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Xu Yan glanced at the old man and nodded, saying, "You're the reasonable one here, knowing that I have high talent and strong strength, I can afford to not follow the rules!"

After saying that, he continued to move upward without any intention of sparring with the old man.

The old man was dumbfounded, "Young friend, you haven't defeated me yet."

Xu Yan halted his steps, looking disappointed, "I thought you were reasonable, saying that I don't have to follow the rules, yet you still insist that I defeat you according to the rules.

"If you truly think I can disregard the rules, you shouldn't have asked me to take action. I can surpass you and seek out stronger opponents above."

The old man was frustrated beyond words, "I was just complimenting you, and you're outright disrespecting my weakness?"

Taking a deep breath, the old man shook his long sword in his hand and said solemnly, "I see that young friend also practices swordsmanship. Allow me, as a bold attempt, to experience your sword skills."

Xu Yan shook his head, "Your swordsmanship is too poor. When I attack, it's merely to take advantage of your weakness. Let's stick to the old rules; you receive one of my strikes."

"What the heck!"

The old man's face turned green. Where did this arrogant kid come from?

The surrounding martial artists and Seven Stars Academy disciples gasped in shock. This fellow was truly audacious, openly declaring that the Grand Tutor's swordsmanship was inadequate?

Although the Seven Stars Academy's swordsmanship was slightly inferior to the Sword Sovereign Cliff's, within the Inner Domain, it could still rank second.

The old man before them had dedicated his life to practicing swordsmanship, defeating the Grand Master of the Sword Sovereign Cliff, a Grand Master in his own right.

Such strength, in the eyes of a youth, was deemed unworthy?

"Youngster, taste my sword!"

The old man's face flushed red as he erupted in rage. With a horizontal swing of his long sword, a resounding roar of sword energy burst forth, with cold light shining, layer upon layer of sword energy seemed to reach the heavens and the earth, sweeping out.

"Is that the Heavenly Frost Light? It seems the Grand Tutor is truly enraged; he once defeated the Grand Master of the Sword Sovereign Cliff with this sword technique."

"So formidable! I also practice swordsmanship, yet facing this strike, I have no idea how to respond. There's simply no opening to exploit!"

The disciples of the Seven Stars Academy exclaimed in admiration.

Indeed worthy of being the Grand Tutor, a Grand Master of Swordsmanship; his move was extraordinary.

Among the onlookers were also practitioners of swordsmanship, and at this moment, they were all marveling. Truly worthy of being the Grand Tutor of the Seven Stars Academy, this move, the Heavenly Frost Light, was incredibly fierce, seemingly reaching the heavens and the earth, leaving no room for evasion, without any openings.

It also seemed to contain variations.

Among the many observing martial artists was a young man in his twenties. He had a serious expression, staring at the old man's strike without blinking.

"So this is the Heavenly Frost Light that defeated the Grand Master of the Sword Sovereign Cliff? Truly formidable, I wonder how Senior Brother Xie would deal with this move?"

Cold Autumn pondered.

He was a disciple of the Sword Sovereign Cliff, hailed as the genius second only to Senior Brother Xie Lingfeng, the purpose of his visit to the Seven Stars Academy was to spar with their swordsmanship, paving the way for his breakthrough to the Grand Master realm.

"Fancy moves!"

Xu Yan shook his head and slapped his hand out.

A golden dragon roared, piercing through the layers of sword energy. In an instant, the continuous sword light burst apart.

"Rotate!"

The old man's expression turned solemn. The ruptured sword light suddenly spun, one of the killer moves of the Heavenly Frost Light technique.

However, the incomparably fierce golden dragon directly struck the sword light he had just rotated, hitting it before the sword's momentum could build up.

Bang!

The sword light exploded and collapsed, while the golden dragon's tail swept directly, sending the old man flying.

Silence!

The entire venue fell silent once again.

Such a powerful move, yet still unable to withstand a single strike from the youth?

What kind of martial art was that golden dragon, truly immensely powerful.

The old man fell to the ground, dumbfounded.

For a moment, he felt somewhat dazed. His renowned swordsmanship, unexpectedly unable to withstand a single blow?

Xu Yan lifted his foot, ready to continue upwards. Glancing at the old man, he paused and said, "Swordsmanship isn't about grandeur or flashy moves, but about focusing on one strike. That's the true art of combat. Everything else is just embellishment.

"You haven't entered the realm of swordsmanship and don't understand its intent. For you, speed, ferocity, and decisiveness are the right path.

"Rather than spreading out meaningless sword techniques, weak and insubstantial, even if there are variations, they're too slow.

"I have a friend who has perfected his swordsmanship far beyond yours; he's much stronger. He's the one closest to stepping into the realm of swordsmanship."

The old man's swordsmanship appeared powerful, with grandiose sword movements that seemed intimidating, but ultimately lacked substance.

Against ordinary martial artists, it was naturally invincible.

In Xu Yan's eyes, the old man's move was not even comparable to Xie Lingfeng's Myriad Rivers Swordsmanship, let alone the Rainbow Sword Technique.

If facing Xie Lingfeng, this Heavenly Frost Light would be easily broken by a single move of the Rainbow Sword Technique.

So far, among the swordsmen Xu Yan had encountered, only Xie Lingfeng truly touched the threshold of swordsmanship and perfected his swordsmanship to its peak.

Moreover, he was close to breaking through the shackles of swordsmanship.

However, he still fell short of stepping into the realm of swordsmanship.

"I wonder if Senior Brother Xie has achieved Sword Heart Enlightenment?"

Xu Yan thought to himself.

It was unlikely, considering how difficult it was to achieve Sword Heart Enlightenment.

The old man was stunned, his mind buzzing. After practicing for half his life, he hadn't even entered the realm of swordsmanship?

He wanted to retort, but what right did a defeated person have to argue?

Finally, he sighed, "I've learned from this!"

Cold Autumn stood in place, looking at Xu Yan in astonishment. He was completely shocked; from Xu Yan's words, he gained some new insights.

"Who is he? His talent in swordsmanship seems to surpass Senior Brother already."

Xu Yan nodded. The Grand Masters of the Seven Stars Academy were indeed impressive; even after being defeated, they didn't explode in rage or feel humiliated. They simply admitted their defeat.

And he continued upward.

The eighth floor.

The guardian was a peak Grand Master.

Xu Yan had defeated every Seven Stars Academy guardian along the way, each with just a single strike, causing quite a stir within the academy.

The guardian of the eighth floor was one of the top Grand Masters in the Seven Stars Academy.

"Hiss, it's Grand Tutor Ding Yan!"

The disciples of the Seven Stars Academy exclaimed in shock.

"What, Grand Master Ding Yan?"

The onlookers, too, were astonished.

A young man had actually attracted the renowned Grand Master Ding Yan to guard the platform, indicating the pressure the Seven Stars Academy felt.

Grand Tutor Ding Yan had a formidable reputation. Among peak Grand Masters, he ranked in the top thirty within the Inner Domain.

On the martial stage stood a man wearing wide sleeves, with three strands of long beard, dignified and elegant. He held a three-foot-long brush in his hand, a precious artifact.

"Young friend, do I have the qualification to spar with you on the platform?" Ding Yan smiled.

Xu Yan nodded, "Yes, you're the first one with the strength to spar with me on the platform."

Ding Yan was indeed very strong, not much weaker than the quasi-Grand Master Yin Hong.

And yet, he was only a peak Grand Master.

But in Xu Yan's view, so-called quasi-Grand Masters were actually just those lacking the strength to break through to Grand Master in one go, hence only halfway there.

Such quasi-Grand Masters didn't impress him much.

Ding Yan, on the other hand, was different. He was a peak Grand Master, refining himself to break through to Grand Master. With his foundation and strength, once he refined his martial arts to completion, he would certainly be able to break through to Grand Master in one go.

Xu Yan stepped onto the martial stage.

The onlookers became excited; a great battle was about to begin.

"Young friend, do I have the capability to have you draw your sword?" Ding Yan glanced at the sword at Xu Yan's waist, smiling.

Xu Yan pondered for a moment and replied truthfully, "If I draw my sword, you might not be able to withstand a single strike from me. Are you sure you want me to draw my sword?"

Hiss!

Although the spectators were almost getting used to the youth's arrogance, they couldn't help but gasp again.

This was Grand Master Ding Yan!

And yet, he arrogantly claimed that Ding Yan couldn't withstand a single strike from him?

In the Inner Domain, there was probably no one qualified to say such words at the Grand Master level.

Only Grand Masters had such qualifications.

Even the Sword Sovereign Cliff's Master, Xie Tianheng, didn't dare to boast like this when he was at the peak Grand Master level!

What a conceited youth!

Ding Yan was also taken aback for a moment, then smiled, "If young friend is this confident, then Ding has even more reason to learn from you. What kind of swordsmanship is it that Ding can't even withstand a single strike!"

Xu Yan thought for a moment, then looked up at the ninth-floor martial stage. That was the highest martial stage; once he passed through, he could almost browse through all the martial arts collections of the Seven Stars Academy.

"Is the guardian up there a Grand Master?" Xu Yan asked.

Ding Yan nodded, "Yes."

A Grand Master, Xu Yan felt a bit regretful. With his current strength, he couldn't break through.

However, there might still be a chance.

As long as it wasn't a Grand Master, it would be fine, right?

Rules were always meant to be broken by the strong.

So Xu Yan spoke up, "If you want me to draw my sword, fine. But if you can't withstand a single strike from me, then instead of a Grand Master on the ninth floor, replace them with ten peak Grand Masters. I'll fight ten, and if I win, it counts as me passing through. How about that?"

Ding Yan was stunned. While the youth knew his own limits and couldn't beat a Grand Master, saying he would fight ten peak Grand Masters was another level of arrogance!

The spectators were already numb; this youth was becoming more audacious with each passing moment!

"The ninth floor follows the rules; it's guarded by a Grand Master. Young friend's suggestion..." Ding Yan hesitated, not sure how to respond.

He couldn't change this rule.

It belonged to the Grand Masters!

"Although I can't beat a Grand Master now, it won't be long before I can. It's just a matter of time. If you can't withstand a single strike from me, I'll break through to the ninth floor, and you can replace the Grand Master with ten peak Grand Masters. Isn't that fair and reasonable?" Xu Yan didn't want to wait until after his breakthrough to attempt it again. He wanted to pass through all at once and browse through the Seven Stars Academy's martial arts collections.

Ding Yan smiled bitterly and shook his head, about to refuse.

But then a figure drifted over, also wearing wide sleeves and holding a yellowed book in his hand, seemingly absorbed in the contents of the book.

"As long as you defeat Ding Yan with one strike, I will spar with you using ten peak Grand Masters!" As soon as the newcomer spoke, Ding Yan immediately respectfully saluted, "Greetings, Grand Supervisor Fu Yuntian!"

The disciples of the Seven Stars Academy were shocked; this person was the legendary Grand Supervisor Fu Yuntian?

One of the Five Grand Supervisors of the Seven Stars Academy.

"Salutations, Grand Supervisor Fu Yuntian!"

The disciples of the Seven Stars Academy all bowed.

Fu Yuntian nodded, glanced at Xu Yan, then continued to focus on the book in his hand.

Xu Yan's heart skipped a beat: a Grand Master!

This Grand Master was very strong, much stronger than the one he had beaten with a single strike.

A strong Grand Master!

"With his strength, even if I break through to the Grand Master realm, I might not be able to defeat him with a single strike. It might take a dozen strikes, or even several swords," Xu Yan muttered to himself.

Continuing, he exclaimed excitedly, "No problem. If he can't withstand my strike, and if I defeat the ten peak Grand Masters guarding the ninth floor, can I then access all the collections?"

Fu Yuntian looked up and smiled, "The collections of our Seven Stars Academy, especially those on the ninth floor, are not open to just anyone.

"Even if you pass through, you'll need certain conditions to access them.

"For example, your identity and whether it's suitable for you to view the collections there. After all, the ninth floor contains a lot of things and is only open to those dedicated to martial arts.

"Young man, let's talk about accessing the ninth-floor collections after you pass through."

Xu Yan nodded, not dissatisfied. What the other party said made sense.

There were too many things involved, and not just anyone could enter.

"Would Brother Xie's identity be useful?" Xu Yan wondered.

"Good!"

He looked at Ding Yan and said solemnly, "Are you ready? I'm going to draw my sword!"

Ding Yan also became serious. Although the youth seemed arrogant, his strength was indeed formidable, and Ding Yan dared not be careless.

Grasping the precious brush in his hand, the aura of a peak Grand Master was undoubtedly revealed.

"Young friend, please!"

Clang!

The sword was unsheathed. In an instant, the spectators felt a trance, as if they saw mountains and rivers floating and a giant dragon coiling on the martial stage.

Roar!

A dragon's roar echoed, and in an instant, everyone's eyes seemed to see a landscape.

At the moment Xu Yan drew his sword, Fu Yuntian's gaze shifted from the book, looking at the youth in amazement. What kind of swordsmanship was this? It seemed to contain profound principles of heaven and earth.

Mountains and rivers? How could a sword technique have the meaning of mountains and rivers?

As soon as Xu Yan made a move, it was like a dragon's roar resonating with mountains and rivers, conjuring up a scene of mountains and rivers.

Ding Yan felt a trance as well. As the dragon's roar echoed, he seemed to enter a world of mountains and rivers, where the landscape was desolate and the killing intent fierce.

The vast mountains and rivers collapsed in an instant, as if burying all living beings.

"Not good!"

He was shocked. What kind of swordsmanship was this?

An illusion? A vision?

Boom!

His aura exploded, and the brush in his hand pointed out fiercely, while his body frantically retreated.

With this retreat, it seemed as if the mountains and rivers were receding.

Before he could even catch his breath, as the mountains and rivers vanished and his mind returned, he felt a chill at his throat.

The tip of the sword was just an inch away from his throat.

Although he had retreated just now, it seemed like he had retreated a long way, yet it also seemed like his body hadn't moved at all, only retreating from within the mountains and rivers.

"I've lost!"

At this moment, Ding Yan smiled bitterly.

He truly couldn't even withstand a single strike!

Silence!

The surroundings were silent, and everyone was inexplicably shocked.

What kind of sword was that?

Was there really such a swordsmanship in the world?

Even the Sword Sovereign Cliff, which claimed to be the number one sword sect in the Inner Domain, probably didn't have such an incomprehensible swordsmanship, right?

Leng Qiu widened his eyes, waves of shock surging in his heart. What kind of swordsmanship was this?

I'm afraid even Senior Brother couldn't withstand this single strike, right?

(End of this chapter)