Chapter 491 - 238: Fighting Zhang Junyi

Chapter 491: Chapter 238: Fighting Zhang Junyi

Xie Yuan asked with a smile.

Zhang Junyi replied seriously,

"Then right now!"

The bamboo forest was tranquil. A gentle wind rustled through the leaves with a soft SHUSH.

Xie Yuan and Zhang Junyi stood opposite each other in the clearing.

Huie Jue stood to the side, eagerly acting as their witness.

"On one side, the true heir of the world’s number one Great Dao Sect! The closed-door disciple of a Grandmaster! A young Daoist of stunning talent!"

"And on the other, an exceptionally gifted Loose Cultivator! The imperial court’s most-wanted fugitive! The genius swordsman of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect! The scourge of Jiangnan’s great families! A young expert capable of threatening a Grandmaster! A man of great fortune who has conquered ancient ruins time and again—huh, how can one person have so many titles? Where did this guy even come from?"

"Let us watch this clash of titans, this battle of chosen champions! Who will emerge victorious? Allow this humble monk to narrate the tale..."

Huie Jue’s incessant chattering distracted the two combatants, who both snapped at him in unison,

"Monk, shut up!"

"Alright."

Huie Jue sighed and said with feigned resignation,

"To find out what happens next, you’ll have to wait for the next installment."

With the monk’s interference gone, Xie Yuan and Zhang Junyi fell silent, their gazes locked on each other.

If they hadn’t already scheduled this duel after the business with the Yao family and before the Young Dragons’ Meet, Xie Yuan would have already been deep in the mountains, exploring ancient temples and Buddhist landmarks.

But this was Zhang Junyi’s first time down from the mountain. Though clad in Daoist robes, he had the spirit of a wandering hero, and he and Xie Yuan had found they were kindred spirits. He admired Xie Yuan’s abilities and had eagerly invited him to a friendly match.

As for Xie Yuan, his hands always itched when he met a strong opponent. He was delighted to find such a worthy friend. Faced with a true prodigy of his own generation, how could he resist the chance for a proper battle to test his skills?

The two had hit it off right away. Now that the matter in Jinling was settled, they finally had the time and had found a suitable place for their duel.

Xie Yuan looked at Zhang Junyi and cupped his hands in a salute.

"Daoist Zhang, after you!"

"Brother Xie, after you!"

Zhang Junyi returned the salute, then, without any further ceremony, drew the Peach Wood Sword from his back and slashed at Xie Yuan in one smooth motion.

Even from a great distance, cyan energy erupted from the Peach Wood Sword. It coalesced into a long dragon that roared, baring fangs and claws as it lunged at Xie Yuan.

Xie Yuan’s eyes flashed, and he cried out,

"A fine strike!"

His Long Sword shot from its scabbard, instantly filling the bamboo grove with a vast, white sword light, like a bank of mist descending upon the earth.

But the moment the white mist formed, a dazzling sword light blazed to life. A long, white dragon shot out from within it, meeting the oncoming Cyan Dragon head-on!

Cloud Dragon Extends its Head—an incredibly domineering move.

The two dragons clashed in a battle for supremacy. White light and cyan light collided, erupting in a two-toned halo. A fierce wind tore through the grove, bending the distant bamboo stalks so far back they looked as if they might snap at any moment.

Their Long Swords met. Neither man moved an inch. The first exchange was a perfect draw.

Xie Yuan and Zhang Junyi’s eyes were both filled with grim respect.

’Only by facing Zhang Junyi can you truly understand the sheer depth of the Xuanzhen Sect’s Profound Skill and the dominance of its swordsmanship,’ Xie Yuan thought. ’The Cyan Dragon Sword Qi feels as if it houses a real dragon’s soul. A single slash is enough to steal your breath, and its power is so ferocious and unstoppable that I can’t afford to underestimate it.’

Zhang Junyi was even more astonished. ’Xie Yuan’s Cultivation Technique is unusual and his combat strength is incredibly high, but in terms of pure cultivation, he should be much weaker than both me and Huie Jue. Yet after that direct clash, we’re perfectly matched. I don’t feel his internal power is the least bit inferior to my own!’

’These Cloud Dragon Nine Forms, combined with his profound internal power, are no less potent than the authentic techniques of my Xuanzhen Sect.’

Zhang Junyi’s eyes blazed with excitement. "Brother Xie, what fine skill! Now, face my next sword!"

He spun his Peach Wood Sword, and the cyan light flared once more as he thrust directly at Xie Yuan’s chest.

Xie Yuan’s eyes flickered. Amidst the shining light of his Long Sword, he suddenly dipped the tip, tapping a point three inches down the blade of the Peach Wood Sword. It was as if he had struck the Cyan Dragon’s neck, instantly stalling its momentum.

Seizing the opening, he slid his Long Sword forward like a bolt of lightning. The white light on his blade and the cyan energy on the Peach Wood Sword clashed countless times in an instant, creating a chain of explosive reports and showering the area with sparks.

Zhang Junyi’s expression was grim. Watching the Long Sword slice toward his wrist, he made his Peach Wood Sword tremble. The blade snapped up, flicking Xie Yuan’s Long Sword away. As his own sword tip rose, he seized the opportunity to stab at Xie Yuan’s throat.

CLANG! As if he had predicted it, Xie Yuan let his deflected Long Sword follow its momentum in a circle. His counter-attack, launched second, landed first. He struck a weak point in the energy surrounding the Peach Wood Sword, as if striking the head of the lunging Cyan Dragon and sending it crashing from the sky. The Peach Wood Sword plunged toward the ground.

He swept his Long Sword horizontally, aiming for Zhang Junyi’s throat. Zhang Junyi retreated a step as a brilliant cyan light flared before him, blocking Xie Yuan’s attack.

The manifestation of raw energy made Xie Yuan’s Long Sword feel as if it had struck an energy shield, slowing its advance. The next moment, the Peach Wood Sword shot back up from below. Instead of defending, it slashed toward Xie Yuan’s legs.

Zhang Junyi didn’t even flinch at Xie Yuan’s Long Sword before him, still intent on seizing the offensive!

Xie Yuan pushed off the ground and leaped into the air. He simultaneously retracted his Long Sword and brought it down with a BANG, suppressing the opportunistic strike from Zhang Junyi’s Peach Wood Sword. After landing steadily, his feet blurred as he evaded two more ferocious slashes. The profundity of his Cloud Dragon Step Body Technique was on full display—now you see him, now you don’t.

Zhang Junyi had finally gained the initiative. Unforgiving in his advantage, he slashed again, unleashing two streams of cyan Sword Qi.

The two streams of cyan light seemed ravenous as they lunged, but Xie Yuan deftly dodged them. They struck the ground, blasting two large craters in the clearing. Judging by their power, a direct hit would inflict serious injury, even on someone protected by the Golden Bell Shield.

After nimbly dodging several waves of Zhang Junyi’s Sword Qi, Xie Yuan showed off his exquisite Body Technique. Not to be outdone, he suddenly circled to the Daoist’s side, evading a thrust with hair’s-breadth precision. He then fully unleashed his Swordsmanship, which transformed into a dazzling display of layered clouds and mountain peaks, obscuring his true form like Mount Lu hidden in the mist.