Chapter 122 - 91: Dangerous Opportunity
Although Xiaoxing had called it a friendly spar, she held nothing back once they began, unleashing the full extent of her Perfect Level Sword Skill.
At first, confident in her formidable strength at Skin Grinding Realm Perfection, she had held back. But after failing to easily defeat Chen Cheng during their bout in the pavilion, her competitive spirit had been ignited, and she was now, perhaps unconsciously, using her full power.
Both of their Skills were at the Perfect Level, and their Body Technique speeds were evenly matched. To determine a winner, they could only compete in terms of raw power.
Thus, having moved out of the pavilion, she met Chen Cheng’s swift, fierce, and incredibly heavy saber strike with a full-power sword thrust of her own, holding nothing back.
She had expected that after a head-on clash with her full-power strike, she would easily repel Chen Cheng, seize the initiative, and then press her advantage to claim victory.
But to her shock, her sword strike, backed by the entirety of her Qi Blood Power, was faintly overpowered by Chen Cheng’s saber. She was stunned.
Chen Cheng had only used eighty percent of his strength in that last strike, so he was momentarily puzzled by Xiaoxing’s strong reaction.
’Judging by her expression just now, it seems Xiaoxing used her full strength. Could it be that a Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm only has this much power?’
’It seems I’ve greatly underestimated my own level of strength. My Iron Armor Skill is at Great Success, and my Bear Skin Grinding Technique is approaching Perfection. Even using just eighty percent of my strength, I’m far stronger than an ordinary Perfect Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm.’
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Chen Cheng called out, "I’m still a little ways from Skin Grinding Realm Perfection. Miss Xiaoqing, shall we continue?"
The torrential rain poured down. Water streamed down Xiaoxing’s cheeks, but she was completely oblivious. Her eyes were locked on Chen Cheng, her lips pressed into a thin line, her fighting spirit flaring even brighter.
After a long moment, she finally spoke. "To have such power while only at Great Success in the Skin Grinding Realm... you truly possess Innate Divine Power.
But this level of strength alone might not be enough to defeat me!"
With that, she stomped her left foot forward, sending rainwater splashing. Pointing her longsword toward Chen Cheng, she shot forward to attack.
She had made up her mind. Since she couldn’t win with brute force, she would compete on the finesse of their techniques and her combat experience, settling the duel through the finer details of their skill.
When it came to actual combat, she had acted as a sparring partner for her mistress, Shen Qingshuang, countless times, grasping many profound subtleties of swordsmanship from her. She had been immersed in the Perfect Level of her Sword Technique for two full years. Although she had yet to comprehend Sword Momentum, she was confident the finesse of her moves could absolutely overwhelm Chen Cheng, who had only recently reached the Perfect Level.
Fighting in the heavy rain, her steady and weighty Frost Snow Sword Technique was better able to display its full power than Chen Cheng’s fast and agile Saber Technique.
The inner courtyard was flat, with a solid bluestone ground, also making it ideal for her swordsmanship.
The timing, the terrain, and her own condition were all in her favor. How could she not win?
’So we’re getting serious? I like it when my opponent gives it their all. This way, I’ll have a better measure of other Martial Artists with Perfect Level Skills in the future.’
A glint flashed in Chen Cheng’s eyes. His long saber erupted into a chaotic dance as he surged forward, unleashing the full might of his Perfect Level Wind Chasing Saber Technique.
Instantly, two figures—one saber, one sword—began to clash relentlessly amidst the storm, their weapons producing a constant clang of metal on metal.
Chen Cheng’s Wind Chasing Saber Technique was all about speed, precision, and agility. Each move was as swift as lightning, the shadow of his blade leaving no trace as it was cleverly concealed by the curtain of rain, striking like a phantom.
Meanwhile, Xiaoxing’s Frost Snow Sword Technique was both solid and heavy, yet it possessed a cunning, incisive edge. It was incredibly fierce, and she didn’t give an inch.
"’Young Master and Miss Xiaoqing are both so incredible!’ Xi’Er murmured, her eyes wide. She stood under the eaves of the main residence, still clutching Xiaoxing’s cloak, having forgotten to put it down."
"COO... COO... COO..." The Night Owl stared as well, its large, reddish-yellow eyes wide, flapping its wings repeatedly in excitement.
In the courtyard, after another fifty or sixty exchanges, Xiaoxing suddenly knocked Chen Cheng’s long saber aside with her sword. She then withdrew her weapon and stood still, a hint of frustration on her face.
Chen Cheng stopped in his tracks and smiled. "Miss Xiaoqing, why did you stop?"
Honestly, since he began his saber cultivation, this was the first time he’d had such an exhilarating, unrestrained match. He was just starting to have fun.
From their recent exchange, Chen Cheng had managed to gauge a few things. Xiaoxing was strong, but if he went all out, he could defeat her within twenty moves using just his Perfect Level Wind Chasing Saber Technique.
Of course, that was only using eighty percent of his power. If he used his full strength, she wouldn’t last ten moves against his Perfect Level Wind Chasing Saber Technique.
And if he used his Wind Chasing Saber Stance, he could defeat her in a single move.
"I can’t defeat you!" Xiaoxing said, walking back into the pavilion. There was a hint of reproach in her eyes. "Chen Cheng, you’re much, much stronger than I imagined."
Without realizing it, her way of addressing him had changed from Chief Chen to calling him by name.
The change seemed trivial, but to her, it meant that she had subconsciously begun to see Chen Cheng as someone far more formidable than a mere Chief Constable.
Chen Cheng followed her into the pavilion, shrugged, and said, "Miss Xiaoqing, your swordsmanship is incredible. I was quite impressed myself."
"Chen Cheng, were you using your full strength just now?" Xiaoxing asked, staring at him intently.
Her intuition told her that Chen Cheng probably hadn’t used his full strength. Yet, her pride as a Martial Artist made her cling to a sliver of hope. ’Maybe he really was going all out?’
Chen Cheng was only eighteen. He had been cultivating the Martial Dao for a full three or four years less than she had. If he had been going all out just now and was still only her equal, his talent for the Martial Dao would already be considered monstrously high.
But if he had been holding back... just how terrifying was his talent? She feared that even her own mistress, Shen Qingshuang, couldn’t possibly compare.
Chen Cheng was caught off guard by the question and, for a moment, didn’t know how to respond.
If he just placated her by saying he had used all his strength, it would feel too dishonest. After all, he wasn’t the kind of deceitful person who could lie with a straight face.