Arhats Subduing Demons: Starting with The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber

The speed was so fast that many people didn't even see clearly before Wang Jiaju fell from the building.

Everyone around was astonished, but Yun Changkong saw it clearly: when Wang Jiaju grabbed the other man's shoulder, the middle-aged man simply lowered his shoulder and leaned to the side, sending him flying.

He didn't actually make a move; his movements were subtle, and this "using someone else's force against them" technique was something ordinary people couldn't understand.

But in any case, everyone knew that this pale, thin, and unattractive man was up to no good.

As everyone was pondering this, Wang Zhongqiang, seeing his son suffer this loss, suddenly jumped up, rolled up his sleeves, and was about to leap out.

Wang Yuanba reached out to stop them, thinking to himself, "This person's martial arts are indeed superb, but he dares to cause trouble here, which clearly shows that he is fearless. Besides, they have made it clear that they want to ask Yun Changkong for alms, so why should we stick our necks out!"

Wang Yuanba was a cautious man. He knew that this grandson's martial arts skills were mediocre and that he was arrogant and domineering. However, he was still young, so letting him suffer a little loss would bring him many benefits in the future. This would not damage the reputation of the Golden Saber Sect.

But his son has long been famous in the martial arts world. If he were also thrown off the building by this unknown person, the Golden Saber Sect would lose all face.

Everyone had their own thoughts, and then they heard Wang Jiaju exclaim in surprise, as he flew upstairs again, heading straight for the roof.

Then a loud laugh was heard. The man who had been thrown down the building by Wang Jiaju earlier was as nimble as a bird and followed up. He touched the railing with one foot, did a light somersault, and suddenly reached out and grabbed Wang Jiaju, who was in mid-air.

He spun in mid-air, floating like a kite, and landed to the right of the old man who had come with him. His movements were nimble, and when he landed, he was holding Wang Jiaju in his hand. His whole body exuded a dignified aura.

Regardless of their knowledge or experience, everyone abandoned their contempt and secretly wondered, "This person is sallow and thin, yet he possesses such lightness skill and such an imposing presence? Who is he?"

The man grinned at Wang Jiaju and said, "If I hadn't averted a bloody disaster for you, would you have believed me?"

Wang Jiaju was so frightened that his face turned pale. After this incident, he knew that he had encountered a master. Seeing that everyone around him was looking at him, he couldn't bear to lose face, so he turned around and went downstairs.

The upstairs fell silent, and everyone looked at Yun Changkong, knowing that these three people must have a reason for asking him for alms.

Yun Changkong cupped his hands to the old man and said, "If you don't mind, please come and sit with us."

The old man rolled his eyes and said, "You are Yun Changkong, who has recently become quite famous in the martial arts world?"

Yun Changkong replied, "That is indeed me!"

The old man nodded and said, "You flatter me. I'm just a poor man and I would never look down on anyone. But although I disdain poverty, I will not accept charity."

He pointed to the words on the banner and said, "This old man is poor and destitute, but he has some skills in divination. I wonder if this young master could let me tell your fortune for this trip, so that I can earn some money for tea and meals."

Yun Changkong smiled and said, "Alright, then please have the old man do the calculation."

The old man nodded and smiled, saying, "Let me make it clear from the beginning, my divination is expensive, ten taels of silver per line. What do you think, young master?"

Everyone thought to themselves, "Good heavens, they're robbing us! Even the biggest fortune-telling shops in the world only charge a few coins, and that depends on whether they're accurate or not. There's no such thing as charging by weight or by phrase. They're clearly here to cause trouble for Yun Changkong."

Yun Changkong smiled slightly and said, "Very well, to be able to have your divination done is probably priceless. Ten taels for a single sentence is a very good deal. I am all ears."

The old man slowly said, "The powerful and wealthy rise like dragons, and heroes fight like tigers, like flies swarming in carrion, like ants fighting for blood!"

Yun Changkong frowned slightly and said, "I don't understand!"

The old man raised his long eyebrows, his eyes gleaming brightly, and said, "Why did you cause such a great uproar in the martial arts world because of a woman? It only resulted in bloodshed in the martial arts world, and you still don't realize it!"

Yun Changkong smiled faintly and said, "So you are a benevolent and righteous hero. Then your words are more appropriate for the Qingcheng Sect that destroyed the Fuwei Escort Agency, the Songshan Sect that wants to unify the Five Sacred Mountains, and the Demonic Sect that wants to unify the Jianghu for thousands of years! I, Yun Changkong, have only killed a few people. It's just a drop in the ocean, nothing big."

Upon hearing this, the long-bearded man to the old man's right said, "You're so stubborn, isn't it all because of your meager martial arts skills? Come on, let's have a match!"

Yun Changkong laughed and said, "Swords have no eyes, why do you gentlemen have to argue with me about who is better than whom?"

The two men looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Yun Changkong said, "Is it that funny?"

The handsome man on the left said, "Young man, we only said a few words to you because you are young and kind-hearted, but you are ungrateful and dare to lecture us?"

The man on the right said, "You're young, so we won't bully you. We'll just compare moves, not internal strength. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.

The reason is that since Yun Changkong's debut, his martial arts skills have been described in various ways. Some say his fist and footwork are superb, and while his swordsmanship is first-rate, it's not as miraculous as some claim, considering he went toe-to-toe with Yu Canghai for two hundred moves. But no one says his internal strength is lacking. These two are shamelessly boasting that they only compare techniques and not internal strength, which is just self-aggrandizement.

Yun Changkong naturally did not respond. Wang Yuanba, who was standing next to him, stroked his beard and said, "Tell me, how many people in the martial arts world today are worthy of fighting with Master Yun? If everyone says they want to learn from him, then he won't have to do anything."

He also wanted to know who these two people were, since they were so disrespectful to his Golden Saber Sect.

"Yeah yeah!"

"Show us your skills first, and let us see if you're worthy to fight against Young Master Yun!"

The long-bearded man laughed and said, "Boy, you're afraid of gaining a false reputation and being utterly defeated, aren't you? Hahaha, fine, let me show you! Who wants to borrow my sword!"

"Here you go!" Someone flicked their wrist, and a long sword flew out of its sheath and towards the man.

The long-bearded man took the long sword and thrust it here and there at the banquet. After only three or four moves, he suddenly scratched his head and pondered, and then made a few more moves.

When everyone saw that his sword strikes were slow, completely disorganized, and extremely clumsy, and that he seemed to have forgotten his moves and was even thinking about them, they all burst into laughter.

"This is also swordsmanship!"

"Are you trying to make someone laugh to death?"

The handsome young man scoffed, "What's so funny!" He took the longsword and, with a series of swift strokes, unleashed six powerful strikes.

He moved extremely fast, but his movements were incredibly awkward, like a madman fighting, which only made people laugh more.

Lan Fenghuang found it amusing. She glanced back at Yun Changkong and saw him lost in thought, so she said, "Brother, when did you offend these people? It's really strange that they would try to make things difficult for you with such swordsmanship."

Yun Changkong said calmly, "That's not surprising. What they used was a superior sword technique that contained both power and energy."

Lan Fenghuang was taken aback, then laughed and said, "Superior swordsmanship? I can't see it!"

Yun Changkong said, "Observe their footwork carefully, don't just look at their swordsmanship."

Blue Phoenix chuckled and said, "I don't understand."

Yun Changkong was taken aback, then realized that their steps contained the innate principles of Yin and Yang, water and fire, which Lan Fenghuang did not understand.

But then the old man said, "This little boy is truly remarkable; he definitely comes from a family with a strong scholarly tradition!"

Yun Changkong spoke to Lan Fenghuang in a low voice, but Lan Fenghuang overheard him, which showed that Yun Changkong's internal strength was extremely high. He said with a sigh, "I never thought I would see the Wudang sword technique again. The world is vast and I am overwhelmed with sorrow!" He then picked up a cup of wine and drank it all in one gulp.

He first encountered the "Two Elements Sword Technique" on Mount Wudang, a technique from the Kunlun School, with Zhao Min by his side. Now, it felt like a lifetime ago.

Everyone was shocked upon hearing this. The Wudang Sect was the second largest sect in the martial arts world, second only to the Shaolin Temple in prestige. These people must be masters from the Wudang Sect.

These two were Qingxu and Chenggao from the Wudang Sect. They were wielding the Wudang Yin-Yang Sword Technique and were practicing their swordsmanship when Yun Changkong saw through their technique. Startled, Yun Changkong stopped his attack.

Cheng Gao said in a deep voice, "Since you can see through our swordsmanship, your knowledge is indeed remarkable. But I wonder about your swordsmanship. Why don't you come down and teach me?"

Yun Changkong said, "My meager skills are hardly worthy of the attention of Wudang masters. However, since you two possess superb martial arts and exquisite swordsmanship, why not use them to slay demons and eliminate evil spirits, so that wicked people dare not run rampant in the martial world? Why do you have to compete with me to see who is better?"

Yun Changkong's feelings toward the Wudang Sect are quite complex.

He was naturally grateful to Zhang Songxi for his past help, but he actually looked down on the Wudang Sect's way of doing things. They always gave him a feeling of hypocrisy.

Especially the Wudang Sect in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. In the original story, Chongxu Daoist first stopped Linghu Chong from falling in love with Ren Yingying, making them work to eliminate Zuo Lengchan. Later, he used their love to plant explosives, claiming it was for the sake of peace in the martial arts world.

I won't do a single bit of manual labor, but I'll always uphold the code of honor. And now they're just playing tricks on me; Yun Changkong really doesn't want to bother with them.

But Cheng shouted, "You audacious brat, you're still lecturing us? I'll show you what you're capable of!" He thrust his longsword forward, his body flashing like lightning, and stabbed at Yun Changkong with a crooked, zigzagging sword.

Yun Changkong remained seated, watching the sword approach. He picked up his wine cup and caught a glimpse of the sword's flash, which enveloped nine vital points on his upper body. He thought to himself, "The swordsmanship is not bad!" He quickly extended his left hand and pointed out with one finger.

After circling the high ground once, the sword thrust out again in the same direction. This strike was even faster than the previous one, and those a little further away felt a chilling aura emanating from it.

Yun Changkong flicked his finger again, and Cheng Gao changed his move once more.

Everyone was extremely puzzled, because Yun Changkong's flicks always landed on empty air, yet each time he flicked his finger, he changed the sword stance.

When Yun Changkong fired the eighth shot, Cheng Gao began to retreat, jumping to dodge.
Qingxu snorted and said, "Good swordsmanship!" He then drew a sword from one of the people beside him, unleashing three sword flowers, and slid forward, rapidly thrusting and slashing at Yun Changkong.

Almost simultaneously, Cheng Gao also leaped up and attacked with his sword.

The two swords flashed with cold light, one swift as thunder and lightning, as mad as a whirlwind, the other slow and deliberate, its blade carrying the weight of a thousand pounds.

When the crowd saw the two attacking together, their swords thrusting up and down, Yun Changkong remained unmoved, his right hand holding up a wine pot to pour wine.

He saw one sword strike was gentle and graceful, wrapping around his wrist; the other was fierce and sharp, piercing straight for his heart. The two swords, one defending and the other attacking, formed a perfect balance of yin and yang.

Yun Changkong smiled and said, "Good swordsmanship." Seeing the soft sword coming, he flipped his wrist lightly, his fingers diagonally poked three inches from the spine of the sword, and then slid his fingers under the armpit of the hard sword.

Cheng Gaoqing's figure swayed, and his steps were as light as willow catkins drifting away.

Seeing this, everyone was stunned; they could hardly believe their eyes.

The reason was that they had both seen Yun Changkong's finger pointing at them, even though it was still quite a distance away. There was no wind when he pointed, so it was definitely not an attack using invisible finger force or sword energy. Why were these two so eager to avoid it?

At this point, the assembled heroes all knew that these two Wudang masters possessed profound martial arts skills. So what was the reason for this? Since their martial arts attainments were not high enough, they could not understand it.

The most wonderful aspect of the Two Elements Swordplay lies in the fusion of the sword intent of the two people. One steps on the "Kan" position, moving in the Yin position, and the sword moves are as continuous as water; the other steps on the "Li" position, moving in the Yang position, and the moves are as fierce as fire.

The two swords, one slow and one fast, one soft and one hard, are derived from the Yin and Yang, which differentiate into the Four Symbols, or merge Yin and Yang to evolve into Tai Chi. However, Yun Changkong's every move directly targets the flaws in the Yin-Yang transformation of the Yin-Yang sword technique.

Both of them were highly skilled in martial arts and understood this principle well, which is why they were forced to jump around by Yun Changkong's feint.

Because it transforms the abstract into the concrete, how could Yun Changkong not do it?
Suddenly, they shouted in unison, their sword techniques shifting between hard and soft, yin and yang reversed. One wielded a long sword with wide, powerful strokes, while the other moved swiftly forward and backward, his sword tip sparkling with cold stars.

Yun Changkong couldn't help but exclaim, "Good!" Immediately, his sword intent changed. Instead of engaging in a fight with his opponent, he followed the flow of sword intent, his fingers striking the gaps between the Yin-Yang Sword Technique and the transitions in the hexagrams.

One was exceptionally fierce, yet possessed a gentle strength; the other's moves were graceful and flowing, yet possessed a strong inner strength. The two used their techniques alternately, combining martial and literary skills, and achieving a balance of strength and gentleness, barely managing to block Yun Changkong's lightning-fast finger strikes.

But the two were increasingly alarmed as they fought, their bodies drenched in sweat, their clothes soaked through in an instant. However, they realized that the Two Elements Sword Technique was a unique skill of Wudang, and that it had been broken by someone sitting down, which was a disgrace. They could only struggle to hold on.

The old man had been watching silently, but suddenly coughed and said, "Impressive, impressive! You may all step aside!"

The two men answered in unison, "Yes!"

Yun Changkong withdrew his finger, and the two of them leaped backward at the same time, flying steadily several feet away like two large birds, landing beside the old man.

The assembled heroes could not comprehend the subtleties of their swordsmanship, but this leap, with its great distance and graceful movements, was clearly a superior display of lightness skill, and they all cheered loudly.

The old man said, "Young Master Yun has such a reputation in the martial arts world today, which is indeed due to his amazing skills. If he hadn't shown mercy, you would have had at least a hundred or two hundred holes in your bodies if you had tried to finish this sword technique."

The two men bowed deeply to the ground, and Cheng Gao said, "Only today do we realize that there are heavens beyond heavens and people above people. Your sir's talent is rare in this world. Please forgive our rudeness just now."

Yun Changkong stood up and returned the greeting, saying, "I was just lucky. If the two of you could form a Tai Chi sword circle, I wouldn't be a match for you either!"

Unable to contain his admiration, Cheng Gao quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and bowed, saying, "Young Master Yun, I am foolish. Just now, your sword moves seemed casual, but you precisely targeted the gaps in our exchanges. I am truly convinced of my defeat today. But what kind of sword technique is this?"

Yun Changkong laughed heartily and said loudly, "Your Excellency is mistaken. This is not a sword technique, but simply the principle of 'going with the flow'."

The principles of Yin and Yang are inherently seamless, but humans are not plants or trees. Between your movements, there's inevitably a slight stagnation in your energy flow. I merely followed this stagnation and gently guided it.

He paused, then said, "The Two Elements Sword emphasizes the unity of mind and the connection of sword intent between the two. Your sword techniques are already exquisite. If you can further refine your qi to the point of perfect harmony, without the slightest stagnation, then you will surely be an invincible martial art. If I were to remain so arrogant and sit still, I would surely be in big trouble."

At this point, he poured himself another drink, which caused everyone to burst into laughter.

Upon hearing this, the old man's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he clapped his hands in praise: "Why be so modest, young master? Alas, this sword technique... this sword technique..." His gaze revealed a sense of desolation, and he shook his head repeatedly, saying: "More than fifty years ago, two Taoist priests of the Wudang Sect spent decades of their efforts on this Yin-Yang Sword Technique, and felt that the sword technique contained both Yin and Yang, as well as both hardness and softness. Alas!" He then let out a long sigh.

Although he didn't continue speaking, the implication was clear: "Who knew that he would be so easily defeated by a master swordsman."

Yun Changkong said loudly, "Martial arts practitioners vary in strength. No matter how exquisite the moves are, they are not invincible. Besides, swordsmanship is an inanimate object, while people are alive. Whether the Yin-Yang Sword Technique is vulnerable depends on the individual."

If Master Zhang Sanfeng were still alive today, and he were to perform this Yin-Yang Sword Technique, perhaps no one could break it!

Upon hearing this, the old man nodded and said, "Young Master Yun's words have enlightened this old man!" He handed the flagpole to Cheng Gao, took the long sword from him, held it in his left hand, took a few steps forward, and said calmly, "I have long heard that your martial arts are unparalleled in the world. Today, I have truly broadened my horizons. This old man is overestimating himself, but I would like to ask you to teach me a few more moves!"

Yun Changkong thought to himself, "This old Taoist's attire and rude words clearly indicate that he wants to test me. Fine, since you haven't introduced yourself, I'll pretend I don't know who you are and see how good Zhang Sanfeng's Tai Chi sword is!"

In a flash, his eyes suddenly gleamed, and he stood up with a flick of his sleeve, laughing loudly, "Very well, I have always admired the swordsmanship of the Wudang School, especially the Tai Chi Swordplay, which is the culmination of Master Zhang Sanfeng's martial arts. I would also like to see it for myself!"

This sound, imbued with internal energy, was powerful and resonant, echoing in all directions and audible throughout most of the ancient city of Luoyang.

The old man smiled slightly, slowly turned his body to the right, raised his left hand holding the sword upwards, held the sword horizontally in front of his chest, and held his left and right palms facing each other, as if holding a ball.

Seeing that he had already gathered immense power even before drawing his sword, Yun Changkong, who had only heard of this Tai Chi sword technique but had never seen it before, dared not be presumptuous. He immediately bowed slightly, drew his jade flute, pointed it diagonally upwards, and slowly said, "Please!"

Everyone saw Yun Changkong dressed in a snow-white robe, with handsome features, bright and piercing eyes, holding a jade flute in his hand. He stood there like a graceful jade tree in the wind, with an elegant demeanor.

The old man's clothes were patched all over, and his hair was disheveled, creating a stark contrast with the other person. However, with his sword held to his chest, he instantly exuded an aura of dignified composure, leading everyone to speculate about his connection to the Wudang Sect.

At this moment, several more people came up from the third floor, all holding their breath and focusing their attention on the two people in the room.

However, neither of them made a move for a long time.

The old man smiled slightly and said, "What a wonderful 'Immortal Pointing the Way'! This is the Shaolin Temple's Weituo Subduing Demon Sword!"

Yun Changkong said, "Shaolin and Wudang each have their own era and are equally famous in this world. They are also one family. Let's not hurt each other's feelings!"

The old man laughed and said, "Good lad, take this!" With that shout, he slowly moved his sword forward with his left hand, drawing a dazzling arc.

Yun Changkong felt a chilling aura approaching, but there was no flaw in the swordsmanship. His eyebrows twitched, and he shouted "Good swordsmanship!" He then flicked his jade flute and struck the opponent's shoulder.

Suddenly, the old man drew his sword to his right hand, and with a flash of cold light, it slashed towards Yun Changkong's neck like lightning.

The onlookers couldn't help but cry out. Many experts, including Lan Fenghuang, broke out in a cold sweat and gasped, because with just this one sword strike from left to right, they could die.

The old man's movements were extremely slow, but when he switched hands, his swift sword strikes were as fast as flowing light and scattering shadows, quick, accurate, and ruthless.

Yun Changkong was also greatly surprised, thinking, "What a formidable Wudang sect leader!" He shifted his body to the side, and his jade flute moved outwards.
With a clang, the two men's weapons clashed, producing a metallic clang, and they each took a step back.

The old man let out a soft "Eh," a slight look of surprise on his face. He had just felt a sharp pain in his hand, and he had almost lost his grip on the longsword.
Yun Changkong was also quite surprised. He felt the lingering force on the opponent's sword, and laughed, "Impressive skill!" Suddenly, he gathered his strength in his jade flute, and with a whoosh, launched it at the old man's vital points on his ribs. His left hand, with its fingers spread like a halberd, struck at the enemy's arm. One move, two techniques, extremely fierce. (End of Chapter)