When Luo Jiujiang walked straight into the rapidly falling sword lights and sword shadows, as many people gasped and held their breath.
And in the next moment, everyone couldn't help but shout loudly!
Luo Jiujiang held the swordsman's wrist with one hand and pressed the swordsman's shoulder with the other hand. He turned halfway and slid freely through the cold iron less than two feet away. After he slid out of the attack range of the weapon, he did not forget to use force on his hands, controlling the movements of the two, and knocked the swords together with a clang.
The weapons collided and two sparks flew, but none of the three people present were injured.
"Let's call it a draw, brothers." Luo Jiujiang released his hand without even turning his head. He just waved behind him, "There are so many people on this street. Don't let anyone get hurt."
The two men were suddenly stopped by him, and the thunderous momentum inevitably weakened. They put away their swords and knives in embarrassment, staring at his back in unison. Luo Jiujiang's pace did not change at all, and he continued to walk in the direction of the crowd.
The source of the bustle seemed to be getting closer, and the discussions around were more and more centered around the same topic.
"Once a year..."
"Fortunately, I'm able to attend such a grand event..."
"It is the city lord who wants to select talented people..."
"It can be said that we only select people based on their talents, and we seek talents regardless of their abilities..."
"Really, anyone can go up and try it?"
"Brother, you are from another place, right? You should know that grand ceremonies in this city have always been like this..."
Luo Jiujiang turned a deaf ear to the laughter, exclamations, and cries of admiration. He walked downstairs and looked up at the platform. It was lined with thirty-six tall wooden poles, each of varying heights and arranged in a well-organized pattern. Each pole held a small crystal ball the size of a young girl's pinky finger, and beside each ball, a winged flying snake coiled in watchful presence.
Flying snakes have always been famous for being as fast as wind and as agile as water. The thirty-six flying snakes on the platform all have three rings around their tails, and it is obvious that they have all entered their mature stage. Each one can spit out thunder and fire, and can also release paralyzing poisonous fog.
The young man who jumped onto the stage before him only touched the fifth pillar before he was knocked down by the flying snakes. He fell to the stage with a bang, raising a cloud of dust.
There were sighs of regret from the crowd, mixed with comments like "You know, every time you pass a pillar, you have to deal with one more flying snake.", "You are not allowed to injure or kill the flying snakes, the physical skills required are too high.", and "It's really too difficult for people."
I wonder how many people have been "killed by the snake" like this young man before. Perhaps the repeated failures have made the onlookers discouraged, and for a while, no one jumped onto the stage to take on the challenge.
The drummer seemed accustomed to such silences. He immediately swung up his drumstick and pounded it hard. After three beats, someone excitedly announced the prizes again: "The green lotus flowers are in full bloom, and the Green Lotus Festival is welcoming talented people! The Green Lotus Festival invites young talents. Anyone who can pick thirty-six pearls before arriving will be awarded a top-grade spiritual weapon! Anyone who picks thirty-five pearls will be awarded a piece of Qingning precious jade! Anyone who picks thirty-four pearls will be awarded three cups of Bibo wine! Anyone who picks thirty-three pearls will be awarded a jar of Zhaoyue spring water..."
A generous reward will always bring out the brave. Just as everyone in the audience was eager to try, a cheerful laugh rang out, "It takes more than just youth? Let's give a discount and give a young man like me a chance to be a 'talented person'."
With that sound, a dark figure rose from the ground. He leaped onto the platform, not even needing to touch the ground to relay his attack, and headed straight for the first pearl. The flying snake fiercely spewed flames at him, but he ducked his head to avoid it, not even drawing the long sword from his waist. He pressed against the snake's belly, spun it around, and effortlessly tossed it to the second flying snake.
It wasn't until this young man took the stage that the audience truly witnessed the butterfly-like agility of a flying snake. They say a flying snake is as swift as the wind, but in front of him, it seemed nothing. The black-clad young man's agility wasn't erratic and unpredictable; even when he was in mid-air, his posture remained indescribably steady.
Before, everyone had only seen the flying snakes' nimble movements, occasionally delivering crucial blows from behind. Now, the flying snakes were chasing the young man all over the field. Even in the most critical moments, the young man didn't dodge or evade, at most spinning in a full circle, which surprisingly looked better than others.
When he picked up the 21st bead, the young man in black returned the sword and sheath to his waist, and grabbed the tail of a flying snake with his bare hands. He smiled cunningly and shook it hard. Immediately, the people below the stage burst into cheers!
The first twenty flying snakes were piled up in piles, having been tossed left and right by the mysterious challenger, and were now in a mess. Now they were in this man's hands, and with just a flick of his tail, these flying snakes that seemed to be arranged in a disorderly manner became like being caught in some mechanism, each of them entwined in circles, like grasshoppers on a knot!
The scene was like a magic trick, so magical it defied comprehension. The young man whistled with delight, twisted the tail in his hand through the first "rope buckle," and tugged, transforming the rope into a loop, a perfect example of the "Lovesickness and Love" knot girls often tie. He twisted the unique "snake ring" around his index finger, then tossed it out like a hoop, snatching up the twenty-second flying snake with a snap.
…
What followed was less a challenge than a marvelous piece of craftsmanship. The youth's hands and mind were incredibly deft, and even retrieving the pearl wasn't the highlight of the challenge. By the time the thirty-sixth pearl rolled into the youth's sleeve, the thirty-six flying snakes had become a neat and graceful knot of dragon and phoenix.
This young man was naturally Luo Jiujiang. Apart from him, there was probably no one else in the city who had the experience or record of tying knots on sea snakes.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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