Naked Sword Art
Chapter 423 - 423: Ghost Blade Art

[ Ghost Blade Art - Phantom Blitz ]

This technique combined [ Ghost Blade ], [ Shadow Clone ], a high-speed movement technique, and [ Stealth ] —all executed with precise timing to create the illusion that she was attacking and zipping back and forth from every direction of her opponent at impossible speeds.

However, no matter how quick or unpredictable her strikes were—coming from angles no one should've been able to see or react to—Chu Piao somehow blocked or evaded every single one. She kept him on his toes, constantly moving, twisting, deflecting, dodging, without even a moment to take a breath. It was almost as if he had eyes in the back of his head.

But Xun Wei knew better.

He wasn't relying on sight—he was relying on pure instinct. Swordsman's instinct. She recognized it immediately, and it unsettled her. As far as she knew, only Xiao Fang had honed such instincts to near-perfection.

So she waited—for the mistake. One misjudgment. One opening.

Her strikes grew sharper, her movements faster. She pushed herself to the limit, knowing she couldn't keep up this pace for long. But if she could land even a single blow before her strength ran out, it might be enough.

The audience was stunned. Gripping their seats. Clenching their jaws. The fight was at its peak, A single mistake, no matter how slight, would spell victory or defeat.

Many had wanted to scream or cheer for Xun Wei to win, but all they could do was watch in gripping silence.

If it hadn't been clear before, it was now: Xun Wei had been holding back. This was what Xun Wei was really capable of.

Yet, unbeknownst to them, Chu Piao wasn't retaliating. He wasn't fighting to win—he was merely testing her. Measuring the depth of her skills.

Truthfully, the fact that Xun Wei was able to make him move at all was an accomplishment in of itself, but considering the fact that he couldn't even trust his own shadow, there was no way he could stand still.

Eventually, Xun Wei misstepped—just a single mistake, but enough to send her skidding across the stage floor. She braced herself, expecting Chu Piao to strike while she was vulnerable. Instinctively, she flipped back onto her feet, ready to defend, but the attack never came.

Chu Piao hadn't moved.

He stood exactly where he was, silently watching her.

"You're a fast girl, Xun Wei. Unfortunately… speed is also my specialty," Chu Piao said with a faint smile.

Suddenly, Chu Piao leaned forward and took a single step.

In the blink of an eye, he vanished.

Gasps erupted from the crowd.

In that instant, Chu Piao reappeared—ten meters ahead, now standing directly in front of Xun Wei. His movement had been so fast that only the most experienced eyes in the audience could barely track it.

And what shocked everyone even more—

He was holding something.

Between two fingers, calmly pinched, was the edge of Xun Wei's sword.

No one had seen her move. But somehow, in the space between blinks, she had already launched a lightning-fast slash aimed at him.

Yet her arm was frozen mid-swing, suspended in the air.

She wasn't stopped by hesitation or fear—she was stopped by him.

With flawless timing and blinding speed, Chu Piao had intercepted her blade between two fingers before it could even slice the air.

"I… concede," Xun Wei said, her voice calm but resolute.

For a moment, the arena fell into stunned silence.

Disbelief rippled through the crowd—disbelief in Chu Piao's speed, disbelief in Xun Wei's words, and disbelief that the girl who had defeated nine opponents in a row had just surrendered.

Eventually, the silence shattered, and the crowd erupted.

Thunderous cheers, gasps, and cries, a chaotic blend of awe, joy, and protest. What they had just witnessed wasn't merely a duel—it was a clash between titans, a fight between geniuses, a fight that would be talked about for generations. They simply couldn't settle themselves down; they were too crazed with emotions.

Even as Xun Wei stepped off the stage, her name echoed in waves across the arena, chanting endless praise, even though she lost.

Although Chu Piao won, no one paid him any attention. They had all witnessed Xun Wei win 9 matches in a row against the Flowing Blade sect, against a sect that had defeated all of the sects spectating the fight today, so she had become a kin to a hero to them. A young disciple against an entire team of the province's strongest minor sect.

"What a match," the announcer said as he collapsed back into his seat.

"That girl is only 19 years old, she certainly has a bright future ahead of her," the female announcer said.

.

.

.

As the roar of the crowd faded behind her, Xun Wei stepped down from the stage with steady steps. Her body ached from exhaustion, and her clothes clung to her with sweat, but her eyes were calm. She had lost, but it wasn't a loss that brought shame—she knew since the beginning that she couldn't win, so it was merely a chance to practice.

Xun Wei didn't stay to receive praise or speak with the elders.

Without a word, she left the tournament grounds and began her journey back to the Black Paradise Sect. Her mind replayed every moment of the battle, but not to dwell on her defeat, but instead curious about who between Chu Piao and Xiao Fang was stronger.

A chill ran down her spine as she thought about it. A fight between them couldn't be contained within a single stage.

A few minutes later, Xun Wei arrived at the Inner Court.

She made her way through the quiet walkways and stone corridors, passing other disciples who stared at her in awe or confusion at the sight of a young girl like her wearing Core Court robes.

Eventually returning to a forest, she tried to the best of her memories to recall how to find Xiao Fang's guildhouse, when she eventually did, she gave the front door a knock. Jiang Mei answered.

"Oh, welcome back. Did you come to meet Fang again?"

"Yes, may I speak to him?" Xun Wei asked.

Sensing the urgency in her tone, Jiang Mei replied,

"Please, come in."