Chapter 260: Advent of the Divine Dragon (16)

Divine Dragon refers to a dragon that has newly ascended to heaven after putting a period on its long life as an imugi. Or it was also a reverence for the shining divinity of the winner of the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts Competition.

The problem was that for ages, no woman had ever won. So naturally, the debate starts from here.

Originally, dragon refers to a man and phoenix refers to a woman. That’s why the rising stars of the orthodox martial arts world are called dragon-phoenix, right?

So shouldn’t the title for the Divine Maiden Sect disciple be Divine Phoenix rather than Divine Dragon?

Then the person next to them objects.

Or when people who get along well dramatically agree at one table saying “Right, Divine Phoenix is correct, yep”, objections fly from the next table listening.

No matter what, doesn’t Divine Phoenix sound a bit tacky? They say there’s never been such a backward alias in martial arts history.

Then opinions split into two here again.

The female form corresponding to Divine Dragon should rightly be Young Phoenix.

How can there be male or female for martial artists, it’s right to call her Divine Dragon according to the long tradition.

So there’s no place in Kaifeng city without fights breaking out.

However, the one opinion everyone agrees on is the prediction that the Divine Maiden Sect disciple will win.

Didn’t she defeat that Shaolin in the first place?

The martial prowess of the Gongson clan woman who had a high-level match with the Jade Qilin is also surprising.

But Qing is a swordsman who defeated Shaolin with her fists and advanced.

Originally, wielding a weapon is much stronger than not wielding one. This was basic common sense that even newborn babies already understand in their mother’s womb.

However, isn’t the fact that she defeated Shaolin, which boasts the world’s best fist techniques, with fists proof that her achievement with the sword is even higher? they said.

So everyone was in an uproar trying to come up with a plausible alias.

You could criticize them for making such a fuss over aliases, but if you create an excellent word that everyone sympathizes with, it becomes widely used as an unofficial alias.

How many martial artists have multiple aliases like this?

If the alias you created becomes widely used unofficially, it becomes a boast to pass down for generations, so the Central Plains people who are serious about boasting didn’t want to miss this opportunity.

So they say she’s such a beautiful woman, how about Xi Shi Sword? Xi Shi Sword sounds completely backward. Then Xi Shi Divine Sword? Do we really need to attach Xi Shi? I think Three-Headed Divine Dragon is good. How can a dragon have three heads for Three-Headed Divine Dragon, ah. I see. Three heads. Then it should be Three-Headed Phoenix Chick, how can you use dragon? I understand, but whether it’s a dragon or phoenix with three heads, isn’t that a demon?

Since she’s a new beauty, shouldn’t she be the Sixth Flower of Murim? Then it should be New Dragon Sword Flower. Then there would be two Sword Flowers, right? Then New Dragon Divine Flower? Hmm. You should just quietly listen instead of showing off trying to make aliases.

However, the approaches to aliases were in a direction that would make Ximen Surin quite angry if she heard.

Without praise for her divine presence, there were only words about her being a beauty or having big breasts, so in fact, the bad underlying psychology of the martial arts world that no matter how strong a woman is, what use is it, was revealed.

So on the day of the final match, countless cheers poured out for Qing who rose elegantly and landed lightly.

The volume was much louder than when the Shaolin disciple appeared, it was truly the greatest reverberation on earth as if shaking heaven and earth.

When Qing picked up a few words with her transcendent hearing, hmm. What’s this?

Three-Headed Beauty Phoenix, hmm. I should keep an eye out for whoever that bastard is.

Wave-Breaking Divine Woman? They’ve gone crazy.

Flower Pig Beauty? Pig?

Wave-breaking (波霸) means supreme waves, referring to a woman with large breasts. It’s also a word Qing heard quite often in her beggar days.

It’s not a good word in the Central Plains where large breasts are a flaw, it’s similar to calling someone a pig bitch.

In fact, it hasn’t been long since people in Qing’s homeland started calling big-breasted women cows.

East and West alike, the derogatory term for big-breasted women is pig. It’s a word with roots. And since big-breasted women were despised in the Central Plains, they became pig bitches.

But flower pig is different.

It’s the most intimate, or rather the cheesiest, expression of affection Central Plains people use to call their lovers.

The word flower pig beauty, meaning though she has big breasts she’s still lovable, is full of the humor of Central Plains people.

It was really shitty humor.

Of course, they didn’t just sing about breasts.

Mountain-Uprooting Earth-Overturning, uprooting mountains and overturning the earth.

Xiang Yu Fairy, hmm. I wonder if fairy can usually be attached after Xiang Yu.

Perhaps the monstrous strength of grabbing the Shaolin monk’s wrist and swinging him around left a deep impression.

World’s Most Beautiful Woman is a bit much. There are so many beautiful people in the world, how embarrassing.

Sword Queen Beauty, already calling her Sword Queen…

With cheers directed entirely at her, it tickles inside, hmm. This isn’t so bad.

But please calm down a bit.

Qing raised her hand to calm the audience.

There weren’t many cheers for Gongson Yoye who appeared next, so this was also an unbearably awkward situation.

Still, it seems she got a cool alias, Xuanyuan Divine Woman, what’s this, why does it sound so plausible?

“Miss Ximen. You haven’t forgotten my request, right?”

“Yes. I don’t really understand, but sincerely.”

Though she thought hard about it all day yesterday and today, honestly she still doesn’t really understand.

Does it become sincere if you go at it with killing intent?

“Then.”

Gongson Yoye bowed her head lightly, then raised her longsword gripped tightly in both hands high.

A huge shadow of the sword falls. A thick sword shadow bisecting Qing’s face vertically. Enormous sword energy dividing the sky in two rises endlessly upward and spreads grandly.

At the immense energy imbued in it, Qing clenched her teeth.

So this is the real Xuanyuan Sword that consumes Innate True Qi.

As if in response, the highest output of sword energy blooms from Qing’s sword. It’s Qing’s special sword energy transcendence that swells up like a greatsword, overflowing with sword threads.

Gongson Yoye’s sword stretched out to a height of one zhang and Qing’s sword energy greatsword widened left and right collided with a loud bang.

A strong pressure that wasn’t felt in the simple Mountain Pressing technique rushes in.

Ye’s throbbing, pulsating sword energy.

The powerful force led by burning life.

Ha. I really. I’m completely messed up too.

I was actually looking down on Gongson Yoye, thinking I would win anyway, so I’m driven back greatly again with just one move.

But, isn’t that completely cheating?

How can a sword stretch? Moreover, if you swing a one-zhang sword, what’s the range of the sword strike?

The longer the sword, the longer the distance.

And when swung from the center, the speed at the tip becomes like a ray of light, sweeping in as a plane rather than a line with its radius.

Isn’t this how unarmed fighters feel facing swordsmen? You need to close the distance, but how?

As if that was just a taste, a horizontal slash occupying space itself follows.

The massless sword energy doesn’t bounce off when blocked, just pushing steadily to apply pressure.

Gongson Yoye’s sword energy is the noble color of the emperor, dyed with precious dye between red and purple.

Qing pushes the straight extended sword energy to the right to block it while taking a step. With the strange sound of sword energies rubbing against each other, the sparks of sword energy scattering in all directions connect in a straight line to Gongson Yoye along the sword face.

Then suddenly, the pressure transmitted through the sword is released and disappears. Because Gongson Yoye’s sword shrank, the sword energy shortened and the contact was released.

Qing’s sword that was pushing hard stirs the empty air. Her body that was leaning staggers.

Gongson Yoye’s sword changes from a line to a point.

It was a thrust aimed straight at Qing.

Though I’m not sure if you can call it a thrust when the sword energy just stretches out.

Qing was startled.

Iron Plate Bridge? No. It can bend downwards.

Gongson Yoye’s sword is still very free since the distance is far. Just thrusting down after stabbing could become a fatal strike vertically splitting the Iron Plate Bridge.

Qing threw her body in a posture of diving into water.

After rolling on the ground twice and springing up, the stretched sword energy chases Qing again.

Fierce True Qi surges from Qing’s Yongquan acupoint. Yongquan is the acupoint located between the two bones in the ball of the foot.

Tak, tak, tak, Qing’s stride lengthens greatly drawing a large circle, while her gaze unwavering towards Gongson Yoye.

Qing narrows the distance towards Gongson Yoye at the center while swirling.

Gongson Yoye’s sword energy that was chasing behind Qing spinning round and round vanishes.

As if saying stop spinning and come quickly, she stands lightly resting the sword tip on the ground like a cane.

Qing answers that call.

As the peerless movement technique that is almost everything of the Divine Thief, the Lightning Step, unfolds, in Qing’s vision Gongson Yoye’s whole body instantly expands to just the upper body.

Just as Qing is about to unfold a technique of the Divine Maiden Sword-

Suddenly, a strange flow of air felt on her face and skin. Qing’s crude stomping that shatters the arena floor with her heel, wood chips flying up. Qing’s body straightens and fires backwards.

And from high in the air she saw a loose net enveloping Gongson Yoye. The trajectory drawn by the sword energy covers all directions, spreading in the shape of a net.

Wow. Awakening divine art. This is quite effective.

But, what on earth is that.

Martial arts, once you pass a certain level, there’s a point where it touches ideology. Beyond just swinging a sword, fast, slow, strong, soft, it’s the miracle of taking out the sword of your heart as defined by the individual and placing it outside in the world.

Gongson Yoye’s technique, though Qing doesn’t know the name, if she had to give it one it would be something like Frenzied Swinging in an Instant of Certain Kill.

However, each of those sword strikes contained the subtlety of surrounding all directions with extreme hard strikes, leading speed with great power.

The net of sword energy that spread in all directions blooming like a rose suddenly vanished its traces as if it had never been there.

Gongson Yoye smiles faintly and says:

“Miss Ximen. You won’t be able to overwhelm me like you did with Monk Wolbong. That, honestly, wasn’t martial arts, was it? You just overwhelmed with innate strength and sense. Instead of that, please, will you show me your true heart?”

“I, I don’t really understand that true heart thing. I, all the martial arts I’ve learned are just for killing. Do I need to unfold a killing sword for it to be sincere?”

“Well. I wouldn’t know. Miss Ximen must have Miss Ximen’s own martial studies.”

“My martial studies.”

A sword is a tool for cutting.

Isn’t that how it is even tracing human history? Or maybe a ritual tool? Or a symbol of power?

Is there depth that can be called scholarship in that?

“Now. This time I’ll go.”

Tang! The sound of stepping forward sharply.

Gongson Yoye’s speed is extraordinary.

It’s quite different from the speed seen in sparring, so this must be the firepower of burning Innate True Qi.

The longer it drags on, the more Ye’s Innate True Qi will be consumed. As expected, it seems better to end it quickly even using a killing sword.

Qing’s momentum changed completely.

Her left hand pushing out smoothly, deng, the majestic sound of a temple bell ringing out. But the result is miserable. A huge handprint of Buddha is firmly imprinted on the solid wooden floor of the arena.

At that moment, the watching Shaolin warrior monks all stood up at once and cheered for the Buddha’s Palm.

However, as if already expected, Gongson Yoye has dug under Qing.

Oh no, she could become even faster!

The tip of Qing’s sword extends straight towards Gongson Yoye’s nape. Then the back of a hand pushing away the sword face, as Gongson Yoye’s left hand is not idle either.

Qing twists her sword. As if to cut off the hand daring to touch the sword. But as auspicious colored Inner Qi blooms, with a small explosive sound of pang, Qing’s sword flies far away.

Gongson Yoye turns the blade outward and raises it high, swinging the pommel like a hammer towards Qing’s temple.

In that moment, Qing’s eyes flashed.

Kwang! With the sound of thunder striking, the sunset-colored True Qi of the Zhu Xiang’s Heart Cleanse Mirror spurts out. Thwack! With the sound of bones being hit hard, Gongson Yoye’s shoulder was roughly pushed back.

It’s the protective lightning of the Purple Lightning Demonic Arts, one of the Ten Great Demonic Arts under Heaven.

Hmm. I thought it might work, and it really does.

It was thanks to the senses sharpened by the effects of the Awakening divine art. Since the flow of air touches the skin more sharply than usual, she judged that the Purple Lightning Demonic Arts could be controlled too.

Even if it couldn’t be controlled, she would have hit somewhere else, but she’s glad she hit the shoulder she was aiming for.

But is it okay to just use this?

Whatever. I don’t know. She said sincerely.

Master also said it’s fine if I insist.

It’s not purple but sunset-colored, so if I insist it’s the Zhu Xiang All-Body Arts instead of Zhu Xiang Demonic Arts, it should be fine, right?

Qing grinned fiercely.