Section 11: Great Demonic Plant, Swift Thunder Vine
Author: Gu Zhenren
Date: 2013-02-09
Tiange Academy encourages its scholars to spar and duel amongst themselves. Therefore, it has expended resources and great effort to carve out hundreds of vast battle arenas within Green Mountain.
Despite the sheer number of arenas, they are far from sufficient. Nearly every day, they are packed with people engaging in battles of all sizes.
However, today is different. The other arenas appear quite deserted, while a large crowd throngs around one particular large arena, craning their necks to watch.
The air is abuzz with excited chatter and speculation. Two young men stand at the focal point of everyone’s attention.
One is thirteen years old, the other fourteen.
Yet, transformed by the spiritual energy of demons, they have surpassed their youthful appearances. One stands six feet tall, a gleaming great saber on his back, powerfully built and full of spirit. The other is eight feet tall, clad in a green robe, his eyes sharp with intelligence.
As they faced each other, Yan Que suddenly spoke, “I know you were framed and assigned to the West Mountain dormitory. However, I must challenge you and defeat you publicly. Only by doing so can I uphold the honor and dignity of us commoner scholars. You’re just unlucky.”
Chu Yun raised an eyebrow, a hint of sarcasm in his smile. “You’re quite confident, assuming victory before the fight even begins. You should ask if my Drunken Snow Saber agrees.”
Yan Que tilted his head up, a condescending air about him. “This isn’t mere confidence, but strength. Although my Swift Thunder Vine only has 380 years of cultivation, your combat experience is nonexistent, your understanding of me is zero, and you’ve possessed the Drunken Snow Saber for less than a hundredth of the time I’ve had my abilities. This is the disparity in strength. You’re too green, newcomer; you have much to learn.”
“Heh, I don’t win arguments with words. I prefer to let facts speak! Let’s fight.” Chu Yun’s eyes flashed like lightning. As soon as he finished speaking, he drew his saber and charged forward, initiating the battle!
“They’re fighting!” The watching crowd erupted immediately.
“Chu Yun attacked first. What a young tiger, fierce and fearless in his advance.” Some favored Chu Yun.
“But that’s Senior Yan Que! This will be a fierce battle!” Others’ eyes gleamed, believing it to be an even match.
“Not necessarily. Chu Yun got lucky and luckily killed a ferocious wolf. He’s just a freshman. Senior Yan Que is the leader of us commoner scholars and ranks among the very best in Tiange Academy. I’m waiting to see Chu Yun’s miserable defeat.” Many more favored Yan Que.
A cacophony of voices rose and fell. But the two combatants in the arena had already tuned out the noise, their entire focus locked onto each other.
“Swift Thunder Vine, emerge.” Yan Que tapped his Immortal Pouch, and countless light-blue vines poured out.
These vines were as thin as a finger, each slender vine covered in countless oval leaves. As they spread out, they resembled waves of blue water, endless and flowing.
“Flying Leaf Scattering Cut!” Yan Que pointed, his voice like thunder. He unleashed a powerful move from the outset, intending to defeat Chu Yun in one fell swoop and maximally display the prestige of the commoner faction.
Instantly, countless oval leaves spiraled and shot out, forming a sky-covering barrage of leaf blades. The whooshing sounds were incessant, like a fierce storm, engulfing Chu Yun.
“He’s starting with the Flying Leaf Scattering Cut Cultivation Method. It seems Senior Yan Que wants to suppress Chu Yun completely.”
“So powerful! So many flying leaf blades, it’s dazzling. If one were hit, they’d likely be stripped to the bone.”
“Retreat! We must retreat. Such a powerful move, we can’t directly confront it. We should play it cautiously.”
The crowd exclaimed in awe. From the very beginning of the battle, Yan Que had demonstrated formidable strength, shaking everyone’s hearts.
Chu Yun, however, showed no decrease in his charge. The depths of his eyes flickered with an extreme cold light. Just as the leaf blades were about to hit him, he suddenly uttered a soft shout, “Shield Wind, Block Rain.”
The Drunken Snow Saber responded to the command with a gentle hum. Instantly, it emitted a torrent of saber energy, like snow, rolling and surging.
The Drunken Snow Saber also contained a set of Demonic Soldier Cultivation Methods, passed down by the successive masters of Shu Island. It was called the Shu Family Saber Techniques, comprising six forms.
Chu Yun felt his saber turn as light as a feather. He swung it left and right, the saber energy forming a curtain that sliced through all the leaf blades. He broke through the imposing attack, his speed unabated, and charged forward.
Yan Que let out a surprised sound. Chu Yun’s ability to handle the situation so calmly exceeded his expectations.
“Immortal Vine Grasping Hand!” he bellowed, extending his hands like a pair of eagle talons, clawing at Chu Yun.
Instantly, the nearby Swift Thunder Vine spread wildly. Countless vine tendrils coiled like snakes, forming two giant, five-fingered hands controlled remotely by Yan Que. Their imposing presence sent shivers down one’s spine.
The vine giant hands were as large as carriages. Chu Yun appeared minuscule before them. He dashed forward as if heading to his doom.
A massive shadow enveloped Chu Yun. The two blue vine giant hands, appearing slow but moving fast, seemed alive, about to clasp Chu Yun’s small frame.
“Hmph, hand falls, saber strikes!” Chu Yun let out a soft shout, seizing the opportune moment, and executed a form from the Shu Family Saber Techniques, unleashing a saber strike.
Saber light erupted, bright and sharp. It directly tore through the blue vine giant hands, carrying Chu Yun’s body as he broke through the vine entanglement and surged forward.
“What a sharp Drunken Snow Saber! The young tiger charges bravely and fearlessly, unstoppable!”
“Wait, Senior Yan Que still has many tricks up his sleeve.”
The previous exchange had been incredibly tense, making it hard to breathe. Only now did the crowd finally exhale, letting out a collective gasp of admiration.
“Hmph! I’d like to see how long you can last,” Yan Que thought coldly, a dark glint flashing in his eyes. He was highly confident that with such a disparity in strength, victory would surely be his. He decided to unleash another powerful move to force Chu Yun into disarray.
“Brute Force Vine Whip!” he commanded. Numerous vines twisted together, forming a long blue whip.
The whip stretched for dozens of feet, coiling and twisting in the air like dancing snakes, its attacks ferociously sharp.
“Direct Charge!” Chu Yun’s expression was indifferent, unperturbed. He seemed to disregard the frenzied giant whips entirely.
As the Drunken Snow Saber’s momentum surged, it propelled Chu Yun’s steps, drastically increasing his speed. He continuously adjusted his saber technique, relying on the sharpness of the Drunken Snow Saber’s blade to carve a path. He weaved through the whip shadows, dodging and striking. When evasion was impossible, he thrust his saber forward, severing the giant whips.
“Amazing! Chu Yun meets attack with attack, and even a killing move like the Brute Force Vine Whip can’t stop him!”
“The young tiger’s personality is fierce and brave. If it were me, facing such a powerful move, I would have been defending long ago. And he’s still attacking!”
“Look, Senior Yan Que’s expression has changed. We still don’t know who will win this match.”
Amazed exclamations rippled through the onlookers. The strength and style Chu Yun displayed were astonishing.
Yan Que’s expression had no choice but to change. He finally realized this was no inexperienced newcomer. His saber techniques were as refined as if he had practiced for over ten years. To break the Brute Force Vine Whip was no easy feat, especially with this method of breaking through it. It required calmness and rationality, constant repositioning—breaking through the vine whips without excessive entanglement, lest he become ensnared by others.
At this moment, he regarded Chu Yun seriously, placing him on equal footing. He decided to use his trump card, or he wouldn’t win.
(PS: A new week has begun, and I, Zhenren, am desperately crying out for votes. I sincerely ask for your support!)
