Martial Arts to Supremacy

Chapter 16 Unstoppable Momentum

Faced with Chu Xinghe's chilling sword intent that could freeze one's soul, the golden light around Li An suddenly solidified.

The profound spiritual energy flowing from the wordless jade book surged forth from the dantian, enveloping the unparalleled power of the physical body, and forcefully suppressed the piercing sword aura.

His steps were as steady as a mountain as he stood amidst the overwhelming sword energy. He showed no fear whatsoever; on the contrary, his fighting spirit surged, as sharp as a drawn sword.

Li An bowed respectfully to the crowd beneath the sword pillar, his clear voice penetrating the immense pressure of the swords across the plaza and reaching the ears of everyone present.

"Li An has come today to exchange sword skills with fellow practitioners of Wan Jian Feng. I humbly request your guidance!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Cang, who was standing in front of the crowd, could no longer contain his fighting spirit. He strode forward and slammed his heavy Mountain-Splitting Sword heavily on the ground. The plaza paved with black iron stone instantly cracked with fine lines, and the fierce sword energy spread out along the blade.

"Such arrogance! I, Lin Cang, will deal with you first!"

He roared, and the Yellow-Rank High-Grade Mountain-Splitting Sword Dharma Image suddenly appeared. It was a giant sword Dharma Image that was entirely crimson and covered with rugged mountain rock patterns. It hung above Lin Cang's head, exuding a domineering aura that could split mountains and shatter rocks.

Lin Cang stepped into the sword stance, his body suddenly leaping up, gripping the heavy sword tightly with both hands, and with immense force, he slashed down at Li An's head!

The sword wind howled, and the sword intent that split mountains soared into the sky. This sword strike was without any fancy moves; it was purely a collision of power and swordsmanship to the extreme, as if it would split Li An and the ground in two.

Li An's eyes narrowed slightly, neither flinching nor dodging. Golden light surged around him, and the spiritual energy of the Law of Heaven and Earth quietly circulated, causing his physical body to emit a low rumble of thunder.

Seeing the heavy sword approaching, he clenched his fist, his fist wrapped with extremely refined spiritual energy, and smashed it straight at the blade!

"clang!"

The deafening clang of metal against metal was followed by a violent shockwave that swept outwards from the two figures, instantly shattering several bluestone slabs on the plaza.

Lin Cang felt an unimaginable force travel along the sword, causing him excruciating pain in his tiger's mouth, numbness in both arms, and nearly causing the heavy sword to slip from his hand. He was also shaken so badly that he staggered backward, each step leaving a deep footprint in the ground.

He was shocked. He never expected that Li An's physical strength would be so formidable that he could withstand his Mountain-Splitting Sword with his own flesh and blood!

Before Lin Cang could regain his footing, Li An moved, transforming into a golden light and rushing forward. His fists were like thunder, each move aimed directly at the flaws in the sword technique.

Lin Cang hastily returned to defense, his heavy sword wielding with impenetrable force, but his domineering sword techniques were completely dismantled in the face of Li An's absolute power.

After only a dozen or so rounds, Li An punched the spine of the sword, and Lin Cang could no longer hold the heavy sword. The sword flew backward, and Lin Cang was also affected by the backlash of the sword energy, staggering and collapsing to the ground.

"I lost." Lin Cang was full of resentment, but he was also convinced of his defeat. He gritted his teeth, picked up the heavy sword, and stepped aside.

The disciples of Wanjian Peak were in an uproar. No one had expected that Lin Cang, who was ranked third in the peak, would be defeated so quickly.

Wen Hanqiu frowned slightly, her figure drifting into the arena like flowing clouds. She lightly twirled her slender longsword, and the light sword energy around her turned into wisps of mist, enveloping her.

"Your strength is indeed extraordinary. I, Hanqiu, have come to learn a thing or two from you."

Her voice was soft, but her movements were as fast as lightning. The Yellow-Rank High-Grade Flowing Cloud Sword Technique appeared, the pale blue sword image ethereal and uncertain, blending into her figure.

Wen Hanqiu moved swiftly to the left and right, her swordplay unpredictable and elusive. Countless tiny sword shadows attacked Li An from all directions, their sharpness unpredictable and elusive.

Li An closed his eyes, relying solely on his spiritual energy to sense the surrounding sword shadows. A golden light formed a protective aura around his body, and no matter how the flowing sword shadows struck it, they only caused faint ripples.

His footsteps shattered the void, precisely locking onto Wen Hanqiu's movement trajectory. Just as she launched another surprise attack, he suddenly raised his hand, flicked his finger, and spiritual energy transformed into a golden light, accurately striking her longsword.

Wen Hanqiu felt a numbness in her wrist, her longsword deviated, the flowing sword energy around her instantly became chaotic, and her movements became sluggish.

Li An struck out with a palm, the gentle yet irresistible spiritual energy pushing her several feet away. Wen Hanqiu steadied herself, knowing she had been defeated. She nodded slightly to Li An, sheathed her sword, and retreated: "Thank you for your mercy, Senior Brother."

After two prodigies were defeated in succession, the disciples of Wanjian Peak all became solemn. The initial contempt in their eyes was gone, replaced by fear.

Zhao Xuan slowly stepped out, his gray sword robe fluttering without wind, and his simple longsword held horizontally in front of him.

He simply stood still, his body surrounded by a solid sword aura as strong as a shield, his entire being becoming one with the earth, as solid as a rock.

"Zhao Xuan has come to seek your guidance." His voice was calm, yet it revealed an unyielding will.

As soon as he finished speaking, the Yellow-Rank High-Grade Rock Sword Technique Image rose into the air. It was a giant sword image formed from bluestone, heavy and steady.

The moment the sword struck, several layers of thick sword energy shields instantly formed around Zhao Xuan, protecting him completely.

Without hesitation, Li An charged forward, his fists wreathed in golden light, repeatedly striking the rocky sword energy.

"Boom! Boom!"

The loud noises continued, each punch was powerful and heavy, but the sword energy remained unmoved. Even if it was blasted into cracks, it would be instantly repaired by the spiritual energy of the rock. No matter how fiercely Li An attacked, he could not break through the defense.

Zhao Xuan remained steadfast, his longsword used only for defense and not for offense. His swordplay was extremely steady, and no matter how Li An attacked, he remained unmoved. Such defense was indeed as Su Qingyue had said, truly unparalleled.

For a moment, the battlefield was locked in a stalemate. Li An's offensive was earth-shattering, while Zhao Xuan's defense was impregnable. The Wanjian Peak disciples around them held their breath and stared intently at the battlefield.

Li An continued his offensive, but he had already realized that Zhao Xuan's swordsmanship had lost the swordsman's original killing intent.

A sword is inherently a weapon of destruction. The essence of swordsmanship lies in offense and killing. Blindly defending is putting the cart before the horse. What may seem invincible will eventually crumble and lead to defeat.

Sensing that Zhao Xuan's spiritual energy was gradually becoming stagnant, Li An's eyes sharpened, and he stopped holding back. His body shone with golden light, and he activated the Law of Heaven and Earth at full power, causing his body to suddenly grow taller.

He concentrated all his strength into a single punch. This punch, though lacking any earth-shattering force, condensed all his physical strength and spiritual energy, and struck directly at the core of Zhao Xuan's sword aura!

"Snap!"

With a crisp sound, the seemingly indestructible rock-like sword energy shattered instantly, and all the layers of shields broke apart. Zhao Xuan's face turned pale, and he was forced back several steps by the residual force of the fist. A trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, and the long sword in his hand fell to the ground. He was no longer able to fight.

"I lost." Zhao Xuan sheathed his sword and bowed to Li An.

Li An stopped and stood still, saying calmly, "Your swordsmanship is steady and your defensive skills are unparalleled, but you have forgotten that the sword is a weapon of destruction, and the way of the sword is the way of attack and killing."

Blindly clinging to defense and abandoning the fundamentals of offense, even with the strongest defense, one is merely passively taking hits; prolonged defense will inevitably lead to defeat, and ultimately, one will find it difficult to reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship. If one can achieve a balance between offense and defense, using defense to support offense, your swordsmanship will surely reach a higher level.

These words struck at the heart of the matter, awakening Zhao Xuan from years of misconceptions about swordsmanship. His eyes suddenly opened, and filled with gratitude, he bowed deeply to Li An: "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother. Zhao Xuan has learned a great deal!"

After saying that, he turned and stepped aside.

After three rounds of competition, all three of Wanjian Peak's top talents were defeated. The square was silent as all the disciples looked at the white-clad figure under the sword pillar, knowing that the real duel was finally about to begin.

Chu Xinghe slowly walked towards the center of the arena. With each step, the ice on the ground spread further, and the biting cold swept across the entire square, freezing the surrounding air solid.

His gaze fell on Li An, and a ripple finally appeared in his usually cold eyes. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he spoke in praise.

"Indeed, he has defeated three of my peak's most outstanding talents in succession. He is indeed a genius that comes along only once in a century."

He stopped in his tracks, and the icy sword intent around him suddenly surged. A mid-grade Earth-rank icy sword avatar slowly emerged behind him. The giant, ice-blue sword avatar reached the heavens and the earth, and its oppressive power, capable of freezing thousands of miles, made all the disciples tremble.

Chu Xinghe's eyes suddenly turned cold, his body radiating sword intent, and his voice, icy and chilling, echoed across the plaza: "But your undefeated legend ends here!"