Yun Wei finally arrived late, just as the incense stick was about to burn out and everyone in Bili City was anxiously waiting.
Qin Lushu returned to the arena and asked Xie Mulang beside him with great curiosity, "Grandmaster Uncle, Mr. Yun also knows martial arts? I always thought he only specialized in magic."
Xie Mulang also found it unbelievable, but shook his head slightly and hesitated, saying, "I don't know, maybe the real person doesn't reveal their abilities."
At this point, he glanced at the young man beside him and then instructed, "Lu Shu, don't forget to apologize to Brother Yun later."
This refers to the earlier incident where Qin Lushu argued with Yun Wei.
"Hey, I know what I mean." The once lively young man immediately drooped his eyes upon hearing this. "I'm so regretful. In my haste, I blurted out something I shouldn't have... Grandmaster Uncle, do you think Mr. Yun is still angry with me?"
Xie Mulang pursed his lips and said, "It's hard to say. Brother Yun is very perceptive. Even if he's really angry, you won't be able to tell from his face."
"Alright..." Qin Lushu couldn't help but feel uneasy, so he quickly changed the subject, "Speaking of which, since Mr. Yun is a dual cultivator of magic and martial arts, what exactly is his strength? Is he a mage and swordsman like you, Grandmaster Uncle?"
The grand-uncle before him, not yet thirty, had already reached the peak of the fifth-level high rank in both martial arts and demonic arts. Even among the younger generation of Bili City, he could be considered a legend.
Moreover, the sword skills of the Azure City are not judged solely by the amount of elemental energy, but more importantly by their 'skill'.
When the sword possesses true meaning, it can deflect a thousand pounds with four ounces.
But behind his story lies a story of untold hardships.
Qin Lushu had vaguely heard that Xie Mulang had refined a forbidden manual called "Seven Heartbreak Scripture" in pursuit of a breakthrough in martial arts, which was probably why his lifespan was not as long as that of ordinary people.
"Well..." Xie Mulang's face showed a strange expression as he said this.
When they first met, he thought Yun Wei was just a level three high-level mage, and he didn't even notice him hiding in the shadows.
But then it was discovered that the other party seemed to be able to use even level 5 magic with ease.
Putting everything else aside, just take the day before yesterday, that warm snow that shook the nine heavens of Azure City was clearly a level five ice spell—
Oh, right...
Yun Wei seems to have mastered more than one type of magic, not just water and ice magic, but also the necromancy that strikes fear into the hearts of many.
Thinking of this, Xie Mulang shook his head again, but said to his curious nephew beside him, "I'm afraid it's more than that. After all, Brother Yun once fought to a standstill with the old bones of the Radiant Holy Sect outside Moonflower City."
The "old bones" he was referring to were Cardinal Nicholas, the Holy Church's representative in Moonflower City.
The Holy Church of Radiant Light also sent cardinals to preach in the City of Jade.
However, because he was too arrogant and pretentious, he eventually returned empty-handed and slunk back to the Continent of Zhuyuan.
Therefore, the people of Bili City didn't have a very good impression of the Radiant Holy Church.
This is a digression, but it's important to know that a seventh-rank priest may not necessarily become a cardinal, but without exception, all cardinals are seventh-rank priests.
Xie Mulang was a straightforward and honest person, but he concealed the fact that he could also overpower Nicholas.
Upon hearing this, Qin Lushu's already large eyes widened as if they were copper bells.
After a while, he almost lost the courage to speak to Mr. Yun anymore.
"clang!"
Just then, the gong on the stage rang out again, announcing the official start of the final "Tianquan Sword" competition.
The uncle and nephew, who had been whispering to each other in the audience, quickly turned their attention back to the stage.
Yun Wei gracefully stepped forward, curiously shaking the Qingfeng sword in his hand. The sword rang out, but the swordplay was not as beautiful as that of the previous contestants.
Qin Lushu understood perfectly, and lowered his voice to say to Xie Mulang, "Grandmaster Uncle, I feel like... it's like Mr. Yun is holding a sword for the first time."
He himself looked just like this when he first held a sword, flicking the hilt and striking the blade—quite unusual.
Xie Mulang kept his eyes fixed on the stage, but said, "Enough of this small talk, let's continue watching."
On the arena, the black-robed man and Yun Wei stared at each other quietly for a moment before the man finally made his move.
He kept his balance on his feet, but the soft sword in his hand slashed out with overwhelming force, carrying an arrogant air of looking down on all living beings. Unexpectedly, Yun Wei moved his feet lightly and barely avoided the straight-down blade with a sidestep.
A collective gasp of astonishment erupted from the stands.
Qin Lushu muttered under his breath, "Why is it this trick again? I'm getting tired of seeing it."
This blitzkrieg move, called "Heaven's Mandate of Power," is like an emperor sitting on a dragon throne throwing memorials at the heads of his kneeling, submissive ministers.
At the same time, it is also the origin of the "Tianquan Sword", which comes from the "Yangquan" chapter of "Han Feizi".
To promote power means to promote the power of the monarch.
The Legalists advocated the supremacy of monarchical power, with the emperor in charge of penal law, firmly holding power in his grasp, making punishments unpredictable and authority immeasurable.
This is what Han Feizi said.
And some people do just that.
That person's mother's surname was Zhao, while his surname was Ying, and his given name was Zheng.
In the past, when Han Feizi traveled to Xianyang, he presented his "First Encounter with Qin," which greatly pleased King Zheng of Qin. Later, Han Feizi committed suicide in Qin prison. King Zheng of Qin adopted his ideas, eventually unifying the six kingdoms and becoming emperor.
These are all historical anecdotes mentioned at the beginning of the sword manual for the Tianquan Sword recorded in Bili City, which are well-known and memorized by the disciples of the four surnames.
When the man in black robes first arrived at Bili, he spoke rudely. Someone from the Dali Temple stepped in to teach him a lesson, using the most basic move from the Tianquan Sword. However, the man in black robes used the same move to beat him to a pulp.
Now, on the arena, the man in black robes still uses this sword technique, while Yun Wei moves nimbly around the tip of the sword.
Extremely dangerous, yet barely avoidable!
Xie Mulang murmured to himself, "'Power does not wish to see me, for he has always been inactive... We should wait for him with an empty mind, and he will act accordingly.'"
Upon hearing this, Qin Lushu immediately continued the story, saying, "'When the four seas are hidden, the yin of the Dao is revealed. When the left and right are in position, the door is opened and the opponent is in sight.' These two are chasing each other on the arena, and it's making me very anxious! Grandmaster Uncle, have you figured out what's going on?"
Xie Mulang kept staring at Yun Wei, who was weaving through the sword's edge on the arena, and said softly, "Lu Shu, do you know why Sima Qian, when writing the Records of the Grand Historian, put Han Fei and Laozi together?"
Qin Lushu was taken aback upon hearing this.
The young man lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment before tentatively asking, "Because he was the first to interpret the Tao Te Ching?"
He had never been a big fan of the classics of the Fashan school, finding their arguments and pronouncements too sharp. He only knew that the two chapters "Jie Lao" and "Yu Lao" in Han Feizi were the earliest commentaries on the Tao Te Ching.
Xie Mulang shook his head slightly and said, "Of course not. I can't answer that right now either, but watching Brother Yun's movements on the stage, I suddenly had a feeling..."
"How does it feel?" Qin Lushu looked towards the stage, where the two were locked in a fierce battle, making him somewhat dizzy.
Xie Mulang paused for a moment, and finally murmured, "It seems that the king who is so self-righteous is actually the 'Dao' itself."
While the two were engrossed in their conversation, a new development occurred on stage.
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