chapter 6
6. Duel
“Huh? Me?” Lin Dongming pointed at himself with his index finger, looking just like a somewhat silly expression pack from his previous life.
“Yes, that’s right.” White Zhiqing remained sharp and imposing.
Lin Dongming shook his head helplessly: “I remember Junior Sister White has only recently formed her Core. Wouldn’t it be better to stabilize your realm before challenging others?”
After all, Lin Dongming didn’t want to reveal his strength in public yet. But clearly, White Zhiqing was not an easy opponent to deal with.
“Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Lin. My realm is already quite stable, which is why I wanted to spar with you.” White Zhiqing looked at him provocatively. “Or is it that… Senior Brother Lin thinks he isn’t capable and is afraid to come up?”
Song Yumian was the typical bystander enjoying the drama: “Oh my, Junior Brother Lin is being called incapable.”
Lin Dongming immediately fell into a speechless state. When someone says you’re not capable, you can’t just not go up.
So he sighed deeply: “Fine. Let’s see who’s better through action.”
Lin Dongming moved swiftly, appearing on the platform in the blink of an eye, and cupped his hands toward White Zhiqing: “Please go easy on me.”
White Zhiqing also cupped her hands in return and whispered, “I definitely won’t.”
With that, she drew the sword at her waist and slashed out a crescent-shaped sword energy.
Lin Dongming shifted, dodging sideways.
White Zhiqing wasn’t surprised at all. Crescent sword energies slashed out one after another, unceasing.
“Such excellent swordsmanship. No wonder you rank in the top five at Sky Sword Peak.” The various peaks of the Heavenly Extreme Sword Sect didn’t have clear hierarchies, but since Sky Sword Peak was the main peak where the sect leader resided, it easily recruited outstanding disciples and had the most prodigies. So people from the Heavenly Extreme Sword Sect always believed their swordsmanship was the strongest.
“Senior Brother Lin really looks down on people,” White Zhiqing coldly laughed. “You haven’t even drawn your sword yet, but you’re already praising your opponent. You’re actually praising yourself for suppressing your opponent, aren’t you!”
The long sword in White Zhiqing’s hand turned back, slashing out an arc of sword energy.
“Bad. I can’t dodge.” This kind of 360-degree sword energy could only be avoided by jumping upward, but the escape route above had already been blocked by White Zhiqing’s sword energy.
“Tch.” Lin Dongming had no choice but to slash open White Zhiqing’s sword energy with his sword, standing unharmed in place.
Only then did White Zhiqing reveal a smug smile: “I’ve heard the Heaven Mirror Heart Method of the Mirror Peak can predict an opponent’s attacks. Seeing it today, it seems the rumors are true.”
“Yes, even a half-baked practitioner like me can achieve this effect with it, not to mention others,” Lin Dongming said self-deprecatingly, standing lazily on the platform.
“Show your true strength, Senior Brother Lin,” White Zhiqing said. “I’ve heard all those rumors about you. If your swordsmanship is also poor, then you’re nothing but a gigolo living off women.”
Lin Dongming smiled bitterly and helplessly: “Why must Junior Sister be so aggressive? And I need to correct one thing: this isn’t living off women; it’s providing client services, no different from you taking missions to earn spirit stones.”
“Oh? But since you let others call you Senior Brother, you should at least act like one, right? Otherwise, you’d just become a laughingstock,” White Zhiqing raised her sword upward, and powerful spiritual energy gushed from her body.
“In fact, I already am,” Lin Dongming shrugged, his figure disappearing from the spot. “Is what others say necessarily the truth?”
“!” White Zhiqing widened her eyes, yet could only see Lin Dongming’s afterimages. The latter was approaching at an extremely fast speed.
White Zhiqing’s sword energy was vast and continuous, yet it could only brush through Lin Dongming’s illusory figures, hitting the protective barrier behind him.
Heaven Mirror Heart Method – Lion Hunting Rabbit!
White Zhiqing sensed a threat, focusing all her spiritual energy on her sword, swinging with full force.
Sky Sword Seven Absolutes – New Moon!
Their swords crossed, sparks flying.
Terrifying spiritual energy waves rapidly spread to the surroundings, passing through the barrier to the outside.
Even someone at late Core Formation stage would not dare claim they could escape unscathed after taking such a strike.
As the dust settled, both figures still stood in place.
“How about we stop here?” Lin Dongming suggested. “Let’s call it a draw.”
“No. I refuse.” White Zhiqing smiled coldly. “I finally got to see you, the player, take things a bit seriously. Of course we must continue.”
“Fine.” Lin Dongming sighed helplessly. “Then what follows can’t just be for fun anymore.”
He vanished from the spot.
The previously one-sided situation on the field underwent a fundamental change. Lin Dongming began to suppress White Zhiqing.
Those vast, endless sword energies could no longer capture Lin Dongming’s figure. Instead, White Zhiqing had to constantly watch for where Lin Dongming would attack from.
The Heaven Mirror Heart Method was said to require practitioners to have hearts as clear as mirrors. Those who cultivated it to the extreme could not only read through their opponent’s attacks but even briefly foresee the future.
—He really isn’t just an ordinary player.
White Zhiqing knew she had provoked a formidable opponent.
“But… don’t underestimate me either.” White Zhiqing changed her attack method, continuously drawing massive spiritual energy into her body.
Since normal sword energy attacks weren’t working, White Zhiqing stopped doing so.
Lin Dongming was briefly puzzled but chose to continue pursuing.
Heaven Mirror Heart Method – Wind Chaos!
Lin Dongming’s figure was like a bizarre wind, rushing before White Zhiqing in the blink of an eye, slashing out his sword.
Sky Sword Seven Absolutes – Wind Whirl!
White Zhiqing’s long sword slashed out an arc, with wind spiritual energy rapidly gathering around her, instantly forming a giant tornado!
This was a true attack with no blind spots.
“I see… I understand.” Lin Dongming had read her intention, but he had to forcibly break through the tornado’s attack. After all, he had no choice.
But the moment he broke through the wind screen, White Zhiqing’s slash was already before his eyes.
“Tch.” Lin Dongming also struck with his sword at the same time.
The next second, both their swords pointed at each other’s throats. The spiritual energy shields protecting their bodies had been activated, blocking each other’s swords. But with their cultivation and swordsmanship, if they truly wanted to break through this layer of spiritual energy shield, it definitely wouldn’t take much time.
“Unfortunately, it’s still a draw, Junior Sister White,” Lin Dongming said with slight regret.
“Yes, it’s unfortunate,” White Zhiqing withdrew her sword reluctantly. “Next time it won’t just be a draw.”
Lin Dongming gave a noncommittal light laugh, passing through the crowd toward Song Yumian.
The voices that had been buzzing about him now suddenly diminished.
“How realistic… this cultivation world,” Lin Dongming sighed helplessly.
“You shone brightly, Junior Brother Lin,” Song Yumian had long known Lin Dongming’s strength, so she wasn’t surprised at all. “But actually, you could have won, right? Against Junior Sister White.”