World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 98: A Duel Invitation

Based on their explanation, Fei Lianzi and his disciples' intentions were already quite clear. The Shu Sword Sect wanted to borrow Wang Sheng's comprehension of the Dao of the Sword to enter the trial grounds and retrieve the lost Sword-Controlling Art of Shu.

Has Shu's younger generation of sword cultivators truly dwindled to this extent? Wang Sheng pondered.

Fully understanding the situation, Mou Yue promptly texted Wang Sheng some relevant information.

The three branches of the Shu Sword Sect were respectively based in the Sword Gate, Mount Emei, and Mount Jinyun. When primal qi returned, the Sword Gate lineage, which guarded the Sword Mound, claimed to be the Shu Sword Sect's true orthodox lineage, causing dissatisfaction among the other two branches.

Even so, they didn't engage in any direct conflict since most of the Daoist masters across the three branches were old acquaintances. Instead, they engaged in several discussions and sect-wide debates.

Due to their sect's lost Sword-Controlling Art and the mediation of the Special Investigation Unit, the three branches eventually reached a truce and pooled their inherited mental cultivation methods. Nevertheless, they failed to reconstruct the Sword-Controlling Art. Left with no other options, the Seventy-Two Swords became their last hope of recovering it.

Even before the resurgence of primal qi, there were already many Doaist temples in Shu. However, aside from the Qingcheng Mountains, most were not renowned for their Daoist martial arts. Few youths or children were sent to the mountains to train in swordsmanship. Even Mount Wudang, which had a steady influx of disciples, currently had a stronger younger generation of sword cultivators.

Moreover, before the resurgence of primal qi, the Shu Sword Sect had suffered numerous calamities, nearly severing its Daoist heritage. Even when primal qi returned, it barely managed to continue its lineage. Merely keeping its traditions alive had already been a great struggle.

The founding father of the Shu Sword Sect had established the Seventy-Two Swords precisely to nurture exceptional successors with remarkable aptitude and comprehension. Thus, only those who were under the age of twenty-five and had comprehended a complete sword intent could enter it. At the very least, they had to have thoroughly mastered a sword art, grasped its essence, and reached the Realm of Formless Sword's threshold.

As Li Gufeng had said, such a feat was nearly impossible unless they had been training in swordsmanship since childhood. Among those who had only started cultivating within the past two or three years, only a few could reach the second realm of the Dao of the Sword.

The Shu Sword Sect could certainly start training a group of twelve or thirteen-year-olds now. Within seven or eight years, they would surely produce a few outstanding sword cultivators capable of entering the trial grounds and retrieving the full Sword-Controlling Art.

However, by then, what would the state of the cultivation world be?

Overshadowed by major Daoist sects like the three talisman sects, the Shu Sword Sect had been struggling to maintain its presence. If they failed to retrieve the Sword-Controlling Art soon, their standing in the cultivation world could plummet and never recover.

The answer was self-evident.

After weighing their options, the sect decided to seek the aid of sword cultivators outside their sect. Since it was not exactly a matter they could take pride in, they initially searched discreetly within Shu for talented sword cultivators and even borrowed two or three promising young swordsmen from friendly sects.

The sect found a total of seven people to go through the Seventy-Two Swords. However, they only lasted three days at most before they were forced to retreat, never even catching a glimpse of the Sword-Controlling Art.

The Shu Sword Sect had no choice but to continue their search for a genius of the Dao of the Sword. When their efforts ended in vain again, they expanded their search even further, with their members working tirelessly to find a suitable candidate. After all, the sooner they retrieved the Sword-Controlling Art, the sooner they could restore their sect's strength.

The Hua Republic had a vast amount of Daoist heritage and sword cultivators, but those who met the trial's requirements were exceedingly rare.

Wang Sheng just so happened to be one of those few—and the most renowned among them.

With the Special Investigation Unit acting as a guarantor, the chances of Wang Sheng spreading the Sword-Controlling Art outside the sect were relatively low. Taking all factors into consideration, he was certainly the most reliable candidate.

This was why Fei Lianzi and his disciples had approached "Wang Fei Lǘ" at the airport.

Fei Lianzi smiled broadly at Wang Sheng. "This would also be an enormous opportunity for you. Our sword sect's Sword-Controlling Art was once a closely guarded secret. A thousand years ago, even the greatest swordmasters of the era were turned away when they came seeking it.

"Now, all you have to do is help us retrieve the complete Sword-Controlling Art from the Seventy-Two Swords. As long as you swear not to spread it outside, you will be free to practice it yourself. Our sword sect will also spare no effort in offering you a worthy reward.

"Moreover, all of our members will be eternally grateful to you." Fei Lianzi sighed. "Haaa... Without the Sword-Controlling Art, our sect is like a body without a soul!"

The Sword-Controlling Art of Shu, the Sword Mound, the trial grounds of the Dao of the Sword... As a sword cultivator, Wang Sheng naturally found them immensely alluring. However, he was no reckless youth. Though Fei Lianzi had spoken of the benefits, Wang Sheng could also see the dangers hidden beneath them.

"Considering Shu has many sword cultivators, at least a few from my generation should have already comprehended a complete sword intent. Why did they all fail in retrieving the Sword-Controlling Art?"

Wang Sheng's clear and steady gaze locked onto Fei Lianzi, making the latter chuckle awkwardly. freewebnσvel.cøm

Wang Sheng added, "Daoist Master Fei Lian, did all the cultivators who tried to clear the trial withdraw due to injuries?"

"Well..." Fei Lianzi smacked his lips.

Li Gufeng looked at Wang Sheng with a hint of surprise. The other sword cultivators they had approached all agreed without hesitation. Even those who initially declined expressed nothing more than polite modesty.

Wang Sheng was the first to pinpoint the critical issue.

Fei Lianzi laughed awkwardly. "Some of them did suffer injuries, but none were too serious. They all recovered within three to seven days. Since the trial was designed to temper disciples and enhance their cultivation, our forefathers wouldn't have set up anything excessively lethal.

"Still, a trial naturally involves some risk. There are a total of eight stages, each guarded by nine layers of sword intent. For a sword cultivator, this is an unparalleled opportunity for growth. Daoist Master Fei Yu—"

Wang Sheng cupped his hands in respect. "I certainly cannot refuse this. I will give it a try. My leg should fully heal in two days, and then I can set off for the Shu Sword Sect."

Overjoyed, Fei Lianzi stepped forward eagerly and attempted to shake Wang Sheng's hand. However, before he could get close, a graceful figure appeared beside Wang Sheng.

A gentle yet firm surge of Yin-Yang Qi swirled around them, effortlessly stopping Fei Lianzi in his tracks and pushing him back to his original position.

As Wang Sheng looked at his senior sister in surprise, disbelief filled Fei Lianzi's expression. He stared at Mu Wanxuan as if he had just seen a ghost.

Did she break through again in just a few days?

Wang Sheng sighed, rubbing his forehead. He felt both delighted and a little disheartened.

Among all the minor stages in his senior sister's unstoppable progress over the past two years, she had spent the most time at the middle stage of the Seed Formation Realm, yet even that only lasted for a short period. She had accumulated enough foundation, deepened her comprehension, and nearly completed her Dao. A breakthrough at that moment was only natural.

Still...

Having finally reached the Seed Formation Realm, Wang Sheng thought he was about to catch up to his senior sister. However, just as he was closing the gap, she effortlessly took another step forward. Now, she was on the verge of reaching the Celestial Embryo Stage and becoming an absolute powerhouse.

Forget it. This is exactly the kind of dominance that I should expect from someone ranked on the Heavenly Rankings.

Wang Sheng had no reason to refuse the Shu Sword Sect's invitation to the Seventy-Two Swords, which should have been a sacred trial ground for their disciples. After all, any trial ground, especially one linked to a sect's Daoist heritage, was considered a place of immense fortune for its disciples. Moreover, the Shu Sword Sect's trial was perfectly suited for his expertise as a sword cultivator.

This was a rare opportunity. While there were risks, it was worth taking the gamble.

On the way back from the airport, Fei Lianzi made Mou Yue transfer to another car, allowing him to chat with Wang Sheng. Smiling warmly, the round-faced Daoist master sat in the front passenger seat, frequently turning back as if afraid that Wang Sheng would suddenly sprout wings and fly away.

Since Wang Sheng's leg had yet to fully heal, returning to Mount Wudang would be inconvenient. Fei Lianzi naturally wouldn't force him to experience the treacherous terrain of the Shu's mountains while still in a wheelchair.

Fortunately, Fei Lianzi was a sword cultivator at the late stage of the Seed Formation Realm and a disciple of a sect purely dedicated to the sword. Though Wang Sheng couldn't travel yet, he wasn't about to waste the opportunity to engage in a discussion on swordsmanship.

During the thirty-minute drive back to the hotel, Wang Sheng and Fei Lianzi delved into a spirited exchange, discussing everything from sword arts and sword intent to formless sword and sword momentum. Fei Lianzi grew so excited that he clapped in exhilaration and looked as though he wished he could just jump out of the car and spar with Wang Sheng right there and then.

Their conversation only further assured Fei Lianzi that the rising talent of Wudang had fully and unquestionably comprehended the Seven-Star Sword Intent! Even if he hadn't perfected it yet, he should still have a high chance of successfully retrieving the Sword-Controlling Art.

Strictly speaking, Fei Lianzi knew that Wang Sheng wouldn't reject the chance to clear such a sacred trial. He didn't have to lower himself to this extent to persuade him.

Still, he was genuinely afraid that Wang Sheng would suddenly change his mind. As he had said before, without the Sword-Controlling Art, the Shu Sword Sect was soulless.

At that moment, if some corrupt cultivator appeared and tried to injure even a finger on Wang Sheng's sword hand, Fei Lianzi would throw himself into battle without hesitation.

Upon reaching the hotel parking lot, Wang Sheng and Fei Lianzi were so engrossed in their discussion that they couldn't resist finding an empty corner and sparring a little.

Wang Sheng remained seated in his wheelchair, while Fei Lianzi stood two meters away. Each wielded a willow branch that they had picked up from the roadside, using it to strike at the opponent's chest. The number of successful hits would determine the winner.

In the first round, Wang Sheng mixed the Seven-Star Sword Technique with elements of the Seven-Star Sword Formation. However, since he lacked proper footwork coordination, he couldn't fully unleash the technique's power.

Fei Lianzi used a basic sword technique from the Shu Sword Sect. The final score was sixteen to twenty-four, serving as clear evidence that he was truly an expert in the Dao of the Sword. Though his skills were slightly inferior to Gao Shixing, the difference wasn't too great.

In the second round, Wang Sheng incorporated the Dual-Polarity Sword Intent into his moves. Fei Lianzi responded with an intricate technique known as the Seventy-Two Rotating Sword Peaks, but he failed to break through Wang Sheng's defense.

Eventually, Wang Sheng found a flaw in Fei Lianzi's sword momentum. He adjusted his swordplay from rigid to flexible and slowly built up force. He then launched a sharp attack, successfully hitting Fei Lianzi's chest with the supple willow branch.

The final score: one to zero. It was a narrow victory.

Although they were mostly just engaging in a playful exchange, Fei Lianzi's two disciples were left utterly stunned. If Zhou Yinglong had been present, they could have gone to the hospital to visit Shi Qianzhang. They would have had enough people to play a round of mahjong while lamenting their experiences of how Wang Sheng had crushed them.

Fei Lianzi waved his hand dismissively. "No need for a third round. In this kind of duel, I really have no way to counter your Dual-Polarity Sword Intent."

The implication was clear: if they were to have a serious match, he had ways to overcome Wang Sheng's Dual-Polarity Sword Intent.

As Wang Sheng smiled and nodded, Fei Lianzi casually tossed his willow branch aside and gazed at Wang Sheng affectionately. At that moment, Mu Wanxuan cleared her throat and stepped forward slightly, silently reminding the Daoist master to restrain his urge to recruit her junior brother.

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