Seeing Zhou Wuji agree so readily, Wu'ai was delighted as well. "Decisive, Junior Brother! Come!"
Noticing that Zhou Wuji carried no sword, Wu'ai instructed a young Daoist boy nearby, "Go fetch a sword."
The young Daoist boy acknowledged the order and hurried off, quickly returning with a three-foot sword, which he respectfully handed to Zhou Wuji with both hands.
Zhou Wuji casually drew the blade. It was made of cloud-patterned steel, and while the material seemed decent enough, the sword was rather short, weighing only about a jin.
There were no nicks or notches along the edge; it was likely a training blade that had never seen actual combat.
Wu'ai also unsheathed his weapon. The sword in his hand measured three and a half feet, with azure starlight motifs swirling handsomely across the metal.
Most importantly, talismans were embedded within the blade—it was clearly a fine magic implement.
*At least seventh rank.*
Zhou Wuji could tell at a glance that Wu'ai's blade was exceptional, no worse than the Seven Stars Sword his master had left behind, and perhaps even superior in quality.
It only went to show the deep foundations of the Yuheng lineage, that a seventh-rank cultivator could wield such a high-grade weapon.
Neither Zhishan nor Yiding spoke; evidently, neither saw any issue with the disparity between their blades.
This was no formal duel, after all, merely a private exchange and spar.
As the challenger fighting on his home ground, it was only natural for Wu'ai to enjoy a few advantages.
Zhou Wuji did not care about that either; he merely felt a touch of envy toward Wu'ai's sword. He wanted to purchase a good blade of his own, yet had no idea whom to approach.
If his master had belonged to the Yuheng lineage, solving this would have been effortless. A pity, truly a pity...
The side hall was sufficiently broad, offering several zhang of open floor—more than enough room for a sword duel.
Holding his sword in a reverse grip by the hilt, Wu'ai cupped his hands. "Please."
Zhou Wuji looked Wu'ai over. During the ordination ceremony, he had only seen the man's back; this was his first clear view of his face.
Of medium build, Wu'ai had an ordinary face with no standout features, save for a pair of eyes that gleamed with sharp vigor.
With a sword in hand, a natural aura of piercing sharpness settled between his brows.
He truly possessed something of a swordsman's bearing.
Zhou Wuji cupped his hands in return. The two stood opposite one another, roughly seven paces apart.
Though Wu'ai was eager to defeat Zhou Wuji to prove himself, he grew remarkably calm the moment they faced each other.
Yuheng could be regarded as the sword cultivators of the Arctic Sect, possessing a long heritage in the art of the sword.
He knew well the lethal force of swordplay, and even more so the perils of close-quarters combat.
When both fighters wielded their blades with full strength, a single misstep meant defeat—or even death.
Life and death hung by a hair's breadth!
Zhishan suddenly spoke up: "This is a friendly spar between you two. Stop before landing a fatal blow; you must not inflict harm under any circumstances."
He spoke with grave solemnity, warning them not to gamble with their lives.
In close-quarters sword combat without protective talismans, even someone of his cultivation could not guarantee that neither would be harmed or killed.
Both Wu'ai and Zhou Wuji nodded in assent.
Zhou Wuji held his sword horizontally across his chest. This was merely an opening stance, lacking practical combat value.
In real battle, such a posture was disadvantageous, as every subsequent transition of the blade would be slightly slower.
Yet with his swordsmanship having reached the Consummate realm and his body tempered to exceptional strength, he cared nothing for this minor disadvantage.
In front of Zhishan and Daoist Yiding, he could hardly activate the Six Yang Dharma Eyes, which prevented him from observing with fine precision.
Fortunately, having opened the Heavenly Gate and condensed the Baihui acupoint, Zhou Wuji could already perceive subtle shifts in external true qi.
At such close range, with Wu'ai continuously circulating his true qi,
Zhou Wuji was already able to detect some of the nuances in the flow of Wu'ai's true qi through his sense of qi.
The acupoints around Wu'ai's seven orifices were respiring true qi, pure and refined, forming a resonance of qi and sword with the weapon in his hand.
It had to be admitted that Wu'ai's reputation as the number one in swordsmanship in the Lower Abbey was backed by genuine ability.
Moreover, the circulation route of Wu'ai's true qi differed from the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Scripture; it was likely the exclusive mental technique of the Yuheng lineage.
By the same token, Wu'ai probably did not know the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Scripture either, making him somewhat inferior when it came to channeling thunder arts and similar spells.
Zhou Wuji had half a mind to pry open Wu'ai's brain to inspect the true essence of the Yuheng lineage's sword technique.
Relying on sensing qi alone made it impossible to learn another's sword art.
Forms were merely the external variations of swordplay; for supreme sword arts, physical forms accounted for only a tenth of the whole, or even less.
The reason was simple: humans held swords with their hands. The anatomy of the human body and the structure of a sword inevitably meant that variations in form were limited.
Yet when sword forms were paired with true qi, they yielded boundless, infinite possibilities.
Wu'ai had no such thoughts. Holding his weapon, he naturally focused his mind, his divine sense and consciousness harmonizing with the blade, purged of all stray distractions.
He sensed that Zhou Wuji's aura was calm and unhurried, lacking any of the tension typical of a duel; the boy clearly did not take him seriously.
Wu'ai took no offense; it was an advantage when an enemy underestimated him. Regulating his breath, he channeled the power of the Seven Stars through his seven orifices, activating the Flying Star Sword in his hand.
The azure blade hummed and vibrated, unleashing an undulating wave of sword qi that shot straight at Zhou Wuji.
From this distance, the projected sword qi was not enough to pose a tangible threat to Zhou Wuji, but its surging agitation could strike directly at his seven orifices, disrupting his six senses and daunting his spirit.
The sword qi arrived before the swordsman had even moved—an exquisite opening gambit.
Zhou Wuji had long been able to make his qi move with his sword, but he could not project sword qi outward through a blade.
Releasing true qi with one's hands was relatively simple.
He could pour true qi into a weapon, but he could not project sword qi across empty air through a thin blade.
Merely ejecting sword qi was not particularly hard; the difficulty lay in controlling its direction, magnitude, angle, layering, and precision.
Without such control, simply releasing sword qi was merely a waste of true qi, devoid of practical purpose.
Having opened his Heavenly Gate, Zhou Wuji could "see" the shifts in Wu'ai's sword qi in far finer detail.
The opponent's invisible sword qi surged toward his sensory organs and seven orifices like waves of water rolling off the blade.
Though the variations of the sword qi were intricate, they possessed little actual force; given his physical toughness, he would not be hurt even if he stood completely still.
However, having his orifices enveloped by the sword qi would certainly impair his six senses.
Such delicate modulations of sword qi clearly belonged to the Big Dipper Seven Stars Sword, the supreme art of the Yuheng lineage.
Martial Uncle Yiping had told him about this as well.
The Big Dipper Seven Stars Sword had originally been an ultimate technique of the Arctic Sect. Later, as factional strife worsened and the Yuheng lineage produced several sword grandmasters in succession, it had ultimately been refined into an exclusive heritage of Yuheng.
Zhou Wuji felt a touch of wistfulness. His master had probably been unable to learn the Big Dipper Seven Stars Sword, leaving him no choice but to create the Xiaoxiang Sword himself.
The Xiaoxiang Sword Technique was comprehensive and profound, yet constrained by his master's realm, it reached the sixth rank at best and could go no higher.
Compared to the Big Dipper Seven Stars Sword of the Yuheng lineage, there was a vast disparity.
Zhou Wuji sighed internally. Lineage factionalism was truly toxic—keeping such an exceptional sword art from fellow disciples of the sect was simply infuriating!
Wu'ai's control of sword qi was indeed refined, but his true qi was of an ordinary grade, ensuring that the sword qi posed no real threat.
Zhou Wuji swung his sword in a casual slash, sundering Wu'ai's invisible sword qi with a sound like tearing silk.
Seizing the momentum, Zhou Wuji stepped forward and converted the slash into a thrust, aiming straight for Wu'ai's throat.
A single slash and a single thrust were the simplest of sword maneuvers, yet when Zhou Wuji executed them, they flowed with extraordinary smoothness, like drifting clouds and flowing water.
Seated as spectators, Zhishan and Yiding maintained impassive faces, but inwardly both felt a start.
Both were sword masters. With just one move from Zhou Wuji, they knew this young man's sword technique was high—exceptionally high! He was not inferior even to them!
Crucially, Zhou Wuji's transitions were blisteringly fast, and the absolute simplicity of his movements gave him an aura of unhurried elegance. As he wielded the blade, there was an ineffable grace to his motions.
Wu'ai's deployment of invisible sword qi was more sophisticated, but that stemmed from the higher grade of the sword art itself.
Comparing the two, Zhou Wuji's mastery of swordsmanship clearly outstripped Wu'ai's.
Wu'ai felt it even more keenly, for Zhou Wuji's direct thrust was blindingly fast.
To his eyes, the blade was like a bolt of cold lightning. Before the sword even arrived, he felt as if his spirit had already been impaled by that chilling light.
Wu'ai hastily retreated in the Seven Stars Steps, shifting his Seven Stars Sword into the Tianxuan stance, his blade spinning like a wheel to parry Zhou Wuji's thrust.
The Tianxuan Sword sealed off his entire body like a massive gate; no matter how swift Zhou Wuji's thrust was, it ultimately could not breach the defense of the Tianxuan Sword.
Sparks flew as the blades collided. Zhou Wuji felt a consummate, spinning force transfer through the blade, as though he had struck a rapidly turning wheel, causing his sword to deflect outward.
*The Big Dipper Seven Stars Sword is truly profound.*
Seeing such an extraordinary sword art for the first time, Zhou Wuji could not help but marvel again.
Every move of his opponent resonated with true qi, giving rise to myriad subtle interactions between sword and qi while harmonizing perfectly with footwork.
Even though Wu'ai's swordsmanship was several realms behind his own, the sheer brilliance of the technique allowed him to deftly fend off Zhou Wuji's Descending Goose Sword—even with Zhou Wuji holding back considerably!
Sensing the exquisite mechanics in Wu'ai's defense, Zhou Wuji pulled back his sword and thrust again.
The contact between the two blades had been far too brief; wondrous though the Tianxuan stance was, it could not truly knock Zhou Wuji's sword aside.
Seeing the cold lightning flash forth once more, Wu'ai had no choice but to take another step back while invoking the Tianxuan stance again to protect himself.
When their blades met once more, Zhou Wuji was ready. He immediately withdrew his sword and unleashed a flurry of rapid thrusts.
In the blink of an eye, thirty-six thrusts shot forth. Pressed into dire straits by Zhou Wuji's rapid blade, Wu'ai could only tread the Seven Stars, continually falling back.
The glittering cold lightning of the thrusts suddenly ceased. Pushed to his absolute limit, Wu'ai finally caught his breath. Just as he prepared to wield his sword in a counterattack, he saw Zhou Wuji drift several paces back. Lowering his sword, Zhou Wuji cupped his hands. "Senior Brother's swordplay is superb. I have learned much."
Zhou Wuji intended no mockery. Wu'ai's sword mastery was only at the Adept realm, yet in terms of technical refinement, he was the most accomplished among all the opponents Zhou Wuji had faced.
Had he not possessed the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment, Zhou Wuji would not have been Wu'ai's match at all.
Zhou Wuji did not consider having the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment to be cheating, but neither did he look down on other experts because of it.
To reach this level through talent and diligence proved that Wu'ai was truly gifted in swordsmanship.
The gap between them was too wide now; continuing to fight served no purpose. Nor was there any way he could learn the opponent's sword art simply through sparring.
Wu'ai's face flushed red. He was reluctant to see it end like this, having had no chance to display the various marvelous techniques of the Big Dipper Seven Stars Sword.
Yet he had to admit that Zhou Wuji's rapid sword was fierce, swift, and truly formidable.
Daoist Zhishan said with a smile, "Both of you performed admirably. Wu'ai advances and retreats with ease, his swordplay upright and balanced, meeting myriad changes with constancy.
"Wuji's rapid sword flows like drifting clouds and flowing water, forming a distinct style of his own. His future is boundless."
Zhishan praised them both, mainly to preserve face for Wu'ai.
After all, Wu'ai had been quite flustered and lagged considerably behind Zhou Wuji in sword skill.
Crucially, Zhou Wuji had unleashed that flurry of swift thrusts with calm composure, hardly exerting any real effort. If they continued fighting, Wu'ai would suffer a true humiliation.
Changing the subject, Zhishan said, "Regarding the assessment, I will issue an official document to be kept by the Lower Abbey.
"If you resolve the evil spirits at Jiuling Lake within three months, and it is verified without error by me and the Lower Abbey, you will have completed the assessment."
He exhorted further, "No one will follow you on such an assessment, but you may not enlist anyone else as an assistant. If discovered, your assessment will end immediately, and you will be expunged from the Celestial Master Mansion, losing all future opportunities to obtain an ordination certificate..."
Once Zhou Wuji left the side hall and Wu'ai and the others were dismissed, Zhishan spoke to Daoist Yiding with a complicated expression, "Since Zhou Wuji no longer has a master, is there any possibility he could transfer to our Yuheng lineage?"
Zhishan felt that Zhou Wuji was still young and had not yet formally obtained his ordination certificate, so it was not too late.
Primarily, the talent in the dao of the sword Zhou Wuji had displayed was too overwhelming; compared to him, Wu'ai was truly not worth mentioning.
If such a genius could join Yuheng, he stood a great chance of becoming the next first-rank sword dao grandmaster!
Daoist Yiding shook his head in silence. Yizhen had conferred ordination and registers upon Zhou Wuji; there was no way Zhou Wuji would ever betray Yizhen!
He, too, had recognized Zhou Wuji's peerless talent in swordsmanship. A pity, truly a pity—he could only let out a wistful sigh...
Chapter 92