Free Web NovelChapter 175: Chapter 174: Audacious
Zhao Xia’s eyes were fixed on Wen Qingye as he walked up, step by step. Her heart, once as calm as still water, began to pound madly, and her breath grew ragged.
Wen Qingye spotted the three Zhao siblings and Wu Jing at a glance. He spoke bluntly, "You’re all from Celestial Academy, aren’t you?"
"That’s right. You must be Wen Qingye," Zhu Shaoyou said, looking at him.
"I am," Wen Qingye said with a nod.
Under the stares of the Celestial Academy students, his expression remained utterly unchanged. With his hands clasped behind his back, everyone watched his figure, feeling that it seemed to loom large. Even compared to the combined might of the Celestial Academy contingent, he was no less imposing.
At that moment, Wu Jing slowly stepped forward. "Wen Qingye, it’s been a while. It seems you’ve learned to turn shame into strength..." frёewebnoѵēl.com
Wen Qingye cut her off directly, taking a step forward as he retorted, "What is shame? And what is strength?"
Wen Qingye’s words were resonant and powerful. His eyes, fixed on Wu Jing, glinted with a cold light from beneath his sword-like brows.
Wu Jing was taken aback for a moment before composing herself. "What is shame, and what is strength? I think you understand that perfectly well yourself. There’s no need for me to elaborate, is there?"
"Hahahahaha..."
Wen Qingye couldn’t help but laugh aloud. "Is it shameful to have not entered Purple Sun Prefecture or Celestial Academy? And is it strength to possess the power to overwhelm both Celestial Academy and Purple Sun Prefecture?"
Dominant!
Arrogant!
The meaning behind Wen Qingye’s words was clear. Everyone who heard him was stunned, not expecting him to say such a thing.
At this, Nie Shuang couldn’t help but step forward and say coldly, "You claim to overwhelm Celestial Academy? I advise you to take back those words. Don’t be so arrogant."
"Speak. What is it you want today? I, Wen Qingye, will see this through to the end."
Wen Qingye’s words were few, his expression as placid and undisturbed as an old well. ’These people have the air of being mercilessly in the right. They’ve traveled a thousand miles to challenge me, all to boost their own reputations.’ Wen Qingye certainly wasn’t going to be polite with them.
Besides, Wen Qingye had received many favors from Qig Mountain Academy, and he would not forget that.
Zhu Shaoyou licked his lips and said, "Heh heh, if you’re going to fight me, you’d better be prepared. I don’t tend to hold back."
Wen Qingye didn’t say a word, simply walking to stand directly opposite Zhu Shaoyou.
The gusting wind whipped at the corners of his robes. Wen Qingye smiled faintly. "What a coincidence. Neither do I."
The two clashed with their words, neither giving an inch. Everyone could see the sparks beginning to fly.
Seeing Wen Qingye’s response, Zhu Shaoyou couldn’t help but nod. He was just about to make his move when a figure walked to his side. A sword was placed horizontally in front of him as the person said coldly, "I’ll take this match!"
Zhu Shaoyou frowned, looking at Zhao Hao before him. After a moment’s thought, he nodded. Zhu Shaoyou wasn’t blindly arrogant; as the top expert of Qig Mountain Academy, Wen Qingye’s true strength was unknown to him. Zhao Hao could serve as a perfect scout to gauge Wen Qingye’s abilities.
Zhao Hao looked at the man before him and smiled. "Brother Wen, long time no see."
"Long time no see," Wen Qingye replied, a faint smile touching his lips.
Wen Qingye could sense a sharpness from Zhao Hao; it seemed his Swordsmanship had improved significantly.
"I’ve always wanted to experience your Swordsmanship for myself. I was hoping you might let me have that chance today," Zhao Hao said, his tone filled with anticipation as he looked at Wen Qingye.
Zhao Hao was devoted to the Sword Dao. He had crossed swords with many experts at Celestial Academy, but in his mind, not a single one of them surpassed Wen Qingye.
To Zhao Hao, Wen Qingye’s Swordsmanship had always been an enigma, a supreme and untouchable art.
"Alright," Wen Qingye nodded.
The students of Celestial Academy were also curious. Just how skilled was the Swordsmanship of this Wen Qingye that Zhao Hao praised so highly?
Wu Jing chuckled softly. "Wen Qingye’s Swordsmanship might be impressive, but compared to Shu Nan’s Fast Sword, it’s still several tiers below. Perhaps Little Hao will defeat him outright."
The Celestial Academy students nodded in agreement. Zhao Hao was a genius in whom they placed great hope, and miracles were often wrought by the hands of geniuses.
Hearing Wu Jing’s words, a flash of smug satisfaction crossed Shu Nan’s eyes. "If there’s a chance later, perhaps I can teach Wen Qingye a thing or two about Swordsmanship."
His tone was laced with conceit, and his expression was haughty as he shot a glance at Wen Qingye in the distance.
The surrounding Celestial Academy students nodded upon hearing this, then turned their attention back to the two figures in the center.
Thousands of pairs of eyes were also locked on the two figures, their owners flushed with excitement, hearts pounding in their chests.
*SHIING!*
Zhao Hao drew his sword, his eyes fixed on Wen Qingye. He knew that if he didn’t strike first, he might not even get the chance to draw his blade against him.
But Zhao Hao still had his confidence. As a chosen prodigy of Celestial Academy, he had his own pride. Unbeknownst to even himself, a goal had taken root in his heart: to defeat Wen Qingye in Swordsmanship.
Perhaps he himself hadn’t even realized this thought was buried in his heart.
The moment Zhao Hao drew his sword, the crowd felt as if they were seeing not a man, but a blade standing before them—razor-sharp and glinting with a cold light.
’What a sharp sword. And what a handsome young man,’ the crowd couldn’t help but think.
"Not bad. The peak of the first level of the Human Sword Technique," Wen Qingye remarked with an approving nod.
"Brother Wen, please guide me."
With that, Zhao Hao strode forward. The sword in his hand moved with the utmost flexibility, its movements so intricate they were dazzling. The techniques of the blade had reached a level of sublime mastery in his hands.
’This boy’s Swordsmanship... is it even greater than mine?’ Zhang Hua was stunned when he saw Zhao Hao’s blade.
Generally speaking, Swordsmanship wasn’t like cultivation; it required comprehension and the accumulation of experience over time. For this young man’s Swordsmanship to have surpassed his own meant that his affinity for the sword was exceptionally high.
Zhao Hao’s sword slowly cut through the air, sending several cold glints of light sweeping toward the vital points all over Wen Qingye’s body. For a moment, everyone who saw his sword was aghast.
They couldn’t help but wonder: if they were Wen Qingye at this moment, how would they ever block such an attack?
*SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!*
The piercing, clear sound of the blade slicing through the air lingered, making everyone’s heart tremble.
Zhao Hao’s Step Technique was also incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, he was almost upon Wen Qingye. Yet, Wen Qingye’s expression remained unchanged, the sword in his hand still sheathed.
Everyone was baffled. Had Wen Qingye given up? Or did he have some other purpose?
In that split second, as fast as a spark from flint, Wen Qingye finally moved!
He was seen casually drawing a sword from his back and swinging it once! An unremarkable beam of sword-light swept through the air, leaving behind a stark white afterimage.
*CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!*
The crowd could only see a series of sparks flash in the air, accompanied by the grating sound of metal on metal. free𝑤ebnovel.com
When the sparks faded, Zhao Hao was standing there, completely still. A sword rested against his neck—and its master was none other than Wen Qingye.
