Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 747 The Theory of Breaking My Self
Sects like Mingzhu Shuixie and Luoying Mountain are not far behind the Thirty-Three Sword Sects. If we only consider the talents of their generation, even the registered sword sects like Kongtong are inferior.

But the Thirty-Three Swords are still the Thirty-Three Swords. Even though Kongtong is weakened, there is still Ji Zhuowu, the leader of the Seventeen Peaks, who stands proudly on the Fu Ranking. Even if Mingzhu and Luoying were to remain in the top twenty of the Fu Ranking for another ten years, they might not be able to produce a single person.

Following this type of sword sect, disciples of the Thirty-Three Swords Sect began to take the stage.

The Great Tang Thirty-Three Sword Masters Association was established by Yun Lang and organized by the Immortal Platform. It discussed and selected the thirty-three most representative sword sects in the Great Tang to form a union. From then on, a golden threshold and jade thread appeared in the sword world where various sects competed, and it has become a consensus in the following thirty years.

Countless swordsmen in the martial world, no matter how well they have practiced their swordsmanship, always want to see the swordsmanship of the disciples of the Thirty-Three Swords Sect; even the most confident swordsman will always have a knot of unease in his heart if he has never fought with a swordsman from the Daoqi Society.

For the smaller sword sects on the periphery, the most precious opportunity to attend this banquet is to sit with those whose names are renowned throughout the martial arts world, and to see what the true masters of the swordsmanship world look like. These names are often among the Thirty-Three Sword Sects.

Standing on the surface of the pool is the victor of the previous match, the true disciple of the "Footless Scale Sect," a neighboring sect of the Southwest White Deer Palace, [Red Serpent] Baen. He had just defeated the recently renowned Nan Yue Shan Bian Wei Ji in thirty moves. The two's sword fight was exquisite and beautiful, winning much applause from the garden.

He could have chosen to leave the arena, but he clearly didn't want to let the opportunity slip away. He remained standing on the stage, sword in hand, as the victor, to welcome the Thirty-Three Swordsmen who were about to leave.

Many expectant eyes also fell on him—everyone wanted to see the Thirty-Three Swordsmen's exquisite swordplay, and they also wanted to see a swordsman who, like themselves, was not in the Dao Qi Association, but could defeat the Dao Qi Association. Both of these things would arouse admiration and excitement.

In the 89th round, from the Shenjing Sword Cultivation Academy, the person who will be competing is Zhang Chao from the White Ape Cave.

This unassuming swordsman, whose shoulder injury had not yet healed, clasped his hands in a salute before taking his sword and leaving the arena. For the first time at this banquet, the swordsmen from the Sword Cultivation Academy, who had been chatting and laughing as they watched, let out a few small shouts.

Zhang Chao returned the greetings to his family members somewhat embarrassedly. As he passed Pei Ye, he glanced at her, and Pei Ye smiled and reached out to shake his wrist.

Zhang Chao walked onto the pool. He came from the last three minor families of the Thirty-Three Swords, and his sect only had one Grandmaster in charge. He had been studying at the Sword Cultivation Academy for half a year. He bowed to Ba Enzheng with his sword in hand and said, "Zhang Chao, the successor of the 'Ape Sword' of the White Ape Cave, please enlighten me, Master Ba."

Barn returned the greeting, and Zhang Chao drew his sword first.

Barn closed his eyes slightly and held the sword in his hand horizontally.

It was the "Tongue Breath" technique, a secret passed down by the Wuzulinmen sect, that allowed them to use their special perception to see through the opponent's sword techniques, seizing every opening and crevice with the speed and agility of a snake. Just now, before they could even react, they were defeated by this sword technique.

Zhang Chao's sword came straight at him, aimed directly at his throat, both accurate and swift. Barn remained motionless, but just as the sword tip was about to reach his throat, he suddenly opened his eyes wide, and the sword in his hand, held still, transformed into a white moon, slashing precisely at the weakest point of Zhang Chao's sword strike.

The weakness was found with extreme precision, striking Zhang Chaojian's side. His longsword trembled and was already out of his hand. This move was even better than before, and many people who had just felt sorry for Bian Wei now realized that his defeat was entirely deserved.

Barn was overjoyed. He hadn't expected his sword strike to be so effective. He also vaguely sensed that the other man's sword-wielding arm seemed to be injured. However, at this moment, all his thoughts were in his mind. He quickly reached out to strike the flying sword. At the same time, a winding sword path appeared in his mind. While dodging the sword, this sword would stop in front of Zhang Chao's throat.

But a hand grasped it faster than his sword.

Zhang Chao actually turned around, turning his back to him, in exchange for his left hand gripping the sword hilt.

Then, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, a stunning and wondrous sword light appeared on the field. He gently swayed his waist, his arm returned, and his long arm, combined with his supple body, sculpted a strange and beautiful posture, like an old ape picking fruit, with his sword stopping three inches in front of Barn's throat.

And completely avoided Barn's sword path.

Zhang Chao sheathed his sword, lowered it to the ground, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "You flatter me."

Barn paused for two breaths, sheathed his sword and returned the salute, slightly taken aback, and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Master Zhang."

The garden fell silent for a moment, then erupted in cheers and astonishment.

There is a saying that if you only look at the clash of weak swords, you can't tell how weak they are; if you only look at the clash of strong swords, you can't tell how strong they are.

The astonishing difference only becomes apparent when the two are placed side by side.

The Thirty-Three Sword Sects, especially the Dao Qi Sword Masters of the Divine Capital Sword Cultivation Academy, stood clearly on a completely different level. The group of thirty-odd people in unassuming sword attire attracted many glances. Compared to the well-known Thirty-Three Sword Sects, the Divine Capital Sword Cultivation Academy wasn't a name often heard in the martial world. People looked at the faces of the sword students, guessing their sects and names, and wondering where Zhang Chao ranked among them.

So people quickly found out.

As time went on, people only grew stronger. At this point, there was no longer any concept of order. The thirty-three sword sects knew each other well and would leave the arena amidst greetings and laughter, with some even helping each other along.

Zhang Chao was indeed just an ordinary student at the Sword Cultivation Academy.

He then defeated a swordsman from Diancang and Jinwu respectively. Just when everyone thought he was on a winning streak, a swordsman from the Sword Cultivation Academy stepped forward. He was Wen Li from the Jingming Sect. The two fought for more than twenty rounds, but in the end, the Taoist priest still won.

The swordsmanship of these top geniuses from the Thirty-Three Sword Sects was already spectacular and astonishing enough. The girls from the enthusiasts' club in the pavilion kept exclaiming and clapping, and some even crowded around Cui Zhaoye, asking worriedly questions such as "Can Young Hero Pei Ye really beat this person?" But when swordsmen of Ning Shuhong and Wang Shousi's level took the stage, the scene changed abruptly.

The landscape seemed to suddenly shift from undulating hills to towering mountains.

A single red tree atop the verdant mountain; the nine-time champion of the Southeast Thirty Schools Sword Tournament.

Even within the Sword Cultivation Academy, these two are among the top geniuses of the year. Even someone who doesn't understand swordsmanship can see the shifts in skill levels. What used to be a whole match of subtlety in the previous game is now just a casual parry in their hands. A single sword strike contains two or three layers of design.

The cheers from all sides suddenly increased several times over. The swordsmen were naturally different from the excited spectators who usually cheered them on in the arena. But it was precisely when they held their wine cups in mid-air and stared intently that they suddenly let out a gasp of amazement, which was the most infectious.

The two were rivals on the pond and were quite familiar with each other. After a round of sparring, Wang Shousi was one move behind and conceded defeat with a smile, which caused the Southeast Sword School to sigh and the Southwest Sword School to cheer loudly.

Ning Shuhong stood by the pond, the elegant woman carrying a sword on her back. She then defeated five more people in succession, including Shen Chong, the "Golden Wing" of Diancang, and Xi Lingyang, the "Lone Sword Under the Pine Tree" of Taihang. Her swordsmanship truly amazed everyone present, almost triggering the first climax since the start of the banquet, making the name of Emei shine brightly. However, after defeating the fifth person, Ning Shuhong did not engage in any more battles, but she did not leave either. Instead, she lowered her sword, straightened her posture, and respectfully bowed to the six people seated in the center.

He said, "I have a predicament on my sword, which is a true disciple of Chen Quan. I dare to ask for your guidance."

Chen Quan looked at her.

"Since I began learning swordsmanship, I have always relied on intuition to control the sword, pursuing a state of perfect harmony with it, a unity of life and sword. This has led to nine out of ten victories, as I did just now. However, since entering the capital last year, I have encountered several swordsmen that I could not defeat no matter what I did, proving the shallowness of my swordsmanship training. Yet, looking back at myself, I still do not know where to go to advance," Ning Shuhong said. "Even if I keep learning and practicing swordsmanship, it seems that 'I' will always be 'me,' and I can never see what the next level is. I have long heard that Youdu in the North Sea is studying the life sword; I wonder if he can offer some guidance."

A slight silence fell over the garden. In reality, very few people understood this question.

Chen Quan, contrary to his usual cold demeanor, remained silent for a moment: "Master Ning is too kind. We are just discussing things. I just saw you wield your sword. It was extremely agile and sharp, truly a sword that could kill. According to what you said, you are trapped in a situation where 'I cannot overcome myself'."

Even fewer people understood this answer, and the garden gradually fell silent.

"Do you know what it means to be 'unable to defeat myself'?" Li Tishui asked, looking at the pond.

Pei Ye nodded: "Shu Hong has talked to me several times. She treats her life as her sword, entrusting the use of the sword to her intuition, thereby directly driving her sword. In that case, she and the sword are completely one, and her vision can never go beyond her own sword field. No matter how she thinks, she will always believe that her sword strikes based on her intuition are correct, but time and time again, her correct sword strikes ultimately lead to defeat by her opponent. She can't figure out how to surpass herself; this is the bottleneck she has encountered."

Pei Ye knew, of course, that the one Ning Shuhong was referring to as "the one whose sword cannot be won no matter what" was him. A few days ago, after not seeing him for several months, the woman once again sought him out for a duel with great anticipation. She had indeed become more powerful, but Pei Ye was progressing by leaps and bounds.

In the end, the woman could only sit cross-legged again, holding her sword, staring at him with a dejected and cold expression.

Chen Quan said, “Ning Zhenchuan’s swordsmanship is very advanced, but a person’s life is predetermined at birth. Since the sword is tied to fate, it cannot be higher than fate. There is nothing that can be done about it. Your academy has people who are born with a talent for swordsmanship. If they were to stick to their destined sword, they might be able to reach a position that is among the best in the world. But since Ning Zhenchuan does not have this destiny, there will naturally come a day when he reaches his limit.”

Ning Shuhong remained silent for a moment: "I already know that... Does Chen Quanzhen have any suggestions?"

Chen Quan thought for a moment: "According to the sword principles of our sect, we only cultivate two things: the life and the soul of the sword. The soul and the life are not the same, and the 'self' and the life are also not the same. When using the sword, one often needs to pursue the state of 'forgetting oneself,' so there is no such bottleneck. However, the art of cultivating the soul is a secret of our sect... Master Ning, how about you try to receive this sword strike?"

Before anyone in the garden could react, Chen Quan drew his sword from the table and gently traced a graceful arc.

He was thirteen feet away from Ning Shuhong, and the woman's figure was swallowed up by the sword in an instant.

As darkness descended and the rising sun disappeared, the entire garden was plunged into a dark underworld. The clear pool water was visibly stained a deep, inky black, and then from that darkness, from beneath Ning Shuhong's feet, a snake's head burst forth from the water.

Its single fang was as large as a giant tree, and half of its mouth filled the entire pond. Ning Shuhong's heart and lungs stopped, and her pupils shrank to pinpoints, but at that moment she could do nothing as the spring snake swallowed her whole.

The darkness was removed like a curtain, and Ning Shuhong still stood stiffly on the surface of the pond. The entire garden was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Chen Quan sheathed his sword and remained calmly seated at his desk.

Many people only then realized what they had just been incorporated into: the sword tradition of "Spring Serpent" from Youdu in Beihai Prefecture, the eighth-ranked sword technique in the current world rankings.

"Master Ning, did you have any insights just now?"

Ning Shuhong shook her head in a daze.

She felt as if she had suddenly died once, only to be brought back to life in the blink of an eye.

Chen Quan remained silent for a moment, but another person spoke up with a smile: "Master Ning uses his life as a sword. If you want to break this obsession, then you can only learn 'willing to die for it'."

The person who spoke sat on the side seat. His skin was not fair, but his appearance was gentle and his demeanor was elegant. He was twenty-three years old this year and was the second in the Dragon Lord Dongting Sword Clan, [Shanying] Luwei.

He said, “Since the sword of destiny cannot take you to the next level, it is better to break through and build anew. Try to abandon destiny the more desperate the situation, and return to listen to your own thoughts and judgments. When faced with a certain death, even if destiny has pointed you to a path, as long as it is not your own rational judgment, you would rather die than choose it.”

Chen Quan tilted his head and said, "That's what I was thinking too. I was just trying to put Ning Zhenchuan in this kind of situation."

Luwei laughed, "What kind of situation did you give him? There was no time for him to 'choose'! Ning Zhenchuan didn't even have time to think before he was swallowed by your giant snake."

Chen Quan frowned slightly: "Then I won't learn any other swords either. I've done my best... I understand. Ning Zhenchuan, you should abandon Emei and join Youdu instead."

The humor of this mediocre and aloof man was somewhat unexpected, leaving the audience momentarily stunned.

"After sitting for so long, Master Ning has finally brought a true question about swordsmanship. How can we easily give it up?" Luwei said with great interest. "How to 'break through my defenses' has always been a life-or-death hurdle on the path of sword cultivation. Countless geniuses who have made rapid progress have stopped here. Some of you here may have already passed it, and some may have to encounter it again in the future. Since you are all here today, why not help Master Ning? If this question can be solved at this banquet, it will benefit all the friends present and spread as a good story, making this trip worthwhile."

Upon hearing this, Qunfei turned around and asked, "Legend of Lu Zhen, how can we help?"

Luwei thought for a moment and then laughed, "I do have an idea, but if I use it and no one here can solve it, it would be a huge embarrassment."

As soon as he said this, Qiu Si opened his eyes and looked over: "Does the Dragon Lord of Dongting always like to keep things mysterious? Tell me then."

"It's simple. Since Senior Yunlang is here, I, Luwei, would like to ask if you could set aside a space for us to perform our moves?" Luwei stood up and bowed to the solitary high place. "Today, let's borrow this precious land of Tianshan and compose a move where 'I' fight 'my' sword."

(End of this chapter)