Misty Rain of the Old Times

Amidst the clamor of voices and the watchful eyes of the crowd, no one dared to challenge him for a long time. The man in black on the stage was momentarily at a loss, perfectly illustrating what it means to be unable to back down from an awkward position.

At first, his bold declaration of seeking defeat stirred up the crowd, but as his title of Sword God was made public, few of the younger generation had the confidence to go on stage due to his prestige. After all, there's no smoke without fire, and losing would not only be a loss of face for himself, but also for the reputation of the Jing Kingdom's martial arts world.

The older generation, who can be considered masters, naturally wouldn't participate. Winning wouldn't be something to brag about; it would make people think they were bullying the younger generation. If they lost, they'd probably want to buy a block of tofu and smash their head against it.

Seeing that no one had responded for a long time, the man in black sighed, shaking his head with utter disappointment but also a hint of provocation, and said, "Of the three thousand heroes present, is there not a single one who is truly a hero? Your Jing Kingdom is far too disappointing."

This would be a public slap in the face, drawing angry stares and accusations, but he lacked the confidence to actually go on stage.

With that, the man in black walked to the edge of the arena and chuckled, "Looks like I was just trying to attract attention. I came at the wrong time. I should have met with the heroes of your country at your martial arts tournament tomorrow, and then I could have tasted the bitterness of defeat."

Chen Xuan, sitting in the audience, clicked his tongue inwardly. He thought he was going to see a great show, but this was it? The anticlimactic ending left everyone feeling awkward.

But then again, people in the martial arts world these days have become smarter. They don't just start fighting over the slightest disagreement. Have they all passed the age of impulsiveness?
So all the people in the martial arts world are supposed to be full of courage and passion? It turns out no one wants to be the one to stick their neck out, huh? Anyway, it's not just you who will lose face.

So, the people in the martial arts world today have truly understood that the martial arts world isn't just about fighting and killing.

Just as the man in black was slowly walking towards the edge of the arena, someone leaped onto the stage, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, "Brother, please wait. It's not that our Jing Kingdom lacks martial arts experts, but rather that we are all being modest and unwilling to be the first to step forward. Since that's the case, then I will shamelessly offer my humble opinion to set the stage. Please allow me to test my skills against yours. Arena sparring is not a life-or-death struggle, so even if I lose, it's not shameful."

This person's intervention broke the deadlock, and his quick thinking and words saved everyone's face, earning him widespread praise and support.

"Well done, brother. It's not that our Jing Kingdom lacks talent, but rather it's a matter of hospitality; we cannot easily offend guests who have come from afar."

"We support you. Let him see the skills of the heroes of Jing Kingdom..."

With the strong support of the people, Chen Xuan thought to himself, "I knew it! How could we just let it go like this? If we are humiliated by an outsider, how will the people of the Jianghu in Jing Kingdom ever be able to hold their heads high again?"
The man who went up to challenge them was dressed in a gray, tight-fitting outfit. He was in his thirties, had a burly build, and was unarmed. He followed a style of physical training that was both powerful and aggressive. His cultivation was almost complete, and his internal energy was profound and violent. He was confident in his ability to go up and fight.

However, he remained humble, saying, "I know my skills are meager; I am merely offering this as a starting point. I hope this Sword God will be lenient and not let me suffer a humiliating defeat. If I am defeated in a few moves, I hope you will not laugh at me."

The man in black stopped and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He turned around, presented his sword with both hands, and bowed, saying cheerfully, "Brother, you are too modest. I was also wrong before. Please forgive me if my words were offensive, and please give me your guidance."

That's just how the martial arts world is, to say the least. Before there's any deep-seated hatred, even if people from different families or countries are at odds, they still have to maintain a facade of harmony. Those who immediately become bitter enemies and start shouting for bloodshed are ultimately a minority.

The man in gray smiled and nodded, but his expression turned serious, and his gaze became solemn. He hadn't come up on stage to make a fool of himself. Even though he was prepared to lose, if possible, he wanted to defeat his opponent and stand on the stage. This was a rare opportunity to show off and make a name for himself. Defeating someone from another country who was showing off his power would be enough for him to brag about for a long time, and he would have face wherever he went in the future.

"Greetings, Sword God. Take this," the gray-clad man said, not resorting to any underhanded sneak attacks.

As he spoke, he channeled his inner energy to its fullest extent, causing his already burly body to visibly grow larger, his muscles almost bursting out of his tight-fitting clothes, his bronze skin gleaming with a cold metallic sheen, and his inner energy emanating from his body, forming a three-inch-thick, visible black-red protective aura around his body.

It must be said that this person's cultivation level in the acquired realm is quite impressive. With just this one skill of external martial arts, it is difficult for people of the same level to hurt him. It is no less than wearing protective armor.

Few people in the Acquired Realm can release their internal energy to injure enemies from a distance; it is already rare to be able to release it through the body, let alone form a three-inch protective energy all over his body like he does. He must have cultivated a superior internal skill to achieve this.

Without hesitation, he charged toward the man in black, his five fingers forming claws, like a tiger descending from the mountain. With each step, the blue stone arena trembled and banged, and his movements stirred up a gust of evil wind.

"This person has already mastered the 'Raging Rhinoceros Mountain-Splitting Skill,' a powerful external martial art. His internal energy protects his body, making him difficult to break with swords and blades. His physique is comparable to metal. His Tiger Claw Skill is even more remarkable. A single claw strike can exert more than a thousand pounds of force, enough to easily tear apart a tiger or leopard. Moreover, he is extremely intelligent and does not blindly rush onto the stage. He uses brute force to overcome skill, making him the best counter to swordsmen who rely on agility. If the black-clad swordsman from Rong Kingdom had been of average strength, he would probably have suffered a great loss in a single exchange... What a pity," commented the Flying Feather Sect's innate master in the nearby pavilion.

However, before he could finish speaking, the two on the stage had already clashed, and the outcome was decided in a single exchange!
The gray-clad man charged menacingly toward the black-clad man. The strong wind made the black-clad man's clothes flutter. He neither dodged nor evaded, but simply raised his hand and thrust out like a sword. The tip of his fingertip gleamed with a sharp edge, striking the gray-clad man's fiercely attacking 'tiger claw' palm. It pierced through the protective energy like piercing tofu, leaving a wound about an inch deep on the gray-clad man's palm.

As the black-clad man thrust out his finger sword, he calmly stepped past the gray-clad man. The gray-clad man staggered back to his feet after rushing two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) away. He returned to his previous size like a deflated balloon, clutching his arms and trembling all over. Cold sweat poured down his face, and he gritted his teeth to keep from letting out a painful howl.

The man in black turned to face the other person, clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute, and said, "Thank you for your consideration."

The gray-clad man, trembling all over, turned pale and then flushed. He never expected that despite his all-out effort, he would be defeated in a single exchange, unable to withstand even a single move from his opponent. Moreover, his opponent hadn't been serious at all, let alone forced him to draw his sword.

Even Grandmaster Chen Xuan said that there were few people present who could easily defeat him, which naturally shows his extraordinary abilities. That seemingly simple finger sword strike was actually an extremely skillful sword technique. The sword energy flickered at his fingertips, sharp and extraordinary, easily breaking through the gray-clothed man's external martial arts skills. The sword energy even spread along the opponent's arm to his whole body, making him lose his fighting ability in an instant!
Taking a deep breath, the gray-clad man crossed his arms and said self-deprecatingly, "I've lost. I overestimated myself. Thank you for showing mercy. Such powerful sword energy! My defeat is not unjust. You truly deserve to be called the Sword God."

"Brother, you flatter me. The sword energy in your body will dissipate on its own in a short while. You are just temporarily unable to circulate your energy, and it will not leave you with any hidden dangers," the man in black said, cupping his hands. Although he had made a high-profile entrance at the beginning, he did not kick someone while they were down after his victory.

"Thank you," the man in gray nodded, turned around, and stepped off the stage decisively.

Immediately afterward, the man in black looked around and said loudly, "I wonder if there is anyone else who has come to offer guidance? My promise still stands; I only ask for your defeat, and afterwards, I will present you with a grandmaster-written secret technique."

The previously lively scene suddenly fell silent. People looked at each other in bewilderment. The person who had just gone up on stage was renowned. His acquired realm cultivation was enough to rank him among the top ten in Haozhou. He was nicknamed Mad Tiger. Even he was defeated in a single exchange. What should they do? If they didn't have the ability, going up there would just be feeding him and letting him gain reputation.

Could it be that we are really going to be so overwhelmed by the so-called sword god from Rongguo that we can't even lift our heads today?

Perhaps the previous leader, Mad Tiger, had taken the lead, because as soon as the man in black finished speaking, another person stepped onto the stage. A young swordsman in blue leaped onto the stage, his face solemn, but he coldly snorted, "I'll have a go at you. What sword god? There are at least eight hundred or a thousand sword gods in the world, and my sword is no less effective!"

Chen Xuan, sitting in the audience, admired the swordsman. He knew he was no match but still went on stage. However, upon hearing his words, Chen Xuan almost burst out laughing.

The title "Sword God" sounds impressive and prestigious, but after his words, it sounded rather cheap.

However, this is indeed the case. There are quite a few people in the world who dare to call themselves sword gods. Not to mention, when Chen Xuan and his friends were studying at Yushan Academy, there were at least a dozen or twenty little 'sword gods' in the academy. Well, there were also a bunch of sword saints. Anyway, anyone who had a stick dared to call themselves a sword god or sword saint.

The man in black was not provoked by the words. Instead, he calmly cupped his hands and said, "Brother, you are right. I dare not call myself a sword god; it is merely the esteemed title of my fellow martial artists. Please."

"Take this!" The blue-armored swordsman didn't waste any more words. With a clang, he drew his gleaming longsword and launched a fierce attack. The blade emitted a five-inch of icy sharpness, moving with incredible speed. The piercing sound of the longsword cutting through the air was incessant as it was swung in his hand, and afterimages flashed, like a mountain of blades sweeping across the battlefield.

Faced with such fierce swordsmanship, the black-clad swordsman was like a small boat facing an oncoming wave. Yet he remained unmoved, not even moving a step, let alone drawing his sword. He still held his fingers together like a sword, his fingertips flicking out the blade's edge, striking out like a butterfly flitting among flowers, accurately hitting every blade aimed at his vital points. For a moment, the clanging sounds were incessant.

In less than two breaths, all the blades swung by the blue-clad swordsman were blocked by his finger sword. Then, the black-clad sword god stepped forward, pointed his finger sword at the hilt of the sword in the blue-clad swordsman's hand, and the sword flew out of his hand and was caught by the black-clad sword god. With a flick of his wrist, the long sword was placed horizontally against the blue-clad swordsman's neck.

In the blink of an eye, the blue-armored swordsman was defeated in just two exchanges, and the fight ended there.

Taking a step back, the black-clad swordsman calmly returned his longsword to his opponent, saying, "Thank you for the concession, here's your blade."

"Hmph, you win," the blue-armored swordsman said angrily, taking the longsword and leaving the stage without looking back.

Chen Xuan almost burst out laughing again. This was like a child arguing.
"I've come to learn from the Sword God's skills. I'm also a swordsman, and who knows, if I win even a single move, the title of Sword God will be mine."

Immediately after the blue-clad swordsman stepped down, a green-clad swordsman leaped onto the stage. After exchanging greetings, he drew his sword without hesitation and attacked. The flashing blade resembled a thousand pear blossoms in full bloom, dazzling the eye.

The black-clad swordsman from Rongguo, however, had no choice but to accept the challenge. He swiftly raised his hand and caught the opponent's sword, then snapped it in two with a sharp crack. He held the broken blade between his fingers and pressed it against the opponent's throat.

Before he could even acknowledge his defeat, the swordsman in blue decisively sheathed his sword and said with admiration, "As expected of a sword god, I concede defeat. I will certainly practice diligently in the future and seek your guidance again."

"Haha, is it really that powerful? Let me try, watch out for the stick!"

Before the swordsman in green had even stepped down from the stage, a young man wielding a staff couldn't resist jumping up. After exchanging greetings, he swung his powerful staff like a dragon unleashing its fury.

But in just one exchange, his bronze staff was cleaved in two by the black-clad swordsman's finger sword. The man then simply admitted defeat, and immediately another person eagerly stepped onto the stage to challenge him.

Anyone with half a brain would have figured it out by now. The martial arts figures on the Jing Kingdom's side were clearly using a dirty trick of attrition to wear down the enemy. The group was working together in perfect unspoken agreement, their schemes were incredibly cunning.

You think you're so tough, a sword god? But how many can you take on? We have thousands of people here, and more keep coming. If this drags on, you'll be exhausted. Is your inner strength inexhaustible? Let's see how much energy you have left after a long period without food.

If no one had challenged the Black-Clad Sword God at the beginning, it was simply because he was embarrassed. But now he had no time to back down. He knew the other party was playing dirty tricks, but he had already made his threats. Was he supposed to avoid the fight?

This is what it means to be caught in a dilemma!

Anyway, it's on the stage, under everyone's watchful eyes. Everyone just touches each other and stops. There's no danger to life. People who understand each other implicitly, regardless of their own ability, have no reason not to go up and show off a bit. Firstly, the opportunity to spar with such a master is rare. Secondly, what if they win when it's their turn? Wouldn't that be a huge win?

Chen Xuan realized what was going on almost as soon as the second person went on stage. He was both amused and exasperated, but also said he had learned something new, as similar techniques could be used in many situations.

These gangsters are really cunning; I'll have to be careful in the future, lest I get caught up in their schemes.

One after another, people came up to challenge the black-clad swordsman. Even though he could easily defeat his opponents, the constant stream of challengers really annoyed him. Many of them were just blindly joining in the fun, and he couldn't bring himself to directly attack them, otherwise he would definitely be beaten up by the mob. No matter how powerful he was, could he fight against thousands of people? They could drown him with just a spit from each of them.

The senior members of various sects in the pavilion exchanged amused and exasperated glances. What should have been a proper martial arts competition had been turned into a theatrical performance, where anyone could go up and show off their skills. It was clear that the younger generation had figured it out.

That black-clad swordsman from Rongguo was truly unlucky. Why didn't he just wait until everyone else was done and then take the stage normally? Instead, he had to put on a show, and now he's suffering.

Time passed slowly, and dozens of people continued to challenge him. No matter how powerful the black-clad swordsman was, his internal energy was being depleted. If this continued, he might really die of exhaustion on the stage.

As the sun began to set, a commotion arose from the back of one side of the arena. The crowd parted, and a dozen or so people in uniform walked toward the shaded area, where senior members of various sects, who were acting as commentators, rose to greet them.

The people who came were from the Tai Xuan Sect. Their status in the martial arts world was such that no one dared to neglect them.

Noticing the arrival of the Tai Xuan Sect members, Chen Xuan recognized several of them, including Elder Xuan Qing, who was leading the group. Since Chen Xuan was not a member of the martial arts world, he did not intend to greet them; otherwise, no one else would have a chance.

The thought of being recognized and surrounded by a large group of people flattering and staring at Chen Xuan gave him a headache.

It's no exaggeration to say that, given their status, it wouldn't be long before the governor of Haozhou would rush over to pay his respects.

Xuan Qing of the Tai Xuan Sect arrived with his disciples. After greeting everyone, he inquired about the situation. Upon understanding the matter, he was both amused and exasperated, shaking his head and saying, "Isn't this ridiculous? If word gets out, we'll be a laughingstock. When did the Jianghu of Jing Kingdom lose such magnanimity?"

The innate master from Maple Leaf Manor laughed and said, "Daoist Xuanqing, this was not at our behest; the way things have unfolded was beyond our expectations."

“Yes, since Daoist Xuanqing feels that this is not going to end properly, what do you think is the best way to end this farce?” The Feiyu Sect member smiled and said.

It's not that we're passing the buck to him; the prestige of the Tai Xuan Sect is undeniable, so it's only natural that they take charge.

Xuan Qing said speechlessly, "Don't think I don't know you're all enjoying the show. Ending it is simple, isn't it? Just let your hidden talents go up there."

"Master, you jest. We've been watching for a while, and that person is truly extraordinary. Our disciples would probably only make him famous if they went up there," the people from Maple Leaf Manor said seriously.

Xuan Qing and his companions, who had just arrived, were unaware of the specifics. Upon hearing this, Xuan Qing raised an eyebrow, glanced at the black-clad swordsman on the stage who had just defeated another person, his eyes flashing as he turned to survey the scene. He then looked at one of the disciples he had brought and said, "Xu Yun, why don't you go up and learn from him? Winning or losing isn't important; the main thing is to see if you've made any progress after these months of reflection."

Xu Yun, dressed in white, had been eagerly watching the black-clad swordsman on the stage, and upon hearing this, he was delighted. He immediately cupped his hands and said, "Disciple obeys."

As he spoke, he strode toward the arena, his blood seemingly boiling, instinctively sensing that the black-clad swordsman was a formidable opponent he had never encountered before.

The black-clad swordsman on the stage clearly sensed his fighting spirit and subconsciously turned around to look at him, his previously annoyed emotions turning serious.

...(End of chapter)