Chapter 461: The Battle Between the Divine Human Master and the Great Master

Chapter 461: The Battle Between the Divine Human Master and the Great Master

April 1st, 2025, Author: Jiang Shangjing

At the WaterMoon Sword Palace.

During the banquet.

After several rounds of toasts, the guests gradually took their seats.

Suddenly, Ye Zhengqi stood up, holding a wine glass.

"Palace Master Xiao!" He spoke calmly.

Here it comes!!

Upon seeing this, the guests' hearts skipped a beat.

Hearing his voice, Xiao Qiushui turned towards the direction of Ye Zhengqi.

"Palace Master Xiao, congratulations on successfully reaching the Third Grade!" Ye Zhengqi raised his wine glass, gesturing towards Xiao Qiushui from a distance.

Xiao Qiushui gave Ye Zhengqi a serious look and picked up the wine glass in front of her, standing up. "Thank you, Master Ye, for your congratulations."

She smiled faintly, watching Ye Zhengqi drink the wine in one gulp, and she did the same.

After Ye Zhengqi finished his wine, he did not sit down.

"Palace Master Xiao, I have another matter to attend to today." He toyed with the wine glass in his hand.

"Speak!" Xiao Qiushui's expression remained calm.

Even though she already knew what Ye Zhengqi was about to say, she didn't say much.

"Your grudge with Jiang Xunshi, let it go. What do you think?" Ye Zhengqi said.

"No way!" Xiao Qiushui's eyes turned slightly cold.

"So, Palace Master Xiao, you won't give me this face?" Ye Zhengqi's tone was calm, but anyone could sense the underlying threat in his words.

So bold!

Looking at Ye Zhengqi beside him, Jiang Ning sighed in his heart.

At the same time, he didn't care about the gazes that fell upon him.

"Master Ye, your face isn't big enough to make me put aside the deep-rooted blood feud for the death of my kin." As her words fell, Xiao Qiushui's gaze had already landed on Jiang Ning.

"Jiang Xunshi, don't you have anything to say?" Xiao Qiushui spoke again.

Before Jiang Ning could open his mouth.

Bang—

The sound of porcelain shattering suddenly caught everyone's attention.

Ye Zhengqi had crushed the wine glass in his hand.

With cold eyes, he stared at Xiao Qiushui.

"Xiao Qiushui, you dare to say in front of me that you want to kill an official appointed by the Emperor!"

"Deserving of death!!"

As the last two words fell.

The faces of the guests at the banquet changed simultaneously.

Because they felt that with Ye Zhengqi's words, a sharp aura filled every corner of the space.

Above and below, all around, it was as if countless needle tips were covering them.

It seemed that any slight disturbance would trigger a riot of sharp energy.

At this moment.

Xiao Qiushui's eyes also changed slightly, more so than the others.

She felt Ye Zhengqi's sword intent more deeply, its power and intensity.

Everything around was as usual, but she felt the terrifying sword intent had already locked onto her.

Waiting for that thunderous movement, the sky would change in an instant.

Buzz—

She raised her hand and grabbed.

The long sword in Xiao Emei's hand behind her hummed lightly and flew into her hand like lightning.

"Nonsense!" Ye Zhengqi's expression turned cold.

He took a step forward.

In an instant.

Crack—

Xiao Qiushui seemed to hear the sound of mirrors shattering around her.

She also suddenly felt that she could no longer sense the auras of the people around her, nor could she feel the power of the world that she had already mastered.

At this moment.

As Ye Zhengqi took that step forward, the table in front of him silently turned to dust.

Seeing this, Jiang Ning had no choice but to step back, and then stand up.

Because he and Ye Zhengqi shared the same table.

If he didn't move back,

The porcelain containing the wine and the freshly served hot dishes on the table would have spilled onto him.

"Ye Zhengqi, this is not Guangning City, nor is it your Xunshi Mansion!" A voice rang out.

The next moment.

Everyone saw a figure flash before their eyes.

Li Sixiang appeared in front of Xiao Qiushui.

Xiao Qiushui also felt her connection with the outside world restored.

But looking at Ye Zhengqi, her eyes no longer held the confidence she had before.

Previously, she felt that she had thoroughly consolidated her martial arts realm, and even if she couldn't defeat Ye Zhengqi, she could still fight him.

After all, it was challenging for one Master to completely overwhelm another in a battle between Masters.

Strong Masters had dragon-like physical bodies, abundant Qi and blood, and extremely vibrant vitality.

They could quickly recover from ordinary injuries.

Moreover, with their powerful endurance, even if one side had the upper hand, it was extremely difficult to defeat the other.

This was especially true for powerful Divine Human Masters.

With the ability to walk through the air, they could find a way out in any direction.

But after experiencing that change just now, she realized she had underestimated the capabilities of the person who could serve as the Xunshi of Guangning Prefecture.

This also made her instantly recall Ye Zhengqi's martial arts realm.

Lihetianren!

"Is this the mystery of space? It's indeed far superior to the profound water techniques I've mastered." Xiao Qiushui's eyes revealed a solemn expression.

At this moment, the guests' attention was no longer on her.

The focus shifted to Ye Zhengqi and Li Sixiang.

One was Ye Zhengqi, the Guangning Prefecture Inspector and a Lihetianren.

The other was Li Sixiang, the Deputy Sect Leader of Duxian Gate, who had stepped into the realm of a Second-Rank Divine Grandmaster. Moreover, Li Sixiang was once a Sifaxiang Tianren Zongshi who had comprehended the Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire realm.

"I knew you would stand up!" Ye Zhengqi's eyes blazed, locking onto Li Sixiang.

At this moment, the crowd looked at Li Sixiang, seemingly sensing the infinite changes of the Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire realm behind him.

"As members of the same sect, we should stand united. How can we allow you to be so arrogant and unruly here? This is not a place for you to run amok."

"There's no point in talking!" Ye Zhengqi's tone was calm. He lifted his hand and grabbed, and a sword light appeared in his hand.

Clang—

With a flick of his wrist, the originally soft and snake-like long sword instantly became as tough as steel.

"Let me see the strength of a Second-Rank Grandmaster!"

"Ye Zhengqi, I knew you were arrogant, but I didn't expect you to be this arrogant!" Li Sixiang gave a cold laugh.

"Come and fight!" Ye Zhengqi's figure soared into the sky, wanting to ascend straight into the clouds.

"There's no need for this!" Li Sixiang took a step forward.

Boom—

Violent air currents instantly swept across the entire banquet.

The crowd narrowed their eyes, not having time to react.

Li Sixiang appeared above Ye Zhengqi.

"Get down!" Li Sixiang shouted.

In an instant, Ye Zhengqi saw a pitch-black sky above, as if heaven and earth had returned to chaos.

The Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire realm was reenacting.

The chaos enveloped Li Sixiang, as if transforming into a separate heaven and earth, falling upon him. He felt trapped, with only one choice.

That was to clash head-on.

"Break—!"

Ye Zhengqi's expression was determined as he raised his sword and stabbed, as if piercing the sky, piercing this heaven and earth.

Boom—

A deafening roar reverberated above.

The air expanded downward like water waves.

Just as the violent air currents stirred up by Li Sixiang's force had not yet blown over half of the banquet, the fruits and porcelain, carried by the currents, were still in mid-air.

They were struck by this substantial wave of air.

The porcelain and fruits in mid-air shattered, and some among the crowd paled and spat out blood.

As the wave expanded downward, Ye Zhengqi fell like a cannonball, accompanied by the wave.

The Grandmaster-level experts who witnessed this in the blink of an eye were all shocked.

No one expected that Ye Zhengqi, a top-tier expert in Guangning Prefecture, would not be a match for Li Sixiang when he went all out.

Boom—

As Ye Zhengqi heavily crashed into the ground, the stones shattered, and the earth rippled.

The pool seemed to have a bomb explode beneath it, causing waves to surge.

Jiang Ning's expression also changed.

A Second-Rank Grandmaster!

Unable to defeat him!

This thought flashed through his mind.

At this moment, Zhong Yue had already stood up, like a towering mountain in front of his great-great-granddaughter.

He stared intently at Li Sixiang, the Deputy Sect Leader of Duxian Gate.

"No!" A voice rang in his ear.

He turned to look at the old beggar across from him.

The old beggar slowly shook his head, signaling him not to act rashly.

Zhong Yue clenched his fist upon seeing this.

He understood his friend's intention.

Ye Zhengqi was no match for Li Sixiang, and his direct confrontation was futile.

Moreover, he had come to the banquet not alone but with his great-great-granddaughter.

If he were to fight, it would be difficult to ensure her safety.

The thought flashed through his mind.

He turned to Jiang Ning, his lips moving slightly, using the art of secret communication.

"Jiang Xunshi, I'm entrusting my great-great-granddaughter, Zhong Ling, to you!"

"You take Zhong Ling and leave!"

Jiang Ning was startled.

He saw Zhong Yue grab Zhong Ling's arm and fling her towards him.

"No need, I'll do it myself!" Ye Zhengqi's voice suddenly echoed from the deep pit in front.

The next moment, a dazzling sword light flashed like a shooting star.

"Your body is tough!" Li Sixiang, standing above, said, "But you underestimate me!"

As his words fell, Li Sixiang transformed his fist into a palm and struck towards the sword light that resembled a shooting star.

The Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire realm, and other profound changes flashed around him, and the void seemed to return to chaos.

At this moment, Ye Zhengqi, with his torn clothes, appeared in the crowd's line of sight.

He held the long sword, his eyes blazing, and his figure was dazzling.

Just as the two were about to collide, the sword light scattered, instantly transforming into a crisscrossed cage that enveloped Li Sixiang.

Ye Zhengqi turned his head and, with a flash, appeared in front of Jiang Ning.

"Go!" He grabbed Jiang Ning and, after glancing at Zhong Ling, who had crashed into Jiang Ning's arms, an invisible wave enveloped the two.

Taking a step forward, the three figures vanished from the peak in an instant.

Li Sishang's eyes widened in shock at the sight.

Ye Zhengqi's ability to do so instantly reminded him of a certain divine ability mentioned in ancient texts.

The next moment, a gray mist enveloped Li Sishang, and with a few strikes, the invisible cage shattered, allowing him to reconnect with the world.

"Impressive!" Li Sishang exclaimed, gazing at the direction where the three had disappeared.

However, he chose not to pursue them. His objective had been achieved.

Pursuing Ye Zhengqi and killing a figure of such status would make the Duxian Gate a thorn in the side of the patrol bureau and a target for the Daxia court to swiftly eliminate.

He wouldn't engage in such foolishness.

Having established his authority in front of the other masters and solidified the Duxian Gate's position in their minds, he had done enough.

Li Sishang then turned to Zhong Yue.

Zhong Yue smiled and shook his head, "No rush, no rush! The banquet hosted by Palace Master Xiao is still ongoing. It would be impolite to leave before it's over."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Qiushui's face turned frosty.

The banquet hall was already in disarray due to the earlier confrontation between Li Sishang and Ye Zhengqi.

How could the banquet continue?

Meanwhile, in the Mirror Moon Lake...

Cough, cough, cough...

Ye Zhengqi coughed repeatedly, spitting out strands of blood that dispersed in the water.

"Ye Fu Shi, can you still hold on?" Jiang Ning's lips moved slightly, his voice carrying across the lake to Ye Zhengqi's ears.

Ye Zhengqi managed to stop coughing.

He nodded at Jiang Ning.

Then, with a wave of his hand, a jade box appeared.

Opening it, he took out a pigeon egg-sized pill and popped it into his mouth.

As the pill slid down his throat, he closed his eyes.

Seeing this, Jiang Ning understood that Ye Zhengqi was healing himself.

His gaze then fell on Zhong Ling, who was tightly gripping his arm.

He realized something was amiss.

Zhong Ling's fingers were clenched around his arm, and her face was flushed, indicating she had reached her limit.

He felt a sense of unease.

Zhong Ling's limited martial arts skills meant her breath-holding ability was average.

He glanced upwards again.

The surface of the lake was far above, with only a faint light visible.

He had no idea where Li Sishang was or if he was searching for him and Ye Zhengqi.

Considering this, he turned to Zhong Ling.

"Forgive me!"

The next moment, Zhong Ling's eyes widened as she stared at the nearby Jiang Ning.

Then, she slowly closed her eyes.

After a while, Zhong Ling's face regained its rosy hue, and her breathing became smooth.

Although her face was slightly red, it was barely noticeable in the dim underwater environment.

With Zhong Ling's issue temporarily resolved, Jiang Ning fell into deep thought.

He had agreed to come to the WaterMoon Sword Palace with Ye Zhengqi, intending to find an opportunity to settle the rift with Xiao Qiushui.

The plan was to wait until the banquet ended and the guests dispersed, then strike.

However, the situation had taken an unexpected turn.

Due to Li Sishang's intervention, Ye Zhengqi was injured and fled, dragging Jiang Ning and Zhong Ling along with him to escape the dangerous situation.

With Li Sishang present, Jiang Ning couldn't make his move.

A Second-Rank Great Master...

After witnessing his power, Jiang Ning knew he stood no chance against him.

If he left now and was spotted by Li Sishang, his only option would be to flee.

Compared to the vast and deep Mirror Moon Lake, this was a safer place.

Not only was Jiang Ning stronger in the water, but he could also evade detection.

A thorough search would be challenging for Li Sishang alone.

Moreover, Jiang Ning didn't think Li Sishang would go to such extremes.

After a moment of contemplation, he shook his head, temporarily dismissing the idea.

Waiting a day or two would ensure their safety.

Just then, he felt Zhong Ling tug at his sleeve.

He noticed her blinking eyes.

Understanding her gesture, Jiang Ning transmitted more breath to Zhong Ling to prevent her from suffocating from holding her breath too long underwater.

Not long after, Ye Zhengqi slowly opened his eyes.

He glanced at Jiang Ning and Zhong Ling, momentarily startled, then closed his eyes again.

"Old Zhong, it seems your prediction might come true!" Ye Zhengqi couldn't help but smile at the thought.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end