There Seems to Be No Winner in This Contest

"Phew..."

Li Mo gripped the Scarlet Sky sword, steadying his breath.

Xie Xuan had just sparred with the "Ice Block" and seemed to have no chance to retaliate, but that didn’t mean Xie Xuan was weak.

Rather, the Ice Block’s martial prowess was so overwhelming that even Qin Yuzhi, a seventh-realm expert in the Palm of Mysteries, called it outright cheating.

Of course, Li Mo had already observed Xie Xuan’s techniques—otherwise, whether he could last ten moves was anyone’s guess.

"Alright, then I’ll..."

Xie Xuan took a deep breath.

"Wait!"

Li Mo suddenly raised his hand.

"What now?" Xie Xuan’s momentum faltered.

"How many moves are we exchanging? We should set the terms."

"If you force me to defend even once, you win."

Xie Xuan considered this. His opponent was the "Divine Hammer Little Tyrant," ranked fourth among the Hidden Dragons. Though he was wielding a sword now, he couldn’t be underestimated.

"Fine!"

Li Mo nodded, then sighed.

A shame—this was a proper spar, so he couldn’t use the "King of Brawls Ultimate Technique"...

Xie Xuan exhaled slowly, gathering his sword intent once more. The tip of his blade dipped slightly, its unseen edge already locking onto his opponent’s vital points.

He raised his sword—

"Wait!"

"Cough—!"

Xie Xuan staggered, his face flushing red as he nearly choked on his own breath. This time, he was genuinely annoyed.

"What now?!"

"Ah, sorry, just one more question."

Li Mo offered an apologetic smile—he truly hadn’t meant to interrupt again.

"If I fail to withstand ten moves, I can’t enter the Ascending Cloud Pavilion. But if I succeed, what then? Just letting me in? The Ascending Cloud Pavilion isn’t yours to grant access to. Doesn’t that make the stakes a bit unfair?"

"......"

Xie Xuan paused. Now that he thought about it, that did make sense.

Entering the Ascending Cloud Pavilion was Li Mo’s right to begin with. Even if he withstood ten moves, he’d only be reclaiming what was already his.

"Then what do you propose?"

"If we settle this, you can’t challenge her again."

Li Mo pointed at Princess Little Jiang.

After a moment of silence, Xie Xuan nodded stiffly.

"Fine. No more questions this time?"

"None."

"I’m acting on someone’s behalf—she can’t stay in the Imperial Capital. Now, draw your sword!"

As the words fell, Xie Xuan’s aura surged, no longer holding back as before.

His eyes blazed with clarity, sharp and unyielding.

The seemingly ordinary longsword slid from its sheath with inhuman precision—not a single motion wasted, not a fraction of speed altered.

It was as if he had repeated this action ten thousand times. A single draw of the sword carried the weight of towering mountains and impending storms.

Li Mo narrowed his eyes. He recognized this feeling.

Skill approaching the Dao.

A simple draw, yet it seemed to dissolve the barriers between sword techniques, achieving a seamless harmony.

Of course, it was only an echo—true mastery of the Dao was still far beyond reach.

In the next instant, Xie Xuan moved.

Still the Art of Chessboard Swordsmanship—deceptively steady, grounded in fundamentals, yet concealing endless variations within its simplicity.

Just as you thought you’d found a counter, the sword shifted again, forcing you to discard your strategy entirely. It was enough to make one spit blood in frustration.

"Xie Xuan truly lives up to his name as the Sword Fanatic..."

Elder Zeng exhaled heavily, his gaze complicated.

The emergence of the Art of Chessboard Swordsmanship marked the Tianshan Sword Manor’s rise over the Cloud-Crossing Sword Citadel.

Generations of Sword Citadel experts had dedicated themselves to dismantling this technique.

And it wasn’t just him. The Imperial Capital brimmed with sword masters—wearing a blade was a point of pride, especially now, during the Hidden Dragon Tournament, when experts from across the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands had gathered.

"After being suppressed by the Cold Fairy’s swordsmanship, Xie Xuan has actually gained new insights and ascended further."

"No wonder he’s remained the unshakable 'Second Xie' for so many years."

"Without this, he’d never have earned the recognition of the Tianshan Ancestor’s personal sword."

...

At the far end of the murmuring crowd, an eight-man palanquin drifted past. Though the carriage itself hovered midair, vibrant flowers bloomed atop it, so lifelike they even drew butterflies to rest upon them.

How could dead wood burst into spring?

Perhaps one only needed to glimpse the graceful figure behind the curtains to understand.

Clad in embroidered silk, her neck was swan-like, her waist slender—yet her "evil" was disproportionately ample...

Had Li Mo seen her, even he would’ve been stunned. For the first time, he’d encounter someone surpassing even his beautiful master in that regard...

"Madam, there’s a sword duel outside the Ascending Cloud Pavilion," the Maid chirped, peering curiously before giggling.

"Ah, it’s that poor, silly sword fanatic."

How did the Maid recognize Xie Xuan at a glance?

Because Xie Xuan, the young master of Tianshan Sword Manor, had once disguised himself as a servant in the Moonlit Pleasure Pavilion just to catch a glimpse of the madam.

For half a year, he endured beatings and insults without complaint.

"Martial artists and their petty rivalries. Nothing worth seeing. Let’s go."

The enchantress couldn’t even feign interest.

"Oh..."

The palanquin resumed its journey—until a burst of nearby chatter caught her ear.

"If the 'Wife-Blessing Battle Soul' is using a sword this time, he’s in trouble."

"Wait."

She abruptly halted the procession.

...

In the blink of an eye,

The ever-shifting sword gleam closed in on Li Mo’s chest.

Li Mo steadied his breath. The principles of the Nine Swords of Dugu flowed through his mind, the essence of "Breaking Sword Momentum" rising within him—reducing all swordplay to stark black-and-white lines.

If there was no dodging, then he wouldn’t dodge.

Force him to defend!

Shh—!

Scarlet Sky didn’t retreat. Instead, it carved a bizarre arc from below.

Xie Xuan’s elusive swordplay hesitated—then transformed again, like parting a wave only to find darker currents beneath.

The Art of Chessboard Swordsmanship: one move plotted ten, a hundred ahead.

Unfazed, Li Mo guided Scarlet Sky along the hidden currents, leaping like a fish riding the tide.

One side wove layers of intricate swordplay, an inescapable net where every feint could be a fatal trap.

The other seemed effortless, yet distilled complexity into simplicity, striking at the root with ruthless efficiency.

Would the fish die tangled in the net, or break free into open waters?

For now, the former seemed likely.

"The half-mastered Nine Swords of Dugu still can’t dismantle the Art of Chessboard Swordsmanship..."

Li Mo realized that each apparent counter only tightened Xie Xuan’s ever-shifting web.

But then—

Ding-dong—

A single note from a zither rang out, ethereal as celestial music, lingering in the air.

To Li Mo, it was clarity itself. Xie Xuan, however, froze.

That split-second hesitation tore a hole in the net.

Clang—!

Scarlet Sky struck the spine of that unadorned sword.

The sword gleam vanished.

"Xie Xuan was forced to defend!"

"The Divine Hammer Little Tyrant wins!"

"His swordsmanship is this exceptional? If he can pressure Xie Xuan into defending, how terrifying must his hammer techniques be?"

"Peerless swordsmanship, divine hammer arts—it’s only natural."

"Exactly. A name might be mistaken, but a title never lies."

"I've heard a thing or two about Brother Li's hammer techniques. If you'd seen that one strike he made in the Southern Border..."

Xie Xuan froze in place, then suddenly turned his head.

"...?"

Meanwhile, Li Mo fell into deep thought, slowly raising a questioning eyebrow.

What the hell? I clearly use a sword—haven’t even pulled out a hammer—so how am I suddenly a hammer-wielding god now?

These little geniuses... they actually saw right through me.

Young Li’s stubborn defiance shattered on the spot.

Xie Xuan was spellbound, his mind completely detached from the duel.

In this match, it seemed there would be no winner.