Chapter 128: One Move to Decide the Outcome!

Chapter 128: One Move to Decide the Outcome!

Canglang Martial Hall.

At this moment, numerous horse-drawn carriages were parked at the entrance of the martial hall.

"The Master of Shen Wei Martial Hall, Yu Yuan, has arrived!"

"The City Gate Commander, Ge Zhengyuan, is here!"

"The Green Serpent Gang Leader, Shi Xiaoyuan, has arrived!"

". . ."

At this moment, several prominent figures appeared at the entrance of Canglang Martial Hall.

The disciples inside the martial hall heard these resounding names, and their bodies trembled involuntarily.

"Master Wang sure has a lot of face!" someone whispered in awe.

"Indeed!" another person agreed, nodding vigorously.

Zhou Xing glanced at the group, "Hurry up and get to work, don't waste any time!"

"Yes, Senior Brother Zhou!" they responded, bowing their heads upon hearing Zhou Xing's rebuke.

On the other side.

The main hall of the martial hall.

It was already unusually bustling, with several prominent figures gathered in the hall, chatting over tea.

"Auntie, who is that man you mentioned?" Lin Jiaye asked in a low voice.

Lin Qingyi's lips moved slightly, but no sound came out, yet her voice was clear in Lin Jiaye's ears.

"You'll see soon! This person has an excellent appearance, and I believe he will meet your approval."

"Auntie, I'm not the kind of shallow woman who only cares about looks." Lin Jiaye pouted.

At this moment.

Wang Jin strode into the main hall.

"My apologies for the inadequate hospitality, please forgive me."

The crowd saw the tall and sturdy man in armor beside Wang Jin and immediately stood up.

"Commander Wang!"

"Greetings, Commander Wang!"

". . ."

One by one, the so-called prominent figures stood up to greet him.

"When you're away from home, everyone should be more relaxed. Let's not stand on ceremony!" Commander Wang spoke solemnly.

"Well said, Commander Wang!"

"Commander Wang is right!"

". . ."

Flattering words poured out from the crowd.

At this moment, only a few people remained seated calmly.

Among them was Lin Qingyi.

Commander Wang hesitated for a moment after seeing Lin Qingyi, then chose to sit below her.

"Commander Wang, why don't you sit up here?" someone asked with a puzzled look.

The burly Commander Wang spoke up, "This seat... I quite like it!"

After this statement, no one dared to object.

Speaking of prominent figures.

Commander Wang was undoubtedly the top figure in Luoshui County.

He commanded a hundred elite troops and five hundred city guards.

Not to mention Commander Wang's formidable strength.

Whether it was power or personal strength, he was at the top of the hierarchy in Luoshui County.

Just then.

Wang Jin also greeted Lin Qingyi, "Lin Louzhu, why do you have the leisure to attend my master's apprenticeship banquet today?"

Lin Qingyi smiled slightly, "Before Shen Congyun left, he asked me to take care of someone, so I'm here today."

"Is that person the Jiang Ning who caused quite a stir earlier?" Yu Yuan, the Master of Shen Wei Martial Hall, suddenly asked.

Lin Qingyi nodded slightly, "Yes, it's him."

At this moment.

A glimmer of color flashed in Lin Jiaye's eyes behind Lin Qingyi.

"Jiang Ning? Is he the man Auntie wants to introduce to me as my ideal husband?"

On the other side.

A flash of light appeared in Shi Xiaoyuan's eyes.

"Jiang Ning? He's a lucky one!"

"To receive help from so many influential people!"

Then, he clenched his fist secretly, "What good fortune! If it weren't for this, I would have taken action and crushed him to avenge my brother!"

"But now I have to consider this and that!"

"So frustrating!"

On the other side.

Jiang Ning also stopped walking.

On his way to the martial hall, he didn't choose to ride in a carriage.

For him, riding in a carriage was too cumbersome, troublesome, and time-consuming.

His stamina had long surpassed that of ordinary fine horses.

As for the stamina issue that most martial artists considered, it was not a concern for him at all.

Inner Strength Martial Artists were not afraid of prolonged battles, which was their most basic characteristic.

With his current level of Inner Strength cultivation, he possessed the fundamental traits of an Inner Strength Martial Artist and was not afraid of prolonged battles.

At this moment.

The disciples guarding the martial hall saw Jiang Ning and hurriedly saluted him.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Jiang!"

"Greetings, Senior Brother Jiang!"

Jiang Ning's gaze swept over the carriages at the entrance.

Then he asked, "Am I late?"

"No, Senior Brother Jiang, please go in. There's still some time before the apprenticeship banquet begins."

"One of the disciples guarding the entrance to the Martial Hall quickly replied.

Jiang Ning instantly felt relieved.

At the same time, in the front courtyard of the Martial Hall, Xiao Peng stood with a long blade in his arms, his eyes closed as he rested.

He had been waiting for someone to appear.

Waiting for Jiang Ning to show up.

The last time, he had briefly tested Jiang Ning and personally felt the oppressive pressure emanating from him.

His strength far surpassed Xiao Peng's.

In the early stages of martial cultivation, strength plays a decisive role in determining one's prowess.

Especially when fighting bare-handed, the disparity in strength significantly influences the outcome of a battle.

Xiao Peng was well aware that he had no chance against Jiang Ning at that time.

But a few days ago, he had entered the ninth stage of martial cultivation, perfectly meeting all of Wang Jin's requirements.

Only then did he rekindle the idea of challenging Jiang Ning.

However, he also knew that even with his advancement to the ninth stage, his strength still fell short of Jiang Ning's.

That's why he waited today with a long blade in his arms, anticipating Jiang Ning's arrival.

His goal was to use the blade to determine who was superior between them.

When wielding weapons, combat experience and technique play a more significant role in the outcome, while strength becomes less influential.

Xiao Peng understood that fighting with weapons was his only chance.

At that moment, Xiao Peng heard Jiang Ning's voice coming from the entrance of the Martial Hall.

He immediately opened his eyes, snapping out of his resting state.

'Jiang Ning, you're finally here!' he muttered.

The next moment, as Jiang Ning stepped into the front courtyard of the Martial Hall, he felt a pair of intense eyes on him.

'It's him, Xiao Peng!' Jiang Ning recognized the man at a glance.

Xiao Peng's eyes blazed like two fiery flames, his battle intent surging.

'Jiang Ning! Let's fight!' Xiao Peng declared, his voice not loud but resolute.

In the Martial Hall, his voice instantly reached everyone's ears.

They all paused in their activities.

'Is it finally happening?' someone whispered excitedly.

'We're about to witness a great show! Xiao Peng won't just let this opportunity slip away and hand it over to Jiang Ning!'

'What do you think? Who will come out on top?'

'I still think Senior Brother Xiao Peng will win. After all, Senior Brother Jiang Ning has been training for too short a time.'

'I agree.'

As they whispered, they quickly gathered towards the direction of the two men.

At the same time, Jiang Ning heard Xiao Peng's words and slowly nodded.

'Good! Then I'll grant your wish!'

Hearing Jiang Ning's response, Xiao Peng tightened his grip on the blade in his arms.

Then he spoke, 'Jiang Ning, since you're also carrying a long blade, let's settle this with our blades today.'

'No problem!' Jiang Ning nodded again, agreeing with Xiao Peng.

Just then, Li Qing emerged from the adjacent courtyard.

'Blades and swords have no eyes. If you want to determine who's superior with them, wait a moment. I'll go and call Master Wang.'

'With Master Wang here, if anything unexpected happens, he can intervene and prevent a situation where fellow disciples harm each other.'

'Good!' Both of them nodded.

In the main hall of the Martial Hall, Li Qing hurried in.

'What's the hurry, Li Qing?' Wang Jin asked, noticing her rushed footsteps.

Li Qing approached Wang Jin and whispered in his ear, updating him on the situation outside.

After a moment, Wang Jin stood up and announced, 'Everyone, today my disciples Jiang Ning and Xiao Peng are going to settle their differences with blades in the front courtyard. Whoever wins will become my personal disciple. As their master, I should be there to observe and prevent any accidents where fellow disciples harm each other.'

Upon hearing this, Shen Wei Martial Hall's master, Yu Yuan, spoke up, 'Since it's a spar between your two outstanding disciples, I'm interested too. How about I accompany you, Brother Wang?'

Lin Qingyi also spoke up, 'I'm interested as well.'

The leader of the Green Serpent Gang, Shi Xiaoyuan, said, 'Since one of them is Jiang Ning, I'm also quite interested!'

Everyone understood what Shi Xiaoyuan meant by this statement.

The vice leader of the Green Serpent Gang, Hong Chengtao, had died at Jiang Ning's hands, and the news had already spread among the upper echelons of Luoshui County.

The story had become quite well-known.

A rising talent defeating a seasoned veteran with decent strength naturally attracted some attention from various factions.

After these three spoke up, others also expressed their interest in witnessing the event, as they had no other engagements.

Wang Jin glanced at the group of over ten people and smiled.

Since that's the case, let's go together!"

The front courtyard of the Martial Hall.

In just a moment, numerous disciples appeared one after another.

Zhou Xing, Zhao Hu, and Zhang Tie Sheng were also present.

"Indeed, I came a little late!" Jiang Ning muttered to himself, "But fortunately, I'm not too late."

In the crowd, Zhou Xing looked at the two with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, his lips always carrying a hint of mirth, creating a feeling of warmth for those around him.

"Master Wang has arrived!" He glanced at the hall and spoke.

As soon as he said this, everyone's gaze turned towards the hall, and the entire place suddenly became extremely quiet.

Today, many prominent figures had gathered here.

Seeing these usually elusive figures, the crowd naturally became cautious, not daring to make too much noise.

On the other side.

Lin Jiaye looked at Jiang Ning, who was dressed in black and holding a long sword.

She leaned towards Lin Qingyi's ear, "Is that Jiang Ning that Auntie mentioned?"

As she spoke, she extended her jade-like finger towards Jiang Ning.

Lin Qingyi nodded slightly and used her secret voice transmission technique to say, "How is he? Auntie's vision is quite good, right? This young man is quite handsome!"

Lin Jiaye nodded slightly and then leaned towards Lin Qingyi's ear.

"Indeed, he's very handsome. His appearance is truly exceptional. Even in the Martial Academy, I've rarely seen anyone whose looks can surpass his. Moreover, he exudes confidence from his brows, indicating that he has a strong foundation."

Hearing Lin Jiaye's words, Lin Qingyi couldn't help but smile.

"So, is Jiaye satisfied with him?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiaye's hesitation flashed across her face, and another man's figure suddenly appeared in her mind.

Then, she whispered in Lin Qingyi's ear, "How old is he, and what rank does he hold in the Martial Dao?"

Lin Qingyi replied, "Jiang Ning should be almost nineteen years old. As for the Martial Dao, he entered the Ninth Stage over a month ago."

Nineteen?

Just entered the Ninth Stage of the Martial Dao?

Upon hearing this information, a flash of disdain suddenly appeared in Lin Jiaye's eyes.

Then she leaned towards Lin Qingyi's ear and said softly, "Indeed, he's not bad. Born in such a poor county, it's already impressive for someone his age to reach this stage. No wonder Auntie has such high hopes for him."

On the other side.

Wang Jin arrived in front of the two, Jiang Ning and Xiao Peng.

"In this battle, whoever wins will become my direct disciple."

"Understood!" Xiao Peng nodded, his eyes burning with passion as he stared at Jiang Ning.

"Understood!" Jiang Ning also nodded.

"Good!" Wang Jin nodded, "Since that's the case, you two can start! The sooner you finish, the sooner we can begin. Everyone else has almost arrived."

As he spoke, Wang Jin also retreated a few steps, giving the two of them ample space and arena.

At the same time, his fingers were pinching a small stone, a means to prevent any accidents from occurring.

With his current strength and methods, a small stone like this could easily unleash a powerful impact.

A single strike could stop any bloodshed.

After Wang Jin cleared the arena, Xiao Peng held his sword and bowed.

"Jiang Ning, in this battle, I will give it my all. Becoming Master Wang's direct disciple has always been my goal and pursuit."

Jiang Ning held his sword and returned the bow.

"Me too!"

Swoosh—

The two slowly drew their swords, and as the sword light flickered, the atmosphere became solemn.

At this moment.

The surrounding disciples held their breath, their eyes fixed on the center of the arena.

On the other side.

The City Commander stood beside Wang Jin, nodding slightly, "These two disciples of yours are both quite good. They have remarkable bearing and are truly talented."

The next moment.

The City Commander's eyes widened, and a look of surprise appeared as he gazed forward.

Wang Jin also reacted similarly, his expression slightly stunned.

The crowd shared similar reactions, showing astonishment, surprise, and other emotions.

Because at this moment, the battle in the arena had already concluded.

Jiang Ning's drawn sword was already pressed against Xiao Peng's neck, and at the tip of the sword, a bright red drop of blood slowly gathered.

This drop of blood came from Xiao Peng's neck.

This scene symbolized the outcome of the battle.

Xiao Peng had already lost.

Because at this moment, if Jiang Ning pushed his sword forward just an inch, Xiao Peng would die on the spot, with no other possibility.

"So fast!" Xiao Peng muttered.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end