Wandering Swordsman |

As the Jingtian Pavilion disciple loudly announced, "The martial arts competition begins," Li Fanglin and Mo Tianchong moved almost simultaneously.

Li Fanglin held the longsword specially prepared for the duel by Jingtian Pavilion; the tip of the sword trembled slightly, revealing his inner tension and caution. Mo Tianchong, on the other hand, gripped a short knife used for duels, his eyes sharp, as if he had already locked onto his opponent's weakness.

Li Fanglin launched the first attack, his longsword moving as nimbly as a dragon or snake, aiming straight for Mo Tianchong's throat.

However, just as the sword tip was about to touch Mo Tianchong, Li Fanglin's swordsmanship suddenly became sluggish, and the sword tip seemed to lose control, deviating from its original target. Mo Tianchong swiftly dodged, his short sword flashing in his hand, transforming into streaks of silver light, to meet Li Fanglin's sword blade.

"Clang!" The two weapons clashed, producing a crisp sound. Li Fanglin's body trembled slightly, seemingly stunned by Mo Tianchong's backhand strike, and his swordsmanship became even more chaotic. He tried to adjust his posture several times, but each strike appeared clumsy and awkward, as if he was not proficient in swordsmanship.

The audience below the stage began to murmur amongst themselves. Some whispered, "How come Li Fanglin's swordsmanship is so bad? Did he cram at the last minute?" Others expressed their confusion, saying, "Since he dared to come up on stage, he must have some skill."

Zhao Xue and He Yun stood in the crowd, both feeling a surge of tension. Zhao Xue whispered, "Brother Yun, Young Master Li's swordsmanship seems rather rusty."

He Yun frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "Indeed, Brother Li's swordsmanship looks very rusty, but it seems more like it was done deliberately." Because He Yun grew up in the Sword Tomb, he had a deep understanding of swordsmanship.

The battle continued. Although Li Fanglin's swordsmanship appeared clumsy, he skillfully evaded Mo Tianchong's fatal blows each time. Mo Tianchong's attacks grew increasingly fierce, but he could not break through Li Fanglin's seemingly flawed defense. The two exchanged blows in the air, sometimes flashing sword light, sometimes clashing blade shadows, creating a tense and fierce scene.

Suddenly, Li Fanglin stumbled and nearly fell to the ground. Seeing this, Mo Tianchong's eyes flashed with smugness, believing victory was in sight. He immediately intensified his attack, unleashing a barrage of rapid strikes. However, just as Mo Tianchong was about to deliver the final blow, Li Fanglin suddenly flipped over, the tip of his sword deftly grazing Mo Tianchong's wrist, forcing him to release his grip on the dagger.

"Clang!" The short knife fell to the ground with a crisp sound. Li Fanglin quickly steadied himself, the tip of his sword pointing at Mo Tianchong's throat, a faint smile on his face.

"You flatter me, Brother Mo." Li Fanglin's voice was steady and confident, as if the previous discord was just a deliberate strategy.

Mo Tianchong stood frozen in place, his face filled with disbelief. He glanced down at his wrist; though uninjured, it was clearly subdued by Li Fanglin's swordsmanship. He sighed helplessly and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, saying, "Brother Li, you've won. Your swordsmanship... is truly unfathomable."

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause, and Zhao Xue and He Yun breathed a sigh of relief. He Yun whispered to Zhao Xue, "It seems Brother Li was deliberately feigning unfamiliarity to mislead his opponent."

Zhao Xue sighed, "It seems that when Young Master Li said his martial arts were not good at the front gate, he was being too modest."

Hearing Zhao Xue's words, He Yun was taken aback, and a bad feeling welled up in his heart towards Li Fanglin. Then He Yun convinced himself that he was overthinking it, and that Li Fanglin was just being too modest, as Zhao Xue said.

As the referee announced Li Fanglin's victory, Li Fanglin smiled slightly, sheathed his sword, and stepped down from the stage to await the start of the next round of the competition.

As time passed, the first round of the first group's competition finally came to an end. After more than an hour of fierce competition, eight winners emerged, including Li Fanglin. When the list of winners for the second round was announced, Li Fanglin's opponent was none other than Long Zaitian, the young sect leader of the Changhe Sword Sect. This news caused an uproar throughout the entire square.

The audience below the stage buzzed with discussion, some excitedly exclaiming, "The young sect leader of the Long River Sword Sect is in the first round! This is going to be a good show!"

Others were skeptical: "Li Fanglin is a martial artist without any sect or school of thought. He can't even master swordsmanship. He'll definitely lose instantly against the young sect leader of the Changhe Sword Sect. There's nothing to see here."

He Yun and Zhao Xue stood in the crowd, their feelings complicated. Zhao Xue said softly, "Brother Yun, Young Master Li's opponent this time is no simple matter. Can he handle it?"

He Yun frowned slightly, but his eyes held a hint of determination: "Ah Xue, Brother Li isn't as simple as he seems. Let's continue to observe."

As the referee announced the order, Li Fanglin and Long Zaitian stepped onto the training platform. They exchanged a respectful bow in the center of the platform, the atmosphere tense and solemn. Li Fanglin held a longsword, his grip somewhat unsteady. Long Zaitian, however, did not accept the weapon provided by Jingtian Pavilion, but instead brought his own exquisite sword. As he drew it, he exuded an air of extraordinary bearing, his eyes revealing confidence and composure.

The referee announced loudly, "The competition begins!"

Li Fanglin launched the first attack, his longsword moving as nimbly as a serpent, but his swordsmanship still seemed somewhat rusty, and he missed his target several times. Long Zaitian, on the other hand, nimbly dodged, his short sword flashing in his hand, turning into streaks of silver light as he met Li Fanglin's sword blade head-on.

"Clang!" The two weapons clashed, producing a crisp sound. Li Fanglin's body trembled slightly, seemingly stunned by Long Zaitian's backhand strike, and his swordsmanship appeared even more chaotic. He tried several times to adjust his posture, but each strike was clumsy and awkward, as if he was not proficient in swordsmanship.

However, as the battle progressed, Li Fanglin's swordsmanship, though seemingly clumsy, skillfully evaded Long Zaitian's fatal blows each time. Long Zaitian's attacks grew increasingly fierce, but he could not break through Li Fanglin's seemingly flawed defense. The two exchanged blows in mid-air, sometimes flashing sword light, sometimes clashing blades, creating a tense and intense scene.

Suddenly, Li Fanglin stumbled and nearly fell to the ground. Seeing this, Long Zaitian's eyes flashed with smugness, believing victory was in sight. He immediately intensified his attack, unleashing a barrage of rapid strikes. However, just as Long Zaitian was preparing to deliver the final blow, Li Fanglin suddenly flipped over, his sword tip nimbly grazing Long Zaitian's wrist, forcing him to release his grip on the sword.

"Clang!" The sword fell to the ground with a crisp sound. Li Fanglin quickly steadied himself, the tip of the sword pointing at Long Zaitian's throat, a faint smile on his face.

A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience, many beginning to doubt the veracity of the rumors surrounding Long Zaitian in the martial arts world. Zhao Xue and He Yun were also surprised. Zhao Xue whispered, "Brother Yun, Young Master Li's luck is incredible!"