The Cyan Lotus bloomed, and the killing intent arose.

Qin Yuesheng instantly tensed his entire body, rapidly spinning the Celestial Demon Blade to fend off the opponent’s swordsmanship.

But at that moment, Zeng Jinchao’s swordsmanship exhibited extreme strangeness. The Sword Qi gently slipped through the gaps created by the swinging Celestial Demon Blade, threatening Qin Yuesheng’s face.

The Sword Qi chilled the eyes and its sharpness pierced the skin.

Qin Yuesheng felt a pain on his left cheek as a line of blood trickled down, sliced by the Sword Qi.

"What a bizarre sword technique," Qin Yuesheng thought to himself, immediately punching out with the Soul-Catching Arm to collide directly with the long sword in Zeng Jinchao’s hand.

Bang!

Sword Qi clashed sharply with the fist. Although Zeng Jinchao’s swordsmanship was formidable, it seemed insufficient when faced with the combined power of Qin Yuesheng and the Soul-Catching Arm.

A shadow was seen flying backward at a speed difficult for the naked eye to capture, crashing to the ground in a flash, raising a cloud of dust with a roar.

After landing, Qin Yuesheng swept his palm, instantly clearing the dust with a gust of wind. At this moment, Zeng Jinchao suddenly brandished his sword, darting out of the dust, thrusting at Qin Yuesheng’s chest.

This sword strike was both fast and vicious. Everywhere it passed, numerous Cyan Lotuses blossomed slowly, and for a moment, the ground and air were filled with the Cyan Lotus Dharma Aspect, glowing brightly.

Qin Yuesheng countered with a backhanded strike, utilizing the Seven Great Limits of Heaven and Earth: Mountain Collapse, instantly confronting with massive mountain-like illusions.

In an instant, a wave of Qi surged, causing everything within the area to shatter and disintegrate into fragments.

Du Xiaoqing, standing on the city wall, looked down at the duel between Qin Yuesheng and that man, hesitating slightly: "Sword birthing Cyan Lotus, eternal blooming, could this be..."

Tie Shaozi immediately reached into a pouch hanging at his side and pulled out a rolled book. Once he straightened it, the title read ’Jiangnan Hundred Soldiers List.’

Jin Haishi quickly turned to the second page, scanned it, and looked down at the swordsman engaging with Qin Yuesheng.

He then confidently said, "Yes, it’s definitely him, the second on the Jiangnan Hundred Soldiers List, ’Cyan Lotus Swordsman’ Zeng Jinchao!"

"Zeng Jinchao has always been low-key, usually staying hidden in Jiangnan. Unexpectedly, he’s pledged allegiance to the government." Du Xiaoqing shook his head disdainfully, saying, "Willing to be the government’s hunting dog, what a folly of a warrior."

In the whole world, the relationship between Jianghu martial artists and the court has always been antagonistic. Hence, those from independent backgrounds who enjoy considerable fame and prestige in Jianghu would be despised by martial artists if they joined the government.

Tie Shaozi said, "If not for the Young Master arriving today, even if we had a way to deal with those masters, we might not have been able to overcome Zeng Jinchao afterward."

Zeng Jinchao became famous early on, rising from thirty-sixth to second on the Jiangnan Hundred Soldiers List.

Over the years, many have attempted to challenge him, but all came to a disastrous end. Zeng Jinchao’s defeated opponents were either killed or crippled.

If he chose not to kill you, he would cut off your hands or sever your tendons, ensuring you could never practice martial arts again, nor seek revenge on him.

This approach eventually deterred anyone from challenging Zeng Jinchao again. At some point, his presence became much less common in Jiangnan’s martial world.

People assumed he was either in secluded training or had left Jiangnan to meet Central Plains martial masters.

Who could have guessed he did nothing of the sort and became Liu Xian’s subordinate?

Bang!

Once again, Zeng Jinchao’s sword collided with the Celestial Demon Blade. This sword was excellent, ranking at least as a third-grade weapon in the martial world, comparable to the ancestral blades used by the sect leader of the Sword and Saber Sect that Qin Yuesheng saw at the Treasure Bottle Temple.

Even so, during the clash with Qin Yuesheng, this sword did not suffer breaks like ordinary weapons. With each clash, a triangular nick would appear on its edge.

Despite this, Qin Yuesheng was amazed at the hardness of this person’s weapon.

While Qin Yuesheng was surprised, Zeng Jinchao was shocked.

His sword, forged with a considerable sum using Snow Domain Cold Iron and Western Red Fire Copper, was made by the renowned Central Plains swordsmith Huang Jing. Its hardness cuts through iron like mud and effortlessly severs hair, making it a top-grade weapon.

This sword, named ’Twin Lotus,’ had accompanied Zeng Jinchao through numerous ventures and sword battles, rarely meeting a worthy adversary.

But today, the emergence of the Celestial Demon Blade caused Zeng Jinchao to doubt his own Twin Lotus Sword.

Is my sword made of wood? Why does it get nicked with a single slash?

Zeng Jinchao’s Twin Lotus Sword was extraordinary, yet in comparison to the Celestial Demon Blade, the disparity was evident.

As Qin Yuesheng’s strikes grew faster, the nicks on the sword grew more numerous, prompting him to increase his force.

Zeng Jinchao’s strength far exceeded those Yellow Turban experts from earlier. If Qin Yuesheng could kill and dismantle him, using the Inner Strength Pills obtained from him, he could break through the final step from his current Fifth Layer of the Internal Power Realm.

Clang!

With a flick of the sword, Zeng Jinchao’s expression grew increasingly shocked. He never expected that within the Twelve Linked Rings, there would be such a young expert.