To be honest, You Yuyao was almost intimidated by Gu Chengming's righteous demeanor at first.
But then she thought about it again and was somewhat amused and annoyed.
What do you mean, "insulting the Huiyuan Sword Manual is unacceptable"?
Anyone who didn't know would think you cared deeply about Huiyuan Gate, but then they see your cultivation: three years since joining, and still at First Realm, Third Level.
If you truly care about the sect, shouldn't you raise your cultivation realm first?
In You Yuyao's view, this was undoubtedly him trying to use "sect's righteousness" as a pretext to pressure her into backing down.
But for her, this was actually a good thing.
What she feared most was Gu Chengming acting like before, feigning ignorance and ignoring all provocations.
Now that he had taken the bait, things would be easier.
So, she scoffed, crossed her arms, and tilted her chin slightly: "What if I don't apologize?"
Gu Chengming heard this and wasted no words.
He held his sword in one hand, its tip pointing diagonally at the ground, and slightly cupped his fist towards You Yuyao.
"Then, I ask for your guidance, Senior Sister."
You Yuyao let out a cold snort: "How bold!"
She hadn't expected this seemingly timid good-for-nothing to actually say "I ask for your guidance" on his own.
Judging by his earlier performance of not fighting back or retorting, she thought he would remain a coward.
Since he actively sought a fight, she couldn't be blamed.
The so-called contest would naturally be a sword technique contest.
After all, with her cultivation at First Realm, Ninth Level, using spiritual power to suppress him would be bullying and an unfair victory.
Not to mention how many fellow disciples would ridicule her if word got out, even she herself couldn't live with it.
As a cultivator of Jingshui Pavilion, although she had a bad temper, she also had her pride and bottom line.
With a wave of her right hand, spiritual energy burst forth, transforming into a wind blade that cut a wrist-thick branch from a nearby large tree.
Then, with light touches of her fingertips, wood chips flew, and in a few strokes, she carved it into the shape of a wooden sword.
She weighed it, found it suitable, and pointed the sword tip at Gu Chengming.
"Then, please. Let me see just how much of this Huiyuan Sword Manual you so desperately defend..."
Before she finished speaking, Gu Chengming lunged forward.
The sword struck!
You Yuyao was furious, thinking, this person actually attacked before I finished speaking, truly despicable and hateful!
She hastily raised her sword to parry.
"Clang!"
The two wooden swords clashed in the air. Gu Chengming's strike missed, but he didn't retreat. Instead, he twisted his wrist, and the sword edge slid down You Yuyao's wooden sword, aiming straight for her wrist.
You Yuyao felt as if the opponent's sword had an auto-follow, sticking to her own sword and refusing to be shaken off. That uncomfortable pulling force instantly distorted her prepared counterattack.
She had to change her move, shaking her wrist, trying to shake off Gu Chengming's sword.
However, Gu Chengming's sword was like a persistent ailment, drawing a circle along her force, not only neutralizing her strength but also using her own power against her, its tip once again probing towards her ribs.
Entanglement Technique!
You Yuyao felt stifled and increasingly alarmed.
What she cultivated was Jingshui Pavilion's Flowing Cloud Sword Art, which emphasized agile footwork and a sword like flowing clouds, elusive and unpredictable.
Although Jingshui Pavilion wasn't known for its sword arts, that depended on who they were facing.
Dealing with a mere First Realm, Third Level good-for-nothing should have been effortless.
At first glance, she seemed to completely dominate the scene, pressuring Gu Chengming.
In reality, every one of her attacks was neutralized by his strange "sticking force".
That feeling was like punching cotton, having strength but nowhere to apply it.
Failing to defeat him for so long made You Yuyao felt ashamed.
Quite a few disciples nearby had been attracted by the commotion and stopped to watch.
"Do you only know how to dodge?!"
You Yuyao shouted, trying to provoke him with words.
However, Gu Chengming seemed not to have heard a thing.
Seeing her sword fail to achieve anything for so long, You Yuyao grew increasingly anxious. Her sword moves began to become somewhat impatient, but even so, the opponent showed no flaws, like a watertight boulder.
– Should I just use realm suppression?
The thought had barely arisen before she fiercely rejected it herself.
Leaving aside the Wenjian Sect's strict regulations on private duels among disciples—if he reported it afterwards, she would certainly suffer a great loss.
Even she herself couldn't get past this hurdle!
We sword cultivators are open and upright.
If I were to act like this, bullying the weak and suppressing others with my realm, how would I be different from the despicable villains I despise most?
No! Absolutely not!
But the frustration in her heart was hard to quell. While she attacked frantically, her mouth didn't stop either.
"So sticky and entangled, truly a sword art just like you! Disgusting!"
Her words were unforgiving, and so were her actions.
Her sword became faster and faster, and her movements grew quicker.
Among the Flowing Cloud Sword Art, there is a move called "Chaotic Clouds Flying Across", which emphasizes speed.
Sword light like rain, impenetrable.
Its momentum was like rushing thunder, its speed like wind. Sword shadows overlapped, like scattered catkins filling the sky, or like urgent rain tapping on a window.
Every sword thrust carried a sound of tearing air, dazzling and hard to parry.
So-called fast swordplay aims for each sword to be faster than the last, using impenetrable sword shadows to find the opponent's flaws, forcing them into a panic, and ultimately revealing their defeat.
But unfortunately, she met Gu Chengming.
And the Huiyuan Sword Manual was best at dealing with opponents who only sought speed, not stability.
In fact, Gu Chengming had long prepared for the possibility of his opponent using realm suppression.
That's why he fought so carefully and cautiously; his initial "preemptive strike" was also to disrupt her rhythm and forcibly drag the situation into this kind of entangled fight.
After all, if the opponent was shameless enough to actually use spiritual power,
with his pathetic First Realm, Third Level cultivation, even a wooden sword strike would likely cause serious injury.
Moreover, if he lost, this affection event would likely turn sour.
Losing isn't fun.
So I never lose!
But seeing that the opponent had not used the power of her realm for so long, Gu Chengming was also somewhat confused.
Was she holding back moves? Or did she truly not intend to use her realm?
Regardless, the time had come.
Although You Yuyao's sword momentum was getting faster, due to her impatience, her flaws were also increasing.
Now!
Gu Chengming's sword path suddenly changed.
The original sticky, defensive-only sword momentum instantly vanished, replaced by a continuous force like waves crashing on the shore.
This sudden change caught You Yuyao off guard.
Her "Chaotic Clouds Flying Across" was originally at the point where old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet emerged. Gu Chengming's sword cut in, and her rhythm was instantly disrupted.
You Yuyao paused, gritting her teeth. She didn't want to lose the initiative, so her sword became even faster, trying to compensate for the lost rhythm with increased speed.
But unlike before, Gu Chengming's sword also sped up.
Moreover, his speed wasn't a chaotic, disorganized speed, but one with a unique rhythm.
Every sword strike precisely hit the critical points of You Yuyao's sword moves.
"Clack!"
"Clack!"
"Clack!"
The sound of wooden swords clashing became increasingly dense, like rain hitting banana leaves.
With every collision, a force traveled along the sword blade to the hilt, and finally to You Yuyao's thumb-web.
At first, she didn't notice, but as the number of clashes increased, You Yuyao suddenly felt that things were different.
Unbeknownst to her, it was as if an invisible "net" had ensnared her.
Although her sword was still swinging, each swing became exceptionally strenuous. The surrounding air seemed to have become viscous, and every sword strike required several times more effort than usual.
By the time she realized it, she was already deeply mired.
It was as if she had "fallen" into this endless clash of swords, unable to extricate herself.
Watching the opponent gradually weave this sword net, compressing her range of movement smaller and smaller, she was completely helpless.
Although on the surface she still seemed to have the upper hand and was constantly attacking, her intuition as a sword cultivator told her that danger was approaching.
Why? Why? How?
Isn't he just a First Realm, Third Level good-for-nothing?
Why can't I win quickly? Why have I been stalemated with him for so long? Why does my sword art feel slower and slower?
Why am I...
A feeling of unwillingness surged in her chest, making her clench her teeth.
She even had the illusion that even if she recklessly used the spiritual power enhancement from her realm at this moment, it would probably be useless.
"Sword momentum" is a profound and mysterious thing.
You Yuyao didn't realize that she had completely fallen into a disadvantage in terms of "sword momentum".
Her sword momentum was already chaotic and dispersed. Gu Chengming's sword momentum, however, was slowly condensing.
And at this moment, that unseen "sword net" finally descended.
Gu Chengming no longer parried; the wooden sword in his hand turned into an afterimage, actively thrusting out.
In that instant, You Yuyao couldn't even react at all.
It was a fast sword, one sword, one sword, and another sword.
Fast, too fast.
Her fast sword couldn't block these sword shadows at all.
Finally, one sword slipped through, striking her shoulder.
Painful, but bearable.
You Yuyao grunted, trying to counterattack.
But then—
"Clack!"
Another sword. This time, it hit her wrist.
As the first sword got through, the subsequent defense collapsed like a breached dam, becoming unstoppable.
More and more swords couldn't be blocked.
"Clack! Clack!"
Dense striking sounds echoed on the training ground.
You Yuyao was beaten without any power to parry, her sword art completely in disarray.
She could only instinctively wield her wooden sword, trying to block the rain-like attacks.
But it was useless.
She was beaten back step by step, her footing unsteady.
Finally, her foot slipped, she stumbled, and fell heavily to the ground.
The wooden sword flew from her hand, landing far away.
A wooden sword stopped steadily before her throat.
The sword tip was less than an inch from her skin.
Gu Chengming looked down at her.
"Now."
"Can you take back what you just said?"
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