The March sunlight was bright but not dazzling, shining down on the Wuqu Ping of Kaiyang Hall, making the long banner that stood erect particularly conspicuous.
"Invincible among the Ninth Grade."
These words were written on the banner, with a small footnote beside it: "Ninth Grade unbeatable, those unconvinced may come to battle, challenge fee of two hundred good deeds, win and it will be fully returned, lose and pay five hundred extra."
Jiang Li stood next to the long banner, arms crossed, indifferent to the attention of other disciples.
His initiative had always been high, and now that he had decided to make a name for himself, he wouldn't hesitate, and he could also earn some good deeds for his empty pockets along the way.
As for whether the challenge fee would deter others, Jiang Li wasn't concerned at all.
Firstly, five hundred good deeds equaled an ordinary bounty-hunting mission; the benefits were still quite good. The lack of challenges for now was merely everyone waiting and watching.
Secondly...
"Big talk."
A disciple in a green robe approached, his burly figure exuding a fierce temperament and an emerging sense of intimidation, "Outer Disciple Li Chongyue, here to experience your unbeatable Ninth Grade."
[ Jiang Li was already tall, but Li Chongyue was half a head taller, his imposing stature more befitting a fierce general charging into battle than a disciple of the Mystic Sect. His face was square and resolute, and there was a host of hostility in his eyes as he looked at Jiang Li.
This person, like Yang Chong, might also be from the Jiang Family. ]
The Karma Collection, as ever, provided helpful information; even if the attitude wasn't obvious, as long as it was there, it could be depicted, allowing Jiang Li to confirm the other's identity.
The second reason was this.
— No matter, the Jiang Family would take action.
Since Jiang Li had set up the challenge, he wasn't afraid of a lack of challengers.
His third objective in raising the banner and setting up the stage was to identify some members of the Jiang Family.
"Hand over your good deeds."
Jiang Li took out his Disciple Jade Token directly, and Li Chongyue did not dawdle, aligning his Jade Token with Jiang Li's.
The two hundred good deeds were transferred quickly; both men took two steps back and readied their stances.
Jiang Li held a long sword, its tip pointing obliquely to the ground, while his other hand rested behind him. His clothes fluttered, as did his hair – a swordsman's elegance that could surely inspire envy in the likes of Magnificent Gold.
Li Chongyue, on the other hand, was dragging a Heavy Sword that was slightly wider and longer than an average long sword. His fierce momentum grew stronger; a silver-white armor was faintly visible around his body.
This wasn't because Li Chongyue's power was profound enough to shape form, but because his Heavenly Weapon Dao Fruit was nearing perfection. The Heavenly Soldier's shadow overlapped his body, and the next step was to completely fuse it.
This man was certainly not mediocre.
As the two faced off, Li Chongyue was the first to strike, quickly stepping forward, sweeping the Heavy Sword along the ground, instantly whipping up a fierce wind that left a pale white trajectory. The sword's edge carried a force as mighty as a Big Axe, wild and powerful.
This downward slash was both swift and forceful, its strength surpassing that of Yang Chong, and its speed not faltering.
What's more important was that the intense momentum merged with the sword, giving the sword momentum a chilling effect that could intimidate the soul.
Li Chongyue had integrated the Divine Power of the Heavenly Weapon into his moves; each move held sword power, his achievements in both Dao Fruit and Martial Arts were extraordinary.
Faced with this overwhelming attack, Jiang Li's eyes focused sharply on the blade, "Seeking Truth" allowing him not to be intimidated by the sword momentum. Light symbols of talismans shone on his green robe, and his seemingly frail long sword poured out scattered Sword Light.
In an instant, the clashing of the sword tip sounded incessantly, as Jiang Li stabbed the Heavy Sword nine times in the blink of an eye.
Each stab was calculated with precision, hitting the force points on the Heavy Sword with his pure strength echoing out, offsetting and weakening the Heavy Sword's momentum significantly.
Then, Jiang Li swept away the Heavy Sword with a swing, stepped forward, and with an upward thrust of his long sword, aimed directly at Li Chongyue's wrist.
Li Chongyue saw the attack coming and hurriedly turned his sword sideways, using the heavy sword's body to block before the sword tip. With another palm imprint on the other side of the sword body and a shock of True Qi, his strength surged like a furious tide, bending the long sword with a tremor, forcing Jiang Li to take a violent step back.
After that, Li Chongyue swept his iron sword horizontally, and amid the howling wind of the swing, he intended to follow up with a pursuit attack.
However, halfway through the sweep, he was forced to abruptly stop, as Jiang Li had withdrawn and pressed down, with his sword tip pointing upward, ready to strike.
Had Li Chongyue insisted on attacking, his sweep would only have brushed over Jiang Li's head, while Jiang Li's long sword would have pierced through Li Chongyue's arm.
This move forced Li Chongyue to hastily gather his strength, the backlash from the recoiling True Qi causing pain to spike through his meridians.
In just three moves and two stances, Li Chongyue was already at a disadvantage, while his opponent hadn't even begun to use his full strength, after all, Jiang Li was more than just a simple martial cultivator.
"No doubt about it."
In front of Kaiyang Hall, two figures quietly emerged, Luo Yi in the front and Yang Chong in the back. Luo Yi looked out to the fight in Wuqu Ping and confirmed, "One hand brandishing the sword, the other pinching and divining—this is the 'Louguan Swordsmanship.'"
From the moment the fight started, Jiang Li's left hand had always been held behind his back, an action highly unorthodox for swordsmanship.
Normally, swordsmen wield the sword with the right hand and use the left to maintain a sword finger for balance. Keeping it behind the back is rather detrimental to the execution of swordsmanship. Among the Dinghu Sect's sword techniques, probably only the "Louguan Swordsmanship" would have this characteristic.
Anticipating the opponent's moves and factoring in various conditions is an extreme drain on mental power. Unless one possesses high calculation power for mental divination, it necessitates the use of one hand for auxiliary computation.
Thus, this also presented a slight weakness in the Louguan Swordsmanship.
"Chongyue, attack his left."
Luo Yi's lips moved slightly, transmitting his voice through the air.
Li Chongyue, who was being forced to retreat, immediately understood and, stepping with the Cloud-Rolling Step, pivoted to sweep towards Jiang Li's left side. This forced Jiang Li to momentarily slow his offensive momentum. Then, moving continuously, Li Chongyue launched a furious onslaught on Jiang Li's left.
'He's noticed.'
Jiang Li, sensing something, glanced around and spotted Luo Yi, 'Indeed, this Li Chongyue is from the Jiang Family.'
Seeing Luo Yi, Jiang Li had no more doubts about Li Chongyue's allegiance.
This was an enemy.
And an enemy deserved the fate of an enemy.
Jiang Li suddenly retreated, his right arm shaking his sleeve, and several talismans flew out.
With a flick of his sword, he attached the talisman papers to the blade with Qi and thrust forward.
"Boom!"
Flames burst on the sword, the Fire Thunder Talismans attached to the blade activated, combined with the sword power, shook the heavy sword, and the strength transmitted to Li Chongyue's arm, causing his fingers to go numb and the base of his thumb to instantly split open.
Li Chongyue, known for his strength, had faced even greater violence.
Wielding his sword, Jiang Li's attacks were fiery and fierce, with precise calculations that made each of his strikes detonate the Fire Thunder Talismans, merging two forces into one. With each strike, Li Chongyue was forced back.
"Boom boom boom boom..."
After ten steps, Li Chongyue's arms felt numb like they'd been shocked, and the heavy sword he held in front of him began to tremble wildly.
The final strike.
Jiang Li slashed down with his sword, flames bursting and the force incredibly strong, heavy as if weighed by thousands of pounds. Li Chongyue attempted to block with his sword horizontally but felt as if Mount Tai was pressing down on him, and his knees gave out, forcing him to the ground.
"Thump!"
His knees hit the ground with a muffled sound, accompanied by a faint sound of cracking bones.
Jiang Li sheathed his sword and said indifferently, "Next."