Chapter 60: The Four Famous Swords

Poor Master Lixuan, the old monk, had just begun to strike his Iron Sand Palm but didn't even get a chance to show its power before he was struck repeatedly by the Iron Bull's Steel Whip. He couldn't dodge in time and was whipped down from the stage, blood spilling from his mouth as he fell, headfirst, defeated.

It was really his own fault. In a match like this, where everything was fair game, others had brought weapons while he was relying on nothing but his bare hands. If he had reached the highest level of the Iron Sand Palm, it might have worked, but unfortunately, his mastery of it was far from complete. Who else would be struck if not him?

With Lixuan's defeat, the head referee counted the points, and the victory went to Shaolin for the first round, making the score 1-0.

Iron Bull grinned foolishly, his large mouth spread wide, when he was called down by Huo Yuanzhen.

Meanwhile, from the carriage, Xiao Cui poked her head out and called out to Iron Bull, "Big guy, you did great! After the match, I'll go to Shaolin with the young lady to visit you."

At first, this seemed like harmless chatter, but it made Huo Yuanzhen uneasy. Why would they go to Shaolin? What were they planning?

With Iron Bull winning the first round, the situation was turning unfavorable for the Law King Temple's side.

Their people were anxiously waiting for someone from Shaolin to step forward, hoping for a chance to regroup.

Huo Yuanzhen glanced at his side and said to Master Puhang, "Master Puhang, would you mind taking a turn?"

"Amitabha, it's my duty," Master Puhang replied, nodding as he stood up.

Puhang walked out of the pavilion and jumped onto the fifth wooden post, using it to propel himself onto the stage.

This lightness skill was far superior to Lixuan's and earned him a round of applause from the crowd.

On the other side, the Law King Temple's people looked gloomy. Puhang's agility was on a level far beyond Lixuan's. This was someone in the later stages of the Post-Heaven realm.

Their strongest fighter, Chai Xian, was also just in the later stages of Post-Heaven. If Chai Xian were to step up, he might not even be able to defeat this monk.

Chen Ding's face grew even darker. Since when did Shaolin gain such a formidable expert?

Puhang stood on the stage and declared, "This humble monk, Puhang, from the Wutai Mountain, Monastery of Manjusri, requests guidance from all martial artists."

Upon hearing the name, the Law King Temple's people were even more alarmed. The Monastery of Manjusri in Wutai Mountain was far superior to Shaolin in reputation, one of the most renowned martial sects in the world. How could they have come to Mount Dengfeng to assist Shaolin?

Clearly, the enemy was not the only one who could call for reinforcements.

While they were worried, someone had to step up. Chai Xian had been anxiously waiting but had not seen his reinforcements. Grinding his teeth in frustration, he declared, "I'll go!"

It was the only choice. If he didn't, it would be 2-0, and they would be at a huge disadvantage.

Chai Xian walked out of the pavilion, jumped up the eighth wooden post, and reached the stage.

Huo Yuanzhen felt both relieved and troubled seeing Chai Xian step up.

Relieved because the strongest fighter on the enemy side had appeared, and there wouldn't be many other threats afterward. Troubled because Puhang might not be able to defeat Chai Xian.

On the stage, the two exchanged polite words before beginning their battle.

Whereas the fight between Iron Bull and Lixuan was a brute force clash, this one was a quick and fast battle. Chai Xian didn't initially use his sword, and Puhang was also unarmed. They exchanged fists and palms in a fierce contest.

After some time, once they had tested each other's strengths, Chai Xian drew out his famous "Water-Cutting Sword," and Puhang took out a pair of mysterious iron balls.

The battle continued, and the difference in skill became evident.

Chai Xian's quick sword moves were superior to Puhang's, and after about ten minutes, one of his strikes wounded Puhang on the shoulder.

Puhang didn't hesitate. He immediately admitted defeat and jumped off the stage.

His role was just to participate in the competition; he had no intention of risking his life for Shaolin.

The head referee counted the points, and the score was now tied, 1-1.

Although the Law King Temple had managed to pull one back, no one was celebrating. Their remaining fighters were not nearly as strong.

Chen Ding was the top fighter in the middle stage of Post-Heaven, but if he stepped up, Shaolin would likely send one of their experts to face him, and that would leave the Law King Temple with no more strong fighters. The outcome would be decided.

At that moment, a servant from Chen Ding's house rushed over to deliver a report: "Master, your master has arrived!"

Both Chen Ding and Chai Xian quickly stood up and hurried to greet him.

Three middle-aged men dressed in scholar robes, each carrying a sword on their back, walked toward them. Chai Xian quickly stepped forward and greeted them, "Chai Xian greets my three senior brothers."

Chen Ding also knelt and bowed, "Chen Ding greets my master, my grandmaster, and my three uncles."

One of the men, dressed in yellow robes, smiled and lifted Chai Xian up, then turned to Chen Ding, saying, "Rise."

"Thank you, grandmaster."

The three of them exchanged a few words and walked toward the pavilion of the Law King Temple. The people inside quickly moved aside to make room for them.

With reinforcements arriving, Shaolin's side was also aware of the development. Guan Shan Yue's face grew serious, and he turned to Huo Yuanzhen, saying, "Abbot, things might be changing."

"Who are these people?" Huo Yuanzhen asked.

"The man in yellow robes is Zhuang Qin, ranked number one among the Four Famous Swords of Jiangnan. He has already reached the pinnacle of Post-Heaven. His skill is almost on par with mine," Guan Shan Yue replied.

Huo Yuanzhen frowned. "A Post-Heaven pinnacle expert? This changes things."

Guan Shan Yue then pointed at the man in black robes. "That is He Yuan, Chen Ding's master, ranked second among the Four Famous Swords. He is also at the later stage of Post-Heaven, quite formidable."

"And the one in green robes is Shang Ming, ranked third among the Four Famous Swords. His strength is comparable to He Yuan's and even stronger than Chai Xian, who just fought."

Huo Yuanzhen's face grew more serious. The weakest among them was stronger than Chai Xian. This wasn't going to be an easy battle.

Guan Shan Yue added, "These four men are famous throughout Jiangnan. They are disciples of the Seven Sword Immortals, Zhu Gongshen. Thirty years ago, Zhu Gongshen reached the Innate realm and taught them his unparalleled sword skills. The Four Famous Swords became renowned after their battle against the Yellow Mountain Old Demon. The Yellow Mountain Old Demon, who had practiced evil techniques to reach the Innate realm, terrorized the world. In the end, the Four Famous Swords teamed up to defeat him, making their names known throughout martial arts."

"Post-Heaven can kill Innate?" Huo Yuanzhen asked, shocked.

"Yes. These four grew up together and are highly synchronized. In the battle with the Yellow Mountain Old Demon, they fought for a day and night before finally defeating him," Guan Shan Yue replied.

Huo Yuanzhen nodded silently. This would be a difficult fight.

Guan Shan Yue thought for a moment and said, "One of them will likely take the stage soon. Abbot, you should be cautious about entering the fight. If it's He Yuan or Shang Ming, let Yue Shan take the field. If Zhuang Qin is up, then you should go and face him."

Even with these precautions, it was clear that Guan Shan Yue was worried.

The arrival of the Four Famous Swords had completely disrupted Shaolin's plans, and even Guan Shan Yue wasn't confident of victory.

But Huo Yuanzhen waved his hand, "It's fine. Let's observe the situation before deciding."

The arrival of the Four Famous Swords in Dengfeng had attracted attention from all around, including Ning Wanjun and Xiao Cui in the carriage.

Xiao Cui propped her chin and said to Ning Wanjun, "Miss, this is trouble. These four old men are here, and Shaolin is going to lose."

Ning Wanjun lifted her veil, revealing her breathtaking beauty, but her face showed concern. "Yes, now, Shaolin only has the abbot and that old monk left with a fighting chance, along with Yue Shan, but even that may not be enough. Without them, Shaolin doesn't have any other strong fighters left. But the Law King Temple still has several Post-Heaven middle-stage fighters. This battle is not easy."

"Why don't we call for reinforcements from the Henan branch? At least we can handle those middle-stage Post-Heaven fighters," Xiao Cui suggested.

Ning Wanjun shook her head. "No, if our branch's people show up, they'll be recognized, and they can't step into the ring."

"So what can we do? Shaolin can't lose. We're relying on them to find that thing!" Xiao Cui said, wringing her hands in frustration.

"I hope that miraculous abbot can create another miracle. If it really gets bad, I'll step in myself!" Ning Wanjun said with a sigh.

"What? Miss, you'll go? Are you crazy? If Master finds out, he'll kill me!" Xiao Cui's face turned pale, and she waved her hands in fear.

"If I don't, what choice do I have? Didn't you see? The people from Wutai Mountain are here too. They must have a purpose, and I think it might be the same as ours. After all, when we first heard the news, people from Wutai Mountain were also present."

"That's not certain. That news was so vague. Only you could figure out that the thing might be on the back mountain of Yuzhai Mountain. Who else could have thought of that?" Xiao Cui argued.

Ning Wanjun smiled lightly. "You're flattering me. There are plenty of smart people in the world. If I can figure it out, others can too."

"If it's really there, you still can't go. You can't be around those disgusting men with swords and knives. What if you get hurt? No, no, I won't let you go! I'd rather go myself!" Xiao Cui protested firmly.

Seeing Xiao Cui's resolute attitude, Ning Wanjun sighed. "Let's watch for now. If Shaolin can hold on, I won't go. But if they really can't, you can't stop me."

Just as they were talking, the Law King Temple had already sent someone to the stage. It was none other than Chen Ding's master, He Yuan, the Fierce Wind Sword.

He Yuan leaped into the air and landed on the stage, drawing cheers from the Law King Temple side.

The situation, which had seemed grim, suddenly looked brighter. With the Four Famous Swords in play, the Law King Temple's fighters felt victory was within reach.