The burly man had just raised his halberd but then scratched his head again.
"You said there's a reward of ten thousand taels if I win—is that true?"
Li Mo nodded, then added modestly with a smile, "No need to worry about that. Ten thousand taels of gold isn’t too difficult for me to produce."
"Good! That reward is as good as mine!"
The burly man’s face lit up with excitement.
He had also just stepped into the first aperture of the Observation Spirit realm. As a disciple of the Gangdou Sect, he practiced a slow-progressing body-refining technique, renowned for its formidable physical strength and combat prowess.
"I’ll take a look at his skills first."
Originally, he hadn’t paid much attention to disciples from provincial sects like the Qingyuan Sect.
But with a "jewel shining before him," he couldn’t help but focus on observing Li Mo’s techniques.
This arena had finally gotten back on track.
The martial artists and onlookers below also turned their attention to the match.
"In the illustrated scrolls, whenever Jiang Chen was in danger, it was always Liu Wuyan who came to his rescue."
"This kid’s got a decent look to him. Wonder how much skill he’s really got."
"Shouldn’t be a problem. Brother Li’s still holding a sword."
"What’s wrong with a swordsman holding a sword?"
"Buddy, you’ve clearly never been to the Blood Phoenix Secret Realm."
After the two on stage exchanged salutes, $2i Mo slowly unsheathed the Chixiao Sword. The tiny figure within his dantian glowed faintly, its divine patterns shimmering.
He only activated his own Intent Soul, holding back all other techniques.
A faint halo of light flickered around him.
With a flick of the Chixiao Sword, he thrust forward like a drunkard waving a stick—completely devoid of form, making many frown in disapproval.
For a guy with such a refined appearance, his swordsmanship was downright painful to watch.
If not for the fact that he wielded a divine weapon, this could hardly even be called swordplay.
Of course, that was just the opinion of some.
This was Hengyun Sword City, once a sacred land of sword arts.
There were plenty here with discerning eyes.
"If I were facing this sword..." Wu Chushu sensed something amiss and began to visualize himself in the situation.
"It carries a trace of the aura I sensed when observing the Shadow Pearl..."
Huang Donglai, with his unremarkable features, touched the pearl hidden in his robes, his eyes filled with doubt.
Zhong Zhenyue and the elders on the platform also narrowed their gaze.
Yet, none of their reactions compared to the sheer bewilderment of the burly man.
Right now, he was utterly lost.
Because that seemingly flawed, utterly ordinary thrust had one undeniable merit—it pointed directly at his weakness.
A weakness he hadn’t even known existed in his opening stance.
What was even stranger was that changing his stance didn’t help.
The moment he adjusted, the sword simply shifted to target his new flaw.
The burly man decided to stop hesitating. So what if there was a weakness?
He’d smash through with brute force!
With a twist of his halberd, he gathered his energy and thrust forward, carrying a fierce killing intent.
This was one of the Gangdou Sect’s advanced techniques, a move he had honed through thousands of repetitions.
Swift as thunder, it wasn’t overly complex—but its power was concentrated.
He had learned this from Tie Qi.
After returning from the Blood Phoenix Secret Realm, Big Brother Tie had not only restored his missing limbs but also reached new heights in martial arts. He claimed to have gained enlightenment from witnessing an incredibly powerful hammer technique.
And now, that enlightenment had been passed down to him.
The crowd couldn’t help but marvel—what a ferocious halberd technique!
"It carries a hint of the Thunderclap Polearm's momentum, blended with the weapon techniques of the Gangdou Sect. Not bad."
The youth's voice left him momentarily dazed.
The swordplay was even more incomprehensible.
The Scarlet Sky Sword moved like an antelope hooking its horns—utterly unpredictable—striking the halberd's weak point from an impossibly oblique angle.
In an instant, the heavy, relentless momentum faltered.
It was like dark clouds gathering for ages, thunder rumbling, yet no rain fell in the end.
As agreed, the bout ended with a mere touch, and Li Mo did not press the attack.
"You have seven flaws."
After steadying his breath, the burly man grew solemn, raising his weapon once more.
He, too, held back his strength, focusing solely on the martial exchange.
"Your halberd technique is fierce but lacks weight."
"True Thunderclap Polearm may appear swift, yet its essence lies in deliberate, heavy strikes."
Li Mo stood with his sword, casual and unhurried.
While executing his moves, he pointed out his opponent's shortcomings.
His swordplay remained formless, yet he wielded it with an effortless grace.
The spectators below were stunned.
This was no duel—it was a master's guidance.
Earlier, they had dismissed the youth's swordplay as crude, mistaking its simplicity for mediocrity. In truth, it embodied the principle of returning to the basics, its profundity lost on those with untrained eyes.
After all, the burly man's skill ranked mid-tier among the gathered experts at this summit.
Yet before Li Mo, he stood no chance.
"Brother Li... is... is incredible."
Jiang Chulong clutched her peach blossom branch, her heart racing.
The essence of his swordplay resonated with her, stirring a sense of kinship.
It reminded her of her teacher's guidance on the Wildgrass Sword Canon—different in form, yet similar in spirit...
Ying Bing gazed at the youth's sword-wielding figure, lost in thought.
She had long known of this swordplay.
What captivated her was the faintly familiar aura.
Why did his soul carry the essence of Lunar Yin?
Having spent days and nights together, she knew him well—except for the divine intent he had observed.
Could the system have ranked her below Li Mo because of that divine intent?
But that made it even stranger!
How could Li Mo perceive Lunar Yin?!
On the high platform.
"The Chess Sword Art of the Tianshan Sword Manor?"
"No, I've witnessed Chess Sword Art before. This is nothing like it."
"Is he walking the path of skill approaching the Dao?"
The white-haired elders of the Sword City did not slam the table this time—though they had already replaced the last one.
Beyond shock, their expressions were tinged with complexity.
To exhaust the principles of the sword path...
Every one of them had once been a prodigy, a dazzling talent who dominated their peers with the sword.
Yet the more gifted one was, the more despairing this path became.
The more one understood, the more one realized their own ignorance.
Though immortals were elusive, legends of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths had once been real.
But the path of skill approaching the Dao—no one had ever walked it to the end.
"What's going on with the Qingyuan Sect? Did their ancestors' graves catch fire?"
The spar—or rather, the guidance—on the stage was nearing its conclusion.
The burly man withdrew his halberd and bowed solemnly.
"My gratitude for your instruction. I've gained much!"
"A mere exchange. I benefited as well."
Li Mo smiled humbly, clasping his sword in return.
While guiding his opponent, he had also assimilated the man's techniques into his Nine Swords of Dugu, making them his own.
Hmm... this step also required insights into martial arts.
When accumulated to a certain extent, it becomes the moment to push beyond one's limits!
Who gains the most benefit? That’s hard to say.
True to his word, Li Mo took out a gold note.
"No, no, I’ve already received your guidance—how could I possibly..."
"What’s promised must be delivered. This amount is nothing."
The burly man studied the young man’s smile, his demeanor, and suddenly recalled his senior brother’s description of a certain figure.
Handsome and unrestrained, treating wealth as dirt, helping others without reservation...
"Could you be... from the Blood Phoenix Secret Realm—?"
"Shh. Right now, I’m just a swordsman."
"Eldest Brother, please accept my bow!"
Wu Chushu wiped the sweat from his brow.
His gaze then shifted to Bai Jinghong and Cao Mu.