Chapter 184 - 181: Breaking Through Under Pressure
"CLANG!" "PING! PING! PANG! PANG!"
Flashes of saber light and sword shadows flickered as the two clashed fiercely.
Ye Xing knew his Cultivation was not as profound as his opponent’s, so he avoided clashing head-on with the Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief. Instead, he pushed the flexibility and unpredictability of his Gale Sword Skill to the limit, attacking from the flanks and fighting evasively.
The only reason he had met a blow head-on at the very beginning of the fight was to probe his opponent’s Cultivation. Now that he had his answer, he certainly couldn’t afford to keep clashing directly. That single exchange had already left his arm numb from the impact. If he continued like that, he would definitely be at a disadvantage.
The Gale Sword Skill was profound and unpredictable, far superior to the Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief’s Saber Skill. This directly compensated for some of the gap in Ye Xing’s Cultivation.
"CLANG!" "CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"
Saber and sword clashed, sending sparks flying. The Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief was worried that his Nine-Ringed Saber would be broken by the Cyan Blade Treasure Sword in Ye Xing’s hands, so he had to be cautious during the fight. He had good reason to be. If he wasn’t careful and his Nine-Ringed Saber was shattered by the Cyan Blade Treasure Sword, he would be caught off guard and the situation would likely turn perilous. After all, the Nine-Ringed Saber was merely a Fine Steel Level Weapon; it was simply outclassed by the Cyan Blade Treasure Sword. This was the advantage a Treasure Artifact added to one’s combat strength. Otherwise, not so many Martial Artists in the martial world would be so obsessed with powerful weapons.
The Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief fought timidly, constantly worried his Nine-Ringed Saber would break. Ye Xing, however, had no such concerns. He specifically aimed his Cyan Blade Treasure Sword at the cracks on the Nine-Ringed Saber. With pre-existing fractures, it would be hard for the saber *not* to break after repeated collisions.
In comparison, Ye Xing held quite a few advantages. However, his Cultivation was ultimately a full realm lower than his opponent’s, so he was still on the back foot. But the gap wasn’t that large. The Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief wouldn’t be able to defeat Ye Xing in anything less than one or two hundred moves.
"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"
As the two fought fiercely, Ye Xing focused all his effort into executing the Gale Sword Skill. Under immense pressure, he threw his entire being into the battle.
Through real combat, he continuously deepened his comprehension of the Gale Sword Skill. With constant practice, his Sword Skill Realm steadily rose.
Under pressure, one’s potential is often unleashed beyond normal limits. He was constantly improving in the Selfless Realm.
"CLANG!" "PING! PING! PANG! PANG!"
A hundred moves passed in a flash. Ye Xing had yet to be defeated, and the gap in strength between him and the Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief was steadily closing.
’Damn it, this kid’s Sword Skill seems to have improved a lot. I thought I could take him down in a hundred moves, but now it looks like it’ll take at least two hundred.’ Anxious to defeat Ye Xing, the Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief’s Saber Skill suddenly became even more ferocious.
Under the moonlight, the Nine-Ringed Saber gleamed with a cold light. At times it swept across, aiming for Ye Xing’s waist; at others, it slashed diagonally, targeting his neck. Then it would chop straight down at his head, its descent carrying a fierce, howling wind.
The Cyan Blade Treasure Sword in Ye Xing’s hand flashed with a cyan light, its sharp edge on full display. The blade stirred up gusts of wind as his swift and fierce Sword Skill always managed to tap the spine of the Nine-Ringed Saber at the perfect moment, deflecting a great deal of its force.
"CLANG!" "PING! PING! PANG! PANG!"
"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"
In the center of the field, flashes of saber and sword filled the air as the two fought intensely. The surrounding bandits whispered to each other, growing extremely anxious.
"Why hasn’t the Great Village Chief beaten that kid yet!"
"I know, right? They’ve been fighting for so long. How has he not lost yet?"
"Isn’t that kid only at the Martial Arts Fourth Realm? The Great Village Chief is at the Martial Arts Fifth Realm. Don’t tell me he still can’t beat him."
"It’s not that simple. That kid in blue has a Treasure Artifact!"
"That’s not right. The kid in blue had the Treasure Artifact at the start, too, but he was a lot weaker than the Great Village Chief then. Why do I feel like the gap between them is closing the longer they fight?"
"Yeah, the kid in blue is getting stronger and stronger. The comprehension of an elite disciple from a great family is truly something else!"
"This can’t go on. Why don’t we give the Great Village Chief a hand? Let’s just swarm him and kill that kid!"
"Are you trying to get yourself killed? Where would that leave the Great Village Chief’s pride? He might get so furious he’d kill you himself!"
The crowd of bandits continued to whisper amongst themselves, their discussions growing more heated.
At that moment, on the roof of a house in the silent Lantian Village, several figures were also watching the battle at the village entrance.
"Guardian Ma, the Gang Leader’s strength seems a little weaker than the Triangular Mountain Great Village Chief’s. Will he be in danger if this continues?"
"Don’t worry, the Gang Leader knows what he’s doing. He’s using the bandit leader to hone his Sword Skill. The bandit leader is just the right amount stronger than him. Breakthroughs only come from pressure. An opponent like this is perfect for refining one’s Sword Skill."
"Yes, the Gang Leader’s comprehension is truly incredible. I feel like his Sword Skill has improved a lot in just these one or two hundred moves. But there are over three hundred bandits surrounding him. That’s too dangerous. What if they don’t play by the rules and just swarm him..."
"Hey, look, look! The bandit leader’s been stabbed by the Gang Leader’s Treasure Sword!"