https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-476-Inviting-Yan-Thirteen-to-Appraise-the-Trial-Sword/12536729/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-478-The-Fifteenth-Death-Seizing-Sword/12536731/
Chapter 477: Yan Thirteen: ???
Chapter 477: Yan Thirteen: ???
Tie Kaicheng demonstrated the 14th Sword of the Deadly Sword technique. For an ordinary martial artist, this would be a remarkable feat worth boasting about. However, to Yan Thirteen, it was merely commonplace.
So he decided to give Tie Kaicheng the cold shoulder for a while, testing his patience before defeating him the next morning. He would then explain to Tie Kaicheng the difference between his 14th Sword and Yan Thirteen's own version.
Of course, he also wanted to show that even without any knowledge of Taoism secret techniques, he was still a formidable man.
...
The next morning, Yan Thirteen got out of bed, grumbling and cursing.
"You bastard! To have such a good thing and not share it with your master before!"
Every man believed in his prowess, but who could refuse an even greater enhancement? Yan Thirteen stretched his limbs, the loneliness of the previous night vanquished. However, when he saw Tie Kaicheng brimming with vitality, he still felt perplexed.
"Is this Taoist secret technique really that miraculous?"
"Yes, it is."
Tie Kaicheng pointed to the two radiant women, "And this technique is not some deviant method of absorbing yin to supplement yang. It is the grand path of harmonizing yin and yang. Unlike the quiet meditation techniques, it resembles a dynamic exercise that stretches the tendons and bones, supplemented by internal energy breathing. The more you practice, the stronger your martial arts become."
Tie Kaicheng explained earnestly, "So, it's not an exaggeration to say that an eighty-year-old man can bed ten women in one night. The only limiting factor is time."
Yan Thirteen was left speechless, feeling like his entire world view had been shattered.
"Come, let me see your swordplay!" Yan Thirteen strode out of the inn and made his way into the maple forest.
He wanted nothing more than to give Tie Kaicheng a sound thrashing in swordsmanship, to remind him that there was always someone better out there, and to teach him a lesson for not sharing this wondrous technique with his master. Lastly, he intended to obtain this secret room technique from Tie Kaicheng.
Tie Kaicheng followed.
Sun Xingyu and Li Zhenzhen joined them as well.
Rong Zhengjie ordered a large bag of meat and a jar of wine from the inn and hurried after them, munching as he went.
...
As the group ventured away from the inn, the maple forest grew quieter, with no other souls in sight.
The rustling of the wind through the trees, the fluttering of falling leaves, and the dappled sunlight casting swaying shadows created a tranquil atmosphere. The only sounds were the chirping of birds, the buzzing of insects, and the whispering of the wind through the foliage.
As they ventured deeper into the maple forest, Yan Thirteen's aura grew colder. Though his pace remained unchanged, the others felt that his silhouette was becoming more and more like a sword with every step.
When they emerged from a thicket and reached a small river, where a solitary boat was moored, they felt as if Yan Thirteen had transformed into a sword himself.
Sun Xingyu and Li Zhenzhen's eyes were filled with fear as they looked at Yan Thirteen, finally understanding what it meant to be an unparalleled master. Facing such a presence, ordinary people would likely lack the courage to even make a move.
No wonder Tie Kaicheng called Yan Thirteen his master. This man was indeed more formidable than Tie Kaicheng!
In the past two decades, the only person acknowledged to be slightly superior to Yan Thirteen was the third young master of the Xie family, who had also gone missing, his fate unknown.
Li Zhenzhen's heart burned with jealousy towards Murong Qiudi, and her gaze towards Tie Kaicheng held a hint of expectation.
Sun Xingyu once again raised her assessment of the danger posed by the Demon Sect Leader and began planning how to persuade Tie Kaicheng to bring Yan Thirteen with them to Mount Qilian.
Tie Kaicheng gazed at Yan Thirteen's back, marveling at his aura. Yan Thirteen's bearing reminded him of the acquaintances he had made in the previous worlds.
This was, of course, intentional on his part. Though he might seem eccentric at times, when it came to the sword, he became a different person, for he would never joke about it.
At the same time, this was also another lesson for Tie Kaicheng. To become a true master, one needed more than just techniques; one's mental state was equally important. When two tigers fought, the one with the superior mental state could dominate and gain the upper hand.
Sometimes, the difference between life and death lay in such subtle nuances.
Yan Thirteen stopped and turned around, asking, "Do you understand now?"
"I do," replied Tie Kaicheng.
He had understood long ago, back in the world of 'The Sentimental Swordsman and the Cold-Hearted Sword'. The auras of Li Xunhuan and Shangguan Jinhong as they faced off had been so overwhelming that no one else could intervene. Compared to Yan Thirteen, their auras had been equally formidable, if not more so.
Yan Thirteen's gaze shifted to the long sword at Tie Kaicheng's waist. "First, let's practice the Deadly Thirteenth Sword."
"Alright!"
Tie Kaicheng nodded and drew his sword with his left hand.
"Ching!"
The sword emitted a crisp sound as it left its sheath.
With a flick of Tie Kaicheng's wrist, the long sword became like a venomous snake, bending and twisting as he willed it, its movements illusory and ever-changing. His sword techniques were swift and sharp, unmatched by any sword style under the heavens.
Yan Thirteen's eyes lit up, and he nodded in approval.
The same sword technique could vary greatly depending on the person wielding it. Whether or not someone had a talent for swordsmanship could be determined by their ability to adapt a style to suit their own strengths.
Take, for example, the Deadly Thirteenth Sword. When Yan Thirteen himself used it, he was like a venomous snake emerging from a ravine—quick, tricky, and deadly. Though it might not look elegant, it was unbeatable, and anyone who faced it was doomed.
However, when Tie Kaicheng performed it, there was an added touch of grace, within which lurked a sharp edge, and within that edge, a hint of killing intent. It was as if multiple layers of meaning had been fused into one seamless whole.
The power of this version was no less than that of Yan Thirteen's original, but it was more aesthetically pleasing.
Yan Thirteen couldn't help but glance at Li Zhenzhen and Sun Xingyu, now understanding how Tie Kaicheng had won over these two women.
Tie Kaicheng performed the thirteen stabs, and the variations of the sword technique reached their limit.
"Show me your fourteenth sword!" Yan Thirteen commanded.
In the next moment, even as the variations seemed to have reached their conclusion, they surged once more, naturally transitioning from stillness to motion.
If the previous thirteen swords were a progression from motion to stillness, completing the variations with the thirteenth sword, then the fourteenth sword was the reverse—a progression from stillness to motion, encompassing all the variations of the previous thirteen swords in a single strike.
"Amazing!" Yan Thirteen's eyes sparkled with admiration.
He could tell that Tie Kaicheng's version of the Deadly Fourteenth Sword, adapted to his own style, was nearly perfect. Even if he himself were to step in, there would be no room for improvement.
"With just this one sword, there are very few people in the world who could withstand your strike," Yan Thirteen said.
After saying this, he felt a bit embarrassed.
He had originally wanted to temper Tie Kaicheng's arrogance a bit, but now it seemed that if he wanted to truly humble him, he would have to bring out his own fifteenth sword.
However, his own fifteenth sword was not yet perfected, and demonstrating it could lead to mistakes.
Just as Yan Thirteen hesitated, Tie Kaicheng spoke up, "Thank you, Master, for your praise. That was the fourteenth sword. Now, please witness my Deadly Fifteenth Sword!"
Yan Thirteen: ???
(End of Chapter)
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