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nTranslator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

n‘With my blade or my mouth?’

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nLu Ze lowered his bottle gourd. The grin on his face vanished. As the great grandson of the Drunken Blade Lord, he was not accustomed to being disrespected.

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n‘Does he think he’s invincible just because he defeated Lin Yun?’

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nLu Ze unsheathed his blade. The ring of his blade was not only crisp, it carried a weight to it. The sound echoed across the battle ring.

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nHis blade was of excellent quality.

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nLu Ze was awfully annoyed by Fang Lang.

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n‘This bastard… What the hell did he do to Jiang Linglong? Why would she hand over her precious blade to him?

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n‘Many charming young men in the Imperial City had made their moves on Jiang Linglong, yet none of them succeeded. This little bastard… He’s not worthy!’

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nOutside the ring.

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nThe crowd was cheering and jeering.

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nThe atmosphere was tense—neither contestant was going to hold back.

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nThe fight started as soon as they entered the battle ring.

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nFang Lang—who defeated Lin Yun—was battling Lu Ze, the great grandson of the Drunken Blade Lord. This match promised to be interesting.

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nLin Yun was among the crowd. He carried his rusty blade on his back, his expression cold as ice as he watched the clashing of blades between Fang Lang and Lu Ze.

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n“If that bastard’s skills are limited to what he’s shown, he’ll definitely lose to Lu Ze.”

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nLin Yun crossed his arms before his chest. His chilling gaze made the air around him uncomfortable.

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nHis carelessness gave Fang Lang an edge. He fell into Fang Lang’s trap and was overwhelmed by his rhythmic attacks. If Lin Yun had been careful, Fang Lang would have a harder time fighting him.

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nIn the ring, the umpire from the Sword Guild floated away. He gathered a ball of spiritual energy between his palms as he observed the ongoing fight.

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nThe two teenagers were like two beams of light in the dark. They blasted off from opposite ends of the ring and came clashing in the middle!

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nFang Lang did not hold back at all. Sword Draw Technique, Dual Sword Technique and Spirit Step—all three techniques were activated at once.

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nHis two blades rained down on Lu Ze like a storm.

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nLu Ze was serious. Without his cultivation abilities, his sword mastery skills were greatly affected. He dared not let his guard down.

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nHe thrusted his blade.

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nLu Ze’s speed was equally as astounding. With a single sword, he fended off Fang Lang’s two blades!

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nClang!

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nClang, clang!

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nThe crisp sound of clashing blades rang out continuously from the ring.

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nThe two boys were lightning fast—most spectators could only see the afterimages!

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nNeither of them specialized in heavy attacks like Lin Yun—in terms of strength, the two were equals. Speed was their forte.

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nLu Ze’s sword style was elegant whereas Fang Lang’s Spirit Step was like an illusion.

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nThe audience was silent. Everyone was holding their breaths as they watched the fast-paced battle. Many were rubbing their eyes in hopes of getting a clear look at the combat techniques.

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nTheir blades were too fast—only blurry afterimages could be seen.

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nEven the geniuses were gasping in awe. They truly were the aces of their academies.

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nAfter some time, the two contestants began to utilize positioning and footwork. They moved around in the ring as their blades picked up speed. They appeared to be warmed up as they matched each other’s rhythm.

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nLu Ze was a second-class sword master. Although his cultivation abilities were dormant, Lu Ze still triumphed over Fang Lang when it came to physical fitness. Fang Lang was at a disadvantage.

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nEventually, Fang Lang’s Spirit Step could no longer keep up with Lu Ze’s speed. He was being overpowered!

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nThe scene made the crowd go wild.

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nOutside the ring, many were shaking their heads. This fight was definitely not in Fang Lang’s favor. Previously, Fang Lang could defeat Lin Yun with his speed. However, when fighting against Lu Ze, his speed would not bring him much advantage. He was being cornered.

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nOver at Luojiang Academy’s designated area, Mentor Wen was frowning. Liu Bubai clenched his fists as he stared into the ring.

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nJiang Linglong, too, had her eyes fixed on the battle.

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n…

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nOn the summit of Mount Shu, thin layers of cloud floated in the sky.

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nA silhouette of a man with white hair was sitting cross-legged on a cloud. The man, dressed in white, was examining the sword in his hands as he overlooked the battle ring on the ground.

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nThe sword fight between Fang Lang and Lu Ze was reflected in Chao Xiaojian’s eyes. His expression was calm.

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n“The boy wants to earn his spot in the Sword Guild through his own strength…

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n“If he doesn’t win this fight… his promise will be nothing but a joke.”

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n…

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nBeads of sweat splashed onto the floor, splitting into tinier droplets as they hit the ground.

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nFang Lang could feel the pressure.

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nHe had not activated his binding mode yet as he wanted to test his own strength.

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nLu Ze was too strong.

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nIt was difficult for Fang Lang to even keep up with Lu Ze’s speed.

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nSpeed and elegance were Lu Ze’s forte, similar to Fang Lang. Thus, defeat was imminent if he could not match Lu Ze’s style.

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nLu Ze did not underestimate Fang Lang—he fought at full strength from the very beginning. The effects of the wine he downed before the match still lingered. In fact, his blade moved like it was drunk, making Lu Ze’s attacks all the more unpredictable.

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nFang Lang stomped his feet, sending out a wave of blade energy toward Lu Ze.

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nWith a swing of his blade, Lu Ze shattered this incoming attack.

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nFang Lang’s Spirit Step was used as a surprise attack—after it was blocked once, it would no longer be as effective.

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nFang Lang charged at Lu Ze again but was forced back by his drunken blade.

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nFang Lang took a deep breath. A frustrated look appeared on his face.

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n‘I guess it really is impossible to win with my own abilities. To hell with it.

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n‘System, switch to Jiang Linglong’s cultivation mode.’ Fang Lang instructed.

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n‘Ding! Switching complete. Happy cultivating!’

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nThe System’s notification popped up.

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nInstantly, Fang Lang felt the change in his vision. With Jiang Linglong’s gold core, Lu Ze’s movements slowed down in his eyes.

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nHe could get a clearer picture of Lu Ze like never before!

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nAfter their long duel, Lu Ze was accustomed with Fang Lang’s rhythm and speed. Unexpectedly, Fang Lang suddenly sped up!

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nFang Lang’s sword style became more complex while his ability to ‘see’ was heightened!

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nMany of Lu Ze’s attacks were anticipated by Fang Lang!

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n‘Something’s off with him!

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n‘Something’s definitely off!

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n‘Was he hiding his true strength all along?’

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nAfter Lu Ze adapted to Fang Lang’s rhythm, he sped up again? Lu Ze was completely caught off guard!

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n‘How cunning! How sly!’

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nLu Ze was shocked but he hid it well.

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nFang Lang’s sudden acceleration put immense pressure on Lu Ze. Even his attacking rhythm was disrupted. Fang Lang—who lagged behind just a second ago—was suddenly fighting neck to neck with him. Fang Lang was even predicting his attacks!

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nThis sudden change was also noticed by the audience.

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nLin Yun widened his eyes. His chest puffed up as he inhaled deeply.

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n‘Impossible! He was hiding his true strength when fighting me?

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n‘Was he looking down at me?!’

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nLin Yun slammed his rusty sword into the ground, causing the floor to shake.

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nThis caused a commotion in the audience.

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nHowever, their attention quickly went back to the battle ring.

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n‘Just how strong is this dark horse?’ the audience thought.

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nFang Lang had gone on the offense and was overpowering Lu Ze!

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nJiang Linglong’s beautiful eyes were fixed on Fang Lang, who had successfully turn the tides. Her eyes curved into two crescents.

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nShe saw that Fang Lang’s movements contained some elements of her sword style.

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nJiang Linglong thought back to the morning when they discussed theories of sword mastery—it turned out Fang Lang actually understood her words and was able to put her advice into practice!

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n‘It’s the integration of my techniques that helped Fang Lang overpower Lu Ze!’ she thought.

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nLiu Bubai, who was standing beside her, grinned ear to ear. He was glad he could remain as the ‘hidden ace’ of the team.

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nIn the battle ring.

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nLu Ze could tell something was not right.

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nHe pushed Fang Lang away with a swing of his sword and retreated a few steps back. He grabbed the bottle gourd at his waist.

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nHe raised his head and downed the wine.

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nGulp!

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nWine spilled from the canteen and leaked from the corners of his lips. The wine dripped down his chin and neck.

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nLu Ze’s footsteps became unsteady. He swayed as he moved, his legs criss-crossing as he stumbled forward like a slithering snake. The intoxicating smell of alcohol wafted in the ring.

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n“Drunken Sword Style!”

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nWatching from afar, Fang Lang was surprised.

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nAn intense pressure pressed in on Fang Lang.

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nFang Lang’s Dual Sword Technique, Sword Draw Technique and Spirit Step were all Sword Mastery Specialities. Those techniques were considered incredibly strong among sword disciples. However, Lu Ze was a sword master. The Drunken Sword Style he employed was definitely a level higher than the average sword disciple’s technique.

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nFang Lang had to stop Lu Ze from consuming more wine. Using his Spirit Step, he rushed toward Lu Ze with his blades raised.

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nLu Ze swayed on his feet. His reddened face made him appear as if he might pass out at any moment. His sword style became more erratic!

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nThe Drunken Sword Style was an unusual combat style as it had no pattern. Fang Lang found himself in a tricky situation.

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nA drunk man’s blade was the wildest.

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nFang Lang was forced to step back!

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n‘Is there a way to hold down his attack?’

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nFang Lang had to think fast.

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nThen, he thought about the action card he obtained the day before!

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n‘Enchantment Card: After activation, you will be able to use the special combat techniques of a single binding partner.’

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nThat was the description of the Enchantment Card. It was the only combat-related card in his inventory.

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n‘System, use the Enchantment Card!’

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nAfter pondering for a while, Fang Lang decided to go with it.

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nLu Ze’s Drunken Sword Style had him cornered. Without the extra help, Fang Lang might lose this round.

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nAfter all, these cards were meant to be used, right?

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n‘Ding! Please select your desired binding partner.’

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n‘Jiang Linglong.’

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nFang Lang did not hesitate.

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n‘Ding! Enchantment Card is activated. The effect will last for two hours. Happy cultivating!’

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nThe System’s message disappeared.

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nA humming sound was heard.

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nFang Lang felt the changes immediately.

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nWhen he struck with his blade, he felt as if an invisible Jiang Linglong was beside him, mirroring his movements.

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nHis attacks rained down like all four seasons of the rain!

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nThe White Frost Blade in his hand sensed the familiar technique of its owner. It hummed merrily.

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nIn an instant, Fang Lang’s attack penetrated Lu Ze’s defense.

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nFor a moment, Lu Ze saw Jiang Linglong in the reflection of Fang Lang’s sword. The attack was like the misty rain of Jiangnan…

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n‘The Four Season Form?

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n‘Impossible!

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n‘Did I… Did I drink too much?

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n‘No way!’

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nThe red-faced Lu Ze instantly sobered up.

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