Three Towers Game

Chapter 354 Liu Jianxin's Invitation
Never before had Liu Jianxin been so excited.

He suddenly understood why fools were so obsessed with chivalry. The feeling of turning the tide, facing a thousand troops alone, and saving the entire righteous path of the martial world was truly exhilarating.

This kind of happiness is different from the happiness of betraying one's sworn brother, selling out one's friends for personal gain, and climbing step by step to the top.

It seems grander and more sacred.

A surge of sword intent, a wealth of sword energy.

Liu Jianxin stood alone in the center of the arena, sword in hand.

At that moment, most people anticipated his death. Yet, strangely, they sensed something else emanating from the sword aura he exuded…

An unspeakable fear.

"An ant trying to shake a tree, an unknown nobody, you think you can stand at the top of the martial arts world just because you killed a few bandits?"

The abbot said in a cold voice.

Liu Jianxin said:
"I hope you keep your word. If we win the next six games, you will have to obey my orders."

The crowd below burst into laughter, and the abbot clasped his hands together in prayer.
"You're truly ignorant and arrogant! Take this palm strike!"

The Vajra Palm is fierce and domineering. In terms of power, it is only inferior to the Dragon Subduing Palm, but in the entire martial arts world, there are few people who dare to take this palm strike.

Liu Jianxin was terrified as he watched a palm strike carrying terrifying internal force, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind, hurtling towards him...

His first thought was whether or not to abandon his sword and surrender.

There's nothing shameful about being alive.

But the next moment, he realized that these bastards were just like him, people who didn't play the game of life.

They are all equally despicable and shameless.

If it were him, he would definitely choose to leave no future trouble and kill everyone who tried to beg for mercy. Therefore, Liu Jianxin knew very well that he had no choice but to fight, because he had no way out.

Moreover, behind him were his sworn brother and the heroes of the martial arts world.

boom!
The terrifying palm strike sent Liu Jianxin, who had no internal energy, flying to the edge of the ring.

In that instant, many thoughts came to mind.

And everything he was thinking was known to the other person as well.

The Shaolin abbot's palm strike severely injured Liu Jianxin. In that moment, he seemed to see the people of Niujia Village, and also the teachings his father, Liu Jianguo, had given him in the past.

He even saw images that baffled him.

In a world built of countless reinforced concrete structures, he wandered like a lone knight-errant. This distorted world had too many distorted rules. He fantasized about fighting against it, but found himself merely a...floating duckweed in the torrent of time.

[Liu Jianxin began to regret it, regretting why he had fought back, regretting why he hadn't run away.]

[But at the same time, he gripped the Impermanence Sword tightly, never letting go. His Initial Heart Sword Technique level has increased.]

This is the deduction that Wen Xishu saw, and the deduction even revealed Liu Jianxin's inner confusion.

It also reveals some "illusions" that only Liu Jianxin can see.

Based on the initial task prompts—

Or, after meeting the basic conditions for survival, you might discover secrets outside the martial arts world and find hidden Easter eggs.

Wen Xishu seemed to understand.

He suddenly understood why the names Liu Jianxin and Liu Jianguo sounded so...modern.

He suddenly understood what this martial arts world, with its waning heroes, represented.

What does the terrifying martial arts alliance represent?

Wen Xishu also understood the metaphor behind the Original Heart Sword Technique.

Undoubtedly, Liu Jianxin was very confused at this time.

What happened to the promise that shouting "Sword Spirit" would make me invincible? What happened to the promise of slaying demons with a single sword strike? Damn it, I stood up there thinking I could show off, but I got slapped so hard my soul left my body and I started hallucinating.

Yes, Liu Jianxin was hallucinating.

Seeing the jungle of building materials, he rode on his father Liu Jianguo's bicycle, fantasizing about traveling through the world.

He also saw his first business trip after joining the company as an adult, fantasizing that he was a head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) transporting valuable birthday gifts...

A dull and monotonous life becomes interesting when embellished with martial arts fantasy.

But for Liu Jianxin, all of this was probably an illusion.

His head was a little sore.

In such a confusing moment, Wen Xishu's telepathic message contained only one sentence.

The Martial Arts Alliance will not let you go. Rather than regret it, you might as well play the hypocrite to the end.

Yes, I am a hypocritical hero.

I never thought about killing bandits; I wanted to do the same things as them.

But somehow, he found himself standing at the martial arts tournament, becoming the last line of defense for the righteous path.

If you're going to die either way, then don't hesitate or waver.

Why not carry on with the deception and play the hero for once?

Liu Jianxin spat out a mouthful of blood, his veins bulging on his hands, and he never loosened his grip on the Wuchang Sword.

[Beginner Sword Technique level increased.]

These words resurfaced in his mind.

Unlike the sound, this time he saw words.

Xuan Yong hadn't expected that this kid could survive a palm strike. He immediately waved his sleeve again, this time unleashing the Shaolin Prajna Palm, a unique martial art.

This palm technique, compared to the powerful Vajra Palm, is slightly less fierce, but it is much faster.

None of the martial arts heroes dared to open their eyes again. Xiao Jianglong longed to stop the palm strike, but he was unable to move.

At that moment, everyone seemed to witness Liu Jianxin's death.

But Liu Jianxin did not die.

[Beginner Sword Technique level increased.]

This is the third time in a row.

Liu Jianxin's original sword technique has been upgraded to level eight.

He suddenly had a feeling that this sword technique was about to undergo a transformation.

The Prajna Palm strikes.

The Shaolin abbot's red kasaya appeared in front of Liu Jianxin in an instant.

But Liu Jianxin felt that everything was moving very slowly.

A terrifying internal force enveloped everyone; the depth of this force was so profound that it instilled despair.

Within the area enveloped by internal energy, everyone's movements seemed to be slowed down.

Liu Jianxin was clearly about to be struck by the palm, but he dodged it with remarkable speed.

His Wuchang Sword was drawn, and with a simple, straight thrust, it aimed for the Shaolin abbot's throat.

Xuan Yong immediately withdrew his palm, attempting to dodge.

But this sword strike was too fast, so fast that it filled him with despair.

All of this happened in an instant.

In an instant, some people felt the oppressive feeling of being enveloped by immense internal energy, while others saw the Shaolin abbot's red figure flash by.

Some people also saw a sword beam that was almost non-existent.

The outcome has been decided.

The moment the Shaolin abbot fell, the entire martial arts world fell silent.

It took a while before someone realized what was happening.

A greenhorn new to the martial arts world defeated the Shaolin abbot, a pillar of the martial arts community? A single sword strike to kill him?

This level of martial arts skill is probably something that only Ye Jianxin back then, or the current leader of the martial arts alliance, could achieve.

It's hard to believe that a newcomer could have accomplished all of this.

The evening-blooming trees in the distance looked somewhat weary.

Defeating anyone in the martial arts world is not difficult, but defeating a top master without being detected, by using Liu Jianxin, is quite challenging.

However, he did manage to do it in the end.

Despite blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, Liu Jianxin's swordsmanship became even clearer after the Shaolin abbot's defeat.

There are no heroes in this world; people just imagine what heroes would be like in real life, and then they imitate them one by one. After imitating for a long time, they become heroes.

Even the most treacherous and ambitious people, those who betray their friends for personal gain and climb the social ladder, can be transformed once their chivalrous spirit is awakened and they receive the right feedback for doing good deeds…

He also longed to be a hero.

The Beginner's Sword Technique has reached level nine at this moment!
Wen Xishu and Liu Jianxin both sensed it... This sword technique was about to undergo a qualitative change.

……

……

Next up is the Qin Demon, a figure feared throughout the martial arts world for his ability to create illusions with his music, causing people's internal energy to become disordered and leading to their deaths.

Faced with the music of the Qin Demon, the hallucinations in Liu Jianxin's mind became increasingly distorted and twisted.

He saw more images.

Countless misspelled words flashed through his mind, along with the various hallucinations associated with them.

"Liu Jianxin, why are you meddling in other people's business? It's a consensual relationship between a female colleague and her boss, what kind of justice are you going to uphold? Do you really think you're some kind of hero?"

"What do you mean I robbed your cargo? You've been reading too many martial arts novels! Business trips are all about skill. If you're so capable, you can steal my clients too."

“Liu Jianxin, yes, you helped me take the blame back then, and I should thank you. But one thing is one thing. Now that you've made a mistake, it's reasonable for me to report you, right? We're all doing this for the good of the company, aren't we? I also want to be a team leader. You can't stop me from improving, can you? What do you mean by betraying a friend for personal gain? This is called principle!”

"Drink! Is my liquor poisoned? Drink it! Do you still want to close deals? Do you still want sales? I'm making you drink because I'm giving you face! I don't care about your industry advantages. If you want to cooperate, then drink! What kind of sleeping potion is this? Have you gone mad from drinking?"

Countless images, accompanied by mocking voices, struck Liu Jianxin with excruciating pain, like vicious moves from a group of demons in the martial arts world.

When upholding justice is met with indifference and complaints from victims, when one's environment is always filled with scheming and betrayal.

When all business deals are governed by a ridiculous drinking culture, and the client only revels in the thrill of pressuring the service provider, no longer considering mutual benefit...

This world has already become distorted.

Wuxia is dead, or rather, it never existed.

The music of the Qin Demon allowed Liu Jianxin to see more scenes.

He didn't understand these images.

At this moment, he was utterly confused.

And the young man in the hallucination, while making a phone call to report good news but not bad, couldn't help but ask:

“Dad…do I look like an idiot? They say I look like Don Quixote, someone who’s gone mad from reading chivalric romances.”

The voice on the other end of the phone was very faint.

But Liu Jianxin heard it.

It was the exact same voice as his father's.

"Silly boy, Don Quixote, it is indeed very funny that he can see windmills as enemies and then comically crash into them."

"But he was also very courageous, wasn't he? In that era, he always found joy in life and faced all kinds of difficulties head-on... He never backed down."

"This is actually quite admirable."

"Ignore the ridicule of others, and bravely become a hero."

The father's voice was encouraging.

But the young man on the other end of the phone seemed to be standing on the opposite side of the world:
"But... being a martial arts master is really tiring."

Liu Jianxin wholeheartedly agreed with this statement.

Being a martial arts master is really tiring.

But he still raised his sword.

Faced with the Demon Qin's Heavenly Demon Qin, and the chaotic internal energy within him, he didn't know how to deal with it...

But at this moment, what he saw was no longer the Demon of the Qin.

He seemed to see people in suits, looking respectable, from another world.

"Are these... the enemies I faced in that world?"

These men in suits all extended their hands with indifferent eyes and mocking expressions:

"Abandon your chivalrous ways, join us, and see the true world."

Their voices seemed to possess a certain bewitching quality.

Just at this moment, the sound of the zither filled the air, and even the voice of the zither demon carried a seductive quality:

"Put down your sword and accept the world as it is!"

The two worlds seemed to overlap.

In this world, Liu Jianxin felt the sword in his hand grow heavy. Looking at the people in suits, he felt lost and helpless.

Correspondingly, in another world, there is also a young man whose inner martial arts world has seen the invincible Xiao Jianglong die in battle. The powerful Qin Demon uses his music to subdue him and make him see the true face of the martial arts world.

The overwhelming exhaustion and the helplessness of being deceived by life made him want to kneel down and throw away the sword in his hand.

But at that moment, that voice appeared in his mind.

What heroes do is never easy. If this world weren't dark, if this world weren't treacherous, then why would we be who we are?

Grasp your sword and slay the enemy! Do the right, though difficult, thing!

Do the right, even difficult, thing.

These words struck like a bolt of lightning in the pitch-black night.

The lightning illuminated everything, including my father's smiling face from back then.

At this moment, Liu Jianxin seemed to see a scene from many years ago.

"Teacher, my child did nothing wrong, I won't make him apologize!"

"Your child hit someone, and hitting someone is wrong. How can you be a parent like that? No matter what, you can't hit someone! Do you know how much they donate to the school every year?!"

"Yes, you have rules against hitting people, but my child was trying to help that little girl! Her textbooks were scribbled on so badly that the words were illegible, and her chair was covered in glue. When she was being abused, your rules didn't protect her, so my child had to break these ridiculous rules to protect her!"

"Even if you expel my child today, I won't make him admit his mistake. I can't let him think that protecting others is wrong, and bullying others is right!!"

That happened when I was thirteen. I had clearly hit someone, but my father stood up for me.

Liu Jianxin suddenly burst into tears.

That year, a female student was bullied by other students. She sought help from the teacher, but the teacher was classic example of treating students differently based on their behavior.

When faced with a female student's plea for help, the teacher simply said, "I've already criticized them, so don't be so petty."

That's all they did, and in return, the perpetrators became increasingly arrogant.

Liu Jianxin couldn't stand it anymore and beat up those who had bullied the female students. This beating put him in the predicament of being expelled.

Liu Jianxin remembered everything.

He suddenly realized that this was his childhood.

Unlike many others in the Ghost Tower who had unhappy childhoods, Liu Jianxin had a wonderful father during his childhood.

It was through his father's teachings and example that he was able to persevere for a very long time during the dark period of his life.

The fatigue seemed to subside somewhat, and the feeling of powerlessness gradually dissipated at that moment.

"Hey, my future self, have you become a great hero of the martial arts world?"

In his hazy state of consciousness, Liu Jianxin looked at the layers of phantoms in the distance, mustered a little strength, and heard a naive question uttered by his past self.

The hardships of thirty years old can be laughed off, but the hardships of thirteen years old may last a lifetime.

Fortunately, my father was shining brightly that year.

Liu Jianxin gritted his teeth and said:

"Not yet, but I'm working hard to become a great hero!"

At this moment, Liu Jianxin from two different worlds began to overlap.

[The Beginner's Sword Technique has been upgraded. It has reached level ten!]

The agonizing music was suppressed by a furious shout that seemed to know no bounds.

Just when everyone thought that the young man, new to the world of martial arts, was finally going to be defeated...

A simple and pure sword light flashed by.

A blood-red line appeared on the throat of the Qin Demon.

At this moment, Wen Xishu, who had been hiding in the shadows, was finally able to appear in front of Liu Jianxin.

Because what he wanted appeared.

[Having reached level ten in the Initial Heart Sword Technique, your chivalrous spirit has been awakened, and you have received Ye Jianxin's martial arts inheritance—Sword Heart Cleansing. You have also achieved a special accomplishment and received an invitation.]

Liu Jianxin was puzzled:
"This...what is this?"

Suddenly, an invitation appeared in his hand, which he couldn't understand.

At this moment, the demons of the Martial Alliance suddenly knelt down. They had been somewhat worried because of the Qin Demon's defeat, but seeing that figure descend... they were instantly filled with peace of mind.

On the contrary, the martial arts heroes, who were overjoyed by Liu Jianxin's previous performance, now all showed signs of despair.

Because a figure they feared had arrived at the center of the arena. Wen Xishu, the greatest villain of the Martial Alliance, had arrived at the arena.

(End of this chapter)