In the far corner of the training ground!

"Unbelievable. He actually countered the seventy-six sword strikes of the Twin Dragon Phantoms. Who exactly is that kid?" The speaker was none other than the young instructor who taught the students their magic arts. Beside him stood a young warrior with a grim expression. Both men were watching Xing Chen and Yan Luo quickly departing.

"I don't know who he is, but I can be certain of one thing: he hasn't shown his true skill yet," the young warrior continued. "What he did just now was merely testing Jian Xin's capabilities."

"What?" The young mage instructor gasped in shock. "How is that possible? Does that mean his power far surpasses Jian Xin's?"

"Precisely. What he did just now was less about testing Jian Xin's strength and more about analyzing the trajectory of the Dragon Shadow Swordplay," the young warrior said, clenching his fist involuntarily. "I never imagined someone so young could achieve such astonishing mastery."

"............" The young mage murmured, "Judging by his age, he looks no older than fifteen or sixteen."

"There’s no set ratio between strength and age. Think of Long Yuan Fei Xue; he reached the Red Moon level of power when he was only sixteen."

"Then how strong do you think that kid's real power is?" asked the mage.

"I don't know. You’d have to fight him personally to find out," the young warrior replied solemnly.

"So, you can't resist the urge to fight him either?" the mage chuckled lightly.

"Of course. A worthy opponent is hard to find," the young warrior declared immediately.

"As expected of Jian Chi," the young mage commented. "Then did you discern anything about his lineage or teacher?"

"His offensive swordplay was very simple, and his defense relied mostly on agility and footwork to evade," the young warrior, Jian Chi, pondered. "Stylistically, it strongly resembles the renowned technique of the Ling Feng Swordsman, the Ling Feng Sword Style. Moreover, he was using the Ling Feng Sword."

"Could he be a successor from the Ling Feng family of the North Sea?" the mage inquired.

"I can't be certain," Jian Chi admitted. "But the Master would surely know."

.............................

The moon hung high in the middle of the sky!

At this moment, I was completely sleepless. The memory of the sword fight earlier that day kept replaying in my mind. I was intensely curious about those two unpredictable Dragon Shadows—what exactly were they? Jian Xin had revealed an entirely new world of martial arts to me. I never imagined such miraculous sword skills could exist. Although I could easily defeat Jian Xin with my current power, my strength was already at the initial stage of the Red Moon level. If an opponent of the same rank used such an ultimate technique, I didn't know if I could still handle it with such composure.

And this was only the second layer of the Dragon Shadow Swordplay. Jian Xin was only an eighteen-year-old young warrior. What would the Dragon Shadow Swordplay look like when executed by a master expert from Dragon Shadow Villa? There were far too many things I wanted to know.

But the most perplexing thing was how Jian Xin controlled those two Dragon Shadows. Could the legendary Sword Control Art truly exist? Thinking this, I subconsciously shook my head. There must be some profound secret to it; I suspected this was the very core mystery of the Dragon Shadow Swordplay. At this thought, the habit of rational thinking ingrained from my modern life resurfaced. Those two Dragon Shadows must be related to the circulation of Battle Qi. I distinctly remembered that Jian Xin had condensed his Battle Qi onto the Frost Condensing Sword before those two golden dragons appeared. Afterward, those two golden dragons even materialized into physical forms to attack me. It seemed the secret lay with that Frost Condensing Sword. I was sure that sword could not be an ordinary Frost Condensing Sword. How did he manage it?

I pondered for a long time but couldn't figure anything out. This was far beyond the scope of my understanding. It seemed the Marfa World truly wasn't a place that could be measured by common sense. At least, trying to comprehend the things in this world using my modern thought process felt utterly futile.

However, since I came to Dragon Shadow Villa specifically to learn swordsmanship, and I believed Lu Tong's recommendation would secure my entry into the Villa, perhaps then I could finally unravel the mystery of those two Dragon Shadows.

Thinking this, I felt much more at ease. I truly hoped Jian Li would return to the Villa soon.

Just as I was lost in thought, the light in Yan Luo’s room flickered on. A moment later, Yan Luo pushed open the door and stepped into the courtyard.

"Not asleep yet?" I asked casually.

"Neither are you," she replied. Under the moonlight, Yan Luo possessed an ethereal, fleeting quality, lacking her usual cold arrogance and indifference, replaced instead by an aura of peace and tranquility.

"Thinking about some things."

"The Dragon Shadow Swordplay?" Yan Luo asked.

"Yes," I nodded slightly. "I just can't figure out what those two Dragon Shadows actually are, and why they seem capable of flying freely."

"Heh, that’s not strange at all. The sword styles of Dragon Shadow Villa rely on exquisite Battle Qi control to achieve the feat of controlling objects remotely. Through a special method of Qi circulation, they establish a mysterious link between the Battle Qi within the body and the weapon, allowing for free manipulation of the weapon's trajectory."

"Battle Qi, controlling objects remotely?" I was stunned. "That—how is that possible?"

"What? You’ve never even heard of it?" Yan Luo looked at me in surprise.

"Battle Qi can control objects remotely? This is the first time I've ever heard of it." I felt a little embarrassed. Indeed, as a warrior, I seemed to know too little.

"I truly don't know how you acquired your skills, not even knowing about the renowned Dragon Shadow Swordplay," Yan Luo sighed in wonder.

"Who said I don't know it?" I retorted. "The Ranger's Manual clearly states that the Dragon Shadow Swordplay is one of the ultimate Warrior skills on the Marfa Continent, ranked alongside the Heaven Cleaving Slash of the Demon Sealing Empire, the Soul Breaking Slash of the Cang Yue Empire, and the Lion's Roar of the Dragon Demon Empire as the Four Great Secret Arts of the Marfa Continent—techniques kept exclusively within the imperial families of the four nations."

"Is that all you know?" Yan Luo looked at me curiously.

"Is there anything else?" I felt slightly guilty.

"Then tell me, what is the name of the current King of Bi Qi?" Yan Luo asked.

"Jian... Shan," I muttered. The Ranger's Manual did record these things, but suddenly it dawned on me: "Could Dragon Shadow Villa have some connection to the Royal Family?"

"Indeed!" Yan Luo confirmed. "The first Master of Dragon Shadow Villa was Jian Xing, who was enfeoffed as the Northern King in the seventh year of Xuan He, and he founded Dragon Shadow Villa. It is said this Prince was also a top master within the Royal Family at that time."

"So Dragon Shadow Villa has this relationship with the Royal Family. No wonder they possess the Dragon Shadow Swordplay," I realized with a start.

"Now you understand," Yan Luo said.

"In that case, it seems impossible for me to learn the Dragon Shadow Swordplay," I said with some disappointment. "After all, I'm not from the Royal Family."

"I don't know about that now," Yan Luo replied. "The Dragon Shadow Swordplay isn't something just anyone can learn."

"..." I felt deeply disappointed.

"However, besides the Dragon Shadow Swordplay, Dragon Shadow Villa has many other profound skills. Learning even one or two moves would be enough for you," Yan Luo continued. "Besides, your swordsmanship isn't bad either."

"Perhaps," I said helplessly. "It’s just that the two Dragon Shadows of the Dragon Shadow Swordplay are too miraculous. Not being able to learn them makes me truly unwilling to give up."

"Be content with what you have," Yan Luo snapped back, though immediately her expression grew distant as she gazed at the bright moon above, seeming to look past it to some distant place.

"You have something on your mind."

"I don't know how things are in the Palace now, with the great battle against the Raging Dragon Gang imminent." Yan Luo voiced her concern.

"Is it alright for you not to go back and help at a time like this?"

"It's fine. The Palace Master has made arrangements," Yan Luo explained. "In truth, my temporary disappearance is merely a tactic to confuse the Raging Dragon Gang's spies. As long as I don't show up, the entire Gang will remain hesitant, always wary of a stab in the back from me." Yan Luo sounded somewhat dejected. "Besides, in the last confrontation at the Death Coffin, my Flying Cloud Hall was essentially wiped out." Yan Luo gave a bitter smile. "Even if I stayed at the Palace, I couldn't offer much help."

"........." I was taken aback, realizing then that Yan Luo's current situation was perhaps not optimistic. "Victory and defeat are common in warfare; why dwell on it so much!" I tried to comfort her. "The important thing is you are alive. As long as you don't give up, you can surely make a comeback."

"Don't console me," Yan Luo said. "Actually, I don't feel bad about the present. It's just that too many brothers and sisters died in that battle, and their deaths were caused by my momentary carelessness. Thinking about it now only brings heartache." Yan Luo looked at me. "Besides that, I feel much lighter. At least now I can follow my heart and do whatever I want."

"Have you considered reorganizing the Flying Cloud Hall?" I asked.

"No chance," Yan Luo replied. "After that defeat, coupled with the loss at Kun Long Mountain Stronghold, I no longer have a foothold in the Palace. This period of 'freedom' is, frankly, just an isolation measure taken by the Palace Master for the transfer of power within the Palace."

"You are unwilling to accept it."

"It doesn't matter," Yan Luo smiled bitterly. "In truth, I know I'm not a suitable person to lead. Decisiveness, killing intent, and adaptability are not my strengths. I think even if I hadn't been defeated at the Death Coffin, I would have suffered a major setback somewhere else later on."

".........." I didn't know what to say. I also sensed that Yan Luo wasn't suited to be a leader, probably due to her personality.

"So, what are your plans from now on?" I shifted the topic.

"I'll wander around and see," Yan Luo said. "Actually, a long time ago, I dreamed of venturing out on my own, not as the Hall Master of the Flying Cloud Hall of the Divine Moon Palace, but like this now."

"Lan Yue?" I asked subconsciously.

"Yes," Yan Luo revealed a faint smile. "So, I feel that the present situation isn't bad at all."

"It seems my worries were unnecessary."

..............................

Seven days later!

"The Master has returned!" the steward, Qi Niang, said respectfully. "She asked me to take you to see him."

"Thank you for the trouble." I was overjoyed internally; I had finally waited long enough.

Yan Luo wisely stood aside. After all, Jian Li wished to see me, not her, though Yan Luo was eager to witness the contemporary Sword God famous throughout the world.

I followed Qi Niang up to a grand hall at a high point; this must be the inner courtyard of Dragon Shadow Villa, I mused. On the way up the mountain, Jian Shang had specifically warned that this area must not be entered casually. It was the residence and training ground for the Villa Master and important retainers and disciples, and outsiders were not allowed in without the Master's permission.

There were five people in the main hall, but my attention was instantly captured by the man seated in the center. He appeared to be around forty, with a face like fine jade, and sharp, defined eyebrows framing eyes like stars—giving him an ineffable air of calm composure. Just sitting there, he exuded the solid, profound stillness of a mountain. Perhaps this was the demeanor of a true master. On either side of him stood two young men, both around twenty-five or twenty-six, each powerfully built and radiating an aura of cold sternness—clearly top-tier experts. This was intuition, the unique instinct shared between martial artists. Though I hadn't fought them yet, I instinctively felt that any one of these four men possessed strength no less than Li Xie.

The moment I stepped into the main hall, I clearly sensed eight sharp gazes piercing me like swords, compelling me with the urge to turn and flee. However, my subconscious firmly controlled my body as I walked slowly into the hall.

"Young man, you are Xing Chen." The middle-aged man in the center spoke. He must be the contemporary Sword God, known as the foremost expert in Bi Qi—Jian Li.

"Yes," I replied immediately, showing no disrespect.

"I have heard about you." Jian Li spoke slowly. "To master the Blazing Fire Sword Style before the age of sixteen is truly remarkable."

"Senior overpraises me," I said respectfully.

"Overpraise?" Jian Li chuckled lightly. "I don't think so. In fact, your true strength is far more than that. Am I right?"

"..........." I was stunned. It seemed Jian Li knew something.

"None of that matters now," Jian Li stated. "I trust Lu Tong's judgment, but I wish to see for myself the heights you have reached!"

"......." I looked at Jian Li, bewildered. Did he want me to fight again?

"Jian Chi, you will be the one to test his strength." Jian Li commanded.

"Yes." One of the two men standing to Jian Li’s left stepped forward respectfully, then walked slowly to the center of the hall, where there was a platform similar to the one I saw in the great hall at Lu Tong's residence, resembling a martial arts stage.

"That is Jian Chi; his strength is no less than Li Xie's. Feel free to unleash yourself; don't worry about injuring him." Jian Li instructed.

Ah! Li Xie. It seemed Jian Li truly knew my background.

"Yes, this junior will certainly give his utmost effort." I understood Jian Li’s intention. In fact, I had expected this outcome. A competent instructor must, at the very least, understand the true level of his student, and observing through combat was undoubtedly the best method.

"Swish!" Jian Chi wasted no time. He immediately drew his Frost Condensing Sword, casually swirling it a few times before holding it defensively before his chest.

The starting stance was the same as Jian Xin's. I pondered internally, and at the same time, drew my own sword. Since others were aware of my origins, I had nothing left to hide; naturally, I had to use my strongest sword.

Jian Li and the other three young disciples widened their eyes, closely examining the sword in my hand.

"This is the Lightning Sword?" Jian Li mused thoughtfully. "The blade is perfectly round and slender, capable of being both rigid and soft—truly the ultimate sharp instrument for maximizing swift swordsmanship."

The other disciples nodded subconsciously. Every one of them was a top master of the Way of the Sword; they could naturally discern the subtleties of this weapon at a glance.

.............................

"Roar!" Jian Chi suddenly unleashed a sword strike. A dazzling crescent wave of white light rushed towards me.

Ah! What a powerful Half-Moon Sword Qi, and its speed was astonishingly fast. There was no warning before its launch. I was greatly alarmed and swiftly dodged three meters sideways like lightning, narrowly avoiding the unstoppable Half-Moon Sword Qi. Even so, I felt a lingering terror and trembling as if my whole body had been drained. I had never encountered such fierce Sword Qi before. Although it was just one strike, it surpassed Long Yuan Hua Yu's Sword Qi in both intensity and speed by a significant margin.

Seeing that I easily evaded this Half-Moon Sword Qi, Jian Chi was momentarily stunned, then revealed a playful smile. His Frost Condensing Sword danced lightly again, like a peacock displaying its plumage, unleashing countless dazzling, rainbow-hued rays that engulfed me from all directions. Compared to the sudden Battle Qi attack just now, the Battle Qi energy Jian Chi displayed was even more terrifying. Heavens, what kind of attack was this? Even Yan Luo's Ice Roar and Exploding Flame attacks couldn't compare to the sheer area covered by this attack. Did this guy intend to blast me to smithereens with Battle Qi?

I dared not delay. I immediately expanded my form, executing a rapid lateral shift to evade Jian Chi's Battle Qi bombardment, and then, without stopping, rushed directly towards Jian Chi for close combat. My sword stabbed towards his throat, chest, and abdomen with astonishing speed.

"Hmph." Jian Chi simply spun slightly, his Frost Condensing Sword performing a graceful rotation, acting like a light shield that managed to block the three waves of nine consecutive strikes I unleashed.

Clang, clang, clang—a rapid, brief series of sharp noises. Jian Chi’s Frost Condensing Sword miraculously blocked my nine consecutive thrusts.

What incredible reaction speed! I was greatly surprised. My Thrusting Sword Style had never met an opponent who could withstand it before. Even Hua Yu, who specialized in speed like me, couldn't block my astonishingly fast thrusts with his sword; he could only rely on his profound Battle Qi to forcibly resist the attack of my blade. Yet, Jian Chi right before me managed to block all nine strikes consecutively using only superior reflexes. This level of reflex action was far beyond my imagination. Was this guy even human?

Bang! After the last strike was blocked, I immediately retreated using the Electric Step. However, Jian Chi did not capitalize on this to counterattack. At this moment, he too was staring at me with an expression of shock.

"Fast sword," Jian Chi, this usually silent man, spoke for the first time. "No wonder they call it the Lightning Sword." The three other young warriors and Jian Li beside him also showed signs of astonishment.

"However, if this is the extent of your attack power, you cannot wound me," Jian Chi said confidently.

Damn it! I refuse to believe he can completely block my Thrusting Sword Style. Being rebuffed by my Thrusting Sword Style was a heavy blow. It seemed my speed wasn't enough; I needed to be even faster. As I retreated, I lunged forward again, thrusting my sword at the maximum speed I could muster.

At this moment, I uncontrollably recalled the modern concepts of reaction time and motor skills.

A normal human's reaction time is about 0.22 seconds. However, a few individuals can achieve 0.17 seconds, but such people are rare, perhaps only one or two in ten thousand. Even rarer are those whose reaction time reaches an astonishing 0.12 seconds—the proportion is one in ten million. But there is another category of reaction speed that reaches a shocking 0.1 seconds. In the modern world of electronic sports, the world's number one sniper in CS, JnneyR., had a reaction time of 0.1S, rumored to be the limit of human reflex time. People like this are almost nonexistent, but nothing is absolute. The Jian Chi before me might very well be a freak whose reflexes reached 0.1 seconds, just like JnneyR. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I truly couldn't believe there was anyone in this world who could intercept my sword.

Furthermore, the fastest person in the world, Anthony Kelly of Australia, unquestionably held that title. He could catch objects moving at 330 kilometers per hour barehanded and could throw ten punches in a single second.

Even my current body in this world possesses incredible flexibility, but performing ten punches in one second is impossible for me. Thrusting three times in 0.3 seconds is already my limit.

By theory, Jian Chi’s reaction time should just manage to keep pace with my speed—that was the bind I faced. Conversely, for Jian Chi to block my attacks was extremely difficult, leaving him absolutely no spare moment to strike back at me. Furthermore, the broad blade of his weapon, Ning Shuang, though excellent for defense, felt ill-suited for offense. I estimated that if my own reaction time reached 0.15 seconds, I could evade his sword strikes; this was the greatest asset upon which I relied. Although I’d never undergone professional testing, I was certain that my current body’s reflexes clocked in at an astonishing 0.12 seconds. Theoretically, if Jian Chi’s motor nerve reactions didn't surpass Anthony Kelly’s, he simply couldn't harm me with his known sword speed. After all, he wasn't throwing a punch; he was attacking with a sword. No matter how fast a sword is drawn, it can never exceed the speed of an unarmed strike.

Moreover, even if his motor reflexes could keep up with my pace, continuously wielding Ning Shuang to parry my rapier would inevitably induce a degree of muscle fatigue, causing his draw speed to drop. I was certain his fatigue would set in sooner than mine because the Ning Shuang sword was significantly heavier than my own. Additionally, I was the primary attacker, the one holding the initiative, meaning he had to maintain peak concentration constantly, leading to quicker visual strain.

Through this analysis, my odds of victory appeared substantially higher. However, all of this reasoning required excluding the crucial factor: Dou Qi. Because the attack radius of Dou Qi is immense, even with my reaction speed, completely evading his energetic assaults would be impossible; this remained my greatest present threat. Another source of my apprehension was his protective Dou Qi barrier. Breaching his physical defense with the Ning Shuang sword was already tough, but even if I managed to pierce it and strike his body, I would still need to cut through his protective Dou Qi to claim victory.

Factoring in the variable of Dou Qi intensity, my chances weren't high, yet they weren't entirely lost. This was because Jian Chi was currently not wearing the remarkably defensive War God Armor, meaning relying solely on his inherent protective Dou Qi to withstand my attacks might not be as simple as he hoped.

Therefore, the remaining course of action became much simpler: if I could push his reflexes and motor nerves to a state of exhaustion, my chances of winning would increase dramatically.

Having grasped this crucial point, my confidence soared. Even if Jian Chi could track my sword movements and successfully intercept them, I could still evade his strikes. Furthermore, in close-quarters combat, his Dou Qi advantage would be harder to deploy, as the expenditure of Dou Qi energy, based on phenomena I'd observed in this world, paradoxically decreased the body's motor function to some degree.

Stripped down to essentials, the fact that Jian Chi wasn't wearing the War God Armor was his greatest blunder. Fencing styles fear nothing more than overwhelming defense.

Hah! With my confidence restored, my imposing presence surged, and the rapier in my hand flashed like lightning, relentlessly stabbing toward Jian Chi’s vital areas. Jian Chi met me with resolute defense, Ning Shuang whirling above and below, parrying left and right. In the blink of an eye, he blocked my rapier attacks with astonishing speed. For a moment, the stage erupted in clashing steel; the incessant ringing of metal meeting metal filled the air.

Off the field, Jian Li and the three disciples stared in stunned disbelief, gasping aloud. It was known that among the four inner disciples, Jian Chi possessed the fastest movement. In terms of pure velocity, Jian Chi had never lost to anyone. Yet, here, Jian Chi and Xing Chen were perfectly matched in speed, evenly poised. Moreover, to their discerning eyes, it was clear that while Xing Chen couldn't breach Jian Chi’s guard, Jian Li equally had no opening for a powerful counterattack.

Both sides engaged in a contest of pure speed. In the time it took to blink, nearly a hundred exchanges had passed. But Xing Chen's sword grew faster—no, it wasn't that his sword was getting faster, it was that Jian Chi’s sword was slowing down.

After three hundred exchanges, several of Xing Chen’s strikes pierced Jian Chi’s defense and struck his body. Fortunately, Jian Chi’s protective Dou Qi was formidable; even when Xing Chen’s blade connected, it failed to cause him harm.

With a loud thump, Jian Chi’s protective Dou Qi once again blasted Xing Chen and his sword far away. Simultaneously, Jian Chi advanced rapidly, Ning Shuang cleaving forth like lightning and moving as swiftly as the wind, completely enveloping Xing Chen’s dark silhouette. Yet, amid the countless flashes of steel, Xing Chen remained calm and composed, moving like a ghost. His uncanny form weaved left and right, dodging Jian Chi’s sweeping Ning Shuang strikes at the critical moments. Moreover, he consistently managed to pierce with a deadly thrust precisely when Jian Chi exposed a momentary flaw.

One figure gray, the other black, two forms swift as lightning crisscrossed within the circle, pursuing one another until they became indistinguishable. In a flash, over six hundred exchanges had passed, yet neither could overcome the other.

Jian Li and the disciples beside him watched, mouths agape.

“Incredible! He’s actually keeping pace with Jian Chi!”

“Yes, in terms of speed, he even seems to have the upper hand on Jian Chi.”

“I’d call it a draw.”

“Why isn’t Jian Chi using the Dragon Shadow Sword?”

“Jian Chi won't do that,” Jian Li stated gravely. “If he wins by using the Dragon Shadow Sword, the victory holds little meaning.”