Undying Life

Chapter 83: Please Duel

Zhong Shan was originally planning to retreat to the side, but the middle-aged man in white suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his path. His speed was too fast, so fast that Zhong Shan only saw a trace of afterimage, and then suddenly another person appeared in front of him.

Zhong Shan narrowed his eyes, revealing a strong sense of solemnity.

Turning his head, Zhong Shan looked at the young man, because Zhong Shan could tell that this young man was the leader of the two.

"I am Zhong Shan. May I ask why you are blocking my way?" Zhong Shan asked, his eyes fixed on the young man. He didn't understand why he was being stopped; he didn't even know him.

"Please duel," the young man didn't say much, but just two simple words.

"Please duel?" In the imperial court, it meant to offer direct advice to a superior, but among martial artists, it meant a challenge. Whether the challenge succeeded or not, the opponent would attack.

Looking at the young man, Zhong Shan's pupils contracted. It was obvious that the middle-aged man's cultivation far exceeded his own. If he had deep-seated enmity, he could have attacked directly. But "please duel" was a form of respect to the opponent. Did he want to fight him? Why?

"Haven't introduced yourself yet?" Zhong Shan asked immediately.

Looking at Zhong Shan, the young man placed his hand on the hilt behind his back and said, "If you don't die, I'll tell you."

"Ring~~~"

The young man drew a pitch-black long sword, pointing it slowly towards Zhong Shan.

Seeing the long sword pointed at him, Zhong Shan didn't make a move because some things needed to be clarified before dealing with the unexpected events that followed.

"I don't know you, why did you choose me? Or have you seen me make a move somewhere?" Zhong Shan asked cautiously while remaining vigilant.

Zhong Shan could only think of when he dealt with the Grass Soldiers before, but it was still better to confirm.

"Last time, you killed a Golden Core cultivator, and I happened to pass by," the young man said lightly.

Golden Core cultivator? Zhong Shan's eyes narrowed. The Mysterious Immortal? Did he see him kill the Mysterious Immortal and come looking for him?

"Draw your sword," the young man commanded.

Glancing at the middle-aged man beside him, Zhong Shan lightly drew out his long sword, "Undying."

"You don't need to worry about the Ninth Layer, he won't interfere. You can fight freely. Also, don't worry, we're the same, both at the Fourth Layer of the Heavenly Realm," the young man said.

Hearing what the young man said, Zhong Shan felt slightly relieved. There was no mischief involved, but it seemed that the other party was not a despicable person.

Seeing that Zhong Shan drew a sword instead of the big knife, the young man frowned slightly, but he didn't say much. No one would joke with their own life. Since you have drawn a sword, then let's fight!

"Ring~~~"

The young man's eyes narrowed, and the long sword in his hand stabbed swiftly towards Zhong Shan. The speed was so fast that it didn't seem like the power of the Fourth Layer of the Heavenly Realm at all. At the tip of the sword, sword aura flickered, as if it could turn into sword qi and shoot out at any time.

The sword came too fast. Zhong Shan quickly dodged and deflected the sword aura with his long sword.

"Ding!"

With a brief touch, the two swiftly separated. Zhongshan narrowed his eyes, impressed by the profoundness of his opponent's swordsmanship and the formidable strength behind it. He narrowly avoided having his own longsword sent flying from his hand.

Zhongshan primarily practiced the art of the blade, but his concealed form also honed his skills with the sword. His blade techniques were fierce, and his swordsmanship was just as formidable; to him, his swordplay was no less than his skill with the blade.

Without hesitation, Zhongshan charged forward, but the youth before him remained unperturbed, his longsword thrusting towards Zhongshan with urgency.

For Zhongshan, reading the patterns of the blade had become instinctual, just as discerning the weakest point of a sword thrust had become his second nature. Swiftly, Zhongshan's longsword instinctively aimed for the weakest spot in the youth's blade.

Normally, such a move would have been effective, but the youth seemed to anticipate Zhongshan's intentions. With a hint of excitement in his eyes, the youth deftly maneuvered his longsword, evading Zhongshan's strike and countering with a swift sidestroke.

Clang!

The two swords clashed once again, but Zhongshan found himself unable to gain any ground. Undeterred, he pressed on, his ferocious nature fully evident even in this concealed form. He fought relentlessly, each strike precise and deadly.

Every move Zhongshan made was met with equal skill by the youth, who seemed increasingly thrilled by the challenge. Rather than growing impatient, Zhongshan fought with measured determination, using the encounter to sharpen his own swordsmanship.

As the battle wore on, Zhongshan seemed to relish the fight, finding joy in the exhilarating exchange. Only through such intense combat could his swordsmanship truly progress. Strike after strike, Zhongshan pushed himself to his limits, fully unleashing his potential and striving for improvement.

Suddenly, a newcomer burst into the scene, only to be swiftly kicked out by Zhongshan's companion, Chu Jiu. The intruder, bewildered by the unexpected force, staggered away, no longer daring to intrude.

Although there were no spirit formations within, the sight of someone being ejected caught the attention of many bystanders. Each successive attempt to enter ended in the same manner, leaving onlookers puzzled and intrigued.

Chu Jiu had created an environment conducive to their duel, and interruptions were not tolerated.

After battling for some time, Zhongshan noticed a change in the youth's demeanor. His swordsmanship suddenly intensified, indicating his growing seriousness.

Surprised by the youth's newfound determination, Zhongshan wondered if his opponent still had reserves of energy to spare.

Their swords clashed once more, but this time, as Zhongshan moved to evade, the youth's sword inexplicably appeared in the path Zhongshan had intended to take.

The youth's strength seemed beyond ordinary, leaving Zhongshan astonished and forcing him to halt abruptly. Even Chu Jiu looked on with disbelief.

How could this be? It was as if an object falling from the sky suddenly stopped in mid-air, defying gravity and even ascending. It was utterly illogical.

Dang!

The sound of the clash echoed through the air, signaling the continuation of their intense battle.

Zhongshan narrowly dodged the youth's sword, his abrupt halt and reverse movement seemingly ghost-like. Such feats were impossible for an ordinary cultivator, but Zhongshan's concealed form was truly like a ghost, stopping and moving at will, completely defying convention.

Clang, clang, clang...

This time, it was the youth who launched a fierce attack. His longsword moved with unparalleled speed, each strike surpassing the last. Zhongshan, with his keen eyesight, felt a sense of uncertainty, as if he couldn't grasp the full extent of the youth's movements.

Zhongshan marveled at the whirlwind of blows unleashed by the youth. Several times, he narrowly escaped defeat. Could there really be someone this powerful in the world? Was this the prowess of someone at the Fourth Stage of the Innate Realm? It was incredible!

Although Zhongshan's concealed form didn't involve the demonic body refinement technique, it possessed its own peculiarities—mysterious, ethereal, elusive, and nimble. These attributes made the effects of his concealed form no less potent than his true form. Except for the abnormality of the Red Phoenix Heaven Scripture, if his true form battled his concealed form, victory would be difficult to determine.

Zhongshan fought with trepidation, while the youth marveled at his opponent's abilities. Was Zhongshan even human? Could a human twist his arm outward to wield a sword? And his wrist, it looked as if it had been broken, yet he could still wield his sword?

Zhongshan managed to turn danger into opportunity each time, forcing the youth into awkward positions with the help of his concealed form.

However, after a particularly intense exchange, the youth's eyes widened, and his strength seemed to surge suddenly, as if his sword speed had increased by half in an instant. Zhongshan watched helplessly as he struggled to keep up. He knew the youth must be using secret techniques to stimulate his cultivation, but what could he do about it?

Was he going to lose? The thought flashed through Zhongshan's mind as he faced the youth's unstoppable sword.

Lose? This wasn't just a sparring match; it was a fight to the death!

Zhongshan refused to accept defeat. Although the youth had secret techniques to boost his strength, Zhongshan had something the youth didn't—he was more ruthless.

With a fierce glare, Zhongshan faced the youth's approaching sword, refusing to dodge or evade. He allowed the sword to pierce his chest.

Szzzz...

The youth's longsword pierced through Zhongshan's left shoulder, blood spurting out as the blade passed through. With a single sweep, the youth could sever Zhongshan's arm.

A look of astonishment flashed across the youth's face. Zhongshan could have easily blocked the attack, so why didn't he?

Szzzz...

In Zhongshan's ruthless gaze, the Undying Sword pierced through the youth's left shoulder. Was this to end in mutual destruction?

A torrent of blood gushed from the wound, and the youth couldn't believe that Zhongshan had chosen mutual destruction.

In the next moment, with just a wave of their hands, they could sever each other's arms.