Small Town, Ancient Alley, Drizzling Rain and Sword

Shing!

Zhao Qi slapped the scabbard, and the gleaming sword flew out, landing steadily in his hand.

He lowered his stance, leaning forward slightly, and suddenly attacked.

The sword thrust out with both steadiness and speed, leaving only a silver line in the air.

Lu Chang’an’s hairs stood on end.

Instinctively, he ducked and kicked the bench behind him.

The bench tilted up, passed over his lowered body, and flew straight at Zhao Qi.

Sensing the qi attached to the bench, Zhao Qi shifted his sword, slashing downward to split it in two.

Whoosh!

In the instant Zhao Qi paused to split the bench, Lu Chang’an suddenly drew a cold glint from his waist and flung it at Zhao Qi’s face.

Bam!

Zhao Qi stomped hard on the ground, shattering the bluestone slab, forcibly halting his forward momentum.

The cold glint grazed past his face, leaving a thin cut.

Warm blood trickled down Zhao Qi’s chiseled face.

He cautiously stepped back half a pace, calming the surging qi caused by the abrupt stop, and looked at Lu Chang’an’s hands with surprise.

Lu Chang’an, who had been empty-handed moments ago, now held a flexible sword in his right hand.

“Your reactions are swift.”

“If you were an ordinary One Qi cultivator, you would already be dead.”

Zhao Qi’s eyes showed appreciation.

He had seen many young talents, but few at the One Qi Realm could react to a Three Flowers expert’s attack like this.

This kind of instinct was combat talent, different from cultivation talent.

Those with high cultivation talent might not be strong in battle, but those with this combat instinct were invariably good at fighting above their level.

“Your sword is also fast.”

Lu Chang’an’s face remained calm, but cold sweat broke out on his back.

He had almost failed to react to that first thrust.

To the eye, it was just a flash of light.

If he had waited to see the sword light before acting, he would be dead.

All men are mortal when struck; even a Three Flowers expert would die from a fatal wound, let alone Lu Chang’an who was only at One Qi.

Lu Chang’an really didn’t want to face an opponent like Zhao Qi.

Against a Three Flowers expert with great strength or defense, he might manage, but Zhao Qi was fast—both his movements and his sword.

Against such an expert, many times victory or defeat is decided in an instant.

The pedestrians on the street had already fled in fear when the fight started.

The teahouse owner’s legs went weak.

Too scared to say anything, he hugged his head and ran out from behind the counter into the back courtyard.

Under Lu Chang’an’s watchful gaze, Zhao Qi moved again.

A warning rose in his heart.

Lu Chang’an, almost by premonition, flicked his flexible sword to the left.

Sparks flew.

He successfully blocked Zhao Qi’s strike.

But even as he blocked, his heart jumped—because the touch of the blades told him Zhao Qi hadn’t put much strength into this strike.

It was a feint!

A vicious wind came from the other side.

Zhao Qi had somehow picked up the scabbard from the ground and was swinging it with his left hand at Lu Chang’an’s throat.

Lu Chang’an leaned back, and with a secondary burst of power from the sword hand, his continuous qi surged out.

The upper part of the flexible sword, which had been pressed against Zhao Qi’s sword, looped around and intercepted the scabbard.

Buzz!

Upon contact, the flexible sword began to tremble violently.

Their qi differed in quality; in a head-on collision, Lu Chang’an was at a disadvantage.

The force from the flexible sword made his arm go numb, and he almost lost his grip.

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

Loosening his grip, he let the flexible sword rebound upward, using Zhao Qi’s sword as a pivot.

The hilt, charged with qi, bounced toward Zhao Qi’s face.

Zhao Qi had to lean back to avoid it.

Without the support, Zhao Qi’s scabbard pushed aside the flexible sword and continued its horizontal sweep toward Lu Chang’an’s throat.

Unhurriedly, Lu Chang’an grabbed the rebounding hilt with his left hand, letting the blade press against the scabbard, and started spinning it.

After several rotations, he managed to completely neutralize the force on the scabbard!

At that moment, Zhao Qi’s breath was nearly spent—old power gone, new power not yet born.

Lu Chang’an still had half a breath of weak but continuous qi left.

Relying on that half breath, he lifted his foot and barely kicked Zhao Qi.

Zhao Qi was sent flying, crashing through the teahouse wall and landing on the street outside.

Lu Chang’an staggered back a few steps.

His trembling left hand, which had neutralized the scabbard’s force, dropped the flexible sword onto a nearby table.

Bang!

The table couldn’t withstand the residual force and splintered instantly.

“Impressive.”

“Your qi is unusual—seems exceptionally persistent.”

On the street, Zhao Qi stood up, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.

He had been a bit careless.

Lu Chang’an was far more troublesome than expected—a One Qi cultivator holding his own against a Three Flowers.

Lu Chang’an raised an eyebrow.

This was actually his first real fight.

A life-and-death battle, and one crossing major realms, seemed too intense.

But it also stirred the blood in his veins, making him want to fight with all his might.

Perhaps deep down, Lu Chang’an was also a martial and combative person.

“This has taken too long.”

“The lady must be waiting impatiently.”

“It’s time to end this battle.”

Zhao Qi twirled his sword, the tip lightly touching the ground.

He stood with one foot in front of the other, ready to strike.

Lu Chang’an sensed that Zhao Qi was about to use his finishing move.

If he could withstand it, he had a chance; if not, he would surely die.

But… recalling the strange sensation during the clash of qi, he frowned.

He wasn’t sure if it was a fleeting illusion or real.

“This sword technique is called the Drizzle Sword Technique, a first-class ultimate technique.”

“Dying by this sword will do you honor.”

With that, Zhao Qi raised his sword, and his sword momentum came like a drizzle, suddenly surging forward.