But the scruffy old man reacted quickly, raising two fingers to clamp the sword, just as he was about to use his inner strength to flick the long sword away, a cold light flashed. Lian Cheng’s left hand drew out the Cold Light Sword, executing a move called “On the Border,” aiming for his abdomen.
The old man was startled and hurriedly let go, retreating.
However, Lian Cheng, using the "Ling Bo Wei Bu" (lit. "Lingering Waves, Subtle Steps"), kept up with him. His left hand executed "White Day Rests Against the Mountain," while his right hand performed "Moonlight Before the Bed," utilizing the "Double Swords United" technique with exceptional speed and ferocity.
The old man had no choice but to use his inner strength to strike at both swords with his palms.
At this moment, the old man couldn't help but regret learning palm techniques. His palms were at a disadvantage against the sharp swords.
Furthermore, this young man’s swordsmanship was extremely strange. It wasn’t the “Huashan Swordsmanship” and was incredibly refined. Even more bizarre was that he wielded two different styles with each hand, combining them into a powerful attack that left no room for counter-attack.
“Pa!” The long sword was knocked away.
“Pu!” The Cold Light Sword was sharp, and with the power of the Zi Xia inner strength, it forcefully broke through the old man’s left palm, piercing it.
“Damn it!”
The old man didn't expect to be injured because of his carelessness.
His face now grim, he forcefully pulled his hand out of the sword. Ignoring the bleeding, he channeled his inner strength and quickly retreated.
On the other side, Linghu Chong was facing the tall and short middle-aged men.
The short and stout middle-aged man drew his thin sword, quickly striking at Linghu Chong. He landed five or six strikes in the blink of an eye. Inner strength hummed off the tip of the sword, a force not to be underestimated. The tall and thin middle-aged man wielded a broadsword, which he swung with such force that a gust of wind erupted, his inner strength becoming a whirlwind capable of instantly throwing someone off their feet. He was truly a dangerous opponent.
Linghu Chong's expression was serious. The Qingfeng Sword buzzed continuously, pulsating with Zi Xia inner strength.
He first executed the "Nurture My Swordsmanship," a technique known for its power and momentum. It was powerful enough to deflect the thin sword repeatedly.
At the same time, he used "Ling Bo Wei Bu," moving quickly to avoid the broadsword attacks. He then counter-attacked with the "Xi Yi Swordsmanship," employing a large, sweeping style with an unexpected agility. He hid beneath the broadsword, attacking the tall and thin middle-aged man's weak points.
After exchanging more than a dozen moves with Linghu Chong, the two felt increasingly uneasy.
“Skinny Bamboo, this kid’s footwork is strange. You hold him off, and I’ll handle the attack!” the short and stout middle-aged man suggested.
“Good! Be careful, he’s tough!”
The tall and thin middle-aged man warned before accelerating his broadsword swing. The air whistled, and the dust on the ground was whipped up by the wind, attempting to block their vision.
The short and stout middle-aged man hid in the dust cloud. Despite his stoutness, his speed was astonishing. In an instant, he targeted Linghu Chong’s vital points and lunged forward with his thin sword.
Linghu Chong didn’t dare underestimate him and quickly retreated using "Ling Bo Wei Bu." However, the two men swiftly closed in on him.
“Sure enough, one against two second-rate martial artists is too much of a disadvantage. If I knew the "Left and Right Mutual Combat Technique," why would I fear facing them together? However, Second Brother’s situation is more dangerous than mine. I must defeat these two quickly to go support Second Brother!”
Linghu Chong’s expression was serious.
This was the first time he had faced strong opponents after reaching the second-rate level. The situation was perilous, but it ignited his fighting spirit. The Zi Xia true qi within him became more ferocious, and his face turned purple from holding his breath.
“Let you see the power of the Lian Cheng Swordsmanship! 'The Moon Sets, The Crow Cries, Frost Covers the Sky!'”
Linghu Chong stopped, striking back with a faster sword. In a counterattack, he deflected the short and stout middle-aged man’s thin sword and quickly lunged forward, sweeping his foot against the middle-aged man’s face.
The kick was powerful, and the Zi Xia true qi reverberated, sending the short and stout man flying.
Two teeth, coated in blood, could be seen flying in the air.
But Linghu Chong didn’t care. Using “Ling Bo Wei Bu,” he quickly circled the tall and thin middle-aged man, continuously attacking from all sides, taking advantage of the broadsword’s lack of agility.
“'Spring Sleep Knows Not Dawn, Mosquitoes Bite Everywhere!'”
“'Moonlight Before the Bed, Suspect a Corpse Lies Upon the Ground!'”
“'Grass Upon the Original Plain, Green Grass by the River!'”
“'A Merciful Father Holds a Sword, Upon His Rebel Son It Shall Be Cleaved! Twelve Slashes, Sword by Sword Send Them West!'”
Linghu Chong’s swordsmanship became increasingly swift, each move a refined Tang Dynasty Poetry Swordsmanship technique. However, the Tang poetry he recited was quite annoying. The tall and thin middle-aged man could only defend with his broadsword, which was not as agile.
But a long defense inevitably leads to defeat. Soon, he was riddled with wounds and looked quite pitiful.
The tall and thin middle-aged man was on the verge of insanity. He roared, “Damn brat! If you don’t understand Tang poetry, then stop barking like a dog! It’s infuriating! Fatty! You son of a bitch, get your ass over here! I can’t handle this kid!”
Hearing his words, the short and stout middle-aged man finally got back to his feet. He had lost several teeth, and blood flowed freely.
The pain made him grit his teeth.
Remembering being kicked flying by a little kid, even losing teeth, he was furious. He grabbed his thin sword and lunged forward, determined to avenge himself.
However, this was exactly what Linghu Chong had been waiting for. The Qingfeng Sword, which had been attacking the tall and thin middle-aged man, suddenly changed direction.
“Shua!” Ling Bo Wei Bu became even faster.
“Puchi!” The tip of the sword pierced the short and stout middle-aged man’s chest.
“Fatty!!!”
The tall and thin middle-aged man let out a mournful cry, his eyes bloodshot red as he lunged forward. His broadsword swept out with the utmost speed, his inner strength overflowing. In the blink of an eye, he reached behind Linghu Chong.
Linghu Chong just managed to draw the Qingfeng Sword and quickly parried with his sword. However, he was blown away by the brute force.
He couldn’t help but cough up a mouthful of blood in midair. Luckily, it wasn’t serious. He flipped and landed on a large tree, using inner strength to suppress the injury. In his heart, he sighed with relief.
That fat pig was pierced through the chest, he was definitely dead.
Dealing with the skinny dog would be much easier.
He saw the skinny dog hugging the fat pig and wailing. The dog’s voice was hoarse and filled with apparent loyalty, making Linghu Chong roll his eyes. He quickly turned his attention to Lian Cheng.
Lian Cheng was using "Double Swords United," with both swords performing the "Lian Cheng Swordsmanship" in perfect harmony, leaving no openings.
Of course, "Double Swords United" requires two people with a shared understanding, but with one person wielding both swords, they only have one mind, leaving no openings. This was understandable.
The scruffy old man, though a first-rate martial artist, had no choice but to avoid Lian Cheng's attack. And, his palms were at a disadvantage against the swords. Therefore, he was naturally forced to retreat repeatedly.
If his inner strength wasn’t so profound, he would have been defeated long ago.
Lian Cheng, however, was at a disadvantage due to his weaker inner strength, and he had also sustained some wounds, although none were serious.
Linghu Chong felt reassured. Looking back, he saw that the fat pig was dead. The skinny dog was looking at him with bloodshot eyes filled with murder. He looked like he wanted to devour Linghu Chong.
But Linghu Chong wasn’t afraid at all. He laughed, “Oh, you look so angry. You and the fat pig were happily bickering before. I thought you two didn’t get along. I didn’t expect you two to have such a good relationship. Perhaps, you two are... in that kind of relationship?”
“Brat! You’re going to die! I’m going to cut you to pieces!”
The tall and thin middle-aged man roared, his killing intent fierce. He lunged forward, his broadsword slicing horizontally, and in one stroke, he cut the large tree in half.
Linghu Chong flipped, his Qingfeng Sword thrusting down from above the tall and thin man's head. Unexpectedly, the man acted like a madman, grabbing the Qingfeng Sword with his left hand while his right hand struck directly at Linghu Chong’s chest.
He was going to fight to the death!