I've never felt happy to become an immortal.

Chapter 176 I've Found You (Fourth Update)

This gathering of heroes lasted for the entire afternoon.

It wasn't until dusk that it finally ended, albeit with difficulty.

There's basically only one rule: stop when you've made a point, and let the competition determine the winner.

Therefore, the winners are very happy, and the losers don't feel like they've really lost.

Even if there are a couple of people who are too competitive and get carried away, they wouldn't dare to act recklessly in front of so many people.

Originally, there were no prizes for this gathering of heroes. Everyone came to test what they had learned. In fact, the Bai Mei faction should have been the ones to host the gathering, but they probably thought it was too much trouble and didn't have the idea, so it never happened in previous years.

In previous years, the Sword Debate Conference was similar to taking the civil service exam. Everyone went to take the exam, and after the exam, everyone went home. Even if there were some gatherings, they often did not reach this level, which could gather more than thirty people from the Crouching Dragon List.

After a series of exchanges, they verified each other's skills and honed their abilities.

Bai Xuan was inevitably challenged two or three times, but he was basically stopped by others. As a result, he sat on the sidelines all afternoon and didn't have a chance to make a move.

As dusk approached, everyone felt it was time to call it a day, though they were still enjoying themselves.

Therefore, this final grand finale is also the battle that everyone is most looking forward to: the battle between Bai Xuan and Kagura.

Kagura Mai's appearance was the biggest dark horse of the entire event, as the Fallen Cherry Sword Pavilion rarely appears in the Central Plains.

Moreover, she possessed the secret techniques of the Falling Cherry Blossom Sword Pavilion, enabling her to defeat the strong with the weak and take down many swordsmen, making her truly unique and outstanding.

Even the Vermilion Bird Sword couldn't resist fighting her, and the result was a draw. In fact, the Vermilion Bird Sword was at a disadvantage. After facing the Seven Emotions Sword, it also suffered some minor injuries.

Having reached this point, only Bai Xuan and Xi Qingqing remain to make a move.

Xi Qingqing had been challenged before, but she directly offered to pay up first, and the other party immediately slunk away.

She was busy making money, and in just one afternoon she had earned more than three thousand taels of silver, and she was already in a state of bliss.

At this moment, Bai Xuan became the last barrier against Kagura Mai's attack.

If Kagura's costume were to actually break through the Central Plains, it would inevitably be a loss of face for the country.

"Who do you think will win?"

"The white moonlight! Guaranteed to win!"

"I don't think it's easy to say. This Seven Emotions Slash is too bizarre."

"Yes, a sword technique that can break through the mind at the Finger Profound Realm. I was blinded by the sword light just now, and I didn't see Grandma just now."

"I was also flashed by the light, I really, I'm going to cry."

There was a lot of discussion among the crowd.

Some people are optimistic, while others are not.

Kagura Mai is a pretty girl. If she weren't good-looking and were a man, she probably wouldn't have gained so many popularity points. She would likely be feeling like she's being watched with suspicion by countless people.

Kagura Mai sat there all afternoon without going anywhere, and was fed a huge amount of snacks. Her cheeks were stuffed full, like a little hamster, making her cuteness level +10. She gained a lot of goodwill from Ruan Mengyu and Ning Jianshuang.

Pretty girls have special privileges.

People still have to look at appearances.

Bai Xuan sighed inwardly.

Although he was also one of the people feeding the fruit, he couldn't resist giving her the chicken leg that the dried fruit girl had given him.

"One move to decide the outcome?" Bai Xuan asked tentatively.

"Kagura wants to try her swordsmanship first," Kagura Mai said.

“Okay.” Bai Xuan agreed, “Then let’s start with swordsmanship.”

Ning Jianshuang smiled and said, "Go easy on her, don't bully the little girl too much."

"Kagura is already an adult."

"Do adults still use formalities to refer to themselves?"

Kagura Mai said seriously, "Then Kagura has decided that she will no longer refer to herself as Kagura."

"Then forget it, it's rare to have a cute point and you've already ruined it."

Bai Xuan walked out of the inn and onto the street, where the streets of Meishan Town were illuminated by the afterglow of dusk.

The entire long street is paved with bluestone, each stone being a large rock brought from the mountain. The ground is slightly uneven, and the hundred-zhang-long road is stained with mottled red, the crimson color dyeing the street red. When the wind blows, it appears desolate.

His white attire seemed to be shrouded in a dark red halo, his figure was elegant and graceful, a gentleman unparalleled in the world. Before the sword was drawn, he showed no sign of sharpness, but rather blended naturally into the scenery.

The essence of a sword lies in concealing its edge. When needed, its sharpness is fully revealed; when not needed, it is like a dragon swimming in the sea or a tiger returning to the mountains and forests. Only when the sword is hidden in its sheath is it truly invincible.

He gestured for him to enter.

This scene, this person, this image—it has been witnessed by countless people, becoming an unforgettable and profound memory for them, etched into their lives.

This is... Bai Xuan, the top spot on the Crouching Dragon List and the white moonlight.

Kagura Mai also felt the heavy pressure.

Simply standing there, its imposing and majestic presence is fully revealed, without the slightest flaw.

Although the opponent was only at the Profound Realm, he brought the oppressive feeling of the Outer Realm, as if the person and the long street were one with each other. Whenever he launched an attack, it was like a sword piercing into a landscape painting, disturbing the whole piece of paper.

She realized that if she didn't strike soon, it would be too late; the longer her opponent prepared, the greater her disadvantage would become.

He drew his sword with a fierce thud, and cherry blossoms blew through the snow!

Amidst the glint of swords and the falling cherry blossoms, a breathtaking spectacle unfolds.

At the same time, Bai Xuan drew his sword, his left hand behind his back, his right hand gripping Jiang Chengzi's. For the first time in front of everyone, he displayed swordsmanship—pure swordsmanship, without any sword energy or intent, simply swordsmanship. Every move was exemplary, without any supernatural or fantastical elements; it conveyed only one word: speed!

First, a calm slash, the absence of moves being the best move, dissipated the falling cherry blossom sword energy. Then the moves changed, sometimes like a gentle drizzle, sometimes like a heavy sword splitting a mountain, sometimes like a continuous stream of water, sometimes like desolate moonlight... The unpredictable swordsmanship was smooth and flawless, and speed was consistent throughout.

This is not a killing move, but merely a comparison of swordsmanship.

Even though Kagura Mai had already enhanced her swordsmanship with sword energy and sword intent, she still couldn't catch up. She couldn't catch up with Bai Xuan's sword speed, which was achieved using only one hand, while his left hand was still behind his back!

"So fast..." Yue Qianqi leaned forward: "Is that his swordsmanship? Is there really someone in the world who can wield a weapon so freely?"

Every sword technique should have a traceable path, ultimately leading to one's own sword path, understanding the intent and momentum of the sword, and finally opening up the way of the sword.

Bai Xuan seemed to have no style of his own, yet he could effortlessly switch between any style.

“If you try to learn everything, you’ll end up mastering nothing. Even if you do master something, you won’t be able to achieve the level of effortless mastery.” Wang Zhiyuan unconsciously gripped the hilt of his sword. “But his sword… I can’t understand it.”

"Could this be considered an ultimate skill?" Xu Tingfeng closed his eyes, sensing the clash of swords: "The ultimate skill in swordsmanship is endless variation."

"He hasn't really gotten serious yet," the Vermilion Bird Sword cautioned. "If one sword can transform like this, what would happen if there were another?"

"Dual swordsmanship?"

Some people tried to imagine it, but found it was impossible.

Bai Xuan suppressed Kagura Mai with just one sword in his hand. Even though she kept using sword energy and sword moves, she could not break through her opponent's defenses. Moreover, once a move was used, its flaws and weaknesses would be immediately found and used up.

While the two sides appeared to be locked in a fierce battle, observant individuals noticed that Bai Xuan had been steadily moving forward from the very beginning, having already taken thirteen steps, while Kagura was constantly retreating.

Everyone thought it was going to be a fierce battle, but the sword fight at the very beginning was so dazzling and completely one-sided.

However, this was by no means because Kagura Mai was too weak. Every move of her swordsmanship was mastered to its essence, penetrating and exquisite, and could be described as textbook-level.

However, she was still a student.

No matter how much knowledge you acquire from books, it's still just reciting from the book.

Bai Xuan was responsible for compiling the teaching materials; his role was creation.

One is learning, the other is creating; they're not even in the same league.

Kagura Mai quickly realized this as well, but she was just a little stubborn and wanted to force out Bai Xuan's left hand or sword control technique.

Unfortunately, after being forced back by the sword twice in a row, she secretly realized that she had lost miserably in swordsmanship, and her state of mind was slightly affected, so she decisively changed her move.

She drew her second weapon from her waist, a small katana.

Dual sword flow.

The short sword is used for defense, while the long sword is used for offense.

Bai Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly, rotated his wrist, and a layer of frost appeared on Jiang Chengzi. He was finally willing to use his true energy... This made the people around him gasp slightly to relieve the sudden drop in temperature on the street.

After this light slash, as if moonlight had been scattered, a layer of frost covered the ground. The sword's momentum seemed weak, but in fact it was all-pervasive. The killing intent, though not sharp, condensed into water vapor in the air, like invisible blades.

Bai Xuan did not immediately transform his sword energy, but Kagura Mai subconsciously felt the sensation of being surrounded by sword energy and began to constantly shift her position.

In this battle, Bai Xuan still did not use any sword techniques, but merely added a layer of Frosty Sky Sword Intent and used the Bright Moon Divine Skill.

A sword and two blades constantly clashed, sometimes like wings folding and a roc swooping down; sometimes like a strong wind blowing and moonlight turning into frost; sometimes like falling cherry blossoms turning into blades, cutting through illusions.

Countless petals soared into the sky in the wind, and the crisp, intermittent sounds of hammering iron mingled together like a wondrous melody. Upon hearing these sounds, the True Martial Artists of the Finger Profound Realm felt as if they had been enlightened, and suddenly some wondrous inspiration arose among them.

Many of them were thrilled watching, wishing they could take their place, but they regretted that their own strength was insufficient and that they would probably be defeated quickly if they entered the fray.

The two sides were actually at the peak of their battle.

Kagura Mai sensed a flaw... or rather, it wasn't a flaw, but her only chance to attack.

So he decisively threw out the small katana in his hand, gripped the katana with both hands, took a deep breath, raised the weapon high above his head, and plunged it heavily into the ground.

Sever the Seven Emotions!
She should have needed to build up her strength for this move, so how could she have used it so easily?

If every use requires advance preparation, then this move obviously has no practical value. It was only because everyone wanted to see the Seven Emotions Slash that Kagura was given time to prepare.

Kagura Mai has never shown the true way to use the Seven Emotions Slash. In fact, all the falling cherry blossom sword energy here was part of the preparation beforehand.

What appears to be a casual use is actually a foreshadowing laid from the very first move of the exchange.

She constantly manipulated the falling cherry blossom sword energy to disrupt everyone's emotions and continuously accumulate the seven emotions.

Once unleashed, the Seven Emotions Sword Intent will detonate all pent-up emotions.

In an instant, Bai Xuan indeed felt his emotions ripple, which then turned into waves, and the waves into tides, surging into the depths of his heart.

His life experiences are so long that his memories are so rich, which makes the fluctuations in his life all the more intense, and the emotions hidden deep within his seven emotions are all the more profound.

One by one, all those heroic, humble, pitiful, respectable, deeply loved, hated, beautiful, cruel, absurd, and capricious events... have all sunk into the deep sea of ​​history.

So much so that in the end, only one emotion remained—

Disappointment and regret.

……

Far away place.

Deep within the Sakuragi Shrine, in that flowerbed, a small, seven-colored flower suddenly bloomed.

Wenren Yue reached out and picked the small flower, plucked a petal, and gently put it in his mouth to chew.

She raised the corners of her lips.

"...Found you!"

(End of this chapter)