Chapter 43: A Prodigy of Heaven-Defying Talent

Yu Canghai shoved his way to the front of the crowd, eager to catch a glimpse of the true sword manual. Other martial artists in the pugilist world were also somewhat restless, though none moved as aggressively as he did.

Seeing this, Wang Jingyuan refused to let him off lightly and shouted loudly, "Hey, the one from Mount Qingcheng over there, yes, I'm talking to you. My master has made it very clear. Your Mount Qingcheng isn't even part of the Five Great Mountains; what gives? Are you trying to elevate Mount Qingcheng's status? Even if you wanted to boost your prestige, the Mount Emei folks standing right next to you are far more qualified than you!"

Noticing that it was Wang Jingyuan yet again, Yu Canghai was consumed by fury. He raised his hand, intending to strike him down with the Heart-Destruction Palm. However, Wang Jingyuan immediately ducked behind Yue Buqun, pointed at Yu Canghai, and cried, "Master, that short dead guy is trying to bully me."

Yue Buqun cupped his hands and said, "My disciple is unruly. I ask for your understanding, Abbot Yu."

Seeing Yue Buqun adopt this attitude once more, Yu Canghai was utterly helpless against him. Harboring a malicious scheme, however, he raised his voice and shouted, "Hmph! You claimed you were sharing the sword manual with everyone, but in the end, it has simply fallen into the hands of a few major sects. What? Does this mean everyone must henceforth bow to your commands if they wish to receive your favors?!"

Upon hearing this, many lower-class martial artists in the crowd felt he made a valid point. Although Yue Buqun sounded noble, what if they were unwilling to act like dogs for these major sects, while their rivals groveled before them to an embarrassing degree? Wouldn't that place proud and upright individuals like themselves at a severe disadvantage?

In an instant, the people present began whispering and murmuring among themselves. Anticipating such a reaction long beforehand, Yue Buqun merely smiled serenely and replied, "Abbot Yu must be mistaken; Yue harbors no such intentions whatsoever. Furthermore, the Qingcheng Sect is considered a righteous and renowned school. The copy in my hand may be shown to Abbot Yu, but..."

Yu Canghai sneered coldly, knowing there was bound to be a catch. "But what?"

"But as I stated previously, those lacking sufficient natural talent must not force themselves to practice it. Therefore, I will only show Abbot Yu the first page. If Abbot Yu's aptitude falls short, we shall drop the matter."

Yu Canghai didn't believe a word about natural talent or the lack thereof, but now that he had an opportunity to witness the true sword manual, he could no longer care about such details and immediately agreed.

True to his word, Yue Buqun opened the first page of the manual and turned it toward Yu Canghai. The martial artists standing behind Yu Canghai also craned their necks to look, but Yue Buqun paid them no mind.

Sure enough, those who lacked sufficient aptitude yet could not restrain themselves from practicing along with the first page of the manual immediately felt a surge of intense internal heat and chaotic qi coursing through their bodies. Those with higher cultivation levels even coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood on the spot.

Sidestepping to avoid the blood spewed by Yu Canghai, Yue Buqun closed the manual and remarked, "It seems Abbot Yu's innate talent is insufficient."

Judging others by his own standards, Yu Canghai pointed at Yue Buqun and cursed, "You hypocrite! You gave out a fake sword manual!"

Stepping forward, Wang Jingyuan retorted, "You short freak, stop spouting malicious slander! So what if you can spit blood?! Blaming the manual for being fake just because your own aptitude is too low. Does that mean if your son grows up ugly, you'll blame him for not being your biological child?!"

"You! You!" Yu Canghai was incensed with rage, but Wang Jingyuan had already darted back behind Yue Buqun.

Observing Yu Canghai's impotent fury, Yue Buqun smiled faintly and said, "Jingyuan, words alone carry no weight, and at present, you are the only one with the aptitude to practice the Evil-Warding Sword Technique. Why don't you demonstrate it for everyone?"

Feigning reluctance, Wang Jingyuan scratched his head with a troubled expression and said, "Very well. But since I am only a beginner and have only mastered the first twelve postures, I shall demonstrate just those twelve."

With that, Wang Jingyuan drew the longsword from his waist. The surrounding people tactfully stepped back, leaving the center of the hall clear for him to perform.

Once unleashed, the sword techniques were as swift as lightning and thunder, impossible to track. Twelve flashes of sword light vanished in an instant, resembling a flock of crows sweeping across a palace. The silk painting screen and the Pine and Crane Longevity scroll hanging before the hall were abruptly sliced apart. Wang Jingyuan sheathed his sword, and the tassels hanging from the curtains behind him snapped off in unison.

The onlookers were stunned; this truly was an unparalleled sword technique. Those holding copies of the manual couldn't help but flip open their books to the first twelve postures, cross-referencing them one by one with the moves Wang Jingyuan had just displayed.

A moment later, everyone looked at Wang Jingyuan with complicated expressions. The sword technique he executed was indeed precisely what was recorded in the manual. Furthermore, the scorching internal energy carried along the edge of the blade matched the tyrannical internal cultivation method perfectly.

Master Dingyi sighed deeply, "Truly, the younger generation is to be feared."

If others failed to understand the Evil-Warding Sword Technique, how could Yu Canghai not? He had long memorized the seventy-two stances of the Evil-Warding Sword Technique and had practiced them for years.

Countless times he had wondered why this seemingly mediocre sword technique had managed to defeat his own master back then. Today, he finally understood—there was indeed nothing particularly praiseworthy about the stances of the Evil-Warding Sword Technique itself.

Yet its astonishing speed and bizarre agility meant that even a standard, direct thrust could erupt with immense power. Moreover, judging by the expressions of the various sect leaders, not a single person raised any doubts. Could the sword manual provided by Yue Buqun actually be real?

Staring fiercely at Yue Buqun, Yu Canghai demanded, "Let me see it! Let me look at it again!"

Yue Buqun sighed heavily. "Abbot Yu, it is not that I am being stingy, but this sword technique truly cannot be forced."

"I don't believe it! If he can practice it, why can't I?! Let me see it again!"

Unable to refuse him further, Yue Buqun reluctantly opened the manual once more. Being fair-minded, however, this time he opened it to the second page. Seeing this, Yu Canghai felt a surge of joy. He remembered the first page clearly, and now that he could see the subsequent section, he was bound to find the key to the manual.

Immediately afterward, however, he vomited blood once more—this time in a greater volume and spraying much further. What he found even harder to accept was that his "little Canghai" actually reacted to the sensation. Fortunately, he was wearing a loose Daoist robe, or else he would have made a complete fool of himself.

Yu Canghai possessed one distinct advantage: he never engaged in self-blame, invariably looking outward to find faults in others. He roared at Yue Buqun, "It's you! It must be you! The manual you gave them is the real one, and the one in your hands is fake!"

Wang Jingyuan scolded angrily, "What are you babbling about, you shorty?! The manual everyone holds is identical!" Though in truth, they were all fake.

Just as Yu Canghai was about to retort further, the hot-tempered Daoist Priest Tianmen interrupted him. "Enough! This sword technique is indeed profoundly marvelous, but as Brother Yue stated, it cannot be practiced by anyone who lacks extraordinary, God-given talent."

"You Five Mountains Sword Sects are all cut from the same cloth!" Yu Canghai wanted to argue back, but Daoist Priest Tianmen couldn't even be bothered to refute him, turning instead to address the crowd. "In this world, the Evil-Warding Sword Technique is not the only sword art that places extremely high demands on one's innate talent. My Mount Tai Sword Sect possesses one as well!"

Everyone turned to look at Daoist Priest Tianmen. Among them, some of the older members seemed to recognize something and gasped in astonishment, "Could it be the legendary sword technique known for delivering only a single strike against an enemy?"

Daoist Priest Tianmen nodded. "Precisely. It is none other than my Mount Tai Sect's 'How is Mount Tai?'. To my shame, because this sword technique is far too profound, esoteric, and obscure, not a single person within the entire Mount Tai Sect has been able to master it for decades.

"Yet just a few days ago, Nephew Wang rescued a member of our Mount Tai Sect from Tian Boguang. In gratitude, I allowed Nephew Wang to choose one of our Mount Tai ultimate techniques for me to pass down to him.

"And the technique Nephew Wang chose was none other than 'How is Mount Tai?'!"

The crowd was shocked. "Could Young Hero Wang have mastered 'How is Mount Tai?' as well?"

Tianmen acknowledged, "Indeed. Even I myself have failed to master it. I merely explained the key points of this single sword stance to Nephew Wang, and he mastered the technique on the spot. How laughable that the only person in this world who currently wields this sword technique is not a disciple of my Mount Tai Sect."

Turning his gaze to Yue Buqun, Tianmen sighed, "If only he were a disciple of my Mount Tai Sect. Brother Yue, you have taken in a truly magnificent disciple."

Yue Buqun merely cupped his hands politely, while pondering with a lingering sense of melancholy: If only he truly were a disciple of my Mount Hua Sect.