Translator: Kazeyuki_ Editor: Jimmy_
To put it precisely, the Lone Nine Sword was not counted as a sword technique.
Different than other sword techniques, this sword technique itself was not created for attacking others. However, it was not precise to call it a defensive technique either.
It was because that the true form of the Lone Nine Sword was its formlessness.
What was the so-called saying of “To attack, but to not defend?” Regarding the attack, it would let one launch a surprise attack. However, it would allow one to predict enemy’s moves and use the offense as defense.
Thus, to have offense and no defense, in fact, it was to use offense as a form of defense. These two types of moves would alternate with each other.
Although Qin Wushuang did not hold the sword in his hand, he did have an image of the sword inwardly. Each day, he stimulated the sword intention inside his brain. Now, he could be said to have an excellent set of sword skills.
Only, he still needed a process to convert the sword intention from his mind into his hand. This process was not difficult but he needed to practice.
Qin Wushuang decided to use the opponent from this second round to practice this formidable sword technique.
This sword technique had no patterns. Although its’ name was the Lone Nine Sword, for sure, it was not similar to regular sword moves.
No one could find the antelope when they hung their horns. This saying referred to the stage of this sword technique.
It was rumored that in his former world, the senior who had created this technique was named Sword Devil Dugu Qiu Bai. The name meant that he was alone in his realm and only asked for defeat. One heard that when this person had achieved the highest stage of sword techniques, he had broken through the Upper Sky and became a celestial being with great power.
Thus, this set of sword technique did not appear as simple as the sword techniques from the secular world. When a Pre-Sky warrior used it, they would use the power from this sword technique and defeat the strong ones
Naturally, when an Upper Sky use it, it would become even more exquisite. They would be able to unleash all the power from the subtle sword intentions of this technique.
Suddenly, Qin Wushuang remembered something that the mysterious old man who had adopted had told him—There are no strong or weak techniques, but there are differences in stages.
Regardless of sword intentions or other techniques, since it would be passed down for thousand of years, it would have its own unique aspects of being the most elite and secretive technique.
If a Pre-Sky Realm warrior were to use it, they may only unleash ten or twenty percent of its power. However, at the hands of the Upper Sky warrior, they could unleash about thirty to fifty percent of its power.
It was similar to the use of the <Coagulated Sword>. Before Qin Wushuang had entered the Upper Sky, he always felt that the voided sword was the peak in the martial arts at the secular world.
However, when he reached the Upper Sky Realm, he only realized that the voided sword was only the beginning sword moves to the <Coagulated Sword>.
Just like this <Lone Nine Sword>, a Pre-Sky warrior could perhaps only perform this move at about ten percent. However, at the hands of the Upper Sky warrior, the power may increase by ten times.
No strong or weak techniques, the only differences would be the stages.
The more Qin Wushuang thought about it, the more he felt it made sense. At his current stage, even if he were to use one of the weakest fist technique to fight against a Pre-Sky warrior at his peak stage, most likely the opponent would only face one result—Instant death despite using their best martial arts moves.
After all, the difference between an Upper Sky and the Pre-Sky was deadly.
An elite warrior would kill the enemy just by taking down a flower. To a lesser person, they would not win even if they were to have godlike weapons.
To put it bluntly, there would only be one word—Stage.
Yesterday, Qin Wushuang was absorbing the sword intention of the Lone Nine Sword at the secret chamber. Until the dusk, he had understood something new and walked out of the main Palace. Next, he went to that old plum forest and performed a set of sword techniques at a marvelous stage.
In that instant, the sword intention valve inside Qin Wushuang’s head had opened up completely. By his hand, he performed the Lone Nine Sword to a drift without any resting place. It was like a heavenly sword and demonic arrow in which his moves was unpredictable.
And now, those sword intentions had suddenly surged into his mind.
He walked up to the stage, his opponent had been waiting for him for a while.
With a treacherous face, this person glared at Qin Wushuang with a sneer. During all these times, he had also heard about Qin Wushuang’s name. He knew that he was the first place from the Advanced disciple exam and the one who had acquired perfect scores for all six categories.
However, he was not convinced. He felt that the disciples to the Palace Masters had enjoyed exceptional advantages. Initially, they had much better conditions and more benefits than disciples studying under the Shakyamuni.
Thus, today on the stage, he was determined to beat Qin Wushuang off the stage and to prove his strength!
“Junior Brother Qin, your name is like thunder piercing the ear. As to your exact strength, I would like to see.” That person sneered.
Qin Wushuang nodded: “Ok, please tell me your name.”
“My name is Xia Fei Hong, the person that will obstruct your momentum!” Apparently, this person was extremely confident. He had observed Qin Wushuang’s battle with that number Sixty-Eight. He felt that being a young teenager, Qin Wushuang did have good strength. However, it was only limited to good!
He was confident that with his fast sword attacks, he would catch Qin Wushuang unawares.
Since his name was Fei Hong, his sword technique followed the name to be as fast as graceful and as treacherous as possible. The speed of the sword technique would be fast as lightning.
“You are also a sword user?” Qin Wushuang asked with a smile.
Xia Feihong sneered: “Since you dare to carry a sword on your back even though u are someone that used the soft-whip, why shouldn’t I?”
Qin Wushuang smiled lightly: “Ok, since you are proud of your sword techniques, then let’s spar using our sword techniques. If I use the soft whip, it would be my loss, how about it?”
“No need. For a fight between elite warriors, we emphasize on fairness. Just use whatever you’ve got. I will do the same. Overall, we should use everything we got. So when you lost, but could not accept the fact, you won’t need to find excuses.”
This Xia Fei Hong spoke with a voice full of confidence. It also seemed that he was intentionally belittling Qin Wushuang.
Of course, Qin Wushuang knew that this person wanted to provoke him. Immediately, he laughed: “If you think you could use a few words to provoke me, then you’ve made a mistake. In fact, regardless of using the sword, the soft whip or going barehanded, it would not be a problem to me. To any true elite warriors, even a branch in their hands could turn into a deadly weapon. There are no difference in weapons, but a big difference to the stages.”
Qin Wushuang had learned and applied pragmatically the things he had understood at this place.
Initially, Xia Feihong planned to provoke Qin Wushuang on his young age. He wanted him to get angry and he would use his fast sword attacks to defeat him instantly.
Unexpected, despite being at such a young age, Qin Wushuang had seen things clearly and uncoveredeverything he wanted to do.
Next, he waved his right hand and the Violet Sun Sword arrived in his palm.
Qin Wushuang smiled and said: “This is the second time I am using this sword. Before, I had the sword but it acted as a decoration. And this time, I will use this sword and you to test my skills.
Hearing the disdain in his tone, Xia Feihong had become a little bit angry. He urged the Spiritual Qi into his palm and a narrow and thin blade emitted white light before Qin Wushuang.
He pointed at him: “Qin Wushuang, if you can block my eighty-one attacks, then you will not have disgraced your training!”
After he had finished, he twisted his body and merged with the sword into a wave of white light. Next, he rolled towards Qin Wushuang at a fast speed. Among all the sword techniques, this merging of the person and the sword was not rare.
Only, not many could merge to the extent of Xia Feihong’s level.
Qin Wushuang stared at Xia Feihong’s moves with his pair of sharp eyes. While carrying a smile on the corner of his mouth, he was being careful but not nervous. He knew that although this merging of the person and the sword may be terrifying, it was his speed that he must be cautious of.
For the sword technique itself, there weren’t much secrets within the moves. However, with the combination of this lightning fast speed, the power of the sword technique would rise as a tide.
With a light cry, suddenly, Qin Wushuang used the Violet Sun Sword and pierced towards that whirlpool of white light.
This stab was extremely sudden. It even appeared as reckless.
However, just this one attack had combined the in-depth meaning of the Lone Nine Sword. With this sword alone, not only had he caught the flaw within Xia Fei Hong’s sword intentions, he had also attacked at the place that he was powerless to defend.
Xia Feihong’s sword technique was named Tornado Falling Leaves. It relied on the tornado like speed and would use the momentum created from this speed to attack offensively.
With the old saying of how a person with handsome appearance would conceal all their flaws, he had used the speed to conceal all the loopholes within the sword intentions. Plus the white light he had emitted, it would also serve as a cover.
To a mediocre warrior, this move would become extremely useful.
However, in Qin Wushuang’s eyes, the flaws within this fast sword attacks had highlighted itself many times. Qin Wushuang had extensive combat experiences. Regardless of making a move at a later point or to launch a surprise attack, he had made enough consideration.
Regarding the speed, Qin Wushuang would not lose to this Xia Feihong. However, if he were to compete with him on speed, it would be a waste of Spiritual Qi. He would also have entered the rhythm that the opponent had set. Thus, Qin Wushuang was not willing to let the opponent grasp the upper hand of the battle rhythm.
Since Xia Feihong wanted to speed up the battle, he would slow it down and win against with unpredictable moves. He would not let Xia Feihong to enter the rhythm he wanted.
Indeed, this strategy had immediately got hold of Xia Feihong’s fatal points. It was like grabbing the seventh inch body part of the snake.
Since you were most proud of the speed, I would intentionally force you to be unable to unleash your speed before me. For this sword attack, Qin Wushuang had only struck after gaining the upperhand.
While he stabbed into the white bulb, his Spiritual Qi suddenly gushed forward from the tip of the sword. Again, he had merged three percent of the sword intention from the <Coagulated Sword>.
How could Xia Feihong not know about it? When he saw Qin wushuang’s sword stab, he knew that he had met with an elite warrior and someone extremely ferocious.
With one sword, it had hit his weak point and forced him to defend for himself. He would either withdraw his sword to defend, or get hit by the opponent.
He only had these two choices.
Sighing with sorrow, Xia Feihong swung his sword back.
Ding Dang!
The Spiritual Qi clashed through the weapons from the hands of these two. Xia Feihong only felt numbness in his arm as he was almost unable to hold on to the long sword in his hand.
On the contrary, it seemed that he had swung his sword against a ball of soft powerless cotton. However, the power that had emerged in a sudden in which the reactive force had almost shocked the sword away from his hand.
Inwardly, Xia Feihong was extremely surprised as he thought: “Good boy, such strong Spiritual Qi. Could he have started practicing Upper Sky Qi while he was in his mother’s womb?”
The sword attack that Qin Wushuang had used was just an ordinary move of “Breaking Sword”. For this move, there was no particular trick to it. However, it could allow the user to predict the chances and catch the openings from the opponents. It would not only be able to break through the opponent’s sword attacks, it would force them to defend themselves. Indeed, it had a combination of both defense and offense characters!
Inwardly, Xia Feihong called out for bitterness. He had only made one sword move, and he could already feel the hardship.
