A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu looked at the remaining two people. “Which of you two will confront me next?”

The middle-aged man wielding the sword took a step forward and declared, “Me.”

As he spoke, the middle-aged man drew his sword with a flourish and threw the scabbard aside, the tip of the blade pointing diagonally to the ground. “I am Lu Hu. The sword in my hand is called Wu Qiao. Please enlighten me.”

The sword was forged from extraterrestrial cold iron, measuring approximately 1.2 meters and weighing about 3.6 kilograms.

Qi Xuansu casually drew the only cutlass he had left. “This cutlass was seized from the secret society during a Black Robes’ raid, worth about 1,000 Taiping coins.”

Lu Hu frowned, upset at Qi Xuansu’s flippant attitude. The sword is a swordsman’s best companion. How can he measure a sword’s worth using Taiping coins?! If one cannot be dedicated to his weapon, how can he reach his fullest potential in swordsmanship?

If Qi Xuansu knew what Lu Hu was thinking, he would probably think it was nonsense. Qi Xuansu did not deny that one would grow more familiar with a weapon over time, but if changing weapons led to a drop in skill, then one’s skill would be highly questionable. Being dedicated to a weapon or a specific technique was also entirely unnecessary.

Even if he treated this cutlass like his own son, it would still break facing Zhang Yuelu’s Amorphous Paper.

The Holy Xuan also did not stick to his trusted weapon when facing the head of the Confucian School. Instead, he used the number one immortal sword for attacks, called the Skycaller.

Qi Xuansu was an absolute pragmatist, so he had no patience for impractical notions. If he could use a gun, he would not use a bow and arrow. If he could use a cannon, he would not use a catapult. If he had an ironclad ship, he would not use a wooden sailboat. It was that simple.

To him, an inanimate object was just that—a lifeless thing. Why all the sentiment?

So, in Qi Xuansu’s view, measuring weapons in Taiping coins was more straightforward.

Qi Xuansu held the cutlass in his uninjured left hand, infusing it with innate qi, causing flames to ignite along the blade. He was accustomed to using two cutlasses, so wielding the cutlass with his left hand posed no issue.

Lu Hu shook the long sword in his hand and said, “Make your move.”

Qi Xuansu wasted no time, sweeping forward with a slash. The speed of the Dayan Spirit Blade Technique was truly astonishing. In the blink of an eye, the cutlass had already reached Lu Hu’s throat.

Lu Hu barely managed to block the strike, but his sword-wielding hand trembled slightly. Only then did he realize Qi Xuansu’s high level of cultivation.

Qi Xuansu followed up with several consecutive strikes, utterly elusive. Even Lu Hu could not fully track Qi Xuansu’s blade paths and could only rely on instinct to defend himself, rapidly parrying with over a dozen sword strikes, creating a series of continuous metallic clashing sounds.

Qi Xuansu’s strikes grew faster, fully unleashing the Dayan Spirit Blade Technique. Lu Hu could not tell where the cutlass would attack and had no choice but to retreat, temporarily avoiding the blade.

However, Qi Xuansu’s moves were extremely rapid. As Lu Hu leaped backward, the cutlass was already pointed at him, enveloping all directions around him and leaving him with no room to dodge.

Seeing Qi Xuansu’s strikes growing increasingly fierce, Lu Hu could only put his full effort into wielding his long sword, defending his entire body.

Suddenly, Qi Xuansu’s single cutlass swept across, drawing an arc and coming to rest on the spine of Lu Hu’s long sword. The force transmitted through, causing the long sword to dip downward.

Lu Hu twisted his wrist and flipped the sword, the sword qi fluctuating as he thrust toward Qi Xuansu’s cutlass-wielding arm.

Qi Xuansu drew his cutlass back in a circular motion. The moment his blade met the sword, the two men flew backward.

However, Qi Xuansu advanced again, his cutlass thrusting forward, constantly vibrating. Mid-thrust, the blade suddenly moved upward, then downward, and then left and right, ever-changing and seemingly illusory.

Lu Hu responded to the change with constancy, swinging his sword straight down from above. This was not a Taiping Sect sword technique but rather a Confucian sword technique, known for its grandeur and strict formality.

Though this move appeared unremarkable, it was precise and flawless, cutting swiftly from above with a momentum capable of splitting mountains and rocks, fully showcasing the strengths of Confucian swordsmanship.

The sword and flaming blade met again, but Qi Xuansu did not gain the upper hand. He had to rely on the advantages of the Dayan Spirit Blade Technique to continue skirmishing.

The Confucian sword qi formed an airtight defense, leaving no flaws and making it perfect for prolonged battles. Although Qi Xuansu’s attacks were fierce, Lu Hu did not show any signs of defeat for the time being.

After over a hundred moves, Qi Xuansu suddenly struck out with his mostly healed right palm, using the Wind Thunder Fist from the Tantai Fist Intention. It was fast and fierce, enveloping all of Lu Hu’s vital points. If Lu Hu dodged, he would immediately be wounded by the cutlass.

Lu Hu spun his long sword, slashing horizontally at Qi Xuansu’s waist. Qi Xuansu held his cutlass vertically to block the attack, then channeled innate qi into his left palm, striking down on Lu Hu’s back. This downward strike left Lu Hu with no room to dodge, so he had no choice but to turn his left palm back to protect himself.

Their palms collided.

Qi Xuansu’s palm strike carried both innate qi and fist intention. Even Lu Niu, a Martial Arts Practitioner, could not withstand it. Lu Hu was immediately sent flying backward.

However, Qi Xuansu also felt a sharp pain in his palm, which was injured by Lu Hu’s Wanhua Divine Sword Palm.

Qi Xuansu remained unfazed as he darted forward and violently slashed down. Lu Hu hastily raised his sword to block the strike, but the force upon impact knocked it out of his grasp.

However, Lu Hu did not concede. The moment he shook his wide sleeves, mist swirled around, with faint sword light flickering wherever his sleeves moved. The sound of metal clashing seemed endless.

This time, Lu Hu used an authentic Taiping Sect sword technique called the Dragon Sword Technique. However, it was not strictly necessary to use a sword with this technique.

Qi Xuansu had seen Su Ran use this sword technique before, so he was not flustered. He actively advanced, dispersing the sword qi from Lu Hu’s wide sleeves.

Lu Hu used the Dragon Sword Technique more rapidly. Everything within a 15-meter radius of him was filled with sword light.

Qi Xuansu simply took on a defensive position, not moving an inch no matter how intense the sword light became. He looked as immovable as a mountain.

At this moment, Lu Hu suddenly closed in on Qi Xuansu, attacking barehanded. His sleeves swung with an extremely fierce force. His movements were erratic, like a ghost. His strikes were unbelievably strange and fast, embodying the essence of the Dragon Sword Technique.

For a moment, Qi Xuansu could only defend himself and forgo the offense, seemingly falling into a disadvantage.

The Dragon Sword Technique had eighteen layers and eighteen forms. Although it could change endlessly through different combinations, it would eventually run out. As soon as a move was repeated, it would lose the element of surprise.

Lu Hu had just used up the eighteen variations of the Dragon Sword Technique, so Qi Xuansu immediately began to counterattack, sweeping out horizontally with his cutlass.

Having no other choice, Lu Hu had to retreat and block the attack with his hand.

Earlier, Lu Hu lost grip of his long sword, so the tip of his sword was stuck in the ground. Now, under the force of Lu Hu’s innate qi, the long sword pulled itself out of the ground and flew to Lu Hu’s hand.

After grasping his sword, Lu Hu stopped his retreat and met Qi Xuansu’s cutlass.

The clashes grew louder as Lu Hu’s sword strikes became fiercer and more ruthless. He created an overwhelming sword qi with his innate qi. The cold light rippled, sword qi filled the air, and the onlookers felt a bone-piercing cold, as if they were trapped in a raging snowstorm.

Qi Xuansu focused on his defense, creating an airtight shield one meter in front of him. Thus, no matter how fierce Lu Hu's attacks were, they were all in vain.

The cutlass and sword clashed, and countless sparks of sword qis shot out in all directions, creating dimples in the hard ground. Even the lanterns hanging in the distance were extinguished one by one.

However, in doing so, Lu Hu’s innate qi was also rapidly depleted. Soon, he could no longer sustain his attack, and his moves gradually became sluggish.

Seeing this, Qi Xuansu stopped focusing on his defense. He deliberately left an opening to trick Lu Hu into attacking him. Lu Hu fell for it, thrusting his long sword straight at Qi Xuansu’s chest.

By this time, Lu Hu’s momentum was far from what it had been before, somewhat like a spent force. This gave Qi Xuansu an opportunity.

Qi Xuansu suddenly reached out with his right hand to grab the blade of his opponent’s, while his left hand brought the cutlass down toward Lu Hu’s right arm.

Lu Hu wanted to use his strength to retract his sword. However, Qi Xuansu had a vice-like grip on the blade. Though Qi Xuansu’s blood flowed profusely, his fingers still grasped the blade tightly, not budging an inch.

Faced with this situation, Lu Hu had no other choice but to release the hilt of his sword. However, as someone who prided himself on his dedication to his beloved sword, he hesitated at this critical moment.

In that split second, Lu Hu’s arm was severed at the shoulder. Though his severed arm was separated from his body, his five fingers still held the long sword tightly.

Lu Hu’s face turned pale as he bent down to pick up his severed arm. He no longer had the strength to continue fighting.

Qi Xuansu sheathed his cutlass and cupped his fists. “Good fight.”

Li Qingnu grinned, deliberately adding fuel to the fire. “Third Brother, you’re amazing!”

Qi Xuansu could not be bothered with Li Qingnu’s petty attempts to stir trouble. He held up two fingers toward Lu Yunfeng. “Young Master Lu, if you don’t leave now, that’s 2,000 Taiping coins. That’s not a small amount.”

Lu Yunfeng’s face turned ashen.