Martial Arts Master

Though she couldn’t understand what the referee was saying, Kaori Karasawa’s experience in arena fights and the scene before her made her fully aware of the results.

Relaxing her muscles and fascia, which she hadn’t even used to their maximum potential, she let her own aura dissipate. She arched her back and bowed.

“Thank you for guidance, Lou-jun.”

With that, she sheathed her tachi and headed for Guanwai League changing room without waiting to see if Lou Cheng had understood her. Her head was spinning.

To famous kendo samurais, having their tachi forced back into its sheath as they perform an ultimate technique is mortifying. This iss even more so when their opponents are in their same league.

Had this been decades or centuries ago, the obvious choice here would have been to commit seppuku.

Xinzhai Sect didn’t condone such extreme measures, but they had their fair share of meditating before statues, abstinence from pleasures, and other self-torturous methods to refine their mind and body, all in hopes of cleansing oneself.

In recent decades, such attitudes had been dying out. However, she couldn’t forgive herself that easily with an excuse like that.

There were two main reasons why Lou Cheng had managed to hold down the hilt of her sword and prevent its draw:

First, no one could have expected his speed, as it was the first time he had combined the Attainment Formula with his own Jet Spray Technique. It formed a stark contrast to her Flying Dragon Takedown, which involved concealing her killing intent and not giving any hints, as well as a deliberate decrease in speed. However, this wasn’t the main reason, since she knew about his Attainment Formula and self-created Jet Spray beforehand and had predicted and guarded against it.

Second, his Confrontation Formula made her lose all fighting spirit, as though she was back in the shrine where she practiced Mind Reader. As a result, she had entered the Xinzhai Realm, which only her master was capable of, and made Flying Dragon Takedown more unpredictable. However, in hindsight, it wasn’t an error on Lou Cheng’s part. Rather, it was just part of his plan.

Therefore, when she had tried to punish what she thought to be a mistake on her enemy’s part, she walked straight into an elaborate trap.

The overwhelming feeling of impending victory was exactly what made her drop her guard against Lou Cheng’s increased speed.

Otherwise, even if she had lost, it wouldn’t have been this fast, or ended up with her sword forced back to its sheath.

I’m such an idiot… She couldn’t help but blame herself after figuring out the cause of her loss.

She felt intensely and unexplainably upset, but managed to not let it show with her powerful mind-suppression. She pursed her lips tightly.

“Wow! Kaori-chan looks super kawaii when she’s upset!”

Many similar comments appeared on popular Japanese forums.

“My heart aches! I want to comfort her!”

“It’s a shame that Kaori-chan isn’t like before. I remember back when she was ten, whenever she lost, she would try to stifle her tears but always ends up bawling her eyes out.”

“After all, she’s a Deity realm expert now.”

“I remember seeing Kaori-chan’s tears at the auctions…”

“Her opponent is very impressive, to be able to force Kaori-chan’s tachi back into its sheath!”

“It’s as though he’s on another level!”

“Like I said, Lou-kun’s growth surpasses your imagination by miles!”

“His strength is absurd!”

“And there are more martial artists like him in China.”

“We are already so far behind them, yet those stubborn, conservative old farts can’t see it!”

“May the heavens slay the old farts!”

…

There were similar discussion threads on Chinese websites, but they used more direct words to express their adoration. Phrases like “Hugs, kisses, lifts into the air” were seen everywhere.

Behind the glass windows of the Longhu Club changing room, Ning Zitong inhaled softly as she listened to the awe and admiration of the audience.

“He truly is amazing in combat.”

“And it’s only been six or seven months since he made the great leap. I’m afraid the only one who outshines him in the recent thirty years is the Warrior Sage. Even the Dragon King was, at best, on par with him,” said Lu Yan placidly, despite his high praises.

Ning Zitong turned away slowly and chuckled. “Good thing that the Dragon King is away recuperating. If he heard what you just said, we’d see Lou Cheng get beaten up every week again.”

“I’ve been wondering whether the day will come when he throws the gauntlet at the Dragon King, like what Long Zhen did,” Lu Yan said, smiling slightly. It was rare for him to crack to a joke.

Rubbing her temples, Ning Zitong sighed.

“Why did we name ourselves Longhu back then? Now, whenever something like this happens, I start thinking about the saying ‘A mountain has no place for two tigers’.”

Beside her, Guo Jie was gazing outside with a complicated expression. There was motivation in her eyes.

Lou Cheng defeating Kaori Karasawa was expected, but no one could have foreseen him to win in such a fashion.

…

In the guest team changing room, Zhu Xiaoyun, Li Pingao, Zheng Shiduo fell silent. Lu Yongyuan, frowning slightly, stood with the God-Slaying Saber in his hand. The saber that had once turned the tides against the legendary twins.

His expression was placid and somewhat amused, no different than when he saw the first spring rain the night before. At Kaori Karasawa’s defeat, he didn’t show the slightest shock, tenseness, or disappointment.

At a moderate pace, Lu Yongyuan went out of the door and saw the gloomy Japanese girl with her lips tightly pursed.

He smiled and nodded, then walked past her without reprimanding her at all. He walked towards the center of the infernal hell.

Kaori Karasawa’s eyes followed his figure stiffly. For a moment, she had the illusion that she was the victor of the match.

Lu-senpai’s mentality has improved even more…

Lou Cheng stood still as the scarlet lava gradually flowed in the crevices below and flame geysers erupted around him. His eyes locked onto the casually advancing Lu Yongyuan.

Compared to the year before, the God-Slaying Saber had a completely different air to him. He no longer absorbed light, speeding up the entrance of dusk, or had the threatening feeling that his heavenly saber’s edge was at his enemy’s forehead.

Now, he seemed more like a lumberjack returning with a loaded cart, or an elderly deep in thought in the middle of fishing. There was an unspeakable harmony between him and nature, as though he was the crucial piece of a scroll painting.

The more reserved and natural he was, the scarier it would be when his saber was drawn from its sheath. Lu Yongyuan had washed away his dust and found his inner self. These thoughts flashed across Lou Cheng’s mind as he realized his opponent had gotten stronger.

At the time the Master Battle took place, Lu Yongyuan had blazed his own path and was eager to put his skills to test, which made him appear hostile and impatient. Now, he had settled down and returned to simplicity.

Only by doing so could he begin to refine his mind.

Lu Yongyuan stopped where Kaori Karasawa had first stood.

He looked at Lou Cheng, his chiseled features curving into a smile.

“This time, I won’t stop at nine strokes.”