I Can Copy the Talents of All Creatures
Chapter 199 - 156: Void Wind Shadow, Blood Lotus Blooms
After yesterday’s chaotic free-for-all, the prodigies were now carefully sizing up their opponents. Anyone who got by on luck was quickly taken out. The duels were a constant back-and-forth, leaving no room for unexpected upsets.
After being brutalized by the elite soldiers in the second round, most had shed the lofty pride of a prodigy, leaving only a raw hunger for victory.
Yu Fei had thought his three consecutive victories yesterday would have a deterrent effect. He didn’t expect to be challenged less than half an hour later.
This time, his opponent was already on the stage, standing there long before the match. From a distance, all Yu Fei could see was the stylish silhouette of a man holding a sword.
’This is... Zhang Xunyi!’
Yu Fei felt a headache forming. Back on the "Newbie Prodigy" forums, this guy loved posting all sorts of flashy pictures of himself. The problem was, he was also incredibly strong.
If he recalled correctly, Zhang Xunyi was in the Inner Qi Realm and possessed some unknown form of Sword Intent.
’Looks like I’ll have to show my hand...’
Yu Fei knew Zhang Xunyi was extremely strong. This was going to be a tough fight. Just like yesterday, Yu Fei walked toward his designated spot on the stage with slow, steady steps, his mind already working on a strategy.
Zhang Xunyi had been waiting on the stage for a long time. He was growing impatient, eager to prove he was the strongest Sword Cultivator in this tournament, but he still had to maintain his composure.
A man must be both strong and handsome.
You have to be good at both, and you have to master both. He had even specially groomed his eyebrows today. A duel between two masters of Sword Intent was exceedingly rare. After he defeated Yu Fei, people would surely be taking pictures to commemorate the occasion. He couldn’t be remembered by just a shot of his back on such an important day.
Seeing Yu Fei take his position, Zhang Xunyi cleared his throat, gave his sword a little flourish, and said in a low voice:
"What took you so long? We’re both Sword Cultivators. Are you scared? If you are, I won’t take advantage of you. How about I give you a three-move head start?"
Today’s referee was Zhong Xu again. He had been about to signal the start of the match, but seeing the two were on the verge of some pre-fight trash talk, he decided to stay quiet and enjoy the show.
Toward the end of yesterday’s matches, these kids would do anything to win. One girl even made her opponent cry just by yelling at him. It was all very amusing.
Yu Fei’s brow furrowed slightly. He sized up Zhang Xunyi carefully and asked in a serious tone, "Did you get your eyebrows done?"
He’d actually been keeping an eye on Zhang Xunyi. Very few people had mastered Sword Intent, so he had observed him quite closely. The man wasn’t ugly—just average-looking—but his thick, curved eyebrows gave him a comical look that was hard to forget.
Since his opponent wanted to start with some pre-match trash talk, Yu Fei decided to play along, even if it was a bit of a low blow.
Zhang Xunyi’s composure immediately started to crack. That bastard Zhou Bai was always making fun of his eyebrows.
’How despicable!’ For Zhang Xunyi, his eyebrows were a taboo subject. He’d beat up anyone who dared to mention them.
"You insolent whelp! How dare you mock me!"
A nameless rage flared in his heart. If the referee hadn’t been holding off on starting the match, he would have charged forward and run this guy through with his sword.
Yu Fei threw up his hands, then casually dug a finger in his ear and flicked something away. "Why are you yelling so loud?" he said with a helpless shrug. "Fine, fine, you’ve scared me. So, are you going to give me that three-move head start or not?"
Choked with rage, Zhang Xunyi snapped, "You motherf—"
Zhong Xu immediately cut in. "Contestant, please be mindful of your language. No personal attacks."
Zhang Xunyi instantly shut his mouth—cursing was beneath him and ruined his image. But in the next moment, he saw Yu Fei silently mouth an insult.
"Dumbass." (mouthed)
He gripped his sword hilt so tightly his knuckles turned white, his face flushing crimson. ’This guy is ten thousand times worse than Zhou Bai!’
He then whipped his head toward Zhong Xu and roared, "What are you looking at? Start the match!"
Zhong Xu was stunned for a moment. ’This little brat’s got some nerve,’ he thought. ’If he were one of my soldiers, I’d train him until he dropped dead.’
"Start!"
The word had barely left Zhong Xu’s mouth when Zhang Xunyi’s form blurred. His longsword created a sky full of afterimages as his white-robed figure split into four, each one slashing, thrusting, or lifting.
In an instant, four Inner Qi-level swordsmen were surrounding and attacking Yu Fei. The sight left the audience dumbfounded.
Many people were paying close attention to Zhang Xunyi’s match against Yu Fei.
It wasn’t just the other prodigies; observers from the seven major powers were also watching the match intently. The viewing galleries were packed to the brim, without an empty spot in sight.
Meng Jun, the host broadcasting from above, and even Honglian, the Martial Saint Zhuo Feiming who was watching in secret, were all focusing their attention on this fight.
Both combatants had won all three of their matches yesterday quickly and decisively.
Furthermore, they were the only two prodigies in this year’s tournament who had mastered Sword Intent. Even though the gap between their cultivation realms was vast, the match promised to be a spectacular one.
What is a Sword Cultivator? They are a class of Martial Artists who possess the ultimate in offensive power.
In the early stages of martial cultivation, while one’s realm greatly influenced the outcome of a battle, the gap wasn’t yet insurmountable. Defeating a higher-realm opponent was common before the fourth realm, but the higher one’s cultivation, the harder such a feat became.
One often heard of Gang Qi masters slaying Grandmasters on the battlefield, but tales of a Grandmaster defeating a Great Grandmaster were few and far between.
As for an eighth-realm Great Grandmaster, even being considered comparable to a Martial Saint was the highest of praise. In the entire history of the Yu Kingdom, there had never been a record of one directly killing a Martial Saint in a fair fight—finishing off a wounded one didn’t count, of course.
Therefore, for two Sword Cultivators whose offense far outstripped their defense, the outcome was never set in stone. It was just that Yu Fei’s chances of winning were considerably lower.
Zhang Xunyi’s opening move, a swordsmanship technique as ephemeral as an illusion or a shadow, instantly dazzled everyone present. It was clear he hadn’t been using his full strength yesterday.
Wu Yi watched in thoughtful silence. He had seen all of Yu Fei’s matches yesterday. The young man’s Sword Intent possessed the characteristic of Sharpness, making his attacks powerful but far too direct. This was the perfect counter to such a straightforward style. With his expertise, Wu Yi could naturally see through Zhang Xunyi’s technique; he even knew exactly how this ’phantom’ Sword Intent was cultivated.
Zhang Xunyi practiced one of the most well-known Sword Dao Cultivation Techniques: the Void Wind Shadow Sword. This swordsmanship originated from a mid-Old Calendar era Daoist technique, the Thirteen Swords of Clear Wind. After being passed down for many years, the original manual had long since been lost to the river of time.