Chapter 408: Chapter 322: Choosing Him as a Son-in-law (Additional 2-in-1)_3
Those who could discern skill and those who couldn’t were both present, but everyone could see that this sword strike was terrifyingly fast.
Yet Chen Yi remained completely still, as if he hadn’t reacted at all. This scene, in the eyes of the crowd, was akin to courting death.
But in the next second, something astonishing occurred.
Just as Li Yingheng’s sword was about to close in, Chen Yi’s hand slowly raised his own sword. The movement was leisurely, akin to the delayed reflexes of a seventy or eighty-year-old man. Yet it was precisely this delayed reflex that caused Li Yingheng’s expression to change dramatically.
He abruptly stepped left, his figure sank, and his sword was drawn back to defend his chest. Chen Yi’s sword then steadily swung down into empty air.
Even those who understood swordsmanship were at a loss. Why would Li Yingheng abandon a golden opportunity to defeat his opponent? Could it be that he was deliberately holding back because of the Prince’s matchmaking considerations?
After all, none of them were on stage themselves.
No one knew that the reason Li Yingheng had shifted downward and forcibly altered his stance was precisely because Chen Yi’s sword strike—while slow—was uniquely steady. Moreover, Chen Yi’s neck tilted ever so slightly by an inch. If Li Yingheng had pressed forward with his sword strike, the tip of his blade would have missed Chen Yi’s throat entirely. Meanwhile, his own unguarded abdomen would have collided directly with Chen Yi’s blade!
What an astonishing level of perceptiveness!
Cold sweat broke out on Li Yingheng’s forehead; he felt as though, in Chen Yi’s eyes, he was moving in slow motion.
In the flash of lightning exchange, Li Yingheng had no time to ponder further. Keeping his body low, he twirled his blade in an intricate sword flower, simultaneously advancing and retreating to widen the distance.
However, Chen Yi twisted his wrist, creating a sword flower identical to Li Yingheng’s.
Swish, swish——
Li Yingheng’s eyes widened in incredulous shock—all his expectations shattered. This man dared to use his sword to trace his sword flower, pressing sword against sword!
Chen Yi’s expression remained calm as his circles of sword flowers followed the movement of Li Yingheng’s blade, the sound of clashing metal ever intensifying. The closer Chen Yi brought his chillingly sharp sword tip toward Li Yingheng, the more fearsome its precision appeared. Yet miraculously, it never managed to land a strike or leave a scar on Chen Yi.
Sword flower pressed against sword flower, and Chen Yi’s blade gradually formed a massive circle. Slowly, it enveloped Li Yingheng’s sword. As Li Yingheng’s blade had less and less room to maneuver, any attempt to break free from the circle would immediately be suppressed by Hou Kang Sword, forcing it back into the encircling ring. In the end, his sword was immobilized, like an eagle trapped in a cage.
Crack!
The sword struck Li Yingheng’s wrist. In an instant, he couldn’t muster strength against the blow, and the Qi flowing through his body stagnated sharply. His hand involuntarily loosened, and his weapon fell to the ground. His face alternated between pale and flushed.
How could he fail to recognize that Chen Yi’s technique was pure mastery of using softness to overcome strength? The style bore a striking resemblance to the Yinzai Sword technique of Yin Sword Mountain!
It was only now that Li Yingheng realized Chen Yi’s martial arts prowess was far beyond the fifth grade.
Li Yingheng clasped his hands in a salute and chuckled bitterly, saying, "I’ve lost."
Exclamations erupted instantly from the crowd. While it wasn’t unimaginable that Li Yingheng might lose, the issue was how easily and decisively he was defeated. This Chen Qianhu truly possessed divine martial arts skills?
Impossible, right?
No matter how miraculous Chen Yi’s abilities might be, there should be some rationale behind the match. He had only been added to the Spring and Autumn Registry of Masters a month ago, whereas Li Yingheng, a celebrated name in capital city swordsmanship, had been listed on the registry for over ten years. Such an effortless defeat—how could it be reasonable?
No matter how they thought about it, something felt suspicious.
Most of the individuals attending this poetry gathering had sharp minds and quick calculations. Now that they pondered the match, the more they thought about it, the less sense it made.
The crowd’s gazes converged upon Chen Yi, standing calmly in the arena. He slowly sheathed his sword, his black robes sturdy as iron, his face noble and refined, as though the duel meant nothing to him—a true exemplary gentleman...
At that moment, the crowd couldn’t help but recall one particular matter,
The Prince Mansion seemed to have plans to marry him to the Princess of Jing...
In this light, it seemed true!