area51novel Chapter 62 Flowing Cloud Sword
Chapter 62 Flowing Cloud Sword
Then, the young man from the Lu family shouted from the stage.
"Round 2, Match 4"
"Feng Ping of Huode Sect, and Lin Zifeng of Liuyun Sword."
"Please come up on stage, both of you!"
Upon hearing their names called, Feng Ping and Lin Zifeng quickly went up onto the stage.
Fengping still looked the same, except that his pigtails had turned into a bald head.
Lin Zifeng was fourteen or fifteen years old, with a handsome face. He had a long sword hanging at his waist, which was plain and undecorated, with a scabbard as black as ink.
The Flowing Cloud Sword is a swordsmanship specialty with a long history and unique techniques.
The lineage of this sect can be traced back to the Tang and Song dynasties. Although the number of people is not large now, it was once very prosperous.
This school uses the sword as a medium and controls the sword with qi. It does not seek complicated and varied techniques, but only aims to break through all methods with a single sword strike.
From a young age, the disciples focused their minds on the sword, honing their sword energy day after day. When they reached a high level of mastery, their sword strikes were ever-changing, like clouds emerging from a mountain peak, unpredictable and elusive.
Legend has it that when the top masters of the Flowing Cloud Sword unleash their full power, the sword's momentum stretches like a sea of clouds in the mountains, layer upon layer, endless and boundless. Often, opponents are defeated before they can even see the sword's path.
Lin Zifeng had only been a disciple for a short time, but he was the fastest to improve his swordsmanship among his peers. His swordsmanship was already showing promise, and he was even regarded by the elders of the sect as the hope for the revival of the Flowing Cloud Sword.
Fengping stood on the other side of the stage, his bald head particularly striking in the morning light.
He looked Lin Zifeng up and down, then grinned.
"Brother Lin, what a fine demeanor!"
Lin Zifeng nodded slightly without saying a word.
The bell rang.
Lin Zifeng placed his right hand on the hilt of the sword, and with a clear clang, the longsword was drawn, its blade gleaming with a thin layer of white light in the morning glow.
With a flick of his wrist, he thrust out his longsword, its sword energy crisscrossing the air, drawing a straight white line as it hurtled towards Fengping.
This sword strike may seem simple, but it contains many hidden variations.
Wherever the sword energy passed, the air was torn apart, emitting a sharp whistling sound, demonstrating that the power and speed of this sword strike should not be underestimated.
Feng Ping dodged to the side, and the sword energy grazed his shoulder, striking the floor behind him and leaving a half-inch deep groove.
He glanced at the floor behind him, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. Then, with a flick of his right hand, a ball of crimson flame condensed in his palm, which instantly turned golden.
Gold fire!
At the same time, Lin Zifeng's second sword was already upon them.
Fengping raised his hand, and golden fire burst forth forward, using offense as defense.
Chi Chi!
The sword energy and the flames collided and tore at each other, but the power of the golden fire was far superior to Lin Zifeng's sword energy. The stalemate lasted only a moment before the golden fire burned the sword energy to ashes and continued to advance.
Lin Zifeng frowned slightly, first holding his longsword horizontally to parry the golden fire, then his figure shot out and attacked Feng Ping.
The Flowing Cloud Sword is known for its swordsmanship, but in close combat, Feng Ping, who is skilled in magic, would be no match for it.
But Fengping was obviously aware of this as well, and immediately retreated, putting distance between himself and Lin Zifeng.
He clenched his palm, and the golden fire re-condensed into a ball, then suddenly spread out. A three-legged golden crow with a wingspan of nearly ten feet flew out from the firelight, let out a clear cry, and pounced on Lin Zifeng.
Golden Crow bursts into flames!
Lin Zifeng pressed down with his longsword, attempting to block with the blade.
However, at the very moment the golden fire touched the sword, a scorching heat surged into his arm along the sword, almost burning his flesh.
Lin Zifeng instantly bounced back, no longer blocking head-on, but instead using the blade of his sword to deflect the attack.
He steadied himself, his hand gripping the sword already burned, and gave Fengping a deep look.
He understood that the power of the golden fire far exceeded that of ordinary flames, and that his sword energy and sword body could not withstand prolonged contact.
The only chance of victory is to launch a preemptive attack with speed and skill before the fire fully erupts, denying Toyohira the opportunity to unleash his wide-ranging tactics.
Having figured this out, Lin Zifeng took a deep breath, his inner energy surging, and the sleeve of his right arm holding the sword fluttered in the wind.
Then, a sword was thrust out.
The Flowing Cloud Sword Technique is ever-changing and magnificent!
Every sword flash could be a real attack or just a feint; one sword is still in mid-air when the next strikes from an unbelievable angle; the swordplay is continuous and fluid, like flowing clouds and water, making it impossible to defend against.
A hint of seriousness finally flashed in Fengping's eyes.
He spread his hands outwards, and golden flames burst forth from his palms, enveloping his entire body.
The sword energy cleaved through the flames, leaving a bloody gash on his body, and was about to go further to kill him.
But just then, Feng Ping's figure flickered, and his whole body suddenly turned into golden flames and disappeared from the spot.
Fire Release!
The next instant, three zhang behind Lin Zifeng, a small ball of burning embers suddenly sprang up, and Feng Ping's figure emerged from the embers.
He was engulfed in flames, his right fist crackling with golden fire as he lashed out, aiming straight for Lin Zifeng's back.
Sensing the scorching heat coming from behind him, Lin Zifeng knew danger was imminent without even turning around.
He quickly twisted his wrist, reversed the sword, and rolled forward, barely avoiding the punch.
But the embers of the golden fire still swept across his sleeve, and the fabric instantly caught fire. He quickly swung his sword and cut off his sleeve, but his arm was already scorched red.
"Good tactic."
Lin Zifeng's burned arm trembled slightly, and he couldn't help but admire it.
Fengping grinned but didn't say anything.
Then, golden flames ignited in his palm.
This time, he didn't give Lin Zifeng a chance to catch his breath. The golden fire turned into a rain of fire that fell all over the sky.
Lin Zifeng brandished his longsword, his sword energy forming a curtain that barely managed to block most of the fire rain.
However, due to the injury to his left hand, a ball of golden fire eventually passed through his sword curtain and struck his right hand, which was holding the sword.
The longsword slipped from his hand and landed on the ground with a crisp sound.
Lin Zifeng looked down at his empty right hand, then at the sword on the ground, and said nothing.
A moment later, he bent down, picked up the longsword, sheathed it, bowed to Feng Ping, and turned to walk off the stage.
Feng Ping put away the golden fire, stood on the platform, cupped his hands in greeting to the audience, and then followed them down.
This concludes the second round of competition.
The winners of Groups A, B, C, and D are Zhang Zhiwei, Li Cunzhen, Li Muxuan, and Feng Ping, respectively.
The Lu family's original plan was to hold one round of competition per day.
However, all four matches, especially the two involving Zhang Zhiwei and Li Cunzhen, ended much faster than expected.
So much so that the second round of competition was completed in just half a day.
None of them had even had lunch yet.
The Lu family made no arrangements for the afternoon.
When Lu Xuan learned of the news, he told Old Master Lu about it.
"Uncle, this... we haven't prepared anything this afternoon. We can't just sit here doing nothing, can we? Should I call that opera troupe over again?"
Upon hearing this, Old Master Lu chuckled and waved his hand.
"What are you listening to! Hurry up and let those kids draw lots, then hold the finals tomorrow!"
"I'm waiting to see! Which one is more powerful, the top disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion or the prodigy of the San Yi Sect!"
He leaned on his cane, laughing heartily, revealing his playful, childlike nature.