The Three Realms Thief Chapter 78

Spiritual power is useless.

The twin-tailed girl clenched her fists, then let go.

“It was just opportunism—Zhao Xiaoguang’s axe was heavy, and since he got the jump on me, I naturally couldn’t stand against him.”

She said knowingly.

“You’re wrong.”

The young teacher couldn’t help but sigh, “Although he thrust forward with his sword, at the last moment he used a Gold Spirit extension, touching Zhao Xiaoguang’s throat with a sharp golden light. The control was masterful, merely breaking the skin.”

The twin-tailed girl was stunned.

One point less and it wouldn’t have hit; one point more, and Zhao Xiaoguang would have been seriously injured.

At that instant.

How did he do it?

“Being able to win isn’t scary. Being able to win like that, that’s a truly terrifying guy,” the young teacher said.

“Youngsters are to be feared,” the white-haired elder also chuckled.

After thinking for a few breaths, the white-haired elder turned back and said to a student, “Ma Changshan, you have a Wind Spirit Root, the fastest reaction, and can suppress a Gold Spirit during combat. Go and dampen his spirit.

“Yes!”

A sword-wielding youth walked out, his figure moving swiftly, landing on the stage.

The burly student with the axe stood below the stage.

It seemed he was ready to go up and fight again later.

On the stage.

“I am Ma Changshan, please.”

“Please.”

Both drew their swords simultaneously.

Sword shadows, like a cage, flickered non-stop, intertwining and clashing, emitting dense sounds.

The gymnasium erupted in thunderous applause.

This kind of battle was spectacular, and everyone understood it.

Ma Changshan’s sword speed was indeed the fastest in the entire Xiaoxiang team.

He was famous for his fast sword, and with the lightness and swiftness of the Wind Spirit, his quick attacks often left opponents no time to parry, ultimately forcing them to concede.

But as he fought, he noticed a problem.

The young man opposite held a sword in one hand, his other hand on his hip, feet slightly apart, body hunched—

Why did that posture look so familiar?

One sword.

Another sword.

Ma Changshan quickly parried, then launched a new round of counterattacks without showing weakness, eliciting bursts of cheers.

He suddenly remembered.

That posture—

It was actually the stance he took to rest on the spot whenever he was tired from sword practice!

He—was resting?

Was it because he had expended too much qi and blood to win quickly when dealing with the giant axe?

—Damn it.

He’s resting while fighting me!

As Ma Changshan was thinking, he suddenly met the other party’s gaze.

The young man seemed to have realized that Ma Changshan had noticed he was resting.

A flicker of apology crossed his eyes, followed by a clanging sound!

An imperceptible move touched the long sword, sending Ma Changshan flying.

Xu Yuan then sheathed his sword and softly said, “You let me win.”

Ma Changshan held his sword, his face flushed, and shouted, “You—”

Before he could finish, he suddenly felt something and looked down at himself.

—There was a long sword mark on his clothes.

He had been hit.

He hadn’t even felt it just now!

So that’s how it was—

Ma Changshan felt his anger completely extinguished.

The gap was too vast.

It was like an unbridgeable chasm.

“Is my speed of attack just a rest for you?”

He wanted to question loudly, but in front of so many people, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

—As a cultivator with a Wind Spirit Root.

He seemed to have indulged in his current speed for too long, and it had been too long since he had attempted another breakthrough.

But.

But how could he, a Gold灵 (Gold Spirit), be so fast!

Ma Changshan could only stand there, stunned.

After a long while.

He turned and walked off the stage.

Xu Yuan shook his head, self-deprecatingly clenching his hand.

That stern voice seemed to echo in his ears again: “Hey, I think highly of your skill, but why do you always barely win when fighting them?”

“To spare them embarrassment.”

“You’re wrong—in competition, you must pursue truth. Falsifying it is harming them, understand?”

“—Okay.”

What happened next?

wωw .ttκΛ n .￠○

Later—

Everyone became better friends.

Training together, going out to sing karaoke, eating barbecue, touring the ancient city at night, and boating on the river.

They took many photos at the time.

When drunk, he would shout, “We’re going to the peak—see you at the peak, everyone!”

Everyone laughed.

Because they all knew that there was hope.

It was a dream worth realizing for everyone.

—So there was no need for false concessions; instead, they had to use all their strength to defeat every opponent.

On the field, this was the only way to earn respect and friendship.

He still remembered the one where everyone was smiling brightest, which he had stuck on his bedside table.

After the last match, he was going to post the photos online for those retired old guys to see.

To share with friends and comrades.

To turn all of that into the most valuable memories, and to honor the sweat and effort of his youth.

But it was already over.

All over.

Below the stage.

Several teachers from the delegation shook their heads together.

“It’s not just speed,” the white-haired elder said.

“For the Qi Refining stage, his fluid skill combination is simply terrifying,” the young teacher commented.

“He hasn’t even used spiritual power,” the white-haired elder said.

“It feels even more terrifying,” the young teacher sighed.

“Liu Yang, you’re up. Don’t lose again. It’s time for us to win a round,” the white-haired elder said.

“Yes.”

A male student responded, lunging up onto the stage.

Ma Changshan walked off the stage and stood beside the burly student, seemingly still unable to accept his defeat.

How fast was his hand speed?

He had to keep watching!

The student who went on stage cupped his hands to Xu Yuan and said, “I am Liu Yang—a Dual Cultivator of Sword and Artifacts. This armor was forged by myself.”

Xu Yuan took a glance.

He saw the opponent wearing a complete set of armor, including a face guard, shoulder guards, breastplate, gauntlets, leg armor, and long boots.

He was armed to the teeth.

Looking at the metallic luster, it seemed quite extraordinary.

Was this a defensive counterattack strategy?

Xu Yuan slightly raised his eyes, his hand on his sword, ready to strike at any moment.

“I still don’t know your name.”

Liu Yang said.

Xu Yuan was taken aback.

Liu Yang looked at him, cupping his fists, “Your sword technique is unique. Please enlighten me further in the future.”

Xu Yuan sheathed his sword, solemnly cupped his fists, and earnestly said, “I am Xu Yuan. Please enlighten me.”

“Good, come on!”

Both attacked simultaneously.

Clang!

Long swords collided.

One move, two moves, three moves—

After three moves, Xu Yuan blocked the opponent’s long sword with one hand, rushed forward, and continuously slashed the opponent with the Qiongxia Sword in his hand.

“Good sword!” Liu Yang was startled.

Clang!

With a sword strike, he couldn’t control his body and retreated.

“Again!”

Clang!!

Another sword strike, shaking his hand, making him unable to use any moves.

“Break for me!” Liu Yang roared.

Www ◆tt kǎn ◆CO

He mobilized his spiritual power throughout his body, directly enduring a sword technique, and immediately tried to counterattack.

But it was too late.

Sword shadows darted wildly before his eyes, like swirling flower shadows swaying in the wind, making it impossible to parry them all.

Was this his true skill?

Liu Yang thought silently.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang—a dense tapping sound like heavy rain, dozens of sword strikes, until Liu Yang lost his balance.

The two advanced and retreated in this manner, quickly moving towards the edge of the martial arts stage.

Liu Yang tried every method, wanting to counterattack or regain his footing, but Xu Yuan always cut him off with a single sword, causing him to lose balance again and ultimately only take hits.

Finally—thump!

Liu Yang staggered back and fell off the stage.

“You let me win.”

Xu Yuan sheathed his sword, bowed sincerely, and slowly walked back to the center of the martial arts stage.

Silence.

The entire gymnasium fell into a strange quietness.

People looked at him on the stage.

—As if looking at a monster that had never appeared before.

“Combo.”

The white-haired elder uttered two words.

“Extremely fast combos; his parrying couldn’t keep up. In real combat, Liu Yang would have been butchered by his chaotic sword strikes,” the young teacher sighed.

The white-haired elder looked back.

Many in the team showed expressions of disbelief.

But there were also some who were eager to try.

Indeed.

What a great opportunity.

To meet a master, spar with them, and determine a winner.

—And also to see what the limits of the world truly were.

If you can’t stand losing when you’re young, do you wait until you’re old to lose?

“Fast sword isn’t invincible after all, Bai Kui, you’re up.”

The white-haired elder said.

“Alright!” A smiling girl leaped up, landing on the stage.

—Liu Yang, fully armored, stood below the stage with Ma Changshan and Zhao Xiaoguang, watching the stage.

Now they felt no resentment.

The opponent’s sword skill was too terrifying, practically on a completely different level!

Resentment was completely unnecessary.

Just observe and learn.

Moreover, the opponent wasn’t invincible.

Because Bai Kui was on!

The girl landed on the stage and cupped her hands to Xu Yuan, saying, “Bai Kui.”

“Xu Yuan,” Xu Yuan replied.

It was slightly dazzling.

He looked up.

—Over thirty lamps above his head had lit up.

Continue.

“Your sword is truly formidable,” the female voice named Bai Kui chuckled, “but I wonder what else you’re good at—

If it’s only swordsmanship, then you will lose.”

“Only swordsmanship,” Xu Yuan admitted frankly.

A burst of commotion.

“Don’t say it, how can you say it!” Someone below the stage couldn’t help but point at Xu Yuan and sigh.

“Lie to her; at least it would make her cautious!”

A girl from Jiangbei High School stamped her foot.

In a battle, how could one reveal their true capabilities?

Yet Xu Yuan’s expression was calm, as if he had merely said something irrelevant.

“Really?” Bai Kui smiled unexpectedly. “I excel at swordsmanship and array formations—I originally wanted to spar with Jiang Xueyao, but unfortunately, she’s not here.”

“A pity indeed,” Xu Yuan said.

“Let’s begin. The sooner we rotate, the more students can get a match,” Bai Kui said.

“Alright,” Xu Yuan said.

As his voice fell.

Bai Kui flipped her hand, releasing an array disk, and channeled spiritual power into it.

In an instant.

The array was formed!

Streaks of spiritual light emerged from the arena, disappearing into the void, turning into an invisible spiritual power field.

“Little Dragon Tiger Unified Enemy Trap Array!”

Bai Kui shouted.

—This array set up numerous five-element traps on the field. Once touched, one would immediately be struck by five-element techniques!

This restricted the movement of most people.

Before figuring out the trap locations, no one dared to attack Bai Kui recklessly.

“Come on.”

Bai Kui smiled.

But she quickly noticed something was amiss.

Her neck felt a little cold.

Something was resting on her neck.

Then came the clamor from the stands.

The incredulous shouts of Liu Yang and others below the stage.

The referee’s loud yelling.

A sound like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami.

In the stands—

The audience was applauding.

What happened?

Bai Kui was a little bewildered, and then a possibility suddenly occurred to her.

She slowly looked down.

A snow-white long sword floated in mid-air, resting against her neck.

When did that happen?

From the very beginning, had she been “dead”?

“Flying sword—”

Bai Kui said, lost in thought.