Chapter 175: The Power of the Blade Unveiled!

Chapter 175: The Power of the Blade Unveiled!

In the training ground.

As Qin Xuan voluntarily jumped off the arena, only Jiang Ning and Yuan Fei remained on the platform.

"Your turn!" Yuan Fei grinned, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at Jiang Ning.

At this moment, Yuan Fei's demeanor was completely different from before, resembling a ferocious ape filled with violent energy.

As he grinned, his gums, a vivid red, were exposed.

On the other side.

Hong Minghu's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Ape Demon True Form!"

"Ape Demon True Form?" Gongsun Yu, one of the three elders from Medicine King Valley, was taken aback.

Hong Minghu nodded slightly, "Yes, it's the advanced martial art, Ape Demon True Form."

"So, this young man has already attained the entry level of the Ape Demon True Form?" Gongsun Yu suddenly looked at Yuan Fei on the arena in front of him with great astonishment.

Then, he sighed, "What a pity! This young man is already twenty-seven, yet he's still at the eighth stage of the Martial Way. Even with the entry level of the Ape Demon True Form, his future in the Martial Way is limited. What a waste of such extraordinary comprehension!"

"It is indeed a pity," Hong Minghu nodded in agreement.

Twenty-seven, at this age, the peak years of the Martial Way were only seven or eight years away.

Judging from Yuan Fei's achievements so far, in the remaining seven or eight years, unless he encounters an extraordinary opportunity, it's unlikely for him to reach the fifth level of the Inner Strength Realm like Hong Minghu.

Without reaching the fifth level, given Yuan Fei's age, seven or eight years later, his physical functions will decline, his vitality will wane, and his strength will regress rather than progress, making it difficult to achieve greater accomplishments.

At this thought, Hong Minghu shook his head slightly, and then his gaze fell on Jiang Ning, who was on the arena.

"It's a pity for this young man too. He's unlucky to encounter Yuan Fei, who has mastered an advanced martial art, at such a critical moment!"

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Ming spoke up, "Lord Hong, you're right. This kid is indeed unlucky. It's rare to meet someone who has mastered an advanced martial art in such a small place."

At the same time.

On the arena.

Ape Demon True Form?

Advanced martial art?

Hearing these words, Jiang Ning was also slightly surprised.

"No wonder Qin Xuan lost; he didn't lose unfairly!"

"Weapon or barehanded, I'll let you choose!" Yuan Fei looked at Jiang Ning and said nonchalantly.

At this moment, in his eyes, the only thing that mattered was the position of the deputy leader, which he considered his for the taking.

Qin Xuan had been easily forced off the arena, and Jiang Ning would be no exception.

In Yuan Fei's opinion, with his current strength, the eighth stage of the Martial Way was nothing to boast about.

Even against those two at the seventh stage, he believed he had a fifty percent chance of winning.

The reason he didn't challenge them was merely to play it safe, not out of fear.

His confidence stemmed from having attained the entry level of an advanced martial art.

"I choose a weapon," Jiang Ning declared.

"Brave choice!" Yuan Fei grinned again.

Jiang Ning turned to the exam proctor and said, "Sir, I'd like a heavier long blade."

"Heavier?" The proctor asked.

"Yes, even heavier!" Jiang Ning replied.

"Alright!" The man nodded.

He went to the side of the arena and selected a thick, heavy blade from the weapons rack.

The back of the blade had nine rings attached to it.

"Be careful, this blade is heavy!" The man warned as he grabbed the hilt and tossed it to Jiang Ning.

The heavy blade flew towards Jiang Ning.

Clang!

Jiang Ning caught the blade with his right hand, and the rings on the hilt jingled, creating a symphony of metal and iron.

"A fine blade!" Jiang Ning's face lit up with delight.

The moment he held the blade, he knew the weight of this heavy weapon.

It weighed a full three hundred pounds.

A three-hundred-pound blade was still somewhat light for his nearly four-thousand-pound strength, but it was a pleasant surprise nonetheless.

After all, this was just a training ground, and having such a heavy blade here was an unexpected joy.

With this three-hundred-pound blade in hand, Jiang Ning felt even more confident in facing Yuan Fei.

With his current strength, a well-suited blade could significantly enhance his power.

A blade weighing a few dozen pounds and one weighing three hundred pounds would have a stark difference in their destructive force when swung with equal strength.

Moreover, given their similar sizes, the heavier blade also indicated superior materials used in its creation.

After witnessing Yuan Fei's fighting style, Jiang Ning understood that, to counter him effectively, he needed a blade that was sufficiently heavy and sturdy.

After all, his strength lay in overpowering his opponents, not in technical prowess.

In a battle of strength, a blade that wasn't heavy and sturdy enough would be useless.

Even a willow leaf blade, no matter how strong one was, couldn't withstand Yuan Fei's thousand-pound force if it was swept by his staff.

Such a blade would snap instantly, being as thin as a cicada's wing.

Jiang Ning, blade in hand, walked to the center of the arena, standing opposite Yuan Fei.

Thud!

Yuan Fei slammed his steel staff onto the arena, creating a dull thud.

"Come!" Yuan Fei exclaimed.

His eyes were bloodshot, his face contorted, and his arms were long and thick, resembling an enraged ape.

Just then, Jiang Ning stomped his right foot on the ground, transforming from stillness into motion. He rushed towards Yuan Fei like a shadow.

At the same moment, essence power surged and gathered within Jiang Ning's body.

As the essence power accumulated, it seemed to transform into a flood ready to burst forth.

"Well done!" Yuan Fei's eyes narrowed.

He kicked the long staff on the ground with his right foot, instantly gripping it with both hands, and swept it towards the charging Jiang Ning.

Clang!

In mid-air, the staff and blade clashed.

With the release of the fifth level of power, the heavy saber, weighing over three hundred jin, collided.

Boom!

Yuan Fei's right leg involuntarily stepped back, and as it touched the ground, a terrifying force erupted.

Hiss!

Yuan Fei's muscles violently collided, his arms and legs swelling to the point of tearing his clothes.

For a moment, fabric fluttered in the air.

"Take my staff!" Yuan Fei roared, exerting force with both arms, intending to turn from defense to offense.

However, Jiang Ning's heavy saber seemed unaffected by the force.

As soon as the staff and blade separated, another saber strike descended.

Clang!

Seeing this, Yuan Fei could only continue to defend with the staff.

Thud!

In the face of such explosive power, Yuan Fei's left leg retreated a step backward.

As his thick left leg landed, the arena cracked.

"What formidable strength!" The exam proctor standing nearby witnessed this scene, and his complexion changed slightly.

A single step had cracked the arena floor, and the power contained within it left him in awe.

This strength far surpassed what a Martial Artist of the Eighth Stage could possess.

"Just how powerful is his saber strike?" The proctor looked at Jiang Ning, feeling extremely incredulous.

Then,

Thud!

Yuan Fei retreated another step, the arena cracked again, with fissures spreading in all directions.

Clang!

Jiang Ning raised his hand and struck again.

With the burst of powerful essence, this saber strike forced Yuan Fei to retreat once more.

Then, another saber strike followed.

The saber aura continued relentlessly, and Yuan Fei retreated again and again.

Just as Qin Xuan had felt stifled earlier, Yuan Fei now experienced the same frustration.

Facing Jiang Ning's powerful and heavy saber aura, which was as swift as lightning, Yuan Fei couldn't find any opportunity to counterattack.

He could only retreat repeatedly, gradually falling into the same predicament as Qin Xuan had.

Below the arena,

Qin Xuan witnessed this and secretly rejoiced.

Earlier, facing Yuan Fei's relentless staff attacks, even though he had blocked them all, he was almost breathless and on the verge of spitting blood.

If not for that, he wouldn't have chosen to jump off the arena and concede defeat.

Now, seeing Yuan Fei stepping into the same situation, Qin Xuan felt immensely satisfied.

At the same time, he was astonished by Jiang Ning's strength.

Having faced Yuan Fei personally, Qin Xuan knew full well how formidable Yuan Fei was.

Yuan Fei had completely suppressed him, leaving him without any means to fight back. This realization was not insignificant.

Furthermore, among the many people present, Qin Xuan was one of the top-ranked individuals.

Among the outstanding captains of the Inspection Office, he could be ranked within the top three.

Yet, such strength was completely suppressed by Yuan Fei.

And Yuan Fei, in turn, was being thoroughly suppressed by Jiang Ning.

"What kind of monstrous talent is this?!" Qin Xuan's mind was filled with complex emotions, recalling how Jiang Ning had just revealed his age of eighteen.

He once thought of himself as a Martial Dao prodigy, born into a prestigious family with a wealthy background, blessed with exceptional talent and a superior physique. His journey had been smooth and effortless, and few peers could rival him.

But today, in this small place, he witnessed the true meaning of a Martial Dao prodigy.

He looked at the arena and saw Yuan Fei's face turning red with frustration, his eyes bloodshot, filled with a crimson hue.

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"He boasts of being a prodigy, yet he doesn't even have the qualifications to stand before me!" Qin Xuan's face bore a bitter smile.

Yuan Fei could suppress him to the point of breathlessness, and Jiang Ning could do the same to Yuan Fei.

The exaggeration of this situation was evident.

Moreover, Jiang Ning, who had achieved this level, was still so young, not yet reaching the age of twenty.

On the arena,

Yuan Fei had retreated to the position where Qin Xuan had been standing earlier, only about half a meter away from the arena's edge behind him.

At this moment,

This battle, which seemed intense to outsiders, was effortless for Jiang Ning.

Because his inner strength had already achieved some success, and his five viscera's functions were far beyond ordinary, a phenomenon surpassing normal limits.

Even holding a heavy saber weighing three hundred jin, with each strike delivering full power, his face remained calm, and his heart was steady.

This battle, for him, was at most a warm-up.

Then, he slashed out another saber strike, the saber wind howling across the nine ring holes on the saber's back, like a ghostly wolf howl.

Seeing this, Yuan Fei's eyes bulged, resembling copper bells.

"Break!"

He roared, and blood-red clouds instantly rose from his body.

The muscles of Jiang Ning's limbs were like solid fine iron, and the winding green veins and meridians beneath his skin were clearly visible.

"Forbidden technique!" exclaimed Hong Minghu from the spectator stand.

The next moment—

Clang!

The blade and staff clashed.

An immense and vast force suddenly transmitted from the blade to Jiang Ning's right arm.

Thump, thump, thump—

Faced with this enormous power, Jiang Ning involuntarily took three steps back.

So strong!

Jiang Ning was secretly startled.

"Kill!" Yuan Fei's eyes blazed with anger.

At this moment, his eyes seemed to burn with crimson flames.

His entire body was enveloped in a faint red mist of blood.

As the staff descended, Jiang Ning felt a powerful gust of wind pressure rushing towards him.

"Come on!" Jiang Ning laughed.

Yuan Fei was indeed strong, but the pressure he felt was not overwhelming.

It made the fight somewhat boring.

But this staff strike made him feel excited.

A powerful clash, this was what he wanted most.

The next moment—

Thump!

His heart suddenly jumped.

It was like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, causing a sudden ripple.

His blood seemed to surge like untamed horses, and his body trembled.

In an instant, he felt an infinite force welling up within him, brimming with energy, seeking an outlet.

His skin quickly turned red, and his veins bulged, his muscles stimulated, transforming into the shape of a coiled dragon.

Such changes occurred in the blink of an eye, at the most critical moment.

At this time, his human limitations had been lifted.

Only a fifth-rank martial artist who had achieved perfection in Inner Strength could do this.

By lifting human limitations, one could fully unleash their potential.

It would enhance speed, strength, reaction, and endurance from all angles.

But this fifth-rank foundation skill, when used at this moment, had an effect far superior to so-called forbidden techniques.

On the other side, Hong Minghu, watching this scene from the spectator stand, suddenly constricted his pupils.

Dual cultivation of inner and outer, with inner cultivation reaching perfection! Gongsun Yu, witnessing this scene, also had his pupils constrict intensely.

Because both of them had reached the fifth rank.

They could clearly discern the methods Jiang Ning was using.

These were methods that required the functions of the five viscera and six bowels to be strengthened to a certain extent before they could be mastered.

And to use such methods, one needed a strong willpower to control.

Only a martial artist with a powerful enough will to visualize their own body could employ these methods, lifting human limitations and unleashing their potential.

These methods were far more ingenious than those so-called forbidden techniques.

Because most forbidden techniques drew inspiration from methods that lifted human limitations.

"What kind of monster is this?" Hong Minghu was secretly shocked in his heart.

Jiang Ning's current performance was simply astonishing, making him marvel.

"If I were to take on a disciple, I must find a way to make this kid my disciple. This performance, it's monstrous!" Hong Minghu watched Jiang Ning, sighing in his heart.

At this time, Gongsun Yu also watched Jiang Ning with envy.

"If only I could take him as my disciple."

"What a pity! What a pity!"

He glanced at Hong Minghu beside him, sighing inwardly.

On the arena, Jiang Ning held his blade and slashed.

As this blade descended, a solid oppressive force instantly enveloped Yuan Fei.

At the same time, in Yuan Fei's eyes that burned like flames, there was only the blade hanging in mid-air.

The blade's reflection in Yuan Fei's fiery pupils formed a scene of a fiery blade tempering metal.

On the spectator stand—

Clang!

The table in front of Hong Minghu trembled, moving slightly by a centimeter.

Blade technique!

Hong Minghu's pupils constricted again.

"How is this possible!" Gongsun Yu's mouth hung open.

As the third elder of Medicine King Valley, he was experienced and knowledgeable, yet he couldn't identify Jiang Ning's blade as a blade technique.

And this profound and abstruse method of blade technique, even he had not mastered.

Among the fifth-rank martial artists, those who could master any one technique were less than half.

Because only by mastering a technique could one enter the ranks of the fourth rank.

Technique.

It was a profound and abstruse method beyond words!

But without a doubt, this method was extremely powerful.

No matter what technique one mastered, once used, it was as if borrowing the power of heaven and earth, merging with heaven and earth.

Facing a strong opponent who had mastered a technique, one could only confront them head-on, unable to avoid the confrontation.

If the technique was powerful enough, one could even suppress others with it.

Victory without fighting.

Even the Valley Master couldn't achieve this.

He had once been fortunate to witness such a powerful opponent, and that person was an extremely young fourth-rank expert.

That fourth-rank expert's technique was powerful beyond imagination.

When the technique erupted, he was only filled with terror, not daring to make the slightest move.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end