Chapter Sixty Nine.

The graceful figure that has just entered the fighting arena is none other than Madam Ruo. Her look is completely different from her usual look. She's wearing a deep crimson hanfu dress with intricate embroidery ,her long hair neatly kempt and tied into a ponytail by a floral hairpin with two strands of hair hanging leisurely down her small ovate face. She has full makeup on making her look younger. The soft blush on her cheeks and the coral red lip rouge she's wearing makes her look more magnificent. She has a lustful look on her face which shifts into a confident smile.On both sides of her waist there two narrow swords.

"Who are you?" Gong Muyu asks arrogantly.

"You're not worthy of knowing my name you brat," Madam Ruo speaks back in detest.

She draws out her two swords.

Gong Muyu laughs mockingly,"You think using two swords can make you defeat me. Dream on!" Gong Muyu attacks her the instant he finishes his statement. Madam Ruo glides backwards along the ground before she gains her balance.

Madam Ruo centers herself with her two swords at her sides visualizing a blooming lotus. She channels her inner qi into the blades. With a swift motion she launches into a series of circular,sweeping strikes that mimic the opening of lotus petals. Each strike is deliberate and flows seamlessly into the next , creating a continuous motion that is both beautiful and deadly. As the technique reaches its climax,she brings her blade in front of her,as if locking the lotus . She uses this powerful converging technique while aiming at Gong Muyu's center. This technique is known as the Lotus Petal Blade Technique,one of the dual sword swordsmanship techniques practiced at Lotus Manor Sect.

Gong Muyu spits a mouthful of blood,and retreats backwards.

"Lotus Petal Blade Technique !" someone shouts amidst the crowd.

"Isn't this one of the long lost dual swordsmanship techniques of the Lotus Manor Sect?"

"Yeah. The current disciples of Lotus Manor Sect no longer practice dual swordsmanship."

"Who is this lady?"

Everyone is shocked. Guo Mulang has already figured out her identity but he tries to hide his reaction.

'Why does this lady know the same swordsmanship techniques as my Shifu?'Lei Qiang wonders.

Since Gong Muyu is stubborn,he dares to strike at her again. He doesn't believe he can be simply defeated by one move and it's from a woman. Madam Ruo is determined to teach him a lesson so he can learn to respect ladies in the future. Seeing he doesn't have the upper hand,Gong Muyu resorts to use one of his sect's forbidden swordsmanship technique the Ephemeral Strikes technique,a forbidden swordsmanship art that defies conventional understanding.

Before executing an Ephemeral Strike, Gong Muyu attunes his Qi to the rhythm of the universe. He draws upon the ambient energy -the ebb and flow of existence -to empower his blade.The sword becomes an extension of his own life force, resonating with the cosmic currents. This connection allows him to bypass physical barriers and strike directly at the essence of Madam Ruo.

When Gong Muyu initiates the Ephemeral Strike, time itself seems to waver. The blade moves faster than the eye can perceive, transcending the limitations of mere mortal speed.

It is said that the strike initially leaves no visible wound. The victim feels nothing-a numbness akin to frostbite. Their life force remains intact, but the damage has been done.Minutes,hours or even days later, the true impact manifests. The wound blooms,a crimson flower of pain. Organs fail, blood congeals, and life slips away. The practitioner's blade is a silent reaper, patient and inexorable.Every Ephemeral Strike extracts a toll. The practitioner's own life force diminishes. They age prematurely, their hair graying, skin sagging. Each strike shortens their existence.Some say that the blade feeds on the practitioner's memories,their joys, sorrows, and regrets. The more they wield it, the more fragmented their soul becomes. They risk losing their very identity.To execute the strike, the practitioner adopts the Shadowmeld Stance. Their feet root into the earth, drawing sustenance from the underworld. Their shadow elongates, merging with the blade.In this stance, they become a conduit for forgotten spirits,the echoes of warriors long gone. The blade channels their collective wisdom and wrath.

Before each strike, the practitioner whispers an oath,an invocation to the void. They pledge their life, their memories, and their very soul to the blade.The blade listens, absorbing their sacrifice. It becomes a vessel for their legacy, a bridgebetween realms.The sword hungers for blood. It craves the warmth of life. The practitioner must choose their targets wisely, for the blade's appetite is insatiable.

Some practitioners become addicted, unable to resist its call. They wander battlefields, seeking foes to sate the blade's thirst.

Since Gong Muyu hasn't mastered the technique fully,Madam Ruo uses the 'Mirror Heart and Mind' technique to counter Ephemeral strikes immediately. She uses the blades of her two swords as reflective surfaces while employing a strategy that combines both anticipation and redirection. In this technique ,she uses the blades not just as weapons ,but as extensions of her own awareness ,reflecting and redirecting Gong Muyu's attacks back at him. Seeing his disciple will suffer from the backlash of the technique ,he intervenes and grabs him and moves further with him.

Madam Ruo snorts,"Ridiculous! Only you Di Heng can teach disciples such despicable techniques at the expense of their life."