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Chapter 996: Chapter 996: The Dispute Between Civil and Military
The Dao is vast and boundless!
The realm of a Grandmaster, in layman’s terms, is the comprehension of the laws of all things between heaven and earth.
Or rather, it is grasping the threshold of the Unity of Heaven and Man.
In one’s life, it is inevitable that some will contemplate why they are alive.
Generations thereafter refine and organize these thoughts, passing them down through the ages.
There’s a sequence in learning the Dao, and specialization in technical skills.
To prove the Dao through martial arts is the easiest and has the lowest threshold.
This knowledge is also the most widely spread.
Although the Scholar’s Way is niche, it can still be a unique approach.
The contention over the great Dao has always been difficult to determine in terms of superiority.
But ultimately, it’s nothing more than a label defined by the strong in this world to distinguish themselves from ordinary people and to flaunt their status.
What is a Grandmaster?
A Grandmaster is also human, Grandmasters will die too.
In the end, they are merely corpses.
Just like Terry Moore often inadvertently looks at his Rolex on his hand.
The title "Grandmaster" is merely a term created by martial artists to satisfy their own vanity and sense of superiority.
The Grandmaster Leaderboard was thus born.
Every person who steps into the threshold of the Grandmaster realm longs for verification.
They all aspire to ascend to the heaven’s list.
Now, Windy Johnson and Rogan Harsh, one is a renowned figure on the Grandmaster Leaderboard, the other, a dead man removed from the leaderboard.
For Rogan Harsh to reclaim his glory, the best way is to slay a Grandmaster on the leaderboard.
To forcefully declare, the King returns.
At this moment.
In a not-so-spacious private room, only Windy Johnson remains.
He holds a Soft Sword in his left hand while the fresh blood from the wound on his right arm slowly drips down to his wrist.
"You are very strong,"
he said indifferently to the vanished Rogan Harsh, "but I am not weak either!"
Whoosh!
While speaking, Windy Johnson flicked his left hand into the air!
The Soft Sword slashed through the air, emitting a sharp, cleaving sound.
Lines of silver light turned into characters, suspending in mid-air!
Scholar’s Way!
Having immersed in the world’s poetry and books, he harbored a great Dao in his heart!
Who says, scholars are utterly useless?
One literary, one martial.
Today’s contention over the Dao is a competition between the literary and the martial!
Boom!
Rogan Harsh emerged from the void, with a powerful surge of air, wielding his Longsword in a slashing motion!
The Third Sword!
From Marsh’s Three Ultimate Moves, the most powerful, the life-seizing third strike!
The first sword, building momentum.
The second sword, penetrating the flesh.
The third sword, seizing life!
Clang!
Facing the imposing third sword, Windy Johnson swung his hand fiercely!
In that instant, the silver light intensified!
The Sword Qi lines suspended in the air miraculously transformed into characters from the classic poetry and fiercely struck down!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Rogan Harsh stumbled back several steps, his Longsword flailing wildly in the air!
Bursts of sparks continued to appear, yet his robe was already tattered from the impact of the Sword Qi.
And from the corner of his mouth, a trickle of fresh blood seeped out.
And five meters away from him,
Windy Johnson’s right arm hung completely limp, with blood continuously flowing out.
"You didn’t die?"
Rogan Harsh was somewhat surprised.
Martial arts are extremely pure, killing by sheer force!
That sword strike just now, very few in the world could have dodged it.
"Since I’m not dead, then the one who might die next could be you,"
said Windy Johnson fiercely as he pounded his chest several times, his expression one of intense pain.
At his chest, his clothes were already in tatters.
"Impossible!"
Rogan Harsh exclaimed in shock, "My sword pierced through your chest, you can’t possibly still be alive!"
In a Grandmaster’s battle, victory or defeat often hinges on a single move!
Whoever exposes a weakness first is doomed to utter defeat!
Windy Johnson is strong, but Rogan Harsh is stronger!
That’s why he had chosen this method earlier, to withstand Windy Johnson’s Sword Qi and strike down with one sword!
But why, then, is his opponent not dead?
"In today’s contest of the literary and the martial, you have lost,"
said Windy Johnson as he squinted his eyes!
In an instant!
The room filled with a dense killing intent!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Trails of cold light flashed through the private room!
Countless Sword Qi characters, formed by Sword Qi, floated in the air.
"Scholar’s Way, requires me, the scholar, to slay you, the warrior!"
In one step,
Windy Johnson raised his head, the myriad of characters in the air grew even more profound.
He closed his eyes.
The second step!
A brilliant silver light exploded!
The characters in the air, seemingly sentient, trembled violently.
The third step!
Windy Johnson fiercely thrust forward, and the Soft Sword began to circle incessantly in the air!
The fourth step!
The Soft Sword suddenly calmed.
It hung in the air, motionless.
The fifth step!
As Windy Johnson took the fifth step.
The silver-glowing characters in the air began to madly swirl around the Soft Sword!
The sixth step!
Windy Johnson fiercely opened his eyes!
Boom!
Those characters, in an instant, collided with the Soft Sword!
The blade, a brilliant silver light exploded!
The Four Books and Five Classics transformed into characters, continuously flowing over the blade.
The seventh step!
"The battlefield in autumn, time to tally the soldiers!"
Windy Johnson bellowed, and the silver sword, like lightning, landed in his hand!
Swish!
A sword slashed down!
The vast array of characters, like the Celestial River, surged forth!
"Impossible!"
Rogan Harsh swung his sword to block!
Boom!
The walls of the bar were directly blasted open!
A dark figure flew backwards, rolling swiftly on the ground, then disappeared from sight.
"Cough..."
Clang!
The Soft Sword in Windy Johnson’s hand fell to the ground, and he was utterly exhausted.
He looked at the retreating figure of Rogan Harsh, trembling as he pulled a frayed book from his chest pocket.
It was precisely this book, shielded at his chest, that had allowed him to survive Rogan Harsh’s sword strike.
Otherwise, his heart would have been pierced long ago.
He would have been reduced to a corpse.
After steadying his breath a bit, Windy Johnson smashed a glass window with a punch and leapt out.
...
"Can Mr. Azure Wind prevail?"
The people from The North Sea, having run out of the bar, fled frantically along the highway.
Already terrified, they had no time to stop and make a phone call.
"Mr. Azure Wind is a grandmaster, he should be alright," someone said.
Exhausted and panting, they dared not stop to rest.
Exposed positions indicated either betrayal or the presence of a spy within the North Sea faction.
Either scenario was a major issue for The North Sea!
Before infiltrating Gonzalez City, they had spent a long time preparing.
Even The North Sea Princess, Baylor Davenport, personally came here to clear up many small details.
Taking advantage of the complex strengths within Gonzalez City, the people from The North Sea had quietly blended in without catching anyone’s notice.
Once exposed, they had to report to Elders Victor to re-deploy.
"It’s been half a day since we got out, we should call Elders Victor first," one of them said as he took out a phone, ready to call the young master and through him, contact Elders Victor.
The rest took advantage of the moment to crouch down and rest a bit.
After sprinting for several kilometers, they were very tired.
Whizz!
A sound of a dart launcher.
Clack!
The man from The North Sea who was making a call fell down at the sound.
The phone also fell to the ground.
"Who is it!"
The remaining men stood up alert, looking all around.
"Who? Telling you who I am, do you think that will let you live?"
About a hundred meters away, a man dressed in black pulled the trigger of a dart launcher, mumbling to himself from behind the trunk of a tree.
Dressed in black, wearing a black felt hat, and black leather gloves holding the dart launcher, he blended perfectly with the night.
Whizz!
A second noise from the dart launcher.
Another man fell.
Rustle!
The man pulled the launcher’s trigger a third time.
"Run!"
Those from The North Sea who reacted, started to scatter and run.
They stayed on the wide street, with no buildings around.
If they spread out, they stood a better chance of surviving.
Hiss...
The man in black inhaled deeply from a cigarette, then flicked the butt away, pulling a red remote control from his chest.
He pressed the button.
