Utterly indignant, utterly indignant—at this moment, Zhao Nan felt nothing but immense rage and frustration. Every single one of his sword techniques had been effortlessly neutralized by Lu Yuan. The most galling part was that Lu Yuan had remained seated the entire time, eating with his right hand while wielding his sword with his left, deflecting every attack without even drawing the blade.

Lu Yuan continued to savor his meal, leisurely sending slivers of tripe, peanuts, and tofu into his mouth.

Meanwhile, the surrounding crowd was utterly astonished. Yes, Zhao Nan, as a true disciple of the Qizong sect, might not have the most exceptional swordsmanship, but the fact that Lu Yuan could completely counter Zhao Nan’s swordplay while eating with his right hand and holding his sword with his left spoke volumes about the profound depth of Lu Yuan’s mastery of the blade.

“So, Lu Yuan of Beifeng possesses such profound swordsmanship.”

“Indeed, truly remarkable.”

Of course, not everyone was so impressed. Take Wei Bei, the fourth true disciple from the Southern Peak of the Jianzong sect, standing among the onlookers. Wei Bei had already experienced Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship firsthand and knew just how terrifying it was. Thinking back to when Lu Yuan’s long sword was pointed at him, Wei Bei couldn't help but lament Zhao Nan’s fate several times over. What a pitiful situation—to duel Lu Yuan was to invite tragedy.

Wei Bei reflected on his own past tragedy, and now that the tragedy had shifted to Zhao Nan from the Western Peak of the Qizong sect, he felt an intense surge of satisfaction.

Indeed, Zhao Nan was currently the very picture of tragedy.

A furious blaze erupted in Zhao Nan’s heart.

He refused to continue down this path of misery. He had trained diligently for years at the Western Peak, reaching the apex of the Seventh Level of Qi Refining—a recognized genius. His trip to Beifeng was meant to carve out a reputation, not to serve as a foil or a spectacle for ridicule. With his swordsmanship utterly inferior to Lu Yuan’s, he had no choice left but to resort to spells, despite his initial hesitation to deploy them.

Swordsmanship was the mainstream pursuit among cultivators in the Great Jin Kingdom.

But this did not mean other fighting styles were nonexistent.

For instance, the Talisman Master was one such profession. These practitioners relied on talismans for combat, utilizing methods entirely different from the sword cultivators. If a sword cultivator lacked significant experience facing a Talisman Master, they risked suffering a major defeat.

Beyond talismans, there were spells. Members of the Huashan Qizong generally possessed less refined swordsmanship but commanded greater internal power (Fali). Consequently, spellcasting became popular within the Qizong, manifesting as a persistent barrage of magical assaults designed to overwhelm the opponent—a spell-based methodology that stood in contrast to the sword style. Zhao Nan was already deeply suffering under Lu Yuan’s hand. He had wanted to hold back his magic, to keep it concealed for a critical moment, but now, casting spells seemed his only recourse.

——————

Zhao Nan cultivated Wood Element Fali, so naturally, he employed Wood Element spells.

Leaf Thorn Technique: Dozens of leaves shot forth instantly, piercing toward the enemy with hardness akin to tempered steel.

Leaf Burst Technique: Once the leaves reached the vicinity of the enemy, they could be detonated.

Leaf Branch Technique: This spell transformed the leaves into long, whip-like appendages that lashed out at the opponent.

However, the most savage spell was the Earth Spike Technique, where tree branches suddenly erupted from the ground, lunging at Lu Yuan. If one’s evasion was even slightly slow, they would immediately be impaled and injured.

Zhao Nan unleashed every practical spell he knew in a continuous, spell-based bombardment. Faced with this barrage, Lu Yuan could no longer maintain his utterly placid composure, sitting there eating with his right hand and holding his sword with his left.

Lu Yuan set down his chopsticks, grasped his sword in his right hand, and began dodging left and right. The area of effect for spells was vastly larger than that covered by a single long sword.

Zhao Nan finally felt a surge of elation. The earlier frustration seemed to dissipate completely. So, Lu Yuan, you were just putting on a show, weren't you? Using chopsticks in your right hand and your sword in your left to deal with me. Now you have to evade too, you have to dodge! Zhao Nan resolved fiercely in his heart that he must triumph over his opponent.

Spell attacks were largely expansive, and under their onslaught, Lu Yuan was forced into continuous evasions. Zhao Nan’s joy swelled.

However, his satisfaction was short-lived, for Lu Yuan’s counterattack was about to commence.

This must be the first time I’ve faced an opponent utilizing a spell-stream style, Lu Yuan mused internally, parrying Zhao Nan’s magical assaults. He was intrigued; he had dealt with sword fighters, martial artists who fought with their bodies, and those who used puppets, but never an opponent reliant on magic.

The power of spells was formidable, but there had to be ways to counter them.

Maintaining composure during combat had always been one of Lu Yuan’s strengths. Even when facing the overwhelming dominance of Yue Xiuluo, he had managed to discern the key to Yue Xiuluo’s puppet control. Similarly, Lu Yuan now intently observed Zhao Nan as he cast his spells.

Spell casting required hand movements.

Each spell possessed a unique somatic gesture.

If he could disrupt those gestures, Zhao Nan would be unable to cast.

But at the moment, Zhao Nan was unleashing continuous, large-area spell detonations, preventing any close approach. Furthermore, Lu Yuan could not employ sword projection for ranged attacks. Closing the distance to disrupt Zhao Nan’s gestures seemed remarkably difficult. However, Zhao Nan was using Wood Element magic, meaning his spells primarily relied on wood components like branches and leaves for attack.

If his sword speed was fast enough, he should be able to intercept every branch and leaf.

Now, it was a contest of pure sword speed. He hadn't exerted himself fully before, but now he needed to get serious.

Instantly, Lu Yuan’s sword speed erupted, accelerating to an incredible velocity as he lunged forward, cleanly parrying the incoming leaves and branches summoned by Zhao Nan’s spells. Hundreds of leaves were deflected by a single sweep of his blade—a speed that was truly breathtaking.

If there was one spell among them hardest to block, it would have to be the Earth Spike Technique. Erupting from the ground, it left almost no time for reaction.

Seeing Lu Yuan’s sword speed intensify, effortlessly intercepting the leaves and branches with blinding strikes, Zhao Nan remained unruffled. He still had the Earth Spike Technique. The time it took for the earth spikes to emerge was so brief that reaction seemed impossible. Zhao Nan held absolute confidence in this spell, and with another flick of his wrist, he launched another Earth Spike Technique.

The moment this earth spike shot out, poised to strike Lu Yuan’s leg, a flash of cold light erupted—and the emerging spike was instantly severed by the long sword.

That’s possible?

That’s even possible?

What kind of joke is this? The time it took for an earth spike to breach the ground was shorter than the blink of an eye. To react within that infinitesimal timeframe, to sever the spike—how fast did Lu Yuan’s sword speed have to be? How swift were his reflexes? Zhao Nan was dumbfounded, unable to comprehend how anyone could possess such blinding reflexes and sword speed.

Meanwhile, Wei Bei, the spectator from the Southern Peak of the Jianzong sect, was weeping silent, copious tears. To sever an earth spike during that near-zero interval between its emergence and striking—what kind of sword speed did that require? This was also achievable?

He had already realized how terrifying Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship was back in Donglu County Town. Who could have imagined that after a year apart, Lu Yuan’s speed would escalate to such a horrifying level? Wei Bei truly felt his tears flow endlessly.

Wei Bei looked upon Zhao Nan with profound sympathy. To engage in combat against a genius of the Way of the Sword like Lu Yuan—the Qizong’s Zhao Nan was truly pitiful.

(A small note: I am maintaining a pace of two chapters per day these few days, accumulating energy for a massive release next Monday. Right now, I am a dormant volcano, a dormant volcano, a dormant volcano, endlessly dormant.)

(Also, I feel the title of this chapter isn't very appealing, so I am changing it to: 'Breaking Spells with the Sword'.)