After careful consideration, Bei Xinghan felt that although he and True Person Canghai were cooperating, there was no tacit understanding between them. The combined effect was not much better than when he was alone.
At this rate, they might not succeed for a very long time.
"True Person Canghai," Bei Xinghan said.
True Person Canghai faintly raised his eyelids and glanced at him.
"I wish to seek your guidance."
Bei Xinghan looked steadily at True Person Canghai.
His heart raced.
His words were actually rather impolite, almost like a provocation.
But this was also his most direct thought.
He didn't want to hide it.
To cultivate tacit understanding with True Person Canghai, he first needed to understand True Person Canghai's attack methods.
Moreover, he also wanted to know the gap between himself and True Person Canghai, who had once reprimanded him for lacking talent.
True Person Canghai looked into Bei Xinghan's eyes, his mind momentarily dazed, before calmly agreeing.
"Yes."
Although True Person Canghai agreed, both knew it wasn't a good time for a duel. Thus, after a brief exchange, they fell silent again and continued to mend their bodies.
Three hours later.
Bei Xinghan and True Person Canghai stood on opposite sides, swords in hand.
True Person Batian sat on a reef, resting his chin on his hand, watching the scene with great interest, making no move to intervene.
"...Please."
All the words in Bei Xinghan's heart finally condensed into a single word.
He had waited for this day for a long time.
True Person Canghai nodded slightly, and the next moment, a dazzling sword light had already reached Bei Xinghan's face.
True Person Canghai attacked with full force from the start.
Clang!
The Wuxin Sword and the Han Shuang Sword clashed fiercely.
Sparks flew.
At this moment, Bei Xinghan and True Person Canghai's eyes met.
Both saw the thirst for victory in each other's eyes.
They both wanted to win this match.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Without spiritual energy, they were fighting with the purest sword techniques, testing their comprehension of the sword dao.
In this aspect, the older True Person Canghai undoubtedly held the advantage.
He had been cultivating for several hundred years longer than Bei Xinghan, and his talent was not inferior to Bei Xinghan's.
After a few exchanges, Bei Xinghan gradually fell into a disadvantage.
Bei Xinghan gritted his teeth, increasing the force in his hands, gripping the Han Shuang Sword tightly, and striking at True Person Canghai again and again.
Under the storm of attacks, images kept replaying in his mind.
His loneliness.
His fear.
And the time he finally mustered the courage, only to be ruthlessly rejected.
These past experiences had left indelible marks on him, making his personality extreme and obsessive.
If not for his Master, if not for Xu Yi, he might never have escaped the shadow cast by this man.
Now, he had finally found True Person Canghai, and he no longer yearned for the illusory fatherly love. He just wanted to prove to this man.
He was a sword cultivator, and he would be an excellent sword cultivator.
Clang!
Bei Xinghan staggered back several steps, his arm trembling slightly, but his eyes were exceptionally bright.
His tiger's mouth was injured by the immense force, and blood was already seeping from the wound.
The blood flowed down the sword hilt and finally dripped onto the soft sand, quickly soaking into the sand and stones.
True Person Canghai appeared at ease, his posture erect, his breath calm, clearly not feeling strained by the recent exchanges.
At this moment, it seemed as though the final answer was already known without waiting for the outcome.
"You lost."
True Person Canghai said.
His tone was calm, but inwardly, he felt a hint of surprise.
He had never liked this child, who shared his bloodline, from the beginning, which was why he had never been close to him.
When he left the Xuan Qing Sect, Bei Xinghan was still a half-grown boy who only knew a few basic sword moves. He dared to come and show off before him, and he cried when he was driven away.
But now, the other party had shed his childishness. Every move and every technique had its unique style.
True Person Canghai cultivated the Heartless Sword Technique, having long achieved a state of utter tranquility, without any ripples. Yet, facing Bei Xinghan, who had grown to such a degree, his heart was disturbed. However, he did not let Bei Xinghan notice.
Upon hearing this, Bei Xinghan denied it, "No, I haven't lost yet."
The Han Shuang Sword was still in his hand.
His feet were still firmly planted on the ground.
How could he be considered defeated?
True Person Canghai snorted lightly, seemingly finding Bei Xinghan's persistence somewhat laughable.
He raised his Wuxin Sword, preparing to end this undoubtedly one-sided contest.
Ignoring his splitting wound, Bei Xinghan gripped the blood-stained sword hilt, a slight curve forming on his lips.
He would not admit defeat.
True Person Canghai tapped his foot, and the Wuxin Sword cut through the air, aiming directly for Bei Xinghan's chest.
With this strike, he used no technique.
It was purely reliant on his speed, arm strength, and instinct.
True Person Canghai's strike was perfect. Even True Person Batian, watching from the side, couldn't help but nod slightly in admiration.
As his opponent, Bei Xinghan directly felt the oppressive force of this strike.
He even felt a chill on his chest.
It was as if the Wuxin Sword had already pierced his chest.
However, to True Person Canghai's surprise, Bei Xinghan did not dodge or evade. Instead, he met the attack of the Wuxin Sword directly with his bare body. At the same time, he thrust his Han Shuang Sword towards True Person Canghai's chest.
A fight to the death?
A thought flashed through True Person Canghai's mind.
Bei Xinghan was willing to be severely injured himself to injure him.
True Person Canghai felt as though he had been force-fed a bitter medicine.
He frowned, and just as the sword tip was about to pierce Bei Xinghan's chest, he flicked it to the right, knocking Bei Xinghan's Han Shuang Sword away.
The two brushed past each other.
Bei Xinghan looked at True Person Canghai in astonishment, having not expected such an outcome.
He had indeed intended for them to both suffer grievous injuries.
Only in such a situation could he have had a chance to injure True Person Canghai.
An exchange of injuries.
He wouldn't be at a disadvantage.
It was just that he didn't understand why True Person Canghai had given up the chance to seriously injure him.
Bei Xinghan felt a bit regretful.
Just as he was about to continue the fight, True Person Canghai turned around and said coldly, "To achieve victory, you resorted to any means necessary. You truly impress me."
Before Bei Xinghan could comprehend the meaning of these words, True Person Canghai left without looking back.
Bei Xinghan stood frozen on the spot.
After a moment, he belatedly realized that True Person Canghai thought his methods were dirty and had thus stopped the match?
Resorting to any means necessary.
Impress me.
These two phrases left Bei Xinghan in turmoil for a long time.
He quickly ran to True Person Canghai, who had already sat down cross-legged, and asked coldly, "True Person Canghai, our match is not over yet."
True Person Canghai snorted and closed his eyes, remaining silent.
Bei Xinghan clenched his fists, suppressing the anger in his heart, "Then are you planning to concede?"
"Concede?" True Person Canghai suddenly raised his gaze. "Bei Xinghan, is victory and defeat all that matters to you?"
"What else is a match for, if not for victory or defeat?" Bei Xinghan's eyes suddenly flashed with a cold light. "Just as you once told me, only the sword matters to you; everything else is unimportant.
I am merely doing the same as you, putting victory first. What wrong have I done?"
True Person Canghai's body trembled.
So this was where Bei Xinghan had been waiting for him.