"You cheated. Let's have a kendo match in the second round." Wan Zilong gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with the fire of not admitting defeat.
Wang Ye put away his scepter, spread his hands, and said frivolously: "I don't have a sword."
Wan Zilong did not hesitate to pull out a spare sword from his back, flicked his wrist, and the sword flew towards Wang Ye with a "whoosh". Wang Ye grabbed it casually, and the sword fell steadily into his hand. He waved it twice casually, as if testing the toughness of the sword.
Wang Ye's eyes fell on the stone lanterns in the yard, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly: "Whoever can break ten lanterns first will win."
Wan Zilong did not hesitate for a moment, shouted angrily, and the sword in his hand suddenly chopped at the nearest stone lantern. The sword was as sharp as lightning, and the stone lantern broke with a sound, and the broken stones splashed. He turned his eyes sharply and quickly turned to the next target, the sword flashed, and the stone lanterns fell one after another.
Wang Ye was not in a hurry to act. He stuck the saber into the ground, quickly formed seals with both hands, and chanted: "Instant noodles cook wood, wood escape disappears without a trace!"
Five Elements Escape Technique--Wood Escape
In an instant, the hilt of the saber trembled violently, and the roots spread rapidly from the hilt and penetrated deeply into the ground. The saber took root and sprouted in the blink of an eye, turning into a towering tree with luxuriant branches and leaves, shrouding the entire yard in shadow. On the treetop, countless vines sprang out like spirit snakes and quickly wrapped around the remaining nine stone lanterns.
The vines tightened suddenly, and the stone lanterns were crushed to pieces in an instant, with broken stones and wood chips flying everywhere. Maruzilong had just chopped off the fourth stone lantern, and when he looked up, he saw that the remaining lanterns had all turned into fragments.
"The winner is decided." Wang Ye's voice came from the treetop, with a hint of relaxed ridicule, "It seems that you still need to practice your swordsmanship."
Maruzilong's eyes were so gloomy that water could almost drip out, and the knuckles holding the saber were slightly white. He stared at Wang Ye, his mouth twitching slightly, and his tone was filled with suppressed anger: "You are cheating! This is not kendo at all, it's magic! Let's compete again, this time we will compete with real swords and real swords!"
Wang Ye jumped down from the treetop lightly, and not even a bit of dust was raised when he landed. He shrugged, still with that relaxed smile on his face, and said indifferently: "Okay, let's compete again. Originally, I won this time, but since you think I cheated, then the right to set the questions this time must belong to me, this is fair, right?"
Wan Zilong snorted coldly, and the sword in his hand trembled slightly, and the cold light on the sword edge drew a cold arc in the air. His voice was low and provocative: "You can set any questions, I, Wan Zilong, have never been afraid of anyone."
Wang Ye's mouth corners slightly raised, and a sly light flashed in his eyes. He raised his hand and waved it gently, and the scepter drew an elegant arc in the air: "In this case, let's compete in sword sense - whoever has a stronger sword sense will win. The rules are simple. Throw each other's sword into the pond. We are blindfolded. Whoever finds the other's sword first will be the winner."
Wan Zilong frowned slightly, with a bit of suspicion in his eyes: "Looking for a sword with your eyes blindfolded? What kind of kendo duel is this?"
Wang Ye smiled disapprovingly, patted Wan Zilong's shoulder gently, and said with a bit of ridicule in his tone: "Isn't kendo about telepathy? A real swordsman is not a guy who can only wield a sword. What, you don't dare?"
Wan Zilong shook off Wang Ye's hand violently, with a fire of unwillingness to admit defeat in his eyes: "Who said I don't dare! Let's compete!"
The two walked towards the pond. The surface of the pond was as calm as a mirror, reflecting the clouds in the sky. Wang Ye was the first to throw his sword into the pond. The sword drew a ripple on the water and slowly sank into the water. Wan Zilong threw his sword into the water without hesitation. The sword cut through the water, making a crisp "plop" sound, and then disappeared under the water.
The water in the pond was clear, and the mud and water plants at the bottom of the water could be vaguely seen, but the two swords seemed to be integrated into it and difficult to distinguish.
Wang Ye took out two black strips of cloth from his pocket and handed one to Wan Zilong: "Come on, cover your eyes and fight fairly."
Wan Zilong took the cloth strip and exerted a little force on his fingers, and his knuckles turned white. He stared at the cloth strip in his hand, and a complicated expression flashed in his eyes. The wind blew by the pond, bringing a gust of damp and cold air, and the smell of mud and water plants could be vaguely smelled. The tip of his nose twitched slightly, as if trying to determine the position of the sword by smell.
"What, are you scared?" Wang Ye's voice was a bit teasing. He pulled the cloth strip lightly, and the cloth strip had covered his eyes, looking relaxed.
Wan Zilong snorted coldly and quickly tied the cloth strip behind his head with a quick and neat movement. His breathing became steady, as if he was adjusting his state. The sound of the wind by the pond, the sound of the water, and even the footsteps of the wild cat in the distance were all amplified in his senses.
"Start!" As soon as Wang Ye's voice fell, Wan Zilong quickly stepped towards the direction of the pond like an agile cheetah. His footsteps were light, and each step was accompanied by a precise rhythm, as if he was judging the direction through the vibrations from the ground.
Wang Ye stood there, smiled slightly, with his hands in his pockets, and did not seem to be in a hurry to move. His ears moved slightly, capturing every detail of Wan Zilong's footsteps. Wan Zilong's footsteps gradually faded away, and Wang Ye slowly stepped forward and walked in the other direction of the pond.
The surface of the pond was covered with small ripples, as if responding to the actions of the two. Wan Zilong's fingers gently stroked the water surface, and his fingertips felt the slight changes in the water flow. His heartbeat gradually accelerated, and his mind kept replaying the trajectory of the sword entering the water just now. He took a deep breath and plunged into the water suddenly, splashing water.
Wang Ye stood by the pond, clasped his hands together, and muttered: "Turn on the faucet, and the swimming ring will explode."
Five Elements Escape Technique - Water Escape
His voice was low, as if he was chanting some kind of spell. As his voice fell, the surface of the pond suddenly rippled with strange waves, and the mud at the bottom of the water slowly parted, revealing a path leading to the bottom of the water.
Wang Ye's body gradually became transparent, as if it had merged with the water. He slowly walked into the pond, his body like a light jellyfish, slowly sinking to the bottom of the water with the fluctuations of the water flow. The light at the bottom of the water was dim, and you could vaguely see Wan Zilong's sword gleaming in the mud.
Wan Zilong swam hard in the water, his fingers constantly groping for the mud and sand at the bottom of the water. His brows were furrowed, and a trace of anxiety rose in his heart. He remembered that he saw Captain Dragonfly throw the sword on the east side of the pond, but why couldn't he find it? His breathing became increasingly rapid, and his movements became a little flustered.
Wang Ye's body floated in the water. With a light hook of his finger, Wan Zilong's sword slowly floated up and drifted towards him. The corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a smug smile. His movements were calm and unhurried, as if everything was under his control.
Wan Zilong suddenly felt the abnormal change in the water flow, turned abruptly, and swam towards Wang Ye. His movements were swift, like a shark hunting, and a sharp light flashed in his eyes. His fingers almost touched Wang Ye's body, but he could not catch him.
Wang Ye's body slid gently in the water, as flexible as a swimming fish, easily avoiding Wan Zilong's capture. With a light flick of his finger, the sword slowly floated along the water to the other side of the pond.
"Damn it!" Wan Zilong cursed in his heart, quickly adjusted his direction, and swam towards the position of the sword again. His heartbeat was like a drum, his breathing became more and more rapid, and every second in the water seemed to be a life-and-death struggle.
Wang Ye floated on the water leisurely, as if admiring Wan Zilong's struggle. With a flick of his finger, the current changed again, pushing the sword deeper into the pond.
Wan Zilong finally realized that he had fallen into Wang Ye's trap, and suddenly jumped out of the water, gasping for breath. A trace of anger flashed in his eyes, and his fingers clenched into fists, his knuckles white. "You cheated!" His voice was filled with suppressed anger, as if it would explode at any time.
Wang Ye slowly walked out of the water, holding Wan Zilong's sword in his hand, and the tip of the sword gently touched the ground, splashing a few drops of water. His cloth strip was still covering his eyes, but there was a faint smile on the corner of his mouth. "Looking for a sword with your eyes blindfolded is not based on brute force, but on the heart." His voice was calm, as if he was teaching an ignorant child.
Wan Zilong was silent for a moment, his fingers loosened slightly, and the anger in his eyes gradually subsided. He took a deep breath, slowly walked to Wang Ye, and took his sword. "You won." His voice was low, with a hint of helplessness and unwillingness.
Wang Ye smiled lightly, took off the cloth from his eyes, narrowed his eyes slightly, and looked at Wan Zilong. "The essence of kendo is not the sword, but the heart. You just haven't understood it yet."
The wind blew by the pond, bringing a cool breath. Wan Zilong stood by the pond, holding the hilt of the sword, looking at the sky in the distance, as if thinking about Wang Ye's words. His fingers gently stroked the sword, as if feeling every subtle change of the sword.
Wang Ye turned around and walked to the other side of the pond. His back looked particularly slender in the sunset. The corners of his mouth rose slightly, and a sly light flashed in his eyes.