funbook-pk Chapter 73 One Shot, Three Styles: There's Always a Higher Heaven
Chapter 73 One Shot, Three Styles: There's Always a Higher Heaven
A figure darted out from the depths of the alley.
After several rises and falls, I used my feet alternately to step on the brick wall for leverage...
He sprinted along the wall, lightly stepping into the range of Li Xin's [Void Reflection] sensory field, and flipped into the courtyard in a few steps.
Before they could even get their footing, a sudden, deafening sound rang out.
A pebble flew swiftly towards the person's shoulder.
It is extremely fast and powerful.
A sharp gust of wind swept in, lifting the straw hats on people's heads and making them flutter high in the air, while the veils covering their faces flapped loudly in the wind.
A cold light suddenly flashed, and a sword beam shot out, striking the flying stone with pinpoint accuracy.
The pebble shattered and scattered, and the enormous recoil force traveled along the sword and through the entire body, causing the person to sway violently.
Losing his balance, he involuntarily flew backward.
She used one foot to step on the blue brick of the courtyard wall, and slid out diagonally, trying to steady herself and avoid the attack.
Before the attack had even stopped, the second wave of offensive had already arrived.
The silver spear blade shot through the air at incredible speed...
The air exploded, leaving a straight white trail of air where the gun had passed.
A glint of light flashed in the newcomer's eyes, and his waist suddenly twisted, his body contorting strangely to the left.
He dragged his long sword behind him, drawing an arc as he slashed diagonally.
The sword strike was extremely light, like a crane dancing and a swallow soaring, and it struck Li Xin's spear blade with precision.
The sword slid rapidly down the shaft of the spear, aiming straight for Li Xin's wrist as he gripped the spear. It touched him and then moved away, a series of sword moves in quick succession.
"Excellent swordsmanship."
Li Xin praised.
As he thrust out the Bagua Zhan Shen spear in the first move, "White Snake Spits Venom," the spear suddenly trembled, the blade became round, and a loud buzzing sound rang out.
Two silver-white spear shadows exploded to the left and right at the same time, blocking the sword's path.
The flashes of swords and the shadows of spears clashed and collided, making a series of clanging sounds.
A sharp, cold glint of light had already pressed against the person's throat, seemingly out of nowhere.
The ear-piercing sound of wind cutting through the air stopped instantly.
The fluttering veil slowly drifted down...
A pretty face with lively eyes and a captivating expression, both joyful and angry, was revealed. It was none other than Shen Xinlan, known in the martial arts world as the "Unparalleled Gentleman".
"It's you."
Li Xin's eyes flickered slightly, not out of surprise at the identity of the newcomer.
In fact, he recognized the opponent's Wudang swordsmanship as soon as he saw it.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have put away their guns.
He was surprised.
As the spear thrust ceased, a wisp of fine golden light, like smoke and mist, slowly coalesced in the air, flowing into the space between the eyebrows and merging into the mind.
Will beating her up gain her trust?
Li Xin looked at Shen Xinlan in front of him, feeling both amused and exasperated.
If I had known this would be useful, I would have sparred with her when we met at Ruyi Restaurant.
It's not too late to know now.
Li Xin's expression showed only a slight change of heart, while Shen Xinlan's emotions fluctuated much more intensely.
She sheathed her sword and stood still, but her breathing remained unsteady.
"I have long heard that Young Master Li is proficient in all kinds of weapons, including swords, spears, staffs, and fists, and is extremely agile. His firearms skills are so formidable that they are feared by all. I did not think much of it before. But after experiencing it myself today, I am truly amazed."
Li Xin looked up at her: "You came all this way just to test my martial arts?"
Shen Xinlan bent down to pick up the straw hat from the ground, her fingertips gripping the edge of the hat tightly. A hint of unnatural embarrassment appeared on her usually cold and expressionless face.
"Yes, and not entirely."
"I witnessed your skill with a musket and your swift movements when Ruyi Restaurant was attacked. I shouldn't have gone to test you further."
"However, Young Master Li's martial arts prowess is crucial to future decisions, so I had no choice but to take action. I hope you will forgive me."
"It's alright." Li Xin waved his hand, his expression indifferent.
He was very clear about the behavior of certain martial arts fanatics.
These kinds of people are always straightforward and honest, and they judge everything by martial prowess.
Drinking requires martial arts competition, and eating requires a contest.
Let's put aside right and wrong for now, and fight it out first.
Whether you get along with someone or not depends entirely on your skill level.
"Did you come here this time because you found traces of Gao Tianyun, the notorious bandit in the capital?" Li Xin went straight to the point.
"That's right."
Shen Xinlan paused slightly, turned her head to look at Zhuang Hongxiu who was standing quietly to the side, her eyes showing a hint of hesitation.
Seeing this, Li Xin smiled and said, "This is Miss Hongxiu, one of our own. There's no need to be shy, just speak frankly."
Shen Xinlan immediately cupped her hands in greeting: "Xinlan greets Miss Hongxiu."
Zhuang Hongxiu curtsied slightly and returned the greeting gently: "I have long heard of Miss Shen's reputation as the 'Incomparable Gentleman,' and her Divine Gate Sword Technique is unparalleled in the capital... Seeing it with my own eyes today, it is indeed well-deserved."
Shen Xinlan gently shook her head: "You flatter me too much, young lady. Just now, I launched a surprise attack while masked and went all out, but Young Master Li broke three of my sword moves with a single spear thrust."
The Wudang Divine Gate Sword Technique, honed over ten years, was completely shattered, leaving him utterly powerless to retaliate.
"To be honest, before this, I believed that I could roam the world freely with my swordsmanship alone, and I was not afraid of any weapon masters."
He is particularly adept at responding to and countering attacks, and at adapting to changing situations.
"It wasn't until just now that I realized that there is no order of learning, but there are different levels of skill. Before, I was just a frog in a well, with limited knowledge."
Her face remained calm and composed, revealing little emotion, but the slight tremor in her voice betrayed the turmoil within her heart.
She is known throughout the martial arts world as the "Unparalleled Swordswoman," having established herself through her swordsmanship and rarely suffering defeat.
Today, however, all their moves were thwarted by a single shot, and the difference in their skill levels was immediately apparent.
Li Xin slowly shook his head and comforted her, "What happened just now wasn't a simple shot."
"My move, the horizontal spear strike, combines three techniques into one. First, I use 'White Snake Spits Venom' to gather momentum and break your 'White Ape Offers Fruit' sword strike."
"Turning the Azure Dragon Tail again, I'll break your Triple Ring Wrist Lock with my sword..."
The spear's momentum shifts from a circle to a straight line, ultimately breaking through your "Shooting Through the Forest and Hitting the Leaves" technique.
Upon hearing this, Shen Xinlan's brows furrowed instantly, and a deep sense of dejection appeared on her face.
The opponent combined three techniques into one, switching freely between round and straight lines, completely sealing off all her variations and escape routes.
She not only failed to see through it, but she didn't even understand it.
In past encounters with others, she was often able to anticipate her opponent's moves, seize the initiative, and break their moves in advance.
That's how he earned the reputation of being an "unparalleled gentleman".
But the battle just now completely reversed the situation.
Every sword strike and every variation of the move was calculated in advance.
In front of Li Xin, all her moves were exposed.
That long spear moved with effortless grace, its attacks and defenses flowing naturally, its moves seamlessly connected. It was impossible to defend against, impossible to block.
"To have mastered the Bagua Spear to such a level, one's skill is close to the Dao," Shen Xinlan sighed softly.
"Martial arts sparring can be done in the future, there's no need to be fixated on a temporary victory or defeat." Li Xin sheathed his spear and returned it to its place, smiling as he said, "Miss Shen has come from afar, let's have some tea and rest for a while before discussing Gao Tianyun's movements in detail."
"Let's not drink tea, we can talk as we walk."
Shen Xinlan turned and walked out, decisively and cleanly.
Well, he's actually quite impatient.
"After Gao Tianyun's defeat and escape last time, he did not completely disappear without a trace. I could have located his hiding place much earlier, but his place was right next to the Anssa Embassy, which was heavily guarded, so I did not dare to sneak in and keep an eye on him."
"Therefore, we can only remain still and wait for him to show himself."
When he went out again, I followed him and finally uncovered his secret.
……