Canglang Martial Arts School.
At this moment, carriages were lined up outside the school's entrance.
"The head of Shenwei Martial Arts School, Yu Yuan, has arrived!!"
"Commander of the City Gate Division, Ge Zhengyuan, has arrived!!!"
"Leader of the Green Snake Gang, Shi Xiaoyuan, has arrived!"
"..."
One by one, prominent figures appeared at the entrance of the Canglang Martial Arts School.
The disciples inside the school couldn't help but tremble as they heard these illustrious names.
"Master Wang's reputation is truly impressive!" someone whispered in awe.
"Indeed!" another agreed, nodding emphatically.
Zhou Xing glanced at the group and said, "Hurry up and get to work. Don't waste time!"
"Yes, Senior Brother Zhou!" the disciples replied, bowing their heads in response to his reprimand.
Meanwhile, in the main hall of the school, the atmosphere was already lively.
Prominent figures had gathered, sipping tea and engaging in casual conversation.
"Auntie, who is this man you mentioned?" Lin Jia'er asked softly.
Lin Qingyi smiled slightly, her lips moving without making a sound, yet her voice reached Lin Jia'er's ears.
"You'll see him soon. He's quite handsome, and I'm sure you'll be pleased."
"Auntie, I'm not the kind of shallow girl who only cares about looks," Lin Jia'er said with a pout.
At that moment, Wang Jin strode into the main hall.
"Everyone, my apologies for the poor hospitality. Please forgive me."
When the guests saw the burly man in armor standing beside Wang Jin, they immediately rose to their feet.
"Commander Wang!"
"Greetings, Commander Wang!!"
"..."
One by one, the so-called big shots greeted the man respectfully.
"While we're out and about, everyone should relax. No need for such formalities!" the burly Commander Wang said with a serious expression.
"Commander Wang is right!"
"Commander Wang speaks wisely!"
"..."
Compliments poured out from the crowd.
Only a few remained seated, unfazed.
Among them was Lin Qingyi.
When Commander Wang saw Lin Qingyi, he hesitated for a moment before choosing to sit below her.
"Commander Wang, why not take a seat higher up?" someone asked, puzzled.
The burly Commander Wang replied, "This seat... I like it!"
With that, no one dared to question him further.
When it came to influential figures, Commander Wang was undoubtedly one of the top figures in Luoshui County.
He commanded a hundred elite soldiers and five hundred city guards.
Not to mention his formidable personal strength.
In terms of both power and personal ability, he stood at the pinnacle of Luoshui County.
At that moment, Wang Jin also greeted Lin Qingyi.
"Manager Lin, what brings you here today to attend my disciple initiation banquet?"
Lin Qingyi smiled faintly. "Before Shen Congyun left, he asked me to look after someone. That's why I'm here today."
"Could that someone be Jiang Ning, who caused quite a stir recently?" Yu Yuan, the head of Shenwei Martial Arts School, suddenly interjected.
Lin Qingyi nodded slightly. "Indeed, it's him."
At these words, a glimmer of interest flashed in Lin Jia'er's eyes.
"Jiang Ning? Is he the man Auntie wants to introduce to me?"
Meanwhile, Shi Xiaoyuan's eyes also gleamed with a hint of something.
"Jiang Ning? What a lucky guy!"
"To have so many influential figures backing him!"
He clenched his fist secretly. "What a fortunate life! If it weren't for that, I would have crushed him long ago to avenge my brother!"
"But now, I have to consider this and that."
"It's so frustrating!!!"
Elsewhere, Jiang Ning also came to a stop.
On his way to the martial arts school, he hadn't chosen to take a carriage.
For him, riding in a carriage was too cumbersome and a waste of time.
His current speed and stamina far surpassed that of an ordinary horse.
As for the stamina concerns that most martial artists had, they didn't apply to him.
Internal martial artists were known for their endurance in prolonged battles, and this was one of their basic traits.
With his Inner Alchemy Life-Nurturing Technique at the proficient level, Jiang Ning had already developed the fundamental traits of an internal martial artist, including exceptional stamina.
Given the current state of his internal organs, unless he engaged in prolonged and intense combat, he wouldn't feel the slightest bit of fatigue.
At that moment, the disciples guarding the school's entrance saw Jiang Ning and immediately bowed.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Jiang!"
"Greetings, Senior Brother Jiang!"
Jiang Ning glanced at the carriages outside the gate and asked, "Am I late?"
"Not at all! Senior Brother Jiang, please come in. There's still some time before the disciple initiation banquet begins," one of the disciples quickly replied.
"That's good to hear!" Jiang Ning felt relieved.
Meanwhile, in the school's front courtyard, Xiao Peng stood with his arms crossed, holding a long sword.
He had been waiting for someone.
He had been waiting for Jiang Ning.
The last time they had met, they had briefly tested each other's strength.
At that time, Xiao Peng had personally felt the overwhelming pressure Jiang Ning exuded.
Jiang Ning's strength far surpassed his own.
In the early stages of martial arts, strength played a decisive role in determining the outcome of a fight.
Especially in bare-handed combat, the difference in strength had a significant impact on the result.
Therefore, Xiao Peng knew that he had no chance of defeating Jiang Ning back then.
It wasn't until a few days ago, when he reached the ninth rank of martial arts and fully met Wang Jin's requirements, that he regained the confidence to challenge Jiang Ning.
However, he also knew that even though he had reached the ninth rank, his strength still couldn't match Jiang Ning's.
That was why he had brought his sword today, waiting for Jiang Ning's arrival.
His goal was to use his sword to determine the winner between them.
When weapons were involved, combat experience and skill played a much larger role in determining the outcome, while the impact of strength was reduced.
Xiao Peng understood that using weapons was his only chance.
At that moment, Xiao Peng heard Jiang Ning's voice at the school's entrance.
He immediately opened his eyes, emerging from his meditative state.
"Jiang Ning, you've finally arrived!" he murmured.
In the next moment, as Jiang Ning stepped into the school's front courtyard, he felt an intense gaze fall upon him.
"It's him, Xiao Peng," Jiang Ning thought to himself.
Xiao Peng's eyes burned like two flames, filled with fighting spirit.
"Jiang Ning! Fight me!" Xiao Peng declared, his voice firm and resolute.
His words instantly reached the ears of everyone in the school.
They all stopped what they were doing.
"Is it finally happening?" someone whispered excitedly.
"We're about to witness a good show! Xiao Peng won't just hand this opportunity over to Jiang Ning!"
"Who do you think will come out on top?"
"I still think Senior Brother Xiao Peng will win. After all, Senior Brother Jiang Ning hasn't been training for long."
"I agree."
"..."
As they whispered, they quickly gathered around the two.
At the same time, Jiang Ning heard Xiao Peng's challenge and nodded calmly.
"Alright! Let's do as you wish!"
Hearing Jiang Ning's response, Xiao Peng tightened his grip on the sword in his arms.
"Jiang Ning, since you also carry a sword, let's use our swords to determine the winner today."
"No problem!" Jiang Ning agreed without hesitation.
Just then, Li Qing emerged from a nearby courtyard.
"Blades have no eyes. Since you two plan to use swords to decide the outcome, wait a moment. I'll go fetch Master Wang."
"With Master Wang present, if anything goes wrong, he can intervene and prevent any accidents between fellow disciples."
"Alright!" both Jiang Ning and Xiao Peng nodded in agreement.
In the main hall, Li Qing hurried in.
"What's the rush?" Wang Jin asked, noticing Li Qing's hurried steps.
Li Qing leaned in and whispered into Wang Jin's ear, explaining the situation outside.
A moment later, Wang Jin stood up and addressed the crowd.
"Everyone, today my disciples Jiang Ning and Xiao Peng will compete to determine who will become my disciple. They are currently in the front courtyard, preparing for a sword duel. As their master, I must go and ensure no accidents occur between fellow disciples."
Hearing this, Yu Yuan, the head of Shenwei Martial Arts School, spoke up.
"Brother Wang, I'm quite interested in seeing your two talented disciples spar. May I join you?"
Lin Qingyi also said, "I'm interested as well."
Shi Xiaoyuan, the leader of the Green Snake Gang, added, "Since one of them is Jiang Ning, I'm also very interested!"
Everyone understood the underlying meaning behind Shi Xiaoyuan's words.
The death of the Green Snake Gang's deputy leader, Hong Chengtao, at Jiang Ning's hands was no secret among the upper echelons of Luoshui County.
The incident had already spread far and wide.
A rising star who could kill a seasoned veteran with considerable strength naturally drew the attention of various factions.
With these three expressing their interest, the others also chimed in, saying they had nothing better to do and would like to join in the excitement.
Wang Jin glanced at the group of over a dozen people and smiled.
"In that case, let's all go together!"
In the front courtyard, within moments, the disciples had gathered.
Zhou Xing, Zhao Hu, Zhang Tiesheng, and others were also present.
"Looks like I'm a bit late," Jiang Ning thought to himself. "But at least I'm not too late."
In the crowd, Zhou Xing watched the two with a faint smile, exuding an air of calm and confidence.
"Master Wang is here!" he said, glancing toward the main hall.
At these words, everyone turned their attention to the main hall, and the courtyard fell silent.
Today, many influential figures have gathered here.
Faced with these prominent individuals whom they had only heard of but never seen, the disciples naturally became cautious and refrained from making noise.
Meanwhile, Lin Jia'er looked at Jiang Ning, who was dressed in black and holding a long sword.
She leaned close to Lin Qingyi and whispered, "Auntie, is that the Jiang Ning you mentioned?"
As she spoke, she pointed at Jiang Ning with her slender finger.
Lin Qingyi nodded slightly and used a secret transmission technique to reply, "What do you think? My judgment isn't bad, is he? He's quite handsome, isn't he?"
Lin Jia'er nodded slightly and whispered back, "He is indeed handsome. Even in the martial arts academy, I haven't seen many who can match his looks. Moreover, he exudes confidence, which shows he has a strong foundation."
Hearing this, Lin Qingyi couldn't help but smile.
"So, are you satisfied with him?"
Lin Jia'er hesitated for a moment, her mind flashing to the image of another man.
Then, she whispered, "Auntie, how old is he, and what rank has he reached in martial arts?"
Lin Qingyi replied, "Jiang Ning is about to turn nineteen. As for his martial arts rank, he reached the ninth rank a little over a month ago."
Nineteen?
Just enter the ninth rank?
Hearing this, a hint of disdain flashed in Lin Jia'er's eyes.
Then, she leaned close to Lin Qingyi and said sweetly, "He's indeed quite impressive. Coming from such a poor country, reaching this level at his age is no small feat. No wonder Auntie thinks so highly of him."
Meanwhile, Wang Jin approached Jiang Ning and Xiao Peng.
"The winner of this match will become my disciple today. Do you both understand?"
"Understood!" Xiao Peng nodded, his eyes burning with determination as he stared at Jiang Ning.
"Understood!" Jiang Ning also nodded.
"Good!" Wang Jin said with a nod. "In that case, begin! Let's finish this quickly. Everyone is almost here."
As he spoke, Wang Jin took a few steps back, giving the two enough space.
At the same time, he held a small pebble between his fingers.
This was his way of preventing any accidents between the two disciples.
With his current strength and skill, a small pebble-like this could easily unleash a powerful force.
A single strike could send their swords flying.
With such a method, he could prevent any bloodshed.
After Wang Jin stepped back, Xiao Peng raised his sword in a salute.
"Jiang Ning, I will give this fight my all. Becoming Master Wang's disciple has always been my goal, my pursuit."
Jiang Ning also raised his sword in return.
"Same here."
Swish
The two slowly drew their swords, and the atmosphere grew tense.
At that moment, the surrounding disciples held their breath, their eyes fixed on the center of the courtyard.
Meanwhile, Commander Wang stood beside Wang Jin and nodded slightly.
"Your two disciples are quite impressive. They both have a remarkable presence and are promising talents."
In the next moment, Commander Wang's eyes widened in surprise as he looked ahead.
Wang Jin also froze for a moment, his expression showing a hint of astonishment.
The same was true for everyone else, as they all displayed varying degrees of shock and surprise.
Because at that moment, the fight in the courtyard had already ended.
Jiang Ning's drawn sword was pressed against Xiao Peng's neck, a drop of blood slowly forming at the tip of the blade.
This drop of blood came from Xiao Peng's neck.
This scene marked the end of the fight.
Xiao Peng had lost.
If Jiang Ning pushed his sword forward even an inch, Xiao Peng would die on the spot, with no chance of survival.
"What a fast sword!!!" Xiao Peng murmured in disbelief.
-support me on Patreon for more chapters, 410+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LordoftheReader