Chapter 8: Narrow Road of Enemies

  As soon as he went up to the roof, he found out that the laughing man was riding a tall horse, and even the bridle on the horse's mouth was inlaid with gold and jade. The saddle and reins were extremely luxurious.

  And his clothes were also exceptionally gorgeous, he himself exuded an air of extreme luxury and extravagance!

  If you just look at him, everyone's first impression would be that he is nothing more than a spoiled rich kid. However, when you see the sword hanging from his waist, your thoughts will definitely change instantly.

  He had a plain sword at his waist, the scabbard was entirely green in color, and it didn't seem like anything special. Only at the hilt, where a small part of the blade was exposed, that tiny bit of light, surpassed even the coldest things in this world.

  No need to look at it and you can tell, it's indeed a peerless great sword!

  In contrast, Xie Shi Yi was much more low-key.

  Xie Shi Yi wore a black outfit with no exquisite patterns, no fine workmanship, and even some parts were not well-fitted, as if it was a bit small.

  But in Tang An's eyes, he seemed more like a true swordsman!

  Black symbolizes sorrow, misfortune and death. Black also symbolizes loneliness, pride and nobility. The meaning they symbolize is the life of a swordsman.

  If they really fought, Tang An thought more of Xie Shi Yu.

  "The young master of Mingjian Manor doesn't seem to want to be a swordsman."

  But then, Xie Shi Yu's words left Tang An speechless.

  A man of integrity will move forward one step at a time, like an unsheathed sword emitting a murderous aura, standing proudly between heaven and earth, dominating the world!

  He stood there, raising his head to gaze at Ming Xiao: "Ming Xiao, you must fight me! Three years ago, I lost to you on the emperor's birthday ceremony. For these three years, I have been resting only one hour a day, and practicing swordsmanship for the rest of the time. I believe that after three years of hard work, I will not lose so easily again!"

  Upon hearing this, Tang An immediately thought that he must have heard the most absurd thing in the world.

  How could Xie Shi's legacy be defeated by this kind of pampered young master? Moreover, even if he had trained hard for three years, he didn't think he had a sure win, but rather that he wouldn't lose so easily.

  What is this logic?

  Tang An felt that heaven must be playing a joke on him now! And this joke was really too funny, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  "Haha, impossible. I must be dreaming. How can a person who practices diligently every day lose to someone who doesn't even want to practice swordsmanship?"

  Although unbelievable, this is indeed a fact. A person can lie to anyone, but they absolutely cannot deceive themselves!

  In the end, Ming Xiao still did not agree to have a match with Xie Shi Yi because he had promised to attend the Tiger and Leopard Military's martial arts competition.

  In this way, Xie Shi Yu was willing to let him leave.

  And so, this farce ended without any result, and the crowd also went away in disappointment.

  But soon they had a new topic of conversation, that is, who would win the championship in the martial arts competition half a month later?

  Tang An's heart wavered for a moment, and then he quickly drove that thought away.

  "Perhaps Ming Xiao is a genius, but I and Xie Shi Yi are also geniuses. Ming Xiao was born with it, while we are the diligent type of geniuses. Even if Ming Xiao is now much stronger than us, I still believe that in this world, there is only one kind of genius who can be called a true genius - that is, the diligent genius!"

  "The path of a master is too long, relying solely on talent is truly insufficient. If Ming Xiao's smile was really that unbearable, his path would necessarily be extremely short."

  The sky was no longer early, and Tang An began to slowly walk towards the guest house. Just then, that long-lost system voice once again appeared in Tang An's mind.

  "Ding~, High Master System Activated!"

  There are countless roads leading to the temple of masters, but each one is covered with thorns.

  "Unlock the Master's Main Quest: The host needs to find their own path, create their own swordsmanship, and enter the Heavenly Realm. Reward: The host's comprehension doubles, making it easier to comprehend extraordinary martial arts."

  Main Quest Phase 1, Current Task: The host needs to sign up for the Tiger and Leopard Army's martial arts competition to obtain the qualification to join the Tiger and Leopard Army. The earlier the host ranks in the martial arts competition, the more abundant the reputation reward will be. If the host is extremely lucky and wins first place in the martial arts competition, the system will reward an extraordinary treasure, a Tianyuan Dan pellet, which will directly help the host advance to the Small Heaven Realm. PS: The host currently has 11 points of reputation.

  The Ten Layers of Heaven and Man is used to measure the depth of a person's internal skill. However, in this world, having high internal skill does not necessarily mean one can always defeat those with lower internal skill. Because, in this world there is another thing called martial arts secret manuals!

  Neigong secret manual can make a person cultivate to a higher realm faster. While the move secret manual, is able to make a person's body contain energy, through various methods better play out.

  A good internal skill manual can make one cultivate faster and break through bottlenecks more easily. A good move manual, on the other hand, can allow a person's latent power to explode multiple times! However, all of these require insight.

  It takes a person's innate talent to understand, to ponder, to delve deeply into research, in order to gain insight into something that belongs to oneself.

  …………

  Night, it's already very late, and the tavern is no longer as lively as it was during the day, but instead very quiet.

  A place that was originally bustling suddenly becomes very quiet, and people's hearts will have a very gloomy feeling.

  She crouched at the window, tilting her head, with both hands supporting her chin, and sparkling big eyes, with a faint smile at the corner of her mouth. She quietly watched Tang An in the yard.

  Tang An stood there, motionless for a long time. Since he returned in the evening, he had been standing in the yard with furrowed brows, deep in thought.

  Miao Miao saw that Tang An still held a sword in his hand, she knew that Tang An must be thinking about something very important and it was definitely related to swordsmanship. She didn't understand swordsmanship, but this didn't stop her from enjoying watching Tang An dance with the sword.

  But just then, a gust of cold wind blew by, and the leaves outside rustled in response, casting eerie shadows that seemed like ghostly silhouettes. Miao Miao let out a startled "ah" but quickly covered her mouth, relieved to see that Tang An was unaffected, she continued to bat her eyelashes, gazing at him intently.

  Tang An lowered his head, but he didn't hear Miao Miao's voice. At this moment, he was completely immersed in his own swordsmanship.

  Suddenly, Tang An turned around and raised his long sword. At this moment, he suddenly changed, his momentum changed.

  Heavy!

  As his sword moved, the space between heaven and earth seemed to be occupied by a kind of thick breath. The sword intent was something that even Tang An couldn't quite put into words. He was now relying solely on his own feelings, swinging the sword in his hand and bringing out the sword intent in his heart.

  "Boom!"

  A surge of true energy churned in his sleeves, and then the boundless great true energy was forcibly poured into the long sword in his hand. The long sword suddenly hummed with a buzzing sound, as if it were about to come alive!

  With a sweep of his sword, instantly, the boundless sword energy radiated outwards like waves, stirring up a ripple.

  The sword energy was no longer a chilling coldness, but a kind of indescribable heaviness.

  "Three cups of spittle can overturn Mount Tai, five mountains are as light as a feather!"

  Only to see Tang An's sword sink, the whole person stood firmly in the courtyard, like a thousand-year-old boulder that was unshakeable. Like a man's promise, once he promised someone else, even if it meant throwing away life and death, he would make it happen!

  This move was just figured out by him, although it's not as fast, dazzling and chilling as the three moves he previously figured out. However, this sword move is like a gentleman with great virtue and tolerance, making it impossible for others to find any weakness!

  Undoubtedly, this move is used for defense.

  Then, Tang An suddenly had an epiphany in his heart, and his sword movement paused for a moment before turning again.

  The meaning of this sword is vastly different from before.

  "Unaware of the green hills at dusk, autumn clouds darken in several layers!"

  This sword move is a feint, like the distant clouds and mountains at dusk, making it impossible to discern from afar. Although an opening appears, that opening is like looking at flowers in the fog, unable to distinguish true from false. If one were to engage in combat with someone, they might think they've spotted an opening, wanting to launch a counterattack, only to find that Tang An's feint has transformed into a real move in that instant, leaving them nowhere to hide!

  After Tang An came up with these two moves, he felt that something was wrong in some places, so he added the three moves he had created before and danced again.

  For a moment, the sword light was flourishing in the courtyard, and the five moves were connected together. The power was several times stronger than when they were used separately earlier!

  After Tang An finished dancing, she was suddenly invigorated!

  "So that's it! These five sword moves are like a continuous river. When used in succession, the sword's momentum is even greater! If someone were to engage me in battle in the future and I use this sword move, they would have no choice but to follow my sword's momentum. Once they follow my sword's momentum, defeat is inevitable."

  "But this is strange! This sword technique was clearly created by me, so why can't I see through to the end of its evolution?"

  Tang An lowered his head and sank into thought for a while, but he couldn't figure it out. He only vaguely felt that he had grasped a bit of the surface meaning of the two words "heavenly man".

  …………

  The next day, before dawn, Tang An set out. He was going to Dingyuan's General Mansion to sign up for the Martial Arts Competition.

  He came early, but there were even more people who came earlier than him!

  This martial arts tournament has attracted all the warriors in Yanjing City, and even the young masters from other places who heard about it can't help but be moved, and they all came to Yanjing to sign up!

  Tiger Leopard Army, the strongest army in the world!

  This name represents not only honor. Once you enter the tiger and leopard, it is equivalent to entering the Dingyuan Hou Mansion! It is also equivalent to having a relationship with the first power of the current dynasty! The rivers and lakes are too small, and anyone who thinks they have skills will not be mixed in the rivers and lakes.

  The greatest heroism is for the country and the people! Joining the army and defending the family and the nation, only then can one live up to the ambition of a strong man!

  In front of the Dingyuan Marquis's mansion, it was already crowded with people at this moment.

  Tang An saw from afar the densest part of the crowd, a dark-colored banner fluttering in the wind.

  On the banner, golden threads embroidered a tiger and leopard with their teeth bared and claws outstretched, vividly lifelike. Next to the banner, however, hung a huge white cloth, on which were written eight large, bright red characters: "Died in battle, wrapped in horsehide".

  Iron painting and silver hook, the atmosphere of killing and chopping is revealed above!

  The red characters are like those dyed with blood, and everyone who sees the eight big characters has their heart racing with passion!

  Tang arranged to advance quietly in the team. The team was not lacking in young men like him, with a face full of anger, and also had a bearded, muscular man like a dragon. Some of them really wanted to join the Tiger Leopard Army, to protect their homes and defend their country. But some people, however, were thinking of relying on this martial arts competition to make a name for themselves at once.

  After all, the reputation of the Tiger and Leopard Army is too loud. Once the border is in danger, they will undoubtedly rush to the front line to fight.

  On the battlefield, no matter how high your martial arts skills are, as long as you haven't reached the heavenly boundary to produce a protective aura, a round of crossbow arrows will make you a hedgehog, beyond recognition.

  Fear of death is human nature and has nothing to do with one's martial arts skills.

  Tang An didn't care about these things; since he had signed up for the martial arts competition, he was determined to achieve the best results.

  "With my current martial arts skills, I'm afraid it's hard to find an opponent under the fifth layer of heaven and man. What I fear is that those high-ranking masters in the heavenly realm might suddenly intervene."

  But Tang An thought about it and suddenly laughed at himself for being overly worried.

  "Tianjing masters still need to participate in martial arts competitions? What a joke. As long as they sincerely join, there are high-ranking officials and wealth waiting for them!"

  Just then, a commotion suddenly appeared in front. Afterwards, Tang An heard a "bang" sound, and a big bearded man was thrown out of the team.

  That huge hammer smashed heavily onto the bluestone slab, and the bluestone slab also shattered instantly. How great must have been the force with which that person threw it out?

  Obviously wants to put him to death!

  Tang An furrowed his brow and looked ahead.

  "Who dares to cause trouble here? Is he not afraid of death? There are hundreds of people in this row, and every single one of them is a top-notch expert on the streets! Anyone who dares to cause trouble here will definitely die without a doubt, unless they have reached the Heavenly Realm. Who is it that dares to be so arrogant here?"

  Others also had the same doubts as Tang An.

  With companions, they started chatting and laughing, wondering which idiot had eaten the bear's heart and leopard's gall to dare show off in front of the Dingyuan Marquis' mansion.

  There are many people in the crowd who hold this kind of onlooker mentality, and they immediately start buzzing with idle chatter.

  But they don't care about the fate of that great Chinese man.

  Anyway, it's not someone they know, even if he died, what does it have to do with them?

  Tiger and leopard soldiers wore black clothes and black armor, standing like halberds in front of the Marquis's mansion gate, lined up in a row, a total of sixteen people. Each of them held a long spear made of fine iron, and the tip of the long spear emitted a cold and stern light under the scorching sun of summer.

  Something like this happened, but they acted as if they hadn't seen it, still standing guard at the gate of the Hou Mansion like stone statues, their eyes cold and indifferent.

  This world is even more heartless than their gaze!

  That big fellow was obviously a lone applicant, and no one stood up to speak a fair word for him. However, the big fellow's body was indeed robust, being flung out and smashed onto the ground, even shattering the bluestone pavement, yet he seemed completely unscathed, dusting off his clothes before standing back up.

  He stood up, and Tang An only then realized that this big man was truly robust, with a stature of over two meters, his arm muscles bulging, even thicker than an ordinary person's thigh. He looked ferocious, with a face full of wrinkles, his mouth twisted in a scowl, just like the angry Vajra guardian deity in the temple, enough to scare children to tears.

  A great Han like him can tolerate others bullying him? If he doesn't bully others, that person should burn incense to thank his ancestors.

  As expected, the big man suddenly stood up and loudly shouted: "You little brat looking for death!"

  At that moment, a loud crash of thunder was heard in front of the Hou Mansion, and then the big man rushed towards the person who had thrown him out.

  A lone figure of a tank came towards me from afar, and the crowd suddenly parted to make way for it. In the middle of that path stood a young man with a cold smile hanging on his face.

  Young man in brocade clothes, with a three-foot jade sword hanging from his waist, the sword hilt flowing with tassels and swaying in the wind, he is indeed a handsome young man with a free and easy air, a dashing young noble of the rivers and lakes.

  His face was handsome, but it always had a cold and gloomy expression that could not be shaken off. His eyes were bright, but they seemed to pierce through people's hearts like a venomous snake.

  His mouth still had a cold smile, a venomous cold smile. His appearance was handsome, but it was not likable, and not only was it not likable, but it also made people want to trample his face into mush immediately, and then feed it to dogs, best if they never saw him again in this lifetime.

  Tang An saw this face and suddenly felt a tremble in his heart, his expression also froze!

  He suddenly remembered someone!

  "Wang Feng! Wang Feng! Wang Feng!"

  "It must be him! The age is similar, the appearance is similar, the temperament is similar, even that behavior is so similar!"

  Tang An couldn't think of any face in this world that was more hateful than Wang Feng's.

  As soon as he saw this face, his fists clenched tightly, and his body trembled involuntarily.

  He is not afraid, absolutely not afraid!

  He's too excited, really too excited! Eight years, eight years!

  Hatred has not faded with time, but has become even more intense! This hatred has affected not only his swordsmanship, but also his temperament. For eight years, he has been practicing day and night, torturing himself to practice swordplay, for what? Still to one day return to Shu Mountain and take revenge on Wang Feng!

  "Wang Feng, you actually dare to come to Yanjing! You even dared to leave Shu Mountain! It's really great!"

  "I originally thought that it would take at least twenty years, until my martial arts skills are fully developed, before I'd have the chance to sneak up to Mount Shu and avenge myself! Who would have thought that today, in this narrow alley, I'd run into you - this must be an arrangement made by heaven itself!"

  "You're also here to sign up for the martial competition? Great! Eight years ago on the arena, Mount Shu was unfair, and that's why you're still alive today. If you dare to cheat in this Prince Dingyuan's Tiger Leopard Camp, I'll see who can save you?"

  "No! I absolutely cannot put this hope on that so-called justice again! Half a month later, we will meet on the arena and life and death will be decided! I will not let you leave alive!"

  Tang An's fists were clenched, his fingernails deeply embedded in the flesh. For so many years, he had been as calm as still water. But today, he was suddenly stirred up.

  With his archenemy right in front of him and having the power to avenge himself, how could he not be excited?

  A mind as calm as still water?

  Only when there is a pool of stagnant water can it truly calm down!

  How can one's heart be at peace if it is not dead?

  Wang Feng's face was as arrogant as ever. Time may change many things, but it is destined to not change some things, such as hatred!

  It wasn't until now that Tang An understood why, in the mountains, he saw the rebirth of all living things with Sheng Jian, but what emerged was Sha Jian. Because there had always been hatred in his heart!

  If you can't let go of your hatred, how can you attain enlightenment and wield a sword?

  "Ding! System task initiated: Mindset mission."

  Mission Requirements: Defeat Wang Feng at the Martial Arts Tournament to avenge the sneak attack 8 years ago. Mission Rewards: The system will upgrade the host's mental state cultivation, making it Great Perfection. From now on, practicing martial arts will no longer be delayed due to insufficient mental state cultivation! Additionally, gain 20 points of reputation.

  At this time, the big man was kicked out by the young man once again.

  This time, the big man was not only kicked back, but also had a long gash on his arm, which was injured by Wang Feng's sword energy.

  Wang Feng looked at the big man on the ground with a slanted gaze, his eyes filled with disdain. The big man, although looking sturdy and powerful, seemed to have just entered the fifth level of Tian Ren, and his expertise lay in wielding a giant axe, which he hadn't brought with him today. At this moment, he was no match for Wang Feng.

  Da Han lay on the ground, clutching his shoulder, and although his eyes flashed with boundless anger, he didn't dare to take another beating. He just kept scolding Wang Feng: "What right do you have to cut in line? I arrived here early. What right do you have to come late and walk ahead of me? Can good martial arts skills be used to cut in line? Is there such a reason in the world? Everyone says, is that right?"

  Most of the people around were just watching the excitement, and those who stood up for justice were really too few. However, there were a few young and vigorous ones shouting loudly: "That's right! Under the emperor's feet, everything must follow rules! If martial arts are strong, they don't need to follow rules, if so, wouldn't the world have been in chaos long ago?"

  Ke Na Wang Feng heard this, but suddenly burst out laughing, as if he had heard some great joke, because in his view, the world was already in chaos, they just thought it was a prosperous era.

  He threw his head back and laughed loudly, but then suddenly turned his head to stare at the person who was speaking, coldly saying: "Who made the rules that say no cutting in line here?"

  Suddenly, the crowd fell silent, and no one answered.

  "Who is it?" Wang Feng asked loudly again.

  Still no one answered.

  Silence came suddenly!

  Everyone asked about this sentence is at a loss.

  Wang Feng suddenly pointed at someone: "Is it you?"

  That person immediately lowered his head and dodged his eyes, not daring to look at Wang Feng. Wang Feng's eyes already had a hint of a smile.

  He pointed at another person, "Is that you?"

  That man's face suddenly changed, and he immediately dodged. Wang Feng's smile grew thicker, his sarcasm even more vicious!

  He turned around, with a thick cold smile on his face: "Since no one else will, then I..."

  With a loud "thud", Wang Feng was kicked flying out before he could even finish speaking!

  It's Tang An!

  He can no longer contain his hatred and resentment, and he is eager to take action!

  "You don't have to wait until the martial arts conference, today is your day of death!"

  ;