Be a proper Taoist priest in The Condor Heroes

Before the cheers for Li Zhiming's surrender had subsided, Su Yan stepped forward and bowed to Ma Yu on the high platform.

"Master, I wish to learn from my senior brothers to hone my swordsmanship."

His tone was calm, but his eyes revealed an eagerness to improve his proficiency. After his battle with Li Zhiming, his proficiency in Quanzhen Swordplay had already increased to 201. He naturally did not want to miss such an efficient opportunity to improve.

Ma Yu's smile deepened, and he nodded in agreement.

"Exchanging skills and improving one's abilities is excellent."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a figure in cyan robes leaped onto the high platform. It was Yu Daoxian, a disciple of Liu Chuxuan. He was tall and straight, with sharp eyes, clearly prepared. His longsword hummed as it was drawn, and before Su Yan could even steady himself, he launched his attack.

"Junior Brother Su, try my 'Three Rings Encircling the Moon'!"

The longsword unleashed a series of sword flowers, the three swords intertwining reality and illusion. The first sword aimed directly at Su Yan's heart, seemingly fierce but concealing hidden power. The second sword slashed diagonally at his ribs, and the third sword struck at his throat. The three swords arrived almost simultaneously, forming an encirclement. The sword wind, carrying blood and qi, even blew the dust on the ground into the air.

He mastered the "Three Rings Encircling the Moon" technique to a high degree of fluidity and coherence, making it even more intricate than Li Zhiming's variation, clearly demonstrating a deep understanding of Liu Chuxuan's martial arts essence.

Su Yan's eyes narrowed, and the Quanzhen Basic Breathing Technique rapidly circulated within his dantian, instantly channeling his qi and blood to his limbs. He neither dodged nor evaded, but slightly shifted his feet using the Leap Technique, moving half a foot to the side like a gentle breeze, just avoiding the sharpness of the first sword strike. At the same time, he flipped his wrist, and the longsword thrust out in the same direction.

It is precisely the essence of "going with the flow" that the sword tip is precisely positioned on the spine of Daoxian's sword, combining strength and gentleness, neither resisting head-on nor dodging, but gently guiding the opponent's sword momentum.

With a crisp clang, Yu Daoxian felt a numbness in his wrist. The force of his first sword strike was instantly neutralized, and the trajectory of his second sword strike also shifted. Startled, he hurriedly urged his third sword strike to counterattack, only to see Su Yan twist his wrist again, the tip of his sword gliding along the spine of his sword like a snake flicking its tongue, using the force against him, and forcefully pressing his sword strike down.

"The third move." Su Yan spoke softly, and before he finished speaking, his longsword had already struck the middle of Yu Daoxian's sword spine, the force suddenly increasing. Yu Daoxian felt a subtle force coming through the sword, his blood and qi instantly becoming disordered, and he could no longer connect his sword moves. He could only stagger back half a step, sheath his sword, and bow.

"I lost!"

Three moves, clean and efficient!

A gasp of surprise erupted in the training ground, and the disciples' discussions intensified.

"That was too fast! Senior Brother Yu practiced his 'Three Rings Encircling the Moon' technique for three years, and it was broken in just three moves!"

"Junior Brother Su's 'going with the flow' technique is amazing! That way of deflecting force is simply incredible!"

Su Yan nodded slightly to Yu Daoxian and added.

"Senior brother's 'Three Rings Encircling the Moon' sword technique is smooth in its transitions, but the second sword lacks power. If you can concentrate your energy on the blade, its power will be even greater."

His tone was calm, yet every sentence hit the nail on the head. A look of realization flashed in Yu Daoxian's eyes. He bowed in thanks, then turned and left the stage.

The proficiency level on the panel is fluctuating.

Rank C - Quanzhen Swordplay (Mastery, 215/400) [Consumption -15%]

Su Yan felt a little more at ease and was about to challenge him to a duel.

Another figure stepped onto the stage; it was Yang Mingzhen, a disciple of Ma Yu. He wore a moon-white Taoist robe, his expression was calm yet exuded composure, and his long sword was held horizontally in front of him.

"Junior Brother Su's swordsmanship is exquisite; I, Yang, would also like to learn from him."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Mingzhen made his move. It was the "Clouds Supporting the Moon" longsword, which was the most proficient of Ma Yu's lineage. The sword was slowly unfolded, and the sword momentum was like clouds and mist. It seemed slow, but it covered all the vital points of Su Yan's body. The sword wind was gentle but had resilience. If Su Yan rashly countered, he would be caught up in the sword momentum and put into a passive position.

This move, "Setting the Moon with Clouds," excels at defense and counter-attack, and is perfectly executed, fully demonstrating the essence of Quanzhen swordsmanship: "moderation and harmony." Many disciples below the stage nodded in agreement, for this was the very essence of Ma Yu's lineage.

Su Yan dared not be negligent. He lowered his waist and fell off his horse as if rooted to an ancient pine tree. He brought the perfect harmony of the Quanzhen Sword Technique to its extreme, and held his long sword upright in front of his chest to deal with the enveloping sword force.

He could clearly feel the softness and resilience of Yang Mingzhen's swordplay. Every time the sword touched him, it was like hitting cotton, the force instantly neutralized. After two moves, Su Yan had figured out his opponent's style.

This "clouds supporting the moon" technique seems flawless, but in reality, there is a very brief opening at the moment the sword stance changes.

Yang Mingzhen's swordplay suddenly tightened, like clouds closing in, attempting to completely suppress Su Yan's swordplay. At that moment, a glint flashed in Su Yan's eyes, and his blood and qi surged within his dantian. The fierce power of the Su family swordsmanship quietly merged into the harmonious wholeness of the Quanzhen swordsmanship!

He suddenly increased the force of his wrist, and the longsword was no longer held still, but instead slashed out vertically like a thunderclap. The sword momentum suddenly became fierce and sharp, and it actually cleaved through the cloud and mist sword momentum of "setting off the moon with clouds". The sword wind was wrapped with the sharp force of the battle formation and went straight for the gap in Yang Mingzhen's sword momentum.

Yang Mingzhen was startled and quickly withdrew his sword to defend. He used "Colorful Boat and Light Clouds" to try to deflect the force. However, Su Yan's sword moves were fierce and fast. With the movement of his leaping technique, he approached like a ghost. His longsword changed from a slash to a thrust, which was the "Armor-Splitting Thrust" from the Su family sword technique. However, it was wrapped with the precision of the Quanzhen sword technique and was aimed directly at Yang Mingzhen's wrist.

Yang Mingzhen was forced to dodge to the side, and his sword strikes became scattered.

Su Yan pressed her advantage relentlessly, changing her sword technique once more. "White Rainbow Piercing the Sun" followed up fiercely, the sword wind howling, compressing Yang Mingzhen's space for dodging smaller and smaller.

The longsword slashed diagonally, the tip grazing Yang Mingzhen's blade before striking the spine of his sword. With the force applied, Yang Mingzhen felt a numbness in his wrist, and the longsword almost slipped from his hand.

Knowing that continuing the fight would be pointless, he immediately sheathed his sword, retreated, and bowed with a smile.

"Junior Brother Su's swordsmanship combines both strength and gentleness; I, Yang, am no match for him and readily admit defeat!"

This time, the training ground was in complete uproar! The disciples' discussions were deafening.

"My goodness! Senior Brother Yang's 'Clouds Supporting the Moon' technique is an unparalleled defensive skill, yet Junior Brother Su broke it in just five moves!"

"That moment when the sword cleaved through the clouds was so cool! Incredibly powerful!"

"Junior Brother Su, have you fused two sword techniques together? It's both fluid and sharp!"

On the high platform, Ma Yu stroked his long beard, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes, and said to Liu Chuxuan beside him.

"This child not only possesses astonishing comprehension, but also manages to combine powerful external martial arts with the harmonious swordsmanship of our school. This practical wisdom is truly rare."

Liu Chuxuan also nodded in approval.

"Daoxian's 'Three Rings Encircling the Moon' and Mingzhen's 'Clouds Setting Off the Moon' are both essential techniques within the sect, yet he was able to win in three or five moves, and each move struck the vital point, demonstrating that his understanding of swordsmanship had penetrated to his very bones."

Su Yan sheathed his sword and stood still, his breathing steady, and nodded to Yang Mingzhen.

"Senior Brother Yang's 'Setting the Moon with Clouds' is flawless, but the sword technique transitions are a bit slow. If he could speed up his breathing, the power would be even greater."

His gaze swept across the panel.

Host: Su Yan

Age: 16

Internal strength:

Grade C - Complete Authentic Basic Breathing Technique (Mastery, 51/400).

Martial arts:

Rank E - Su Family Sword Technique (Perfect, 489/500) [Consumable -30%, Armor Penetration +30%, Pressure +40%]

Rank E - Leap Technique (Perfect, 500/500) [Consumer Cost -30%, Agility +40%, Evasion +40%]

Rank E - Monument Slayer (Perfect, 365/500) [Consumable -30%, Critical Hit +40%, Fist Power +40%]

Rank C - Quanzhen Swordplay (Mastery, 235/400) [Consumption -15%]

Realm: Third-rate martial artist (89%).

These two battles were definitely worth fighting for.

Just then, a cold snort came from the side of the stage, and Zhao Zhijing stepped out with a livid face.

"Su Yan, you're so smug after defeating two people in a row? Today I'll test your skills!"