Sword of Flames, Blade of Water

Wang Quan and Li Cang stood facing each other, the tension between them as taut as a string about to snap. The air around them felt heavy, weighed down by the powerful fluctuations of their spiritual energy.

Li Cang gave a serene smile, his expression calm and composed. He looked at Wang Quan and said in a soft voice, "Junior Brother Wang, there's no need to be nervous. I don't intend to bully you with my higher cultivation. Since you're at the fourth level of Qi Refining, I'll suppress my cultivation to match yours. We wouldn't want anyone saying I'm picking on the weak."

Wang Quan's eyes grew cold upon hearing this, his mind quickly seeing through Li Cang's false modesty. "First kindness, then cruelty," he thought. This offer of restraint was merely a way to save face and maintain the appearance of a gentleman. Despite Li Cang's elegant demeanor, Wang Quan knew he was anything but soft, with a calculating and ruthless heart. He didn't expect Li Cang to hold back at all.

"No need for such courtesy, Senior Brother. If I am to lose, I'll admit defeat. No more talking—let's begin!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Wang Quan let out a cold laugh and swiftly drew his longsword. The blade flashed with a sharp gleam, and as his internal Five Elements Secret Technique began to circulate, fire-element energy surged into the sword, forming a blazing sword glow.

"In that case, let's begin."

Wang Quan kicked off the ground, moving like the wind as he charged toward Li Cang. His sword slashed through the air, sending a fiery arc straight for Li Cang's chest. The strike was swift, carrying the intense heat of fire-element energy, with spiritual power burning like flames along the blade.

"Impressive, Junior Brother Wang."

Li Cang's eyes gleamed with admiration, but he didn't retreat. Instead, he calmly stood his ground and quickly formed a water-element hand seal.

"Water Blade Technique!"

With the completion of his hand seal, a stream of icy blue water coalesced in his palm, rapidly forming into a razor-sharp blade. The water blade, crystal-clear and radiating cold light, surged forward to meet Wang Quan's fiery sword glow head-on.

"Ssshh!"

The water blade and flaming sword clashed in midair, producing a high-pitched screech. Fire and water, natural opposites, collided fiercely, yet Li Cang's water blade was overwhelmingly strong. It extinguished Wang Quan's fiery sword glow in an instant, suppressing the fire completely.

Wang Quan was forced back several steps by the backlash of power, his heart startled. Li Cang's water-element technique was not just skillful—it was masterful. He had dispelled Wang Quan's fiery sword aura with minimal effort.

"Again!"

Gritting his teeth, Wang Quan gripped his sword and charged forward once more. This time, he didn't rely solely on his fire element but incorporated both wood and earth elements into his attack. The Five Elements Secret Technique circulated in his body, its power self-sustaining. The sword glow transformed, now blending fire's ferocity with wood's vitality and earth's weight, making the strikes more complex and lethal.

The longsword danced through the air, sending fierce slashes aimed at Li Cang's vital points.

Li Cang raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he raised his hand again. Several more water blades condensed in his palm, swirling rapidly like a whirlpool of sharp edges. With a swift motion, he sent the blades hurtling toward Wang Quan's incoming sword strikes.

"Shh, shh, shh!"

Water blades and sword shadows collided again and again in a flurry of sparks and splashes. Every water blade seemed to cut through the air with lethal precision, tearing at Wang Quan's sword aura. Despite his strong attack, Wang Quan's sword energy felt almost powerless against Li Cang's water blades.

"Li Cang's water blade technique... it's too refined."

Wang Quan was inwardly shaken. Every move Li Cang made was executed with pinpoint accuracy, his water blades both fluid and razor-sharp. Combined with his flawless spiritual control, his technique was practically impenetrable. Despite Wang Quan drawing on the full force of his Five Elements Secret Technique, he was still being overwhelmed.

Li Cang's gaze remained calm, though a trace of contempt had crept into his eyes. He had already seen through Wang Quan's approach, and with a soft chuckle, he said, "Junior Brother, your multi-element techniques are impressive, but against my water blades, you still lack refinement."

As his voice trailed off, Li Cang's water blades suddenly dispersed into countless streams, swirling through the air to form a massive Water Net, entirely ensnaring Wang Quan's sword strikes.

"Water Net Seal!"

Wang Quan's sword was trapped by the water net, unable to push through. His heart sank as he realized the gap between them was far greater than he had anticipated.

"I can't fight him head-on… He's too strong. I need an opening…"

Growing anxious, Wang Quan circulated his spiritual energy, spinning his sword rapidly in hand. Channeling all his fire-element energy, he ignited the blade with a fierce blaze, trying to burn through the water net.

But no matter how fierce his flames, Li Cang's water net acted like a great, invisible beast, smothering the fire time and time again. Wang Quan attempted several counterattacks, each one effortlessly neutralized by Li Cang's fluid defense.

Finally, Li Cang let out a cold laugh. The water blade in his palm swelled, transforming into a massive Water Dragon. With a violent surge of energy, the water dragon roared forward, crashing into Wang Quan's chest with overwhelming force.

"Boom!"

Before Wang Quan could react, the immense force of the water dragon sent him flying backward. His body slammed into a stone wall with a sickening thud, blood spurting from his mouth as his spiritual energy spiraled into chaos. Intense pain radiated from his chest—he had suffered a severe internal injury.

"I... lost?"

Slumped against the stone wall, Wang Quan's body felt like it had been crushed by the water dragon's overwhelming might. He struggled to raise his head, his gaze full of unwillingness as he stared at Li Cang.

Li Cang walked toward Wang Quan with slow, measured steps, still holding the water blade in his hand, looking down at him from above. His face remained gentle, a soft smile on his lips, as if the battle had not cost him any effort at all.

"Junior Brother Wang, you are indeed talented. But... you still have much to learn."

Li Cang's voice was calm, as if offering a lesson to a junior. He then casually took out a few pills from his pouch and tossed them in front of Wang Quan.

"These are healing pills. You're injured quite badly, so it's best you rest and recover." With that, he turned and left, as though the battle had been nothing more than a trivial exchange.

Wang Quan stared at the pills on the ground, rage and frustration boiling up inside him. His fists clenched tightly, his eyes burning with unyielding determination.