The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 429 Sword Skills
You're coming to fight me? I'm more afraid you won't come.

Zhao Ti thought to himself that the old man was clearly no match for him. It would be better if there was one more person so that he could use the Peach Blossom Sword Technique to his heart's content.

As the woman in black spoke, she leaped into the arena, a long sword called Autumn Water already appearing in her hand. The sword was as bright as a mirror, clearly a fine sword.

Zhao Ti remained silent, stopped practicing the Peach Blossom Sword Technique, and instead began using the sword moves he had learned from sparring with Lin Meng.

Although these sword techniques were not particularly powerful, Zhao Ti possessed considerable internal strength, and there were over a hundred of them. He had learned about 80-90% of the techniques Lin Meng had used. Now, he used these techniques to fight the two of them back and forth.

The sword light flashed continuously in the arena, and the cold air penetrated several feet away. Even though there was still a distance between them and the big tree, the leaves and branches kept falling down, as if they were being cut down by the invisible sword energy.

In the blink of an eye, dozens of moves had passed. Zhao Ti was so engrossed in learning and countering the moves that he seemed oblivious to everything else, becoming incredibly calm and profound.

"You..." The girl in black realized something was wrong and asked, "What are you doing? Why aren't you using that pink sword technique from before?"

Zhao Ti had no intention of paying attention. He was determined to use everything he had learned from Lin Meng and verify it one by one. Moreover, since the opponent was using different moves, he also needed to learn some of them.

At this moment, the sword light was like a waterfall, and the three of them moved faster and faster. After several dozen more moves, the two of them who were originally attacking Zhao Ti had now become Zhao Ti, who was spinning around the two of them like a top.

The old man brandished his curved sword with lightning speed, but his face behind the veil was extremely ugly. Suddenly, he shouted, "Boy, are you playing games with us?"

Zhao Ti remained silent, responding with a flourish of his sword. The girl in black said softly, "Your martial arts are superb, yet you don't use thunderous methods, instead employing extremely ordinary moves. Are you practicing your own family's swordsmanship?"

Zhao Ti glanced at her and thought to himself, "You're quite clever, but you haven't used your true abilities, have you?"

Aside from using two extremely fierce moves that failed to achieve their purpose when she first entered the arena, the woman changed her moves after realizing that she was not using the Peach Blossom Sword Technique but instead using other sword techniques.

The woman in black then said, "We have been exchanging blows with you for a long time, and it is almost dawn. Are you still unwilling to reveal your identity?"

Zhao Ti snorted and glanced towards the eastern horizon, where a faint light of dawn was already appearing.

"What are you humming about?" the woman in black said in a soft voice. "You followed me here for no reason, injured the Liu family members, and forced us to practice our moves. Don't you want to explain why?"

"This young lady talks too much!" Zhao Ti glanced at her, only to see that her eyes were bright and clear. He couldn't help but think to himself, "If the Liu family hadn't attacked the tree first, how could I have injured him? You certainly know how to strike first."

No… He thought for a moment, knowing full well that he couldn’t explain, why was the other person still asking so many questions? Their real intention wasn’t to answer, but to get him to speak!
Since I haven't spoken, the other person wants me to speak. What for? Naturally, to listen to my voice and figure out what I'm doing!

This young lady is cunning and scheming!

Zhao Ti snorted again, glancing at the eastern sky, thinking to himself that it was time to go back.

Before going back, you should use the Peach Blossom Sword Technique again, and give the other party a warning so that they understand that some things cannot be said carelessly and some things cannot be guessed.

He didn't know if anyone else knew that Yang Jian had given him the Four Illuminations Divine Skill, but he didn't want to cause any trouble for the other party. If the other party got into trouble because of it, he would also be in trouble, and might even suffer some misfortune.

After all, this is the core technique of the Yang family, and it cannot be taught to anyone but elite disciples. As an outsider, I have learned this skill and reached such a level. If the people in power in the Yang family find out, what will happen?

Such a rule-breaking act is something even Yang Jian might not be able to bear, and he would be subject to tremendous punishment. As for myself... judging from the plot of the story, the outcome will not be much better than Yang Jian's, and may even be worse.

Therefore, such matters should not be leaked to others. It is best to keep one's face covered and identity hidden, as outsiders can only guess and cannot be sure who one is. However, if one's identity is revealed and it is discovered that one is not a member of the Yang family or the royal family, then it would be extremely bad.

Thinking of this, Zhao Ti brandished his iron sword, a pink light flashed, and he used the Peach Blossom Sword Technique.

The woman in black let out a soft "Eh," and her longsword immediately changed its move, unleashing a blinding white light, as if daylight had broken and the world had been illuminated, as it rushed towards Zhao Ti.

Hmm? Such impressive swordsmanship! Zhao Ti's heart stirred upon seeing this. The woman in black was cunning and had been feigning weakness, never revealing anything special in her words or martial arts. Now, she suddenly used such swordsmanship, clearly having planned this for a long time. She intended to catch him off guard and strike him unexpectedly, hoping to achieve success in one fell swoop.

It wasn't a sneak attack, but it was just as bad as one; their intentions were truly cunning!
Zhao Ti was on guard and instantly became entangled with the woman in black. The woman's swordsmanship was very peculiar and strange, with great power. She was enveloped in white light, making her look like a goddess descending to earth.

Zhao Ti unleashed five moves of the Peach Blossom Sword Technique, and the pink sword light barely matched his opponent's, yet he gained no advantage whatsoever, which secretly surprised him.

"What kind of swordsmanship is this, sir? It can actually rival my Great Bright Sword Technique. It seems that the Yang family does not possess such a swordsmanship," the woman in black suddenly said.

The Great Bright Sword Technique? What kind of martial art is this? Zhao Ti didn't know, but its power was indeed immense. It should be the core martial art of some faction. He just didn't know which family this woman came from.

He continued using the Peach Blossom Sword Technique until the ninth move. At this moment, nine peach blossoms appeared, completely obscuring the iron sword. The sword was hidden within the peach blossoms. At this instant, a bright pink light shone forth, overpowering the strangely bright white light on the opponent's sword.

The woman in black changed her sword stance even faster in an instant, her entire figure like a beam of light, her black clothes strangely reflecting a bright white and shimmering with a holy radiance.

"The night ends and the light begins, the light comes!" the woman chanted, her voice heavy and repeated, seemingly not coming from her own mouth, but from the sky above.

As soon as she finished speaking, a dazzling white light suddenly intensified, and the woman's body was enveloped in the white light as she thrust her sword towards Zhao Ti.

This sword strike, with its intense white light as bright as the sun, stirred the air on both sides, creating a powerful hissing sound. The flowers and grass on the ground were instantly pulverized by the aura, and the ancient banyan tree behind it seemed to be showered with green rain. However, the leaf fragments disappeared as soon as they entered the white light, as if melted by the light.

What! Zhao Ti immediately frowned. What a powerful sword strike! This sword came straight at him like a meteor, even faster than a meteor. It was simply impossible to dodge; he could only block it head-on.

Moreover, the internal force unleashed by this sword strike was several times greater than what the woman in black had previously displayed. Clearly, the woman had not only concealed her strength in swordsmanship but also in her internal energy.

This sword strike was difficult to dodge, extremely difficult to avoid, but Zhao Ti was still confident that he could dodge it. However, he did not want to dodge; he wanted to test the power of the opponent's sword strike.

After all, he hadn't used his full internal strength, only using about 10-20% to fight the two of them.

At this moment, he made up his mind and suddenly raised his internal energy to about 50%, unleashing the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth moves of the Peach Blossom Sword Technique in quick succession.

It was as if the world itself changed color, with pink light instantly overshadowing bright white light, and peach blossoms blooming, directly entwining the sword that the opponent was thrusting at them.

The sword hesitated for a moment, and Zhao Ti seized the opportunity to thrust his iron sword straight at the woman's throat. The woman instantly deflected her sword, blocking Zhao Ti's attack. In a flash, the tips of the two swords collided, producing a soft "clink" sound.

Then, cracks began to appear on Zhao Ti's iron sword, and the cracks instantly covered the entire blade, making it look like it was about to break apart.

Hmph, this little woman's scheme is clever; she wants to use this to break the weapon in her hand. Zhao Ti could see right through her plan at this moment: the woman in black was improvising and trying to destroy his sword.

The other party must have been watching my sword for a long time, and after discovering that it was just an ordinary piece of iron, they had been eyeing it for a while and now that they had the chance, they wanted to destroy it.

Zhao Ti remained expressionless. The opponent must be wielding a sharp weapon. He had tried to avoid direct contact with the opponent's blade before, because he was concerned about the iron sword being damaged. The opponent had pretended not to know, but now he was revealing his true colors.

Even if the sword is destroyed, will you be able to win?

Zhao Ti's lips curled slightly beneath his veil, and suddenly he unleashed his inner strength, forcefully striking the sword that was already on the verge of shattering.

You want the sword destroyed? Well, I'll help you destroy it then!
This iron sword had been sparred with Lin Meng before, and it was already covered with many scratches. Even if the other party did not intend to destroy it, it probably wouldn't last long. Zhao Ti then used this opportunity to his advantage, and instead of protecting the sword, he destroyed it himself.

The iron sword couldn't withstand such a two-pronged attack; it shattered with a "crack" almost instantly.

But when the sword shattered, the fragments didn't fly around randomly. Instead, driven by Zhao Ti's internal energy, they all shot towards the woman in black.

The woman in black was immediately startled. She had not expected Zhao Ti to destroy the sword on his own initiative. The sword was destroyed a step ahead of time, and she did not expect that the fragments would all rush towards her under the impetus of the other party's internal force.

She let out a sharp cry, and the Autumn Water Sword in her hand flashed with a bright white light as she swung it swiftly, striking at the flying fragments.

Zhao Ti raised his eyebrows and then struck forward with his palm.

"Ah... Miss, be careful!" The old man cried out in panic upon seeing this, and slapped himself down with his palm in mid-air.

But Zhao Ti's Four Illuminations Divine Skill was incredibly powerful. The four-colored light flashed and dispelled the old man's palm strike, still heading straight for the woman in black.

In her panic, the woman in black also raised her hand and struck out. Her slender, jade-like palm was as white as snow, and a beam of white light shot out in an instant.

Zhao Ti then withdrew his internal energy. He had already ascertained the woman's true cultivation level and knew she couldn't withstand his palm strike. He had no grudge against these people and had already injured one; there was really no need to injure a second one.

He withdrew most of his power, and then the four-colored light collided with the opponent's bright white palm wind, producing a sharp and strange sound. The four-colored light still had the advantage and continued to attack forward, but its speed was a little slower.

Seeing that she could not withstand the attack, the woman in black swayed and flew backward, but she was still no match for the palm strike. Although the four-colored light had weakened to the point of almost disappearing, it still brushed against her.

She immediately let out a gasp, her body jolted, and the veil on her face was lifted off, revealing a beautiful face that could be both charming and sullen.

"Ah You……"

Zhao Ti blinked. He hadn't done it on purpose. The aftershocks of his palm strike were barely enough to harm a woman of her skill, but unexpectedly, they had blown off her veil.

He looked closely and saw that the other person was only seventeen or eighteen years old, with an extremely beautiful face and exquisite features. However, his face was pale, clearly indicating that he had been quite frightened by his palm strike.

"You injured my Sima family's young lady, aren't you afraid that my Jianzhou Sima family will send people to retaliate and fight to the death!" The old man stood in front of the girl in black, looking furious, and said angrily.

The Sima family? The Sima family, one of the eight great families in the land? Zhao Ti looked enlightened upon hearing this.

The Sima family, one of the eight great families, was a branch of the imperial family of the former Jin Dynasty. However, they were no longer related to the last imperial family. Their bloodline had split off for more than a thousand years. Although some of them served as officials, they were all minor local officials. They mainly lived in the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world) and engaged in Jianghu business.

When the Great Qian Emperor was first wandering the world, he was taken care of by this Sima family. Later, when he started his rebellion, he also received support from this Sima family. In the battles in the south and north, members of this Sima family made many great achievements.

Although they were members of the former Jin dynasty's imperial family, they had no real connection with the royal family. Moreover, they were a family that had followed the emperor to the throne in the Great Qian dynasty. Therefore, the founding emperor did not treat them differently and bestowed upon them generous rewards. After the establishment of the Great Qian dynasty, this branch of the Sima family rose to become one of the eight great families in the world.

Zhao Ti glanced at the old man, snorted coldly, and raised his hand to strike. The old man was shocked and hurriedly tried to block, but the force of the strike was just right, and it knocked the old man down.

"Uncle Zhou, stop talking." The girl in black spoke up at this moment: "I wasn't injured, so how can I talk about revenge to the death?"

The old man got up from the ground and looked at the girl: "Miss, you..."

The girl smiled gently: "Besides, why would the Yang family or the royal family be afraid of the Sima family's revenge?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ti looked at the young woman, who also looked back at him with clear, bright eyes that seemed to hold boundless wisdom. She asked, "Sir, am I right or wrong?"

Zhao Ti glanced at her, knowing she was cunning, and paid her no heed. After a few moments, he looked up at the sky, then turned and flew away in an instant.

"Your Excellency..." Watching Zhao Ti disappear in a few flashes, the girl in black couldn't help but show a slightly complicated expression, followed by a half-smile.

"Miss, are you really alright?" the old man asked in a low voice.

"It's nothing." The girl in black shook her head.

"It's good that he's alright. Is this person from the Yang family or the royal family? It's rather strange that he's not going after the Qin family but instead coming to cause trouble for us." The old man looked in the direction where Zhao Ti disappeared and asked in confusion.

"It's not necessarily the Yang family or the royal family..." the girl in black said slowly.

“Miss, that person has mastered the Four Illuminations Divine Skill, how could he not be from either of these two factions?” The old man looked at the girl in black with a puzzled expression.

The girl in black smiled and did not answer. Instead, she looked at the man on the ground and said, "Uncle Zhou, take Brother Liu and go back now."

After saying that, she darted off towards the south of Yuling Lake, while the old man, looking puzzled, carried the young man on his back and followed closely behind.

(End of this chapter)