Gu Long's LUK SIU FUNG: THE DUEL is one of his most popular and successful works, but the climax has always been a bit anticlimatic. Some say it's "deep" or "artistic", but really, most wuxia fans who crave wuxia ACTION simply felt let down after the big buildup for the duel between Sai Mun Chui Sheut and Yip Goo Sing ended with a description of a single sword stroke that lasted about a half page. I think most readers were expecting more (maybe it's satisfying at some highbrow, artsy-fartsy level, but when you set up a fight between champion swordsmen, people might actually expect a FIGHT).
Gu Long was kind of able to get away with it in the novel (some people thought it was great), but in a TV series/film, it would be a disaster. Consequently, each TV/film adaptation that has been made of THE DUEL features a lengthy battle between Sai Mun Chui Sheut and Yip Goo Sing.
In this case, do you believe that the adaptations actually delivered the goods much better than the novel did?