Chapter 84: The Day of the Duel
"Master."
Everyone bowed to Chu Feng as he entered.
"At ease," Chu Feng replied, raising his hand slightly.
Xiao Chen stepped forward and asked, "Master, could you demonstrate the Tai Chi Sword Technique for me?"
The surrounding disciples instantly turned into curious children, their eyes filled with anticipation as they looked toward Chu Feng.
"When your Sword Intent reaches mastery, I will teach you this Tai Chi Sword Technique. This sword technique demands an extremely high level of comprehension. Right now, your Sword Intent has only reached minor success, and you won't be able to grasp this technique in a short time."
Chu Feng spoke unhurriedly.
Xiao Chen showed no change in expression upon hearing this.
To him, mastering his Sword Intent was not far off.
Once the upcoming duel was over, he would be able to begin cultivating his master's Tai Chi Sword Technique.
The others nearby, however, showed visible disappointment.
They had hoped to witness something extraordinary.
Cao Youqian rubbed his shiny head and asked, "Master, what about my technique?"
Chu Feng smiled. "This time, I'm not giving you a technique, but a Tai Chi Visualization Diagram."
Cao Youqian's eyes lit up upon hearing this. He had been envious ever since his junior brother and sister demonstrated the Tai Chi Fist.
Though he had no plans to practice the fist technique himself.
A light flashed from the storage ring on Chu Feng's hand.
With a soft whoosh, a visualization scroll featuring the Tai Chi symbol appeared before everyone.
This visualization scroll was something Chu Feng had created by combining the concepts of fist intent and sword intent.
Cao Youqian stared at the black-and-white circle in total confusion.
He scratched his head. "Master, I don't understand any of this. This looks way harder than practicing punches."
Chu Feng smiled slightly. "Naturally, I anticipated that. So until you've mastered a hundred fist techniques, don't bother opening this visualization diagram."
"...???"
Cao Youqian remained utterly confused, but though his comprehension wasn't great, he was quite quick-witted.
"Master, are you saying this Tai Chi Visualization Diagram can be used to integrate a hundred types of fist techniques or body-refining methods?"
"Correct."
Chu Feng continued, "As the saying goes: 'Practice a punch a hundred times, and its meaning reveals itself.' You've not only awakened a Divine Body but also comprehended Extreme Fist Intent.
Logically, for any forceful fist technique or body-refining method, you only need to see it once to learn it.
Although a hundred techniques may sound like a lot, it's merely a matter of a few years.
More importantly, every time you master one technique, your understanding of fist arts will deepen.
Eventually, you'll comprehend the concept of 'fusion' from within this visualization diagram."
Cao Youqian murmured, "Master, does that mean even low-grade techniques count?"
Chu Feng explained, "Yes. As long as the technique suits you, there's no distinction between high-grade and low-grade."
Cao Youqian nodded and accepted the visualization diagram from Chu Feng. "Thank you for your guidance, Master."
Chu Feng then turned to Xiao Chen. "Xiao Chen, come spar with me for a few days."
Xiao Chen cupped his fists. "Understood."
The others nearby all lit up with excitement upon hearing this.
To witness a sparring match between their senior brother and master was a valuable learning opportunity for them.
Inside the Heavenly Spirit Institute...
After breaking through to the Heaven Origin Realm, Qin Rou didn't rest idly. After taking just one day off, she began sparring with her senior brothers and sisters.
At this moment, the entire Wendao Academy was abuzz with talk about the duel between Qin Rou and Xiao Chen.
Disciples of the Heavenly Spirit Institute, known for their pride, were especially riled up upon hearing that a mere disciple from the Miscellaneous Dao Institute dared to challenge one of their own.
As a result, many disciples at the Heaven Origin Realm stepped forward to become Qin Rou's sparring partners.
Elder Bing, seeing Qin Rou still training diligently, nodded in satisfaction. She was even a little impatient for the duel day to arrive.
Time flew by like a white steed passing a crack, and in the blink of an eye, the day of the duel between Xiao Chen and Qin Rou had arrived.
That morning.
The area around the Life and Death Platform was already packed with people.
There had been duels between inner sect disciples or even true Heaven Origin cultivators before.
But none had ever drawn as much attention as the upcoming duel between Qin Rou and Xiao Chen.
Not only were they both prodigies of Wendao Academy, but their entangled history was also enough to keep people gossiping for days.
More importantly, they represented the Miscellaneous Dao Institute and the Heavenly Spirit Institute, respectively.
Though the main participants had yet to arrive, the crowd was already deep in heated discussion.
"Who do you think will win this battle?"
"Hard to say. Senior Sister Qin Rou may not be as famous, but she's still a genius of the Heavenly Spirit Institute. Even against Senior Brother Xiao Chen, she's not without a fighting chance."
"True, but I'm still betting on Senior Brother Xiao Chen. He's the number one among the younger generation of Wendao Academy."
"Hmph!"
Several disciples from the Heavenly Spirit Institute in the crowd couldn't help but snort coldly at the ongoing discussion.
A tall and burly young man exuding a dominating aura spoke coldly:
"This bunch of ignorants really think Xiao Chen awakening a Divine Body makes him qualified to represent Wendao Academy's younger generation?"
His words were quickly echoed by the other Heavenly Spirit Institute disciples nearby.
"Exactly. Xiao Chen's just a lucky country bumpkin. What right does he have to represent the Heavenly Spirit Institute?"
"If you ask me, only Senior Brother Ye is qualified to represent us."
"…"
Among them, there was only one refined man, his every movement radiating noble grace. His eyes were like calm ancient wells, giving off a feeling that nothing in the world could stir his interest.
The burly young man turned and asked, "Senior Brother Ye, who do you think will win this fight?"
Senior Brother Ye replied flatly, "Xiao Chen can only lose."
Everyone around heard this and quietly thought to themselves: So the rumors are true. Senior Brother Ye has his eyes on Qin Rou and intends to take her as a concubine.
Otherwise, someone of his caliber would never show up to watch a duel between a True Fate and a Heaven Origin Realm cultivator.
Just as the discussions continued, several figures descended from the sky, flying on swords.
The crowd instinctively looked up.
A group of female cultivators rode the wind on their swords—all of them stunningly beautiful, each carrying a cold and aloof aura.
"Elder Bing of the Heavenly Spirit Institute has arrived."
"Which one is Senior Sister Qin Rou?"
"The one in the sky-blue flowing immortal dress—that's Senior Sister Qin."
"She's gorgeous. No wonder Senior Brother Xiao was so smitten back then, even willing to risk crippling himself just to help her awaken the Sacred Body."
"Keep your voice down! How dare you talk about that?"
"…"
Amid the murmurs and whispers, Elder Bing and her group landed.
The onlookers, being quite tactful, cleared a space for them.
Without acknowledging the stares, Elder Bing led her disciples straight to the foot of the Life and Death Platform.
Just as they had taken their positions, a cry came from within the crowd:
"Look! Senior Brother Xiao has arrived!"
====================================================================================
Get access to 20 chapters in advance and enjoy 2 daily updates by supporting the series. Available on Patreon: https://patreon.com/Alex_Cruise or Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/anish_44