Capítulo 31: Liu's Maturation
[Five Years Later]
It was evening in the Sword Saint Sect, and the entire compound was buzzing with excitement.
Every single member—whether tutor or student—was present, all over five hundred. The crowd, which consisted mostly of teenagers and children, had gathered around a large open space in anticipation of a highly anticipated battle.
The long-awaited duel between their most powerful Martial Arts tutor, Cu Ren… and the strongest student in the sect, Liu.
"Did you hear? He's turning fifteen today!"
"I can't believe he challenged Master Cu Ren. He's guaranteed defeat."
"You're wrong! You're still a newcomer, so you don't know… how scary strong Liu is."
"Our seniors told us all about him before leaving the Sect. Liu is a beast, I tell you!"
"Master Cu Ren is no pushover either. Do you think someone like him has ever shown his true strength to us, his students, even once?"
"T-that's true…"
As murmurs passed through the crowd, conjecture and guesses wafted among everyone. The tension in the crowd was palpable as they eagerly awaited the start of the fight. As one would expect, some were confident that Cu Ren, with his years of experience and unmatched strength, would emerge victorious, while others believed that Liu, with his exceptional talent and undeniable skill, had what it took to defeat their tutor.
No one knew for sure, though.
As they waited for the fighters to enter the arena, the spectators exchanged nervous glances and whispered excitedly amongst themselves. Some talked about the training regimens of both fighters, others speculated about their preferred fighting styles, and still, others discussed their predictions for the outcome of the fight.
The older, more experienced members of the sect, including the students who would soon graduate were the most conflicted. They had been through Cu Ren's harsh training, but they also remembered the pearls of wisdom their predecessors left behind concerning Liu.
It was difficult to tell what would happen now.
"THEY'RE HEREEEEEEE!!!"
The sudden surge of noise among the excited crowd sent shivers down all their spines. They all watched as the two celebrities appeared within their very large circle.
Just like that, with no sound from them, they made their entrance.
Cu Ren, looking as imposing as always, gave a dangerous smirk as he stared intensely at the underdog. Everyone followed his gaze, all landing their sights on his challenger.
Having long black hair, and a handsome face that caused the ladies to yelp in excitement, the teenager smirked. His eyes were filled with resolve, though, and everyone could tell this was a decisive moment within the Sect.
The winner would be dubbed the strongest—second only to the Sect Master.
As the tension continued to build, the spectators could hardly contain their excitement, each one eagerly anticipating the start of the fight.
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The sun had just begun to set, casting long shadows across the empty field where Cu Ren and Liu had chosen to duel.
Cu Ren, the muscular man in his early thirties, stood with his feet firmly planted, holding his sword in front of him with a steady grip. His opponent, Liu, was just fifteen years old, but his small frame belied the incredible skill and speed he possessed.
They both had real blades, as per their agreement, and the serious gazes they exchanged connoted a mutual agreement to fight to their fullest.
"Haa…" Liu closed his eyes and concentrated on his blade for a moment.
He guessed Cu Ren was doing the same.
After a few seconds of doing that, both parties opened their eyes and stared straight at the other. With a nod from the both of them, the duel finally began.
Cu Ren instantly lunged forward with a fierce strike, his sword whistling through the air with a resounding clang as it met Liu's blade.
'As expected.' Liu thought as he deftly parried the attack, his movements fluid and graceful.
Utilizing that moment to the fullest, he countered with a lightning-fast series of strikes that left Cu Ren on the defensive.
"Tch!" Cu Ren was taken aback by the boy's speed and agility, but he was not one to be outdone.
>VWUUUUUSSSHHH<
A bright blue surge of energy instantly swelled, covering him in dense power. With a roar, he charged forward, swinging his sword with all his might.
The pressure threatened to send everyone who watched flying. Still, Liu dodged and weaved effortlessly, always seeming to be one step ahead of Cu Ren's strikes.
>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!<
The ground shattered upon impact, sending a wave of dust and rocks flying in multiple locations. Fortunately, the Sect had many experts that were able to stop the debris from going out of control.
"Not bad, kid." Cu Ren smirked as he gazed at the young boy who stood a good distance from him.
Despite Cu Ren's immense strength and experience, Liu's skill was proving to be a formidable match. The two fighters circled each other warily, each waiting for the other to make a mistake.
Patience wore thin as they felt each other out, wondering what move the other would make. However, in this game of wits, one was bound to lose first.
"Screw this!" Cu Ren decided to change tactics, opting for an even more aggressive approach.
>WHOOOOOOOSSSSSSSHHHHHHH!!!<
With a bellow, he charged forward once more, his sword sweeping through the air in a deadly arc. The force was far more powerful than anything he had shown earlier, and even the audience became worried about the power it held.
However…
"You're right… " Liu smiled, instantly meeting the attack head-on, blocking Cu Ren's strike with a resounding clash of metal. "... Screw this."
"Hahahahaha!" Cu Ren laughed like one riddled with insanity.
Even though his first strike was blocked by the brat, he was not done yet.
>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!>
He continued to press forward, his sword raining down blow after blow. With each strike, the blue energy around him swelled to an unimaginable degree.
"Tch…" Liu was forced to retreat, his movements becoming more and more desperate as he tried to fend off Cu Ren's relentless assault.
Still, the older man pursued Liu, granting more and more heavy blows on him.
"Hahahaha! You're not going anywhere!" Raising his blade to deal the heaviest blow thus far, Cu Ren widened his teeth in excitement
Just when it seemed as though Cu Ren would triumph, Liu saw an opening.
With lightning-fast reflexes, he sidestepped Cu Ren's attack and delivered a powerful strike of his own. It was a powerful horizontal strike, laced with dense energy that focused only on the edge.
And then—
"E-eh…?" Cu Ren's sword fell from his hand with a metallic clatter, and he stumbled backward, his eyes wide with shock.
"I've got you…" Liu advanced slowly, his sword held steady as he closed in on Cu Ren.
The energy he had been hiding suddenly exploded on his blade, and he propelled himself with the supporting power that coursed through his legs.
>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!!!<
With one final, decisive strike, he brought his sword down with all his might, missing Cu Ren by just a meter.
The area which he struck was instantly obliterated, with his blade creating a wide chasm that threatened to swallow anyone whole.
"Haa…" Liu heaved slightly, a wide grin on his face as he watched the fallen Cu Ren.
He was currently on his buttocks, his eyes widened with unbelief—the same reaction donned by everyone in the audience.
With the sheer display of power, and his hardly exhausted demeanor, Liu's grip remained firm on his blade. He broke into a friendly smile, a look that sharply contrasted the chaos around him, and looked around with a surprising sense of indifference.
"... So, did I win?"
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[A/N]
I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Liu is 15 years now, and I'm sure you're all curious about how much he has grown. Let's keep going to find out.
Cheers!
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