"Lord Leng, how about I have a spar with Young Master Li?" Lin Zizhi asked with a smile, the corner of his mouth slightly curled—a look that hinted at both mockery and a cold smirk.
Leng Wushuang glanced back at Li Muzhan, gave a faint nod, and said, "Very well." Lin Zizhi immediately beamed, chuckling, "Lord Leng is exceedingly confident in Young Master Li! Excellent, truly a case of the young heroes rising!"
Leng Wushuang turned to Li Muzhan and advised, "Do your best, but don't force yourself!" Li Muzhan nodded. "Yes." With Leng Wushuang present, his life was certainly not in jeopardy. He narrowed his eyes, taking in Lin Zizhi. When a person abandons all pretense of dignity, they become unstoppable. This Lin Zizhi clearly had no regard for face, which made him truly terrifying.
Such a person could not be judged by conventional standards. What one assumed he wouldn't do, he might, and what one expected of him, he might deliberately avoid.
Moreover, this man held a deep-seated hatred for Star Lake Lodge because of Lin Ping. The fact that he was willing to cast aside all propriety just to kill Li Muzhan only underscored the depth of that enmity.
"Come then, Young Master Li, you make the first move!" Lin Zizhi stepped back, waving his hand. The six elders followed suit, clearing an open space.
The moonlight poured down like water, and the light from the two lanterns at the entrance was dim, yet it was sufficient for them to see clearly.
Li Muzhan stepped forward two paces, positioning himself about ten feet from Lin Zizhi. He slowly drew the long saber at his waist. "Altar Master Lin, I await your instruction!" The blade caught the moonlight, radiating a chilling aura as it swung before him, reflecting in his eyes. Lin Zizhi waved his hand and smiled. "I shall meet Star Lake Lodge's ultimate techniques with my twin palms. Come!" Li Muzhan swung his saber down in a powerful chop—a flash of light like a cascading waterfall, brilliant and dazzling.
"A fine saber technique!" Lin Zizhi shouted, driving a Cloud Piercing Palm through the glittering cascade of light and landing it squarely on Li Muzhan's blade.
"Clang..." The blade shuddered violently, and the light instantly dimmed, nearly vanishing. Li Muzhan felt a surging, potent force pour through the metal, from the hilt to his wrist, and into his very core.
Li Muzhan inhaled deeply, his left hand forming an arcane gesture. This surge of internal energy immediately followed a unique set of meridians downward, channeling out through the Yongquan point beneath his foot.
He stamped his foot lightly, and his figure shot forward with incredible speed—and he brought the saber down again.
His mastery over channeling internal energy was now superb, and his technique for redirecting force was extraordinarily profound. This wasn't derived from any single manual but was a unique synthesis of insights gleaned from several heart techniques, now operating as instinctive reaction.
The arcane gesture of his left hand served to guide the momentum, like fitting a bamboo tube to direct the flow of water; the internal energy was the water itself.
The saber light flashed again. This strike was imbued with perfect vigor and even greater power. Lin Zizhi's Cloud Piercing Palm struck the blade accurately once more, producing a sharp "ding."
Li Muzhan used his left hand to execute the peculiar posture, while his right hand swung the saber again, the light flickering fiercely.
One attacking, one defending—they locked into a fierce exchange, creating a stalemate.
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Li Muzhan’s saber strikes did not appear overtly fast, yet they possessed a strange, continuous rhythm, like an endless waterfall—one strike following the other. Even when struck by a palm, his assault showed no sign of stagnation.
His saber moved like water; Lin Zizhi’s palms moved like blades attempting to sever the flow—severing the water only makes it flow further—he could not break Li Muzhan's rhythm. The attack continued in an unbroken stream.
Lin Zizhi’s Cloud Piercing Palm was exquisitely precise, landing accurately on Li Muzhan’s blade every time, which was not difficult since the saber itself wasn't moving at maximum speed. However, the blade carried a peculiar latent force. Upon impact, Lin Zizhi’s palm went momentarily numb. This slight paralysis delayed his next move. In that instant of hesitation, Li Muzhan’s saber arrived again.
Lin Zizhi felt suffocated but utterly helpless. He tried to circulate his energy to expel the sensation, but he couldn't; the electrical current of the force was too pure and potent.
As they remained locked in this stalemate, about fifty exchanges passed in the blink of an eye. Li Muzhan's eyes grew brighter, his spirit and essence more vigorous, and the saber light more dazzling.
Lin Zizhi frowned incessantly. He could feel Li Muzhan’s improvement, as if a dust-covered gem were being gently polished, growing brighter by the moment.
With every passing moment, the force within the saber grew stronger and purer, making it increasingly arduous to deflect or absorb. To speed up his own movements was proving agonizingly difficult.
If this continued, after another hundred moves, he might actually find himself suppressed. Lin Zizhi gritted his teeth secretly, then suddenly burst into a long laugh: "Hahaha, excellent! Excellent! Young Master Li’s saber technique is truly masterful. It lives up to the reputation of Star Lake Lodge’s martial arts. I have learned much today!" Li Muzhan responded calmly, "Altar Master Lin is too kind!"
His saber light did not cease; one strike followed the next. The Mountain Severing Saber Technique was gradually entering a state of perfection. He felt no obstruction in his body; his vital energy flowed unimpeded, bringing immense satisfaction to his heart.
Initially, he had to consciously divert attention to neutralizing Lin Zizhi’s palm force. But as the Mountain Severing Saber Technique flowed smoother and grew stronger, his Saber Intent coalesced within it, blending perfectly with his internal energy. Lin Zizhi’s palm force could no longer penetrate; it was simply blocked outside the blade.
Only then did Li Muzhan feel a true sense of flow. The Mountain Severing Saber Technique was indeed profound and utterly exhilarating.
Lin Zizhi laughed heartily, "It seems my palm skills are inadequate. Then I shall switch to the sword! Young Master Li, be careful!"
"Bring it on!" Li Muzhan replied.
"Zheng," a sound like a dragon’s roar echoed, and a streak of piercing cold light shot up from Lin Zizhi’s waist, hurtling towards Li Muzhan with unparalleled speed.
Li Muzhan brought his saber down in a slash—"Ding..." a clear chime that lingered melodiously.
Their weapons recoiled, and Li Muzhan's feet floated slightly as he retreated two steps before launching a fresh assault, his saber light transforming into a vibrant ribbon cleaving downward.
"Clang..." Their weapons met again.
"Clang, clang, clang, clang..." Their blades and sword clashed incessantly. They abandoned refined maneuvers, opting instead for a direct contest of raw power—a head-on collision.
This suited Li Muzhan perfectly; the Mountain Severing Saber Technique emphasized force over finesse. It also suited Lin Zizhi, whose internal energy surpassed Li Muzhan’s, naturally intending to shatter his opponent with sheer dominance.
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Both holding this thought, they settled into a deadlock, their weapons locked in constant battle. Li Muzhan planted his feet, refusing to yield an inch, standing firmly in place.
The relentless, wave-like sword light was like a raging tide; Li Muzhan stood immovable as a reef, enduring the onslaught of wind and waves.
The surrounding observers shook their heads. This level of swordsmanship and saber work possessed no true finesse—it was pure hacking and slashing, resembling the brawling of children.
Li Muzhan's Saber Intent crisscrossed the area, merged seamlessly with his internal energy. Under the tempering of the sword light, it grew progressively denser and more powerful. He was in no way disadvantaged.
Although his internal energy was not as deep as Lin Zizhi’s, he held the advantage of a profound saber technique amplified by Saber Intent, allowing him to fight to a draw that appeared evenly matched, much to the astonishment of the six elders.
While they recognized Li Muzhan’s substantial internal reserves, they hadn't expected them to match the Altar Master’s level. Lin Zizhi was indeed a genius; though only middle-aged, the depth of his internal energy surpassed even the six of them combined.
To witness something even more marvelous today was unexpected. Although Star Lake Lodge only recruited elite talent, a talent of this caliber was rarely seen in a century.
It was no injustice that Young Altar Master Lin was defeated by this Li Zhu.
Leng Wushuang, in her white robes, seemed detached, observing everything with an air of nonchalance.
"Hahaha, Young Master Li’s saber skills are formidable; I am truly impressed!" Lin Zizhi laughed loudly, shaking his head. "It has been a long time since I met someone who could trade over a hundred moves with me!" Li Zizhi responded calmly, "Altar Master Lin concedes!" Lin Zizhi shook his head with a smile. "This is Young Master Li’s genuine strength. I must now resort to my ultimate trump card—Young Master Li, be cautious!" "Bring it on!" Li Muzhan said. Lin Zizhi burst into laughter again. Suddenly, the sword light flashed once, and all the dispersed radiance vanished. Before Li Muzhan stood only this single sword, moving slowly, coiling like a turtle, aimed steadily at his chest.
Initially, the sword light was scattered and unremarkable. As it approached Li Muzhan, the luminescence on the blade grew brighter and brighter, until, just centimeters from his chest, it shone with an unbearable glare.
Li Muzhan shifted his stance diagonally, dodging the strike. He sensed this sword thrust was profoundly bizarre. He glanced at the blade and felt as if his very spirit and essence were being drawn into the steel.
Li Muzhan’s mental fortitude was strong, allowing him to overcome the pull easily, but the strangeness of the attack made him wary. He dared not meet it head-on, so he evaded the strike, choosing to observe the next development.
Lin Zizhi flipped his wrist, redirecting the momentum of the sword, and immediately thrust toward Li Muzhan again.
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His sword momentum resembled a boulder rolling down a mountain, accelerating relentlessly. Even as he curved the blade and changed the angle, the movement was so fluid that it did not impede the overall increase in speed.
Starting slow, it became faster and faster—first slow as a tortoise, then swift as a meteor. It then morphed into several phantom strikes, finally resolving into a single, icy star where the blade itself could no longer be discerned.
Leng Wushuang frowned, moving slightly closer, lest she be too late to intervene. The six elders followed suit, guarding against any sudden treacherous move from Leng Wushuang.
Li Muzhan felt a chill in his heart. He held his saber vertically before his chest, shifting his feet, relying on pure instinct and sight to parry..."Clang, clang, ding, ding..." The sounds of metal meeting metal were incessant as he was forced backward step by step.
The power behind the sword was immense and growing, like a snowball rolling downhill. Without the Mountain Severing Saber Technique, he could not possibly defend, but at this extreme speed, the Mountain Severing Saber Technique was also proving inadequate.
Li Muzhan sighed inwardly; his saber technique was still far short of mastery, at least unable to defeat speed with slowness. Facing this peculiar sword style, he had no strategy left.
He had to use all his focus, parrying while frowning. This defensive posture was unsustainable; facing a torrent like this, nothing could stop it, and the final outcome was predictable.
Unless he was impaled, the sword would only grow faster. Trying to block it with the saber was nearly impossible. At this critical juncture, there was no alternative.
He made a resolute decision, his expression hardening, his eyes gleaming with intense light. Suddenly, his movements faltered. He couldn't bring his long saber up in time. The tip of the sword hissed—chii—and pierced into his right chest.
Li Muzhan emitted a muffled groan. His right hand released the saber, which clattered to the ground. He stared straight at Lin Zizhi, pressing his right hand against the embedded sword.
Lin Zizhi smiled faintly, his eyes alight with triumph, seemingly ready to sing an ode of victory.
"Li Zhu!" Leng Wushuang barked, gliding swiftly toward the center of the fray. Six figures instantly flashed out, blocking her path—all launching palm strikes outward.
Li Muzhan, clutching the sword with his right hand, stared at Lin Zizhi as he slowly fell backward. His left hand twitched almost imperceptibly.
Lin Zizhi had been distracted by Leng Wushuang. By the time he noticed the cold light flashing before him and tried to evade, it was too late. He felt a sharp pain in his throat, and his breath instantly caught.