Martial Dao: I Can Enhance My Talents

"Zhao Meng, you’re up! Get in there and get us some payback!"

The speaker was Lei Qianshan, an Elder of the Overlord Blade Sect—a nine-foot-tall man with gnarled muscles and a rugged face as fierce as any ancient general’s.

Seeing the previous result, his brow furrowed as he bellowed in a voice like a great bell.

A disciple named Zhao Meng stepped forward. He was not as stout as Wang Gang, but his aura was more focused; he had an Early-Stage Eighth Grade Cultivation.

He wielded a Thick-Backed Mountain-Cutting Saber and immediately engaged Lin Qing in battle upon stepping onto the stage.

Although Lin Qing’s Swordsmanship was fast, his Cultivation was a level below. He quickly faltered under the heavy and powerful onslaught from Zhao Meng.

In the end, Zhao Meng sent his longsword flying with a single strike of his saber, defeating him.

"Liu Feixu, you’re up!"

Qing Xu, the lead Elder from the Lingyun Sword Sect, was a gaunt-faced old man clad in a Moon White Daoist Robe.

Seeing Lin Qing defeated, he issued the command to a female disciple named Liu Feixu.

Liu Feixu was a pretty young woman with a head of long, flowing hair.

Like Zhao Meng, she also had an Early-Stage Eighth Grade Cultivation, and her Swordsmanship was light and graceful.

After a bitter fight, Liu Feixu managed to defeat Zhao Meng, though not without difficulty.

Afterward, the Overlord Blade Sect sent out a disciple named Qian Feng. Qian Feng’s Saber Technique was distinguished by its speed, and he easily defeated the exhausted Liu Feixu.

Then, the Lingyun Sword Sect disciple Zhou Xuan took the stage. He had a simple, honest face and determined eyes, and he wielded a Heavy Sword. His Swordsmanship was grand and majestic, overpowering finesse with pure force.

After a long and fierce battle, the match ended with both he and Qian Feng grievously wounded—or rather, it ended in a draw.

At this point, both the Overlord Blade Sect and the Lingyun Sword Sect had only two disciples left who had not yet fought: their number-one and number-two disciples.

The second-ranked disciples from both sects were the first to step onto the platform.

On the Lingyun Sword Sect’s side, the second-ranked disciple was a young woman named Su Wan.

Dressed in white combat attire, her posture was ramrod straight, and her face was beautiful and elegant. Her brow held a heroic spirit that would put any man to shame, and she carried a longsword that shimmered like autumn water.

The Overlord Blade Sect’s second-ranked disciple, Lei Zhen, was a youth built like an iron tower.

His arms were bare, revealing knotted muscles brimming with explosive power. He held a Nine-Ringed Big Chopper, radiating an air of utter dominance.

The two clashed quickly, both revealing a Middle Stage of Eighth Grade Cultivation.

Lei Zhen’s Saber Technique was incomparably fierce and powerful; every slash seemed capable of splitting mountains and cracking stone.

Su Wan’s Swordsmanship, in contrast, was nimble, like a stream flowing around a rock. She always managed to neutralize Lei Zhen’s fierce attacks at the last possible moment and look for opportunities to counter.

The two fought fiercely for nearly three hundred moves. In the end, Su Wan, relying on the exquisite Transformations of her Sword Techniques, stabbed Lei Zhen in the shoulder. Xuanyuan Jing intervened, and she had narrowly won by a single move.

"Lingyun Sword Sect’s Su Wan is victorious!"

Xuanyuan Jing announced.

"Guo Lie."

The Overlord Blade Sect Elder, Lei Qianshan, was displeased with Lei Zhen’s defeat. He gave an order to the person beside him, and the Overlord Blade Sect’s final disciple—their number one, Guo Lie—took the stage.

Guo Lie lived up to his name, which meant "fierce." He was burly and powerfully built, with a coarse face and wild, untamable eyes. He carried a massive, door-panel-like broadsword on his shoulder and radiated a violent aura like that of a savage beast.

Having already exhausted herself in a great battle, Su Wan was naturally no match for Guo Lie.

She was defeated quickly.

The Lingyun Sword Sect’s number one disciple, Lin Zihua, stepped onto the platform.

And so, this contest of saber and sword reached its most intense moment. In the audience stands, the atmosphere grew noticeably fervent.

Lin Zihua was handsome, with a cold and stern temperament. His eyes were as calm as still water, yet unfathomably deep.

The longsword on his back was not yet unsheathed, but an invisible Sword Momentum was already spreading from him.

There were no unnecessary words. With Xuanyuan Jing’s cry of "Begin," the battle erupted in an instant!

"CLANG!"

"HUMMM!"

The ring of the sword was like a dragon’s cry, the howl of the saber like a tiger’s roar!

Lin Zihua’s Swordsmanship was as fast as lightning. As his sword light unfolded, it was like a river of stars pouring down, a myriad of cold gleams enveloping Guo Lie’s vital points.

The speed of his Sword Momentum was dizzying.

Guo Lie’s Saber Technique, on the other hand, was wide and sweeping, utterly tyrannical. His great saber swung, stirring up vicious winds, as if it would cleave the entire stage in two.

"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG..."

The sounds of metal striking metal were as dense as falling rain. Sword Qi and Saber Qi crisscrossed, leaving a web of deep and shallow gashes on the hard surface of the stage.

Both of them had cultivated a Middle Grade Martial Technique to a level of Mastery bordering on Great Success. For a time, they were evenly matched, making it impossible to determine a winner.

Cries of alarm and gasps of admiration rose and fell from the stands.

This contest of saber and sword had reached its most intense moment.

Although Fang Han was still recovering, his mind was captivated by this clash of titans.

He could clearly sense that neither Lin Zihua nor Guo Lie was any weaker than him when it came to their mastery of "Momentum."

Lin Zihua’s Sword Momentum pursued the ultimate in speed and precision, while Guo Lie’s Saber Momentum was filled with the savage power to destroy everything.

They were, after all, the top-ranked new disciples of their respective sects. He wasn’t surprised they had achieved such a level with their Martial Techniques.

The fierce battle on the stage continued. They fought for more than five hundred moves, and while their breathing remained steady, the deadliness of their techniques continued to escalate.

Ultimately, Guo Lie, relying on a fearless ferocity that defied death itself, ignored Lin Zihua’s attack and charged forward, bringing his great saber down with the force of a mountain collapsing.

Lin Zihua’s expression changed slightly. He hurriedly withdrew his longsword and turned it sideways to block.

"BOOM!!"

With a tremendous bang, Qi Force exploded outward.

The longsword in Lin Zihua’s hand bent into a terrifying arc. Though it didn’t break, he was sent flying backward by the immense force.

He stumbled back several steps upon landing before finally steadying himself.

But by then, the massive saber was already hacking viciously at his neck. The crisis of death enveloped him, but he no longer had time to dodge or parry.

Fortunately, at the critical moment, the referee, Xuanyuan Jing, appeared in time and caught the vicious slash with his bare hand.

And announced the result.

"The second sect competition has concluded. The Overlord Blade Sect is victorious!"

"Hahaha! Good! A beautiful job, Guo Lie!"

Overlord Blade Sect Elder Lei Qianshan shot to his feet, his voice booming like a great bell. His face was filled with a jubilant, unrestrained smile, making no effort to hide his delight.

A few days ago, his sect’s head disciple, Mad Saber, had lost his match against the Lingyun Sword Sect’s head disciple, Liu Bai, leaving him extremely displeased.

Now that his sect’s new disciples had defeated the Lingyun Sword Sect’s new disciples on the stage, he had finally gotten his payback.

Meanwhile, the Lingyun Sword Sect’s Elder, Qing Xu, had a grim expression. He let out a cold snort, flicked his sleeves, and sat down, clearly furious about losing this contest of saber and sword.

The crowd in the stands erupted into discussion about the contest of saber and sword. It was a long while before the chatter finally died down.

Xuanyuan Jing waited for the arena to quiet down a bit before continuing his announcement.

"Third match: Baihua Valley versus Tingyu Building!"

Baihua Valley was a rather unique sect, as all of its disciples were women.

One rumor claimed that the sect’s first Sect Leader had her heart broken by love, which is why she established the tradition of only accepting female disciples.

Another rumor said that the sect’s advanced Martial Arts were only suitable for women to practice, which was why they only recruited women.

Too much time had passed, and the truth could no longer be verified. However, one thing was certain: even though Baihua Valley only accepted women, its strength was not to be underestimated.

The fact that Baihua Valley was counted among the Seven Sects and had not been replaced by any of the ambitious powers just below them was proof enough.

Tingyu Building was an extremely mysterious power.

It was described as mysterious because the faction had appeared so abruptly in Qingyang County, just as abruptly adding a seventh sect to the original six.

Naturally, the six sects of the time—the Qingxuan Sect, Netherworld Pavilion, Vajra Temple, Lingyun Sword Sect, Overlord Blade Sect, and Baihua Valley—were extremely unconvinced. The six sects joined forces to challenge Tingyu Building.

The outcome was strictly suppressed by the six sects and remains unknown, but from that day forward, Tingyu Building rightfully became the seventh of the Seven Sects.

On the stage, the competition had already begun.

Baihua Valley’s first contestant was a young woman named Mei Ruoxue. She was pretty, dressed in pink, and wielded a pair of Water-Splitting Needles. Her Body Technique was graceful, like a butterfly flitting among flowers.

Her opponent was a disciple from Tingyu Building named Yin Ye. He was small and slender, with a plain face that would disappear in a crowd.

But his Body Technique was like a phantom’s, and the paralysis-poison-laced Flying Needles he occasionally shot out were impossible to defend against.

Although Mei Ruoxue did her utmost to maneuver, she was ultimately outmatched. After a hundred moves, a Flying Needle grazed her arm. The paralyzing poison spread, and she had no choice but to concede.

Baihua Valley sent out its second disciple, Lan Xin, a disciple with a gentle temperament who was skilled in the Whip Technique with her Soft Whip.

Her long whip had an extremely wide range. On a stage of limited size, this was a perfect counter for an opponent like Yin Ye, who specialized in Hidden Weapons and needed to maintain distance.

Not long after they clashed, she defeated Yin Ye.

Tingyu Building’s second disciple took the stage. This was a male disciple named Cao Jun, who specialized in Leg Technique and dagger-like weapons.

Lan Xin was no match for him and was quickly defeated.

Baihua Valley sent out its third disciple, Zhu Yun. She wore a verdant green dress, her expression was cold, and she used a Rapier. Her Swordsmanship was swift and sharp.

However, after they fought, she too was defeated by Cao Jun.

With two disciples defeated in a row, the atmosphere in the Baihua Valley contingent grew somewhat heavy.

They sent out their fourth disciple, Ju Ya. She was a female disciple whose weapon was a long flute and who could use musical notes to disrupt her enemies.

Cao Jun was no match for her and was defeated.

Tingyu Building sent out its third disciple, a disciple named Wang Yun. Her weapons were a pair of Water-Splitting Needles.

After a long entanglement with Ju Ya, the match ended in a draw.

Baihua Valley sent out its final disciple, their number-one-ranked new disciple, Liu Yiyi.

Her figure was graceful, her face stunningly beautiful. She held a Rapier and possessed a Mid-Stage Eighth Grade Cultivation.

Tingyu Building, in turn, sent out its second-ranked disciple, You Quan.

You Quan was dressed in watery-blue combat attire, his face cold, his eyes like ice. The weapons he used were two Short Blades, and he also had a Mid-Stage Eighth Grade Cultivation.

When the two fought, the dance of Liu Yiyi’s sword was like a hundred flowers blooming. It was a dazzling and beautiful sight, as if real flowers were blossoming on the stage.

The layers of illusions were dizzying.

But You Quan’s Body Technique was bizarrely cunning. He could always find her true form amidst the sky-full of sword shadows, and his Short Blade attacks were vicious and tricky, striking straight for her vitals.

The two fought fiercely for over three hundred moves. In the end, You Quan used a strange and cunning forward thrust, placing a short blade against Liu Yiyi’s neck and ending the battle.

Baihua Valley’s number one, Liu Yiyi, had actually been defeated by Tingyu Building’s number two, You Quan!

All five members of Baihua Valley had been defeated. They had lost completely to Tingyu Building, and what’s more, it had been a crushing defeat.

Many people subconsciously looked toward the Qingxuan Sect. The scene was somewhat familiar; wasn’t this just a repeat of the battle between the Qingxuan Sect and Netherworld Pavilion?

The overall strength of the Qingxuan Sect’s new disciples this year was very high, and they had hopes of taking first place in the Seven Sects’ competition. But from the looks of it now, Tingyu Building was no slouch either.