Chapter 278 (1): No Second in Martial Arts; Fist Beyond the Heavens
After completing the final battle, Cao Ci and his master bade farewell and took their leave. The two of them were most likely leaving the Sword Qi Great Wall and returning to the Great Duan Empire in Middle Earth Divine Continent.
Before leaving, Cao Ci turned to Chen Ping'an and asked, "Chen Ping'an, can you help me look after that cottage before you return to Stalactite Mountain?"
Chen Ping'an wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied with a smile, "No problem."
This was a unique act of goodwill from Cao Ci.
The figures of the handsome young boy in white and the martial goddess became smaller and smaller as they left along the carriageway on top of the great wall.
"I'm about to retract the small world," the old sword immortal warned Chen Ping'an.
Chen Ping'an nodded in acknowledgment, signifying that he was okay.
The old sword immortal casually retracted the small world and its accompanying restrictions, allowing the permeating sword qi to instantly surge over in a vicious manner. Chen Ping'an's soul shuddered, and he suffered noticeable injuries. As a result, he could only assume the stance of standing meditation to resist the sword qi.
After standing there for two hours, Chen Ping'an was finally able to move again. He arrived near the southern parapet with Ning Yao, and she asked, "Are you alright?"
"These injuries are nothing," Chen Ping'an replied with a shake of his head.
Ning Yao frowned and pointed at her heart, asking again, "I mean here."
Following the direction of the young girl's slender and beautiful finger, Chen Ping'an stared at her heart and didn't retract his gaze for a long time.
Ning Yao eventually rewarded Chen Ping'an with a smack to the head.
Chen Ping'an scratched his head and hurriedly made amends, saying, "My heart and mind are even more unaffected."
A man's head and a woman's waist — one couldn't be smacked, and one couldn't be touched.
However, Chen Ping'an naturally didn't dare to say this out aloud.
Ning Yao leaned against the parapet and asked in anxiousness, "Are you really okay?"
Chen Ping'an had lost three times in a single day; he had lost as comprehensively as possible.
The first time, Chen Ping'an and Cao Ci had sparred using fist techniques. There had been some kind of tacit understanding between them, and they had both fought using very pure fist techniques. However, it was as if Chen Ping'an's punches would always be a beat slower than Cao Ci's punches.
This wasn't to say that Chen Ping'an's fist techniques were lowly. In fact, it was the complete opposite, and even the spectating martial goddess had nodded several times when she saw the Deity Drumming Technique, Rain Evaporation Technique, and other techniques that Cui Chan's grandfather had taught him.
Meanwhile, Cao Ci had appeared far too leisurely and carefree. He had moved around casually, and he had seemingly managed to predict all of Chen Ping'an's movements. Chen Ping'an's punches and kicks had seemingly landed exactly where Cao Ci wanted them.
In the end, Chen Ping'an had failed to hit Cao Ci a single time.
Both the old sword immortal and Ning Yao had felt like one battle was enough. This time, however, it was the female martial goddess who had smiled and suggested another battle. Moreover, Chen Ping'an was allowed to unleash his full power rather than just relying on his fist techniques.
During the second battle, Chen Ping'an had summoned his flying swords First and Fifteenth to help him. In fact, he had even unleashed several talismans.
However, he had still been a bit slower than Cao Ci's movement techniques. Not by much, but still by a beat.
While spectating the second battle, even Ning Yao had felt a sense of exasperation and helplessness for Chen Ping'an.
Their battle had been like a game of Go between two ninth-rank Go masters, where a strong ninth-rank Go master defeating a weak ninth-rank Go master wouldn't seem strange at all. However, if the former defeated the latter by half a piece every time, then the gulf between the two was perhaps very large.
The last battle had been requested by Chen Ping'an himself, and Cao Ci had nodded and agreed to his request.
During the third battle, Chen Ping'an had started to change his tactics.
Rather than fighting with Cao Ci, he had looked to be fighting with himself. He had forcefully modified the stances of his fist techniques. Regardless of whether it was the Deity Drumming Technique or the Heavy Cavalry Formation Shattering Technique, these were all "immortal techniques" that Cui Chan's grandfather had refined after countless trials and battles. Thus, Chen Ping'an's attempt to modify them during battle had naturally made him look uncoordinated and self-sabotaging.
As a result, Cao Ci's punches had become more than just a beat faster than Chen Ping'an's punches. There were many times when Cao Ci had shattered Chen Ping'an's fist intent at the early stages or middle stages of Chen Ping'an's fist techniques. In the end, Chen Ping'an had suffered his worst loss of the three battles.
However, the three spectators — including Ning Yao who was an outsider to martial arts — had eventually determined that Chen Ping'an's general direction of modification was correct.
At the end of the day, the critical difference between the two youths was the foundation of their fourth tier cultivation base.
After the third battle, Cao Ci had raised a thumb at Chen Ping'an and said three words, "Keep at it."
If it weren't Cao Ci, and if his opponent weren't Chen Ping'an, then perhaps everyone would have felt like Cao Ci was provoking his opponent and boasting about his victory. Or perhaps he was acting haughty and peering down at his defeated opponent.
However, Cao Ci's calm demeanor and Chen Ping'an's stable mental state couldn't change the reality. VIsit n0(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience
They were both fourth tier martial artists, yet Chen Ping'an had undoubtedly become Cao Ci's defeated opponent.
It was because of this that Ning Yao, someone with a clear sword heart and an intense aura, had asked him if he was alright. She was afraid that Chen Ping'an had lost the fourth battle.
The invisible battle between their minds.
Chen Ping'an was slightly puzzled, and he asked, "Is it not simple?"
Ning Yao took a sip of wine from the Sword Nurturing Gourd and sidestepped the question, saying, "Simple is good."
Chen Ping'an no longer followed the Mountain Shaking Guide or the fist stances taught to him by Cui Chan's grandfather. Instead, he followed his heart and allowed his fists to lead him forward. There was nothing weighing on his mind.
A brief pause now and then, and a flurry of movements followed by a period of slow action.
Chen Ping'an was completely immersed in this.
My bonded porcelain is shattered, and my bridge of immortality is destroyed.
Once upon a time, I practiced fist techniques simply to keep myself alive. In the end, however, I've still made it here and I've still managed to find you.
I, Chen Ping'an, feel like I'm very amazing!
Chen Ping'an's fists became quicker and quicker, so much so that his sleeves billowed and flapped audibly in the wind.
When I was sitting on the golden bridge in the sea of clouds back then, Big Sister Immortal told me that I definitely couldn't betray Mr. Qi's hopes in me. She only chose me in the beginning because she chose to believe Mr. Qi. It was because of this that she was willing to gamble on that tiny sliver of hope with him.
A one-in-ten-thousand hope... That one exists, and I am that one. This is enough!
On the city wall, Chen Ping'an's fists suddenly went from quick to slow. However, this change in pace didn't seem jarring at all.
He moved sideways, and he continued to throw punches at Savage World to the south. All of a sudden, his fists went from slowest to quickest again, causing the wind around him to whistle.
Cui Chan's grandfather had once uttered very proud words, saying that he wanted all of the martial artists in the world to feel as if he were the paramount heaven when they saw his punch!
As if answering a question in his mind, Chen Ping'an roared with laughter and exclaimed, "Alright!" as he threw a punch.
Ning Yao opened her mouth slightly.
Was this still Chen Ping'an?
In a rare display, Ning Yao felt a little emotional and sentimental. After drinking a mouthful of wine that tasted like anxiety, she extended a hand and complained, "Chen Ping'an, I can't defeat many of you with a single hand anymore."
Chen Ping'an stopped his movements before squatting down and chuckling, "I won't fight back if you hit me."
Ning Yao rolled her eyes and said, "Are you still a man? If word of this gets out, then you'll become the butt of jokes not only in the Sword Qi Great Wall, but also in Majestic World."
Chen Ping'an's expression was firm and resolute as he promised, "If you're bullied by someone one day, then my fist will definitely be the quickest when I strike back, regardless of what martial arts tier I'm at!"
Ning Yao pointed to the south of the great wall and asked, "You won't be afraid even if the opponent is a great demon at the peak stage of the 13th tier?"
Chen Ping'an nodded in response.
Ning Yao pointed behind them and asked, "You won't be afraid even if the opponent is a sage from the Confucian temples in Majestic World?"
Chen Ping'an still nodded in affirmation.
Ning Yao pointed above and asked, "You won't be afraid even if it's the Dao Ancestor or Buddha?"
Chen Ping'an nodded again. After nodding, he said in a quiet voice, "Ning Yao, don't die on the battlefield."
Ning Yao turned around and didn't look at Chen Ping'an anymore. Holding the Sword Nurturing Gourd in her arms, she looked down at the 10,000-year battlefield beneath them and nodded with a resolute expression in her eyes. "I don't dare to guarantee that I won't die. However, I'll definitely fight to stay alive."
She suddenly laughed and said, "Chen Ping'an, you should also hurry up and strive to become the number one great sword immortal in the world!"
Chen Ping'an scratched his head and replied, "I can't guarantee this either. However, I'll definitely try my best!"
Chen Ping'an walked over and sat down next to Ning Yao.
His shoulder leaned against her shoulder.
Ning Yao was slightly embarrassed, so she gently nudged him as if trying to push him away. However, Chen Ping'an leaned over again and again.
Chen Ping'an's shoulder rocked back and forth just like that.
In the end, the two of them silently gazed toward the south.
One shoulder carried the hopes of Mr. Qi and Big Sister Immortal.
One shoulder carried the expectations of the girl he liked.
Even though it wasn't long grass and flying warblers, and it wasn't clear mountains and limpid waters...
Chen Ping'an felt like this was very good. It couldn't be any better.
