Walking alone with a sword, slaying ghosts and gods

Chapter 44: Sword Challenges All Living Things, Victories in Battles (Part )
The Sword Art Hall has been established for many years, and has even maintained good relations with the Elders Council and the City Patrol of the City That Never Sleeps. The mutual cooperation shows that it has its own value and that it is needed to fill the power vacancy.

For example, there are many sword halls of all sizes in the City That Never Sleeps. If it were not for it to mediate the conflicts, these sword halls would fight with each other every three days for disciples, which would be very troublesome.

Therefore, the Sword Art Hall has its status. As the instructor of the hall, Chen Tengjiao humbles himself and personally visits the homes of the seniors to invite them and maintain the authority of the sword art hall. Many seniors will give him face.

Especially those cultivators who still have hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, hope to get in touch with the Great Elder Chen Tianxiong through Chen Tengjiao, get guidance, and reach the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Therefore, even though the content of Chen Tengjiao's invitation was a bit ugly, many veterans in the City That Never Sleeps still accepted the invitation.

In addition to these old seniors, Chen Tengjiao has many wings behind him, such as the local forces such as the Wendao Tower, the Jinhong Sword Hall, and the Chiri Sword Hall.

Originally, He Guo won the first place in the sword-fighting competition. His amazing meteor from the sky and the miserable condition of Xiefeng Tower's owner Liu Rusong made them dare not act rashly. Even if their interests were affected, they could only grit their teeth and swallow their anger.

But now with Chen Tengjiao and those old seniors leading the way, they are courageous again. Although they dare not rush to the front, they have no problem following behind and cheering to boost morale.

On the seventh day of classes at Wenjianzhai, the sword hall was already full of disciples.

The young Taoist priest in a ragged robe sat at the top and talked about his understanding of swordsmanship:

"The way of swordsmanship is to have a sharp sword spirit in your heart. When I was young, I traveled around the world and heard that in the far west, there are barbarians who love skiing and flying like eagles. They have no regrets even if they die nine times. I always find it hard to understand."

"Oh, skiing is to step on two wooden boards and slide down from the top of the snowy mountain, experiencing all kinds of thrills in the process until you reach the bottom. Eagle flying is to wear a tough special cloth on your body, jump off the cliff, fly like an eagle, and experience the ultimate sense of freedom."

Hearing Lu Cheng's words, the many disciples below looked at each other in confusion, unable to understand. How could their bodies and hair, given by the heaven and earth and their parents, be damaged so easily?
"Master, what's the point of skiing and eagle flying? If you want to exercise your body, martial arts or even running, which one wouldn't be better than these?"

Xie Yan, who was sitting at the front row, raised his hand to ask a question, and after getting Lu Cheng's permission, he asked directly.

"So I say, it is hard for us Easterners to understand. How can one be so careless in endangering others and throwing away one's life when the heaven values ​​life so highly?"

"But this is what I call the sharp sword intention today. They call it bravery... they call it a game for the brave."

"We, the people of the East, abide by the Way of Heaven, follow the teachings of propriety, and respect the sages. The most prominent school of Taoism for ascending to heaven is the art of practicing Qi. A tree that can be embraced by two people grows from a tiny seed; a nine-story platform is built from piled earth; a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Be tenacious and self-reliant, and never give up. If you abide by this way, even if you are a foolish person, you can achieve something in this life. If you are a wise and courageous person, you can use this to complete yourself and soar into the sky, and actually prove the Tao."

"The perseverance of the East is suitable for survival and for most people with mediocre talents. It is also of great benefit to people with superior talents. The courage of the West...if you encounter an opportunity and ride the wind and waves, even a fool can soar into the sky. However, many people with superior talents die because of temporary circumstances. It is a pity."

"I've gone a bit too far. Let's talk about the way of the sword. The way of the sword emphasizes the sword intent in the heart first, and the magic power second. The deeper the magic power, the stronger the sword power, the faster the sword speed, and the more agile the control. This is the right way. But the swordsmanship of Wen Jianzhai emphasizes strange changes and weirdness, using the sword to guide the qi."

A righteous sword practitioner controls the sword with his Qi and guides the sword with his spirit. What seems like sword techniques are actually methods of refining the spirit and controlling the Qi. When the sword and Qi are combined and accumulated through hard contemplation, they become extremely powerful.

However, no matter how good a method is, it cannot cure all diseases. To practice this kind of righteous method in southern Xinjiang, unless someone with a family background like Xie Yan has a chance to succeed, 90% of the rest will die.

Therefore, Lu Cheng, who sat at the head of the group, stated clearly at the very beginning that what was taught in Lunjianzhai was the art of swordsmanship.

We strive to have disciples with a certain foundation. After three years of study, they can protect themselves in the Ten Thousand Mountains. After nine years of study, they can participate in hunting monsters and have an advantage in sword fights.

After Lu Cheng's concise explanation, the disciples understood what was going on, and many of them showed hope in their eyes.

Most people here learn swordsmanship not for the pursuit of greatness.

For them, this is a skill that can be used to exchange for a better life in the future. In the future, they can marry beautiful wives and concubines and enjoy a life of wealth and glory.

At least for now, these are their life goals. This is not wrong, the Tao should be verified step by step.

When Lu Cheng was giving a lecture today, he noticed a female disciple below. There were many female disciples in Wenjianzhai, but none was as bright and beautiful as this little girl. In addition, her confident temperament made people know that she was not the daughter of an ordinary family.

Of course, Lu Cheng didn't have any ulterior motives, but such an outstanding person was like a pearl placed on the sand in the crowd. Even if he didn't pay attention, it was impossible not to notice him.

"Okay, today's lecture ends here for now. There are guests outside. He Guo, Xie Yan, go outside to welcome the unwelcome guest."

"As you command, Master Lin."

He Guo and Xie Yan, who were sitting at the front row, looked at each other and roughly guessed what was going on. They stood up and went to the door to greet them.

Yu Liang, who was extremely astute, began to direct the new disciples to stand on the left and right.

When Chen Tengjiao arrived with a group of people behind him, they saw He Guo and Xie Yan standing on both sides of the door. Many disciples of Wenjianzhai were sitting on both sides of the hall. They all looked over here, and their eyes mixed with hostility naturally formed a pressure.

People like Chen Tengjiao, of course, had no feeling towards this level of pressure, but in the middle of the hall of Wenjianzhai Sword Hall, the young Taoist sat high up, his whole body mixed with the aura of the entire sword hall, pressing down upon them, instantly increasing the pressure by more than a hundred times.

“Is this feeling the aura of that young man?”

"It's like being on an ancient battlefield. How old is he... Could he be an old monster who took the anti-aging pill?"

Several elderly people who followed Chen Tengjiao widened their eyes on the spot.

They looked at each other, then walked and stood on both sides of Chen Tengjiao, which made Chen Tengjiao, who was originally speechless, feel a little better.

"Lin Lie, you broke the rules of the City That Never Sleeps by opening a sword hall privately. Now take down the plaque of Wenjianzhai and go with us to the Sword Hall and everything will be settled."

"Lin still says the same thing. If the Sword Art Hall has relevant legal documents, please bring them out. If they are just a bunch of local gentry bullies, I will not follow them."

At this time, many people outside Wenjianzhai had already noticed this place.

Wenjianzhai was originally the sword hall of Xiefenglou, a large sword hall located in a busy downtown area.

Chen Tengjiao brought five seniors from the city, and behind them were a group of masters and disciples of various sword halls to show their strength, which naturally attracted the attention of many people.

It was very lively and there were a lot of people. As time went by, people gathered together, and gradually many people squeezed in from the door of the huge Wenjianzhai temple.

The disciples from Wendao Tower and Scarlet Sun Sword Pavilion who followed them were not driven away. In their opinion, it would be a good thing to let more people see the great swordsman of Wenjianzhai being defeated, which would effectively undermine the reputation of this famous sword pavilion.

"Young people are ignorant of the immensity of the world. After learning a few sword techniques, they want to challenge the existing rules. But you don't know that if the rules of the headquarters are broken, this city that never sleeps will be in chaos again, and many people will die."

A middle-aged Taoist priest in a blue-white robe and a Taoist hat. His three long white beards fluttered in the wind, making him look like a god. He stepped out from behind Chen Tengjiao and drew quickly in the air with his right hand, attracting the energy of heaven and earth.

"Fire Crane Taoist, this is the Fire Crane Taoist, the owner of Crane Tower!"

"I didn't expect that the old man would come as well. This matter has caused quite a stir."

As the Taoist priest appeared, the crowd around him began to talk and murmur. It was obvious that this Taoist priest was quite famous.

"Fa Xiu, are you here to join in the fun too?"

As soon as Lu Cheng finished speaking, he saw layers of red mist overlapping in front of him, clouds rolling and crashing, flames appearing out of thin air, and finally transformed into dozens or hundreds of majestic red flamingos as big as calves and as small as yellow birds.

There were circles of flaming light all around them, and they danced gracefully, spread their wings and howled like living creatures, then they swooped down towards Lucheng.

These red fire cranes have a great momentum. If one is dispersed, another one will be born from the flame cloud. They gather and disperse in an endless stream, and they are faintly gathered into a formation. This set of spells is well-known in the Never-Sleeping City. It was created by the Taoist Fire Crane. It is powerful and can be controlled at will. Even his Taoist name comes from this method.

"Unsheathed."

Lu Cheng sat in place, pointed his sword, and with a clang, the two flying swords, Chisong and Chiyan, that were originally placed aside, both turned into rainbows and were unsheathed, attacking the astonishing Fire Crane Formation in front of him.

The predecessor Lu Cheng was quite talented in magic, and now Lu Cheng has completely inherited it and integrated it into his own system.

In addition to the many methods of operating magical powers he had acquired during this period, Lu Cheng gained some different insights.

Controlling the flying sword, absorbing the power of heaven and earth, transforming the Yin-Yang and Five Elements into the sword, swinging the sword, evolving all the laws. Of course, this direction is only in its infancy, in order to be closer to the path of future cultivation.

At the place of the ancestor Chi Shen Zi of the Huoyun Cave, because of the reputation of his previous incarnation, he may not be qualified to obtain the foundation-building techniques of "Chi Ji Heart Method" and "Jian Yuan Lu" in the future, and they are not completely suitable for himself.

Lu Cheng now covets the "Five Palaces Forging Yuan Jue" and "Five Elements Alchemy Book" of Ranmu Mountain, so naturally he has to study in this direction. The accumulation of this kind of background is never too much.

The red pine flying sword turned in the air, absorbing the wood energy from the energy of heaven and earth and broke into the fire crane formation. Under the attack of a large number of fire cranes, the entire flying sword quickly burned and trembled slightly.

But the next moment, the Red Flame Flying Sword that followed closely behind it swooped over and absorbed all the superimposed fire power on the Red Pine Flying Sword into itself.

There is even the hidden operation of the Great Art of Stealing the Sky and Transforming the Soul, but unless one is a master of this art, it is almost impossible to see this hidden change.

boom.

Fight fire with fire, control fire with fire, and overcome fire with fire.

Flame can burn everything, but can flame burn flame? Maybe, but it is obviously not a realm that these monks present can currently reach.

Fighting fire with fire, the Fire Crane Taoist's spell got out of control for a moment, and the flames of the fire array grew rapidly. Just as the old Taoist was frantically using the spell to control it, a dim yellow light shot out from the growing flames and hit the old Taoist's body. He felt as if he was struck by lightning, his whole body was agitated, and he fell straight down.

"Master Huohe!"

"Master Huohe?"

Chen Tengjiao was in a state of chaos, feeding pills to some and inputting mana to others. Fortunately, Lu Cheng had no intention of killing anyone, and the last sword energy turned from sharp to blunt, and soon the Taoist Huohe woke up slowly.

Just at this time, the old Taoist priest happened to hear the young man opposite teaching his disciple:

"Did you see that? The bodies of magic practitioners are fragile. In many cases, there is no need to bother with breaking their spells. All spells can be broken with one sword beheading them."

"Disciples are taught."

He Guo, Xie Yan and Yu Liang all thought that this made a lot of sense and nodded in agreement.

"you you……"

Taoist Fire Crane also runs a magic practice hall in the City That Never Sleeps. His Fire Crane spells are known for their ability to attack and defend, and he will not teach them to anyone other than a disciple who has served him for many years.

Now this method was broken by Lu Cheng's sword. When he woke up and heard these words, he couldn't catch his breath and shuddered and fainted again.

Seeing this scene, Lu Cheng also felt embarrassed and kept silent for a while.

"Lin Lie, you are going too far. Do you dare to come down and compete with me in swordsmanship?"

At this moment, a sturdy old man with gray hair and white eyebrows walked out from the crowd, holding a golden sword across his body.

This person is Master Bai, the father of the current owner of the Jinhong Sword Hall. He has been practicing in seclusion for many years, hoping to have a one-in-a-lifetime chance to break through to the foundation-building stage. He is famous for his Jinhong Feiyun sword technique in the City That Never Sleeps in his early years.

“Master Bai, my Jin Hong Fei Yun sword technique is sharp and agile. Although it is unlikely that he can be a match for this Lin Lie, but if he attacks, we can see the flaws in Lin Lie’s swordsmanship. This way, the Jiao family’s two evildoers will be more confident when they attack.”

Chen Tengjiao thought so in his heart, and glanced at the two old men in gray robes and holding iron rods among the five elders behind him. These two people were his real reliance.

"Since I have opened a sword gym, I will naturally accept challenges from fellow practitioners."

Clang.

The Chisong flying sword returned to the scabbard, Lu Cheng stood up holding a flying red sword in his hand, and he walked step by step into the center of the dojo.

"Asking for advice."

Master Bai, I don’t think there’s anything commendable about challenging a young man at my age, not to mention that I’ll most likely lose.

But in order to obtain possible guidance from the Great Elder, he had no choice. Compared with the path of the Tao, what did temporary honor and disgrace matter?
Lu Cheng felt that the magic power in his body was mixed. Even if he continued to purify the magic power with sword intent, it would be difficult to cultivate the foundation of the earth sword.

However, there are many cultivators like him in the City That Never Sleeps. This is because they relied too much on elixirs to enhance their magic power when they were young, and they have no way to purify it. Let alone building a foundation in an authentic way, they can't even build a foundation by taking foundation-building pills normally.

The complex and complicated qi in the body is difficult to deal with, so one can only hope for guidance from a senior cultivator. After pointing out the biggest problem, start to purify it, and then take the foundation-building pill to build the foundation.

It is the most basic cultivation and foundation building. Things like earthly foundation building and heavenly foundation building have nothing to do with the vast majority of cultivators.

"I asked Jianzhai about his swordsmanship, which is about using sharp and varied sword moves, using the sword to draw in the Qi and increase the sword energy. However, the variations of sword moves will eventually be limited. It's fine to use it against monsters, but what if we face a cultivator who is already familiar with the variations of our sword moves?"

At this moment, Master Bai and I are already fighting with Lu Cheng.

His Jinhong Feiyun sword technique was indeed sharp and agile. At this moment, when he used all his strength, it was like a whirlwind sweeping away the remaining clouds, forming a column of wind and rushing towards the young Taoist in front of him.

However, it was like a pillar of wind thrown into a forest, making it completely impossible to penetrate.

This young Taoist priest controlled the flying sword as if to guard a deep forest or valley. He even taught sword theory to his disciples while controlling the sword.

Lu Cheng said those words just now while he was parrying and resolving Master Bai's sword attack. He was calm and relaxed, without any pressure at all.

These people have already come to his door, and Lu Cheng doesn't think he needs to save face for them.

Instead, he wanted to take the opportunity to teach his disciples more things. He would leave here sooner or later, and he didn't want to let these apprentices pay such high tuition in vain.

Lu Cheng collects a lot of spirit stones, but he really teaches what he teaches.

"They can become familiar with our sword moves, and we can also break their methods. No matter how powerful the spells and swordsmanship passed down by various schools are, there must be ways to break them. There may be unbreakable methods in this world, but I have never encountered them."

Because of Lu Cheng's leisurely and unhurried words, Master Bai was already furious. In his opinion, the behavior of the young Taoist in front of him was simply a humiliation.

But no matter how fiercely or how fast his sword light was, he could not break through the three-foot sword circle of the Taoist in front of him.

When he was most angry and anxious, and the sword light was most intense.

Dangdangdang!

The sword in the Taoist's hand in front of me seemed to come alive. The hilt, spine, blade and tip of the sword changed at will, blocking the sword lights that Master Bai slashed out.

During the entire attack process, he broke every move and every style, and finally the red flame flying sword flew around and hit the side of the neck of the gray-haired and white-browed old man diagonally.

"This is the solution to Jin Hong Feiyun Sword Technique."

“Ah, poof.”

Master Bai was so angry that he spat out a mouthful of blood when he heard this. He turned around and walked away without paying attention to the sword light across his neck.

Seeing this, Jin Zhengxian, the old swordsman of the Red Sun Sword Hall, became a little hesitant.

Looking at what happened to Master Bai, I was unsure whether it was worth it to completely ruin my own sword gymnasium for the guidance I might have received from the Great Elder.

Although there is no sword technique in this world that cannot be cracked, the people of the City That Never Sleeps will not send their children to a sword school where the main sword technique has been cracked. After today's battle, the Jinhong Sword School is destined to be severely damaged, and it may not recover for several years.

(End of this chapter)