landbeastnovel Chapter 36 Victory and Defeat
Chapter 36 Victory and Defeat
The news that the eldest son of the You family of Liangzhou was going to duel with Mo Zheng, a newcomer who had been in the Martial Arts Hall for a month, spread to every corner of the Martial Arts Hall in seven days.
What's captivating isn't the duel itself, but rather the identities of the two individuals.
Firstly, he has the backing of the You family of Liangzhou, and he himself is the most talented disciple to enter the Martial Arts Hall this year. In just half a year, he became the first person to pass the first level of the Tower of Ascension, and he is sure to become a true disciple in the future. Secondly, although he is not from a great family, he has the talent to multitask. The last person with such talent, Lan Jun, the Deadly Spear, was already a true disciple and was even hailed as the most talented genius in the Martial Arts Hall.
Such a duel between the two attracted great attention not only from other martial arts hall disciples but also from some teachers.
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
Early in the morning, the members of the Hidden Dragon Society escorted You Chendong to the location of the Tower of Ascension.
It wasn't just them here; there were also some inner disciples and even true disciples, such as Zhou Xian and Qian Zhongyou, whom Mo Zheng was familiar with. They all wanted to see how much Mo Zheng's strength had improved in just one month. There were also Xiao Nan, Jiang Xiaoyu, and others.
"Ten thousand taels of silver is not much, and it's just a drop in the bucket for the You family, but it's a lot for that little guy named Mo Zheng."
"Yes, I heard he comes from a poor family, and it's not easy for outer disciples to earn money. Ten thousand taels of silver is enough for him to save for a long time."
Two inner disciples were chatting casually, their words clearly indicating that they didn't think much of Mo Zheng. The gap between them was obvious. Although dual swords could greatly increase combat power, that was only if the two had similar levels of external martial arts skills. You Dongchen's ability to pass the first level of the Tower of Ascension meant that he had widened the gap with the other disciples who hadn't passed it.
This gap cannot be bridged by two swords; otherwise, wouldn't Lan Jun be invincible?
"Not here yet?"
After waiting for what felt like an eternity, You Chendong grew impatient and said, "Li Chong, go and urge him on. Don't delay any longer."
They agreed to fight today, which could theoretically be in the morning or evening, depending on whether anyone was using the Tower of Ascension. However, according to the usual practice of the Martial Arts Hall, everyone usually arrives early to wait.
Whether it's someone attempting to climb the Tower of Heaven or someone engaging in a duel, this process won't take too long.
You Chendong didn't want to wait until nightfall.
"He's definitely scared!"
Li Chong said bitterly, "With the recovery ability of a martial artist, my injuries should have healed long ago in seven days."
However, knocked-out teeth don't grow back, so he speaks with a lisp and has been ridiculed a lot these past few days. He hates Mo Zheng, who caused all of this, to the core.
However, just as Li Chonggang was about to set off, a group of three people walked into the main gate of the Tower of Ascension: Mo Zheng, Zhao Tong, and Wang Yuan.
This was Mo Zheng's first time visiting the Tower of Ascension, and he couldn't help but look around with curiosity.
The Tower of Ascension is extremely tall, with ten floors. It is painted entirely in bright red, giving it an aura of majesty and solemnity that inspires awe.
According to records, passing the seventh level of this ten-story tower of ascension would allow one to become a disciple of a Martial Saint, while passing the tenth level would grant one the title of Martial Saint!
The duel will take place on the first floor of the Tower of Ascension.
The place was extremely open. Apart from the disciples watching the excitement, there was a silver bead the size of an adult's palm on a high platform in the very center. The bead emitted a faint mist, making it difficult to see clearly. It was probably a mirage bead produced in the secret realm.
You Chendong looked coldly at Mo Zheng and said, "I thought you were going to stall for time."
"Arguments are pointless."
Mo Zheng said calmly, "Everything depends on the outcome of the final duel."
You Chendong snorted coldly and strode towards the high platform, with Mo Zheng following him.
On the high platform stood an elderly man with a full head of silver hair. He asked, "Are you two the ones who are about to duel, Mo Zheng and You Chendong?"
"Indeed, we hope that the teacher will open the Tower of Ascension for us," You Chendong said respectfully.
The Martial Arts Hall is a sacred place, guarded by martial arts experts in addition to ordinary disciples.
The same applies to the Sutra Repository and the Tower of Ascension.
Putting everything else aside, that mirage pearl alone is priceless. If it weren't for the secret realm, you couldn't find a single one even if you searched the entire Great Yan.
"Give me my identity token," the old man instructed.
The two men each took out their identity tokens, which the old man verified and returned to them. At the same time, he rapidly tapped and struck the mirage bead with both hands. Instantly, the mirage bead emitted rays of silvery-white light, and Mo Zheng and You Chendong on the stage felt dizzy under the silvery-white light.
"Place your hand on the bead. Remember, when the suction comes, do not resist."
The old man gave a word of advice, then took out two demon beast cores from his pocket, raised his hand and threw them into the mirage pearl, where they were instantly swallowed up.
Immediately, a brilliant silver light shone forth, completely enveloping the two figures.
As Mo Zheng's palm touched the mirage bead, he immediately felt an invisible suction force coming from it, almost pulling his soul out. His mental power instinctively wanted to resist.
Mo Zheng suppressed the agitation of his mental power, letting the invisible suction force envelop him.
The next moment, his vision blurred and he found himself on a mountain peak shrouded in clouds and mist.
The mountain peaks soared into the clouds. Standing atop the peak, Mo Zheng felt as if he were standing on a cloud. As far as the eye could see, there was a sea of clouds. In the distance, another mountain peak stood tall, and on it was clearly the figure of You Chendong.
At the same time, a surge of information flooded into his mind, making him understand the situation of the Tower of Ascension duel arena.
The Mirage Pearl originates from the body of the Mirage Dragon, a mythical beast in the secret realm, and can create illusions.
The mirage pearls inside the Tower of Ascension, specially refined by the Liangzhou Martial Arts Hall, can absorb the consciousness of martial artists and enter into them.
Inside, the physical strength provided by the mirage pearls is the same: perfect Qi and Blood Realm, one thousand jin of strength.
There is no armor, only weapons and battlegrounds to choose from.
It tests one's external martial arts skills.
Internal skills are easy to cultivate, but external skills are difficult to master.
Undoubtedly, the higher the level of understanding of external martial arts, the faster the martial artist will progress.
The martial arts academy primarily trains its disciples in external martial arts skills. It has no shortage of resources, as long as there are enough contribution points.
"I choose the sword!" "I choose dual swords!"
Mo Zheng and You Chendong's voices rang out almost simultaneously, and the two subconsciously looked at each other.
buzzing...
Within the illusion, a flash of silver light appeared, and handy weapons materialized beside the two of them.
Which duel arena should we choose?
The old man who had just activated the mirage pearl's voice came from afar, clearly indicating that he controlled and manifested this weaponry field.
The location options were also in the information that had just appeared in my mind: a dozen or so choices, such as cliffs, islands, arenas, bustling cities, palaces, grasslands, and so on.
It is obvious that the more suitable the training ground is for one's own cultivation method, the more combat power one can unleash.
"You're the junior brother, so you choose. Today, I'll make sure you're completely convinced!"
You Chendong said arrogantly. He had a smooth life and no one had ever dared to bully him. Today he would teach the other party to a lesson so that they would be convinced of his worth and have psychological trauma whenever they saw him in the future.
You can't kill people outside, but this place is an illusion where you can not only kill, but also torture people!
He didn't care about ten thousand taels of silver at all. The reason he chose to duel here was to severely damage his opponent's morale.
A martial artist's confidence is very important; once that confidence is lost, the speed of cultivation will be greatly slowed down.
"Then let's go to the cliff," Mo Zheng said.
buzzing...
As soon as he finished speaking, the world changed dramatically. The two of them appeared on a steep cliff, standing on protruding rocks. Between them were dozens of rocks jutting out from the cliff face, with a bottomless abyss below. A howling wind blew, making them sway precariously, and a slight misstep would send them plummeting to their deaths.
Clearly, this kind of venue is perfect for the Wind Shadow Sword Technique. Martial artists who are not agile enough may have to focus most of their attention on their feet. Once they miss a step, they will be defeated.
The howling mountain wind made their clothes flutter loudly.
Standing proudly with his sword in hand, You Chendong sneered, "It seems you're not stupid after all. You chose the terrain most advantageous to you, but unfortunately, it's all in vain. Today, I'll make you admit defeat!"
"Enough with the nonsense."
Mo Zheng held two swords, not wanting to say more. Martial artists only care about strength; winning a verbal battle is useless.
He was not rigid in his thinking; when the other party gave him a choice, he naturally chose the terrain that was advantageous to him.
"Die!"
You Chendong shouted loudly, and his figure moved in an instant, nimbly stepping over several protruding rocks, and was already in front of Mo Zheng.
The long sword gleamed coldly, scattering several streaks of cold light in the air, each one cunning and unpredictable, making it difficult to defend against.
Cold Star Sword Technique, Heavenly Stars Scatter!
Looking at the several sword shadows, Mo Zheng remained calm. With a flick of his twin swords, the several sword shadows immediately met him!
Ding ding ding ding...
Amidst the crisp, pleasant sound of impact, sparks flew everywhere, yet the defense remained completely impenetrable.
hum!
You Chendong's longsword trembled, and several sword shadows merged into one, instantly increasing in speed. Like a meteor streaking across the night sky, its momentum was fierce, and its speed was as fast as lightning. It actually bypassed the defense of Mo Zheng's twin swords and headed straight for his throat.
So fast!
Mo Zheng was startled, but his face remained calm as he turned to the side to dodge.
However, although he was fast, his opponent's sword was not slow either. Although he avoided his throat, he was still grazed by the sword light on his shoulder.
Mo Zheng retreated hastily, widening the distance between them.
"Run? Do you think you can escape? If neither of us dies here, neither of us will get out of this illusion."
You Chendong wasn't in a hurry to give chase. Instead, he stood there with his sword in hand, smiling as he said, "Today, I'm going to tear you to pieces!"
Mo Zheng looked at his left shoulder; blood was slowly seeping out, staining his clothes red.
Fortunately, the dodge was timely, and no serious injuries were sustained, so it did not significantly affect combat effectiveness.
The Cold Star Sword Technique also follows a fast and agile approach, and the opponent's sword speed and the connection between the moves were extremely perfect, clearly showing that he had a deep understanding of this sword technique.
The cliffs and precipices did not hinder the opponent's performance. On the contrary, if the opponent were to launch another surprise attack like before, the opponent would undoubtedly lose this battle.
Attack! We need to attack!
Since both sword techniques prioritize speed, let's see who's faster!
Once his mind was made up, Mo Zheng didn't hesitate any longer. He used both longswords in his hands to unleash the Wind Shadow Sword Technique and charge forward.
From a distance, they looked like two whirlwinds sweeping away, concealing a chilling glint and a restrained killing intent that sent shivers down one's spine.
"You want to attack?!"
You Chendong looked disdainful, his long sword deflecting left and right, transforming into layers of sword nets to block the gale. The clanging of swords rang out incessantly, yet not a single sword slipped through his fingers.
Moreover, he looked relaxed, clearly still having energy to spare.
In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged dozens of blows.
But the two storm-like sword lights were trapped in the mud, their room for maneuver and transformation becoming smaller and smaller, and they were finding it increasingly difficult to move around under the intertwined sword net. Meanwhile, within the sword net, a sword aura was brewing, ready to launch a counterattack at any moment.
"Hahaha, you're doomed. While dual swords certainly boost combat power, the stamina drain is astonishing! You're getting slower and slower; how are you going to withstand my next move, 'Rainbow Piercing the Sun'?"
You Chendong laughed, "I'll take off one of your arms first, so you can experience what it's like to be a one-armed swordsman!"
He was waiting for an opportunity, and at the same time, he was trying to break Mo Zheng's will with words.
Without fighting spirit, he naturally wins more easily.
Of course, he also had to admit that Mo Zheng's swordsmanship was not to be underestimated. If those two swords hadn't attacked so fast, he wouldn't have had to defend against so many moves and find an opportunity to counterattack.
Those six subordinates had no reason to complain about their defeat.
Suddenly, the two whirlwind sword shadows slowed down slightly!
It's my turn!
A glint flashed in You Chendong's eyes, and he no longer held back. The long sword in his hand transformed into a blazing white rainbow, piercing through the two stormy sword shadows.
when!
Mo Zheng raised his two swords and barely managed to block this fierce killing move, but was forced backward by the force of the attack, his blood and qi churning.
call out!
Seeing that his first sword strike had failed, You Chendong was not discouraged. He seized the opportunity and turned defense into offense. His long sword was as fast as lightning, carrying a chilling aura and killing intent, and he attacked Mo Zheng again!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
The sound of air being torn apart was incessant. The two figures left afterimages in the air as their longswords clashed, occasionally shattering rocks and cutting through vegetation, leaving deep sword marks.
However, it was clear to the naked eye that You Chendong had the advantage and was pressing Mo Zheng, who was only focused on defense the whole time.
Hmph, let's see how long you can hold out.
You Chendong was secretly annoyed by his opponent's dual swords. He was dealing with two opponents as if he were fighting alone. If it were just a single sword, he would have easily broken through the opponent's defenses long ago.
However, after dozens more sword strikes, seeing that he still couldn't break through the defense, You Chendong finally lost his temper.
He distanced himself and said, "Defense, defense, defense! All you know is defense. Sooner or later I'll break through your turtle shell and show you what I'm capable of!"
Although Mo Zheng's swordsmanship was slightly inferior to his, he really couldn't do anything about the dual-sword defense for a while. Even if he used a killing move, he couldn't break through the opponent's defense because he was focused on defense. This undoubtedly made You Chendong very uncomfortable.
"Fine, since you don't want me to defend, then I won't!"
Mo Zheng responded, and then, taking advantage of the wind, he thrust his sword twice toward You Chendong.
Daring to attack is suicidal!
A murderous glint flashed in You Chendong's eyes, and he confidently swung his sword as well.
His swordsmanship is superior to his opponent's, and he expends less energy. If they attack the same target, he will surely win!
however--
The two sword lights suddenly accelerated in the air, like a gust of wind rushing towards him, and actually passed over his longsword.
not good!
You Chendong was shocked and hurriedly swung his sword to defend. However, the sword light and sword path were too strange, unpredictable, and incredibly fast. Even when he was at his peak, he might not have been able to stop it, let alone now.
*Pfft! Pfft!*
Two dull thuds of longswords piercing flesh followed one after another, blood splattering everywhere; the victim had been struck twice in the chest.
The world before You Chendong's eyes suddenly turned upside down, and his body uncontrollably fell backward, crashing heavily to the ground.
……