Volume 1 Chapter 29: Qi Enters the Re-Match Without Worries
Back at the Easy Garden, everyone surrounded Lin Yunfeng in the middle of the Tianhuo Cave, carefully examining his injuries. After a thorough examination, Zi Yang Zhenren let out a light sigh and said: "Yunfeng's true yuan consumption this time is too great, it will have some impact on his body and future cultivation. However, he has a good foundation, so there's no major problem. But if he wants to recover to his pre-match strength, it might be a bit difficult."
Xuan Yu Zhen Ren looked at Yun Feng and said in a soft voice, "This matter can only be done with our best efforts. Brother, you should focus on healing his injuries as soon as possible. We must seize every moment to make the most of our efforts, so that we can achieve good results in this competition. Today's battle was intense, and everyone saw it for themselves. To be honest, compared to previous years, Yun Feng's performance today would have given him a chance to compete in the top six. But this time, the situation is different, and I don't need to say more - everyone has seen it with their own eyes. Before leaving, the expression on Liu Xing Hun's face was clear to see without me needing to say anything. Next time, if we encounter Tian Jian Academy's disciples again, we must be extra cautious. This time, Tian Jian Academy had eight participants, and the possibility of us encountering them in the next round is extremely high. Everyone needs to prepare themselves mentally. Since Yun Feng won this time, it has already embarrassed them, so in the next competition, we need to be careful about them." After finishing speaking, he left with a few others from Yun Feng's cave dwelling, not wanting to disturb Zi Yang Zhen Ren as he healed Yun Feng's injuries.
Looking at Lu Yun, Xuan Yu Zhenren said in a low voice: "This afternoon's battle, although it was easier than this one, you must be careful and try your best to conserve your strength. Don't waste too much of your true yuan easily. In the competition, besides comparing real cultivation, we also need to compare our strategies. How to cleverly take down our opponents at the beginning and maintain our strength until the end to deal with the real opponents is the key issue. This time's Liu Yuan Hui Wu has many unpredictable things, no one can say for sure what will happen. Now it seems that it's already quite difficult for us Yi Garden to enter the top six. As for this competition, I don't want to say anything else. I just hope you three do your best and live up to yourselves and everyone." After finishing, he looked at his three disciples with a hint of meaning in his eyes that they didn't understand.
Lu Yun glanced at Ao Xue and Li Hongfei, the three of them simultaneously focusing their attention. Lu Yun smiled calmly and said: "This time, we won't be underestimated by them, we will definitely make everyone proud of us." Zhang Ao Xue and Li Hongfei both nodded solemnly, their determined expression revealing their inner voice.
Xuan Yu's eyes flashed with a hint of relief, and he smiled lightly: "Alright, let's eat soon. I'll go take a look at the results of the others' matches to get an idea of tomorrow's situation. Don't wait for me, you all go ahead and have dinner first." After finishing speaking, his body suddenly faded away, disappearing in an instant.
After dinner, Lu Yun stood guard outside the cave of Yun Feng, quietly observing the situation inside. Zhang Ao Xue walked softly to his side and looked inside quietly, accompanying him without saying a word. In the quiet mountain cave, the two stood guard for a long time until Zi Yang Zhen Ren came out with a big sweat on his head. Looking at Lu Yun and Zhang Ao Xue, Zi Yang Zhen Ren said: "He has now recovered six layers of power, I believe that by tomorrow's competition, he will have hope to recover nine layers of power, then there is still hope. Let's go out, don't disturb him, let him cultivate and rest this afternoon, it will be helpful for his recovery."
When Xuan Yu returned, everyone was sitting together discussing the competition. Jing Yue saw Xuan Yu return and softly asked: "Elder brother, did you gain anything? How were the other institutes this time?"
"This time, our Easy Garden only has two people participating in the preliminary round, while the other four institutes have four people each, and the Tianjian Institute has six people. Looking at the situation of the 12 contestants this morning, the Tianjian Institute had three disciples competing this morning, with a result of one win and two losses, which is not bad. As for the other institutes, they were almost all one win and one loss, maintaining a balance. After the competition ends this afternoon, we will know the final results. Tonight, the six institute leaders will have to discuss the matters of tomorrow's competition, mainly the gap in strength between the contestants. In order to avoid two strong teams meeting each other, everyone needs to discuss together and strive to eliminate the relatively weaker contestants, upholding the principle of fairness and justice."
Lu Yun heard this and opened his mouth to say: "Master, about this competition, it will probably take several days. Today is the first day, just the preliminary round, tomorrow is the second day, the rematch. After the rematch, only twelve people are left, at that time it becomes the most critical moment, competing for the top six. But after the top six are produced, how do you rank? The disciple thinks that ranking doesn't seem to be easy?"
Xuan Yu Zhen Ren smiled softly and said, "This matter has been discussed many times before, so there is already an unwritten rule regarding the ranking. After entering the top six, to be honest, the competition becomes very complicated. Because everyone should be equal and have the right to compete for first place. However, it's not easy to arrange a one-on-one match between six people. If we divide them into three groups, in the end, there will be three wins and three losses. Then, how can the three winners compete for first place? These issues have been raised by others before. Later, after several martial arts conferences, the Six Institutes established a rule to implement a challenge system. The top six contestants would first draw lots to decide their opponents and then compete in groups of three. After the results came out, if one of the three losers felt that they were unlucky and encountered the strongest opponent, leading to their defeat, they could challenge one of the three winners. If they won, it meant their strength was superior to that person's, and they would take that person's place. And so on, until the first-place winner is determined."
Lu Yun said: "So, this final ranking battle will last for a pretty long time?"
Xuanyu smiled and said, "It's not necessarily the case, because in this last match, everyone will go all out. So after the three groups of contestants have finished competing, both sides will appear to be exhausted and unable to fight again. As a result, there are very few people who can really challenge in the end, so except for the top two rankings, generally no one will cross-level challenge. And the remaining three winners will have to compete in three matches, each person one match, to determine the ranking among the three. Of course, the specific situation will only be known at that time, and every time there are some differences, so it's hard to say for now. Now it's not early, let's go prepare at Tianying Cave. Lin Yunfeng is waiting for him to continue his treatment, let's go."
When they arrived at the Tianying Cave, there was still some time before the competition. Lu Yun took the opportunity to walk around the square alone, familiarizing himself with the surroundings. Looking around, many disciples of the Tiangong Institute were busy, and five people from Ruguan had also arrived, including Lu Yun's acquaintances Bi Tian, Gao Feng, and Dan Qingjian Xiaohai. Among the remaining two people, one should be his opponent Li Ming. After walking around the square for a while, Lu Yun returned to the side of Xianyu Zhenren, smiling as he watched the Ruguan disciples come up to greet him.
Dan Qing Jian Xia Xu Cang Hai looked at Lu Yun, smiling and said to Zi Yang Zhen Ren: "This time, you can see the most outstanding disciple of your Yang Garden. At that time, he must be lenient, don't let us carry people back, it's troublesome."
Zi Yang Zhen Ren smiled and said: "Look at what you're saying, my disciple has just entered the Xuanmen and doesn't have any experience. At that time, I'll still need your disciples to give guidance."
On the side, Bi Tian approached Zhang Ao Xue and whispered: "Zhang Shimei, I heard that this afternoon in Yi Garden, Lin Yun Feng showed off his might and defeated the expert of Tian Jian Academy, Mu Hua. It's really a delightful thing. Please give him my regards and hope everything is fine with him. Tomorrow, Zhang Shimei will also take the stage, and then we can witness your exceptional sword skills. I hope that at that time, I'll be free to cheer you on."
Zhang Aoxue's face was calm, and he said indifferently: "Thank you for your concern, I will tell Lin Shidi about it. Now the time is almost up, I'll go to pay my respects to Lu Shidi, please excuse me." After finishing speaking, he turned around and walked towards Lu Yun.
Lu Yun looked at Ao Xue, a hint of a smile in his eyes, but he didn't say anything. Ao Xue glanced at him and said calmly, "The match is about to start, be careful, we still have tomorrow's match, remember." After giving him a calm glance, Ao Xue shifted her gaze away.
Lu Yun smiled faintly and said softly, "I know, I'll continue tomorrow, don't worry." On this side, Li Hongfei looked at the figure of Ao Xue, with a hint of strange expression in his eyes, slowly walking towards Lu Yun. Li Hongfei looked at Lu Yun and said softly, "Work hard, you will definitely be fine." Lu Yun nodded slightly upon hearing this.
Looking around, Lu Yun slowly walked into the arena. The Ruyi Heart Soul Sword held in his left hand was emitting a faint red glow, like a red ribbon, very beautiful. Looking at his opponent Li Ming, Lu Yun smiled calmly: "Hello, I am Yiyuan Lu Yun, please advise."
Li Ming, twenty-five or six years old, has a clear and elegant appearance, with a scholarly air on his face, looking like a bookworm at first glance. Li Ming held a long sword in his left hand and nodded slightly: "I am Li Ming from the Confucian Academy. I've heard Master Xu mention your name before, saying that you are the most outstanding talent in the Yangyuan of the Easy Garden. Please spare me later." His tone carried three parts politeness, giving people a sense of intimacy with the Confucian scholar's knowledge and reason.
Lu Yun smiled and said, "Brother Li is overpraising me, everyone is giving me too much credit. I'm just a beginner in the path of cultivation. It seems like it's about time, let's begin! Please make your move." Lu Yun's long sword hung loosely by his side, his feet standing naturally, but the impression he gave was that of an impregnable fortress, not easily breached.
Li Ming's eyes were slightly dim, his gaze fixed on Lu Yun's movements, carefully searching for an opening. After a while, Li Ming saw that he couldn't find any weakness and had to launch a strong attack. With a light shout, a red glow suddenly burst out from his body. The Confucian Garden's ultimate skill - Haoran Zhengqi, mixed with the crimson true energy of the utmost yang and utmost hardness, spread around Li Ming like flames, tightly surrounding him. Li Ming drew his long sword, and a sword hum accompanied by a several-meter-long scarlet sword aura suddenly appeared in front of Lu Yun, flashing down like lightning.
Lu Yun smiled calmly, with a hint of clarity in his eyes. Lu Yun's right hand shook, and a clear and pleasant sword hum spread instantly throughout the entire venue. At the same time, the Ruyi Heart Soul Sword shook violently, with countless sword shadows swaying in an extremely small amplitude, and in the blink of an eye, they converged into a dazzling red sword aura. Lu Yun's sword rose and fell, and a dazzling red light suddenly met Li Ming's one sword. As soon as the sword was swung out, Lu Yun's body suddenly retreated three feet, turned in mid-air, and shot diagonally at Li Ming's left side. The Ruyi Heart Soul Sword was as fast as a startled swan, with a sword group composed of 148 swords, instantly covering Li Ming's head. The speed was extremely shocking.
Li Ming's sword met the real thing, and his body swayed slightly. Looking at Lu Yun's body, he suddenly appeared on the left side, Li Ming was shocked in his heart, and his body suddenly turned left. Li Ming let out a loud roar, his long sword spinning rapidly, his whole person spinning with the sword, turning into a strong whirlwind in an instant, rushing towards Lu Yun's head-on blow. In just one move, Li Ming broke through Lu Yun's sword shadow and followed the momentum to fold in mid-air, diving down towards Lu Yun.
Lu Yun gazed at the approaching opponent, his eyes emitting a divine light. His right hand moved swiftly, wielding the sword with incredible speed. The Soul Sword of Intent emitted an eerie whistle as it danced through the air, its sound waves piercing the eardrums. A faint red glow began to gather around Lu Yun, and as the sword's speed increased, the glow transformed into a deep crimson hue, slowly forming a scarlet sword aura around him.
When Li Ming's body approached, Lu Yun's body flashed a red light, and the Intention Heart Sword suddenly burst out with a majestic aura. The surrounding red light suddenly tripled in intensity. Lu Yun raised his sword to meet Li Ming's attack. A long rainbow pierced the sky, and a sudden explosion sound and cry of surprise shook the air. The strong airflow around them was like a fierce wind, whipping up dust and debris from the ground, shattering rocks into fragments.
Li Ming was sent flying in mid-air by Lu Yun's incredibly powerful blow, his body's protective true energy also scattered, and he was severely injured. After Li Ming landed, he retreated seven steps before stabilizing his stance. Seeing that Lu Yun was standing calmly on the spot, Li Ming couldn't help but admire him for being upright and not taking advantage of the situation to launch a sneak attack. Taking a deep breath, Li Ming once again gathered all his strength, and the long sword in his hand slowly emitted dazzling light. With a soft shout, Li Ming's body leaned forward, forming a 30-degree angle with the ground, and he shot out like a spinning top. As he spun, every three rotations, the long sword would touch the ground at one point, then borrow force to shoot straight up again. Thus, after nine consecutive touches on the ground, the speed of Li Ming's spinning had become so fast that his figure was invisible. All that could be seen was a red whirlwind, accompanied by a loud roar, suddenly charging towards Lu Yun.
Lu Yun's right hand wielded a long sword, unleashing the full force of Yi Yuan's ultimate technique, "Lihuo Tiangai Sword Intent". A vortex of crimson sword shadows formed in front of him, rotating in the opposite direction to counter Li Ming's incoming attack. The powerful true yuan converged at one point, with different properties and rotation directions, instantly producing an explosive collision that could not coexist. In mid-air, countless thunderclaps suddenly rang out, with a force so strong it was deafening.
For the majestic aura of Confucianism, Lu Yun's heart was actually very familiar. Because the Confucian technique he cultivated - Majestic Heavenly Punishment, had many similarities with this majestic aura. In fact, when the majestic aura is cultivated to the end, it will become Majestic Heavenly Punishment. It's just that the Confucian Academy has always called this technique Majestic Aura.
Li Ming's spinning speed was extremely fast, and the power of that spin was so great that it rapidly tore through Lu Yun's layered sword shadows, directly stabbing at Lu Yun's body. In just an instant, Li Ming had pierced through Lu Yun's sword shadows, his long sword bringing with it a tearing sound that split the air, shining with a crimson glow that enveloped Lu Yun. Li Ming loudly shouted: "Haoran Zheng Qi, Ren Zhe Wu Di! Receive my Haoran First Style, Zheng Qi Shan He!"
Lu Yun's face was calm, his body quickly retreated backwards. His right hand slightly raised, and the Intention Heart Soul Sword suddenly transformed into eight crimson light shadows, shooting out in all directions to block Li Ming's advance. At the same time, after Lu Yun slashed out with the eight swords, the Intention Heart Soul Sword followed his right hand, rapidly spinning around. A strange glow of interlocking blue and red lights slowly appeared on Lu Yun's right hand, gathering into a beam of light as the Intention Sword spun, suddenly shooting towards Li Ming. A deafening crash shook the sky, the Intention Heart Soul Sword was slapped out by Lu Yun with incredible speed, bringing a blue-red glow, colliding with the pursuing Li Ming.
Lu Yun's body flashed and appeared in mid-air, avoiding the explosion. Looking down, he saw that the people around him had changed their faces, staring at the scene with great interest, clearly deeply attracted by the two men's wonderful fight. At this time, a loud noise sounded, and a bright red light burst out, and a figure shot out diagonally, falling several feet away.
The disciples of the Confucian Academy cried out in surprise, looking at Li Ming who was covered in dust and dirt, their eyes filled with concern. Li Ming glanced at his fellow disciples, a bitter smile on his face, and then his body steadied, his long sword once again emitting a red glow. Looking up at Lu Yun in mid-air, Li Ming said in a deep voice: "Second Style - Dan Xin Zhao Ri." As soon as he finished speaking, Li Ming's body appeared on the ground, instantly transforming into eight figures. Eight figures, eight long swords, converged from eight directions to form eight red sword columns. The eight sword columns gathered in mid-air to form a gigantic sword over ten feet tall, emitting dazzling red light and earth-shaking power, like an axe opening up the sky, suddenly chopping towards Lu Yun.
On the side, Xuan Yu Zhenren and others also had a slight change in expression. Xuan Yu Zhenren spoke up: "Looking at this situation, this opponent is not easy to deal with either. Fortunately, Lu Yun has not been injured so far, which is very advantageous."
Ziyang Zhenren gazed at Lu Yun in mid-air, his eyes radiating intense heat. Ziyang spoke up, "This time's Six Institutes' martial arts competition is almost impossible to find a weak link. Just like Li Ming, he wasn't outstanding in the Confucian Institute, yet still possessed such formidable strength. That shows that the exceptional disciples of the Confucian Institute must be even more formidable and overbearing. The future matches are truly unpredictable. I only hope Lu Yun can perform at his best, then it will be fine. As for wanting him to enter the top six, that thought has already vanished. No matter how strong he is, after all, he's only had two years of training, right? This time, he was able to come, and I'm delighted about that. At least this match won't be lost, so it's still a relief."
Master Jingyue looked at Ao Xue and said in a low voice, "This time, the other five institutes are all very powerful. If we want to enter the top six in this competition, it depends on the luck of these four people. In the final crucial battle, what kind of opponent they encounter is very important. That determines their win or loss." Zhang Ao Xue and Li Hongfei both had serious expressions, and their hearts were filled with pressure for the upcoming competition.
Xuan Yu Zhen Ren said in a soft voice, "Alright, let's not think too much about it. Who can say for sure how things will turn out? Just like now, the other five institutes are also worried about this matter, and no one can predict the final outcome. Let's just carefully watch how Lu Yun takes the lead."
At the same time that Xuan Yu Zhenren and others were speaking, Lu Yun's face was heavy as he stared at the giant sword. At this moment, Lu Yun also admired Li Ming very much, not expecting his cultivation to be so deep. As the giant sword chopped down, Lu Yun quickly reacted, and the Wuyi Heart Soul Sword in his hand suddenly swung out countless sword shadows. The rapidly swinging sword shadows brought the surrounding air flow, and in the blink of an eye, a blood-colored red lotus was formed. The red lotus burned with fierce flames on top of Lu Yun's head, constantly rotating. The surrounding air was roasted by the high temperature, and suddenly, a green smoke burst out, appearing as a green flame in the air.
Lu Yun swung his long sword, and the rapidly spinning red lotus, wrapped in the true fire of the nine heavens, suddenly confronted Li Ming. Lu Yun shouted: "Look at my fierce Red Lotus, or is your Dan Xin Zhao Ri more powerful?" The spinning red lotus was like a flying disc, and it suddenly collided with that giant sword. In mid-air, two red lights intersected for an instant, countless red true yuan formed clouds of red mist, scattering in all directions, looking exceptionally beautiful from afar. However, beneath this beauty, hidden was an invisible crisis.
A colossal sword cleaved the sky, while a crimson lotus spun rapidly. Two unusual glows were suspended in mid-air, locked in a stalemate. Everyone around held their breath, afraid to disturb the two combatants. All eyes saw that the massive sword was being blocked by the fiercely burning crimson lotus between them. The lotus spun at high speed, weakening part of the sword's power with each rotation, while its own glow also dimmed slightly. After a long standoff, both glows vanished simultaneously.
Lu Yun's body suddenly appeared above Li Ming's head, a bright red light halo spinning rapidly on Lu Yun's head, which was the Heart Soul Sword. At this time, the Heart Soul Sword emitted a strong red light that enveloped Li Ming inside. As the sword spun faster and faster, the red light grew stronger and eventually turned into a dazzling column of light that surrounded Li Ming.
Li Ming only felt the pressure around him getting stronger and stronger, his body already locked in place by that powerful airflow, making it extremely difficult to move. At this time, Li Ming was already seriously injured and couldn't withstand such a pure power attack at all. Li Ming's face turned pale instantly, his whole body trembling violently, with fresh blood flowing out of the corner of his mouth. Just as Li Ming was about to fall, the dazzling light pillars around him suddenly disappeared without a trace. A faint red shadow quietly appeared in front of Li Ming, it was Lu Yun.
Lu Yun's clothes fluttered in the gentle breeze, making him look even more elegant. The Intent Heart Sword hovered above his head, emitting a faint red glow as it slowly rotated, exuding an aura of serenity. Lu Yun smiled and gazed at Li Ming, saying softly, "Li Shixiong's cultivation is profound, I am deeply impressed. Shall we stop here for now?"
Li Ming looked at Lu Yun, a strange glint flashing in his eyes, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. Li Ming stretched out his hand and said softly, "You're very unusual, giving people a weird feeling. But one thing, you're really strong, really strong. This time, thank you for sparing my life, I hope we can be friends."
Lu Yun grasped his hand, and a fierce fire true yuan instantly transmitted into his body from his hand. Only to see Li Ming's whole body burst with red light, and he suddenly became much more spirited. Lu Yun smiled and said: "Now, we are friends, right?" Li Ming heard this, and was so moved that he vigorously nodded his head, excitedly saying: "Right, we are friends, we are already friends now." That expression, made the originally somewhat displeased Confucianism disciples, all have faces full of emotion.
Xuan Yu Zhenren looked at Lu Yun and said to the people around him with praise, "Lu Yun is very unusual, winning but not arrogant, humble and down-to-earth, with a king-like aura. From now on, you all remember to learn from him more often." After finishing speaking, he walked towards Lu Yun. Zi Yang Zhenren's eyes shone with excited emotions as he looked at Lu Yun, his heart was extremely delighted. So many years had passed, and finally, the Yang Institute had produced an outstanding disciple, bringing glory to Yi Garden, what a wonderful thing that was.
Zhang Aoxue looked at Lu Yun's calm smile, his handsome face, and his gentle temperament. All of this was so dazzling that it made people want to forget but couldn't. At this moment, a strange thing flowed in her heart. A thread of emotion without shape or form was growing.
Dan Qing Jian Xia Xu Cang Hai looked at Lu Yun with a strange gaze, and said to the old friend Zi Yang Zhen Ren beside him: "At this moment, I really want to congratulate you. You have taken in a good apprentice. Not only is his cultivation deep, but most importantly, he has a broad and tolerant heart. This time, it's likely that he will bring great changes to your Yi Garden. Old friend, you are truly lucky, making me envy you."
Ziyang Zhenren laughed happily: "You're overpraising, we're old friends, why say such polite words. This time being able to part ways peacefully and still become friends is also a rare thing, we're both delighted." At this moment, Ziyang Zhenren was truly extremely happy, Lu Yun getting praised by his old friend made him even happier than if he had been praised himself.
Xuanyu Zhenren smiled and said, "Alright, the competition has also ended. We don't need to stand here under the scorching sun chatting. Let's go back and have a good talk instead." After finishing speaking, he glanced at everyone.
Dan Qing Jian Xia Xu Cang Hai turned back, instructing his men to take Li Ming back to rest, and he followed Xuan Yu and the others as they left. On the spot, Bi Tian looked at Ao Xue's figure, wanting to speak several times, but in the end still held back. Sighing softly, Bi Tian turned around and led his junior brothers away.
