【The match will begin in thirty seconds】

Five minutes passed in the blink of an eye. As the system voice rang out, the "Deputy General Battle" between [Jianghu] and [Hell Front] entered the preparation phase.

On [Jianghu]'s side, the one entering the arena was [Wudao Ke] (No-Knife Swordsman); this big shot, who had been mentioned from Chapter 101 onward from time to time, and who could always brush his presence on various leaderboards… was the second-in-command of [Jianghu] Studio. He was a top-tier player known as one of the "Blade Sword Laughs," alongside [Xiao Wen Cangtian] (Laughing Ask the Heavens) and [Kuang Zong Jianying] (Mad Track Sword Shadow), and also a veteran figure who co-founded the studio with the two. Just based on his short, powerful, and distinctive ID, as well as that haunting presence… he was enough to be considered the "most familiar stranger" in this book.

As for [Hell Front]'s side, as you all might have guessed, [Xu Huai Shang], who had maintained "perfect attendance" so far, unexpectedly appeared in the lineup for the first three matches.

S3 had been going on for a total of eleven rounds, and Goddess Xu had appeared the most in the "Deputy General Battle," and she had won all of these matches without exception.

It could be said that at this stage, Feng Bujue's "care" for her had achieved results beyond expectations—whether from the perspective of appearance rate or actual performance, even if the "team" of [Hell Front] ultimately failed to win the championship, Xu Huai Shang's performance as an "individual" was enough to become the "MVP" in the hearts of the players. A professional player who could maintain such exposure and competitive level in a non-studio team, her next contract would naturally not be worse than the treatment given by [Hong Ying].

【Five… four…】

The countdown began. Wudao Ke and Xu Huai Shang were still standing in place, quietly waiting for the barrier to disappear.

Whether as players of the same type or as top experts of the same level… they had no reason to take the initiative to distance themselves from each other.

The dao (saber) is the courage of all weapons, and the contest between dao wielders takes courage as the priority.

Neither was willing to retreat the first step.

Neither would show the slightest weakness in momentum.

【…Fight!】

At the instant the match began, both of them remained motionless, but something had already collided in the air.

That was dao intent, killing intent, and also energy…

Since these two people's control over energy had reached perfection, the contest… had already begun before they drew their sabers.

"Why didn't you use 'Disarm' to strike over?" After a few seconds, Wudao Ke took the lead to speak, "If you launched that move the instant the barrier disappeared, I would only have a 50% chance of being able to take that saber strike."

He was telling the truth.

Sometimes, telling the truth is the best provocation.

"That is to say…" Xu Huai Shang calmly responded, "At that instant, you believed you had a 50% chance of killing me."

"You could also say that." Wudao Ke said, "Of course, I'm not saying this to shout 'I'm stronger than you,' because relatively speaking… at that instant, you also had a 50% chance of instantly killing me."

"Hmm…" Xu Huai Shang thought for a moment, and continued, "It seems you also understand… the contest between you and me is destined to only require one move."

"Heh…" Wudao Ke laughed. He did not comment on her words, but said, "You don't seem to have answered my question yet."

Hearing this, Xu Huai Shang took a deep breath, and then said, "There's no need to use 'Disarm'."

"Oh?" Wudao Ke questioned, "What do you mean by that?"

"'Disarm' is just a technique that pursues speed and power… dealing with you, there's no point in using these 'physical' methods." Xu Huai Shang replied.

"So you're now preparing to use some kind of 'metaphysical' method to decide the victory with me?" Wudao Ke retorted.

"Heh…" At this moment, Xu Huai Shang also laughed.

Her smile was very beautiful, so beautiful that it was indescribable. With just one glance, it could make people confused and infatuated.

However, Wudao Ke only felt a trace of chill from this smile.

After a moment, Xu Huai Shang restrained her smile, and then asked Wudao Ke a question.

A very dangerous question…

"Where is your saber?"

These words, to some players, sounded familiar. For example… Kuang Zong Jianying and Cai Bu Pa, who were watching the game in the spectator space at this moment, immediately remembered: in Linlu Town, Lin Yan seemed to have asked He Yangxinci a similar question.

"This… could it be…" Jian Shao's cold sweat immediately dripped down.

"No, no… maybe it's a bluff." Although Bu Pa tried to analyze calmly, her tone showed that she didn't have much confidence either.

"Dao Ge hasn't been to the Linlu Town script, and that wasn't a match either, there's no recording…" Jian Shao continued, "There's no reason for Xu Huai Shang to use the words that 'Yan Wang' said to He Yangxinci to bluff, right?"

"Hmm…" Bu Pa pondered as she thought, "After you say that…"

While the two of them were talking, Wudao Ke on the field also replied after some thought, "My saber…" Saying this, he made a fist with his left hand, bent his elbow, and gently tapped his chest, "...is here."

"Hey—" When the voice fell, Jian Shao and Bu Pa exclaimed in unison in the spectator space, "Don't say those lines!"

"Oh." Two seconds later, Xu Huai Shang responded with a slightly disappointed but not surprised expression, and then… she didn't say anything else.

Wudao Ke definitely couldn't accept this. How could anyone be silent about their own realm after probing the opponent's realm?

"Then…" Wudao Ke quickly asked, "...where is your saber?"

"Don't!" Hearing these words, Jian Shao jumped up and down anxiously in the spectator space, "Why are you asking her! What's so good about asking this!"

Unfortunately, his words could not reach the field, and… Xu Huai Shang had already begun to answer.

"My saber…" Goddess Xu said, and slightly raised her soft, beautiful, and fair chin, gesturing towards Wudao Ke's chest, "...is also with you."

"Okay! Stop it here!" Jian Shao shouted in the spectator space, "Don't say…"

"You… what did you say?" And Wudao Ke on the field once again said the line that Jian Shao didn't want him to say.

"Whether it's the saber in your hand or the saber in your heart…" Xu Huai Shang's words were also well-rehearsed, "You think it's your thing, but actually… it's not."

"Ho~" Wudao Ke was a little angry, mainly because he didn't quite understand what she was talking about, "Then it can't be your thing, can it?"

"You two went over the script, right!" In the same second, Jian Shao banged on the transparent force field in front of him and complained loudly in the spectator space, "Speak properly! Don't play the wuxia (martial arts) style anymore! People are going to die!"

"You wouldn't understand even if I told you." And on the field, Xu Huai Shang continued, "Make your move, when you lose… you'll understand."

"Hmph…" Wudao Ke snorted coldly, "Mystifying…" He gave such an evaluation, and continued, "I will make my move without you telling me."

Dao Ge's character and style were naturally much better than He Yangxinci's. He didn't launch a sneak attack halfway through his words; he finished the whole sentence, and then waited a few seconds before making his move.

Instantly, the light of the saber appeared, and a bloody shadow bloomed.

The wind urged the sand, and the qi controlled the extreme saber.

A shocking decision, a moment of life and death.

The victory or defeat of two top saber wielders indeed did not require a second move.

Under similar combat styles, the gap would instead appear extremely obvious and insurmountable.

When blood sprinkled in the wind, Wudao Ke smiled again. This time, his smile was bold, but also bitter.

"Heh… is this the 'metaphysical' saber technique…" Wudao Ke said with a smile, "I even used the words 'No-Knife' in my name, but in reality, I seem to have completely misunderstood something…"

As he spoke, Xu Huai Shang had already turned around and looked at her opponent who had passed by her: "That's just how it is…"

Until this moment, her hands were still very clean, and the double sabers at her waist seemed to have never left their sheaths… no one knew how she had injured Wudao Ke, nor did anyone see it.

"If you weren't a saber wielder, this might have been a very difficult battle for me." Before her opponent turned into light and disappeared, Xu Huai Shang said as if summarizing, "It's a pity… precisely because we are in the same domain, I knew from the moment you stood in front of me… that I was destined to win."