With a sword drawn, he laughs proudly, his martial prowess dominating the heavens!

Chapter 19 Skill Competition Among Fellow Disciples

"Senior Brother Li, well... I'll be going now."

Yue Lingshan slowly put the empty bowls and plates into the lunchbox, said she was leaving, and didn't get up for a long time.

After a moment, the rosy glow that had faded returned to her face. She lowered her head, her voice trembling slightly, "I...I won't tell my parents."

"Yes, they're all superficial injuries, so as not to worry Master and Mistress."

Before he could finish speaking, Yue Lingshan looked up and glared at him angrily, saying in a huff, "Practicing martial arts, practicing martial arts, you're as stiff as a log!"

After saying that, he stomped his foot and ran quickly out of the cave.

Li Che secretly pursed his lips, muttering insincerely, "It wasn't intentional, that brat is so stingy..."

I woke up with a start from my dream. I had just finished dinner and was no longer sleepy, so I simply sat up and sat cross-legged to meditate.

After practicing the Purple Cloud Divine Skill for more than half a month, he gradually discovered its extraordinary nature.

His internal energy was deep and profound, even having the effect of nourishing the body. No wonder Old Yue, who was nearly sixty years old, had a ruddy complexion and did not look old. He looked no older than Ning Zhongze.

In an instant, his mind returned to his Niwan point, and after a few breaths, he entered a meditative state.

With a calm and clear mind, and a heart as still as water, Li Che had become quite adept at it over the past three years and didn't find it particularly remarkable.

If others knew, they would be stunned with fear and drool with envy—like Lao Yue.

Yue Lingshan skipped and hopped down the Cliff of Contemplation, carrying an empty basket, her steps becoming increasingly light.

Looking back several times, seeing the cliff edge empty, he snorted a few more times in annoyance.

She lightly bit her lip with her pearly teeth, as if the warmth still lingered. In an instant, her face flushed red with embarrassment, her head felt dizzy, and even the path in front of her seemed a little blurry.

They walked around the protruding rocks, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, towards Jade Maiden Peak, but did not notice the half-figure emerging from behind the large cedar tree on the low slope to their left.

Linghu Chong opened his mouth, but swallowed the word "small" back down.

His gaze followed Yue Lingshan's back until it was blocked by the trees, and he could no longer see even a glimpse of her clothes before he looked away.

The person who should have been the most familiar now seemed somewhat unfamiliar, just like the hazy path in Yue Lingshan's eyes just now, and so did he.

These days, Linghu Chong has been thinking things over. He himself hasn't changed, but many people around him have.

My junior sister has become distant, and my master is not as strict with me as before. Although my master's wife still treats me very well, I always feel that something is missing compared to before.

The fellow disciples became even more diligent, especially the eighth junior brother Ying Bailuo, who was the most dedicated to practicing.

He tightened his grip on the long sword, turned his head to look in the direction of the Cliff of Contemplation, pondered for a moment, and then walked up the cliff.

Li Che, who was meditating, trembled slightly and slowly opened his eyes, but the sunlight streaming into the stone cave was blocked by a figure.

"Senior Brother? Master wants to see me?"

Linghu Chong forced a smile, "Not Master, Junior Brother Li..."

He paused before finishing his sentence, then frowned and asked, "Junior Brother Li, how did you get injured? Are you alright? Does Master and Mistress know? Have some villains attacked?"

Linghu Chong spoke from the heart, which warmed Li Che's heart. He had no choice but to repeat what he had said to Yue Lingshan.

Linghu Chong looked suspicious, clearly not believing it.

A martial arts practitioner slipped and fell in the stream?!

But seeing that he was unwilling to explain, I didn't press him further.

After a moment's hesitation, Linghu Chong said, "In that case, Junior Brother Li, please take good care of your injuries. I will come again another day."

"Senior Brother!" Li Che stood up and called out to him, then glanced at the longsword in his hand and smiled, "Senior Brother, would you like to spar with me?"

"good!"

"Why wait until another day? It's been a long time since I sparred with my senior brother, and I'm just about to!"

Seeing that he was covered in dust and had injuries on his face, Linghu Chong frowned and said, "You're not feeling well, which makes it seem like I'm taking advantage of you."

"It's just fellow disciples sparring, not a fight to the death, so what's the big deal? Come on!"

"good!"

The two men stood facing each other on the platform in front of the cave at the Cliff of Contemplation.

Li Che raised an eyebrow slightly, glancing subconsciously at the mountain peak, and thought to himself, "That stubborn old man really has boundless energy!"

Looking at Linghu Chong again, his thoughts raced. This wasn't the first time the two of them had sparred.

When Li Che first entered the martial arts school three years ago, it was Linghu Chong who taught him swordsmanship.

At first, Li Che couldn't withstand one move, but after half a year, he could withstand five moves, and by the following year, he had been able to withstand thirty moves without being defeated.

Later, when Yue Buqun personally taught him martial arts, they rarely sparred.

The most recent time was four months ago during the inner sect examination. The two used the same techniques, their inner strength was evenly matched, and they fought for nearly a hundred moves without a clear winner. In the end, it was only when their master's wife called a halt that the fight ended.

I still remember that after the sparring session that day, my senior brother Linghu Chong was very happy and invited me down the mountain for drinks several times, saying that it was to celebrate that the Huashan Sect had a successor.

Judging solely from his magnanimity, Li Che greatly admired him.

This time, he took the initiative to challenge him. Considering his junior sister's strange behavior earlier, Li Che had already guessed seven or eight parts of the reason.

"Junior brother, please!"

"please!"

"Zzzzt—!"

The tiger roars and the wind rises; the dragon soars and the clouds gather.

Linghu Chong knew that Li Che's strength was not to be underestimated, so he immediately used the "Tiger's Roar and Wind" move of the Gale Sword.

With sword in hand, it cuts through the air like a roar.

Linghu Chong sprang to his feet, his sword flashing, and with a single thrust, seven sword shadows appeared.

Li Che's eyes narrowed slightly. This sword move was of the same origin as the Huashan sword technique, but it was neither taught by his master nor a move carved on a stone wall. Where did he learn it from?!

Li Che subconsciously thought of Feng Qingyang, but he had already mastered the Dugu Nine Swords. Could it be that the old man Feng was extremely bored and was giving Linghu Chong a private lesson?

But he had no time to think. He immediately channeled his energy into his dantian, flipped his wrist and held the longsword upside down, thrusting it straight forward from the center, the tip of the sword trembling incessantly.

The sword, halfway through its flight, suddenly changed direction, turning to slash diagonally, seemingly there yet nowhere, its movements unpredictable and ever-changing.

It was the "Hidden Green Mountains" move from the Huashan Swordplay.

However, this move changed in Li Che's hands. The energy surged through the sword, lowering it by three points. Regardless of whether there were seven or seventy sword shadows, it was a move that charged forward with lightning speed. The next move arrived first, carving out a path through the dense sword shadows.

Linghu Chong's heart skipped a beat. Originally, the Gale Sword was full of killing intent, but in a sparring match with his fellow disciples, he held back three-tenths of his strength.

It was precisely this slight reduction in force that gave him the opportunity to change his tactics halfway through, and this moment of compassion actually helped him avoid defeat in a single move.

Feng Qingyang, hidden on the mountaintop, stroked his beard with a smile, thinking to himself, "This brat truly has exceptional talent; my guidance last night was not in vain."

Just by the fact that he didn't use the ancient cypress trees as a defensive stance, one could tell that the brat had already mastered the essence of the Dugu Nine Swords.

He then looked at Linghu Chong, thinking, "This kid's swordsmanship is quite reminiscent of the Huashan Sword Sect? It certainly wasn't taught by that kid surnamed Yue. Could it be that it was taught by a successor of the Sword Sect?!"

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged thirty or forty blows.

Linghu Chong wielded his sword swiftly, his movements flowing like ink. Although Li Che used the Huashan sword technique, every move he made was driven by his heart, and his changes in technique became faster and faster.

Even a single sword move can be used in only one variation, and then instantly transformed into a second move.

Although he benefited greatly from sparring with Feng Qingyang last night, he was mostly on the receiving end of beatings. Now, however, he was handling Linghu Chong with ease. He even wondered, "Could it be that my senior brother saw I was bored on the mountain and came to train me on purpose? What a kind person!"

Therefore, even if he could win quickly, Li Che was not in a hurry.

Two quarters of an hour later, Linghu Chong had used nearly seventy variations, his moves like a sudden rainstorm, his sword swings like thunder and lightning.

Li Che countered and deflected each other's moves, engaging in a thoroughly enjoyable battle.

Just then, someone shouted, "Senior Brother, Senior Brother Li, why are you fighting?!"

......