Light gauze danced as Lu Li extended his right hand, rushing toward Liu Qingyun like a rosy cloud from the horizon.
Clang!
The crisp sound of impact echoed through the bamboo grove. The once-upright bamboo suddenly tilted, blocking the attack.
“I see… the bamboo is the sword.” Lu Li understood in an instant. He spun around, stepped onto the retracted gauze, and hovered high in the air, gazing at the bamboo grove about half a zhang in size. “Brother Liu, this move is fierce, but you can’t move, can you?”
“As expected of the Saintess. You saw the limitation right away.” Liu Qingyun spoke, reached out, and grabbed a bamboo stalk, then swung it in Lu Li’s direction. “But a sword can be bamboo, and bamboo can be a sword.”
With a tearing sound, a Sword Qi shot into the sky. At the same time, a dozen bamboo leaves turned into sharp blades, surrounding Lu Li.
“To think he could comprehend Sword Zen to this level.” Ku Du stared at Liu Qingyun, who moved with effortless grace. “This bamboo grove is small, but it combines offense and defense. To cultivate to this level at the Qi Refining Stage—truly worthy of being the Saint Son of the Imperial Sword Sect.”
“You flatter me. Though I can achieve it at Qi Refining Stage, because I’m too immersed in Sword Zen, the bamboo grove can’t move.” Wang Youming’s words were modest, but a smile spread across his face. “The Saintess of the Yin Yang Sect is also impressive. She saw the flaw in Sword Zen in an instant.”
“Yes…” Lin Yin watched Lu Li floating in the air. She flipped her left hand, and the bamboo leaves around her, as if imbued with spirit, flew to his hand like fish. ‘Sigh… you really aren’t used to using the Charm Spiritual Root, nor being in a woman’s body…’
“What…” Liu Qingyun’s pupils constricted.
Both of them had Sword Spiritual Roots—that he knew.
But he never expected that the flying bamboo leaves could be controlled by the girl before him.
“Even geniuses have their difficulties. Progressing too fast makes you overlook many things.” Lin Yin watched Lu Li condense the bamboo leaves into a long sword and charge at Liu Qingyun, then sighed again. ‘Lu Li… you can’t even handle the basic Silk of a Hundred Turns properly.’
The twin swords clashed. Liu Qingyun’s arms went numb, and he stumbled back several steps.
Lu Li stepped lightly with one foot and stood still.
Her robe fluttered in the force, while the bamboo sword in her hand only shattered.
“Sword Condense.” Lu Li’s cherry lips parted. The torn fragments of leaves suddenly stopped in midair, then, as if playing in reverse, recondensed into a long sword.
“Word Spirit Art?!” Ku Du’s eyes widened, then narrowed again. “No, it’s similar to the Northern Domain Word Spirit Sect, but not quite… Is it the Ten Thousand Sword Art?”
“Master, it’s the effect of the Spiritual Root.” Yuan He spoke up from beside him. His eyes emitted a faint golden light. “Benefactor Lu did nothing.”
“Then that’s not surprising. For this old monk to see the Charm Spiritual Root of the World-Toppling Ephemeral Glory before I die is an eye-opener.” Ku Du watched as Lu Li thrust his sword, and the surrounding bamboo leaves were gradually being controlled by her, slicing toward Liu Qingyun.
“True Master Ku Du, your disciple is also impressive. To open his eyes at the Qi Refining Stage.” Wang Youming looked at Yuan He’s eyes with interest. “Is that the Heavenly Eye?”
“Yes, though he’s only at the threshold.” Ku Du turned his gaze back to the center of the arena. “The Saintess is now gradually taking control of the bamboo grove, but… why is she only using Sword Art?”
“Because he joined not long ago, unlike your disciples, who have spent a long time delving into Martial Arts.” Lin Yin spoke, watching the Foundation Establishment Steward nearby who was clenching his fists, sighing, and sometimes wanting to stand up and replace Lu Li in the fight. “This Friendly Spar is also to let him hone himself further.”
“Of course. Having geniuses spar and clash with each other to understand their own strength—that’s the most important thing.” Ku Du looked at Yuan He. Yuan He immediately straightened his posture, closed his eyes, and began chanting sutras.
Inside the arena.
Liu Qingyun grew more and more frustrated.
With an Upper Grade Spiritual Root, he had absolute control over all swords.
As long as he was below Foundation Establishment Stage, once he used Transform Bamboo into Forest, he was unbeatable in both offense and defense.
But he never expected to meet Lu Li of the Yin Yang Sect.
She also had a Sword Spiritual Root, and her mastery of the sword was no less than his.
Combined with the Charm Spiritual Root, his original bamboo grove was being slowly taken over.
“I can’t let this continue… I have to try a new move.” Liu Qingyun blocked with his wrist, and a strong numbness shot up his arm again. The bamboo grove in front quickly fell, shielding him from Lu Li’s controlled swords. ‘Indeed, I was too arrogant. Transform Sword into Bamboo means standing still to take a beating…’
Compared to Liu Qingyun, who grew increasingly frustrated, Lu Li was fighting more and more smoothly.
Since joining the Yin Yang Sect and being in a female form, he had barely practiced any sword techniques.
Now, with such a sparring partner, his understanding of sword techniques became more proficient.
Before one move peaked, his Divine Sense could again control the surrounding bamboo leaves into swords and shoot them at Liu Qingyun.
At the same time, whatever move Liu Qingyun used, he could directly learn and use it himself.
The only flaw was that his defense wasn’t as convenient as Liu Qingyun’s.
But at that moment, the Charm Spiritual Root came into play again.
Even if Liu Qingyun controlled countless leaves to fly at him, he only needed to blow a breath.
Those bamboo leaves would instantly lose power, fall to the ground, and then be taken over by him.
“Miss Lu, this is my final move.” Liu Qingyun took a deep breath, and the surrounding bamboo grove withered at once.
“Ah, you mean me?” Lu Li looked at Liu Qingyun and suddenly realized that “Miss” was referring to him.
But now there was no time to dwell on that.
The long sword that had sunk into the earth slowly rose and returned to Liu Qingyun’s hand.
But unlike before, the sword carried a faint emerald light. The pressure it emitted gradually made Lu Li’s skin crawl.
“Miss Lu, if you can’t withstand this strike, you can dodge.” Liu Qingyun formed a sword seal with his right hand, then spat a mouthful of blood, splashing it onto the emerald bamboo sword.
The green light grew increasingly blinding. Wang Youming sighed from below, stood up, and prepared to fly into the arena at any moment.
“After this, Lu Li, you should finally take your cultivation technique seriously.” Lin Yin raised her hand and gently manipulated the formation. “How will you dodge this?”
“Green Bamboo as Sword!” The green light erupted instantly. A beam of green light about a zhang long burst forth, and the True Yuan, slightly surpassing the Qi Refining Stage, pinned Lu Li in place.
“This move is indeed strong… but it doesn’t seem that terrifying.” As the sword light drew closer, Lu Li felt the world around him become incredibly slow.
“Use the Imperial Sword method? No, I can’t control this kind of sword light. But there is indeed a long sword at its center…” Amid his racing thoughts, Lu Li came up with an idea.
If Sword Zen was about understanding the heart of the sword…
Then he could only use the Yin Yang Sect’s technique.
“Bewitch Heart.”
With a soft exhale, the spirit pattern in his Dantian connected again.
Nine fox tails extended from his waist. Amid the exclamations of the Yin Yang Sect disciples, Lu Li merely raised his fair hand.
His cherry-pink pupils gazed at the approaching danger.
Steadily, he waited for the sword light.
The originally zhang-long sword light, as it neared Lu Li, grew smaller and smaller.
In the end, it turned into a bamboo sword, floating in front of Lu Li.
It even reversed direction, offering the hilt into Lu Li’s palm.
With a delicate finger, Lu Li grasped the bamboo sword.
At that moment, Liu Qingyun in the distance spat out another mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.
“Daoist Liu, this Friendly Spar is my victory.”
The long sword was like jade, the green robe like a lotus.
The fame of the Saintess of the Yin Yang Sect spread completely because of this battle.
Sword NTR