Ten Directions Sword Master

"Mid-grade magic weapon, Cicada's Song."

Luo Xianzhe said something indifferently, then turned to Fatty Luo.

"It's time to go in. I saw Dean Lin arrive; I should go and say hello to him."

Fatty Luo winked and obediently followed behind his elders.

"As expected of Yuzhang Luo, he borrowed a mid-grade treasure with just one loan."

Lu Li clicked his tongue in praise. Although he didn't need to rely on weapons to deal with Luo Yunqi, he still appreciated the intention.

Since it's the White Deer Twin Swords, then let's help Fatty Luo make one more cut, since he can't stand the sight of that dead fish face.

The cicada's song is three feet and three inches long and only one finger wide, yet it leaves its sheath without making a sound.

The sword is as transparent as ice, and its edges are so thin that light can pass through without leaving a trace.

A faint blue line appeared along the spine of the sword, like a frozen blood vessel, instantly freezing and frost in the air.

"What a fine sword!"

Lu Li flicked his sword lightly, leaving no trace or light, and icy mist gathered with the sword light.

One can imagine how much advantage a sword can gain from the cold air it carries when fighting someone, in addition to its inherent sharpness.

The cicada's movements are so light that you can hardly feel its weight; it's not a typical sword technique.

However, the divine power associated with this treasure weapon perfectly matches the Six Swords of Akibu, as if it were tailor-made for them.

Unfortunately, the Lu family of Pengcheng is far inferior to the Luo family of Yuzhang, and cannot casually carry a treasured weapon when they go out. Otherwise, they would not have to worry about weapons after they have established their foundation.

"Please make way, everyone."

At the entrance of Hall No. 1, a large crowd had gathered, three or four deep. Lu Li had underestimated the attraction of this battle to the academy's disciples.

"Who is this person? I finally managed to get this spot, and now I can't even see the edge of the sword platform!"

"Push forward with all your might! I want to see Senior Brother Luo blast that kid away with three punches!"

Only one short female disciple, who couldn't see anything to begin with, turned around, recognized the person, and stammered, "Senior Brother Lu, you've come..."

Upon hearing that one of the competitors was outside the hall, the disciples stopped pushing and shoving, and with embarrassed smiles, leaned back as much as possible to make way for each other.

"So many people have come, making quite a show of force. Is it to ensure that if I lose and break my promise to withdraw, I'll be completely unable to hold my head up in the academy...?"

Lu Li saw several familiar figures, including Dean Lin Ruoxu and more than ten students, including Gu Jingyu.

Calmly, he carried two longswords and climbed onto the sword platform.

Luo Yunqi stood relaxed in a corner, his hands hanging down near his knees, wearing a pair of metal boxing gloves.

Upon seeing the weapon in Lu Li's hand, his expression instantly changed, and he was no longer as confident as before.

How could the Luo family members not recognize the renowned treasure weapon, Cicada's Cry, a treasure of a level that the Luo family would not possess in large numbers?

He was skilled in boxing and wore high-quality gauntlets that the Luling Luo clan had painstakingly collected. However, against Chanming, he feared that a few sword strikes would be enough to cut through them. How could he possibly win this battle?

Luo Yunqi turned around abruptly, his eyes searching the audience with venomous resentment.

That good-for-nothing cousin hated him to the bone, so he lent a precious treasure of the clan to an outsider, wanting him to lose the competition.

Fortunately, Shen Qing had found him a tutor out of a favor. The tutor was also a practitioner of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique (Autumn Section) and had a good understanding of the sword technique, so he told him how to deal with it.

"No need to look anymore. You are not worthy of such a fine sword. A hundred-refined steel sword is enough."

Lu Li put the cicada down from the sword stand and walked to the other side of the sword platform.

Winning with precious weapons would not demonstrate his abilities, but would also put Luo Yonghao in the spotlight.

No matter how you look at it, it all comes from the same source. If you borrow the cicada's song for an outsider, you'll be in trouble with your own clan if they blame you later.

"Good, Junior Brother Lu is indeed ambitious!"

Luo Yunqi was overjoyed. This man was so arrogant that he abandoned the cicadas' song. What was there to fear?

If he could just survive the first few killing moves of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique, the huge difference in their cultivation levels would allow him to easily win.

……

"Dean Lin, which disciple do you think will ultimately emerge victorious?"

Luo Xianzhe greeted Lin Ruoxu with the respect due to a junior and sat down as a guest.

"As fellow disciples of the academy, victory or defeat is not the goal; the only hope is to inspire all disciples' ambition... But when did the selection for the secret realm become determined by the outcome of a competition? One is at the half-step Foundation Establishment stage, and the other is at the late stage of Qi Refining; is there even a need for a selection process?"

Lin Ruoxu's face remained expressionless, showing neither joy nor anger, but the shift in his tone was all too obvious.

"Dean Lin is right. I will certainly teach the younger generation of my clan in this way when I return... Hmm?"

Luo Xianzhe glanced at the changes on the stage and was somewhat surprised.

His own nephew believed that Luo Yunqi was making things difficult for his friend because of him, and went crazy, wanting to steal the sword from the ancestral hall.

Knowing about this, he simply lent a helping hand, removing the cicada's song and escorting it back to the academy.

Otherwise, with Luo Liben's abilities, how could he possibly have managed to stop the cicadas from chirping?

Luo Xianzhe is unmarried and childless, and doesn't seem to be planning to have one. Many clansmen have been subtly suggesting to him that he adopt an heir to prevent the family line from ending.

He knew perfectly well what these people wanted to say.

With Luo Liben in the eldest son's family, what need is there for an heir?

It's good to take this opportunity to be a little willful and put an end to any unwarranted thoughts of separating from the Luling family.

Given his status, if he were to take the blame, at most he would be punished by the clan elders by being confined to the ancestral hall for two years, which wouldn't be considered a severe punishment.

I never expected my nephew's friend to be so individualistic; he accepted the precious weapon but refrained from using it.

Is he relying on something else, or is he so aloof that he's become pedantic?

Luo Xianzhe became interested and his gaze fell on the young man with the sword, not looking away.

……

Lu Li pointed his longsword and thrust it towards Luo Yunqi's left chest with lightning speed. He concealed three-tenths of his sword's power, keeping it focused and leaving enough room for maneuver.

Luo Yunqi exhaled and shouted, his fist striking the sword, shattering gold and jade, the force coming wave after wave.

As he deflected the longsword, he placed his other fist at his waist, gathering his inner strength in his shoulders, ready to unleash a thunderous strike at any moment.

Half-step Foundation Establishment means that apart from the first step of Qi Opening, he has reached the peak of Qi Induction in all other aspects, and when he unleashes his full power, he can even unleash an attack similar to that of the Foundation Establishment realm.

Luo Yunqi's usual fighting style is characterized by its fierce and unrestrained, masculine and powerful approach. His punches are as dense as rain, leaving no room for his opponent to breathe.

Especially when facing an opponent whose cultivation is weaker than your own, you should get close and force the opponent to reveal a weakness.

Contrary to expectations, they are now adopting a defensive stance.

"There's really no surprise at all. Fearing that my aggressive attack would give the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique an opening, I opted for a defensive approach with some offense to ensure I didn't make a mistake... Unfortunately, by the time my swordplay was fully unleashed, and the golden energy filled the air, it was too late for you to react."

The competition and the predicted progress were exactly as expected, which made Lu Li feel somewhat bored.

The sword light moved swiftly, not caring whether it could break through the fists, touching and then leaving, simply moving Luo Yunqi back and forth.

As the dew deepened on the sword platform, Luo Yunqi unknowingly noticed that his room for maneuver was shrinking.

The more he fought, the more frustrated he became. None of the precautions the instructor had pointed out were used, and he was wasting his internal energy in vain.

After more than ten moves, the so-called Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword Technique proved no match for Luo Yunqi's power. Frustrated, Luo Yunqi roared and unleashed a powerful punch that resembled a long dragon, accompanied by howling winds.

The Hundred-Step Divine Fist, when mastered, can shatter opponents a hundred paces away with its force.

With his full power unleashed now, he believed he could scatter the sword light, and the violent, surging fist would be difficult for Lu Li to withstand.

The sword tip touched the gauntlet, producing a clear and melodious sound, like a morning bell or evening drum.

Even through the boxing gloves, Luo Yunqi felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his finger bones and wrist. His internal energy leaked out, and the sword blade grazed his wrist, lightly slicing across his chest.