Minglong

Chapter 197 Youthful Impetuosity!

The mighty river flows eastward, and the autumn wind sweeps across the fields where thousands have gathered. In the open space at the center, a young man in white robes stands with a sword in hand, full of youthful vigor.

The aging swordsman, sword in hand, departed dejectedly. Before leaving, he glanced back at the Dragon Offering Platform and the bustling crowd, his eyes filled with a myriad of thoughts, but all of them boiled down to one sentence:
My journey in the martial arts world ends here.

Whether it's the path of cultivation or the road of the martial world, the grandeur and the cruelty are both real.

The rise of a newcomer is always accompanied by the quiet departure of an old one.

Such things happen many times today. The so-called gathering of heroes is nothing more than a replacement of the old with the new.

Wei Wuyi stood on the Dragon Offering Platform, gazing at the figure in white in the arena, and also recalled his youth.

He was standing in the middle of the field at the time, and he couldn't remember who his opponent was, but the person standing in his position was Ye Sheng.

However, this young man in the arena may very well catch up with him in the future, but whether he can catch up with Ye Sheng is hard to say.

After a brief moment of noise, Wei Wuyi spoke gently:
"Young friend Xie's achievements the other day were by no means accidental. His martial arts skills have put a lot of pressure on us older generation."

This wasn't about skill level, but rather potential. Duan Yuechou and the others, seated at the table, could roughly deduce Xie Jinhuan's potential simply by watching him make a move.

Xie Jinhuan is definitely a person with great opportunities, but no one who can climb to the top in the path of cultivation has bad opportunities. To truly stand out from the crowd, talent, comprehension, perseverance, and courage are all indispensable. Xie Jinhuan seems to have all of these at the moment. As long as he continues to move forward without any surprises, he may very well be able to sit in their position in the future.

After Xie Jinhuan waited for his opponent to leave the arena, he bowed respectfully to the Dragon Offering Platform and his surroundings, but did not leave. Instead, he surveyed the various martial arts sects:

"According to past practice, martial artists would take turns to fight in pairs until no one else would respond. The first round would end, and the winners would begin the second round, until only one person remained."

"However, this is too easy. On the stage, we can observe the opponent's style and foundation, but in actual combat, we don't have the opportunity to figure out the moves."

"According to records, when the Martial Ancestor fought in the arena, it was a fight to the very end. The winner did not leave the stage until they were exhausted or defeated. In the end, they were ranked according to the number of consecutive wins, and the top three competed for the top spot..."

"Oh……"

These words immediately drew gasps of surprise from the surrounding crowd.

The expressions of many participants who were initially eager to try changed.

Fighting to the end and a normal tournament are not on the same level of difficulty.

In a normal tournament, you only don't know the opponent's strength in the first match. In subsequent matches, since you've already shown your skills, you have a general idea of ​​who you're going to face and you also have enough time to rest.

The final battle is a series of rounds. The winner, except for the first round, will have their strategy revealed in the subsequent rounds, but will know nothing about the challenger's background. The fight will rely entirely on on-the-spot reactions, and the winner will accumulate injuries and continuously deplete their stamina, with no room for rest and recovery.

This is an endless, grueling battle. We must hold on until we are exhausted, defeated, and have no one left to fight us. The further we go, the more deadly it becomes. Just thinking about it is suffocating.

But this approach is indeed the closest to real combat—don't have any illusions about your situation or fairness. A true warrior, even in dire straits, should stand firm and do everything possible to find a chance of victory, either fighting to the death or fighting to win.

Moreover, this method of playing yields the highest reputation, and the top three are truly tested and proven, with no room for doubt or skepticism.

At the confluence of three rivers, where tens of thousands of people had gathered, there was much discussion but no loud clamor. The participants were all somewhat hesitant, after all, this method was indeed very difficult.

Wei Wuyi, as the number one martial artist, preferred this kind of competition that tested the limits of martial artists. He was eager for a good show and scanned the assembled heroes:

"What do you think?"

Xie Jinhuan stood with his sword drawn, and seeing no one respond, he began to provoke them:
"If you all let me watch the match in advance to find out the details and give me an hour or two to prepare, not only will you have no chance of winning, but you will also lose badly. If no one is going to play, I will really step in."

The martial arts factions present were in an uproar upon hearing this.

The onlookers, mostly江湖江湖者 (jianghu zhěngjiān zhěng), were all filled with awe and wonder.

"What do you mean by youthful arrogance? This is way too overbearing..."

"That's how a martial artist should be. Without the ambition to be invincible, how can one become the best in the world..."

"If none of the factions present dare to accept the challenge, then there's no point in competing..."

……

Nangong Ye and even Bu Yuehua, who was hiding in the crowd, felt that Xie Jinhuan was indeed young and impetuous.

In reality, Xie Jinhuan had already been quite restrained in his speech.

The only opponents he fears are those who can overpower him with sheer force, leaving him helpless.

As for the rest, even without giving them a time or two to analyze their strategy, they could still win.

The reason for this suggestion is simply that I don't want to waste several days waiting here for the match schedule.

If he can win all the battles in this way, he can simply take the treasure and leave.

If he encounters someone he can't defeat even after giving it his all, then he can't beat them in a normal tournament either. That way, he can at least get a good reputation as one of the top three, and he can finish the tournament sooner and go back to his cave...

After Xie Jinhuan finished speaking, he glanced around and, seeing that no one was showing their face, he stopped insisting and turned to leave the stage.

However, the martial artists present were all somewhat arrogant, and after Xie Jinhuan finished making his threats, they left. Even if they ultimately won the championship, they would be talked about for the rest of their lives by people in the martial arts world, who would say they lacked courage.

Just as Xie Jinhuan was about to leave, a voice came from near the Dragon Offering Platform:
“Brother Xie, you truly have great courage. Since the goal is ‘no second place in martial arts,’ ninety-nine percent of those present will be defeated halfway through; it’s just a matter of sooner or later. Since Brother Xie wants to fight to the end, I, Zhang, will step in while you are unharmed, so that everyone present won’t say that I’ve taken too much advantage later.” Xie Jinhuan turned around and saw a man in his late thirties from the Six Harmonies Hall’s seats stepping out. He was dressed in martial arts attire and carrying a long spear; he was Zhang Jian, the young master of the Six Harmonies Sect.

The Six Harmonies Hall is the dominant force in Shuozhou, extending into Lingnan and bordering the Western Rong in the west. Its location is quite advantageous, and many of its disciples join the military. It has considerable influence in the southwest, and its sphere of influence overlaps with that of the Fengshan Society.

Originally, Liuhetang's purpose in coming here was to compete with their old rival, Fengshan Society. Zhang Jian was also a favorite to win the championship, but his early emergence at this time clearly shows that he is a young and ambitious person.

Seeing that the other party was holding a long spear, Xie Jinhuan pulled the Minglong Spear from the ground and bowed respectfully.
“I thought there were no more men of the younger generation in our Great Qian Dynasty, but Brother Zhang is one of them.”

"Huh—!"

Xie Jinhuan said he wasn't afraid, but the onlookers were terrified.

Nangong Ye's eyes widened. He felt that this boy's demeanor was somewhat similar to the way he did all sorts of evil deeds in his boudoir. It made him both angry and helpless, and he could only grit his teeth and endure the humiliation.

Many of the sect leaders and their disciples were furious upon hearing this, but since Zhang Jian had already entered the arena, no matter how angry they were, they had to wait until the fight was over before going up to demand an explanation.

Zhang Jian, dressed in a brocade robe and carrying a nine-foot spear, walked into the arena. Hearing Xie Jinhuan's mocking remark, he felt that coming up was the right decision; otherwise, sitting in the audience, he would have been so angry that he would have vomited blood on the spot. He immediately returned the salute with cupped hands.
“Zhang Jian of Liuhetang. Our Liuhetang unites hearts, spirits, and courage internally, and hands, feet, and eyes externally. Our offense and defense can change in an instant. Brother Xie, be careful.”

"Nice to meet you."

Xie Jinhuan didn't say much. He raised the spear with one hand and trembled slightly. The nine-foot spearhead made a loud "crack" sound. Then he slid his feet apart into a bow stance, held the spear with both hands pointing forward, and instantly became one with the spear, turning into an immovable rock.

Zhang Jian actually thought that Xie Jinhuan's spear technique, while impressive, was a bit flashy and unskilled at flirting with girls, but completely meaningless in actual combat.

However, if Neng Jun is a bit more handsome, no one will shrink back. Zhang Jian held his spear with both hands and assumed a fighting stance. His shoulder and back muscles slowly tightened, and from a distance, he looked like a fully drawn bow. Although the arrow was on the string, its sharpness was enough to make those who faced him tremble with fear.

Call ~
As the two men assumed their stances, the surrounding crowd of thousands fell silent, leaving only the autumn wind whipping up sand and blowing across the yellow earth between them.

Zhang Jian is not a second-tier martial artist like Bao Xiaolin, but the direct descendant of the seven leaders of martial arts. His foundation in Sanjiangkou may not be the best, but it is definitely in the top ten. Before this battle even started, everyone knew that it would be a fierce battle.

And the facts did not disappoint the onlookers or even the seven martial arts heroes present.

Step, step...

Zhang Jian launched the first attack, but instead of unleashing his spear skills, he advanced cautiously, locking his gaze into Xie Jinhuan's eyes and closing the distance inch by inch.

Xie Jinhuan stood with his gun in hand, feeling that the person in front of him was the strongest opponent he had ever seen besides the Superb Monk, whose aura was so steady that there was not a single flaw.

It felt like a heavy chariot slowly rolling over, so powerful that even though you could see it clearly, you couldn't budge it.

Huhuhu~
Xie Jinhuan stared back into the other's eyes, his gun flashing in front of him, the 1.5-foot-long blade swaying like a snake, its edge cutting through the air with a soft hum, sounding like a dragon or python poised to pounce.

Step, step...

Zhang Jian was focused intently on capturing every subtle sign from Xie Jinhuan, trying to react in time when he launched an attack. His advance was aimed at forcing Xie Jinhuan to make a move.

If a warrior remains stationary and adopts a defensive stance, he will find no opening. However, once he starts fighting, he must make a choice between offense and defense. The more aggressive he is, the less room he has to defend; if he defends too much, he will inevitably lose his power.

Zhang Jian had been waiting for this moment, but even though he had anticipated it, Xie Jinhuan's outburst still exceeded everyone's expectations!

Just as the two were locked in a fierce confrontation, a terrifying gunshot suddenly rang out at the confluence of the three rivers:

Sa——

The gunshots rang out, startling the clouds and the sky, like the roar of a dragon and the howl of a tiger, even scattering the wild geese flying south in autumn.

Xie Jinhuan seemed to be steadily waiting for an opportunity, but when his opponent had no flaws, he suddenly struck out without warning, with the force of a powerful dragon breaking through the sea. The moment he started, his energy had already been pushed to its limit.

The force of the spear piercing the air stirred up grass and dust on the ground, and before anyone could see it clearly, the spear had already pierced straight through the center gate!
Among spear techniques, the straight thrust is the most difficult to parry. There are no fancy moves; it brings out the weapon's advantages to the extreme. As long as you have a solid foundation, you can overcome any obstacle in the world. The spear's natural penetrating power is enough to pierce through any obstacle in front of you.

Zhang Jian's expression suddenly changed, but facing the black dragon crashing into the pillar with its explosive power pushed to the limit in an instant, he still managed to react thanks to his superior cultivation. The moment the Roaring Dragon Spear came, he clenched his spear with both hands!
clang--

The spearhead struck the shaft of the Dragon-Slaying Spear. The movement seemed small, but it caused the dragon, which was tearing through the wilderness, to deflect to the side. Then, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, the spear tip aimed straight for the attacker's throat.

When top martial artists clash, victory or defeat hinges on the slightest difference.

Xie Jinhuan knew it was impossible to drown Zhang Jian in one move with superhuman explosive power, so he didn't use up all his strength. As his spear deflected, he forcibly withdrew his strength, pulled the spear up to parry the horizontal thrust, and then thrust the spear to the waist and abdomen.

Sa——

Zhang Jian instantly pulled back three zhang, dodging the thunderbolt's attack. He landed with his feet spread apart, holding his spear at the ready, making his defenses impenetrable. His demeanor was as steady as a rock, but a bead of cold sweat rolled down his temple.

Xie Jinhuan also stopped in place, holding the gun in both hands in a posture that combined offense and defense. His eyes were as still as a dead lake, and his mind was free of any external thoughts.

Rumble…

The burst of energy and the resulting dust swept between the two men, but were kept at bay by an invisible gust of wind, making them look like two rocks in a storm from a distance.

The onlookers were almost breathless; even with all their eyesight, they couldn't see how the two exchanged moves.

Only opponents of equal skill or even higher-level masters could see how dangerous these two moves were. Zhang Jian was pulling chestnuts out of the fire, while Xie Jinhuan was walking on a mountain of knives. The movements seemed small, but if the reaction was even slightly off, one of them would die.

The two were locked in a standoff once again, but this time it only lasted for a moment!
(End of this chapter)