Chapter 99: Not Giving Face to Shixiong

  Xiao Tingfeng turned his head to look at Li Rendao, who smiled again and covered his mouth, saying: "Rendao Shidi, just now Shixiong's sword speed wasn't the fastest. How about it? Do you have confidence in taking over? If not, why not retreat now and avoid a bit of embarrassment later? After stepping down, Shixiong will privately discuss with Shidi in detail."

  Fang Ziyuan's face turned solemn upon hearing this.

  Li Ruo stood far away, suddenly smiled slightly, his gray clothes fluttering in the mountain wind, and suddenly there was a sense of pride. He turned his hand over and made a gesture, and the long sword behind him leapt into his hand with a "ding" sound. He shook his head lightly and said, "Senior brother, I haven't fought yet, how do you know it won't work?"

  Xiao Tingfeng gave Li Ruo a glance with an expression of worry and complaint, then softly sighed and said: "Ruo Dao, you really are stubborn. Alas, how can I praise you... If you don't admit defeat on your own, this time I'll have to use my real skills."

  Li Ruo Knife nodded with force, and the figure of Xiao Tingfeng opposite him suddenly disappeared again, unknowingly crossing a distance of several meters, a swift light enlarged in front of Li Ruo Knife's eyes.

  Li Ranno's wrist lightly rotated, and a long sword suddenly shot out with a hiss. Since the opponent was so fast, Li Ranno had no choice but to use the fastest sword technique in the Flowing Clouds Sword Classic to counterattack.

  The sword blade swept across Xiao Tingfeng's sword body, and Xiao Tingfeng's long sword stabbed upwards with a "whoosh". A dazzling flash of light, Xiao Tingfeng's long sword was lightly deflected, and Li Ran's knife had already pointed to the opponent's throat. A chill wind made Xiao Tingfeng's skin crawl, and he hastily retreated a step. His long sword whirled up like the wind, and the two swords clashed with a loud "clang".

  Li Ran's sword gained momentum and didn't let up, with a swift and simple strike that flashed like lightning in the clouds, stabbing towards Xiao Tingfeng's throat once again.

  Xiao Tingfeng took a big step back, his face filled with surprise and delight. He tilted his long sword and sincerely praised: "Ran Jian, good swordsmanship, great speed."

  In the midst of the sound, two figures flashed by like two whirlwinds, each move a swift attack, their speed increasing with every strike.

  "Good!"

  The crowd erupted in applause, and all eyes turned to the two figures on stage, shining brightly.

  Li Ruo's sword was incredibly fast, and in a contest of speed with Xiao Tingfeng's Wind Sword, he didn't fall behind at all. The two fought with increasing intensity, the sound of metal clashing never-ending, and the crowd on the mountain road watched with bated breath, their hearts burning with excitement.

  Fang Ziyuan let out a long sigh.

  Li Ruo Dao did not disappoint him, regardless of whether he could win or not. With this sword speed alone, it was enough to make the Thirteen Peaks proud for thirteen days. A thirteen-year-old boy, able to hold his own against the fiftieth ranked Golden Sword for so long - Li Ruo Dao's potential for cultivation was truly astonishing.

  Xiao Tingfeng's excitement grew as the wind howled louder, his sword moving faster and faster until it reached its limit. Suddenly, his sword stance changed, blending a light and agile style with an ancient, rustic one, perfectly merging two different auras. His power surged several times over, and his long sword struck down like a stormy hammer, each blow swift and merciless, making Li Ran's knife ache with difficulty.

  A local voice echoed, followed by another sword. Li Ran's knife was stuck in his chest, and he quickly retreated several feet out of the battle circle.

  Xiao Tingfeng suddenly disappeared from the spot, only to reappear in front of Li Ran's knife with a smile: "Ran Knife junior brother, if your skills are just this much, then this arena match can end now."

  A gust of wind sword again slashed down towards Li Ran's knife.

  "Really?"

  Li Ran's eyes flashed with a hint of crystal, and his long sword suddenly made a mysterious slash. In an instant, the sky and earth seemed to be like a vast and surging river flowing from the sword to the distance.

  Locally, with a single sound of two swords intersecting, Xiao Tingfeng felt an incredible surge of power, his entire body numb and sore, he flipped over and leapt backward, his eyes widening in shock. Li Ran's knife stumbled back three steps.

  The two were evenly matched once again.

  Xiao Tingfeng was both shocked and delighted, covering his mouth with a smile: "Young Master, what kind of swordsmanship is this? Its power is so strong!"

  Li Ruo Lang replied loudly: "This is the sword technique that I, Li Ruo, have developed by borrowing the power of water, called Heavy Tide. Eldest Brother, the wind and water are circulating, come at me with another move."

  The sword was like a long river, endless and boundless. Li Ran's knife and Xiao Tingfeng's two men fought together this time, and it was another scene.

  Xiao Tingfeng's movements became even more enchanting and ethereal, but the sword in his hand seemed to have transformed into a giant from the primordial chaos, brutally chopping and hacking with an axe. Meanwhile, Li Ran's longsword was like a boundless river, with countless sword moves merging into wave after wave of powerful tides, each one crashing against the previous, surging forward with overwhelming force.

  Every sword move was a new sword technique, just like every thread of water in the waves was a new trend. The entire set of sword techniques rolled out endlessly, layer upon layer, and Qin Fengchuan below couldn't help but gasp in shock, sighing in admiration.

  At this moment, Li Ran's sword probably swung out over a thousand times, yet not one of those thousand-odd swords was repeated. Each sword was extremely ingenious in its water-like movement, weaving together in the air to form a vast misty rain that seemed to envelop everything. By the end, everyone even had an illusion, as if they were standing under a mighty waterfall, with the entire mountain waist submerged in rushing waters.

  The onlookers below finally admired Li Ran's bravery in challenging Xiao Tingfeng, realizing that it wasn't just a publicity stunt. He truly had exceptional skills, and even if he lost this match, his swordsmanship would still earn him eternal respect from the people.

  On the arena, two people were fighting fiercely. Meanwhile, on the Thirteen Peaks, a thin and dry man with a worried face was hurrying along the mountain road, rushing towards a secluded valley like a gust of wind.

  Li Ruo's battle with Xiao Tingfeng is probably over by now, but his cousin who returned from the Huanling Cave still doesn't know about this news.

  Shan Zhi exhausted all his strength and created the best record in his history in the Phantom Cave, but he was also lightly injured and stayed alone in the sword practice place to recover. He was preparing to return to his best state and go out to meet everyone, welcoming their celebrations and cheers, but as a result, he did not hear the news of Li Ruo's knife challenge.

  People rushed into the valley, panting, and as soon as they entered the valley, they shouted loudly: "Brother Biao, are you there? Come out quickly, something's happened..."

  Shan Zhi emerged from a cave on the mountain slope, his face radiant with an air of confidence. He looked down at his younger cousin at the foot of the mountain and shook his head disapprovingly: "What's wrong, Ren Hou? What's so urgent that you're in such a rush? Don't you have any of the calm and collected demeanor of a Xuanji disciple?"

  Shan Zhi has once again regained the aura and pride of a Golden Sword disciple.

  "Brother, come with me quickly! Li Ran is challenging Xiao Tingfeng at the Golden Sword Pavilion. If we don't hurry, they'll be done fighting before we get there!"

  "What..."

  Shan Zhi's expression changed in an instant, his face turned pale, and he jumped down from the high place. He grabbed Ren Tu's arm with one hand, his eyes wide open: "Ren Tu, don't talk nonsense! Li Ran challenging Xiao Tingfeng? Is he looking for death? Xiao Tingfeng is the 50th ranked Grey Robe of the Golden Sword List!"

  Ren Du used force to nod his head, with a look of anxiety all over his face: "Older brother Ge, I was talking nonsense, the two of them are probably together now, let's hurry up and go."

  Shan Zhi took a deep breath, stormed into the Huan Ling Cave and returned to the glory of the Golden Sword List, his eyebrows tightly knitted, he grabbed Ren Tu's wrist and rushed out first.

  After passing through the transmission array, entering the depths of the great mountain, a distant clamor could be heard from afar on the distant mountains.

  Shan Zhixin's heart was even more urgent, and he couldn't care about the people behind him. His body stretched out like a big bird taking flight, and with one stretch, he rushed far into the mountains. The thin, small, and dry person behind him shouted loudly: "Ah, brother, wait for me!"

  In just a moment, Shan Zhi rushed to the Golden Sword Pavilion, anxiously pushing through the crowd and squeezing in. He saw Li Ran Jian and Xiao Ting Feng engaged in an intense battle, with wind, cloud, water, and air swirling wildly around them. Suddenly, he was shocked and stood there frozen.

  "Li Ruo Dao, he...he can actually rival Xiao Ting Feng in beauty?"

  Shan Zhi's eyebrows gradually furrowed, his heart growing increasingly solemn. Watching Li Ran on stage, his sword and knife danced freely, every move extremely vivid and dynamic, with not a single repeated move among the myriad of techniques, each one able to newly interpret the momentum of heaven and earth, he was shocked and admired in his heart, he never thought that this new disciple who had just entered the mountain gate, had such mysterious and unpredictable swordsmanship.

  His face turned pale, his breathing gradually tightened, and Ren finally squeezed over from behind, turning his head to look at the stage for a long time, and finally let out a sigh, asking softly in Shan Zhi's ear: "Brother, do you think Li Ran or Xiao Tingfeng will win in the end?"

  Shan Zhi's face looked rather unsightly, and he slowly nodded: "Xiao Tingfeng."

  The man's eyes lit up and he asked in surprise: "Brother Biao, don't you think Li Ran's knife skills are impressive? I think he's not inferior at all."

  Shan Zhi smiled wryly and shook his head, saying: "Li Ruo's mistake lies in the fact that he is too arrogant. Looking at his strength, if he were to challenge Jin Jian, who ranks 51st, he would still be able to win. But instead, he chose Xiang Tingfeng. I am well aware of Xiang Tingfeng's abilities - this madman has yet to unleash the full power of his Wind Sword, the Crazy Gale Slash. Once the two of them fight to the end and force Xiang Tingfeng to reveal his true strength, Li Ruo will be in a precarious situation."

  Ren Qufu also counted with his fingers and raised his head to say in a low voice: "Brother Biao, Li Ran's knife was actually greedy for those 500 points."

  Shan Zhi nodded and smiled wryly: "Yes, I didn't know that. Challenging the 80th ranked Jin Jian would reward me with 1000 points if I win. And for every ten ranks I climb, I'll get an additional 500 points. If Li Ruo Dao can ultimately defeat Xiao Ting Feng, he can directly obtain 2500 points."

  Ren Du nodded: "Yes, Jin Jian 50th and 51st are only one place apart, but the actual difference is 500 points. Li Ranno naturally wants to move up to the previous rank."

  Shan Zhai let out another sigh: "I finally understand why Li Ran didn't accept my challenge of ten moves back then. This kid didn't want to waste the opportunity to fight a Golden Sword disciple within half a year, but..."

  As the conversation reached this point, suddenly a brilliant light appeared on stage, Xiao Tingfeng's waist swayed, his long sword rolled up with a vast killing aura, each sword edge was like a spinning wind blade, the whooshing sound of breaking through the air made people's hairs stand on end.

  One sword came out, and a wild wind rolled in, with thousands of wind blades like meat grinders trapping Li Ran's knife in mid-air.

  Li Ruo's body violently retreated, Xiao Tingfeng let out a silvery laugh, her waist twisting and turning as she appeared several meters in front of Li Ruo. Her long sword stirred up countless silver sparks in the air, dispersing all the flowing water that Li Ruo had poured out, then rapidly coiled forward.

  A fierce gust of wind, like countless sharp blades, cut through the air, bringing a killing intent that struck Li Ran's body in an instant. His long sword danced more urgently, and with each "dang" sound, he retreated step by step.

  Another loud sound echoed locally, the wind blade was too fast, forcibly opening Li Ran's sword and dozens of sharp blades pierced through the defense.

  The arena fell silent, with everyone's eyes wide open. Li Ran's toes touched the ground, and his body suddenly sprang up like a gray dragon coiling upwards, spinning higher and higher. The crowd couldn't help but watch in awe, their spirits soaring. The wind blades flew from underfoot, and Li Ran's sword was upside down in mid-air, pointing downwards with one stroke, just like the Nine Heavens Waterfall pouring down from the sky.

  "You think a trivial skill like this can take advantage of my momentary lapse and break my Wind Blade technique?"

  Xiao Tingfeng smiled, the silver light of his sword shot out from his palm, the wind blade spun rapidly, and he suddenly raised his sword to meet the attack. As soon as the two swords clashed, Xiao Tingfeng felt an endless wave of water crashing down on him, a massive pressure bearing down on his chest, and his entire body was sent flying backward with a loud whoosh.

  She spun around on her tiptoes and stopped at a distance, her face completely changed as she listened to the wind.

  Just now, Li Ran's swordsmanship was completely different from before, as if it had gained spirituality. It was not only a flowing momentum, but also contained the profound principles of heaven and earth in the sword. One sword borrowed the power of heaven and earth to use for himself, strong enough to make him completely unable to resist.

  "How did it suddenly become so strong?"

  Xiao Tingfeng gritted his teeth in silence, refusing to believe this was real. With a swift movement, he leapt up again, the wind blades on his sword surging violently. Li Ran's face was filled with confidence this time, his wrist twisting lightly as his long sword flashed, still exhibiting the intricate and flawless swordsmanship of "Ten Thousand Flowing Waters". However, each stroke now carried an additional layer of profound meaning, and a more ruthless killing intent. Effortlessly, he shattered Xiao Tingfeng's sword edge into fragments.

  The long sword flashed and was handed over, lightly spinning, Xiao Tingfeng only felt that the sword in his palm seemed to be out of control and leaned to one side, Li Ran's knife pierced straight into the chest, fast and dizzying, with a hiss, it stabbed to the front of the chest.

  Xiao Tingfeng's waist twisted rapidly, his figure like a ghostly apparition as he retreated. Li Ran's knife gained momentum and would not yield, flying forward in pursuit. The mysterious sword tip once again approached Xiao's body.

  On the stage, two figures were incredibly fast, but it was just a chase, with Li Ran's long sword about to kill Xiao Tingfeng, leaving him no room to counterattack.

  Shan Zhi's chest felt like it had been heavily pounded, and he stared blankly at the scene on stage, cold sweat dripping down his face.

  "Did Li Ran actually hold back just now?"

  Fang Ziyuan was overjoyed, nodding slowly: "I didn't expect that the sword intent of Burning Blade would be so pure and consistent, it's almost as if he has grasped five parts of the sword intent already. It's even more profound than what I have comprehended. What a genius! This is truly a talent that defies the heavens. The sword intent borrows the momentum of heaven and earth, Burning Blade's sword intent is unmatched, even Xiao Tingfeng would have to admit defeat."

  Xiao Tingfeng's face turned pale as his long sword snapped in two, and he stumbled backward, reappearing several meters away with a loud whoosh. Panting heavily, he stomped his foot and exclaimed:

  "Junior brother, you're really not giving your senior brother any face."