Chapter 631: A Weird Person
Tang Liang's sword moved too swiftly for the other party to complain. Before the members of the Falling Leaf Sect could react, she had already started her swordplay. To everyone's astonishment and amazement, the first few movements were exactly the same as the Falling Leaf Sword Dao they had seen just prior.
Her body was small but she gave off vigorous sword energy as she dashed and leaped. Her sword moved quickly, with precise movements that rivaled experts. As a member of the House of Armament that specialized in all kinds of weapons, this was expected of her but it was still something to copy another's sect's sword art with such perfection.
"Wait! That's not right!" The old man suddenly shouted.
Tang Liang had started the second form and it was obviously different. Her first three movements didn't exist in the version the sect had performed. Some of the details of subsequent movements were also different. Expert sword cultivators could immediately tell and they could also tell that her version felt cleaner, smoother, and much stronger. The proof was all in the sword, there was no room for spurious judgments.
Zhou Ziyun's eyebrows steadily raised as she watched the little devil prance around. She paid close attention to each difference between the two versions. She recalled her analysis of the sword style and matched her estimations to Tang Liang's so-called reality.
It was an exact match!
Although Zhou Ziyun's comprehension wasn't able to create sword movements from nothing, she had accurately guessed the places where there was a gap between movements. She had also rightly deduced which movements were incorrect and made up by the second, less capable, author at a later date. She didn't miss a single one. Perfect score.
She was amazed and delighted. She didn't think her mind could perform such a feat and she believed that normal people couldn't either. Unless they were an immortal sword master, anyone else would not be able to point out the flaws in the Falling Leaf Sword Dao as accurately as her. At least, they would not be able to if they had never encountered it or the original sword art before in real life or in text.
Just this one event was enough to make this trip worth it. If she was able to do it once, she was confident she could do it again. And in the future, if her fellow sisters had any trouble, she could definitely lend a hand!
Tang Liang ended her demonstration to great applause. She only performed the forms and movements one time but it was enough. As she returned to her seat, the ten members of the Falling Leaf Sect had all fallen to their knees. Their expressions were ashen and they didn't dare to look up.
"Hehe, well that's that." She said arrogantly, "We can end this event here. There is no need for anyone else to try and beat me. The absolute best way to solve the Falling Leaf Sword Dao is to simply replace it with the Falling Leaf Sword Style that is available within the Central Association Library."
This was followed by a long silence. No other participants stood up or even showed a faint desire to do so. The three other geniuses also didn't. Huang Yaoying yawned, feigning boredom, while Ming Yuqi still had her eyes closed. Only Deng Lun was eyeing Tang Liang fiercely as if she had offended him.
"Excellent, excellent!" The announcer's booming voice came back, not lacking a bit of enthusiasm, "Little Devil Tang Liang truly lives up to her name. Such a fearsome memory, it is simply flawless. As long as she saw it once, she would be able to tell you every detail, even years later. Amazing!"
"Our next event is for our young geniuses to analyze individual sword cultivators instead of a sect's secret art. You may help our guests improve their strength using any method you can think of. We will bring out a strength-testing totem so that we can test your theories immediately. Now, let's take a quick break while we get everything ready!"
After that, the participants relaxed and started conversing with each other. At the same time, workers arrived and began setting up tall tree trunks that were carved with the faces of beasts and demons. These totems were also filled with inscriptions and gave off a heavy spiritual aura.
"Sister Zhou, Sister Zhou! Did you see their faces? Hehe!" Tang Liang bounced up and down on her tree trunk like a little girl.
Zhou Ziyun smiled wryly, "I did. Sister Tang Liang's perfect memory is a remarkable ability. This is the first time I have experienced something like this. I am amazed."
"Hehe, you praise me too much..." Tang Liang eyed Zhou Ziyun with a curious expression, "Sister Zhou, if I had not gone up, do you think you would have? Did you have any insights into that sword art?"
Zhou Ziyun maintained a gambler's passive face and shook her head, "How can I compare to Sister Tang Liang? I had some minor thoughts that were similar to the first two that preached their Dao. Not much else. So, I did not dare to stand up and make a fool of myself."
A loud snort interrupted their conversation. The two women looked up to see that Deng Lun had wandered over for some reason or another.
"What do you want?" Tang Liang asked without a hint of friendliness.
Deng Lun snorted again as he twirled his ink brush in his hands. He looked down at her and said, "Is this fun for you?"
Tang Liang scoffed, "Heh, what?"
Deng Lun's gaze was cold, "This is the Great Dao Preaching Convention where a Dao Genius will be crowned. This isn't a place for you to act like a child."
"Hoh... are you speaking for the Lotus Tower or are you speaking for yourself?" Tang Liang retorted.
The young man shook his head, "I am speaking for the people of the Eastern Sanmu Metropolis and of the subcontinent. You should treat this event more seriously. You can't fool everyone with your memory trick. Cultivation is not just about memorizing useless information and regurgitating it. It is about patient study and quiet comprehension. The great Dao cannot be achieved simply by copying others."
The two glared at each other. There was obviously some previous beef between the two and they were simply keeping it going. Zhou Ziyun didn't want to get involved but she was mercilessly dragged in by Tang Liang's next words.
"Sister Zhou, what do you think?"
Zhou Ziyun cursed inwardly but offered a weak smile, "Sister Tang Liang, my learning is shallow and my knowledge is limited. I don't think I can offer an adequate opinion. I apologize."
She thought this was the best response. But instead of Tang Liang, it was Deng Lun who responded.
"Miss Zhou Ziyun, I think you know where the truth lies. Your mind is something that I don't think anyone here can compare to. Although you didn't have an opportunity in the last event to showcase your talent, you will have plenty more opportunities. I will eagerly wait until then."
"Um... thanks?"
Tang Liang laughed, "Don't listen to him. Everyone knows he's a weirdo."
Deng Lun turned away with a loud humph. He returned to his seat and conversed with Huang Yaoying who started laughing.
Zhou Ziyun was left baffled by the exchange, unsure of how to judge this Deng Lun character. He had an attractive, studious appearance on the outside but his personality was jarring. Perhaps Tian Liang was right, he really was a weird person.
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