บท 18: Chapter 18: The Sword Breaks the Arrows, Tang Hao’s Amazement!
[🥳And new novel is out guys— "Konoha Life: The System Forced Me, an Innocent Soul, onto a Dark Path"]
At the mountainside of the backwoods behind Holy Spirit Village, a cool breeze rustled through the trees, sending a cascade of fallen leaves into the air.
On a grassy field, a few towering trees stood tall. Beside them, Lin Ye held his long sword, lowering it slowly, his sharp gaze fixed on Tang San.
Tang San, in turn, had a steely gleam in his eyes, his Purple Demon Eyes fully activated, as he raised his right arm, revealing the wrist guard.
"Be careful, Lin Ye! My sleeve arrow fires a sharp steel needle that can pierce through a wooden block as thick as three fingers. It's silent and hard to detect. Watch out." Tang San warned in a steady voice.
Despite his words of caution, deep down, Tang San wasn't convinced Lin Ye could block his sleeve arrow.
Yes, he admitted, Lin Ye was stronger when it came to raw power. But as a disciple of the Tang Sect, Tang San had absolute confidence in his hidden weapons.
The essence of a hidden weapon lay in the word "hidden." These weapons were small, easy to conceal, and could be fired without making a sound—yet they struck with incredible speed. Even a skilled master could fall victim if they were caught off guard.
And in Tang San's mind, Lin Ye, despite his physical strength, wasn't a true martial master.
After all, he had only casually mentioned the term "hidden weapon." In this world, the concept of hidden weapons didn't exist. Even though he had explained it, Lin Ye wouldn't fully grasp what a hidden weapon truly was.
In other words, Lin Ye was unprepared.
Sure, Lin Ye had a sword, but blocking a hidden weapon with a sword required exceptional mastery—something that only top-tier sword masters could accomplish after decades of honing their craft. For them, swordsmanship was second nature.
But Lin Ye had only been practicing the sword for a little over two months. There was no way he could have reached the level where he could instinctively react and counter such attacks with precision.
So, from Tang San's perspective, it was nearly impossible for Lin Ye to stop his hidden weapon.
Feeling confident that he had gauged Lin Ye's level of swordsmanship correctly, Tang San was certain of his victory.
"I understand. Come on, then," Lin Ye responded calmly, gripping his sword tightly, his eyes never leaving Tang San.
"Alright!" Tang San shouted, lifting his wrist as the Purple Demon Eyes in his gaze locked onto Lin Ye's upper body.
Since he didn't intend to injure Lin Ye during this friendly spar, Tang San aimed for Lin Ye's shirt. The fabric had a large surface area, and as long as Lin Ye didn't move unpredictably, the arrow wouldn't hit anywhere dangerous.
Once his aim was set, Tang San triggered the mechanism of the sleeve arrow.
Whoosh!
With a faint click followed by an almost imperceptible whizzing sound, a slender steel needle shot out from the wrist guard, streaking toward Lin Ye.
The needle was incredibly fine, no thicker than a sewing needle, and about the length of a finger. Its tip was twisted into barbed hooks—if it pierced flesh, pulling it out would be excruciating.
"It's coming!"
As soon as the needle left the sleeve arrow, Lin Ye's eyes flashed. Thanks to the training exercises outlined in the Nine Swords of Dugu, Lin Ye had been diligently refining his reflexes and honing his vision. The moment he sensed the glimmer of the needle cutting through the air, his focus sharpened.
The steel needle flew at blinding speed, closing in on Lin Ye in an instant.
In Tang San's estimation, unless a swordsman had reached the level where they could "hear and respond to the sound" or "move their sword as an extension of their mind," blocking a hidden weapon was a nearly impossible feat.
And theoretically, Lin Ye had not yet achieved that level of mastery. Therefore, by Tang San's logic, Lin Ye shouldn't be able to stop his hidden weapon.
However, this was no ordinary scenario.
A normal swordsman might struggle to defend against a hidden weapon, but Lin Ye wasn't a typical swordsman—he practiced the Nine Swords of Dugu.
And one of the techniques within those nine styles was the Arrow-Breaking Stance, specifically designed to counter weapons like hidden arrows.
In the past two months, Lin Ye had studied and practiced this stance. While he hadn't fully mastered it, he could already use it proficiently.
With the Arrow-Breaking Stance of the Nine Swords of Dugu, even though Lin Ye had yet to reach the realm of hearing and reacting instinctively, he could still deflect hidden weapons!
"Nine Swords of Dugu, Arrow-Breaking Stance!"
As the steel needle neared, Lin Ye silently activated the technique.
In a split second, he moved. His right hand flicked, and a flash of silver light erupted from his sword as he sliced through the air with a strange trajectory—his movements flowing like waves in the ocean, elusive and unpredictable, like a deer's antlers hanging impossibly in a tree.
In the blink of an eye, Lin Ye's sword intercepted the steel needle, striking it at just the right angle.
Clang!
A crisp metallic clang rang out as Lin Ye's sword struck the needle mid-flight, deflecting it with precision. With a soft "thunk," the steel needle buried itself deep into the ground, disappearing into the grass.
"How...how is this possible?!"
Tang San's jaw dropped, his heart pounding in disbelief.
His sleeve arrow—blocked by Lin Ye's sword!
But Lin Ye had only been learning swordsmanship for a little over a month! How could he have advanced so quickly to the level of a top-tier sword master in such a short time?
This guy's a monster!
…
Their duel had ended in defeat for Tang San.
With complex emotions swirling inside him, Tang San descended the mountain and returned home.
At home, his father, Tang Hao, had already risen and was sitting at the table.
Seeing Tang San enter, Tang Hao, who had been waiting for quite a while, furrowed his brows and asked, "Why are you back so late today?"
"I had a sparring session with Lin Ye in the mountains, so I'm a bit late," Tang San answered, keeping his head low.
"How did it go? Who won?" Tang Hao asked casually, pouring himself a bowl of wine.
"I lost… I couldn't beat him at all," Tang San admitted with a bitter smile, clenching his fists before releasing them in defeat.
"Heh."
Tang Hao chuckled softly, raising his bowl for a drink.
"Dad, aren't you even surprised? You just assumed I would lose?" Tang San asked, unable to hide his frustration.
"Mhm," Tang Hao nodded nonchalantly.
He wasn't surprised at all. Ever since Lin Ye had mastered the Disorderly Wind Hammer Technique right in front of him, Tang Hao had known the boy possessed monstrous talent.
Furthermore, a month ago when Lin Ye had brought over the wild boar meat, Tang Hao had inspected it closely. With his experienced eye, he immediately deduced that the boar must have been over three meters long—an enormous and formidable beast.
Judging from the sword wounds on the meat, Tang Hao could tell Lin Ye had killed the beast with a single, precise strike from above.
To easily hunt down such a ferocious creature, then carry it back? Tang Hao had realized then that Lin Ye's strength was extraordinary.
Knowing his own son's abilities, there was no way Tang San could have won.
Victory? That would be a miracle.
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