Martial Arts: After ten years of sword-drawing, the Sword God must bow his head when he sees me

Chapter 209: The Opening Act
His words showed no regard for Gongzi Yu and the others in front of him.

As a master at the ninth level of the Celestial Realm, Zhu Jinqian certainly had the qualifications.

However, Gongzi Yu chuckled lightly at Zhu Jinqian's words, his tone slightly disdainful, and said, "Thirty years ago, if your imperial court hadn't secretly allied with Shenjian Villa, Cihang Jingzhai, and dozens of other forces, would you guys have thought you could deal with my Azure Dragon Society?"

"Others may not know, but I clearly saw how Your Highness groveled before my master, begging him to spare your life."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jinqian's expression changed.

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Jinqian stared intently at Gongzi Yu as if he had just realized something.

"Are you that little kid from Qinglong Lake back then?"

Gongzi Yu said in a deep voice, "That's right!"

As he spoke, Gongzi Yu placed his hand on his waist, gently pressed his right hand on the jade buckle at his waist, and then slowly pinched the jade buckle, from which he actually drew a precious sword.

The longsword was held diagonally to the ground. Under the moonlight, the supple blade trembled like a reflective mirror, gleaming with a cold light.

"Back then, you were injured by my master, and you knelt down like a dead dog, begging for your life. You even brought up your royal status. Then, when my master softened his heart, you suddenly attacked him with poisoned Rain of Pear Blossom Needles. Tell me, after you die, what will people in the martial arts world think when they learn that the once-famous King Zhen was actually such a two-faced scoundrel who fawned over people to their face and stabbed them in the back?"

"What face do you, descendants of the Zhenguo King's Mansion, have to face the world's gaze?"

As he listened to Gongzi Yu's words, Zhu Jinqian's face turned ashen.

For someone like Zhu Jinqian, all he has ever sought in his life is a higher level of martial arts and his own reputation.

What happened in the Green Dragon Society was undoubtedly the stain and humiliation that Zhu Jinqian most wanted to wash away in his life.

But at this moment, this humiliation that Zhu Jinqian had kept buried in his heart for decades was brought up again in front of so many people, and Zhu Jinqian's reaction was predictable.

When Zhu Jinqian looked at Gongzi Yu, he practically spat out a few words through gritted teeth.

"you wanna die!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Jinqian's internal energy surged wildly, preparing to kill Gongzi Yu.

Moreover, at this moment, in Zhu Jinqian's heart, not a single member of the Azure Dragon Society who heard these words today could be spared.

However, just as Zhu Jinqian was about to make a move, an old man wearing a bronze mask and linen clothes, who was also standing next to Gongzi Yu, suddenly stepped forward.

As the foot landed on the ground, true energy, mixed with a chilling yet sharp aura, exploded like an autumn wind.

On the other hand, Zhu Jinqian instantly felt his aura being locked, and a chill ran down his spine.

"Ninth level of the Celestial Realm?"

Sensing the fluctuations of true energy emanating from the old man, Zhu Jinqian's expression changed. His anger quickly subsided, and he turned to look at the old man beside Gongzi Yu with utmost seriousness.

Not only Zhu Jinqian, but the other seven Celestial Realm retainers of the court also sensed something amiss. Their gazes turned to the old man, their expressions no longer as calm as before.

Taking in the reactions of Zhu Jinqian and the others, Gongzi Yu sneered inwardly.

He then turned his head to look at Dugu Qiubai, who was wearing a mask.

"I'll leave this man to you, senior. If possible, please cripple his limbs, and I'll take care of the final blow."

In response to Gongzi Yu's words, Dugu Qiubai asked, "Is just this one enough? Do you need me to help you take care of a few more?"

A casual remark, yet it reveals absolute confidence.

Even if among the people he was facing at that moment were martial artists at the ninth level of the Celestial Realm, just like him.

Gongzi Yu shook his head and said, "One person is enough. Besides, I have a backup plan. If any problems arise, my friend will not stand idly by."

Upon hearing these words, Zhang San Niang and Yao Yue all immediately looked at Shen Ping An.

Shen Ping'an chuckled at this, but did not utter a rebuttal.

In front of the Imperial Garden, Dugu Qiubai glanced at Shen Ping'an and his group out of the corner of his eye and nodded, saying, "Indeed, with that young friend here, these people are no match for him."

Immediately afterward, Dugu Qiubai shook his head and said, "I don't know what you were thinking. If that young friend were willing to take action, these guys would be nothing at all. But you insisted on bringing this old man here." Gongzi Yu's voice under the mask sounded slightly helpless as he said, "This junior did not know that his strength would reach a level that would make even a senior feel inferior. It was indeed a junior's oversight."

Upon hearing this, Dugu Qiubai said no more and looked up at Zhu Jinqian opposite him.

The moment his gaze fell upon Zhu Jinqian, Dugu Qiubai's previous amiable, neighborly demeanor vanished without a trace.

His whole being was like a sword that had been cleansed of its superficiality, its divine light concealed.

This sudden change in atmosphere made Zhu Jinqian's expression even more serious.

He couldn't help but wonder about Dugu Qiubai's identity.

However, before Zhu Jinqian could think further, Dugu Qiubai took another step forward.

This step gave people the illusion of a sharp sword being drawn from its sheath.

Zhu Jinqian felt as if the old man in front of him had instantly transformed into a sharp sword that appeared right in front of him.

In an instant, alarm bells rang in Zhu Jinqian's mind. Without thinking, he mobilized his internal energy and threw a punch at Dugu Qiubai in front of him.

As Zhu Jinqian's fist slammed out, the gathering power of heaven and earth merged into it, causing the wind from his fist to tear through the air with a muffled sound like a cowhide war drum. When the calluses protruding from his knuckles grazed Dugu Qiubai's ear, they tore three bright white cracks in the night sky.

Facing Zhu Jinqian's punch, Dugu Qiubai put his left hand behind his back and pointed his right hand with his fingers together as if it were a sword pointing into the air. It seemed like a casual movement, but dozens of sword energies intertwined and gathered half a foot in front of Dugu Qiubai's finger, shattering the fist wind and fist force contained in Zhu Jinqian's punch, and then his finger continued to point towards Zhu Jinqian.

This finger is like the first ray of sunlight breaking through the dawn, dazzling and bright.

Before the finger even reached the target, the sword's power was already subtly contained within. The gust of wind it generated even made Zhu Jinqian feel a stinging pain in his cheek, causing his heart to tighten.

Then, his move changed so quickly it was like the sound of battle drums, and the pebbles kicked up by his stomping heels flew towards Dugu Qiubai like stones carrying a thousand pounds of force.

Seeing this, Dugu Qiubai's expression remained unchanged behind his mask, but the sword finger pointing at Zhu Jinqian trembled slightly, and layers of sword shadows sprouted up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, slashing down the flying stone that was flying towards him.

Taking advantage of this opening, Zhu Jinqian let out a low roar and his left fist, carrying the force of splitting mountains and cutting off rivers, slammed towards his opponent's throat.

The crimson true energy stained Zhu Jinqian's fist as if it had just been soaked in blood.

As the fist, carrying a chilling killing intent, tore through the air, it seemed as if the roar of a tiger echoed back.

When those martial artists at the Heavenly Gang Realm heard these tiger roars, they all felt their blood and qi tremble violently.

Sword energy exploded from Dugu Qiubai's throat bone, and the fine, needle-like qi shredded the tiger's head into iron-sand-like fragments.

When Zhu Jinqian's boots stomped on the ground, they created a crater half a meter deep, and his body shot out like a cannonball.

His charge left a trail of bloody afterimages. The muscles in his right arm suddenly swelled, tearing his python robe. The true energy on the surface of his fist bones mixed with the power of heaven and earth, making his fist seem to be shrouded in a layer of blood mist.

Facing Zhu Jinqian's offensive, Dugu Qiubai met it with a straight line. The moment his fingertips touched the iron fist, the white marble floor tiles where the two stood turned into dust. The aftershocks of the impact even caused the hems of Gongzi Yu and the others in the distance to flutter.

In just a few breaths, the two had already exchanged dozens of blows.

It must be said that the two of them truly lived up to their cultivation level of the ninth level of the Celestial Realm.

Their mastery of the power of heaven and earth has reached a high level.

Each move can continuously draw upon the power of heaven and earth to gather within oneself, enhancing the power of the move.

However, although both are martial artists at the ninth level of the Celestial Realm, how can Zhu Jinqian be compared with the Sword Demon Dugu Qiubai, who is comparable to Zhang Sanfeng without being inferior in the slightest?
Although the fight appeared to be evenly matched, it was clear from Dugu Qiubai's continued use of one hand behind his back that he was not using his full strength at this moment.

Seeing this, Gongzi Yu chuckled inwardly.

He then looked up at the other Celestial Realm elders of the imperial court in the distance and slowly said, "Make your move!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Gongzi Yu had already rushed out, heading towards one of the Heavenly Realm retainers of the imperial court.

Seeing this, Shen Ping'an, on the rooftop in the distance, also became quite interested in the opening act.

(End of this chapter)