Hehe, this time I win~

The courtyard of Qiushui Pavilion.

The morning breeze whispered through the leaves, and the ancient tree—whose years of standing in this courtyard were long forgotten—seemed to watch with keen interest the young man and woman beneath its boughs.

"Is this a philosophical debate or a sparring match?" Li Mo asked with a grin, raising his sword.

"Either works," Ying Bing replied, her slender fingers tightening around her sword hilt until her knuckles turned white.

She just wanted to begin.

Li Mo raised an eyebrow.

It seemed the "ice block" had made new progress in swordsmanship and had come to test herself against him.

In that case, he’d have to get serious too.

"Then let’s call it a spar."

"Very well, let’s begin—"

"Wait."

"Hm?"

Ying Bing exhaled softly, her gathered momentum faltering.

Li Mo chuckled. "Since it’s a spar, why not add some stakes? Like a reward or something..."

He remembered all too well.

Back when the "ice block" had taught him swordsmanship, every mistake had earned him a smack on the rear!

The trauma to his backside was something Young Li would never forget.

What was lost must be reclaimed with his own hands!

His competitive spirit flared.

A reward...

Ying Bing gritted her teeth.

Right now, she really didn’t want to hear those words.

"Fine!"

Her voice and her sword, Tianfrost, arrived at the same time.

With this strike, silence fell. An overwhelming sword intent enveloped Qiushui Pavilion, dominating the small world within.

Li Mo’s mind trembled.

This was a sword technique he had never seen before.

Given his current insight, he could tell—this was an art of the highest caliber!

"Where did the ice block learn this?"

But he didn’t dwell on it.

Instead, he recalled the principles of the Nine Swords of Dugu, particularly the "Sword-Breaking" stance, and moved with his blade.

However... how to put it?

This swordplay was still far beyond him.

"Hm?"

Ying Bing frowned.

Why had Li Mo’s swordsmanship regressed so drastically?

His movements were chaotic, devoid of any artistic conception, a far cry from his skill the day before.

Clang! Clang! Clang—

The swords clashed.

Almost instantly, Li Mo’s Crimson Sky Sword was forced into retreat.

Neither of them used anything beyond pure swordsmanship.

Li Mo couldn’t just pull out a hammer to turn the tide, so he barely held on, parrying frantically.

But Young Li wasn’t just passively enduring.

Even as he fought, he activated his martial insights.

[Twenty years of martial insights successfully infused.]

[Year One: You commit the Nine Swords of Dugu’s principles to heart, striving to master them.]

[Year Seven: You realize the true essence of this art—the Sword Demon’s defiance of heaven itself, a mortal body untouched by the world’s energy, challenging the heavens in pursuit of the elusive "One."]

[Year Twelve: You remain lost in the sword’s depths, recognizing your own lack of comprehension.]

[Year Twenty: Reflecting on your spar with Ying Bing, a faint spark of inspiration flickers within you.]

Young Li nearly wept.

Twenty years.

And barely a ripple to show for it.

Only because of his heightened perception post-"Divine Observation," combined with sparring against the ice block, had he even gained this much.

Otherwise, this insight would’ve been a total waste—like trying to learn painting from scratch.

"Again!"

Li Mo distilled what little he’d grasped.

This time, his swordplay grew even more erratic.

Every technique he’d ever learned, whether advanced or peerless, seemed to abandon him.

Not that it would’ve helped.

Against Ying Bing’s Tianfrost Sword—a force as inexorable as heaven itself—even the Sunwheel Sword Canon would be crushed.

Clang—

Clang—

Clank—

Li Mo’s grip on Crimson Sky trembled faintly.

This was terrifying!

His Extreme Soldier’s Slaughter Body wasn’t just for show.

For her sword to jolt him like this... just how monstrous was her strength?

Smack!

Suddenly, his guard broke.

Tianfrost slipped through and tapped him lightly on the rear.

Li Mo: "?!"

Folks.

This was getting personal.

"That’s enough for today," Ying Bing said coolly, sheathing her sword.

She had mostly familiarized herself with the first stance of the Divine Skyheart Sword. With a bit more refinement, she’d master it completely.

And besides...

She really... really couldn’t continue.

That strange sensation hadn’t faded despite her focus.

Like a persistent parasite, it had nearly shaken the foundation of her indomitable swordplay.

"It’s not over yet!"

Young Li burned another twenty years of martial insights.

Getting spanked again? Did he have no dignity?

If every time he picked up a sword, he remembered this humiliation, how could he ever be the dashing, peerless swordsman of his dreams?

He had to reclaim his pride!

Swish—

Li Mo raised his sword again, his movements still wild and unstructured.

"This sword..."

Ying Bing’s brows knitted.

At first glance, his strikes seemed like the flailing of an amateur.

But something bizarre happened.

Despite the lack of form, his blade somehow found weaknesses even she hadn’t noticed.

Clank!

This strike actually halted Tianfrost’s advance.

A master of the sword, Ying Bing adjusted seamlessly without thought.

Yet, the moment she shifted—

Tianfrost’s flaw aligned perfectly with Crimson Sky’s tip again!

As if she’d deliberately offered the opening.

"Could it be...?"

A thought struck Ying Bing.

This felt like... the flavor of "Skill Approaching the Dao"?

Every swing was crude, disjointed, hardly worthy of being called swordsmanship.

Yet, inexplicably, it found her weakest points.

Opposite her, Li Mo sensed the moment was ripe.

[Congratulations, Host. Thirty years of martial insights successfully infused!]

[Year One: You dissect that spark of inspiration, merging it with yourself. Countless past sword techniques resurface in your mind.]

[Year Eight: Every duel you’ve ever fought replays in your thoughts. You can even simulate battles against past opponents in your mind.]

[...]

[Year Thirty: You finally grasp the method to seize that elusive "One."]

[Thirty years of martial insights expended. You have attained the rudiments of the Nine Swords of Dugu.]

Li Mo’s gaze sharpened.

Now, Ying Bing—her robes fluttering, her figure graceful—stood before him, her weakness laid bare.

The ice block had a fatal flaw!

His mind emptied of all distractions, focused solely on the sword and that "One."

Zing!

Tianfrost’s terrifying sword intent suddenly froze.

A faint blush crept up Ying Bing’s neck.

He... he actually dared to mimic her!

That spot was indeed her greatest vulnerability right now.

With a surge of fury, she unleashed the Divine Skyheart Sword’s second stance.

Tianfrost, after its momentary pause, erupted with all its pent-up might.

"Release it!"

Ying Bing’s gaze was a mix of calm and reproach.

The sword light exploded.

Smack!

Crimson Sky was indeed knocked from Li Mo’s grip—along with Tianfrost.

Normally, this would’ve ended the match. Two swordsmen without swords couldn’t very well keep sparring.

But this time was different.

The Nine Swords of Dugu were not bound solely to the blade.

And this art knew no defense—only offense!

The best defense is a fierce offense!

No sword? No problem—hands will do just fine!

Straight for that opening, the 'One'!

Smack—

The sound rings out, crisp and clear.

Their figures blur into one.

Ying Bing freezes abruptly, lashes fluttering faintly.

The air seems to solidify.

Unaware, Li Mo cracks his eyes open with a grin:

"Heh, this round’s mine~"