A carefree soldier king in the city

Chapter 161 A small test of one’s skills

"Let's see how many swords you can absorb, go!" The sword above his head remained still, but countless sword intents scattered into small swords that rushed out, shooting straight towards the heavens with meteor streaks.

She infiltrated the circle that Chao Bufan's divine sense could reach. The water-like emblem rippled slightly, though very slightly, but Chao Bufan still sensed the abnormality, and his sword intent faltered for a moment.

In the blink of an eye, a drop of water was added, and the array suddenly erupted with intense killing intent, its fury clearly visible. Not only did it accelerate its devouring of the starry sky, but a blizzard also arose, and ice shards retaliated, directly matching the meteor sword mark. The icy backlash was extremely fast, mixing with the blizzard's ferocity to form a thick river, directly pushing the sword intent star mark back against its current.

Above the starry sky, two torrents were locked in a stalemate, each displaying its unique skills.

With his doubts vanished, Chao Bufan was no longer worried. He fully unleashed the power of his inner energy to launch a counterattack, weakening his defensive stance and releasing the essence of Tai Chi without reservation. Black and white energies flowed into his sword intent; the power didn't increase, but the meaning deepened.

The fierce desire to compete weakened slightly; it merely held its ground steadily, showing no sign of rebellion. It appeared weak, very weak, letting the blizzard advance as it pleased. The relentless advance gradually overwhelmed the sword intent, but no matter what, it could not be dispersed. After charging for more than ten feet, its unstoppable ferocity began to wane, clearly showing signs of exhaustion.

The weakest element in the sky is the wind; it will change direction when it encounters a thin sheet of paper, and it will bend over to pass through even the smallest gap. But when its accumulated power becomes a hurricane, it uproots trees and topples houses, and is indestructible. From adversity comes prosperity, from weakness to strength.

"Reversal is the movement of the Tao, weakness is the function of the Tao. All things under heaven are born from existence, and existence is born from non-existence." A few inexplicable maxims suddenly popped into Chao Bufan's mind. He focused on the universe, his sword intent flowing endlessly. "Be as weak as a valley, do not show any strength, steadily maintain weakness, be both soft and strong, guard the way of weakness, so that the power will not be exhausted, and will not be made to become strong, thus it will be endless."

It didn't seem like a confrontation at all. Instead, Fairy Lily guided Chao Bufan step by step to comprehend his insights with ease, and her every move was shrouded in mystery. It was impossible to know what she was thinking.

Chao Bufan calmly regulated his breathing, touching upon another level of understanding. He even forgot his offense, continued his cultivation, maintained the status quo, and had no intention of overstepping his bounds.

Just then, the true form of Fairy Lily silently appeared, took a step to the side in the void, her fingers danced like flowers, one fair hand reached for the sword, and the other hand released icy energy, which wrapped around the sword above her head like silk threads, establishing a formidable barrier.

The sword trembled violently, utterly repulsed by the chilling aura. Its sword energy surged, accompanied by resounding dragon roars. An enraged ice dragon, its head coalescing into a dragon's head, roared repeatedly at her. The dragon's breath, fueled by the icy energy, grew even more righteous, snapping several of the binding ice threads. As a dragon soul, how could it endure such humiliation? It retaliated with even more arrogant dragon breath, spewing forth mouthfuls of icy flames. Its ice dragon body remained completely unaffected, truly a realm of both ice and fire.

Even as Chao Bufan wandered through the void, he sensed the approaching enemy. His body reacted involuntarily, his palms transforming into swords, his true energy flowing, and he unleashed palm strikes that, amidst the surrounding ice and snow, transformed into ice blades. Aiming at her shoulders and abdomen, the weapons, instead of dissolving upon encountering the dragon's breath, merged with it, their power instantly increasing.

She reacted even faster, sensing the danger, she withdrew her hand with one hand, her wrist contorting as she drew a talisman. Her five fingers were incredibly nimble, their movements perfectly coordinated. In the blink of an eye, she masterfully sketched countless lines, completing the task in one fluid motion. Finally, her index finger slowly fell, and the scattered talismans suddenly came to life, shimmering with light, forming a perfect defensive aura. She then smoothly erected several more ice walls, ensuring complete security. With her hand behind her back, she defended herself with a single hand, her movements light and graceful, her clothes fluttering—indescribably captivating. Her stance in seizing the sword remained unchanged, her imposing presence, like a whirlwind, commanding the entire arena, intimidating even the most powerful dragon.

The ice blade struck the ice wall, snapping shut with a crack, sparks flying, and hissing ice flowers falling. Caught between a rock and a hard place, the dragon's breath relentlessly eroded the ice wall, while the reverse force propelled the ice blade forward.

With several clangs, the ice wall was riddled with flying ice blades, but none of them penetrated it. The dense pits were almost connected, yet the ice wall did not collapse.

The two fought several times, with neither gaining the upper hand; they were evenly matched.

The silver longsword supported the extraordinary defensive formation while resisting the invasion of the icy aura, increasing the pressure. At first, Lin Jingyu had a slight advantage due to his exquisite technique, but after a few rounds, signs of defeat appeared.

Struggling to hold on, his mind was in disarray, the chaotic and disordered Yi Hai shattered, his spiritual journey through the void came to an abrupt end, cold sweat seeped from his forehead, his face turned bright red, and even the tip of his warm nose was dripping with sweat.

At the critical moment, Chao Bufan cursed under his breath, hardening his resolve. He withdrew his defensive stance, allowing the icy aura to ravage him. He concentrated the little true essence he had left, frantically drawing upon the power accumulated in his dantian, gathering his divine sense, and shutting himself in. The ice blades were forged even faster. Under these circumstances, dozens more blade beams flew out, more than twice as fast as before, spontaneously emitting smoke, with faint sparks visible.

With a deafening roar, the ice wall shattered as dozens of ice blades flew towards her. The flying blades circled around her, yet still couldn't get close. Their powerful momentum met her head but became weak and feeble, not only losing all accuracy but also being subdued by her. Her control over ice and snow was terrifying.

With the last vestige of clarity in his divine sense, he shouted, "Ten Thousand Swords Return to Their Origin, Collect!"

Swoosh... Swoosh... Streams of sword energy flowed back, scattered and broken, responding swiftly to the command. The silver longsword gained new power, and the weakened dragon roar rose again. Lin Jingyu's complexion improved, regaining some color, no longer as frightening as before.

The longsword circled once, held horizontally in front of his chest, awaiting its master's summons.

He had no idea what kind of sword it was that possessed such power. He had taken a liking to this longsword at first sight when he was on the pirate ship. Most of the other weapons were rusty, but this one shone brightly. Today, after testing it out, he was quite impressed.

He opened his eyes, facing the challenge head-on. With his sword in hand, he was fearless. His brows furrowed in anger, his spirit soaring, he unleashed his full power, feeling utterly exhilarated. He swore to the heavens that this was the first time in his life he had ever fought so satisfyingly.

Dressed in white, one hand behind her back, the other holding a jade flute, her toes lightly rising, her long, slender legs showcasing her stunning figure. Her face was naturally beautiful, and at first glance, she bore a striking resemblance to Bai Ling, as if they were carved from the same mold. Upon closer inspection, not only were their appearances remarkably similar, but their very auras were identical, making them seem like twin sisters. Every smile and gesture was elegant, pure and immaculate, beyond reproach. No matter how hard one tried, it was impossible to deny.