Chapter 1006: The Decisive Battle
Chapter 1006: The Decisive Battle
In the Lunjian Field, sword auras surged and sword lights overflowed.
The ground beneath was covered in spider web-like cracks from the clashing sword auras, and the surrounding rocks were ground to powder.
Qin Cangliu, wielding the Canghai Overflowing Sword Technique passed down in his family, faced Ling Hu Xiao, who commanded the Chongxu Unbinding Sword Manual of the Chongxu Mountain Sect.
One was a pure water-based sword technique, and the other was the Unbinding Sword Manual transformed by the Water Moon Abnormality.
Both were exquisite cultivation methods, one vast like the ocean and the other pure like the water moon, intertwining in a beautiful dance of ice-blue light, containing a formidable killing power that could change the complexions of Foundation Establishment cultivators.
The might of this clash between two geniuses was truly formidable.
As the sword auras swirled, the other disciples of the Gui Shui Men, who practiced water-based cultivation methods, had to avoid the clash and find other places to fight.
Mo Hua considered for a moment and decided not to use the Fireball Technique on Qin Cangliu, instead giving them space for a one-on-one battle.
This was a good opportunity for Xiao Xiao to witness the clash of geniuses.
Xiao Xiao had exceptional talent and keen insight, but being young and lacking in combat experience, she was like a finely crafted sword still in its embryonic stage.
Mo Hua wanted to use the Swordsman Competition Congress to temper Xiao Xiao, gradually sharpening her like a sword, making her stronger.
A sword's edge is honed through tempering.
Only then could they go further in the Swordsman Competition Congress, and Xiao Xiao could advance in her sword path.
Mo Hua moved away from Qin Cangliu and started using the Fireball Technique to support Cheng Mo and the others.
Ling Hu Xiao and Qin Cangliu, two top sword geniuses, also began their battle with single-minded focus.
Their eyes were locked on each other.
For geniuses, the more similar their levels were, the more they could stimulate each other's fighting spirit.
Defeating a genius and confirming their Dao Heart and their chosen path would allow them to take another step forward.
This was not only for the sake of the competition but also for their sword paths.
Both sides fought with all their might, engaging in a life-and-death battle.
The exquisite sword techniques were like hanging horns, endless and powerful, with sword auras blooming like lotuses, dazzling and breathtaking.
This match instantly became the focus of the Fangtian Huayin.
Everyone's attention was drawn to this bright and dazzling battle, filled with killing intent.
The crowd couldn't help but exclaim:
"This is the true Lunjian!"
"These are the true Tianjiao!"
"Only such exquisite and unparalleled cultivation methods, with Tianjiao's star-like clashes, are worthy of this top-tier Lunjian event."
"What is this Fireball Technique...?"
They had traveled far to the Qian Xue Prefecture to witness such a scene.
It wasn't about seeing someone hiding in the woods and shooting fireballs at people.
The battle became more intense.
The sword auras clashed, nearing a white-hot state.
All the observing cultivators were fully focused, their hearts tense.
A question arose in everyone's minds:
Who would win?
Qin Cangliu, despite his lack of fame, had demonstrated exceptional sword skills in the previous exchanges. His sword cultivation was exquisite, but due to his background and family origins, he had joined the Gui Shui Men of the Twelve Streams.
In terms of talent alone, even if he hadn't entered the four great sects, joining a sword cultivation sect among the eight great gates would have been more than sufficient.
Given time, he would undoubtedly become an exceptional sword cultivator.
As for Ling Hu Xiao, there was no need to elaborate.
A sword genius from the Chongxu Gate, rarely seen in five hundred years, with astonishing insight and talent visible to the naked eye, he was still slightly immature, but like a sword embryo preserving its essence, once tempered, he would surely reveal a remarkable edge.
Such peak confrontations were rare even in the Xuan Character League.
Anyone could win, but likewise, anyone could lose.
The crowd watched intently, witnessing this exhilarating battle and the outcome of the Tianjiao Lunjian.
Inside the Lunjian Field, time passed slowly.
The sword auras continued to clash, and the battle intensified.
After an unknown duration, almost everyone had reached their limits, their essence nearly depleted.
But Qin Cangliu's fighting spirit grew stronger.
He was calm and composed, with a hint of coldness, rarely showing his emotions. However, as he fought against Ling Hu Xiao, he couldn't help but reveal his excitement and bloodthirst.
This was a true opponent!
This was true killing intent!
Only such a formidable opponent could serve as a whetstone, allowing him to temper himself and advance further on the sword path, climbing towards higher peaks.
In this moment, he was completely immersed, his eyes fixed on the sword.
A golden light enveloped his entire body.
Qin Cangliu activated the Golden Body Symbol, drawing on its power for protection. With the symbol's support, he held his long sword horizontally, his eyes gleaming, like a river in his gaze.
His essence surged like a river, and the sword aura emitted a dazzling light, an astonishing power converging on the long sword.
Canghai Overflowing Sword Style.
The ultimate technique of the Canghai Overflowing Sword Secret.
The killing move of an exquisite sword technique.
Qin Cangliu intended to use this sword technique, infused with his lifelong dedication, to decide the victor.
This was an invitation to a Tianjiao battle.
Ling Hu Xiao did not retreat and also activated the Golden Body Symbol.
In the golden light, his eyes shone brightly, and his long sword seemed to glow with an ice-blue moonlight. His entire aura merged with the sword, becoming one.
Like a sword, he was also like the moon.
The cold moonlight was like sword light, emanating a spiritual killing intent.
The killing moves of the sword techniques clashed.
This was the critical moment of the Lunjian, and it also meant a significant vulnerability.
Ou Yang Xuan's sword light swept away the enemy, and his long sword, like a peak, thrust towards Qin Cangliu.
Cheng Mo and Si Tu Jian immediately understood and, without hesitation, abandoned their enemies, rushing towards Qin Cangliu.
The disciples of the Gui Shui Men also realized and turned to attack Ling Hu Xiao.
Such exquisite killing moves colliding would almost certainly result in death. In normal circumstances, they would have avoided it.
But this was the Lunjian, protected by a grand formation.
Life and death could be set aside; their only goal was to win. Therefore, both sides' disciples blocked the killing moves of the other's sword genius without hesitation.
Ou Yang Xuan's sword light, Cheng Mo's great axe, and Si Tu Jian's Lifu Sword all struck Qin Cangliu, gradually weakening him and preventing him from using the Canghai Overflowing Sword.
Disciples from both sides were entangled in a fierce battle.
At this critical moment, Qin Cang Liu's eyes widened, and with a mighty roar, he exerted all his strength, unleashing the Canghai Overflowing Sword just before his Jin Shen Fu shattered.
Ling Hu Xiao's eyes grew solemn, gritting his teeth silently, enduring the onslaught of the four Gui Shui Men disciples, and with almost all his strength, he released the Chong Xu Unbinding Sword Qi.
For a moment, the sword light on one side was like water, like the vast ocean, covering the sky and filling the earth.
On the other side, the sword Qi was like the moon, like the moonlight of the day, cool and sharp.
Countless streams of fine sword Qi, like rivers flowing upstream, the moonlit ocean, entangled and twisted together, and then swept towards the surroundings, tearing mountains and rocks, causing the vegetation to turn to ash, and engulfing everyone.
Even just watching from the side of the Fangtian Huayin, it was shocking.
This scene, woven from the top-tier sword techniques and the finest sword Qi, was a beautiful yet perilous moment, deeply imprinted in everyone's hearts.
Everyone held their breath and focused, momentarily forgetting to breathe.
Not only were the Zhujijing disciples shocked, but even some Jindan and Yuhua cultivators were stunned.
At this moment, their cultivation realms were higher, and their strength was naturally stronger than these disciples.
But back then, when they were at the Zhujijing realm, their strength was far from this level.
These Qian Xue Tianjiao, at the Zhujijing realm, could unleash such astonishing destructive power. Once they entered the Jindan realm, or even broke into Yuhua, their strength would be unimaginable, making it hard to fathom.
"This is... the Qian Xue Swordsman..."
This sentiment almost simultaneously floated in the hearts of the majority of the cultivators present.
Regardless of their cultivation level, high or low, they were all shaken.
On the Fangtian Huayin, the sword Qi continued to twist and explode, with smoke and dust filling the mountains.
As the sword Qi dissipated and the explosions subsided, the smoke and dust gradually dispersed.
In everyone's hearts, a thread of tense suspense arose.
Who... won?
The previous sword techniques had almost swept away all the participating disciples from both sects.
This was the true, decisive move.
It determined life and death, as well as victory and defeat.
The winner stayed, and the loser left.
In this battle of Tianjiao, who was the victor between Qin Cang Liu of the Qin family and Ling Hu Xiao of the Tai Xu Men? Whose sword Qi was stronger? Who was the real winner? Everyone's hearts couldn't help but be raised.
On the Fangtian Huayin, the smoke and dust slowly dispersed, finally revealing a figure.
The previous battle had been too fierce, and the collision of the top-tier Dao Fa had almost wiped out all the disciples from both sects.
Only one person remained alive, standing in the original spot.
Soon, everyone could clearly see his face.
Dressed in a black Shudao robe, his face was pale and cold, his breath weak, his clothes tattered, he stood alone with a sword in hand, a tragic, heroic, and awe-inspiring sight.
"Qin Cang Liu!"
"He actually won!"
"Unbelievable..."
"It was truly spectacular!"
"Gui Shui Men won against Tai Xu Men, Qin Cang Liu of Gui Shui Men defeated Ling Hu Xiao of Tai Xu Men..."
...
On the viewing platform, the elders of various aristocratic families and sects were moved, each with their own thoughts.
The elder of Gui Shui Men stroked his beard and nodded, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
But the next moment, they all froze, staring at the Fangtian Huayin, their pupils narrowing...
In the middle of the Lunjian Field.
Qin Cang Liu stood alone, surrounded by emptiness, and Ling Hu Xiao's figure had disappeared, leaving only him in the arena.
"I... won?"
"I defeated Ling Hu Xiao."
"My sword path is correct..."
Qin Cang Liu's heart was filled with mixed emotions, having fought to exhaustion and defeated a powerful opponent. The joy of victory, like a spring bamboo after the rain, rose from the depths of his heart and spread throughout his body.
He became more convinced of his sword path.
"I won..."
Qin Cang Liu murmured, and his heart relaxed as he blinked his dry eyes.
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Just after blinking, he opened his eyes again and suddenly realized that, at some point, a person had appeared before him, with a pair of fair fingers pointing at his forehead, and firelight gathering at the fingertips, and then...
There was no 'then'.
This series of changes happened too fast for him to react.
A figure appeared, with firelight gathering at the fingertips, and the Lunjian shattered.
By the time Qin Cang Liu regained his senses, he found himself outside the arena.
He had lost.
Qin Cang Liu stood in his original spot, dazed for a long time, finding it hard to accept.
Even harder to accept was the audience outside the arena.
They were cheering for Qin Cang Liu, applauding his performance, and marveling at the Tianjiao's display...
Then, without a sound, a figure appeared, and with a light touch of their finger, a fireball sent Qin Cang Liu away.
Everyone felt as if their throats had been suddenly gripped.
The arena fell silent.
A tragic hero, killed by a despicable sneak attack.
A brilliant and heroic battle of Tianjiao ended with a somewhat absurd "bad ending".
The cultivators felt choked, unable to speak.
Mo Hua's fireball had silenced everyone present.
...
But regardless of the process, losing is losing, and winning is winning.
Mo Hua was in a pleasant mood.
With minimal cost, he had achieved the greatest victory. A small fireball was enough to end the competition, which was more than appropriate.
The Lunjian was over, and Mo Hua and Ling Hu Xiao prepared to leave Lundao Shan.
At the intersection, they met Qin Cang Liu again.
Qin Cang Liu stared at Mo Hua, his eyes filled with complex emotions: hatred, admiration, anger, and a hint of faint resentment.
All these emotions accumulated in his heart, and Qin Cang Liu struggled to express them, finally managing to say:
"Mo Hua, I'll remember you..."
After saying this, he turned and left without looking back.
Mo Hua's mindset was still okay; this wasn't the first time he had heard those words.
Behind him, Cheng Mo silently sighed.
Another enemy for my junior brother in the Swordsmanship Competition...
The crowd headed towards Tai Xu Gate.
On the way back, Ling Hu Xiao remained silent.
Mo Hua secretly glanced at him a few times and asked softly, "Xiao Xiao, are you feeling down?"
Ling Hu Xiao shook his head, but when he turned around, he met Mo Hua's clear and sincere gaze, and unconsciously nodded, admitting, "I lost."
Mo Hua asked him, "Then, do you think you'll win for the rest of your life?"
Ling Hu Xiao was taken aback and shook his head again.
Even with his exceptional talent and powerful sword techniques, it was impossible for him to never lose, not even once, throughout his entire life.
Mo Hua said, "Some geniuses have it easy, winning all the time. But if they lose once, their Dao heart shatters, and they never recover, becoming useless and fading into obscurity."
"No matter how high their innate talent or understanding, no matter how many times they win, they still can't break through their mental barriers. They lose their 'Dao' and find it difficult to make any progress for the rest of their lives."
"There are also those with average talent, who keep losing, enduring cold words and the coldness of the world, but they never give up. They keep climbing towards their own Dao, step by step."
"Which of these two types do you want to be?"
Ling Hu Xiao pondered for a moment and said, "I think I can't be either."
He had exceptional talent, but he hadn't reached the point of never losing.
At least today, he had lost to Qin Cang Liu.
But precisely because of his talent, he wouldn't lose all the time; ultimately, he would win more.
Mo Hua nodded, "Yes, most cultivators experience both victory and defeat in their lives."
"In essence, victory and defeat are two sides of the same coin; they are the Dao's guidance for cultivators, shaping their cultivation path."
"Victory affirms your path, and defeat corrects it."
"When you win, it strengthens your resolve. When you lose, you identify your shortcomings and improve step by step..."
Mo Hua continued, "This is the principle I've realized through my understanding of battle formations."
"In others' eyes, I may be a genius in battle formations, the leader in Zhen Dao, dominating the Formation Competition, with no equal in formations."
"But in reality, I constantly fail when learning formations."
"If I can't grasp a formation, can't draw it, and keep failing, I'll keep learning, keep practicing, and keep understanding... With enough failures, I'll eventually master it."
The Dao Tablet allowed him to surpass the limitations of his spiritual sense, giving him more opportunities to practice formations than ordinary cultivators.
This also meant that he failed dozens, or even hundreds, of times more than ordinary cultivators when it came to formations.
Because he had failed so many more times than others, he had become so powerful that his peers couldn't even see his back.
"True strength is forged through countless failures."
"Don't pay attention to others' flattery, and don't think that so-called 'geniuses' must always be invincible, accumulating countless victories without ever losing."
"These are the thoughts of mediocre people."
"True geniuses have their eyes only on their own Dao."
"True Sword Cultivators have their eyes only on their own swords."
"Everything else is insignificant. Only their ultimate pursuit is real. All victories and defeats are fleeting."
Ling Hu Xiao's heart was moved, and after a moment of thought, he said firmly, "Junior Brother, I'll remember this."
Cheng Mo and Si Tu Jian also seemed deep in thought.
Even Ou Yang Xuan, who was nearby, looked at Mo Hua with surprise.
Seeing that Ling Hu Xiao understood, Mo Hua nodded.
Xiao Xiao was a sword genius from Tai Xu Gate and my junior brother.
Mo Hua sincerely hoped that he would remain unaffected by worldly fame, stay true to his sword path, and gradually become stronger, eventually becoming a powerful Sword Cultivator who could reach the heavens and shake the earth...
...
After that, the group returned to Tai Xu Gate.
The Swordsmanship Competition concluded, and they took a short break.
Mo Hua had one more thing on his mind, something he cared deeply about, regarding the Fireball Technique.
He specifically sought out Xie Ling to ask about others' opinions of his Fireball Technique.
During the competition, he had been on the field, separated by a large formation, and couldn't hear others' discussions.
He didn't know what others thought of his Fireball Technique.
Mo Hua really wanted to know if anyone understood the principle he had inherited from Master Kuilei: "There are countless cultivation techniques, each with its strengths and weaknesses. The key to mastery lies in the heart. Even the Fireball Technique can be powerful."
So, he wanted to ask someone.
Xie Ling had won two rounds in the Huang Character League before being eliminated. It was a pity, but he had done his best and left no regrets.
After that, he had been watching the competition from the sidelines and could naturally hear others' discussions.
When Mo Hua asked this question, Xie Ling hesitated, seeming reluctant to speak.
After Mo Hua's repeated inquiries, Xie Ling reluctantly whispered, "Junior Brother, others say you're cunning and shameless, using the Fireball Technique to 'pick up heads'..."
"You're a despicable formation master who knows the Fireball Technique."
Mo Hua was stunned and then found it hard to believe.
His exquisite Fireball Technique was not appreciated by anyone.
And they called him a 'head-picking'...
Mo Hua felt a bit exhausted.
Seeing this, Xie Ling began to flatter him, "Junior Brother, your Fireball Technique is truly powerful. When I saw it, I was shocked. I never imagined the Fireball Technique could be used like that..."
This flattery was a bit immature.
But Mo Hua felt a hint of warmth in his heart.
It was good to have junior brothers like this.
Since it was like this, he had to work hard to make Tai Xu Gate one of the Four Great Sects and turn his junior brothers into 'geniuses of the Four Great Sects'...
That's what he said, but the situation in the Tai Xu Gate Swordsmanship Competition gradually became more challenging.
After a day of competition, Tai Xu Gate, as expected, dropped to second place.
Currently, Tian Jian Zong was in first place, Qian Dao Zong in third, and Longding Zong in fourth.
Tai Xu Gate couldn't hold on to its first-place position.
Moreover, even the second-place position seemed precarious.
The atmosphere within the entire sect became somewhat oppressive...
(End of Chapter)
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