Chapter 23: First Duel
Chapter 23: First Duel
After flying for a while, Chu Ning felt the inconvenience of holding the wooden sword. It was a bit too heavy without infusing spiritual energy, and it somewhat affected his ability to maneuver in the air.
However, infusing spiritual energy would also divide his focus.
Chu Ning had tried it before. After casting the Evergreen Spring Art ten times in a row, his spiritual energy was almost completely depleted by the time he returned to his dwelling.
So, for the past few days, he hadn't taken any Return Yuan Dan (Restore Origin Pills) to conserve them.
But today, it seemed he would have to take one, or his spiritual energy wouldn't be sufficient.
"Should I just walk the last stretch of the journey?"
Chu Ning thought about it but eventually shook his head. He found a relatively secluded spot, took out a Return Yuan Dan, and swallowed it.
His cautious nature made him unwilling to linger outside the sect and the market town any longer than necessary.
After taking the pill, he could actually recover without meditating. It would just take a bit longer.
But if he meditated and refined the pill's effects with his spiritual energy, the recovery would be more effective and faster.
The first time Chu Ning was at Old Man Sun's place, he had also recovered his spiritual energy through this method.
After a quarter of an hour, Chu Ning's spiritual energy was fully restored, and he stood up, ready to continue his journey.
As he returned to the main road, Chu Ning was slightly startled. Not far away, a figure was approaching.
And this person's attire was not that of a disciple of Qingxi Zong (Green Creek Sect).
"Why is an outsider cultivator on this road leading to the Green Creek Sect?"
The thought flashed through Chu Ning's mind, and he immediately became alert.
Just then, the bearded cultivator walking towards him saw Chu Ning, and a hint of joy flashed across his face.
"Something's not right!"
Even though the bearded man's expression changed only for a moment, Chu Ning, who had been observing carefully, noticed it.
He remained calm on the surface, but his hand quietly held a talisman.
At the same time, Chu Ning quickly channeled his spiritual energy, activating the Tendril Armor Technique.
With just a glance, Chu Ning had confirmed that the man was at the same cultivation level as him – the fourth layer of Qi Refining. He dared not be the slightest bit careless.
The bearded man sensed Chu Ning's spiritual energy fluctuations and his eyes showed a hint of surprise, followed by a hint of mockery.
The bearded man executed a hand seal, and just as Chu Ning's body was covered in the tendril armor, a fierce light emanated from the bearded man's hand.
The light carried the intent of slaying with metal and war chariots, and it was a metal-type spell, the most offensive among the five elements.
"My full-power Metal Sword Spell at the fourth layer of Qi Refining should be a worthy match for you..."
A hint of pride appeared on the bearded man's face, but the next moment, the pride disappeared.
He clearly saw that under his spell attack, Chu Ning's tendril armor swayed as if it would break at any moment, but it stubbornly held on, blocking his Metal Sword Spell.
"How is this possible? You... You're not at the second layer of Qi Refining."
The bearded man suddenly realized this, and his expression changed slightly.
At the same time, another layer of protection appeared around Chu Ning's body, and Chu Ning's hands quickly formed intricate seals.
"A talisman?"
A hint of greed flashed in the bearded man's eyes, and he coldly smiled. He cast another Metal Sword Spell, aiming it at Chu Ning.
Although he hadn't achieved the instant-cast stage, his casting speed was extremely fast, indicating that he had practiced this spell for a long time.
"Boom!"
The Metal Sword Spell hit the shield formed by the protective talisman, causing a loud rumbling sound in Chu Ning's ears.
However, the protective talisman seemed to have good defensive capabilities, as the shield showed no signs of damage.
Finally, the bearded man's expression changed. He cast another Metal Sword Spell, which blasted towards Chu Ning.
As the Metal Sword Spell, laced with fierce light, hurtled towards Chu Ning, Chu Ning waved his hand, and the wooden sword he had placed aside flew towards his opponent, manipulated by the Object Manipulation Technique.
Suddenly, the black wooden sword dropped from the sky.
The bearded man was slightly taken aback, glancing at Chu Ning, thinking that his Golden Sword Art had already slain him.
However, to his surprise, Chu Ning had already formed another incantation, unleashing a spell.
Instantly, four iron vine tendrils shot out from both sides of the bearded man, coiling towards him.
Reacting quickly, the bearded man darted to the side.
But just as he had dodged the black wooden sword, the four iron vine tendrils adjusted, capturing him from different angles.
He managed to evade only two of them; the other two firmly wrapped around his body.
The bearded man, who had been hovering in the air, suddenly found his movements restricted.
In that fleeting moment, the remaining two iron vine tendrils shot forward, binding him tightly with all four tendrils.
"Boom!"
The Golden Sword Art attack struck the protective talisman shield surrounding Chu Ning once more.
After withstanding two consecutive blows from the Golden Sword Art, the shield finally crumbled and dissipated.
Fortunately, Chu Ning's Tendril Armor Technique managed to block the last bit of golden light.
The bearded man's attention was captured by this turn of events, but his expression held no joy; instead, his eyes widened in alarm.
He noticed that Chu Ning had already summoned another talisman.
"How can a young menial disciple like him have so many talismans?"
The bearded man's confusion grew, but it was clear he wouldn't be getting any answers. A sharp and familiar golden light was rushing towards him, faster than his own Golden Sword Art!
The next moment, the bearded man, entangled by the Thorn Art and unable to move, could only watch helplessly as the light pierced through his chest!
"Golden Sword Talisman!"
He barely had time to shout before feeling a chill in his chest, and his body fell backward.
The iron vine tendrils, still wrapped tightly around him, pulled his body into an odd, bound position.
"Phew!"
Witnessing this, Chu Ning finally exhaled in relief.
However, he remained vigilant, not letting his guard down.
With a quick incantation, he activated the second stage of the Thorn Art, causing the four iron vine tendrils to tighten around the bearded man's body, drawing blood.
Simultaneously, he waved his hand, and the black wooden sword, which had fallen to the ground, flew back up, striking the bearded man's head with force.
Both the Thorn Art and the black wooden sword attacks seemed to have landed without any resistance from the bearded man's spiritual energy.
Chu Ning was certain that his opponent was truly dead.
He cautiously approached, holding a protective talisman in one hand and a Golden Sword Talisman in the other, stopping a yard away from the body.
He stood there for a little while longer, ensuring that the bearded man showed no signs of feigning death. The four iron vine tendrils had bound him tightly, rendering his body unrecognizable.
Only then did Chu Ning release the Thorn Art with a flick of his finger.
This extra caution was understandable, as it was his first time engaging in a magical battle with a cultivator, and he wasn't sure if his opponent had any hidden tricks up his sleeve.
Subsequently, Chu Ning began searching the bearded man's body.
This man didn't seem to be wealthy; after a thorough search, Chu Ning only found a low-grade spirit stone, a low-grade Shuttle Talisman, two small booklets, and a tiny jade box.
Without examining the contents of the booklets or the jade box, Chu Ning continued his search, wanting to ensure the man hadn't hidden anything else.
Once he was satisfied that there was nothing more of value, he cast two Fireball Arts, incinerating the body, and then quickly departed.
The rest of his journey back to his courtyard passed without incident, and Chu Ning finally breathed a sigh of relief.
(End of Chapter)
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