Quasi-Divine
Feng Jian’s speed really did compare to teleportation. Yu Feiyuan could also hardly sense his hostility. Upon sensing a blade approach, she slipped back and then pivoted to the side. Feng Jian flexed his extended wrist to mount a combination. Yu Feiyuan guarded all of the slashes with gauntlets and had to abandon her plan to attack in order to retreat, yet Feng Jian got a step ahead of her.
Despite Yu Feiyuan finding herself fending off another stream of attacks, she was Yu Feiyuan. She countered his speed with controlled fluidity, intercepting all of his rigid strikes with both arms one by one.
Feng Jian had travelled with Luo Ming before. Howbeit, very few ever identified him as being with Luo Ming for the reason that he didn’t execute the same style with the same flair.
Luo Clan’s swordplay emphasised their regal characters, meaning that masters of the style dominated with order and control, traits deemed “graceful”. If anybody said that, they would be called failures – if not slapped silly. Luo Clan started off as a clan of blacksmiths, and Repository Sword Theory originated from it. What’s so graceful about being a blacksmith? Luo Clan’s swordplay’s true emphasis was bound to the concept of “principles”.
While Mount Lu Sword Sanctuary was a living library of swordplay styles in the Nine Provinces thanks to their millennia of history, they never dove as deep as Luo Clan did when it came to principles. Mount Lu Sword Sanctuary devoted themselves to studying every swordplay in existence. Conversely, Luo Sword Manor focused solely on Repository Sword Theory through the ages.
Luo Clan’s scions inherited their predecessors’ determination and patience to continue digging and digging into the principles and systems of all existing things. After being bestowed the title of the a Champion White Princes, though, the future generations gradually discarded the pursuit, opting to denote their style as being graceful.
Feng Jian was lucky to see the undiluted version of Luo Clan’s swordplay when Luo Ming slew a beast in his presence, a feat he referred to as a miracle for the rest of his life. At the end of the day, nevertheless, principles and systems are inexorably subjected to one’s interpretations to some extent. As a result, the conclusions Feng Jian drew led to a style that deviated from Luo Ming’s.
With each strike, Feng Jian sought improvement from the previous one – hence the aggression – polarising his reserved personality. If his style was a personality trait, it’d be ambitious – a physical manifestation of his desire to reach the realm every goal-oriented swordsman would seek.
Yu Feiyuan, resetting after putting a few steps between them, judged it necessary to get serious for the first time in years. “You’re strong,” she complimented as she looked down to her left shoulder armour that had been displaced and the trail of scarlet liquid that she hadn’t seen in a long time.
Feng Jian inflicted the wound so quick that Yu Feiyuan didn’t even feel the wound that exposed her shoulder bone until she pulled back.
Yu Feiyuan tore off part of her dress to use as a bandage. “But I won’t lose to you.” After her declaration, she put one leg back, then extended her front arm – the same pose “Huan Xinglai” adopted when he taunted Luo Ming. The only other time either of them adopted the stance was when they were training together.
While Yu Feiyuan and Feng Jian’s duel would have an audience on the edge of their seats, Elder Shou’s fight with Lei Jian, Yu Jian and Huo Jian would have an audience gnashing their teeth. Elder Shou exchanged a few moves with them at first and then used his advanced internal strength to create a field with a three metre radius around him so that they couldn’t touch him. Subsequently, he took out refreshments to enjoy whilst watching Yu Feiyuan and Feng Jian go at it.
“What’s the point of us fighting? You think you could stop us if she wins? If he wins, you think these old, squeaky bones can beat the four of you? Why waste our energy? Just watch the match.” Elder Shou took out half a green-bean cake without even sparing the three a look. They couldn’t see any flaws with his logic, either. “Looks like we have Wutong Jin Yuxuan’s next matriarch. My niece isn’t a shabby fighter. If we were to rank her among those in her generation, including that heartless brat, she’d still be in the top three. To fight without aggression is deviating from Zi Wutong’s style.”
As he snacked, Elder Shou glanced over to Yu Jian’s sword: “Tsk, tsk, tsk, that’s Mount Lu Sword Sanctuary’s Five Elders, isn’t it? Successfully stealing from Ling Feixing is worthy of praise. You three don’t understand, do you? Your senior definitely does.” Elder Shou turned back to the fight and elaborated, “There’s a realm called ‘Quasi-Divine.”
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