Love & Redemption
Chapter 36: Finals (Part 4)

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Finals (Part 4)

Today will continue with three updates~~~ Second update~~~

*********************************

"Let’s see what he’s capable of today!" Linglong crossed her arms, resolute. If Wu Tong dared to use the Five Thunders Technique again, she would rush up and scratch his face!

"It’s safer to stay back a bit." Du Minxing was a cautious person, not wanting to court trouble. Seeing that the children were unwilling to retreat, he had to lean forward slightly to protect them, lest the indiscriminate swords and spells inflict more injuries.

As soon as the horn stopped, Wu Tong gave a fist salute to the senior brother and said indifferently, "Yu, please enlighten me."

Today he had changed his weapon, with a Wujin Sword hanging on his waist, thin and long. When drawn, it glimmered in the sunlight, clearly a sharp weapon.

He freed his other hand and twisted the tip of the sword, lightly bending it into a rounded arc. Letting go, the sword immediately sprang back straight, humming softly—it was actually a soft sword.

The man named Yu on the other side saw this weapon and his face became very serious. He returned the salute slightly, and with a sweep of his robe, revealed two short swords in his hands—he was also a short sword user.

Chu Yinghong saw that the two had exchanged courtesies and declared loudly, "On my command—begin!"

No sooner had her words fallen than the two silhouettes facing each other instantly moved, as quick as lightning, and clashed in the blink of an eye. The Wujin Sword slid up towards Yu Jianhao’s chest but was parried by his two short swords, trapping it between them. Wu Tong couldn’t pull his sword free in their rapid exchange.

"Yu is even more formidable." Zhong Minyan saw that Wu Tong’s moves were a bit weaker and that he was at a disadvantage from the start, showing delight on her face, "Now he’s bound to lose!"

Before she finished speaking, there were two grating "zzt zzt" sounds from the arena, and Wu Tong’s Wujin Sword was forcibly pulled free from between the two short swords. Not daring to attack recklessly, he retracted his sword in defense. Unexpectedly, Yu Jianhao moved even faster. With a solid step, he spun around and executed an "Inverted Willow." The sharp glint of his short sword whooshed past Wu Tong’s chest. Had his reaction been slower, it would have been a fatal wound.

"Excellent!" Linglong was the first to applaud.

Wu Tong stumbled awkwardly for a few steps before steadying himself. He touched his chest and found a long tear in his clothes with a hint of blood. He snickered, carelessly wiping away the bloodstain on his body and said coldly, "Brother Yu has a swift sword indeed, aiming to kill me!"

Yu Jianhao gave a slight smile and said, "The arena is blind to the sword’s edge, junior brother, be careful."

Wu Tong knew his martial skills, whether in fisticuffs or swordplay, were inferior to others. He had joined the Dianjing Valley midway, lacking these fundamental skills since childhood, which often put him behind others. If it hadn’t been for the protection of immortal techniques, he wouldn’t have caught Elder Jiang’s favor.

Last time during a duel with a disciple from the Shaoyang Sect, he used the Five Thunders Technique in desperation, which led to everyone’s disapproval and the new rule against using such immortal techniques. Now with tens of thousands of eyes watching his every move from below, surely most were hoping for his immediate defeat, to fall wounded by his opponent’s sword.

With that thought, his heart hardened and without speaking further, he switched his technique. The soft sword in his hand suddenly undulated like a Spirit Snake, its flexible strikes winding out.

This was not Dianjing Valley’s skill! Sure enough, Yu Jianhao was also taken aback. He tried to dodge quickly but couldn’t anticipate the sword’s erratic movements—up and down, left and right—he couldn’t discern where to evade.

This moment of hesitation froze his actions for an instant. Seizing the opportunity, Wu Tong twisted his body and thrust his sword past Yu Jianhao’s face! Yu Jianhao was shocked, leaping backward several steps until he crashed into the railing of the platform, where he finally stopped.

He touched his cheek and found it covered in blood. Had his thrust been more accurate, his own eyes would have likely been gouged out by now.

A chill of fear rose within him. Indeed, his master was right about Wu Tong being extremely treacherous—he only allowed others to wrong him and never let anyone owe him the slightest debt, epitomizing the saying "a tit for tat." He wasn’t using Dianjing Valley’s skills, but rather some strange and deadly technique, its origin unknown.

Thereupon, he said, "Junior brother! This is a formal duel, how can you use other sects’ skills? Furthermore..." Furthermore, his own Inverted Willow move had been without real force, not enough to seriously hurt Wu Tong. Yet Wu Tong had counterattacked with vicious intent, and although his stab did not gouge out Yu’s eye, it had opened a deep gash across his face, the blood flowing freely and the pain excruciating.

Wu Tong just sneered coldly, flinging back his older statement, "The arena is blind to the sword’s edge, senior brother, you must be careful."

Yu Jianhao’s expression darkened as he said sternly, "I gave you three points of mercy, and you’ve taken a mile! Very well, let’s see whose sword is faster!"

His stance changed, resembling a winged crane taking flight, his short swords seeming to multiply into thousands in an instant. In the urgency of the moment, it was impossible to distinguish real from illusion.

Wu Tong was not to be outdone; he met the challenge head-on.

The two dark figures touched and then retreated; in a moment, they were entangled again. All that could be heard in the arena was the incessant clashing of blades; both combatants were exerting their full strength. One displayed the authentic and graceful skills of Dianjing Valley, while the other used the strange and agile martial arts of unorthodox schools.

Linglong only saw the sword in Wu Tong’s hand flickering with black light, as if blossoming into dark plum flowers around him. For a time, neither could gain the upper hand. Anxious, she shouted, "Yu Jianhao! Push harder! Wouldn’t it be shameful to lose to your own junior brother?!"

The two fighters on the field, entangled in their duel, could not hear her cries. A moments’ distraction could mean death for them.

However, the disciples of the Shaoyang Sect below heard Linglong’s shout and imitated her: dozens of them bellowed in unison, "Yu Jianhao! Wouldn’t it be shameful to lose to your own junior brother?!"

"Yu Family Senior Brother, don’t lose to him!"

"Cut down this treacherous junior brother beneath your sword!"

With their shouting, other sects who enjoyed joining the excitement also began to shout along. Now, the majority were cheering for Yu Family Senior Brother Jiang; the leaders of the various sects, seeing this, could do nothing but shake their heads in secret.

The two locked in combat suddenly separated with a swift motion. Wu Tong somersaulted twice and then suddenly threw out several pitch-black papers from his sleeves.

Linglong, with sharp eyes, screamed in alarm, "Watch out! He’s going to use the Five Thunders Technique again!"

No sooner had she said this than she grabbed Xuanji, rolled down the big rock, and crouched motionless beneath it.

Du Minxing, unable to help but laugh, pulled the two of them back up, "It’s not the Five Thunders Technique. Look!"

He pointed towards the stage. Linglong poked her head out, trembling, and saw that the talismans had turned into Water Arrows and Fire Dragons, indeed not the Five Thunders Technique.

"Ah! The Five Elements Skill! He can release both water and fire at the same time!" Linglong exclaimed, eyes wide with astonishment.

Du Minxing nodded, "Indeed... and his skills don’t seem to be from Dianjing Valley either. It looks like he’s a halfway disciple who has learned all kinds of miscellaneous skills somewhere before."

Meanwhile, Yu Jianhao was in a terrible plight trying to dodge the Immortal Techniques.

It is a common rule among the Five Great Sects that disciples must be at least twenty years old before they can learn Immortal Techniques and Spells. Yu Jianhao wasn’t of age yet, and only knew some basic Summoning Techniques, hardly enough to handle Wu Tong’s formidable Fire and Water Dragons. Ordinary weaponry was as good as tofu against them; passing by, his dagger snapped, and the other burned and split, beyond further use.

Barely evading the Water Arrow barrage, he took refuge in a corner of the platform, shouting his lungs out, "Wu Tong! This is against the rules! Spells like these are forbidden in a duel!"

Wu Tong, with an expression cold as water, seemed to have not heard his screams at all. His fingers, delicate as orchids, elegantly gestured, and the Fire Dragon that was hovering in midair immediately heeded the summons and roared towards the unarmed Yu Jianhao.

If it hit him, Yu Jianhao would have been killed or at least gravely injured. Suddenly, the venue erupted in noise, and Chu Yinghong was about to lend her aid and stop this improper duel.

But before she could move, the Fire Dragon above Yu Jianhao’s head dissipated on its own.

Wu Tong lowered his talisman-wielding hand, formed a Sword technique, and without a moment’s pause, leaped forward to thrust at the still bewildered Yu Jianhao.

"Foul play! He’s breaking the rules!" Suddenly, a crisp voice rang out from below.

He felt a chill in his heart and turned to look, only to see Linglong again, hands on her hips, angrily shouting, "He’s breaking the rules! He should lose this match for cheating! So despicable!"

His heart filled with extreme loathing for the little ghosts of the Shaoyang Sect; they had humiliated him by hanging him upside down from a tree, and he had yet to settle scores for that embarrassment!

At that thought, he paused his stride, pretending to stumble, and his sword suddenly lunged in Linglong’s direction!