Chapitre 56: The slash that struck the crooked nose
A whirlwind of shock, fear, and confusion flickered in Qiu Lu's eyes as he struggled to comprehend the events unfolding before him in an instant.
Why was it that his impeccable technique with the Black Flower Spear was thwarted by an opponent who had seemingly never undergone any martial training? How could this so-called waste manage not only to effortlessly block his attack but also display such astonishing speed in his counterstrike?
At that moment, Lin Xi was oblivious to Qiu Lu's internal turmoil; all he understood was that if his cultivation were powerful enough to cleave through the black armor, that single blow would have sufficed to vanquish Qiu Lu. However, his current abilities were insufficient to pose any threat to the black armor, compelling him to unleash a second and then a third strike.
The short dagger in his hand danced like tiles upon the surface of water as it soared toward Qiu Lu's chest plate. With his momentum propelling him forward, the dagger slashed diagonally upward, landing squarely on Qiu Lu's right shoulder.
Meng Bai's mouth fell agape, for this was a terrifying sight to behold.
Qiu Lu's thrusting spear was deflected to his left, and as Lin Xi's blade struck his chest, he glided past Qiu Lu's right side, delivering another blow to his shoulder. At that moment, Qiu Lu's spear remained to the left, unable to be retrieved in time.
"Crack!"
Just as Meng Bai's mouth opened to express his astonishment, Lin Xi, having maneuvered past Qiu Lu, swiftly countered with a backhanded strike that landed on Qiu Lu's back.
Yet, Qiu Lu was no mere novice; upon feeling the impact of the blow, he finally reacted, rolling forward with a sudden burst of energy.
As Lin Xi naturally slid and turned to pursue, Qiu Lu sprang to his feet, wielding his spear like a staff in a sweeping arc, blocking Lin Xi's advance. He retreated several steps, creating distance between them, his body trembling violently.
He gazed at Lin Xi, compelled to speak, but Lin Xi took another step forward in silence, prompting Qiu Lu to instinctively retreat once more.
All the black-armored students on the cliff fell silent; Qiu Lu's strength was not to be underestimated, yet in this fleeting moment of confrontation, the chosen one held overwhelming advantage!
Liu Ziyu trembled incessantly, his exquisite face hidden beneath the silver mask, now pale and ghastly.
"How can you be so certain that Qiu Lu is Lin Xi's match? If you say these things… what will you do if Qiu Lu proves no match for Lin Xi?" Gao Yanan's words, calm and devoid of anger, became the ultimate irony in this moment!
Had anyone else uttered such a statement, it might have been acceptable… but it was Gao Yanan, whose cultivation aptitude was rated a five!
This alone was enough to attract the attention of numerous noble heirs, not to mention her beauty that could ensnare hearts.
As a scion of a father poised for promotion to a local official, he failed to reflect on his own missteps in this matter, instead placing the blame squarely on Lin Xi, contemplating that should he leave a negative impression on Gao Yanan today, he would not easily forgive Lin Xi.
...
Lin Xi remained utterly silent, even controlling his breath with deliberate restraint.
He advanced another step toward Qiu Lu.
Qiu Lu did not retreat again, but his spear trembled, creating an impressive display of floral patterns.
Visually stunning, showcasing skill yet ultimately futile.
For he was still beyond the lethal reach of Qiu Lu's spear.
"The golden spoon is still a golden spoon; no matter how refined these movements may be, he has never witnessed true bloodshed… he is simply too weak," Tang Ke thought, a sneer of disdain forming in her heart upon witnessing such motions.
Had the Black Flower Spear been in Tang Ke's hands, even with skills equal to Qiu Lu's, she would not have necessarily fallen to Lin Xi.
After all, Qiu Lu's cultivation granted him a slight edge in pure strength, and his extensive experience in life-or-death battles allowed him to exploit this advantage.
Yet in this moment, Qiu Lu was clearly engulfed in fear.
Among the countless skirmishes he had endured, those who succumbed to fear so easily were destined for death.
These golden spoons likely could not fathom that within certain battle formations, the vast majority of those they scorned as barbaric, would, even when facing opponents of superior strength, strive to cast aside their fear and wield their blades, even when the enemy's weapon had pierced their very flesh.
Thus, for Qiu Lu, the outcome of this battle was already determined.
"This fellow probably hasn't even experienced a direct spear formation."
Not only Tang Ke, but even Lin Xi found Qiu Lu painfully weak. Since he had yet to utilize his abilities from before the tenth stop, he felt no concern, remaining remarkably composed. He was unaware that his astonishing calmness under pressure was exerting immense psychological strain on Qiu Lu; he simply thought that against such an opponent, it would be a waste of his precious training time.
Lin Xi was not an arrogant individual, but he never held back against those who displayed arrogance before him… for a lion that does not reveal its claws is ultimately just a cat.
Through the silver mask, Lin Xi observed Qiu Lu's trembling hands, feeling the wooden strips entwined around his hand and the knife handle. Suddenly, he broke his silence, his voice chillingly cold as he commanded, "Kill!"
With that icy command erupting from his lips, Lin Xi surged forward, stepping and slashing toward Qiu Lu.
Qiu Lu's body momentarily froze, the Black Flower Spear sweeping horizontally, producing a dull thud as Lin Xi, knife in hand, slid alongside the spear's shaft, gliding a step closer to Qiu Lu's center, and struck fiercely once more.
This time, Lin Xi's strike was no longer light and fluid; it was imbued with an unrestrained ferocity, as if he were a blade itself, crashing into Qiu Lu with relentless force!
"Hiss…"
A collective gasp echoed from the black-armored students on the cliff. Many were startled by the brutality of the blow, while others recognized that this strike might not even reach the retreating Qiu Lu.
Opportunity!
A chill coursed through Qiu Lu as he instinctively shook the spear, but just then, Lin Xi tilted his head, focusing on Qiu Lu's nose. The short dagger slipped from his grasp, connected by a strip of cloth, and struck Qiu Lu squarely on the nose.
"Crack!"
The silver mask possessed remarkable protective capabilities; even the layers of silk provided decent cushioning. However, the face and nose remained the most vulnerable areas of a person. The dagger, propelled with precision, landed squarely on Qiu Lu's face, causing droplets of blood to emerge from the area around his mouth and nose.
At Lingxia Lake, Liu Bo had delivered a punch that broke a nose, and now, Lin Xi had dealt a blow that severed it.
Blood streamed from Qiu Lu's nose as Lin Xi's foot pressed against his chest, stifling any cries of anguish.
Qiu Lu toppled backward onto the ground, blood oozing from beneath the silver mask, creating a gruesome sight. Yet, Lin Xi clumsily retrieved his dagger, striking down once more on Qiu Lu's chest as he attempted to roll away.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!…"
One strike after another, the dark blade descended mercilessly upon Qiu Lu. The Black Flower Spear had slipped from his grasp, and he could only futilely twist within a limited range, utterly incapable of countering.
In mere moments, the outcome had been decided, and the once-arrogant Qiu Lu, who had boasted of his prowess, lay defeated. The students on the cliff felt no sympathy for the golden-spooned youth; they had not anticipated that Lin Xi would resolve the battle with such ferocity, denying Qiu Lu any chance to retaliate.
Especially the few who had mocked Lin Xi alongside Qiu Lu now appeared pale, realizing the extent of Lin Xi's combat prowess, having previously dared to ridicule him without restraint.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!…"
Lin Xi continued to rain down blows upon Qiu Lu, as the latter curled into a ball, clutching his head in desperation. Yet, no instructor intervened, for Lin Xi's onslaught had not yet rendered Qiu Lu completely powerless.
"Stop! Enough!"
Finally, Qiu Lu, driven to madness, pushed himself off the ground, erupting into a frenzied scream.
This wild shout startled many students on the cliff, but Lin Xi paid it no heed, delivering another heavy blow that sent Qiu Lu crashing back to the ground.
One strike after another, Lin Xi relentlessly chopped down upon Qiu Lu as though he were chopping vegetables.
Qiu Lu trembled under the assault, and in a moment of utter despair, he finally screamed, "Stop hitting me… I concede!"
Lin Xi sheathed his knife, standing motionless, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Teacher Tong, as your direct disciple, I have not brought you shame… I easily toppled him to the ground."
Emerging from the forest was Luo Houyuan, clad in a tattered black robe, who removed a golden five-pointed badge from Qiu Lu and handed it to Lin Xi, who bowed in gratitude.
"You may disperse into the forest now. After the tenth stop, the trial begins, and you can seek your opponents at will."
Addressing the students on the cliff, who harbored various thoughts, Luo Houyuan spoke calmly.
As Lin Xi accepted the golden badge he had stripped from Qiu Lu, the latter, overwhelmed by pain and humiliation, fainted on the spot.
...
...
Lin Xi began to sprint silently through the woods, eager to distance himself from the area, lest he become the target of a collective assault.
Even those with no grievances against him would likely wish to test their mettle against the chosen one.
As he hurriedly distanced himself from the location, he found himself contemplating a dilemma: should he focus on achieving five five-star exits for extra credit, or should he first seek to engage in a direct spear formation?
Although his duel with Qiu Lu had drawn more students into the trial valley than usual, attaining five-star results today posed no significant challenge for him.
For not far ahead, nestled in the grass, lay a longbow and a quiver filled with black-feathered arrows.
In fact, during his earlier search over the tenth stop, he had discovered this bow, a more powerful version than the black-horn bow he had previously used, requiring a hundred pounds of strength to draw fully.
Within the Yunqin army, ordinary soldiers were equipped with either the black-horn bow or the black stone bow; those with weaker arm strength used the former, while the stronger ones wielded the latter. The former was generally employed for shooting at enemies within a hundred paces during defensive formations, while the latter was used for mounted archery, striking foes at distances ranging from a hundred to two hundred paces.
Given Lin Xi's current strength, although he could not draw the black stone bow to its full extent, he should have no trouble firing a few arrows at an opponent like Qiu Lu.
The reason he had not used the longbow he had already found was simply that he did not wish to reveal too much, and more importantly, defeating Qiu Lu with a knife would surely earn him greater respect from his adversary.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone