Chapter 470 – Karma, the Heart of the Sword (2/2)

Li Qingshan and Fu Qingjin brushed past one another, standing back-to-back.

“Very good. You have the talent to become a good swordsman.” Fu Qingjin turned around and a strand of hair fell gently.

“Really? What talent?” Li Qingshan looked back and asked. His chest throbbed slightly. If the sword qi on the tip of Fu Qingjin’s finger had pierced another three inches deeper, it would have reached his heart.

“Showing no fear in the face of danger, bold enough to throw your life on the line.”

Fu Qingjin lifted up his fingers and brought them close to his forehead. Rippling with green light, it dyed his forehead and hair green. He swung it conveniently, and it extended into a meter-long stream of light. He arrived with a flash. Before he had even launched an attack, the trail of his sword had already weaved a great net, enveloping Li Qingshan firmly.

Sword intent pierced his forehead, making Li Qingshan’s sea of consciousness ripple. He could not help but feel dispirited and pessimistic. He felt like it was impossible to stop the attack and all attempts of struggle were futile.

Li Qingshan roared out and cut through the sword intent. The Heavy Water sword turned into numerous blurs, like a master of calligraphy wielding a brush valiantly to create a majestic work. It immediately crushed Fu Qingjin’s net.

Before the lake could even settle down, an even larger wave appeared. Under Li Qingshan’s control, it turned into endless strands of sword qi that shot towards Fu Qingjin wave after wave.

“What an exquisite sword style. I think I’ve seen it somewhere before.”

Fu Qingjin was like a single row boat in the raging waves. He rose and fell with the waves, as if he could capsize at any time, yet remaining perfectly fine the entire time as he went with the flow. Only when he had no other place to dodge would he gently slash out with his finger and nullify the danger. He closely observed Li Qingshan’s sword style.

When Fu Qingjin worked with Li Qingshan last time against Strongboulder, he caught a hurried glance of Li Qingshan’s sword style and found it familiar. Today, the sense of familiarity appeared once again.

Li Qingshan and Xiao An’s sword style both originated from the Cursive Sword Calligraphy. Fu Qingjin had once clashed with Xiao An before, so this sense of familiarity was not without reason. He had spent his life learning the sword, so his sensitivity and understanding of the sword even surpassed his memory of people’s faces. As long as he had seen it once, he would keep a record of it and never forget it.

But after observing for a little longer, he was unable to match it up to any of the sword styles in his memories. It was not like this had never happened before. He knew far too many sword styles, and the inherited memories from the Green Ruins sword basically covered everything too. It was just like how it was simply too easy to find two people who looked alike within a sea of people, so it did not attract any suspicion from him.

Although Li Qingshan had comprehended his sword style from the Cursive Sword Calligraphy, his ability to understand and comprehend completely paled in comparison to Xiao An’s.

If Xiao An could comprehend one hundred percent, then he could only comprehend thirty percent, and the sword style would be more straightforward, forceful, and valiant, just like his character. As a result, it became very difficult for Fu Qingjin to connect the two.

The Heavy Water sword missed once again. Li Qingshan raised an eyebrow, and the muscles on his arms rippled. Through brute strength, he forcefully changed the path of the sword, slapping it towards Fu Qingjin.

Resplendent green light appeared on the tips of Fu Qingjin’s fingers as they pressed against the flat blade. This was the weakest point of the sword. However, as he knocked away the Heavy Water sword, he also felt his finger ache, as if it had been broken. He was startled inside. What strength!

He was afraid to take it on directly, so he used the force to drift away into the distance.

“Fu Qingjin, you won’t even draw your sword. Are you looking down on me?”

Taken away by the battle, Li Qingshan could no longer bother with this fake courtesy. With a clang, he hoisted the Heavy Water sword onto his shoulder and barked in a straightforward manner.

Not only did wielding the sword take great strength, but it depleted his spiritual qi rapidly too, but the Arts of the Boundless Ocean came into effect at a time like this. His depleted spiritual qi would replenish rapidly such that he would always have enough.

“The Green Ruins sword won’t be directed towards friends. You wouldn’t want a sword you’ve just obtained to be damaged, right?”

Fu Qingjin stroked the hilt gently and smiled with quite the bearing. He was like a courteous lord purposefully lowering himself to talk heart to heart with the generals and advisors he liked, without any insincerity.

Li Qingshan found it cringeworthy. Who’s your friend? In another month’s time, I’ll cut you down in person.

Fu Qingjin continued, “Your sword style is very impressive, but it seems incomplete. It’s rather rigid between moves, which leads to openings.”

“Openings or not, it’s enough as long as I can kill with it.” Li Qingshan could not help but admire and admit that this bastard’s sword technique sure was impressive, having surpassed his own. He had actually managed to see through the flaws of his sword style so quickly in battle. He would probably have to suffer a little in this aspect when it came to their battle to the death in the future.

Apart from Fu Qingjin’s own talent and hard work, the legacy from the Green Ruins sword played a vital role too. The past masters of the Green Ruins sword were all outstanding figures. They might not remain here in person anymore, but their heart of the sword would forever remain in the sword.

Fu Qingjin said, “Please lend me your sword.”

“Take it!” Li Qingshan was surprised by the request before tossing the Heavy Water sword over. I’d like to see what you’re planning to do.

The moment Fu Qingjin gripped the hilt, his aura suddenly changed, becoming unruly and beyond control. He swung out with the Heavy Water sword, unleashing a forceful, unruly, and valiant sword style.

Li Qingshan found it rather familiar. “Isn’t that my sword style!?”

However, all of the flaws had been fixed, such that it flowed freely from move to move. It became much smoother and more natural, and its power had increased too.

“This sword style doesn’t suit me, so I can’t unleash the limits of its power. All I can do is demonstrate it. I hope it can assist you. We should return.”