Eleventh Crane said nothing, but he s.u.c.k.e.d in a deep breath and sank into deep thought.
At that moment, Purple Robes, who had remained away from the group, was finally unable to hold himself back.
"Senior Brother Happy, you have been talking about will all this while, but we don't quite understand it. I just want to know whether you've come to understand sword will. If you have, could you demonstrate it to us on the spot?"
When the person, who had always been a little out of place in their group, spoke up, he immediately attracted everyone's attention.
However, it had to be said that his suggestion suited everyone's tastes.
No one had experienced Happy's strength on a personal level before. They could only describe him as unfathomable, and that they could not fight against him with brute force, but no one knew the specific details of his strength.
Happy cast Purple Robes a glance, and under his delighted gaze, he nodded without hesitation. "Alright, sure, but I need an opponent."
"I'll do it!" Purple Robes volunteered himself.
"Okay." Happy turned to face the others and said, "Is there anyone here who can lend me a longsword? The more ordinary it is, the better."
Young Fallen Rain quickly unbuckled her sword. It was a very normal masterpiece, and Happy was a little taken aback by how normal it was. He weighed it in his hand and cast Young Fallen Rain another scrutinizing glance. When a rather embarrassed expression appeared on her face, he nodded and smiled. "This is good."
Right after saying that, his presence suddenly changed.
Clang!
A clear sword w.h.i.n.e rose, and an astonishing sword momentum charged through the air. Everyone's expresion changed upon seeing it.
Then, they noticed to their disbelief that Happy did not activate his qi realm or use any technique. He had only drawn his longsword slightly, and this tiny move alone had caused Purple Robes to feel his body shudder, and he broke out in cold sweat.
"Try to ponder over this." Happy resolutely pushed the longsword back into its sheath and returned it to Young Fallen Rain. "Alright, that's all. Let's be on our way."
Chapter 518 - Swallow Fort
Happy had used his sword will of Flying Dragon Sword Technique for that tiny move. It was hidden and laid dorman, but it was Birth of the Flying Dragon!
Purple Robes felt chills through his entire body, as if he had fallen into a cold cave. When he noticed that Happy had removed the focus of his qi from him and that the sword will had vanished, he released a long breath. He then suddenly felt his back drenched in cold sweat.
"It's amazing."
The others had also sensed the aura that had been around but not unleashed. It was incredibly fierce and filled with hostility.
A deep chill filled the bottom of their hearts. Happy did not activate his qi realm nor even attack, but he was already so powerful. If he really did attack, wouldn't his attack be as fast as lightning, and Purple Robes would be killed in an instant?
"Was that sword will just now? It's so amazing."
Eleventh Crane was closer to Happy, and he knew that Happy was not as cold and arrogant as the people said he was, so he spoke to him in a soft voice.
Happy's expression was as calm as ever. While they hurried on their way, he answered. "Flying Dragon Sword Technique. It's a shame, but I haven't reached Grandmaster Realm with it yet."
"Compared to Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palm, which is stronger?" Eleventh Crane looked like he wanted to get to the bottom of things. "You don't seem to have reached Grandmaster Realm for your Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palm either."
"They can't be compared at all."
Eleventh Crane found himself speechless.
When he heard Happy's answer, Eleventh Crane, along with the other people who were attentive to miss a single word, looked over at him with shock.
No one even considered that Happy meant that Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palm was weaker than Flying Dragon Sword Technique! Since Happy had said those words, it had to mean that Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palm was stronger than Flying Dragon Sword Technique.
Yet the pure sword will that did not contain any qi realm had already caused them to feel as if they could not fight against it. If Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palm was truly as profound and great as Happy said, then how many among them could receive even one attack from it?
For a period of time, the group fell silent.
Soon though, the group arrived at Swallow Villa.
The people from Mantuo Villa were already waiting there. Ten heroic swordswomen with fluttering blood stood in a line, and they were a sight to sore eyes. They stood behind Mantuo Villa's Madam Wang.
There were two men and two women standing beside Madam Wang.
The women were pretty, dignified, and dressed appropriately. They were the Murong Clan Lady and the people from Peach Blossom Island, but they did not know who had arrived.
One of the men was elegant, had an otherworldly air about him, and was elegant. The other had a domineering look about him, and he looked as if he was the only one in the world who could defeat himself. He looked very arrogant, and when he spoke, his gaze when he glanced at the Murong Clan Lady was a little disdainful and angry.
"The Murong Clan disciples have arrived. The people from this generation in your clan are indeed filled with talent."
The person who spoke on the large martial arts ground was Madam Wang of Mantuo Villa. She swept her gaze across Happy and his group's faces, and the aggressive spark in her eyes disappeared.
Happy and the others felt apprehensive.
It was as expected of the mother of the once greatest beauty—Wang Yuyan—in the world of martial artists. Even though she was over forty years old, she still retained her youthful looks, and her body was as curvaceous as ever. The lines of her body were beautiful, and she looked graceful as well as much stronger than some of the normal elites in the rumors.
"Madam Wong, your praises are misplaced. How can the disciples of the Murong Clan compare to your disciples, who have received your teachings after you've learned one hundred martial arts? My father has always talked about how if he could get support from Mantuo Villa, the Murong Clan would definitely be able to get more talented people who could master Shifting Stars."
"Hmph, then why don't your families get married to each other? But it's still too early for you to say such words. Once the Nangong Clan disciples and the people from Unrequited Love Valley as well as Peach Blossom Island come over, we'll have a true tournament between us, and we'll see who's the best among our sects." The middle-aged man with the awe-inspiring and domineering face had a loud voice.
"Master Nangong, you are right. The name of Island Master Eastern Heretic Huang Yaoshi of Peach Blossom Island has spread far and wide, and he has been on my mind for a long time. I wonder just how amazing his disciples will be." The elegant middle-aged man had a faint smile on his face, and he was probably someone from Unrequited Love Valley.
The woman from Peach Blossom Island spoke with a calm and steady voice. "Time is short, it's best if we don't waste it. Madam Wang, Lady Murong, if neither of you have any opinions, why don't you have the disciples from Mantuo Valley and the Murong Clan compete against each other first. We can just get rid of those who are weak straight away."
"I'm fine with it." The Murong Clan Lady swept her gaze over the Murong Clan disciples who walked over to her. "Both sides should choose their opponents. Those who win can get one point, and those who get defeated lose one point. After three matches, those whose points are in the negative will lose their right to compete. The ones remaining can fight against the aces from the other three sects."
'That's too unfair.'
The disciples from the Murong Clan and Mantuo Valley had troubled expressions on their faces, but they did not say anything. Once Madam Wang agreed to it, both sides went to the arena.
"Show perseverance when you fight! If we think that any disciple is in danger, we will interfere with the f
ight."
The people from Mantuo Valley sighed in relief.
They had heard about the representatives from the Murong Clan a long time ago, and they knew that most of them were members of Mu Clan. Their strength was extraordinary, and among the people who came was the legendary top-class player who was rumored to be the strongest in the game—Happy.
They would be lying if they said that they were not nervous, since they had to face this sort of opponent in their first fight!
However, the group of heroic swordswomen still braced themselves and chose their opponents.
"Senior brother, please grant me your teaching!"
Happy's opponent was a Mantuo Villa disciple who did not seem very special. Her face was among the nicer looking ones he had seen in his life, but she seemed to not know who she was facing.
He smiled faintly, lifted the hem of his robe, spread his palms, and motioned for the girl to attack.
The girl blushed and drew her longsword before she shouted and shot out like a bolt of lightning. Three silver sparks instantly charged to Happy's face.
"As expected of Peach Blossom Trilogy."
Happy's eyes lit up. He praised the technique and took a step forward with his body turned to the side. His opponent's attack instantly missed.
He did not even draw his sword, but tapped against the girl's hand when she was about to change her momentum. She yelped in pain, and her longsword fell to the ground.
With one move, the victor was decided.
The girl lost her weapon, but Happy never even drew his longsword. He just stood quietly in front of her longsword.
"Snow Spring, come back."
A solemn look appeared briefly in Madam Wang's eyes. In the end, she did not flick her curled finger. She just calmly called the first disciple who had lost back to her side.
The Murong Clan Lady's expression remained the same. She did not seem to be surprised at all by how quickly Happy had won.
As for Master Nangong, the Valley Master of Unrequited Love Valley, and the woman from Peach Blossom Island, they stared at Happy's face. Their expressions were abnormally stern.
"Is he Happy, the young hero who saved the six great sects?"
"Yes, he is indeed Murong Clan's Happy. He is the inner sect eldest senior brother of the Murong Clan." A faint hint of pride appeared on the Murong Clan Lady's face.
The others grew attentive when they heard it.
"He shows a high degree of proficiency in understanding toward various skills. He has the air of a master. It's no wonder then why he could be so successful in major matters."
"Indeed, he is relaxed in his movements, and his skills come with ease. The moment he saw Snow Peach Blossom Sword, he seized its weakness and struck the weapon away with one hit. What's even rarer though is his temperament of refusing to harm others. It's no wonder then why the sect leaders of the six great sects praise him so much."
"Yes."
Even Master Nangong and the valley master of Unrequited Love Valley could not help but nod in agreement. They looked much more solemn than before.
"Right now, I can't stop myself from imagining just how dazzling this young man will be in the future in the world of martial artists. What sort of title will suit him?"
Chapter 519 - Emperor’s Hammer Technique
The female disciple of Mantuo Villa who was disarmed with one hit not only did not show any signs of dejectedness, but her eyes lit up when the system notified her of her opponent's name. She was incredibly excited, and she did not manage to calm down even after a long time.
Happy used the chance to observe the other players' situation as they fought.
Young Fallen Rain ended her fight very quickly. Since Happy had given her a reminder previously to hide the secret of Joined Finger and to suddenly execute the move when she got close to her opponent to engage in close-quarter combat, she managed to force her opponent back in one go and obtained her first point!
Happy was not at all surprised by this.
Unless her opponent also had an ultimate technique, that person had to have great skills if they wanted to win against her, who had Joined Finger, or else, it would be very difficult for them to have an easy time against her.
Happy then looked away and paid attention to the female disciple who managed to fight on equal grounds against Eleventh Crane.
She had an insanely large axe which she held before herself, and it practically blocked half her body. What shocked Happy even more was that she could swing that axe that was a full person's height with her frail and thin arms, and she even did so smoothly. Her attacks were as fierce as a thunderclap.
Happy knew Eleventh Crane's abilities very well. When he saw Eleventh Crane use his advantage in distance and long-distance combat to continuously fire arrows, he thought he was looking at a powerful DPS fighter, but his opponent was not any ordinary opponent either. She used the advantage of her axe blade to repeatedly strike away the arrows. Her defense was very tight, and the arrows could not hit her. She was an impenetrable fortress.
The moment when Eleventh Crane stopped attacking, she immediately seized the chance and used it to advance more than thirty feet forward!
Eleventh Crane's eyes focused!
Without another word, he raised a foot and agilely drew his fourth-echelon Illusory Jade Bow. He grabbed two handfuls of arrows from the quiver on his back, and there were nine arrows in his hands. He positioned all of them on the quiver.
He stood on one foot while he held his Illusory Jade Bow with the other foot. He drew the bowstring with both hands, and his posture was astonishing.
Not only did Happy praise him in his heart for what he did, the other disciples who had finished their fight also noticed how extraordinary was Eleventh Crane's attack.
The fourth-echelon Illusory Jade Bow instantly gained the shape of a full moon, and nine arrows were in position to attack!
His opponent was shocked and quickly stopped!
The woman seemed to have noticed the threat. She stood her ground and quickly spun her greataxe, swinging it in a manner that it looked like a bronze metal wall protecting her behind it.
Thud!
The fierce sound of the bowstring being released was heard.
Once the nine arrows were released, they miraculously formed a line, and their speed was so fast that they rammed into the Mantuo Villa disciple simultaneously. All arrows hit their target!
Happy, too, shut his eyes tightly and used his heart to sense the change in qi.
The world formed from the movement of qi was different.
In Happy's eyes, the Mantuo Villa disciple was indeed extraordinary. The greataxe protected her while it spun around her with her feet serving as the axis, and it formed a powerful vortex that surpassed the vortex Happy originally imagined. It managed to protect her in the middle.
But Eleventh Crane's bow technique was something that belonged to the top of the crop. All arrows hit their target after they formed a line. The damage was astonishing, and they struck the area outside the vortex like nine continuous bolts of lightning.
Boom!
The first arrow was knocked aside, as everyone expected.
The second and third arrows were also knocked away, but the greataxe seemed to have received the fierce attack from the third arrow while it spun, and it clearly paused for a moment. The vortex froze for a brief moment.
When the fourth and fifth arrows came, the momentary pause became clearer and more prominent.
The flow of qi in the vortex also became much weaker, but that was to be expected. Eleventh Crane's Life and Death Realm bow technique had damage that was not that much inferior to an Inaction Realm fighter's damage. It was already very surprising for the Mantuo Villa disciple to be able to last until then, because going through Eleventh Crane's attacks was the same as receiving a few blows from an Inaction Realm martial artist!
The vortex finally became chaotic. The woman staggered and flew out from the vortex. Her breathing was
disorderly, and her grip on the greataxe did not seem as strong as before.
She barely scr.a.p.ed by the seventh arrow, but she could barely hold on to her axe. She coughed up blood and flew several feet backward dejectedly.
"My disciple admits defeat for this round."
Madam Wang flicked away the eighth and ninth arrow in time and caught the axe-wielding disciple with a face that said she could not bear seeing her suffering so much. She frowned tightly while she delivered some true qi to her disciple to help her circulate her qi and heal her wounds.
"I have succeeded in carrying out my assignment."
Eleventh Crane released a long breath and walked out of the battlefield with a calm expression.
The Murong Clan Lady nodded in praise. "There are few Murong Clan disciples who study bow techniques and long-ranged attacks. Clearly, you have deviated from the orthodox path, but it is good that you have begun to show the signs of a grandmaster with your bow technique."
Murong Clan managed to win thrice in the three rounds that had already ended.
Distinguished Dragon and Heaven also won their matches as swiftly as the wind.
They stood in their groups and watched the competition between the Murong Clan and Mantuo Villa disciples. While they gained experience by watching the fights, they also did not forget to give their comments.
"Tsk tsk… women will always be women. They only have this much strength. Looks like the Murong Clan is going to appear very awesome this time. They're going to be basking in glory after facing such weak opponents."
Everyone was the best among the disciples of their sects, so they had a bit of skill, so they were a little proud.
The remaining five matches could only be said to be very normal. Everyone was of equal strength and there was nothing that exciting about them. Naturally then, the onlookers grew a little arrogant and conceited.
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