Chapter 764 Three-Layered Blade of Wave Breaking
Banji's face looked rather grim, unable to conceal his somber mood.
Because the cardinal chain of the clan's destiny had been foreseen long ago, Banji had begun preparations several years ago.
He spent a lot of time and energy honing his skills in close combat weapons like the sword and the saber, and he also possessed considerable martial arts skills.
His purpose was to test the Ninefold Mystic Armor in this small-scale trial.
The Xuanbing Armor held far greater significance for him than for ordinary people. It would greatly aid him in overcoming each instance of his divine talent surging.
This is obvious.
"The more bronze artifacts I defeat now, the more of them will benefit me."
"If you can get nine in the second round, you'll be number one."
"But this is too difficult. According to my calculations, my limit is that I can only obtain a maximum of seven bronze artifacts. I must reach the third level, take away the Xuanbing Armor from other people, and collect nine in order to win first place."
The top spot is the class's goal.
Even with Golden Core level body cultivators and martial arts practitioners as competitors, Ban Ji was still very confident.
Because most of the three trials within the Xuanjia Cave restrict cultivation levels, the gap between Golden Core and Foundation Establishment cultivators is greatly reduced, allowing for direct confrontation. Furthermore, if Qi Refining cultivators participate in the trials, they will be enhanced by array formations. In short, the cultivators organizing the Xingyun Trials minimize the differences in cultivation levels and other aspects, maximizing the importance of martial arts skills and divine sense.
Ning Zhuo's arrival put pressure on Ban Ji.
Ban Ji thought it over carefully: "I will face the first two challenges alone, so I will definitely have an advantage. I will only face Ning Zhuo in the third challenge."
"At that time, I will definitely teach Ning Zhuo a lesson he will never forget. I will seize all the Xuanbing armor on his body to help me collect nine pieces and become the number one!"
"Before that, I need to gather as many Xuanbing Armor as possible."
Clearly, the more Xuanbing Armor a cultivator refines and masters, the greater their advantage will be in the third stage, and the more likely they are to win first place.
Banji's hope was to acquire the bronze sword and bronze saber in the initial few encounters. These were his most proficient weapons, allowing him to unleash combined sword and saber techniques and fully utilize his personal combat abilities.
But now, he has reached the third bronze artifact, and he hasn't even seen a sword.
"Actually, throwing knives are considered knives too... what a load of rubbish!"
Banji was quite frustrated and also puzzled.
"That shouldn't be the case."
"Logically speaking, swords and knives are the most common weapons, so even if they appear randomly, they are the most numerous and the most common."
It was precisely for this reason that Ban Ji chose swords and knives as his major.
He looked at the throwing knife and chain hammer in his hands, and felt a headache coming on. Both of these were unusual weapons. Then, looking at the spiked club in front of him, ready to be used, he was completely speechless.
"I hope that the fourth and fifth bronze artifacts will contain knives and swords."
"But the bronze artifacts that appear in the second level become increasingly difficult as you progress."
"If I can't unleash my full power, I won't be able to progress further. My optimal limit is seven blades, but I definitely won't be able to reach that this time."
This means that Banji only has three chances: the fourth, fifth, and sixth.
Ning Zhuo faced the bronze knife.
Buzz!
The next moment, the blade cleaved through the air and thrust straight at Ning Zhuo.
The trajectory of the blade tip was as straight as a ruler, clearly a standard stabbing strike.
Ning Zhuo raised his wrist, and the bronze sword in his hand met the attack directly.
"Ding!" A crisp sound rang out, and sparks flew.
The tip of the bronze sword struck the tip of the blade with perfect precision.
Ning Zhuo himself did not have such a precise grasp of the situation, but the basic sword techniques within the bronze sword helped him to calibrate, resulting in every sword move he executed being perfectly standard.
Although Ning Zhuo possessed many sword techniques and skills of cultivators, these were not his own.
There are many differences between these experiences and his own personality.
For example, people have different physical attributes; some have longer arms, some are taller, some have more stamina, and some are stronger.
For example, temperaments also differ. Faced with the same moves, some people tend to defend, some think of dodging first, and some choose to attack instead of defending.
Therefore, experience is experience. For Ning Zhuo, there are situations where it doesn't always fit.
At the same time, there are also conflicts between different experiences.
This is why Ning Zhuo needs time to transform and absorb this treasure.
This kind of real-world training is especially good for developing skills.
In close combat, the transition between offense and defense is extremely rapid; a moment's carelessness can create an opening, leading to defeat. Therefore, Ning Zhuo must be fully focused, leaving no time for deliberation. Many of his choices, whether it's dodging, blocking, or preparing a counterattack, come from his heart and his very nature.
This allowed him to quickly filter through the various options offered by experience.
A force of recoil traveled along the bronze sword to Ning Zhuo's arm and even his shoulder.
Ning Zhuo hastily retreated.
The bronze sword took the first step, guiding Ning Zhuo's wrist to rotate, releasing the recoil force through the movement of the sword.
At the same time, it also blocked the bronze sword's second attack.
The bronze sword once again provided Ning Zhuo with crucial assistance.
If it were entirely up to Ning Zhuo, he would definitely not be able to dodge the bronze sword's subsequent attacks and would inevitably get hurt.
The bronze sword reacted on its own during the battle with remarkable speed, allowing Ning Zhuo to make the correct response before he could react.
Ning Zhuo remembered this response and his eyes gleamed: "I've learned something!"
It was as if a teacher was guiding him through practical application, ensuring that Ning Zhuo gained something from every breath he took.
The bronze knife's subsequent attacks were deflected by the bronze sword.
The blade followed the ground smoothly, shifting from a thrust to a slash, sweeping towards Ning Zhuo's ankle. The transition between the sword moves was seamless and fluid.
Ning Zhuo's pupils contracted slightly, and in his haste, he could only pull his leg back and leap again.
He jumped a little too fast, bending over in mid-air and leaning his upper body forward, causing the bronze sword to create a brief sword curtain for defense.
The bronze sword aided in calibration, helping Ning Zhuo barely deflect this insidious slash.
However, a small tear was still made in the pant leg, and Ning Zhuo's calf hairs stood on end as he felt a chill.
Before he could even regain his footing, the bronze knife pounced on him like a leech.
The blade slashed continuously, forming a combo attack.
Three-fold Wave-Breaking Blade!
The first strike was incredibly heavy. Ning Zhuo parried it with his sword held horizontally, but his arm trembled violently and went numb, forcing him to retreat repeatedly.
The second strike, a sharp slash, transformed into a diagonal sweep, the blade like a viper's hiss, aimed at Ning Zhuo with a cunning angle. Ning Zhuo, having parried, was forced to raise his hand, exposing his left rib.
Just as he was about to be stabbed, Ning Zhuo could only twist his body awkwardly, and the blade narrowly missed his waist.
"Tear!" The clothes tore, and a line of blood was drawn from the skin on the side of the waist by the blade.
The third strike, a flick followed by a thrust, was delivered with lightning speed to his right shoulder, using the twisting motion of his waist.
Ning Zhuo lost his balance due to his circling maneuver, making it difficult for him to dodge this time.
The next moment, blood spurted out, and a large gash was slashed open on his right shoulder, deep enough to expose the bone.
Ning Zhuo quickly switched the bronze sword to his left hand, wielding it with incredible speed and unleashing his full power.
Guided by the bronze sword, the series of defensive movements—swinging, blocking, deflecting, and striking—were all executed flawlessly, successfully thwarting the bronze knife's subsequent attacks.
But excruciating pain kept coming from his right shoulder, and blood quickly stained Ning Zhuo's robes.
Ning Zhuo's feelings were extremely profound: "The bronze sword only has basic sword moves, but with the bronze saber, it's a whole new level. It's not just basic saber moves, the attacks are faster, the moves are more fluid, and there are even combos!"
That was just a small combo made up of three basic sword moves.
The chop, slash, and thrust were linked together, with layers of power accumulating and the rhythm changing abruptly. The attack accurately anticipated Ning Zhuo's response, thus causing injury.
Ning Zhuo felt as if he had been hit by three waves in a row, giving him no chance to catch his breath.
The wound on my right shoulder has stopped bleeding on its own.
The excruciating pain from the knife wound was also gradually subsiding.
Ning Zhuo's eyes gleamed with a sharp light. The various experiences in his memory had become vivid because of the profound experience he had just had.
Many demonic cultivators used sword techniques, and the sight of these techniques impacted his mind at that moment. The combined effect brought him an indescribable and intense realization.
As time passed, Ning Zhuo stabilized his position after enduring the most difficult initial clashes.
His close-combat sword skills quickly adapted to opponents one level higher, helping Ning Zhuo to fight back and forth.
A similar situation to that before was once again presented before the cultivators.
"He's learning through real-world experience!"
"The progress is truly visible to the naked eye."
"I understand!" a cultivator suddenly exclaimed, clenching his fist in admiration. "It's because of his exceptional learning ability that he won first place in both of the Confucian cultivation trials!"
This statement immediately resonated with many people.
"Indeed. Chu Xuangui's test was imitation. The more Confucian scholars mastered calligraphy, the more disadvantaged they were."
"Song Taosheng directly taught the two techniques of hanging one's head from the beam and pricking one's thigh with an awl in the Confucian Temple. These are both learning methods, which are perfect for Ning Zhuo to utilize."
Some monks also noticed his physical body.
"His physical foundation is very strong. I rarely see such a powerful physical body when I am in the Foundation Establishment stage."
"I think that besides focusing on the Five Elements Technique, he must have also cultivated the lower dantian's essence sea. Perhaps he was just feinting, focusing on the essence sea while also cultivating the qi sea!"
Some cultivators nodded, while others shook their heads.
"This possibility cannot be ruled out."
“Ning Zhuo has a powerful background. Even if a genius like him doesn’t specialize in the Sea of Essence, he must have plenty of means and secret techniques to help him further enhance his physical foundation.”
“You can imagine Situ Xing and Ban Ji; these are the face of major forces in the Foundation Establishment stage. They will use various secret methods to improve aspects that their main cultivation method doesn’t cover, but the cost is high.”
As everyone was talking, Ning Zhuo suddenly thrust forward, the tip of his sword striking the bronze knife and knocking it to the ground.
This was a golden opportunity to subdue him, but Ning Zhuo did not seize the chance. Instead, he took a step back, continued to hold his sword, and remained on high alert.
Upon seeing this, some of the cultivators sighed, "Here we go again! Ning Zhuo isn't nervous at all; he's still learning. If this continues, he'll definitely end up in last place."
Some people saw through Ning Zhuo's intention: "I think he made the right choice. Imagine if he had refined the bronze sword as soon as he faced it, would his close combat strength have improved? He would probably have been defeated by the small combo attack as soon as he faced the bronze saber."
Someone interjected, "This is indeed a steady and pragmatic approach. Ning Zhuo, as a first-rate genius, has his own ideas."
"But if he continues like this, he won't be able to catch up with the others, and he might be eliminated in the second round because he won't have enough time."
"Sigh, I hope he knows what's going on."
Although it was the first time the cultivators had met Ning Zhuo, they all had a natural affinity for such an upright person. At the same time, they were even more eager to witness the clash between Ning Zhuo and Ban Ji; it would be a real pity to miss such a spectacle.
Ning Zhuo was immersed in learning through practical combat, while the other cultivators who were also at the Foundation Establishment stage were widening the gap between them.
Facing a bronze sword, Zhang Wangxing laughed heartily, showing no fear whatsoever.
He thumped his chest: "Come on, cut me down!"
When the bronze sword struck his body, his body collapsed like soft mud, as if it had no bones, and tightly wrapped around the bronze sword.
The bronze sword's momentum had waned, and it tried to withdraw.
Zhang Wangxing gripped the hilt of the knife with both hands, holding on tightly. At the same time, his arms melted, forming flowing flesh that covered the blade.
The bronze knife fought back fiercely, thrusting in and out of Zhang Wangxing's body.
Pfft, pfft, pfft...
Zhang Wangxing's face was pale as he endured repeated excruciating pain, but his mouth stretched even wider, and his laughter became increasingly rampant.
The bronze sword's attack was quickly reduced, and soon it was refined by Zhang Wangxing.
Zhang Wangxing specializes in the "Blood and Flesh Transformation Scripture," which grants him deep control over his own flesh and blood, enabling it to undergo various unbelievable and violent transformations, while also transferring his bones and internal organs.
"The Ninefold Mystic Armor's Cloud-Summoning Test is nothing special. Hahaha!"
Zhang Wangxing obtained three bronze artifacts in a row, surpassing Ban Ji's progress and becoming the top Foundation Establishment cultivator in the arena.
Three-fold Wave-Breaking Blade!
The bronze sword unleashed its power once more, launching a mini-combo attack.
Ning Zhuo's gaze was deep and focused. Instead of retreating, he advanced. His bronze sword trembled slightly as he slashed diagonally upwards to meet the heavy first strike.
"Zheng—!"
Amidst the piercing clang of the sword, Ning Zhuo did not retreat. The bronze sword in his hand grazed the blade at a subtle angle.
The force of the feedback was transmitted to Ning Zhuo's arms and shoulders. Ning Zhuo fully felt it and used the momentum to execute a sword move, deflecting the power of the bronze knife.
Ning Zhuo seized the opportunity when the first strike of "Three-Fold Wave Blade" was exhausted and the second strike was about to begin, and directly disrupted it!
Ning Zhuo's eyes shone brightly, and the bronze sword moved with lightning speed, cutting down the bronze knife and forcing it to retreat step by step. Just as it was about to fight back, Ning Zhuo deflected its force, causing the blade to become crooked and weak, like a child, completely unlike its previous domineering appearance.
Clang.
The bronze knife fell to the ground; this was the thirty-second time.
Unlike before, Ning Zhuo stepped on the bronze blade, pouring in large amounts of divine sense and magical power to refine it directly.
Ning Zhuo bent down and picked up the bronze knife.
Left knife, right sword!
His breathing changed from rapid to slow.
Sweat trickled down his temples and dripped onto the blade and sword.
He couldn't help but think of Banji: "Could I also emulate Banji and use a combination of left-handed sword and right-handed sword techniques? That way, I'll have another way to stop him in the future."
Another place.
Banji dragged his bronze mace forward, looking utterly dejected: "Swords! Swords!"
What was presented to him was a nunchaku.
"I..." Banji's eyes twitched incessantly, and his face turned bright red.
I was so angry.
(End of this chapter)
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