Dual Cultivation God Returns

Wu Long hid the spear he took out earlier, leaving only the sword as the man opposite him shifted the sword in its sheathe into his right hand and gripped the handle with his left.

"You decided to not play any tricks?"

Wu Long chuckled as he saw that. The way the man held the sword before implied he was right handed, and there were no signs of it being otherwise.

"I can't if I want to take on an opponent like you"

The man replied in a calm voice, but there was still a tinge of excitement he failed to hide.

"And what kind of opponent am I?"

"Someone who deserves my respect"

The swordsman slowly took out the sword, revealing a perfectly maintained weapon.

"Before we begin, will you not satisfy my curiosity? You are clearly the disciple of that fraud who calls himself the Sword God, but why are you not the Prime Disciple?"

"Hmm, a pity, I thought you were someone deserving my respect... but it seems even I can be mistaken"

The man's forehead twitched indicating a movement of his eyebrow under the blindfold, and the corners of his mouth went slightly down, his tone that of disappointment.

"Someone who has a Mind Sword and can thus sense it in others shouldn't doubt his senses so easily"

Wu Long chuckled, as the man's face made the same expression as someone who narrows their eyes.

"As I thought... but how can that be..."

"Haa~ it is a mistake commonly made by someone who has such great talent, potential and passion for the sword, as well as dedication and purity of mind as you.

You believe that your Mind Sword is a virtue of chosen people with high morals, honest and straightforward character with a belief in the sword in their hearts, because it partially is so for you"

Wu Long leisurely explained, raising his sword upright and looking at the part of his face reflecting in one half of it, not minding the battle going on around them as the swordsman listened in silence.

"...But as you learn later on, when your own Mind Sword becomes sharper, and your senses improve, every Mind Sword is unique, and gives off a different aura"

As he spoke the face in the reflection became different even though visually nothing changed, as the eye of the God of Slaughter looked back at Wu Long. An unknown shiver went through the blind man that he could not explain nor control, involuntarily taking a step back.

"The numbness of your sense to that aspect is something that could be very easily exploited by people such as your Master, as you automatically believe in their virtue"

Wu Long's last words spoken in a lighthearted tone as the reflection changed back to normal made the swordsman furrow his eyebrows under the blindfold, creating distinct vertical wrinkles on his forehead.

"Didn't you only just now tell me I should not doubt my senses?"

"Hmm, doubting your sense and knowing its limitations are two different things, you will learn that later on with more experience I guess"

"Later on? Are you already forfeiting your life?"

"Hahaha, far from it. But I don't intend to take yours, this time at least"

Wu Long chuckled, causing the swordsman to slightly harden his grip on the sword.

"... So young..."

The man's first phrase was spoken in a quiet, puzzled tone under his nose. He himself was 34 years old, and barely fit into the 'younger generation' which took part in this event, as his peers were all in their early twenties.

The voice he heard now and before in the Main Hall of the Frozen Garden Palace was quite young, and the appearance he perceived with his Spiritual Sense was that of a young man as well.

He knew that there were people young in appearance with great age in cultivation world, but in their case their aura gave away their different age. In Wu Long's case, however, his aura was of someone truly, genuinely young.

But the demeanor as well as the feeling he gave off were of someone with much more wisdom and unfathomable number of years behind his back.

"...then let's see if that claim is of someone with all bark and no bite..."

*Clang!*

The metallic sound of two swords clashing rang out as the two moved at the same time, ringing multiple times in rapid succession right after as their swords danced in fast and sharp movements that still seemed graceful at the same time.

The swordplay of the two was like a beautiful artwork, but what was apparent that while the blind man was giving it his all, Wu Long's pose was still relaxed and his every move flowed naturally as if there was no particular style he used.

The swordsman in the blindfold moved around, changing the angles of attack while Wu Long only slightly adjusted the direction he faced, not moving from one spot.

"... Duan Feng"

The blind swordsman moved away after a series of strikes, a drop of sweat going down his forehead.

"Wu Long"

The bearer of the name smiled, seeing the earnest feelings of the swordsman that made him feel nostalgic.

For a moment, it seemed like the chaotic world around became still as colors seemed to have been drained from it. All thepeople around the two except Hua Ziyan froze for a split second as they felt an incredibly sharp sword pointed in between their eyebrows.

*shiiiinnnnnn*

A thin metallic sound rang out, as the two disappeared and were already behind the position the opponent stood at, their poses that of finishing a strike as the world around returned to normal. Snowflakes in the air between them cleanly split in two and then disappeared in the resumed wind.

*clink*

The sound of a metal object hitting the earth came a few seconds after as the cleanly sliced off blade of a sword first went into the air, rotating and sparkling in the scattered moonlight and then fell to the rock partially covered with ice and snow.

Duan Feng's face showed disbelief in all the minute movements of facial muscles, a thin red line growing on his shoulder, and the sword he held missing most of its blade.

Wu Long slowly came from the pose up into a leisurely one while the blind man fell onto one knee and held onto his shoulder with his hand, turning his head sideways.

"We will meet again, Duan Feng, think about what you felt in that strike in the meantime"

Wu Long spoke as he stepped forward away from the man as the latter slightly grit his teeth. And yet it was apparent that while he was frustrated, there was something different in his demeanor, as he struggled to stand up and turning around, bowed toward Wu Long's receding back.