Chapter 129: Do You Know How to Use a Sword?

Chu Huaixu was very displeased.

“Damn it, when will the body cultivators of this world finally rise up!”

He had completely forgotten that when he was in the Scripture Pavilion, he had also shouted inwardly: “Body Training, even dogs wouldn’t practice it!”

Now, with both internal and external cultivation, he was considered half a body cultivator.

As they said: your bottom decided your head.

Since even his bottom had been tempered so tough, his stance was naturally clear beyond doubt:

—Body Training was not bad!

A life of body cultivation, not inferior to anyone!

Han Shuangjiang, watching her two family body cultivators from the side, only felt amused in her heart.

She bore no prejudice against body cultivators.

She simply thought that body cultivators really loved to shout.

From the bamboo hut next door, it was either Chu Huaixu’s screams or Little Xu’s screams.

At this moment, she watched with her own eyes as Little Xu, with a solemn expression, cupped his hands respectfully toward Chu Huaixu and said: “Yes, Senior Brother!”

Han Shuangjiang even felt a bit flustered: “Chu Huaixu said to beat him to death, but he wouldn’t really use lethal force against this Wang Dong, would he?”

Standing opposite Xu Ziqing, Wang Dong felt the youth’s aura had completely changed.

He had looked rather restrained before, but now even his back was straightened quite a bit.

“Straighten your back more, take a step forward!”

The youth was still just as delicate, even deserving of the word “pretty.”

But in this moment, his gaze had turned sharp!

The duel had officially begun.

Chu Huaixu’s eyes, however, were staring at Xu Ziqing’s sword case.

“The Bronze Sword was taken down the mountain by him?”

“Is it inside here?” he thought.

He tossed a 【Information Probe】 at it, but what popped up were three question marks.

Immediately after, Chu Huaixu cast a 【Information Probe】 at Xu Ziqing himself.

“What, he actually caught up to me—he’s already at the Heavens of the First Realm, Fourth Heaven?” His heart trembled in shock.

Chu Huaixu had always suspected that Xu Ziqing had been cultivating under that Little Martial Uncle Ancestor recently.

Therefore, he wanted to see for himself—Little Xu cultivated under me versus under him, just how big would the difference be?

The result, however…

“Hah! Still has to rely on popping pills!”

As an alchemist, he was extra sensitive to lingering medicinal effects of pills, which in turn strengthened his 【Information Probe】 permissions in this aspect.

Inside the youth’s body, there were still traces of the Bone-tempering and Marrow-washing Pill.

“The only difference is that the pills he takes are of higher grade,” he thought.

But from this, it could be seen: when I nurtured him, I fed him pills. When Jiang Zhi nurtured him, he also fed him pills. By rounding up, I am basically the Dao Gate’s Little Martial Uncle!

Back at Hidden Spirit Mountain, Jiang Zhi had even said the youth had taken too many kinds of spiritual pills, that relying purely on pills wouldn’t work, and that his foundation needed to be further solidified.

So, the very next day, he taught Xu Ziqing a secret method to reinforce his foundation, offsetting some of the negative effects left behind by taking pills.

Yet a day later, he discovered that all the residual problems within the youth’s body had completely disappeared!

This meant… he could take more pills again…

“What kind of heaven-defying constitution is this?” Even the well-traveled Jiang Zhi was dumbfounded.

He felt that ever since returning to Dao Gate, he had been shocked more times than in his entire life combined.

As such, this Dao Gate’s Little Martial Uncle even called over the Second Elder, letting this alchemy grandmaster feed the youth with the most suitable pills.

“He’s too slow relying only on cultivation.”

After learning that Xu Ziqing practiced the 《Ice-muscle Jade-bone Method》, the Dao Gate Second Elder refined ten Bone-tempering and Marrow-washing Pills for him.

And indeed, the effects were outstanding!

As expected, no pill-popping, no body training!

Body Training had to be fueled by pill-popping!

Yet Jiang Zhi had no idea that, in Chu Huaixu’s heart, his prestige had just dropped a few more notches.

On the arena stage, Xu Ziqing and Wang Dong were already locked in a fierce battle.

This sword cultivator from the Sword Sect was utterly surprised—this body cultivator brat was actually so strong!

Only Chu Huaixu knew in his heart: “Right now, if it’s purely about physical strength, Little Xu might even be stronger than me.”

Although the 《Sword Refining Art》 was sinister, once all nine apertures were opened, one’s physical strength would be stronger than many ordinary First Realm body cultivators. Their starting point could be said to be extremely high.

On this foundation, he practiced the 《Dao Canon》, while Little Xu cultivated the 《Ice-muscle Jade-bone Method》.

The former was balanced in both body and spirit, but whether the body half or the Spirit Embryo Secret Store half, their strength was merely of Earth-rank cultivation method.

If both halves were combined, it could completely crush any Heaven-rank cultivation method!

But the 《Ice-muscle Jade-bone Method》 was a genuine Heaven-rank body cultivation divine skill.

At equal realm, comparing only the body, Xu Ziqing as the purer body cultivator had a slight edge.

“Only, this was merely the result of everyone comparing ‘character panel attributes’ side by side,” Chu Huaixu thought.

“In actual combat, everything was still unknown.”

“The reason is simple—the 《Dao Canon》 possessed a more perverse regenerative ability.”

“This meant I was more… enduring?”

In addition, he had Sword Intent and Spirit Embryo Divine Ability, both things Little Xu did not yet have.

At this moment, the only reason Wang Dong could fight Xu Ziqing evenly was because of his advantage in spiritual artifacts.

He had his own Life-bound Spirit Sword, while Little Xu fought barehanded.

Clearly, if the sword case really contained the Bronze Sword, he had no intention of using it.

As the fight dragged on, Wang Dong grew more and more alarmed, gnashing his teeth as he thought: “Madman! This body cultivator sissy—who would’ve thought he’s actually a madman!”

During the fight, he felt several times that the other wanted to trade injury for injury!

In the eyes of ordinary people, no one would think this person before them was unafraid of pain.

Ordinary body cultivation would not produce such an effect. Everyone only had stronger bodies, less prone to pain, nothing more.

After all, if one did not fear pain, then the suffering that came with body cultivation would no longer be a burden. The path of body cultivation would suddenly become much smoother.

Wang Dong only felt he was insane—just to win, he could pay any price!

As the fight dragged on, Xu Ziqing also began to realize: “Without a spiritual artifact, I am at too much of a disadvantage.”

Even for an ordinary martial hero in the jianghu, the bonus from a handy weapon was enormous.

In truth, Little Xu not only had astonishing comprehension, but his combat instinct and intuition were equally heaven-defying.

Placed within the jianghu, he would have been a natural-born swordsman.

Very quickly, he spotted another flaw in Wang Dong.

Yet because he was unarmed, he had been forced to rely on the “wild mode” of trading injury for injury in order to force a direct conclusion.

At that moment, a sudden flash of inspiration struck the youth.

He instantly remembered something.

The next instant, Wang Dong saw a massive object come smashing toward him—Xu Ziqing had seized the sword case, unleashing all his strength in that moment.

One must not forget, the sword case itself was a Mid-grade Spiritual Artifact!

The spectators beneath the arena were dumbfounded, watching with wide eyes as this delicate, slender youth hefted a sword case taller than himself, using it to smash down with brutal force.

Wang Dong’s longsword failed to block in time, flying out of his hands.

The reddish-brown coiled-dragon wood was shockingly hard.

Under that immense force, the proud sword cultivator of the Sword Sect instantly coughed up a mouthful of blood. Who knew how many bones snapped as his body was sent flying, crashing heavily into the ground beneath the arena!

In truth, Wang Dong had been guarding against what lay inside the sword case all along.

He had suspected that Xu Ziqing’s Life-bound Spirit Artifact was inside.

“But who would have thought, his life-bound item was actually the sword case itself! Too deceptive!” Wang Dong’s thoughts shook violently—this had caught him completely off guard.

As he hit the ground, his vision went black.

Before fainting, only one thought remained in his mind:

“Vulgar body cultivator!”

Below the arena, discussions rose in a flurry.

If Wang Dong had not provoked first, with Dao Gate disciples standing united, they might also have muttered inwardly: “This junior brother is truly despicable!”

His Life-bound Spirit Artifact was far too bizarre.

Who would ever guard against a wooden box?

It was just a pity—such a dirty trick could only work once.

In subsequent matches, once opponents understood him even slightly, its surprise effect would be gone.

But because Wang Dong had been far too arrogant just now, the Dao Gate crowd erupted into cheers at this moment!

Winning was enough—who cared how he won?

Sword Sect sword cultivators were hardly noble, always striking ruthlessly with their swords!

Whether glorious or not, Sword Sect had to lose!

In their hearts, each disciple felt justified: “Fortunately, this was only a duel. If it had been a life-and-death battle, what was wanted was your life! This will teach you a lesson!”

In truth, every cultivator had at least a few despicable techniques.

Between life and death, who spoke of martial virtue?

The important thing was survival.

Moreover, since ancient times, much of the art of killing had always been treacherous.

The advantage of fighting on home ground now became clear—not a single jeer sounded. Everyone was praising Xu Ziqing.

The youth’s heart was simple. He did not even realize they had mistaken the sword case for his life-bound item. Standing on stage, he revealed a slightly shy smile.

That smile caused several senior brothers in the audience to lose themselves for a moment.

After leaving the stage, Xu Ziqing went straight to Chu Huaixu and Han Shuangjiang.

“Senior Brother, Senior Sister Han,” he said respectfully.

“Not bad,” Chu Huaixu praised, his tone as plain as always.

Yet even so, Little Xu felt satisfied in his heart.

In these past few days, the Little Martial Uncle Ancestor had said he had “high comprehension,” “a physique unmatched in the ages,” and “a decent temperament as well”:

But combined, they did not compare to this faint “Not bad.”

Chu Huaixu led the way toward a secluded corner, the other two immediately following.

Reaching a quiet spot, he still spoke cautiously, pointing at the sword case and asking: “Inside?”

Xu Ziqing nodded, naturally understanding, and replied: “Mm.”

“Did the Little Martial Uncle Ancestor allow you to use it in the duel?” Chu Huaixu asked again.

“He said not yet,” Little Xu answered.

Chu Huaixu understood—it was only for the time being.

In truth, he knew clearly in his heart that after round upon round of matches, if the three of them all continued advancing, then sooner or later, he and Little Xu…

Would inevitably have to fight!

And the Xu Ziqing he would face would certainly not be the same as now.

If nothing unexpected happened, it would be Xu Ziqing wielding that sword.

A true… World Protagonist!