“He blocked it? This sword—cultivators whose bodies haven’t yet been strengthened by true qi might not even be able to see it clearly, yet he actually blocked it... And it looks like he had already anticipated that Miss Emily Clark’s sword would strike at that spot, and struck out at that place a step ahead...”

“Whoosh!”

In the midst of the battle, Emily Clark retreated in a flash, instantly dodging Liam Carter’s deadly thrust. Then, with a flick of her sword, the Thunderclap Sword Technique actually sealed off the oncoming blade from Liam Carter even as she was retreating. The two swords clashed again in midair, the true qi contained in the blades rippling outward, immediately halting Liam Carter’s pursuit.

“Excellent swordsmanship.”

Emily Clark called out crisply, the true qi in her body surging with excitement.

With a single sword stroke, she broke Liam Carter’s momentum. Emily Clark steadied herself and struck again, the Thunderclap Sword Technique flowing continuously, each strike carrying the force of thunder and lightning. The faint sonic booms from the sword slicing through the air and the turbulent airflow made some timid women unable to look directly.

Yet, such fierce, domineering, and lightning-fast swordsmanship met the same fate before Liam Carter: every move was thwarted.

“Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!”

The sound of swords clashing echoed endlessly.

Block!

Block!

Block!

Liam Carter seemed like a sword master who had studied the Thunderclap Sword Technique for countless years, seeing through every variation. No matter how fierce Emily Clark’s attacks were, his sword could block every single one, leaving not a single move of her Thirty-Six Thunderclap Swords effective.

“He blocked it!”

“Blocked it!? He actually blocked them all?”

“All thirty-six moves of the Thunderclap Sword were blocked—how is that possible?”

Exclamations of shock erupted uncontrollably from the crowd.

At this moment, whether it was the previously disdainful Matthew Hill, the disappointed Sophia, or Michael Wright who had challenged Liam Carter, all stood up abruptly, eyes wide, unwilling to miss a single detail of what would happen next.

“Clang! Clang! Clang!”

Blocked.

Liam Carter, a man who had never cultivated true qi, actually blocked Emily Clark’s thunderous Thirty-Six Thunderclap Swords!?

All thirty-six strikes!

“Good! Take my next move—Sword Howl Across the Nine Provinces!”

Having all thirty-six Thunderclap Sword moves blocked, Emily Clark’s fighting spirit was truly ignited. With a long cry, her sword became a streak of light, slicing through the void, carrying a resounding howl as it swept across the sky at an unbelievable speed...

“Whoosh!”

The sharp sword swept across the sky.

The sword in Liam Carter’s hand, as if it had a life of its own, barely managed to block Emily Clark’s ultimate killing strike.

Only, this time, when the two swords met, what erupted was not the metallic clang of blades, but a muffled thunderclap.

“Boom!”

A blast of air exploded outward.

The consummate true qi, unleashed in full force with Emily Clark’s Sword Howl Across the Nine Provinces, shattered the ordinary sword in Liam Carter’s hand into several pieces. Without his sword to block the impact of the true qi, Liam Carter, whose “internal energy was at its peak,” could hardly withstand it. His body shuddered violently as he was sent flying six meters. Even though he corrected his posture in midair, he still couldn’t help but stagger back four more steps after landing before finally steadying himself.

One sword...

Decided the outcome.

And it was just right.

Chapter 9 Analysis

Looking at his now empty sword hand, Liam Carter took a moment to calm his surging blood and qi, then cupped his hands with neither arrogance nor servility: “I lost.”

Lost.

Anyone could see that Liam Carter had lost.

Only...

Even those who had previously disliked Liam Carter, like Matthew Hill, looking at the defeated Liam Carter and the broken sword hilt in his hand, couldn’t utter a single mocking word.

Not that they couldn’t...

But rather...

They felt stifled, and didn’t dare!

Liam Carter lost.

But he lost because his sword was inferior to Emily Clark’s, and his true qi cultivation was not as strong as Emily Clark’s.

Other than that, no one could find a single fault with Liam Carter.

In fact, many people didn’t even understand why Liam Carter lost.

Why was Liam Carter always able to react after Emily Clark and force her to change her moves?

Why could Liam Carter block every thunderous strike of Emily Clark’s Thunderclap Sword Technique?

Why did Liam Carter seem to know every move and every strike of Emily Clark’s swordplay inside out?

They couldn’t figure it out, couldn’t see through it, couldn’t comprehend it, and lacked the confidence—they simply weren’t qualified to comment on Liam Carter’s defeat.

“Lost...”

Emily Clark let out a long breath. Clearly, unleashing Sword Howl Across the Nine Provinces was quite a burden for her, as her true qi was not yet fully mastered.

But...

She had to admit, compared to her overwhelming victory over Matthew Hill, her duel with Liam Carter was exhilarating. Not only did she use every variation of the Silk-Twining Sword Technique, but she also unleashed the full power of the Thirty-Six Thunderclap Swords. After a satisfying round of thirty-six moves, she even seemed to gain new insight into the technique.

As for the final move, Sword Howl Across the Nine Provinces, that was purely a surge of fighting spirit, unleashed involuntarily.