Chapter 26 - Change of Pace(2)

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As they walked steadily and chatted, they reached the Fighting Stage without even realizing it.

The Seclusion Cave was not that far away from the Fighting Stage, so it made sense even if they arrived earlier. The only reason they've arrived now is simply because they took their time to walk slowly and enjoy chatting with each other.

As Tian Ye walked towards a tree, Zhao Feng couldn't help but ask in curiosity, "Weren't we going to spar?"

Tian Ye remained silent and jumped a few meters high beside a tree. As he reached the same level of height as that of a tree branch, he grabbed a thick tree branch with one hand, and channeled thin and sharpened spiritual qi with the other, delivering a chop towards the base.

Swish!

The palm that he coated spiritual qi with was so sharp that it didn't even make a sound as he chopped and simply sliced through it cleanly.

Yang Wei couldn't help but solemnly look at Tian Ye who had descended onto the ground, 'How did he achieve that level of control over spiritual qi when all he does is focus on increasing his cultivation?'

Sun He and Zhao Feng also looked over in amazement but weren't as affected by it as Yang Wei.

Tian Ye paid little attention to their reactions, instead he was a little surprised to notice that his spiritual qi had turned red instead of the usual light blue color.

He soon nodded in understanding, 'My spiritual qi is now of the fire element so it makes sense.'

He didn't care about it so he focused on the matter at hand, he chopped the uneven edges of the 1-2 meters long tree branch that he had grabbed. 

After trimming, it was more or less, 1 meter in length and had a width of 20-30 square centimeters.

With Zhao Feng, Sun He, and Yang Wei watching, he crafted 4 crude wooden swords and threw the three to them, keeping the last one.

They all caught the wooden swords casually, and as they did, Tian Ye waved his wooden sword once to the side like some sort of habit before pointing it towards them.

With a slight smile, he taunted, "Who'll go first? Maybe you guys want to go together?"

As he pointed, his wooden sword glowed the color of red due to him channeling his fire spiritual qi into it.

"You…" Zhao Feng couldn't help but feel a little annoyed at Tian Ye's attitude but remembering the memory of almost dying from Tian Ye's reaction speed because he simply approached when he was focused on battle with his master, he gulped nervously.

Yang Wei, with a calm demeanor, stepped forward, "I'll go first."

Gripping the wooden sword he was given with both hands, he channeled spiritual qi in it just like Tian Ye did, causing it to glow the color of dark blue. It glowed dark blue, because unlike Tian Ye's fire elemental qi, he had water elemental qi.

Seeing Yang Wei's confidence, Sun He, and Zhao Feng silently agreed and stood on the side to watch, waiting for Tian Ye and Yang Wei to spar.

"Well, come on." Tian Ye said casually as he raised the wooden sword with his right hand.

Yang Wei didn't say anything and simply… disappeared from the spot. Or at least that's what Sun He and Zhao Feng saw but Tian only saw him move extremely quickly from his original location to his current location where he was crouched down in front of him, his wooden sword about to swing upwards diagonally with both hands from the lower right.

Tian Ye, used to such a speed, stepped back two steps casually neither slow nor fast and used his wooden sword to parry. 

Even if it had been a few months ago… or several months ago? Although he doesn't remember the exact time, he remembered all his combat experience from the time he sparred with his master.

He was a little rusty, but his eyes and thoughts have gotten used to this level of speed or an even a higher level of speed.

As their wooden swords clashed, it wasn't the sound of wood clashing that sounded but the sound of metals swung at each other with a great deal of power.

Clang!

The sound resounded throughout the Fighting Stage that the air even reverberated sending shockwaves that even Sun He and Zhao Feng, who were several meters away, watching on the side, could feel.

'So strong!' Sun He and Zhao Feng exclaimed in their minds.

Although Sun He already admitted that he was behind Tian Ye and Yang Wei in terms of martial arts since what he pursued more was knowledge instead of strength, he still didn't think that the gap between him and the two of them was this much!

He didn't even see Yang Wei move and he saw Tian Ye take a step back which he didn't understand the purpose to, but then, he suddenly saw Yang Wei in front of Tian Ye and had already swung his sword.

If he was fighting either one of them, he wouldn't even know the reason for his death!

"Not bad." Tian Ye praised slightly but Yang Wei didn't reply, instead, he stepped back a few meters away then hurried dashed forward with a horizontal sword swing.

Spiritual qi gathered in his sword as he swung it then a thin crescent flying sword slash, about 1 meter in length, materialized and flew in Tian Ye's direction.

"Crescent Moon Sword Technique, 1st Movement, Moonlight."

Seeing the flying slash flying his way, Tian Ye received it head on, not because he couldn't dodge but also wanted to try some things instead of practicality.

"Flowing River Sword Technique, 1st Form, Drifting Current."

Unlike the flying sword slash coming his way that was detached from the cultivator, his sword stretched by briefly for 1 meter and as he slashed down, a crescent shaped red line appeared in the air that directly dispersed the flying sword slash.

It was only natural that his sword technique was stronger because it was connected with him, unlike the flying sword slash that was disconnected from its user.

As if he had anticipated this, Yang Wei crouched down for a moment, jumped up high a few meters above ground to front flip and as he did, he swung his sword downwards, a larger crescent flying slash appeared. It had the momentum of a fast unstoppable force.

"Crescent Moon Sword Technique, 2nd Movement, Half Moon's Descent."

Tian Ye couldn't help but look at the flying slash with a little surprise, it was 5 meters in length and about half a meter in width.

'If I was caught off-guard by this movement, maybe I'd be heavily injured but Yang Wei actually directly showed it off when I was prepared? It's like warning your opponent that you're going to kill him.' He couldn't help but chuckle but there was still a crescent flying slash his way so he raised his wooden sword, pointed it at large and spiritual qi began to condense at the tip.

Within a second, the condensed spiritual qi burst forward in a straight line hitting the middle of Yang Wei's flying slash.

"Flowing River Sword Technique, 2nd Form, Turbulent Wave."

Boom!

His watchful gaze was fixated at the descending Yang Wei, who wasn't even the slightest out of breath, he waved his sword and took the initiative to act.

He now knew that he could have a proper sparring session with him if he was a little bit serious so attacked.

The moment Yang Wei's feet had reached the ground, he swung his sword.

Clang!

Yang Wei parried in return, then pulled his sword before counterattacking.

Sword slashes upon sword slashes, began to clash faster and faster, the momentum of the fight increasing.

Yang Wei, seeing that he had no advantage, he took a few steps back and hurriedly slashed.

"Crescent Moon Sword Technique, 1st Movement, Moonlight!"

Tian Ye dodged to the side and attacked again but this time used a sword technique.

"Flowing River Sword Technique, 1st Form, Drifting Current."

Yang Wei dodged when Tian Ye's sword strike fell to the ground causing it to create a crater a few inches in diameter from the force of his sword strike.

Boom!

Yang Wei then attacked horizontally, "1st Movement, Moonlight."

Flying sword slashes from Yang Wei were sent one after another throughout the Fighting Stage and red crescent lines began to draw themselves in the air as Tian Ye slashed his sword.

Yang Wei's attack… it focused on flexibility but lacked attacking power, meanwhile, Tian Ye's attacks, it focused on being balanced. 

It was fast and destructive but limited to close combat unlike Yang Wei's attacks that can attack from a distance.

Consecutive clanging of metals sounded throughout the Fighting Stage and shockwaves were continuously sent throughout.

The air reverberated from their swords' encounters, the ground of the Fighting Stage began to fill with sword marks, either from Tian Ye's missed short distance destructive attacks or Yang Wei's sword slashes that were sent far away when Tian Ye dodges.

Sun He, and Zhao Feng who were originally standing on the fighting stage got off to watch in a more safer environment instead of staying on top because they might be caught in the crossfire.

Tian Ye's eyes that were originally easygoing turned serious and as he took as step back as Yang Wei did, he directly sent an explosive spiritual qi.

"Flowing River Sword Technique, 2nd Form, Turbulent Wave."

Yang Wei returned the favour by sending a large flying slash with an upward movement of his sword.

"Crescent Moon Sword Technique, 2nd Movement Revised, Half Moon's Rise!"

Boom!

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