enabling him to make such progress and growth in just one year, but he knew that what was even more important was the spirit of hard work that his master had passed down to him.

This time, he truly admired the kid.

In the final clash just now, if Zhou Wu's swordsmanship hadn't been still not fully mastered, he wouldn't have been defeated so quickly.

Zhou Wu scoffed, "You still can't beat me, can you?!"

"You are now far better than I was this time last year."

Huang Yu gave him a deep look. Upon hearing this, Zhou Wu, who had been looking unconvinced, was startled and looked at Huang Yu in surprise before falling into thought.

"Master leads you through the door, but cultivation depends on the individual. I am merely a guide on your path forward; you must walk the rest of the way on your own. From now on, you can cultivate on your own every day."

Yu Ding turned his back to the two and said, "You must come here for an hour every night. I will teach you some astronomy, geography, divination, military strategy and tactics... which may come in handy in the future."

The martial arts instruction is almost complete; now it's time to teach some academic subjects, and try to give them more time to spend together.

Then we can hurry, oops, I mean, we can send them down the mountain.

"Yes!" The two men clasped their hands in a salute.

"Chi chi chi chi!"

"Moo!"

A five-colored divine ox, sensing that the commotion had subsided, dared to approach from afar. Under one of its ox legs stood a pheasant with colorful feathers.

During these days, the cow and the chicken got along very well in the valley.

Upon seeing Zhou Wu, the pheasant excitedly ran over.

"Hmm...you are...Little Black Chicken? You're still alive? But how did you grow into a wild chicken?"

Zhou Wu was slightly taken aback: "I thought that while I was away, your senior brother would kill you and eat your flesh to replenish your body."

Huang Yu, who was walking away with the Five-Colored Divine Ox not far away, suddenly stopped. The divine ox turned around and glared at him resentfully.

"Let's go!" Huang Yu paused for a moment, then continued away with the divine ox without turning back.

The pheasant was furious upon hearing this, and it pecked Zhou Wu's trouser leg several times, then started gesturing with its feet and wings.

"You mean... when I wasn't around, your senior brother fed you?"

After understanding, Zhou Wu paused for a moment, looked up in the direction Huang Yu had left, and fell silent.

"Xiao Wu!" Yu Ding spoke up at this moment.

Zhou Wu hurriedly looked over: "Master?!"

Yu Ding glanced at him and asked, "How did you tame this bird?"

“Master, I didn’t subdue it. I found an egg when I was passing through a mountain on my trip.”

Zhou Wu helplessly spread his hands: "I was planning to roast and eat it, but a little black chicken popped out and wouldn't leave. I couldn't shake it off, and it ate a lot of my dry food. It's so annoying!"

Still... so annoying?

When Yu Ding heard Zhou Wu's last words, he almost couldn't help but jump up and give the kid a good whack.

You're complaining about opportunities that others would kill for?

“It’s neither a black-boned chicken nor a pheasant,” Yu Ding said.

Zhou Wu was taken aback: "Then what is it?"

"Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed, but what I can tell you is that it will be a great help to you in the future."

Yu Ding looked at Zhou Wu seriously and said, "It just encountered some problems during the incubation process. You'll understand once its bloodline awakens. So, be good to it."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wu looked at the little pheasant carefully and nodded, saying, "I understand, Master."

Guigu is a valley in the back of the mountain.

There were several hot springs with billowing steam rising from them, and Huang Yu lay in one of the springs with a contented expression.

After a long while, he opened his eyes and recalled the battle just now, remembering Zhou Wu's sword moves and attacks.

"Is that the vertical sword technique created by my master?"

Huang Yu murmured, "Indeed impressive, especially that last move... it's almost like a celestial technique of controlling a sword with qi."

It has to be said that his junior brother's rapid growth and his swordsmanship gave him quite a surprise.

but……

Huang Yu's eyes flashed. In this year, it wasn't just his junior brother who had made progress; he hadn't stopped for a moment either.

He went from falling from the half-step Divine Realm to truly entering it within a year. In the past, it would have taken at least three years, but this time he did it in just one year. His strength increased far faster than he had in the previous few years.

Although he had a rival before, the other party, out of consideration for him, his status, and their friendship, had never shown him this kind of relentless drive.

The ruthlessness with which this junior brother fights still gives him a headache, but he no longer hates that junior brother.

Really!

When they met, he really wanted to kill that kid.

But now, besides the fact that he had already unleashed all his pent-up killing intent on that kid in the previous battle, there was another reason why he didn't want to kill him: he had realized something.

That is, if it weren't for that kid's existence, his progress would never have been so rapid.

Suddenly a gentle breeze brushed past him.

Zhou Wu said, "Senior brother! This is so pleasant!"

Huang Yu calmly said, "Why don't you give it a try too?"

"Hmph, only bored people would..."

Zhou Wu glanced at the hot spring, and after a moment, he lay down in another hot spring separated by a half-block of stone wall, closed his eyes, and let out a comfortable sigh.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, and they fell into a long silence.

"Thanks!" Zhou Wu suddenly said.

Huang Yu: "Hmm?"

"Thank you for taking care of the little wild chicken while I was away."

Zhou Wu leaned back and said, "Thank you too. Having you as a worthy opponent would have made my progress much faster."

Huang Yu said softly, "Me too!"

"To be honest, you are a formidable opponent. It's unfortunate to be your junior."

Zhou Wu sighed from the bottom of his heart: "Even after this battle, I still don't have the confidence to truly understand how strong you really are."

Huang Yu smiled slightly and said, "Not much, not much. I'm only a tiny bit stronger than you."

"Humph!"

Zhou Wu gave a soft hum, and the two fell silent again.

After a long silence, Zhou Wu suddenly whispered, "Tell me, why did Master make us fellow disciples, and then give us the fate that only one of us could survive?"

During the special training, the physical and mental pain he experienced every day transformed into hatred and murderous intent towards his senior brother.

Be one minute stronger every day.

But now he no longer wants to kill his senior brother.

This senior brother was already stronger than him, and even after he returned from such hellish training, he was still stronger than him. Moreover, he had heard from his master about how hard this senior brother trained...

He suddenly felt a sense of admiration for this senior.

Despite his hard work and dedication, he still couldn't surpass his senior, so he truly felt that his senior was an extraordinary person.

Perhaps this isn't just the fate our master gave us... Huang Yu looked up with a complicated expression: "Yes, this is... why is that?"

His voice was soft.

It's like asking a question in return, or perhaps asking oneself.

(End of this chapter)