From the beginning of Swordsman, he created a legend in the martial arts world.

Lu Bai never expected his opponent to react so quickly and to use such ruthless swordsmanship!

If he insisted on striking down with his palm, he could certainly severely injure the boy in front of him, but his own vital point under his armpit would also be pierced by this sudden sword strike, making it a losing proposition!

In shock and anger, he had no choice but to forcefully withdraw his palm to defend himself. His left hand, with its five fingers like hooks, swiftly grabbed at Meng Fei's sword, intending to seize the obstructing longsword.

"snort!"

How could Meng Fei let him have his way? As one of the Thirteen Protectors of the Songshan Sect, Lu Bai's internal strength cultivation must be deeper than his own. A head-on confrontation was definitely not the best strategy. At this moment, he would follow his mind's will in his sword moves, neither competing with him in internal strength nor allowing his sword to be captured by him.

His swordplay was fluid and graceful, then suddenly changed, the longsword flashing and contracting like a serpent, dodging Lu Bai's grasp.

Immediately, the sword tip trembled, transforming into three cold stars that targeted Lu Bai's face, throat, and heart, forcing Lu Bai to defend again.

Lu Bai immediately changed his palm techniques several times. The Great Songyang Palm was fierce and unparalleled, with a strong wind howling, protecting his body completely. He intended to use his powerful internal force to shake off or suppress Meng Fei's sword moves.

However, Meng Fei's Thirteen Deadly Swords deliberately avoided direct confrontation with him. The sword light was like a leech, always striking at the weakest point of his moves from an unpredictable angle, just as his palm force was about to be unleashed or when his old strength had been exhausted and new strength had not yet been generated.

After exchanging only a dozen or so blows, Lu Bai was shocked to discover that despite possessing formidable internal strength, he felt as if he had struck cotton, constantly restrained and unable to exert his power.

What alarmed him even more was that the young man's sword intent was refined and decisive, and there was a sense of oppression that even made this old hand feel uneasy.

"Sizzle!"

With a soft sound, Lu Bai's sleeve was ripped open by the sword's edge.

Lu Bai was both shocked and furious. He involuntarily retreated, forced back to the center of the hall from his original attacking position by Meng Fei's fierce sword moves.

The entire hall fell silent!

Everyone stared in disbelief at the sudden clash. No one expected that these two young men who suddenly appeared would be so different. One had such sharp swordsmanship that he forced back several disciples of Songshan, while the other was able to directly force Lu Bai, one of the thirteen protectors of Songshan, to such a sorry state!

At this moment, Fei Bin's expression was no longer just ugly, but revealed an incredulous shock and solemnity.

"Your swordsmanship is exquisite! May I ask which master you are from? Could you please state your name so that my Songshan Sect may know who has defeated us today?"

Fei Bin suppressed his shock and anger, his gaze sharp as he stared intently at Meng Fei.

The opponent was no ordinary person who could force Lu Bai to retreat, but this person's face was unfamiliar, and his martial arts style was even more unpredictable and fierce than ever before, which made him even more wary.

After forcing their opponents back, Lin Pingzhi sheathed his sword and came to Meng Fei's side. Hearing Fei Bin's question, he raised his head and said, "Fuzhou, Lin Pingzhi!" Although his voice still carried some youthful clarity, it already revealed an undeniable firmness.

Then, Meng Fei calmly met Fei Bin's gaze, his voice clear and steady: "I am Meng Fei."

"Meng Fei?"

"Lin Pingzhi?"

The moment these two unfamiliar names appeared, they immediately sparked hushed discussions among the crowd.

Almost everyone was frantically searching through their memories, trying to find the origins of these two names from known martial arts sects, families, and masters.

"Meng Fei... which school or sect does he belong to? I've never heard of such a young swordsmanship master before?"

"Lin Pingzhi? That name... seems familiar?"

"Wait! Lin Pingzhi from Fuzhou?! Could it be... that escaped brat from the Lin family of the Fuwei Escort Agency, who was wiped out by the Qingcheng Sect a while ago?!"

A surprised and uncertain voice suddenly rose slightly, seemingly coming from an elderly man who had some knowledge of the martial arts world in Southeast China.

These words were like a drop of water thrown into boiling oil!

"The Lin family of Fuwei Escort Agency?! The Lin family that... is rumored to possess the 'Evil-Repelling Sword Manual'?"

"That's right! The young master of the Lin family, it seems, is named Lin Pingzhi!"

"Ah! Could it be that what he just used was that infamous... Evil-Repelling Sword Technique?!"

"But...that's not right! Rumor has it that Lin Zhennan's martial arts are mediocre, yet that young man's swordsmanship was so fierce! If the Lin family truly possessed such a swordsmanship lineage, how could they have been so easily wiped out by Yu Canghai?"

Doubt, speculation, greed, curiosity... all sorts of emotions spread and fermented rapidly among the crowd.

Almost everyone focused their attention on Lin Pingzhi, while some more thoughtful people turned their attention to Meng Fei—this young man was so protective of Lin Pingzhi, what was his relationship with the Lin family and the rumored "Evil-Repelling Sword Manual"?

Just as the whispers, the exchange of glances, and the increasingly subtle and unsettling atmosphere—

"What Lin Pingzhi used was indeed the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual!"

A cold and resolute voice, like the hiss of a viper, suddenly rang out from an inconspicuous dark corner of the hall!

"And the real 'Evil-Repelling Sword Manual'..."

The voice paused slightly, as if deliberately giving everyone time to digest this astonishing news, before clearly uttering the rest of the words, one by one.

"...It's on Meng Fei, who's right next to him!"

boom--!

This statement is tantamount to throwing a massive boulder into a lake that is already turbulent!

In an instant, the nature of all the gazes directed at Lin Pingzhi and Meng Fei completely changed.

If the previous feelings were mixed with surprise at the two men's martial arts skills, dissatisfaction with the arrogance of the Songshan Sect, and sympathy for Liu Zhengfeng's plight...

At this moment, most of these gazes were quickly replaced by a naked, undisguised eagerness, greed, and inquiry.

The Evil-Repelling Sword Manual!

That's the legendary sword manual that supposedly allows for rapid mastery of martial arts and even created Lin Yuantu's illustrious reputation!

For decades, it has been the most coveted treasure for countless martial arts practitioners! Previously, they had only heard of it but never seen it, and many even doubted its existence after the destruction of the Fuwei Escort Agency.

Now, someone has actually pointed out in public that the sword manual is on this young man named Meng Fei!

Looking at Meng Fei's astonishing swordsmanship that he just displayed, which was able to force back the Thirteen Protectors of the Songshan Sect, it seems... that it also provides some kind of evidence for this accusation? Could it be that his cultivation at such a young age is due to the "Evil-Repelling Sword Manual"?

The moral advantage and the subtle respect from the crowd, originally brought about by Lin Pingzhi's righteous intervention and Meng Fei's resistance against Songshan, suddenly became shaky and even began to turn in the opposite direction in the face of the great temptation of the "Peerless Sword Manual".

The eyes of Fei Bin, Lu Bai, and others from the Songshan Sect flashed with a sharp light, their killing intent now tinged with an intense determination to succeed.

Those martial arts heroes and outlaws who were originally just watching the spectacle now found their breathing becoming heavier, staring at Meng Fei as if he were a moving gold mine, a tremendous opportunity.

Lin Pingzhi's expression changed drastically, filled with shock and anger. He hadn't expected anyone to be so malicious as to spread such rumors at this moment, practically putting them in a precarious position! He instinctively gripped his sword hilt and looked at Meng Fei.

Meng Fei remained calm, as if the shocking accusation was not directed at him. As for the person who had spoken, although he had not seen the person, he had already guessed who it was from the familiar voice.