Chapter 101: The Second Move!

"Xiao Xu." Gazing at the dust-covered center, Gai Nie's expression suddenly darkened.

"Big Brother Xu, he’s going to be alright, right…" Tian Ming anxiously asked from the side.

After a long moment, the dust slowly settled, and faint sounds finally emerged from its midst.

*“Cough, cough… damn, I nearly choked. Breathing in too much dust isn’t good…”*

Gradually, a figure appeared—a disheveled man, grimy from head to toe, yet his eyes shone with extraordinary clarity. It was Sikong Xu! He had taken the first strike from Wei Zhuang!

“Well, well, he actually managed to block it!” Bai Feng and the others behind Wei Zhuang exclaimed in surprise. Wei Zhuang’s earlier sword energy attack had been truly terrifying; even they weren’t sure they could withstand it head-on, usually relying on agility to dodge.

Originally, Bai Feng harbored some resentment. This kid had launched a sneaky attack when he was fighting Gai Nie and lost, causing Bai Feng to suffer a moderate sword wound. He had intended to settle the score with Sikong Xu, but unexpectedly, the kid had made a three-move challenge to Wei Zhuang—and had even blocked Wei Zhuang’s first strike!

“Heh heh, two more moves to go!” Sikong Xu grinned mischievously at Wei Zhuang, his eyes bright and sharp, betraying no sign of injury.

In truth, although Sikong Xu had firmly blocked Wei Zhuang’s sword energy, the immense force behind it had caused severe internal damage, nearly killing him. Fortunately, he possessed the ability called “Giant Regeneration (Pseudo),” and had also purchased a “Red Potion” for 100 credit points from the academy.

The 100-credit “Red Potion” was truly formidable. It could heal wounds quickly, and although its effect wasn’t overwhelming, combined with his “Giant Regeneration (Pseudo),” Sikong Xu’s injuries were mostly healed within minutes. Even his right hand was beginning to move slightly.

“Looks like I need to stock up on more of these…”

Before embarking on his training mission, Sikong Xu had bought three “Red Potions.” When Gai Nie was injured by the Qin soldiers, he gave him one. Now, having just used another, only one remained.

Even the “Blue Potion,” bought alongside the “Red Potion” to restore energy, had been used to replenish his depleted true qi.

“Two more moves—don’t go back on your word!” Sikong Xu teased Wei Zhuang with a half-mocking look that seemed to say, “Come on, hit me!”

Seeing Sikong Xu so lively, Wei Zhuang’s expression shifted slightly. He hadn’t expected the kid to withstand his full-powered sword energy blast.

No wonder he was the senior brother’s disciple…

Wei Zhuang didn’t hasten to strike but rather regarded Sikong Xu with keen interest. He realized that mere sword energy wouldn’t likely subdue this fellow; it was time to test his swordsmanship.

“This second move will be a normal sword technique,” Wei Zhuang said calmly, “but only if you can hold out for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.”

Perhaps even he didn’t notice the subtle change in his own mindset.

“Normal sword technique? Without using true qi or internal energy?” Sikong Xu’s eyes sparkled suddenly.

This was a great proposal! The biggest gap between himself and masters like Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang was their internal energy. Even a casual sword energy wave from them required him to expend all his true qi to resist, which was a disadvantage.

If neither side used internal energy… hehe! He wasn’t called the “Limitless Martial Artist” for nothing!

In pure technique battles, Sikong Xu was confident no one could surpass him.

“Alright, whatever you say.” Sikong Xu smiled broadly at Wei Zhuang. A cup of tea meant about ten minutes—not bad at all.

He didn’t hide his joy. After all, with so many witnesses, there was no fear of Wei Zhuang backing out.

No sooner had Sikong Xu finished speaking than Wei Zhuang closed his eyes, then snapped them open sharply!

*Clang—*

The Shark’s Tooth sword flashed from its sheath, and in the blink of an eye, Wei Zhuang was standing before Sikong Xu!

The cold, razor-sharp blade swung fiercely. Even as a simple strike without sword energy or internal force, it caused sharp pain to Sikong Xu’s cheek—that was sword momentum.

Sword momentum is unrelated to internal energy or true qi; it’s the aura carried by the swordsman himself. A remarkable swordsman must possess a unique sword momentum.

For example, Gai Nie’s sword momentum was extraordinarily simple and natural, while Wei Zhuang’s was bold and domineering!

As for Sikong Xu… he had none yet.

*Clang!*

Wei Zhuang’s imposing sword momentum caused Sikong Xu to momentarily lose focus, but he quickly raised his Interpreter sword to clash directly with the Shark’s Tooth.

The Shark’s Tooth was uniquely constructed and wielded in an unusual manner, famed as the bane of many renowned swords. The Interpreter was merely a high-level weapon from the virtual world “Sword Art Online.” Comparing the two, the Shark’s Tooth held a slight edge.

However, this barely affected Sikong Xu—he only needed a weapon tough enough not to break against the Shark’s Tooth.

After absorbing Wei Zhuang’s heavy strike, Sikong Xu felt as if he had been hit by a giant hammer rather than a sword.

“Ha!” Pushing the Shark’s Tooth aside, Sikong Xu shouted, spinning his body. Using his waist and abdomen strength, he executed a swift Thomas spin!

“Hmph!” Wei Zhuang didn’t attempt to block Sikong Xu’s “Thomas Spin Slash” directly. Though arrogant and cold, his mind was as cautious as Gai Nie’s. Having never seen this move before, he instinctively chose to dodge to avoid risk.

Seeing Wei Zhuang evade, Sikong Xu’s heart leapt with joy and he immediately launched another strike, determined to keep the pressure on.

*Clang—clang—clang!*

After several slashes and upward strikes, Sikong Xu sensed something was amiss—the opponent’s strength far exceeded his own. Normally, Wei Zhuang wouldn’t be so passive unless deliberately exhausting his energy.

“Hmph! Witness my Heaven-Splitting Crescent Slash!” Sikong Xu roared, stepping forward fiercely as his Interpreter sword descended with overwhelming momentum.

Wei Zhuang’s expression remained impassive in the face of Sikong Xu’s “Heaven-Splitting Crescent Slash,” neither revealing whether he saw through the bluff nor showing confidence.

Then, in the next moment, Sikong Xu would learn the truth.

The Cross-World Slash—

Wei Zhuang took a long stride forward, wielding the Shark’s Tooth to meet Sikong Xu’s strike head-on. A simple crescent slash was unleashed.

No matter how one viewed it, Wei Zhuang’s move was just an ordinary crescent slash, less imposing than Sikong Xu’s attack. Yet suddenly, Sikong Xu’s heart pounded frantically.

It seemed it was time to use his final trump card—

Rainbow Piercing Sun—