Word Count: 2,747 Words
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"That's enough!"
This was the last straw. Ling Bai practically squeezed these words out through gritted teeth. To have his 'little birdy' toyed with like that—what immense psychological damage it was for a fine young man with an adult soul trapped in an infant's body!
The Snow Empress doubled over with laughter in his Spiritual Sea. This truly was a childhood trauma; she could even imagine Ling Bai's humiliated little face, powerless to resist.
The Snow Empress's completely undisguised mockery echoed from within his mind. Her laughter bombarded Ling Bai's mental defenses like one 100,000-year spirit skill after another. His handsome face turned as black as the bottom of a pot as he ground out through clenched teeth:
"Can we please not talk about such things anymore? Be careful—walls have ears!"
"Xiao Bai, you weren't like this when you were little. You never used to be mean to me."
Ning Fengyu's eyes shimmered with unshed tears. She gazed at Ling Bai with trembling, rounded shoulders and an expression both aggrieved and timid. She looked like a pear blossom bathed in rain, carrying a uniquely alluring charm.
"You're over forty years old. Can you stop playing these twenty-year-old tricks..."
"I raised you with snacks in one hand and drinks in the other, and now you think I'm old!"
Ling Bai pressed a hand to his aching forehead. Though they were twins, the two sisters of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had completely different styles. Ning Fengya was graceful, decisive, and rational, an exceptionally outstanding clan head.
Ning Fengyu, on the other hand, never had a serious bone in her body. She wielded all eighteen martial arts of womanhood with ease and especially loved teasing children with words and expressions, only satisfied when she saw a steaming red face.
"Let's stop playing around, Aunt Yu. We haven't seen each other in a while. Let's sit down and have a proper chat."
Ling Bai raised the white flag. He'd never been able to handle Ning Fengyu since childhood.
At his words, Ning Fengyu immediately tucked away her aggrieved look. A smug smile curved at the corners of her lips as she pointed forward with her fingertip. Countless azure vines instantly wove themselves into two reclining chairs.
Sky Azure Vine Emperor, the ruler of the Sky Azure Vine clan, a top-level plant-type life-attribute Martial Spirit.
The two sisters had each inherited one of their parents' Martial Spirits. Ning Fengya possessed the ancestral Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, while Ning Fengyu had awakened their mother's Sky Azure Vine Emperor.
It was precisely because Ning Fengyu's Martial Spirit wasn't the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda that she could hide her Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan identity. This was why Ning Fengya had sent her to the Sun Moon Empire as Linglong Pavilion's representative, while also protecting those direct disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda responsible for searching for rare metals.
The two lay side by side on the reclining chairs woven by the Sky Azure Vine Emperor, enjoying the clear radiance of the silver moon. The unique life fragrance of plant-type Martial Spirits filled their nostrils.
Ning Fengyu slightly turned her head toward Ling Bai. She twirled a strand of bluish-green hair around her finger and said, "Why did you suddenly come to Mingdu? You didn't even tell me in advance."
"I missed you, so I came to see you."
"Oh my, listen to you!"
Ning Fengyu immediately bloomed with joy. These words had clearly struck her heartstrings, hitting the bullseye perfectly.
Ling Bai saw this scene and wore an expression that said, 'just as expected.'
If he dared say he came to find the Holy Angel, kill the Demon Eye Evil Tree, ambush the Body Sect at Illustrious Virtue Hall, or visit Ning Tian and Wu Feng, then Ning Fengyu would ask with teary eyes why she wasn't in his heart, then complain for three days and nights.
It was no big deal; he was fifteen this year, with fourteen years of experience making Ning Fengyu happy!
Ninety percent of his coaxing techniques had been practiced on Ning Fengyu. Some were even taught to him by Ning Fengyu herself!
All of it, bitter tears!
The two chatted for half the night. The first half covered Ling Bai's studies and life at Shrek Academy, while the second half covered Linglong Pavilion's development in recent years.
"Previously, Linglong Pavilion resold Spirit Guidance Devices from Illustrious Virtue Hall through the connections of former Illustrious Virtue Hall Chief Researcher Xu Cong. I packaged myself as a harmless little white flower cast out by my vicious sister and easily turned Xu Cong into a lapdog. He would have done anything for me."
At this point, Ning Fengyu changed her tone and said with frustrated disappointment, "Everything was going fine originally. Who could have imagined that guy would be audacious enough to set his sights on Class 9 Stationary Spirit Cannons! That crossed Illustrious Virtue Hall's red line. When the matter was exposed, Jing Hongchen drove him out and declared no power in the Sun Moon Empire was allowed to take him in.
With nowhere to turn, Xu Cong wanted to elope with me. Seeing he had no more value, I casually brushed him off with some excuse about being money-obsessed. After that, he vanished without a trace..."
Ling Bai lowered his head without speaking. As the saying goes, 'every sip and peck is preordained.' Comrade Xu Cong's final work, the Class 9 sealing-type God Sealing Altar, was currently lying in his own Storage Spirit Guidance Device.
"Xu Cong's end was well deserved, but Linglong Pavilion's connection to Illustrious Virtue Hall Spirit Guidance Devices was cut off. We can only smuggle rare metals and ordinary Sun Moon Spirit Guidance Devices..." Ning Fengyu sighed.
"Fortunately, Xiao Tian is capable. These past few months, she successfully connected with an even larger-scale secret line composed entirely of teachers and students from the Sun Moon Imperial Academy. The head of that network will come to Linglong Pavilion's ninth floor early this morning to discuss matters with me in person."
"To be able to procure large quantities of Spirit Guidance Devices, that person must hold a pivotal position in Illustrious Virtue Hall. They might be some greedy Class 9 Spirit Guidance Master," Ling Bai speculated.
"Who cares about all that? As long as we can earn spirit gold coins!"
Ning Fengyu suddenly sat up with a swish. Her pair of emerald beautiful eyes stared straight at Ling Bai. "With this larger network, we'll grow bigger and stronger and create new glory!
Xiao Bai, do you want to join Linglong Pavilion's great cause and fight against that wretched sister of mine!
That vicious woman only asks me for money and Spirit Guidance Devices. She doesn't even write me a single letter normally!"
"I support you spiritually, Aunt Yu. I wish you success."
Ling Bai stretched lazily. One thing subdues another. No matter how enthusiastic Ning Fengyu appeared now, every time she returned to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, she became Ning Fengya's foot-washing maid. The bloodline suppression between elder sister was right there. Ning Fengyu didn't dare say a single extra word.
Dawn had already broken. Since the head of the Illustrious Virtue Hall network would arrive at Linglong Pavilion's ninth floor early to meet Ning Fengyu, Ling Bai couldn't stay here too long. It was perfect timing to visit Ning Tian and Wu Feng at the Sun Moon Imperial Academy.
Refusing Ning Fengyu's farewell 'face-washing,' Ling Bai left Linglong Pavilion. At the nine-colored main door, he brushed past a figure completely shrouded in black robes. That person's footsteps paused for an instant as they murmured:
"The aura of Thousand Illusion Charming Appearance... There's no mistake. Each of my works bears a special imprint. But didn't I sell it to the Heavenly Soul Empire..."
…
The morning sunlight spilled across his exquisitely beautiful features. Ling Bai casually asked a passerby for directions and headed straight toward the Sun Moon Imperial Academy.
"Open-air arena battle! Class 6 Spirit Guidance Master Sword Fanatic defending the ring! Welcome everyone to watch and place bets!"
A male voice, amplified by a Spirit Guidance Device, suddenly rang out.
The crowd immediately stirred into motion, surging toward the distant arena. Ling Bai overheard two female Spirit Guidance Masters chatting excitedly.
"Sister, hurry! The Sword Fanatic is a regular at open-air arena battles. His real name is Ji Juechen. They say he's an elite student from Illustrious Virtue Hall, super handsome and skilled in combat. He's the man of my dreams!"
Catching a familiar name from his memories, Ling Bai raised his eyes and looked into the distance. He saw a hexagonal open-air arena with a young man in his twenties standing at its center. His long black hair was simply tied behind his head, and his face carried an unhealthy pallor. Yet he was so handsome that ninety-nine percent of men would sigh in envy.
He hugged a sword about four feet long to his chest. The blade was entirely pitch-black with an ancient, simple design lacking any ornate features. Compared to the conventional image of a sword, what Ji Juechen held looked more like a fire poker.
"The arena battle will officially begin in fifteen minutes! Friends who still wish to place bets, please come to the workstation beside me!"
The host's voice transmitted through the Spirit Guidance Device again.
"Today our old friend the Sword Fanatic will face ten rounds of non-stop gauntlet battles! Each opponent will be a Class 6 Spirit Guidance Master of the same rank. The final round will pit him against a powerful Class 7 Spirit Guidance Master!"
The host shouted himself hoarse, and the audience responded enthusiastically, waves of cheers crashing like tidal waves.
"Open-air arena battle, begin!"
With the host's loud shout, the arena's Spirit Barrier rose. The Class 6 Spirit Guidance Master opposite Ji Juechen instantly activated the Spirit Thruster on his back. Contrary to many spectators' expectations, he didn't charge toward Ji Juechen but flew toward the arena's edge instead.
As the battle began, Ji Juechen's seemingly dull and vacant eyes suddenly blazed with spirit. It was a fervor filled with obsession. In his eyes, there was only the enemy and the sword in his hands.
Gripping the sword with both hands, six perfectly configured spirit rings appeared—two yellow, two purple, two black—bursting forth with an incomparably sharp aura.
Sword Intent!
In an instant, Ji Juechen seemed to merge completely with that unremarkable pitch-black longsword. The sword tip trembled lightly under the infusion of spirit power and Sword Intent. A faint humming sound spread outward as his momentum climbed at an astonishing speed.
This sword strike wouldn't move unless necessary. Once it did, it would surely amaze all quarters. Everyone couldn't help holding their breath. Their burning gazes locked tightly on Ji Juechen, afraid to miss the slightest detail.
Ji Juechen moved.
He glided toward the Class 6 Spirit Guidance Master opposite him as if skating on ice. Before he arrived, the fierce Sword Intent had already soared to its peak. Even the spectators behind the arena's Spirit Barrier could feel that sharp aura that seemed ready to cleave them in two.
The opponent was a Class 6 Spirit Guidance Master, after all, and wouldn't sit there waiting for defeat. While Ji Juechen accumulated Sword Intent, his opponent had already transformed into a Spirit Fortress. Various Spirit Cannons and Spirit Rays continuously bombarded Ji Juechen.
Ji Juechen's response was simple: an upward slash.
Boom—
All the Spirit Cannon blasts seemed like soft tofu meeting a sharp blade when facing Ji Juechen's sword—cleaved cleanly in two.
The next second, Ji Juechen's sword landed on the Class 6 Spirit Guidance Master's head with a gentle tap.
A cold, indifferent voice rang out.
"Next."
Ji Juechen didn't linger. His figure flickered and vanished from his bewildered opponent's field of vision, leaving behind a cool silhouette.
"Sword Fanatic! Sword Fanatic! Sword Fanatic!"
Without a doubt, this was a one-sided battle. But the Douluo Continent was a world that revered the strong. Ji Juechen's power and coldness were exactly what the audience craved to see. The cheers from below the stage were deafening.
"Rudimentary Sword Intent..."
Laymen watch the excitement; experts watch the technique. Also cultivating the sword path, Ling Bai clearly saw Ji Juechen's current limit of ability—gradually comprehending Sword Intent, walking on the correct path of cultivation.
"Next."
Battle after battle continued. After winning the ninth round and returning to his initial standing position, Ji Juechen looked at his opponent on the ground who was questioning life itself. He sighed inwardly. The level of the open-air arena was still somewhat low. Finding Class 6 Spirit Guidance Masters to fight was already quite difficult. His opponent for the final match was the first Class 7 Spirit Guidance Master he'd encountered since starting to fight here.
The reason he came to Mingdu's open-air arena to compete wasn't for the generous prize money. It was because at the Sun Moon Imperial Academy, not many same-rank students accepted his challenges.
Even Class 7 Spirit Guidance Masters who were one rank higher rarely wanted to face Ji Juechen. Everyone avoided him, terrified of being pestered by him.
His formidable Sword Intent was naturally one aspect. More importantly, the Class 7 Spirit Guidance Masters didn't know whether they should win or lose.
If they won, Ji Juechen would stick to them like taffy, jumping out daily like a randomly triggered wild monster from roadside bushes demanding a match, making it impossible for people to calm down and study or cultivate.
If they lost, word would spread and they'd lose face. A mighty Class 7 Spirit Guidance Master defeated by someone who was neither a Spirit Master nor a Spirit Guidance Master. They couldn't afford to lose that face.
In the eyes of the Sun Moon Imperial Academy's teachers and students, Ji Juechen was an anomaly. Unlike most Spirit Guidance Masters who forced their growth, despite having only Rank 3 innate spirit power, he had never taken medicine to increase his spirit power, nor could he forge or use Spirit Guidance Devices.
He stayed at the Sun Moon Imperial Academy and Illustrious Virtue Hall only to challenge others, because there were Spirit Guidance Masters stronger than him here.
However, at the Sun Moon Imperial Academy, very few people were willing to interact with him because aside from challenges, he was silent every day, as if his eyes held only the sword in his arms. He would even talk to his sword. Only when someone who had defeated him spoke to him would he occasionally respond.
Later, Illustrious Virtue Hall Master Jing Hongchen discovered Ji Juechen's combat talent and recognized him as a promising seedling. He encouraged him to continue challenging everywhere, making only one requirement.
He could only challenge one Class 7 Spirit Guidance Master per month.
Class 7 Spirit Guidance Masters were high-end talents even in the Sun Moon Empire. They couldn't just let Ji Juechen use them as whetstones.
Ji Juechen agreed, but his cultivation method of tempering through battle was never satisfied. Eventually, through his only friend's introduction, he came to the open-air arena to fight and had been doing so for a full year.
His expression was somewhat absent as he scanned around. He wouldn't come again after today's fights. The open-air arena no longer held much significance for him. He craved stronger opponents, preferably one who could completely stimulate the Sword Intent within his body.
"Hmm?"
Just because of one extra glance in the crowd.
Ji Juechen let out a soft sound of surprise. Looking down from his elevated position, his eyes sharp as swords instantly fell upon that golden-haired, golden-eyed handsome youth.
The moment he saw the golden-haired youth, Ji Juechen's cultivated rudimentary Sword Intent actually produced a long-lost desire for battle. It felt as if it wanted to burst from his chest and fight to their hearts' content, battling until the sky and earth turned dark!
He recognized it at a glance—this was the one!
Glancing at the Class 7 Spirit Guidance Master opposite him who looked as if facing a formidable enemy, Ji Juechen made up his mind. He faced that handsome youth from afar, cupped his sword in both hands, and declared in a clear voice:
"Brother over there, I am the Sword Fanatic Ji Juechen. I request a battle!"