The "clang!" still echoed in the darkness of the training yard. Li Xiuwen's Qi chain struck Mu Rong Jian's sword with such force that it created small sparks, but the blade still did not bend. Mu Rong Jian took several steps back in surprise. His arm felt a slight numbness from the unexpectedly fierce impact.
"Your Qi Chain technique… is much stronger than I thought," Mu Rong Jian said with a satisfied smile and eyes full of excitement. He wasn't disappointed that his own sword art couldn't break it; instead, he felt like he had discovered a priceless treasure. "If that's the case… I will use all the strength I have."
Whoosh!
He didn't wait for Li Xiuwen's reply. Mu Rong Jian spun quickly before lunging at Li Xiuwen again. The sword in his hand didn't come in a straight line like before, but created a powerful wave of Qi that caused the ground around Li Xiuwen to crack into pieces, as if a hundred swords had struck it all at once.
"Moonlight Sword Art… Second Stage! Blood-Drenched Moon!"
Mu Rong Jian's blade glowed red as if with blood flowing from the moon. It didn't come straight, but instead created dozens of sword illusions that charged from all directions at high speed. Each illusion looked so real that it was difficult to tell which blade was the real one.
Li Xiuwen was not alarmed. He stood still and calmly, as if nothing had happened. He held his ground and used his Qi to envelop the surrounding area. Li Xiuwen's eight Qi chains shot out quickly. Each chain easily destroyed a sword illusion, but only one of them shot directly and with perfect precision at Mu Rong Jian's real sword.
Clang!
The Qi chain struck Mu Rong Jian's blade with a violent clang once more, but this time, his sword did not simply receive the attack.
Instead, it reflected the Qi back at Li Xiuwen with great force. The impact caused Li Xiuwen to take several steps back. His face paled slightly as the reflected Qi caused a sharp pain in his right arm, but other than that, he remained as calm as ever.
"An interesting technique," Li Xiuwen said in a voice that surprised Mu Rong Jian. "But if you think your sword art can destroy my Qi chains… you are mistaken."
Li Xiuwen did not lunge at Mu Rong Jian directly. Instead, he used his Qi chains to completely surround him. The chains did not attack, but formed a strong and dense wall that Mu Rong Jian could not escape. He was now trapped within a tight circle of Qi chains.
"This is…" Mu Rong Jian said in surprise. "A defensive technique?"
"No," Li Xiuwen replied calmly. "This is a technique used for control, a technique you will never be able to destroy."
Whoosh!
Li Xiuwen's eight Qi chains began to move quickly. Each chain shot out and accurately wrapped around Mu Rong Jian's body. Mu Rong Jian tried to use his sword to cut the Qi chains, but each one was so strong that he couldn't break them. His face was filled with utter shock.
"Too strong…" Mu Rong Jian muttered to himself in shock. "That's a truly amazing technique."
Bound by the Qi chains, Mu Rong Jian could no longer move. He had been defeated, but he felt no regret. Instead, he was surprised and excited to have met someone who used Qi in such an unconventional way.
"You have won, friend," Mu Rong Jian said with a respectful smile. "Your Qi Chain technique… is more interesting than any other technique I have ever seen."
Li Xiuwen used his Qi to release the Qi chains binding Mu Rong Jian. Mu Rong Jian took several steps back before politely sheathing his sword.
"I understand now," Mu Rong Jian said with a nod. "Your technique is not meant for destruction, but for control. That is something I had never considered before."
"And your sword art is not just a technique for combat, but a technique used to express your ambition and desires," Li Xiuwen replied in a voice that made Mu Rong Jian feel as if he had been seen right through.
"And as for my technique… you can call it the Demon Blood Shackles," Li Xiuwen said, revealing the name of his technique for the first time. "A technique created to destroy anything that stands in my way."
Mu Rong Jian smiled with satisfaction. "Demon Blood Shackles… that's a truly fearsome name."
After that, they both walked back to the inn with a deep sense of mutual respect. This duel was not about deciding who was stronger, but about building understanding and trust between them, which was more important than anything else.
"Alright, friend, now that we have seen each other's abilities," Mu Rong Jian said with a bright smile, "let's begin planning for the Underground Tournament."
"Good," Li Xiuwen replied with a nod. "I think we will both need to use all our abilities in this tournament."