Chapter 77: Zheng Jian vs. Zuo Lengchan (II)

At this moment atop the Fengshan Altar, Zuo Lengchan’s swordplay abruptly transformed, his movements now even swifter than before. The surrounding world was reduced to a blinding haze of sword light, rendering Zuo Lengchan’s figure almost invisible.

The crowd below exchanged anxious glances; even the masterful hands of Songshan, such as Le Hou, looked bewildered. Anyone with discerning eyes could see that the sword technique Zuo Lengchan now employed was not that of the Songshan School.

“Amitabha.” Master Fangzheng recited a Buddhist benediction, shaking his head repeatedly. It seemed he had recognized the origin of Zuo Lengchan’s sword style, yet chose not to speak of it.

Within the Huashan contingent, Lin Pingzhi’s expression was one of agitation. Though Zuo Lengchan’s sword and footwork were astoundingly fast, Lin Pingzhi recognized at a glance that this was his own family’s “Evil-Repelling Sword Technique.” Yet in Zuo Lengchan’s hands, the sword’s power far exceeded anything Lin Pingzhi had ever imagined.

“So it was Zuo Lengchan who once came to my home, threatening us for the sword manual… But he didn’t find it then. How is he using it now?” Lin Pingzhi was filled with doubt.

It was after that incident that he’d learned from his father, Lin Zhennan, the dark secret of their hereditary sword technique: “To master this art, one must first geld oneself.” These eight words still thundered in Lin Pingzhi’s mind.

“No wonder our ancestor, Lord Yuantu, left behind the edict forbidding the Lin family from practicing the manual… No wonder, in my father’s and my hands, the Evil-Repelling Sword never lived up to its name…”

For a fleeting instant, Lin Pingzhi even considered emasculating himself to master the sword, but the thought vanished as quickly as it arose.

“I have already mastered Huashan’s peerless martial skills. Vengeance is at hand—why should I resort to such extremes?”

Now, Lin Pingzhi was entirely different from how he was in the original tale. His martial skills were accomplished; at least, revenge was no longer out of reach. With him as the Lin family’s only successor, if he were to follow that path, would that not mean the end of his lineage?

Old Yue, too, was left speechless. He knew that in the past, Lin Yuantu had swept the world undefeated with the Evil-Repelling Sword, but knowing was one thing—witnessing the art revived in Zuo Lengchan’s hands was another. The impact was overwhelming.

Compared to the Evil-Repelling Sword, Old Yue felt the Huashan Swordsmanship was sorely lacking. Yet, on closer inspection, he could discern traces of Huashan’s techniques within it. Some moves Zuo Lengchan now used resembled the remnants of lost Huashan forms he had once seen in the mountain’s rear cave.

This realization sank Old Yue deep into contemplation…

Let us return our gaze to the battle atop Fengshan Altar. After Zuo Lengchan resolved to fight with deadly intent, he unleashed the Evil-Repelling Sword he had labored to master over the years. Its emergence immediately placed Zheng Jian in dire straits.

Zheng Jian was under immense pressure. It was one thing to know the terror of this sword technique, quite another to experience it firsthand. Even so, Zheng Jian was not without means—his own sword shone with boundless brilliance as he clashed fiercely with Zuo Lengchan.

Zheng Jian firmly believed there was no strongest sword style—only the strongest swordsman.

The “Nine Swords of Dugu” would never be inferior to the Evil-Repelling Sword; in his hands, it would not lose to Zuo Lengchan.

From the start, “Sword-Breaking Style” was the move Zheng Jian understood most profoundly, for most of his adversaries were swordsmen. This move was the most applicable and the one he wielded most often.

Now, Zheng Jian maintained the core tenets of the “Sword-Breaking Style,” banishing all specific techniques from his mind, merging heart and blade, fixating wholly on Zuo Lengchan’s every movement.

The Evil-Repelling Sword was not without flaws—or rather, no sword technique in the world was flawless. After withstanding a dozen exchanges, Zheng Jian discerned the weaknesses in Zuo Lengchan’s technique. Yet, Zuo Lengchan’s speed, having mastered the Evil-Repelling Sword, was so overwhelming that Zheng Jian could not seize upon these openings.

In the world of martial arts, there is nothing invincible save for speed.

The Evil-Repelling Sword was the vivid embodiment of this saying. It was as if, upon self-castration, all shackles were thrown off—Zuo Lengchan’s speed now inspired dread.

Zuo Lengchan pressed the assault relentlessly, while Zheng Jian moved about, elusive and persistent, constantly searching for a lapse, an opening to exploit.

The disciples of Songshan, witnessing their leader’s fearsome might, could not help but cheer in unison, as if already beholding the moment Zuo Lengchan would pierce through Zheng Jian.

Little did they know, after another forty or fifty exchanges, Zheng Jian had already weathered the most perilous phase. From initial discomfort with Zuo Lengchan’s tempo, he now matched it stride for stride.

“Thank heavens for the Nine Swords of Dugu!” Zheng Jian rejoiced inwardly. The more deeply he immersed himself in the art, the more he marveled at its vastness and profundity. It was not a set of fixed techniques, but rather a towering philosophy: formlessness surpasses form. This allowed the art to grow stronger in the face of greater threats; the more terrifying the opponent’s sword, the more accurate the “Sword-Breaking Style” became at predicting and countering the enemy’s moves, enabling Zheng Jian to always anticipate Zuo Lengchan’s actions and respond in advance.

The Nine Swords of Dugu is not merely a collection of techniques. Its so-called nine swords can, in truth, be merged into one: foreseeing the enemy’s intent, striking where they must defend. The nine forms merely represent the various common adversaries one might encounter.

The deeper one’s understanding of the way of the sword, the more one’s heart and blade become united, achieving perfect harmony of thought and movement.

Now, Zheng Jian could tangibly sense his comprehension of swordsmanship soaring once again. His previous duels with Xiang Wentian and Ren Woxing had already propelled him to the threshold of true mastery.

This match with Zuo Lengchan—or rather, this clash with the most terrifying sword art in the realm, the Evil-Repelling Sword—under the pressure of life and death, was driving Zheng Jian’s progress to new heights. The mantras of the Nine Swords of Dugu were now deeply imprinted upon his mind and body.

Gradually, Zheng Jian’s movements quickened as he drew closer to matching Zuo Lengchan’s speed. His swordplay, once defensive and evasive, now stood on equal footing with Zuo Lengchan’s.

In the past, Zheng Jian had deliberately allowed Lao Denor to deliver the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual to Zuo Lengchan—not only to quash Old Yue’s ambitions, but more crucially, because he had always wanted Zuo Lengchan to learn the technique.

Otherwise, if in this world there was only one Invincible East, would that not be unbearably lonely?

Zuo Lengchan did not disappoint Zheng Jian. Having mastered the Evil-Repelling Sword, Zuo Lengchan’s strength now decisively surpassed Ren Woxing. Apart from the reclusive Sword Sage Feng Qingyang atop Huashan’s rear cliffs and the unfathomable Invincible East upon Blackwood Cliff, there was now virtually no one in the martial world who could stand against him.

Even Priest Chongxu, protected by the Taiji Sword, couldn’t help but feel ashamed in comparison.

This was the Zuo Lengchan that Zheng Jian desired—the perfect whetstone for his own swordsmanship!

Only by defeating Zuo Lengchan could Zheng Jian have the confidence to challenge Blackwood Cliff, to face the strongest star-crowned king of this world!

…

Some readers have said giving the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual to Zuo Lengchan was a poison pill. In truth, I made Zuo Lengchan Zheng Jian’s great mountain to overcome. Only by scaling this peak—since Ren Woxing’s strength was lacking—would Zheng Jian be worthy of facing Invincible East.

(End of this chapter)