Sword energy streaked across, severing the black bamboo.
Amidst the bamboo forest, one section of black bamboo after another collapsed.
The Star Sea Sect's swordsmanship was very simple, basically boiling down to the word "fast."
One move and one stance flowed into the next, with each sword faster and stronger than the one before!
Legends spread across the Jianghu that when dueling a master of the Star Sea Sect’s swordsmanship, one must not let the battle drag into a war of attrition.
The reason for this saying was that in addition to extraordinarily swift swordwork, the Star Sea Sect’s swords flowed together to form an even greater sword momentum that accelerated subsequent attacks, each blow swifter than the last!
Thus once the Sect’s sword momentum built up, the swordsman would only grow stronger the longer he fought until his inner energy was utterly spent, never stopping for rest.
In the black bamboo forest, Xiu Wangchou unleashed another lightning-quick sword stance,”One Star Flash”, aimed straight at Hei Shanke’s left shoulder.
Hei Shanke flipped his heavy saber upward to smash apart the momentum of One Star Flash.
Just as Hei Shanke moved to counterattack, Xiu Wangchou stomped the ground and somersaulted into midair. Not only did this dodge Hei Shanke’s oncoming blow, but Xiu Wangchou launched another sword attack from midair, linking together the earlier severed momentum with a fresh stance!
Star Sea Sect Sword Technique: Star Rain!
Suspended in midair, in but an instant his sword tip thrust out ten times, sending down ten streams of sword energy.
By now Hei Shanke had cast aside all contempt. Through the earlier clash he realized his foe was no mere adept who had cultivated his martial arts to the higher stage of Earth Realm. This was a true battle-scarred swordsman possessing abundant combat experience!
The ten streams of sword light poured down!
Dodging was naturally out of the question when facing sword energy so swift.
Hei Shanke bellowed loudly as he swept his saber in a circle, its energy like a fierce tiger that bit into several streams of sword energy. As for the remaining streams that made it through, though Hei Shanke’s nimble footwork allowed him to evade them.
Attack like a tiger pouncing on prey, evade like a nimble leopard –
Dark Building Black Blade: Tiger Leopard Stance!
After the Star Rain, Xiu Wangchou landed on the ground. But before Hei Shanke could react, Xiu Wangchou sent out another sword, linking the earlier “Star Rain” momentum into a seamless whole!
Star Sea Sect Sword Technique: Starlight Slash
The arising sword radiance was as beautiful as starlight despite its simple horizontal chop resembling a beginner’s movement. Yet in Hei Shanke’s eyes, the oncoming blow was as wondrous as a streak of starlight!
Glorious yet lethal!
Naturally Hei Shanke would not be fooled by the sword’s deceptive magnificence. He held his saber upright before him and likewise unleashed an extremely simple chop that appeared utterly plain.
Dark Building Black Blade: Chopping Saber Stance!
Saber and sword collided, and the hardy inner energy infused within them erupted outwards in a fiery blast.
Fortunately both Hei Shanke’s saber and Xiu Wangchou’s sword were famed weapons of the age, otherwise ordinary arms would have shattered under their clashing inner power by now.
After the collision the two retreated once more, but amidst fierce battle there was no chance to catch their breath. Again it was Xiu Wangchou who launched the next attack.
Xiu Wangchou understood very clearly that his sword momentum could not cease!
The Star Sea Sect’s swords, must not stop!
By now the spectating Dark Building assassins were already shocked beyond comprehension. After all, even in the vast Great Martial Country, Heaven Realm experts were few and far between. Below the Heaven Realm, the strongest were naturally those at the higher phase of Earth Realm.
Yet the gap between higher Earth Realm adepts was greater than any other martial realm, far exceeding the difference say between early and mid phases of Earth Realm.
The reason was simple. Those capable of consecutively defeating several mid Earth Realm opponents were higher Earth Realm experts. Those who could swap over twenty blows with lower Heaven Realm opponents before admitting defeat were also of the higher Earth Realm!
Could adepts of such vastly differing caliber still be lumped under the same label?
Of course not!
Furthermore, all top ten killers of the Jianghu ranking without exception belonged to those higher Earth Realm masters who could withstand a few blows from Heaven Realm experts. Indeed, some were so strong that the Jianghu had coined the term “junior Heaven Realm” to describe them.
Yet what of Xiu Wangchou?
A complete unknown, even if he was of the once prominent but now declined Star Sea Sect.
And against such a person, the number two ranked killer on the ranking, Hei Shanke, was actually being pressed hard in battle!
Just as the assassins were still struggling to believe the scene unfolding before their eyes, Hei Shanke exchanged another dozen or so blows with Xiu Wangchou. But the tide of battle was shifting more and more clearly in Xiu's favor.
Even Hei Shanke was growing more alarmed the longer they fought. He had heard long ago how the Star Sea Sect's momentum grew ever fiercer. Yet he was confident that after observing Xiu's swordwork for a while, he could still finish Xiu off in another ten moves or so even if he conceded a temporary disadvantage.
But more than ten moves had passed. By now it was already impossible for even Hei Shanke to suppress Xiu's terrifying momentum.
One sword swifter than the last, each blow mightier than the one before!
The number one Sword Sect under heaven twenty years ago still held onto its title. Their sword arts would brook no contempt!
In the next instant, sword light flashed as Xiu Wangchou's momentum peaked!
Hei Shanke's eyes were tightly fixed by Xiu's the entire time, wide open in the mutual stare between two warriors marching towards death and life upon their blades. In those orbs one could read all truths.
Hei Shanke understood that Xiu was about to unleash his most lethal blow!
The accumulated momentum from dozens of strikes, once erupted, the consequences......
“Loose arrows!” Hei Shanke tossed aside all regard for dignity between masters of their realm and roared wildly.
Fortunately his Dark Building assassins were all battle-hardened veterans themselves, reacting instantly to his command by drawing bow and letting fly.
Yet Xiu Wangchou was never counting on these blackheart villains to adhere to any fair dueling codes from the very start. Sensing the flight of eight arcane iron arrows, he had long been prepared.
The white-clothed swordsman bellowed loudly: “Star Kill!”
His sword did not budge, yet it was as though it did. Sword energy erupted outwards for several meters from his blade, blowing away all eight arcane iron arrows!
But he was not finished. Still roaring, Xiu Wangchou charged towards Hei Shanke with raised sword, like a ferocious tiger and leopard bounding down the mountains. Right now the vicious look in Xiu’s eyes seemed to proclaim: this sword...will kill you!
Pressured relentlessly by Xiu’s momentum, Hei Shanke was forced into constant retreat until his back hit a stalk of black bamboo he failed to detect earlier.
Now there was nowhere left to retreat!
Yet Hei Shanke was ranked number two on the Jianghu killer boards. How could he simply await his death? Furthermore, forty years of saber arts were not cultivated in vain. Though forced into desperate straits by Xiu, that did not preclude him from counterattacking out of seeming despair!
Just as Hei Shanke prepared to summon all his inner power for a final life-or-death blow, Xiu Wangchou’s figure suddenly skewed to one side, if only for an instant, just one fleeting instant......
But this slip was not missed by Hei Shanke’s watchful eyes.
It was his injured leg!
So the pain must have grown unbearable after all this time spent enduring. Now, unleashing such fierce momentum on the verge of delivering the final thrust, it looked like Xiu’s right leg had reached its limit!
Seizing the chance arising in a hair’s breadth, Hei Shanke instantly channeled inner power to the ground before him and flicked out a pebble, striking Xiu’s right leg directly at the arrow wound with vicious precision!
With a cry of pain Xiu Wangchou’s momentum drastically slowed.
Capturing the opportune moment, Hei Shanke unleashed his mightiest, most ruthless saber slash.
Dark Building Black Blade: Tiger Bite Stance!
This blow smashed apart Xiu’s momentum and hacked viciously into his chest.