NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 134
Sword Qi Mastery.
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The state that every martial artist yearns to achieve.
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There is not a single martial artist who does not aspire to Sword Qi Mastery.
Being able to wield Qi means earning the qualifications to vie for the summit of the martial world, and in today’s realm, there are scarcely a hundred people capable of standing against one at this level.
However, the fact that there are fewer than a hundred indicates how exceedingly rare it is to reach this realm.
For this reason, when the Alliance Leader drew his sword Qi, the audience marveled, but when William drew his sword Qi, they were shocked.
His official age was rumored to be around his early twenties.
Even to become a peak expert and gain recognition as an extraordinary talent among the younger generation would not be surprising, but to have sword Qi at his age… Such an occurrence was almost unprecedented in the history of the martial world.
The realm of Supreme Mastery was neither an easy nor a low standard to achieve by one’s twenties, and thus it was natural that all eyes were wide with astonishment.
Some gazed at William with admiration, others with shock, still others with envy, and yet others with admiration. But William, undisturbed by the many gazes focused on him, looked solely at the Alliance Leader.
“Ho ho. To reach Supreme Mastery at your age… When this news spreads to the Central Plains, everyone will be astonished.”
“Personally, I’d prefer it doesn’t spread too much…”
“It’s too late for that. How could Jianghu calmly leave you be when a martial artist capable of wielding sword Qi at such a young age appears? Whether you like it or not, you will be watched closely.”
“I’d prefer to avoid attention until the Demonic Sect is completely driven out.”
“Is it because of your lover? Or…”
“The most critical thing in war is information. Haven’t you heard the saying in the Central Plains, ‘Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles without peril’?”
“Your mention of *The Art of War* feels strange. Could it be that *The Art of War* has also spread to the Western Regions?”
“Not at all. I simply picked it up as a hobby since coming here.”
Of course, it was a lie.
After all, he hadn’t even read it in this world.
William deftly sidestepped the subject and gripped his sword, now shimmering with a vivid azure glow, with both hands, unleashing the *Ox Guard Technique.*
Though one may speak of sword qi and sword strength, ultimately, when two swordsmen stand on equal ground, their swordplay determines victory or defeat.
Wielding sword Qi while neglecting sword technique is akin to adorning a pig’s neck with a string of pearls. Conversely, possessing supreme sword skill, even without sword Qi, is no hindrance to one’s ability to defeat even those wielding it.
However, it’s rare to meet a swordsman capable of wielding sword Qi whose sword technique lags behind. In practical terms, it’s almost impossible.
‘My Qi reserves aren’t enough to maintain the Aura Blade for long periods.’
The difference between two Supreme Masters—one who has attained the rank only months ago and another who has dominated the Central Plains as a Supreme Expert for no less than a decade—is evident without needing to compare.
‘Even if the difference is two or even three times, it wouldn’t be surprising.’
The Alliance Leader’s sword Qi was already a full chi longer than William’s Aura Blade, practically negating the difference in sword lengths.
‘The key lies in how many times I can block.’
It wasn’t his preferred method—but—
“Come then, let’s give it a try.”
At the Alliance Leader’s words, the two figures converged in the center of the stage in an instant, creating a thunderous sound as their sword Qi clashed. The audience held their breath as they watched the two swordsmen battle each other’s force.
The collision of sword strength against sword strength.
Such a sight was rare in a lifetime.
“Indeed, sword energy is a different breed.”
“Ho ho, it is only ‘sword energy’ for a reason.”
At the level of Sword Qi Mastery, one can cleave even ten-thousand-year-old steel with a single slash. The collision of such destructive power is bound to impose a significant burden.
Had this been a fight-to-the-death, there would have been no talk; both would have been focused solely on annihilating each other.
And wielding sword energy in a battlefield signifies a resolute determination to kill one’s opponent.
“Still, after tangling with it, I have a feel for things.”
“What kind of ‘feel’?”
“It seems manageable.”
William released the sword with his left hand, switching from a two-handed grip to a one-handed one. Though typically one would expect him to be overpowered in terms of strength, William stood firm.
The fundamental difference came in physique; the height difference between the Alliance Leader and William was over a chi.
Of course, even if this resistance couldn’t last forever, the time he needed was fleeting.
“Bold!”
“When boldness is called for, one must be bold, is it not?”
“You speak truly.”
William’s left hand now gripped the aura-bladed edge, angling the sword tip downward while raising the hilt.
At the same time, his body tilted toward the hilt.
Naturally breaking away from the deadlock, William aimed the base of the blade near the sword tip at the Alliance Leader’s throat. A clean, swift move. An ordinary martial artist’s head would have been lopped off at this point.
But could one who had reached the position of Alliance Leader be deemed worthy of the title if he couldn’t handle such a maneuver?
The Alliance Leader’s own sword tilted, and his Aura Blade intercepted William’s aimed blow. Following the failed attempt, William stepped back five paces, reducing the size of his Aura Blade.
There was no need to maintain maximum size of the Aura Blade when it drained Qi so ferociously.
Because in knightly combat, the critical factor was not the aura blade.
“You’re quite the difficult opponent.”
“You flatter me.”
“Truly. Even among Supreme Masters, you’d be challenging to deal with.”
Gripping the blade with bare hands.
The implication of this act was clear.
It meant more factors for the opponent to consider.
Though it might seem like a trivial element, such nuances often determined life and death in battle.
“There were schools of swordsmanship in the past where one gripped the blade while wielding the sword, but… gripping the blade of a sword wrapped in sword energy…is no mean feat.”
Few swordsmen would even entertain the thought of gripping a blade encased in sword qi or sword energy, as a simple misstep could sever their own hand.
“From the moment we could channel our inner energy, we practiced gripping swords engulfed in inner energy.”
Half-Swording.
One of the quintessential techniques of the longsword.
A skill both essential for battling heavy armor and vital during close-quarters combat.
They trained to grab the blade with bare hands to achieve victory on the battlefield.
“Keeping up this conversation might bore the audience. How about we pick up the pace?”
“That’s an excellent idea. I was getting restless myself.”
‘This is entertaining.’
Thinking of the stacks of documents he used to go through in his office as the Alliance Leader, engaging in a blade-to-blade duel while sweating was far more enjoyable.
‘This could be a good opportunity to retire and pass the reins to a worthy successor.’
Having served nearly twenty years as the Alliance Leader, it wasn’t odd to consider retirement given his age.
Even if martial artists have longer lifespans than ordinary people, continuing to work beyond the age of sixty wasn’t particularly appealing.
Realizing he might be trapped within piles of documents until death had its part to play in this decision.
‘Deliberately losing goes against my nature, though.’
What martial artist would want to lose in a friendly sparring match?
Martial artists only accept defeat after expending every ounce of effort.
“Lord Alliance Leader. Let’s go.”
“Come on then.”
Maintaining a half-swording stance, William charged forward in an instant.
Even with a long sword in hand, William closed in within less than a step, wielding his longsword like a short blade. Due to the grip closer to the blade, his slashes and thrusts were faster and sharper than usual.
The Alliance Leader deflected each strike while seeking openings, but William’s sacrifices in range had bought him speed. The Alliance Leader, impressed by the unexpected counter, grinned.
“That’s an interesting technique you have there.”
“Not quite at your level yet, Lord Alliance Leader.”
“Not at all; it’s quite remarkable.”
The clash of swords continued, with flashes of sword Qi illuminating the empty air.
Neither party retreated from the engagement. Retreat would signify yielding to the other’s momentum, but it was also a matter of a martial artist’s pride.
‘Time to push him back.’
The Alliance Leader’s sword split the air.
His movement was so swift it could not be described any other way. A terrifyingly fast sword thrust hurtled toward William’s shoulder at a speed too rapid for him to react.
William’s body retreated three steps in response, absorbing the shock.
A clear disadvantage.
“Your defensive sword qi is remarkably sturdy.”
“Sword Qi is indeed taxing.”
The Alliance Leader’s sword Qi had been blocked by his aura armor.
Yet William was not unscathed. No matter what, it was difficult to face off against sword qi without taking some damage.
But compared to being struck directly by sword qi, this was but a minor graze.
Feeling his aura dissipate in chunks, William calmly assessed the situation.
‘Blocking the aura blade multiple times will be difficult.’
The aura blade symbolized absolute destruction.
The aura armor symbolized absolute defense.
In the clash between the sword that cuts through everything and the armor that protects against everything, the outcome depended on the skill of the wielder.
William realized his aura armor could not withstand the aura blade with the same ease as sword qi.
‘After blocking two or three times at most, I’ll no longer have the strength to maintain the aura blade.’
The difference in power was becoming more evident.
Thus, it was time for a decisive move.
Once more, William charged toward the Alliance Leader with even greater speed. Pushing his *Whirlwind Steps* to the limit, the Alliance Leader smiled contentedly as he swung his sword.
An honest and direct strike.
A simple, unadorned yet heavy sword thrust barreling toward William.
When the swords collided, a deafening sound accompanied a brief stalemate.
William tilted his body to the side and transferred his grip from the hilt to the base of the blade.
The Mordhau technique.
The guard of William’s longsword hooked the Alliance Leader’s blade forward.
“Your strikes are quite heavy.”
“Indeed, it’s the technique of the Thousand-Pound Hammer.”
‘Thousand-Pound Hammer… perhaps I should study that later.’
When the sword failed to drag forward, William pushed harder.
In the extreme close quarters, William’s blade shot over the Alliance Leader’s sword.
The Alliance Leader’s counter was simple. He sidestepped, evading the attack—and then…
“This is the Meteor Fist.”
An immense force crashed into William.
The powerful punch sent William reeling backward.
“A remarkable impact.”
“Some might think I’m going easy on you, but I assure you, I’m putting in my all.”
‘My energy is depleted.’
In barely the flicker of an instant, three punches struck him.
Each blow had enough power to rupture his internal organs.
An ordinary martial artist would have exploded on impact.
“Isn’t this a bit too energetic?”
“Humans need to stretch their bodies from time to time, especially when they’re older, don’t you think?”
With a shared smile, they adjusted their weapons.
And then, William raised his hand and declared.
“I concede.”