Chapter 129: Lu Bichuan vs. Li Heng

Chapter 129: Chapter 129: Lu Bichuan vs. Li Heng

The moment Lu Shengming’s right hand fell, Lu Bichuan made the first move. With a light flick of his Black Leaf Blade, he kicked up a fierce gust of wind, bringing with it an illusion of swirling leaves.

There it is!

As Lu Bichuan began his attack, a wave of cheers erupted from the Gongtong City students.

This was Lu Bichuan’s strongest blade technique—the most formidable one they knew Lu Tongxue possessed.

Rumor had it that during the placement exams in Gongtong City, Lu Bichuan had used this very technique to single-handedly fight eight Tier One Soul Beasts!

And he had emerged completely unscathed—a top-tier achievement!

The students from Gongtong City had thought the battle might drag on for a while before Lu Bichuan would resort to this technique.

But they never expected him to take his opponent so seriously, unleashing his strongest technique from the very start.

’This blade technique isn’t bad. He has achieved a decent level of mastery!’ ℴℴ𝘮

Lu Shengming nodded as he watched Lu Bichuan’s opening stance, impressed.

’He’s already channeling elemental Soul Energy Skills. Judging from his physique and other aspects, it probably won’t take this Lu Bichuan more than a year to become a Soul Warrior.’

’Very impressive!’

’A talented and hardworking student, indeed.’

’But... what a shame...’

As this thought crossed his mind, Lu Shengming couldn’t help but sigh. After all, no matter how skilled Lu Bichuan was, no matter how close he was to becoming a Soul Warrior, his opponent... was already one.

The crowd was thoroughly impressed by Lu Bichuan’s crisp and decisive blade technique. At the same time, their gazes naturally shifted to the other side of the training ground.

Compared to Lu Bichuan’s fluid blade work, what kind of technique would Li Heng use?

The anticipation for Li Heng instantly soared. Everyone wanted to see what kind of Swordsmanship the legend who scored over 4000 points would use.

’It should be just as clean and decisive, like a fierce wind sweeping through leaves!’

Uh...

But the impossibly fluid Swordsmanship they had been anticipating never materialized. All they saw was Li Heng, standing perfectly still, longsword in hand.

He hadn’t just not moved—he hadn’t even shifted his stance!

On one side, Lu Tongxue’s Black Leaf Blade was a whirlwind of motion. On the other, Li Heng simply stood motionless, longsword in hand.

"What... what is this master... doing?"

"Countering action with inaction?"

"Or was he scared stiff by the blade work of Lu Tongxue?"

...

Li Heng remained rooted to the spot, completely still. Even his right hand, which held the longsword, hadn’t moved from its initial position.

At this point, the students from both Maple City and Gongtong City were thoroughly confused by Li Heng’s behavior.

The match had officially started, and his opponent had already launched his attack. What was he doing, looking so unprepared?

Besides the other students, Chen Bingjing and Qian Yun were also extremely curious about Li Heng’s inaction. They said nothing, however, merely fixing their eyes on the unfolding scene in the training area.

By now, shards of verdant green leaves had materialized around Lu Bichuan, dancing up and down in time with the rise and fall of his Black Leaf Blade.

Although Li Heng remained motionless, Lu Bichuan didn’t dare let his guard down.

Even if this was just a friendly spar, his opponent was the guy who’d scored over 4000 points. His true capabilities were a complete mystery.

In a fight like this, victory and defeat were often decided in a single exchange.

That was why Lu Bichuan had no intention of holding back or being overconfident. He was opening with his strongest move!

’Li Heng! Don’t blame me for being ruthless. This... is how I show my respect!’

Lu Bichuan resolved in his heart that whether Li Heng moved or not, and regardless of any tricks he might have, he would give this fight his all.

’Besides, with Lu Shengming as the referee, my blade technique shouldn’t inflict a fatal wound. Even if I do land a clean hit, there are ways to heal it!’

Therefore, Lu Bichuan attacked without hesitation, using his strongest technique to date—the very one he hoped would propel him into the Soul Warrior realm!

’Today, I am destined to shine!’

"Profound Leaf Blade Technique!"

As the illusion of leaves began to solidify, Lu Bichuan finally moved. And when he did, he moved like a blur, as fast as a bolting rabbit!

Lu Bichuan held the Black Leaf Blade in his right hand level as he charged forward. His swift dash left a trail of afterimages from the leaf illusion, which at first glance formed a "bridge" of leaves hanging in the air.

The distance between Lu Bichuan and Li Heng rapidly closed from the initial 15 meters.

Ten meters.

Five meters.

When the gap between them shrunk to less than three meters, the "leaf bridge" abruptly shattered. From within the cloud of leaves, the tip of the Black Leaf Blade shot toward Li Heng’s chest.

The flash of the blade was upon him!

The distance was now less than two meters. The tip of the Black Leaf Blade was about to graze Li Heng’s school uniform.

The students watching from the sidelines all widened their eyes and held their breath, their fists clenched tightly without them even realizing it.

Their eyes were glued to Lu Bichuan and the Black Leaf Blade in his hand!

’Li Heng... aren’t you going to make your move?’

Seeing that Li Heng was about to be struck by the Black Leaf Blade, Chen Bingjing suddenly frowned, the thought silently crossing her mind.

She didn’t speak aloud, just watched the training ground nervously. At the same time, she felt a strange pressure but couldn’t identify its source.

In stark contrast to Chen Bingjing was Qian Yun, who had also been silent. Seeing the flash of Lu Bichuan’s blade about to reach Li Heng, she let out a genuine, satisfied smile.

’Lu Tongxue’s blade technique is nearly invincible within three meters! A Grandmaster himself once said that after Lu Tongxue becomes a Soul Warrior, he will be unbeatable within a three-meter range using this technique! So... Mr. 4000-Points Li Heng, what... are you going to do?’

Qian Yun’s mind was racing. Though she said nothing, the smirk playing on her lips suggested she had already seen the outcome of the match.

’If they were more than three meters apart, I might still have some reservations about Li Heng’s sword moves. But now that Lu Bichuan is within that range, this match is as good as over!’

---

As for Li Heng, who had remained motionless, he had actually prepared his Ghost Butterfly Illusion Sword and Wolf Walk Technique from the very beginning. His original plan was to close the distance immediately and unleash his strongest combination attack.

But after seeing Lu Bichuan attack, Li Heng abandoned his plan to take the offensive.

Watching Lu Bichuan’s speed, Li Heng realized that if he simply went ahead with his strongest combo, Lu Bichuan would likely suffer a serious injury, even if he held back.

After all, having witnessed the speed of a young Ice Jiao in the Ice Jiao Lake Dungeon, Lu Bichuan’s movements now seemed only slightly faster than a PowerPoint presentation.

"First Form: Bridge of Leaves!"

The muscles on Lu Bichuan’s right arm bulged. The shattered leaves turned from verdant green to black, coating the body of the Black Leaf Blade!

Sensing the imminent arrival of Lu Bichuan’s blade, Li Heng pivoted. His right hand, holding the Empty Cicada Longsword, swept up in a smooth motion.

The instant Li Heng moved, the crowd saw him and Lu Bichuan brush past one another.

In the exact moment they passed, the leaves vanished, and the flash of the blade subsided.

All that remained on the training ground, reflected in the eyes of every spectator, was a swarm of bright, silver butterflies...