The Autumn Leaf Sword left its sheath and unleashed a wave of sword light at Tang Jie. Tang Jie didn’t back down, swinging his saber in response, and there was a crisp metallic clang, followed by a clatter as if a weapon was being forged. Sword and saber clashed numerous times, the two combatants closing and parting multiple times.
Ye Tianshang had to retreat half a step, but Tang Jie swayed, a bloody wound on his body. This had been inflicted by none other than Ye Tianshang.
Upon seeing this, all the students cheered, “Good!”
This was the first time since Peng Yaolong that Tang Jie had fallen behind in a clash.
Ye Tianshang didn’t seem too proud, coldly smiling as he said, “As expected, you’re tired, yes? Tang Jie, as a second-year, you were able to defeat numerous students and last until now. Though you will be defeated, there is still glory in your feat. Unfortunately, while you have the glory, victory will be mine!”
He roared, unleashing a resplendent sword light.
Ye Tianshang had always been famous for his swift sword, and as this wave of sword energy appeared, it was accompanied by numerous sword rays. He was only a Spirit Platform student, and his sword light was still restricted to three feet around him. In the future, when his spell arts became more powerful, he would be able to create a vast and majestic sea of swords.
Against this opponent, it was best to use strength to break through speed, but alas, what Tang Jie lacked right now was strength.
As wave after wave of sword energy was unleashed, they turned into a raging river that Tang Jie just couldn’t handle. He was once again struck by Ye Tianshang’s sword and jumped back, his body sporting another wound.
Ye Tianshang mercilessly pursued, the Windcloud Step making him move as quickly as lightning, and another wave of sword energy howled forth.
The two of them once more began to battle, sword gales and rains of blood emerging.
The sword gales belonged to Ye Tianshang, but the rains of blood were coming from Tang Jie.
The surging sword light left wound after wound on Tang Jie.
One strike, two strikes, three strikes…
As they accumulated, Tang Jie soon had barely a single unharmed part of his body.
Not even the Formless Golden Body could help Tang Jie resist this furious sword offensive.
Ye Tianshang was one of the stronger students, and even if Tang Jie were in peak form, he would have only been able to beat him after a tough battle. In his current situation, victory was even more difficult.
Ye Tianshang savagely attacked again and again with wave after wave of sword light. Tang Jie was hit again, and he rolled on the ground like a gourd.
Ye Tianshang laughed. “Tang Jie, you’re no match for me! Just give up!”
Tang Jie raised his head and angrily glared at Ye Tianshang!
He called out, “No, the term ‘give up’ doesn’t exist in my vocabulary.”
“Still so stubborn!” Ye Tianshang roared as he swung his sword again.
As Ye Tianshang’s sword rushed toward him, Tang Jie swung his saber up to meet it. “Windcleaver!”
Boom!
A sharp saber gale sliced through the sword surge. It was aimed at empty space, but it was like a steel rod shoved into a blender, instantly halting the momentum of the surge. As the sword clashed with the saber, all the sword light faded, and Ye Tianshang said in shock, “How is this possible?”
Tang Jie’s strike had hit the critical point of his sword surge, neutralizing his attack!
In truth, even Tang Jie was startled.
He also didn’t know what had happened.
When Ye Tianshang had been attacking, he had suddenly felt as if there was a critical point in that sword surge, and he had attacked entirely based on instinct.
He hadn’t expected this attack to have such a miraculous effect.
But with this successful blow, Tang Jie suddenly realized something, and he muttered, “Is that how it works?”
The sword and saber once more erupted with light, the Autumn Leaf Sword making waves while the Heartbreak Saber tried to cleave mountains. In a few short moments, Tang Jie had swung the saber ten-some times in a row.
But unlike before, each swing of his saber was able to block Ye Tianshang’s sword waves, forcing Ye Tianshang back and leaving him both shocked and angered.
After the battle at the Student Forest, everyone had learned about Tang Jie’s astounding strength and extraordinary constitution, and Ye Tianshang felt like he already had a plan to deal with this fierce opponent: constant attacks with his swift sword, a “death by a thousand cuts”.
But now, the tables had turned. At the end of his strength, Tang Jie had somehow found some bizarre trick. Every swing of his saber seemed simple, but they were able to cut off his sword waves at the source and prevent them from building up power. The saber harried the sword wherever it went, making it difficult for him to change things up.
Once or twice was a coincidence, but not so after it happened multiple times in a row.
Ye Tianshang was jumping around, but no matter where he went, Tang Jie was always able to cut off his sword wave with a single swing.
Even Peng Yaolong and Meng Shixue were starting to see the problem, Meng Shixue softly saying, “Senior Brother Peng, doesn’t Tang Jie seem a little strange to you?”
Peng Yaolong’s face was grave. “There truly is something wrong. He’s somehow managed to seal off all the possible trajectories Ye Tianshang’s sword can take, as if he knows what Ye Tianshang is going to do.”
“How is that possible? If he had this ability, wouldn’t he have already won this battle?” Meng Shixue said in disbelief.
“Perhaps he didn’t have it before but has it now,” Su Xinyue suddenly said.
“You’re saying…” Everyone was shocked.
“A moment of enlightenment!” Peng Yaolong said with extreme reluctance.
Though he really didn’t want to, Peng Yaolong still had to admit that Tang Jie had quite a lot of talent when it came to battle. It seemed that he had experienced a breakthrough in the middle of combat.
Tang Jie truly had experienced a breakthrough, but this was no brief moment of enlightenment. Rather, he had begun to truly comprehend the Dao of Insight.
The Dao of Insight meant glimpsing the secrets of heaven and grasping its movements!
This was Tang Jie’s Dao, and though he had comprehended a little of it, he had not been able to really use it.
Wang Poguan had said before that the Dao was not merely a vague concept. Truly comprehending the Dao would manifest as a certain boost to one’s strength.
Alas, no matter how Tang Jie tried, he had never been able to use Insight in battle. Even in the battle against the Frost Fairy, he had only been able to find her after Liu Hongyan had given him the method, so this did not really count. And it would be far too boring if the Dao of Insight could only be used to see through stealth. It would be better to just learn a spell.
But in today’s battles, Tang Jie had been gradually pushed to the brink, yet this had only cleared his mind. He wasn’t the Martial Lord, and getting stronger the more he fought didn’t suit him. He also wasn’t Wei Tianchong, who would suddenly explode in dire straits. He believed in calm rationality, and so the more dire the circumstances, the more determined his mind became, the harder the look in his eyes, the calmer his mind…
In these circumstances, he discovered that he was starting to see things differently.
Ye Tianshang’s sword technique, so fast that it was hard to track, was no longer an amalgamation of light and shadow in his eyes. Rather, as the sword thrust out, he could see countless threads of spiritual energy gathering into a sword wave.
These sword waves all had key points that would cause the wave to collapse if they were attacked.
Tang Jie had found the first point by accident, but now, Tang Jie had truly grasped and comprehended the concept.
To put it simply, he had seen through Ye Tianshang.
Not only had he seen through Ye Tianshang, with this as his foundation, he could use the foresight provided to understand how Ye Tianshang would even strike with his sword.
Thus, as Ye Tianshang rained down blows, Tang Jie was able to swing his saber and receive them all, and as the battle went on, the process became easier and easier. He was rather lacking in skill at first, but with each additional sword wave, he gained a better understanding of Ye Tianshang’s sword will.
In contrast, Ye Tianshang was growing more alarmed, and he moved his sword faster and faster.
Eight Desolation Sword!
Universe Cross!
Rising Dragon Sword Beam!
Sandstorm Dance!
He used all manner of sword techniques and spells, putting everything he had into this fight. Even the spectating students were aghast, Peng Yaolong praising, “Universe Cross and Secret Wind Chop! I didn’t think that he would have gone and learned all these spell arts! His true strength is far greater than he lets on!”
Alas, despite the increasing ferocity of his attacks, Tang Jie was more and more easily blocking them.
He was no longer staring at the sword lights, but at Ye Tianshang himself.
Rather than observing the path of the sword, it was better to observe the energy channels.
With the power of Insight, Tang Jie had moved from observing the sword to the person. Even without using the Eye of Heaven, his eyes had a divine light as they inspected Ye Tianshang, and he felt like he could see the energy traveling through his meridians. Thus, before Ye Tianshang had even moved, Tang Jie’s sword had already arrived.
He had the initiative every step of the way, his saber always getting there first.
Ye Tianshang was an adaptable person, but now that all his paths were sealed, he felt a stifling sensation in his stomach that only grew worse as time went on. It was as if he couldn’t even circulate energy. He saw that Tang Jie was just standing there and casually waving his saber, even starting to breathe in and absorb energy. Ye Tianshang roared and recklessly swung his sword.
He had finally given up on changing up his techniques and decided to just compete with strength.
Unfortunately, he had come to this revelation too late.
Tang Jie’s saber was there first, lightly tapping on the Autumn Leaf Sword before it could be raised and stopping its momentum cold.
If it could not be raised, it could not be swung down.
Unable to unleash his powerful swing, Ye Tianshang felt his energy fall into turmoil, and he threw his head back, vomited blood, and fainted.
In the end, Tang Jie hadn’t been able to harm a hair on his body, but it was Ye Tianshang who had fainted.
Tang Jie couldn’t help but be surprised by this. After a while, he muttered, “A pity…”
He had finally comprehended how to use the Dao of Insight a little and was beginning to put it into practice, but unfortunately, Ye Tianshang hadn’t been able to keep up. It was hard to say if another opponent would give him the same feeling.
He was disappointed that he could only comprehend the Dao of Insight up to this point, but in the ears of others, it sounded like mockery.
“Owww!” Wei Tianchong tumbled through the air as he howled in pain. Since he didn’t have time to get his footing, he decided to just roll on the ground.
A giant elephant foot slammed down at the place he had landed, creating intense shockwaves that caused this space to shake.
This was an elephant fiend. Its enormous body and terrifying strength all screamed that this was a tough opponent.
Its foot having missed, the elephant swung its head, flinging its trunk at Wei Tianchong.
Wei Tianchong pushed against the ground and jumped up. While in the air, he pointed at the elephant fiend and shouted, “Defend!”
The puppet rushed up, raising its arms and grabbing the elephant fiend’s trunk.