Chapter 1344: One Shattered Sword Strike

Jian Qinsheng had immersed himself in the ancestral sword art for an untold number of years, becoming intimately familiar with all its variations.

The move just now could evolve into eighteen different attack methods, but absolutely never from that angle or with that offensive approach!

What appeared to be a gentle thrust was, in fact, a stroke of genius—it compelled defense yet rendered it impossible.

“This requires a perfect grasp of timing and an intimate understanding of the opponent’s moves. Even for me, it would take a long time to conceive. In battle, death is a hair’s breadth away; to execute something like this at such a tense moment…”

Jian Qinsheng found it hard to believe.

The move appeared simple but actually combined a deep understanding of swordsmanship with a keen grasp of the opponent’s actions.

Even he would find it extremely difficult to execute.

“You…”

As Jian Qinsheng marveled, Senior Martial Brother Xie, his opponent, felt a suffocating pressure in his chest, as if it were about to explode.

Though he didn't grasp the precise subtlety of the opponent's move, as the hair-thin thread thrust forward, his entire aura was once again disrupted. Without a quick solution, he would inevitably collide with it, unable to dodge.

Though only a strand of hair in the opponent's hand, it was imbued with true qi, making it no less potent than a sharp longsword. If it connected, it could easily pierce a throat or even sever a head.

“Retreat!”

Knowing that severe injury was unavoidable if he pressed on, he gritted his teeth, formed a hand seal with his left hand, and forcefully pushed forward.

The air produced a sonic boom as he used the momentum to forcefully retreat backward.

The sudden shift in momentum caused the surging true qi within him to become uncontrollable. His internal organs felt as though they had been struck by a sledgehammer, his face flushed crimson, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Two consecutive moves, not a single direct clash, yet he was already injured…

No one would believe it if he told them.

“What… what’s happening?”

“I don’t know either. What is Senior Martial Brother Xie doing?”

Their eyes couldn't discern the power of Zhang Xuan's move; they only saw Senior Martial Brother Xie initially gaining the upper hand, then suddenly retreating, which resulted in a backlash of power. They were all bewildered and confused.

“Could it be… Senior Martial Brother Xie has masochistic tendencies?”

“Most likely. I remember Senior Brother once pursued Senior Sister Shui and ended up getting beaten black and blue by someone!”

“Yes, and after that, he never dared to pursue Senior Sister again… But this has nothing to do with masochism, does it?”

“Who says it has nothing to do with it? Everyone knows a prominent figure in the academy likes Senior Sister Shui, and yet he still dared to provoke her. What else is that if not seeking punishment?”

Several junior martial brothers stroked their chins, secretly speculating.

“You…”

Seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, Senior Martial Brother Xie's face turned green, knowing exactly what they were thinking.

He had intended to help his teacher discipline this presumptuous fellow. He never imagined that, despite wielding a mid-grade sacred artifact, he couldn't even harm the one holding a strand of hair, and instead, he himself ended up spitting blood.

“If you can block this move, I’ll concede!”

Taking a step back, he inhaled deeply, and Senior Martial Brother Xie's eyes narrowed.

*Whoosh!*

The sword intent within him boiled like water, and a furious surge of sword qi erupted skyward.

“It’s Senior Martial Brother’s most formidable ‘Carefree Sword’!”

“This move was created by our teacher. A single sword strike severs all worries, leaving no sorrow or care. At the same level, almost no one can withstand it!”

“When our teacher executes this move, he can unleash ninety-nine sword qi in an instant. Senior Martial Brother Xie has the highest comprehension among us; though he’s far from ninety-nine, he can still unleash thirty-two sword qi!”

“It locks down thirty-two of the opponent's vital points, and under the influence of the qi, they lose all ability to resist…”

A ripple of commotion spread through the surroundings, and a worried expression appeared in Shui Qianrou’s eyes.

She had brought Zhang Xuan, and if he were injured by her senior martial brother during the match, it would be an embarrassment for her.

“Given his strength, he should be fine…”

However, recalling that the opponent had even passed through Yizi Lane, she concluded that despite Senior Martial Brother Xie's strength, he was likely still no match.

*Zzzzzz!*

His internal qi reaching its peak, Senior Martial Brother Xie's body soared into the air. Man and sword became one as he thrust fiercely forward.

“What a formidable martial technique!”

Zhang Xuan’s eyes immediately lit up.

This move, where one’s body becomes the sword, appears simple but actually integrates essence, qi, and spirit entirely into the way of the sword. Without exceptional comprehension, it is extremely difficult to achieve.

A single sword strike locks down thirty-two of the opponent's vital points; any movement would result in injury. It was indeed formidable.

“Eye of Insight!”

Without dwelling on it, patterns shimmered in his eyes. In the blink of an eye, the detailed flaws of his opponent's move appeared before him with mirror-like clarity.

“Good power, but still many vulnerabilities…”

Spotting at least a dozen vulnerabilities, Zhang Xuan did not retreat. He chose one, and the hair-thin thread in his hand shot forward to meet it.

“What is he doing?”

“Is he going to clash a hair-thin thread directly against Senior Martial Brother Xie’s longsword?”

“No need to watch; he’s just seeking death…”

Witnessing his action, the crowd erupted once more.

In their eyes, this newcomer, faced with Senior Martial Brother Xie's fierce attack, not only failed to dodge but moved to meet it, clearly seeking death.

Even Jian Qinsheng was somewhat puzzled.

The Carefree Sword was his own creation, unparalleled in sharpness and incredibly powerful. Even sword moves of the same caliber wouldn't dare to clash with it directly. Meeting it with a strand of hair… could easily result in injury, or even instant death!

*Clang!*

Under their skeptical gazes, the longsword made contact with the hair-thin thread.

Just as everyone expected the hair to be shredded by the sword qi, the straight strand suddenly bent, arcing in an unimaginable way, and landed on the back of the longsword.

A sound like a hammer striking a bell suddenly rang out, immediately followed by a dense succession of crisp *cracking* sounds.

Everyone was stunned. The crowd quickly looked and saw the longsword, struck by the hair-thin thread, begin to crack like porcelain. In the blink of an eye, it shattered into countless pieces and clattered to the ground from mid-air.

As his longsword shattered, Senior Martial Brother Xie suffered a true qi backlash. His face flushed, blood gushed from his mouth, his body swayed, and he plummeted from the air.

Although the Carefree Sword was powerful, its 'man and sword as one' technique placed extremely high demands on the weapon. When the longsword shattered, it was as if his essence, qi, and spirit were instantly severed, causing him to suffer a severe injury in that single moment.

“This…”

A sudden silence fell over the area. Everyone stared at the youth holding the hair, their expressions as if they had seen a ghost.

“I lost…”

After taking a pill, Senior Martial Brother Xie stood up, filled with dejection, yet fully aware that he had indeed lost!

Wielding a mid-grade sacred artifact, he had been defeated by a single strand of hair…

Even experiencing it firsthand, it felt like a dream, utterly unbelievable.

“Your defeat was not unjust!”

Jian Qinsheng’s eyes gleamed as he looked at Zhang Xuan, as if he had discovered a treasure. “This young man’s swordsmanship is far superior to yours!”

“Indeed…” Senior Martial Brother Xie nodded, his face flushed with shame.

“It’s just mutual practice and learning. Senior Martial Brother Xie’s swordsmanship is excellent, and I greatly admire it!” Zhang Xuan quickly replied.

“To shatter his longsword with a single strand of hair… your mastery of swordsmanship is truly unparalleled!”

Jian Qinsheng continued, “If I’m not mistaken, that strand of hair you used must have broken as well!”

“It did!”

Nodding, Zhang Xuan relaxed the true qi at his fingertips.

The once straight strand of hair instantly crumbled into powder with a gentle breeze, scattering into the surroundings.

The onlookers were astonished once more.

Infusing true qi into an intact strand of hair isn’t overly difficult, but to have it shatter like that while still maintaining the true qi flow and simultaneously shattering Senior Martial Brother Xie’s longsword… how incredible must his control be?

“Actually, you don’t need to be disheartened. Your longsword wasn’t actually broken by his hair!”

Confirming his suspicion, Jian Qinsheng smiled and offered words of comfort to his student.

Senior Martial Brother Xie was bewildered, and the others were equally confused.

They had clearly seen the opponent strike the longsword with the hair, and the sword had shattered instantly. How could it not be broken by the hair?

“When you executed the Carefree Sword, your sword qi thrust straight forward, concentrating all your power at the sword’s tip, hoping to defeat your opponent. At that moment, the sword’s body was its weakest point. He used the hair to strike a specific spot on the sword’s body, which happened to be a power node. Upon impact, the true qi within the sword body surged uncontrollably. Essentially, it was your own power that shattered the longsword; his hair merely pinpointed the location and timing with extreme cleverness!”

To prevent his student from losing confidence, Jian Qinsheng offered this explanation, then looked at Zhang Xuan. “Am I correct in what I’ve said?”

“Senior is indeed perceptive!”

Zhang Xuan nodded.

What the elder said was correct. Even if the hair-thin thread gathered true qi, it couldn’t possibly sever a mid-grade sacred artifact. The effect was achieved, as the elder explained, by borrowing Senior Martial Brother Xie’s own power!

The true qi, struck by the hair, scattered everywhere. Under the fierce impact, it not only caused him injury but also directly shattered the sword’s body.

Suffering from the backlash of power, the hair itself couldn't withstand it and turned to dust. Had his true qi not been so pure and flowing within it, the hair might have vanished instantly.

“To pinpoint a flaw mid-combat, leverage power, and shatter a sword with a strand of hair… if I’m not mistaken…”

With gleaming eyes, Jian Qinsheng looked at him, a mix of excitement and disbelief on his face. “Your comprehension of the Way of the Sword has already reached the level of true understanding, hasn’t it?”

Only by achieving true understanding of the Way of the Sword could one be so perceptive, accurately judging every trajectory of sword qi, to the point where even Senior Martial Brother Xie, wielding the Carefree Sword, was no match.

“Yes!” Zhang Xuan nodded, not denying it.

If he hadn't made a move, he could have kept it hidden. But having just displayed his sword skill, if someone of the opponent's caliber still couldn't discern it, then his years of sword practice would have been for naught.

“To grasp the true understanding of the Way of the Sword at around 20 years old… Are you from the Zhang Clan?”

Hearing his confirmation, Jian Qinsheng was utterly shocked, still finding it hard to believe.

What level of sword talent would it take to achieve this? He himself had been called a genius in his youth, but he had poured countless efforts into reaching such a realm.

“The Zhang Clan? I’m truly not…” Zhang Xuan forced a bitter smile. Why did everyone who heard his name assume he was from the Zhang Clan?

Is it only the Zhang Clan that can produce geniuses?

Can ordinary people not reach this level?

“Not?” Jian Qinsheng paused, then burst into uproarious laughter. “That’s wonderful! Haha!”

“This…” Zhang Xuan couldn't help but be taken aback by his excitement.

He was so excited to hear he wasn't from the Zhang Clan. Could it be that Jian Qinsheng held a grudge against the Zhang Clan?